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Reposted by R Phelps

Cas Ⓜ️udde @casmudde.bsky.social · 5h

I wrote this 1.5 year ago. No illusion that decision makers in Dutch or U.S. media will read it, let alone learn the lessons

Many individual journalists know and sometimes do better, but are overruled by editors or fear unemployment.

What can YOU do? Support liberal democratic media!

Cas Mudde on the media and the far right: a dangerous liaison worth breaking - Voxeurop

News outlets have a complex love-hate relationship with the far right, marked by antagonism and mutual benefit. Far-right specialist Cas Mudde shares a few simple tips on how to inform citizens withou...

voxeurop.eu

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 4h

Why not make him PM on the basis of opinion polls?

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5h

"Over the last year, Badenoch has asked c.200 questions, Davey around 70, Green MPs 9, and Farage just 6. If those questions had been distributed according to their share of the opinion polls, rather than the number of MPs, Farage would have asked 120 , and the others between 40 and 60 each."

PMQs should give more space to Nigel Farage

In a recent survey of young people by Onward, six out of 10 felt that “too many people are ignored” by democracy or, worse still, that “democracy i...

www.politicshome.com

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 4h

Early analyses of this morning's SCOTUS hearings are confirming that the Voting Rights Act is in very dire trouble.

This is from @rickhasen.bsky.social:

electionlawblog.org?p=152536

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Chris Giles @chrisgiles.ft.com · 10h

There is no need for a moral panic about the UK's welfare system.

Far from perfect but recent discourse is nuts

Spending is controlled, not spiralling

Worklessness is near record lows

My column www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 10h

It appears Christo Grosev thinks the passport fake..?

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 16h

UK records rare burst of productivity growth, think-tank says - on.ft.com/3J9yIXv

When people complain about weak employment growth AND weak productivity, I want to shout "you get to pick ONE horse!". Good work from @resfoundation.bsky.social

UK records rare burst of productivity growth, think-tank says

Resolution Foundation estimates output per hour worked rose 1.6% over past year

on.ft.com

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 14h

Ok, but why not add Trump to this? That is the shock most front of mind for the public, and bi-partisan. And it's also true.

Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 15h

OBR had carried out a review over the summer and found “they have consistently overestimated our productivity performance”.

It was up to them to set out the reasons but “austerity, Brexit, & the ongoing impact of Liz Truss’s mini-budget, all of those things have weighed heavily on the UK economy”.

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 14h

Fact check: true

Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 15h

Ms Reeves will have to fill a black hole estimated at around £50 billion by some economists.

Ms Reeves told Sky News the economy was still suffering from the impacts of leaving the European Union, austerity policies and Liz Truss’s mini-budget. /3

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Hughster @hughster.bsky.social · 2d

X is quite literally funding the defence of the domestic extremists the government is prosecuting but they still won't stop using it

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 2d

If true, it's an open question which of them this reflects more badly upon.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Tommy Robinson says Elon Musk is paying his legal costs as trial begins

Far-right activist is accused of refusing to comply with counter-terrorism police request at Channel tunnel

www.theguardian.com

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 16h

Finally.
Yes, Brexit was a disaster.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 17h

"There is no doubt that the impact of Brexit has been severe and long-lasting", Rachel Reeves tells Sky News, as she suggests that taxes will now have to go up as a result to "make sure the numbers add up".

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Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 1d

The servicemembers who are conducting these strikes need to be told, explicitly, by Dems in Congress that they have criminal liability, because they do

Congressman Don Beyer @beyer.house.gov · 1d

Trump has no legal authority, "standing" or otherwise, to order the killing of people in international waters for unsubstantiated accusations of non-capital crimes.

Calling them "narcoterrorists" does not make it right or legal to order their deaths without any due process.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump announces another strike "just off the Coast of Venezuela" that killed 6 people

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Bo Jacobs Strom @bojs.bsky.social · 1d

Headlines going to the English requirements but I'd completely missed this part of the plans, yet another act of idiotic self harm. Completely incompatible with the government's stated aims on housebuilding, growth, etc.

The immigration skills charge is being raised by 32%

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

Ok, thanks 🤞

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

Seems like a good hook for the UK press to discuss whether the UK government should be on a Nazi-run site like X and not say, on here, and whether Ofcom is doing its job.

