Thank you!

Yes. By the time Labour gets round to making the case for proper re-integration with Europe there is a risk the case is contaminated by the fact Labour is making it.

I’d love to rejoin EU but it would be a braver Labour party than the one we have that fought an election committed to restoration of free movement.

It’s the key question and frankly I don’t know. Not my milieu and polling this far out only gets you so far. There are definitely never-Farage Tories and never-Tory Faragists, but how many and how willing might they be to soften that stance to block second Labour term?

There are a few, but if there’s prospect of safe seat they would kid themselves that by going along with pact/merger they might be taming excesses of Faragism and keeping moderate flame burning.

Starmer’s own arguments, made strategic, point to ‘coalition of willing’ model to salvage institutional edifice of global trade governance, but China a bit tricky. Ultimately, hard not to keep cycling back to UK is Europe ->European collective interest best expressed as EU -> fuck Brexit.

Of course.

If Tories sink much lower and Reform share stays buoyant there would potentially be cabinet jobs on offer to ‘serious’ defectors. (Although Farage’s personality would still be a real impediment.)

What did anyone else think they were getting out of it? Apart from Brexit.

I am disinclined to put faith in principled moderate conservatism as firebreak against radical nationalism and far right. Hasn’t worked anywhere in Europe or US.

What about mass defection scenario. How many sitting Tory MPs will reach 2028/9 and decide their chances of staying in a job are much higher as Reform candidates?

Oh yes.

With top analysis from @jessicaelgot.bsky.social: Keir Starmer has little choice but to bind himself closer to his chancellor www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

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