John Cotter
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drjohncotter.bsky.social
John Cotter
@drjohncotter.bsky.social

Senior Lecturer in Law at Keele University, England. Research in EU constitutional law, especially defence of democracy, and impeachment. Irishman living in Cheshire. Views are my own.

John Lambert Cotter was an American archaeologist whose career spanned more than sixty years and included archaeological work with the Works Progress Administration, numerous posts with the National Park Service, and contributions to the development of historical archaeology in the United States. .. more

Political science 29%
Materials science 18%
Pinned
Last mention of my most recent article on how - as a last resort - EU law can be (re-)-interpreted to protect the democratic legitimacy of its legislature in the face of Member State autocratisation.
My latest article ‘Democracy Manifest? Ensuring the EU Legislature’s Democratic Legitimacy
in the Face of National-Level Autocratisation’ has just been published online and open access in European Papers: www.europeanpapers.eu/en/system/fi...
www.europeanpapers.eu

Sounds like you may have been a formative experience in a villain origin story there, Eoin.

Did you know he’s from Macroom?
Tomorrow's Headlines

The Telegraph: Starmer Next!

The Guardian: Morgan McSweeney's Gone, Thank God!

The Irish Times: Irishman forced out of UK Labour Role

The Irish (Cork) Examiner: Having Completed Michael Collins' Work, and brought low the British Government, Macroom Calls it's Son Home

For anyone in Ireland wondering, there are no bonfires lighting in the villages of England to mark the departure of Morgan McSweeney. Not in this part of Cheshire anyway.

“Sure, you know that lad McSweeney down the road. Thought he was fierce smart. Went over to London and had notions he was running the place. And didn’t they only chase him out in the end. He’d have been better off in County Hall.”

Or will it be added to the list of cautionary tales already told in Cork along the lines of “sure, why would you be leaving Cork anyway, like?”

One wonders what McSweeney’s departure will do to the already fraught state of Cork-Not Cork diplomatic relations.

True, although the Sunday politics shows and Sunday paper politics stuff pre-dates it. It definitely does resemble sports coverage though.

In what world but the Westminster bubble is Sunday a day for a resignation? In fact, the whole phenomenon of politics being a Sunday sport is odd when you think about it.

JD Vance probably convincing himself that the booing was oppressive woke Europe trying to cancel him and that only brutalisation of the decadent booing masses by state-sponsored thugs can restore free speech.

I hope Piers Morgan doesn’t find out about Trump’s racism and the tooth fairy on the same day.

And if things are really as grim for Starmer as is being suggested, what does he have to lose anyway?

I could be entirely wrong, but I think a lot of the assumed obstacles to the UK joining the EU or at least some form of closer economic integration are becoming exaggerated. There needs to be some impetus shown for it.

The situation on the EU side has also changed btw, and the case for the UK joining is now much more attractive (if some kind of maturity and stability can be signalled again from the UK).

Sure, some people would jump up and down in a silly rage about it. However, I think a silent majority of people, even a lot of people who voted leave, would quietly breathe a sigh of relief that finally someone was acting like a grown-up and had a clear vision and plan.

Starmer gets unfair criticism, but one criticism I think is fair is that he seems unable to spot and utilise opportunities: the US going rogue is a chance to say that 2016 was in another age and there is now a clear case for saying the decision to turn away from Europe was wrong and must be reversed

It goes back to a quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Why discuss slow-burning or even immediate threats to democracy and the rule of law when you can report “he said, she said” or “how is this polling?” 2/2

It’s obvious that most political correspondents are trained in - or have as their bread and butter - day-to-day political or interpersonal machinations. A “week is a long time in politics” view of the world. They’re not so good on the longer term constitutional structures that underpin it all. /1

I’m sorry, but if large corporate chains can’t support themselves without state intervention, maybe they shouldn’t have so many pubs…
NEW: Reform UK says it would re-impose the two-child benefit cap - scrapped by Labour - for most families to fund £3bn support package for pubs.

Like what’s the point in targeting obvious Traitors early on? It’s just a game of reducing numbers and saving yourself. Better the devil you know.

The utter beautiful chaos of the Irish Traitors. The first series in which contestants finally say the quiet or unspoken things out loud.
NEW: Reform UK says it would re-impose the two-child benefit cap - scrapped by Labour - for most families to fund £3bn support package for pubs.

I think the safest route is an omnibus bill depriving all peers of their titles. That would head off all future problems of this sort.

Coming soon, The Resignation Letters of Peter Mandelson, Vol. I.

Mandelson must have a drawer of resignation letter precedents.

French absolutist monarchy: “let them eat cake.”

British constitutional monarchy: “let us sell them cake at a significant mark up.”

“I think about the Roman Empire at least several times a day.”

“Oh, I should introduce you to my friend Mary Beard.”

“An expert on the Roman Empire? No way, what a nerd.”

Matt Goodwin now wears a leather jacket and shades, and smokes, and is not a nerd. So no nerd stuff for him like reading, or conversing beyond a few monosyllables, or even thinking. He’s his own man, but also a man of the people. And you’re a nerd for reading this.

The search for proper Brexit must continue until morale improves.

The Express: “Please go and tell your master that we have been charged by God with a sacred quest, and if he will give us food and shelter for this night he can join us in our quest for a proper Brexit.”