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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 2h

An aspect of the Chinese Spy issue I'm unclear on: what's the basis for saying that the appeal case (www.casemine.com/judgement/uk...) broadened or narrowed the test in the OSA 1911?

Looked to me like it did neither, just rejected a narrower interpretation by the appellant.

Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 6h

I agree with your last post entirely, & this is something that seems to be a blind-spot for activists of various political persuasions.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 6h

I think this is a fair point (& the Govt's strongest argument). Just not convinced there's sufficient evidence (eg of the intended or likely result of significantly degrading that infrastructure) to warrant such draconian consequences.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 6h

I agree it's unhelpful (even though I don't agree on proscription), but this does appear to be, in part, what the Commissioner's there for. I suppose the state parties could always revisit that role or remit, if lots of them felt it was counter-productive.
www.coe.int/en/web/commi...

Mandate - Commissioner for Human Rights - www.coe.int

www.coe.int

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Heather Green @votingrules.bsky.social · 23h

Q: Will Gov consider removing the Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission? [To restore its independence, as urged by Labour in opposition]

A: The Tory authored version will indeed be removed & then replaced with one matching this Gov's priorities for the Commission.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 21h

People shouldn’t call writers ‘overrated’ when what they really mean is ‘not to their taste’.

I can’t get on with Dickens, Conrad, Woolf, Lawrence & others, but that’s no more their fault than it’s the fault of tomatoes that I can’t stomach them.

bsky.app/profile/rach...

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 1d

Despite the lack of military breakthroughs Putin still talks of Ukraine’s imminent defeat. On what basis does he do so? Latest post considers his theory of victory. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...?

Putin's theory of victory

The war between Russia and Ukraine is more likely to end with a negotiated ceasefire than with a sweeping military victory though neither seems close.

open.substack.com

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

How to be an effective minister in this environment? In practice, they don't often tell their officials: "please do this insane thing". They say effectively, "please do this sane thing/ nothing, but dress it up as an insane thing". Achieving anything worthwhile, & getting credit for it, isn't easy.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

My impression (but I don't know much about German politics) is that AfD more openly embraces far right elements, whereas Reform makes more of an attempt to distance itself (whether it's sincere/successful is debatable).

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

Boom time for lefty lawyers.
on.ft.com/4hbKIV1

Boom time for immigration lawyers as US and UK tighten restrictions

Legal firms are overwhelmed with enquiries from companies and individuals after Trump and Starmer harden policies

on.ft.com

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe one reason why people complain about the quality of politicians. Some aren’t attracted to this environment in the first place. Others might make it but fail to prosper or impress because they’re hamstrung by this inability to pass off black as white on a regular basis.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

This isn’t just old-fashioned spin, but diametrical untruths. Some are naturally at ease with talking nonsense: Boris Johnson is an obvious example. Others may be superficially capable of it, but it’s not surprising if they nevertheless come across as lacking conviction & authenticity.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

Something else occurs to me about this: it’s assumed politicians are good liars, but most aren’t *really* good at it. Both main parties have increasingly accepted they have to lie a lot to get into office, not just on Brexit, but on immigration, taxation, crime.

www.ft.com/content/a65f...

How Brexit drained the Tories’ talent pool

The party can’t keep expecting successful people to pretend that leaving the EU was a good idea

www.ft.com

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Mark Elliott @profmarkelliott.bsky.social · 1d

New post | Cock-up or conspiracy? The Security Minister’s statement on the China espionage case /1 publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/10/13/c...

Cock-up or conspiracy? The Security Minister’s statement on the China espionage case

The Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, has made a statement to the House of Commons regarding the collapse of the prosecution of two individuals who had been accused of espionage contrary to section 1(…

publiclawforeveryone.com

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

This is also Tim Montgomerie.
bsky.app/profile/rola...

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 29d

Montie thinks this a beautiful sight. It was recorded from very close to St Thomas' Hospital, where a doctor has given us a much less beautiful insight into that day.

Montie is such an idiot.

bsky.app/profile/ceeb...

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 1d

Good discussion.

Tim Montgomerie coming across quite reasonable here, saying Reform needs to get rid of its undesirables, praise for Nigel Farage for his work on this so far, distancing himself from people like Tommy Robinson.
bsky.app/profile/ukan...

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 5d

"The Conservatives have been in very deep holes before… But the big difference this time is that they face a threat on their right flank, which is something they have never had to face before."

@timbale.bsky.social on whether the Tories face an existential threat

👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRL...

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 2d

Comical, but also frustrating: why aren't they doing more on this? Doesn't cost anything, financially or politically. But it does cost time & effort, which they'd rather spend otherwise. IMV failing to tackle the trust issue is short-sighted, even on a self-interested basis.
bsky.app/profile/sirj...

Jonathan Jones @sirjjkc.bsky.social · 2d

The government’s progress on ethical standards remains underwhelming. Any tightening is to be welcomed, but the idea that ministers “are expected”to repay severance if they break the rules simply underlines the absence of an enforceable legal duty

Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 2d

We have an updated ministerial code! The new code makes clear that ministers "are expected" to pay back any severance payment if they quickly get a new ministerial job or are found to have broken the rules on post-government jobs

www.gov.uk/government/p...

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 2d

Yes I've been quite surprised by this. Ski trip to the US for £2,000+ at ours.

(Relatedly, & slightly peeing me off, we (not they) have to organise a week's work experience, & on top of that, charge us £40 to cover insurance.)

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Conor Crummey @conorcrummey.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote a piece for the @ukcla.bsky.social blog about the Palestine Action JR, mainly focusing on the claim that the proscription order was ultra vires. The court's approach to this, I argue, failed to take seriously the requirement that legislation be read in line with the principle of legality.

Conor Crummey: The Principle of Legality, the Definition of ‘Terrorism’, and Palestine Action

Two judgments have so far been handed down in the matter of R (Ammori) v Secretary of State for the Home Department; the challenge to the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as …

ukconstitutionallaw.org

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 3d

New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russia and the rise of the radical right

Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)

open.substack.com

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Sudden Deth ☠️ @youreacuntmate.bsky.social · 3d

Found the worst playground in England

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 2d

Praise from across the political spectrum for Trump's "man of action" diplomacy, which boils down to threatening to stop arming Israel, which would've happened long ago & saved tens of thousands of lives if the US had complied with international law, those rules that Trump is so disdainful of.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 3d

Timely episode, worth a listen, setting the speech in a broader historical context.

Persuasive that Powell’s ostracisation kept a lid on racism in mainstream politics, despite his popularity. No lid now, of course.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Enoch Powell: Rivers of Blood

Podcast Episode · The Rest Is History · 05/10/2025 · 1h 12m

podcasts.apple.com

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 4d

This may be the sort of thing Mr Farage is talking about.

Children grow up thinking that there’s something wrong with applauding someone who’s been imprisoned for inciting racial violence.

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Public Sector Lawyer @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social · 4d

“Ukraine is becoming a de facto member of NATO.”

Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

It was an honour to give the Hennessy Lecture at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on Wednesday. I assessed the commitments Western countries have made to Ukraine’s security and what might happen after a ceasefire. This is the text (and this post is free). samf.substack.com/p/as-long-as...

‘As Long as it Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine’s security?

This post was originally a lecture given in honour of Peter Hennessy at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London.

samf.substack.com

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