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 1d

Hey news people: I know you like to pretend this doesn't exist, but you need to pay attention to the Nazi drama on Twitter. Basically, it seems as if Elon just restored two major neo-Nazi accounts that were banned by his product head, and might be about to fire the product head for banning them

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The Economist @economist.com · 1d

NATO is facing its toughest test since the cold war. Secretary-general Mark Rutte talks to @shashj.bsky.social, outlining his plans for the alliance. Watch Inside Defence now

Mark Rutte on NATO’s survival | The Economist Insider

The transatlantic alliance is facing its toughest test since the cold war. Defence budgets are climbing, but the gap between pledges and capabilities remains large. New technologies are transforming the battlefield, forcing European armies to adapt. And America is de-prioritising Europe. Mark Rutte talks to Shashank Joshi, outlining his plans for NATO.

econ.st

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

What's your sense as to whether the attack on Volodymyrivka actually ended up with Ru forces taking the village despite losses, or they all got flushed out?

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OdessaBlogger @odessablogger.bsky.social · 1d

As stated yesterday regarding the impending loss of UA citzenship for #Odesa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, I understand it has now been removed and thus #Odesa has no mayor.

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OdessaBlogger @odessablogger.bsky.social · 2d

It appears that the odious and distinctly dubious Odesa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov is about to have his Ukrainian citizenship removed, and thus can no longer act as Mayor. Rumour has it that the relevant decree awaits the president's signature imminently.

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ECFR @ecfr.eu · 1d

Governments in other democracies of interest to Moscow can learn from Chisinau’s preparedness in 2025 ahead of their own elections, write @gvalodskaite.bsky.social and Leo Litra @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4pZM4WZ

From success to strategy: Three lessons from Moldova’s election

The success of Maia Sandu’s pro-EU party in Moldova’s parliamentary election holds three valuable lessons for protecting votes from Russian meddling in the future—whether that is in Moldova or in…

bit.ly

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

Yes!
Enforce laws. Laugh at and ignore idiots who say 'don't enforce laws, we must be seen to win on the battlefield of ideas'.

ECFR @ecfr.eu · 1d

Governments in other democracies of interest to Moscow can learn from Chisinau’s preparedness in 2025 ahead of their own elections, write @gvalodskaite.bsky.social and Leo Litra @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4pZM4WZ

From success to strategy: Three lessons from Moldova’s election

The success of Maia Sandu’s pro-EU party in Moldova’s parliamentary election holds three valuable lessons for protecting votes from Russian meddling in the future—whether that is in Moldova or in…

bit.ly

Reposted by R Phelps

John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 1d

More important, I think, is Lib Dems are running candidate selections while the Tories are still, slowly, dealing with re-approvals for the main lists.

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Matt Steinglass @mattsteinglass.bsky.social · 1d

NRC update says NL govt interceded because China’s Wingtech planned to use Nexperia money to finance a factory for WingSkySemi, a Chinese daughter co. Financial Times says NL govt intervened after a warning from the US. Both can be true obvs

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

I still haven't seen a good explanation as to why NATO countries haven't detained more of the shadow fleet tankers in the Baltic especially. Where they have no insurance or flag, they could be held no problem. Is that one Su-35 pass really enough to have scared everyone?

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R Phelps @greygosling.bsky.social · 1d

This is enough to make a total mess out of Alabuga.

Ukrainska Pravda 🇺🇦 @pravda.ua · 1d

⚡️ US can supply only 20-50 Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine

US can supply only 20-50 Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine – FT

The United States has been able to offer Ukraine only 20-50 Tomahawk missiles, a quantity that is unlikely to materially change combat dynamics or the battlefield situation.

www.pravda.com.ua

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Verfassungsblog @verfassungsblog.de · 1d

EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi faces allegations of involvement in espionage by Hungary against the European Union.

ALBERTO ALEMANNO (@alemanno.bsky.social) explains why the Várhelyi Affair is a test of institutional self-defence – and how the EU can respond.

verfassungsblog.de/varhelyi-com...

Quote: “The Várhelyi affair poses a question the Union has never had to answer so starkly: What happens when a member state treats the institutions it helped create not as a common project, but as hostile territory to be infiltrated and undermined?”

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