Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Richard Barfield

@richardbarfield.bsky.social

4.2K followers 1.9K following 1.6K posts

Management consultant. Adviser on governance, risk and regulation in financial services. Developing skills in semi-retired activities and caretaker of https://BrexitFactBase.com London-based.

BrexitFactBase.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · Mar 3

bylinetimes.com/2025/03/03/u...

‘Trump’s Embrace of Putin Should Push the UK Back Towards the EU’

In this article, I argue that the UK must accept that its economic and political interests now lean heavily towards Europe.

'Trump's Embrace of Putin Should Push the UK Back Towards the EU'

The UK must accept that its economic and political interests now lean heavily towards Europe, argues Richard Barfield

bylinetimes.com

6 54 160

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 8h

Asked Perplexity - it shows bigger numbers in the UK than I expected

www.perplexity.ai/search/488f2...

Perplexity

Perplexity is a free AI-powered answer engine that provides accurate, trusted, and real-time answers to any question.

www.perplexity.ai

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 9h

"Even more worrying, Labour’s proposed Elections Bill will do little to close the loopholes. As Democracy for Sale revealed earlier this year, foreign donors will still be able to use UK-registered companies to pour millions into British politics."
@petergeoghegan.bsky.social

1 5

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 10h

When we talk about freedom of movement, we should never forget that it’s not just about immigration - one small part of the whole.
It’s about free movement to the EU, from the EU, and within the EU of:
- people
- goods
- services
- capital (investment).
No surprise that Brexit is a horror story.

1 8

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Sue Wilson MBE @suewilson91.bsky.social · May 16

"Labour’s reset with the EU will fail to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. A fundamental refashioning of the EU-UK relationship would require Labour to think again about freedom of movement."

www.cer.eu/insights/eur...

On Europe, Labour should reconsider its 'red chains'

Labour’s reset with the EU will fail to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. A fundamental refashioning of the EU-UK relationship would require Labour to think again about freedom of moveme...

www.cer.eu

2 4 10

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 11h

….. of people, goods, services and capital

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 12h

In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...

8 190 260

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Greenpeace UK @greenpeaceuk.bsky.social · 13h

BREAKING: Equinor has admitted that the massive Rosebank oil and gas field in the UK would cause vast climate damage.

*Pretends to be shocked* 😲

The UK government must STOP Rosebank, and instead focus on creating jobs in North Sea renewables!

5 130 260

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 17h

I liked your point about the switch from first to third person - a good general rule.

1 10

Reposted by Richard Barfield

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 18h

NEW

Trying to make sense of the nonsensical decision to drop the Chinese spying prosecutions

How the positions of neither the CPS nor the government stand up to scrutiny

By me

emptycity.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

The more one knows about this case, the more confusing it becomes.

The CPS insists on further evidence it does not require, and the government insists it could not give that evidence, even though it could.

Neither side makes sense, and together they make no sense absolutely.

20 83 220

Reposted by Richard Barfield

CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 19h

MPs will discuss the new digital ID proposal for the first time on Tuesday whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal53213

1 2

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 21h

In the Lords there have been several successful business people who have made a meaningful contribution to politics
There are also successful politicians who started out in business and switched to politics relatively early eg Michael Heseltine.
However it’s hard to find Labour politicians w biz exp

1 1

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 1d

Just noticed I hit 60k followers here 😱

Thanks to all who find the posts helpful 🙏

13 10 310

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 22h

Congratulations!

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 23h

#r4today

Michael P. Breen @mpbreen21.bsky.social · 1d

The Onion

NRA Accidentally Forgets To Rise Up Against
Tyrannical Government
An embarrassed National Rifle Association says it totally forgot to do the one thing it has been saying for years it is solely there to do.

7 28

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

⚠️ Lord Turner: "We are in an environment where we are more exposed than most other countries"

"To be in a world of protectionist activity, when you've not got a continental scale economy in yourself or not part of a continental scale economy is a disadvantage."

4 25 61

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Hard truth, simply put.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

1 2

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Good idea!

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Case studies in projection #2:

Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy.

FT headline: Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy

1 3

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Dawn B @dawnbritten.bsky.social · 1d

Morning all xx

27 32 190

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 2d

As so often, @laylamoran.bsky.social finds gracious, unifying words.

"I choose to believe that peace is possible. Everyone who went on a protest, wrote to their MP, cares about it, shouted at their TV - from whatever point of view - what were those deaths for, if not for a sustainable peace?" ~AA

7 95 310

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Case studies in projection #2:

Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy.

1 3

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d

That New York Times story lots of people are sharing today about Farage's ties to US anti-abortion groups was first reported by @mc00.bsky.social on Byline Times a year ago bylinetimes.com/2024/11/29/n...

110 780 1.6K

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 2d

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

61 450 880

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · 2d

A day of joy and hope. But unless the international community moves very fast in getting a security presence on the ground in Gaza, the situation could descend into gangland violence: the last thing the people of Gaza need. Welcome that the summit in Egypt happens today as well x.com/skynews/stat...

Sky News on X: ""The second phase starts today." Former National Security Adviser Lord Peter Ricketts tells @SkyYaldaHakim while it's a day to celebrate the release of hostages, there's also a narrow window to ensure the ceasefire lasts. Follow live 🔗 https://t.co/C301Bd67jE 📺 Sky 501 https://t.co/gCDMDXyAR6" / X

"The second phase starts today." Former National Security Adviser Lord Peter Ricketts tells @SkyYaldaHakim while it's a day to celebrate the release of hostages, there's also a narrow window to ensure the ceasefire lasts. Follow live 🔗 https://t.co/C301Bd67jE 📺 Sky 501 https://t.co/gCDMDXyAR6

x.com

1 8 26

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 2d

If you would like more of a Palestinian perspective on the ceasefire agreement, I recommend watching AlJazeera News.

1 4