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James Willby

@jameswillby.bsky.social

350 followers 810 following 1.5K posts

Brit, Londoner, former New Yorker in Astoria. City Boy, "Woke" Liberal & D&D DM. Also loves Fin Tech, CRPGSs, Sci Fi, 40K, Man Utd & her. Very bad at Golf. Married to Thorrun.

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · Nov 12

Same rules as before. Sign up, follow @iandunt.bsky.social, no swearing and also see if that French Dog lover is around anywhere ...

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 1d

I literally said this at the time. Anyone can get a deal if you just agree to what the other side wants. The Australia and New Zealand trade deals were AWFUL for UK farmers. There was a reason their TV shows were literally laughing at us.

Liz Truss the brilliant negotiator ... total muppet she is.

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

This deserves more attention than it has received.

Gove: "we were too anxious as a government to secure those deals in order to show that Brexit was working".

Exactly as so many of us warned at the time, and as the government denied at the time.
www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/country-and-...

Michael Gove admits that post-Brexit trade deals were bad for farmers

Michael Gove has admitted for the first time that the Australia and New Zealand trade deals negotiated by the former Tory government did not protect Britain’s farmers.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 1d

Who cares? Yes Brexit hit trade, airports, supply chains. But it changes nothing; we adapt and move on. Here’s the blunt truth: no matter how often the consequences are flagged by Europeans, the UK will never join the EU as a new member. The entry terms are simply unacceptable; that’s the end of it.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 1d

As expected, UK was involved extensively behind the scenes. And Jonathan Powell was Tony Blair's fixer on Northern Ireland. So, for anybody decrying UK involvement in getting us to peace and the hostages home, just because Starmer doesn't shout does not mean he doesn't act. #PeaceSummit #Egypt

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 2d

I hope we all appreciated the incredible brass neck of the SNP, who routinely demand Scotland has its own immigration policy separated from Westminster and regularly hold up the refugees welcome signs, demanding London stop looking to rehouse migrants in Scotland. Why might that be Mr John Swinney?

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 2d

Action is being taken, but the UK will not join a hostile & protectionist EU. We've seen this week with steel tarrifs & the ridiculous debate over burgers, plus the capitol levys, that the EU isn't a place for growth or frankly trust.

Starmer being in India was far more valuable to the UK.

Elena Adaal @elenaadaal.bsky.social · 4d

Interesting.

Of course taxes can be raised or not, but the Brexit damage won’t go away if you take no action.

UK chooses to be poorer every day.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 4d

Labour to make impact of Brexit since 2016 vote + 2020 the reason to raise taxes in 2025. I am not sure how this explains making the 2024 pledges not to do so
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 2d

Doesn't matter. It impacts the UK.

The EU proves to be an unfriendly and untrustworthy actor. The tarrif clauses in the TCA are to counter predatory or unfair practises.

Where was that in this decision?

Nowhere. The UK should drag the EU through arbitration. The defensive tone says it all.

Elena Adaal @elenaadaal.bsky.social · 6d

The UK should get over itself. These steel tariffs are all about China, and not about UK.

The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 6d

Once again, the Telegraph seems shocked that the EU is acting like… the EU.

This is exactly what sovereignty looks like when you’re on the outside.

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Reposted by James Willby

Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 3d

I hereby declare war on premature Christmassing.

Any shop caught doing this before 1st December must be shut down and turned into affordable housing.

Choose sanity. Vote Binface.

(Photo dated 9th October 2025)

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 5d

My wife

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 6d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

Reposted by James Willby

James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 5d

I sometimes worry I exaggerate the collective madness of our media but the people who cheered Brexit, Boris Johnson & Liz Truss's mini-budget are now applauding Kemi Badenoch's speech. 'Parallell universe' doesn't come close. I suppose her not falling over is a win of sorts for them at the moment.

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 5d

I will not say the extremely cruel and spiteful thing I am thinking, but I will not deny I am thinking it. Honestly, just had enough of them.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 6d

EU rushed this out yesterday.

Claimed its a temporary measure due to “global overcapacity, unfair competition, state aid” etc.

Didn't even have the decency to brief London it was coming.
78% of UK steel goes to the EU.

We should drag the European Commission through TCA arbitration.

Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 7d

New: European Commission has unveiled sweeping measures to shield the EU’s struggling steel industry from a flood of overcapacity it says is emanating from China, slashing tariff-free quotas by nearly half and doubling duties on excess shipments to 50%

Eyeing China, EU unveils sweeping measures to shield struggling steel industry

If approved, plan tackling overcapacity would slash tariff-free quotas by nearly half and double duties on excess shipments to 50 per cent.

www.scmp.com

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

So why didnt the UK help with Greece? Because Greece isn't family. Its that simple.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

But do we see the EU as family?

I wonder.

a close up of a cat licking its paw on a white surface .

ALT: a close up of a cat licking its paw on a white surface .

media.tenor.com

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

Wales also voted Leave (52.5%) and yet you all forget.

Polls still show most in England want Scotland in the UK, many saying they’d be sad if it left.

And in 2010 the UK lent €3bn to bail out Ireland, a Eurozone state. Why? Because we see them as family.

And family looks out for family.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

I just find all of this pretty comical to be frank. Its 2025. The next election will absolutely not be until 2029 unless Labour thinks it can win.

Sam Coates grave, eyeballing the camera with MRP polling just tells me the press are so desperate for some kind of drama and intrigue they've gone mad.

Reposted by James Willby

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 8d

A work of art

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

"Pensions aren't coming out of the benefits bill. Its the work-shy, scroungers, immigrants"
"No its pensions."

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

Like I am literally there target audience. I am 40 something former conservative future. And their opening offer is "commit to leaving the ECHR" after Brexit.

I genuinely think CCHQ just wants out.

Reposted by James Willby

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 8d

if that HIGNFY Euan Blair fuckup had been about a right-winger it'd have had full front-page scandal coverage in the Mail followed by frontpage coverage across the board for the next week, days of "BBC in crisis" headline coverage by the BBC, and parliamentary questions about Tim Davie's future

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Michael @michaeljsc.bsky.social · 8d

perfect detail

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James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

So to be clear you're hoping for the breakup of the United Kingdom because we won't play ball on some Damascene conversion to being an EU state.

And Scotland is subsidised to the tune of £bns under the Barnet formulae. Which i am fine with. But let's be clear, nonsensical, not happening.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

Oh are they. So to be clear, after all their DOGE nonsense, they're going to increase taxes on working people.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 9d

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters on.ft.com/4pTvJ62

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

on.ft.com

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 8d

This is beginning to mirror the Blackadder episode "Head", where Edmund notes nobody lasts a week in the Lord High Executioner's job. #France

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 9d

Their only salvation was and has always been to publically do a mea culpa on Brexit and elect a young charismatic leader that's pro business and promises a better deal with Europe than Labour would countenance I.e. become Moderata. They refuse to learn, so they perish.

James Willby @jameswillby.bsky.social · 9d

I will shed no tears. They were warned about leaving the EPP, about calling the referendum, about what Johnson would do, and ultimately how copying Farage would be their end and they didn't listen. As a former 2010 Cameroon cons future member, why should I help save them?

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