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Peter Ricketts

@lordrickettsp.bsky.social

10K followers 52 following 400 posts

Former diplomat, Chair Lords European Affairs Cttee, Vice-Chair RUSI, Hon Pres Normandy Memorial. Special Envoy for loan of Bayeux Tapestry. Pop up on media a bit. Views all my own!

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · Jul 8

Thrilled to appointed UK Special Envoy for the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum, and of treasures from their collection to France. The first time this extraordinary artwork has been back to Britain since it was embroidered here almost 1,000 years ago! / www.gov.uk/government/n...

Bayeux Tapestry to go on display at the British Museum in 2026

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Macron agree a loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK

www.gov.uk

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 1d

Couldn’t resist this one!

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

That’s reassuring Philip! The Economist has overdone the euphoria. The ceasefire and hostage/prisoner releases altho hugely welcome are the easy bit. Both sides get something they wanted very badly. From here on it’s going to be much tougher and I worry that Trump will regard it as one and done.

Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

What is new is the length of the conflict and scale of the destruction. That may (may) motivate both sides to turn away from violence and work wholeheartedly for peace. But there are still only two longer-term options that I can see: endless Israeli occupation or two states. Am I missing something?

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

The Trump vision now is ‘a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood’. Can’t get more Oslo than that. And in the meantime the plan is for Palestinian autonomy under international supervision while Israeli occupation continues. All of that is same old 2/3

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

Unusually I disagree with this @TheEconomist leader on Gaza. Trump’s plan is NOT a ‘radically different vision from the moribund approach under Oslo’. Indeed one of the most striking things about the 20 points is that they move the US towards the classic Oslo vision of the end-state 1/3

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

Ceasefire violations are inevitable, with a deeply traumatised population and Gaza awash with weapons. The pullback of Israeli forces will leave a security vacuum until the first elements of an international force can deploy. Vital that all sides cooperate to get through these edgy first weeks.

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

The hugely welcome ceasefire/hostage release deal finally happened when Trump used the full weight of US power to mobilise Arab pressure on Hamas and get Netanyahu over the line. But it will take sustained engagement by Trump personally (not his strong point) to avoid the deal unravelling 1/2

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 6d

Many congratulations Suzanne what a brilliant way to start your new vocation! Wishing you as much success as in your first career as a star civil servant.

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

The gamechanger has been Trump throwing all his weight behind getting a deal, including serious pressure on Netanyahu. And apparently listening to advice eg from Gulf leaders. What better way to mark second anniversary of the appalling 7 October attack than with a ceasfire? End.

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

Much better to work on all this with a ceasefire in place. In practice, once Hamas have given back the hostages their leverage will be much less. European/Arab focus sh’d now be on continuing to influence US handling. Collectively, we must not let this opportunity pass. 5/6

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

And Trump has accepted the need for further discussions on the detail. Each issue bristles with problems: organising a Palestinian technocratic body, creating an International Security Force and the disarmament of Hamas/phased pullout of the IDF to agreed positions. However 4/6

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

Comes the hard part: translating the broad principles in the Trump plan on post-conflict into workable proposals. Neither side is fully signed up. Netanyahu quickly resiled from the reference to an eventual Palestinian state. Hamas has pointedly not endorsed the full plan. 3/6

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

It’s closer to a deal than we have ever been. There is real momentum at last. The key now is to lock in progress and get a ‘Phase 1’ deal soon: a ceasefire, the return of hostages living and dead, release of Palestinian prisoners and a huge influx of humanitarian aid. Then 2/6

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 8d

Good to talk to Amol Rajan on the Today Programme earlier about the Hamas statement. It’s a remarkably astute move, accepting Israel’s key demand for hostage release, thereby earning an approving response from Trump and throwing all the pressure back on Netanyahu. Could still go wrong. But 1/6

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 14d

This new Humanities Centre looks like a wonderful new arrival in Oxford. But I wish William Hague had found room, in a long interview, to pay tribute to the former Chancellor Chris Patten, whose fundraising achievement this was. www.thetimes.com/culture/art/...

William Hague: how we got a rich US donor to pay £185m for our new arts centre

Oxford’s chancellor reveals the largest single gift the university has ever received — a vast, visionary British building made of York brick, Sheffield steel and Rutland stone

www.thetimes.com

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 15d

I’m personally glad the Chancellor has discovered the benefits of an EU youth experience scheme. A pity that it wasn’t in the manifesto, that the Govt rebuffed EU proposals, and were lukewarm about it at the 19 May summit. We c’d have been much closer to a deal now if it had been made a UK priority.

Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 15d

Do we even know the size of the EU/UK “youth experience scheme” yet? I thought what we had was an agreement to agree one? How is the OBR meant to score that?
www.thetimes.com/article/ea32...

UK needs ‘ambitious’ EU youth migration deal, says Rachel Reeves

The chancellor believes allowing young people to live and work in Britain would boost the economy and reduce the need for tax rises in the budget

www.thetimes.com

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 21d

When the Netanyahu Gov’t is doing everything they can to make a Palestinian State physically impossible through their settlement policy, it shows UK determination to work for an internationally-supported plan providing security for Israel and a new Palestinian authority committed to peace.

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 21d

The PM is right to recognise the state of Palestine. The two state solution has been the policy of successive Governments. Making this statement won’t of course stop the killing in Gaza or bring the hostages home. Only a ceasefire will do that. However this is significant www.gov.uk/government/s...

PM statement on the recognition of Palestine: 21 September 2025

Keir Starmer's statement on the Middle East.

www.gov.uk

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 21d

If you missed Catriona’s brilliant preview of the show on the Today programme yesterday have a listen on BBC Sounds!

Catriona Seth @catrionaseth.bsky.social · 21d

On view at the Marie Antoinette exhibition in London, a famous Vigée Lebrun portrait of the queen.

Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 23d

Watching Spielberg’s The Post again, striking how relevant Justice Black’s opinion in the Washington Post case 1971 still is ‘The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors’.

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 23d

Gearing up for BBCr4 Today Programme on where the State Visit leaves us on Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. How far did the rosy glow of Royal hospitality affect discussions on the tough issues? Give us a listen at 0712

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 25d

Trump seems to be very influenced by the views of whoever he has just spoken to him. So it would be good to get on the record at the press conference anything agreed in the talks on Ukraine and Gaza - even though the questions will of course all be about Epstein/Mandelson. End

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 25d

The prospects for getting Trump to put real pressure on Netanyahu seem much worse, esp given Rubio’s green light for the Israeli onslaught on Gaza City. But perhaps Starmer can convince Trump to get Witkoff working with Europeans/Arab states again on post-conflict plans? 6/7

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 25d

The latest US idea of G7 secondary sanctions on China and India for buying cheap Russian oil is a welcome shift, although it could lead to sharp rises in oil prices in Europe. An opportunity here for creative UK ideas to adapt the US proposal to avoid unintended side effects. 5/7

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Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 25d

That will depend much more on how the Starmer/Trump Day 2 talks at Chequers go, at a moment when Putin and Netanyahu are behaving more recklessly than ever and defying Trump’s ceasefire efforts with impunity. There is more US impatience now with Putin, which is good. 4/7

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