Tag: Donald Trump
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A heatwave, a war in the Gulf driven by bluff and braggadocio and a war in Ukraine seeing the slip of the Russian mask. A local TWOP correspondent visiting Kew Gardens reported temperatures of 35C (95F.) The country was awash in a public conversation about climate change. Welcome to our future. This week was also…
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There have been a number of developments that should have been positive for the Government this week: – immigration numbers fell sharply (thanks Rishi)– inflation fell faster than expected (but it will be back up next month)– the IMF upgraded UK growth forecasts (if only by 0.2%)– fuel duty rises were postponed (a U-Turn, if…
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There has, technically, been some political news outside the accelerating collapse of Labour authority. Whether anyone noticed is another matter. Ebola, Ukraine, Iran and strategic distractions A fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo briefly reintroduced the possibility of an international public health emergency (James Gallagher, BBC News, 17th May 2026, “How worrying…
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Many headlines this week were understandably diverted towards Donald Trump’s possible reincarnation as Jesus and troubling suggestions from the renowned Bible scholar Vice-President James “JD” Vance that “it’s very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” That exchange alone probably deserves its own encyclical. When not occupied…
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It has been James Vance Week, or for fans of Édith Piaf, “Semaine Je Regrette Tout.” With Westminster largely silent while Parliament was in Easter recess, British politics spent the week reacting to events elsewhere. The most consequential development was the quiet collapse of the Chagos deal, but this seemed like small beer compared to…
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Another week in which British politics found itself waiting on events elsewhere. Iran continued to set the strategic tempo, Washington oscillated between negotiation and escalation by the hour and Westminster responded largely by adjusting language rather than making decisions. Several domestic signals were worth noting: a stalled youth mobility reset with the EU, an unexpectedly…
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Waiting for imaginary negotiations abroad, preparing for inflation at home and governing in the shadow of events with no clear purpose. Welcome to Britain 2026. The Israel–US confrontation with Iran continues to set the UK political tempo. Domestic policy development not stop, but it does now feel provisional, as though HMG is waiting to see…
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Special education: In trying to set out the Government’s proposed changes to SEND policy Bridget Phillipson (Houghton & Sunderland South, Labour) Secretary of State for Education, outlined how a “new” £4bn will be spent on Individual Support Plans over the rest of this Parliament. SEND certainly needs radical reform, but these changes seem unlikely to…
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Overseas: Movement Without Leverage The Prime Minister’s trip to China and Japan was notable less for what it achieved than for what it avoided. Keir Starmer returned with modest diplomatic housekeeping: limited visa facilitation and the reopening of channels with previously frozen parliamentarians. (Rowena Mason, Guardian, 29th January 2026, What agreements have been made during…
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Children, Screens and State Strategy This week Westminster shifted its attention decisively from abstract debates about the future of technology to a policy question: what role should the state play in regulating children’s use of mobile phones and social media? The government launched a national consultation on children’s relationship with digital technology, signalling that ministers…
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AI scandals, Trump theatrics and social media bans Welcome back after a small essay-related delay this week. British politics served up a curious mix of local embarrassment, international showmanship, and domestic debate that looks suspiciously as though we are collectively losing our minds. Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. TWOP is suffering acute symptoms. Here’s the…
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REVOLUTIONS, INVASIONS AND POTHOLES It is a salutary experience to sit down to write a review of UK politics at the end of a week in which Donald Trump threatened to intervene in Iran’s brutal protest crackdown, the United States faced domestic outrage over a fatal shooting by an ICE agent and the former President…
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Screens, Soldiers and Superpowers (in no particular order.) Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s On 10th December 2025, Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act came into force, making it illegal for under-16s to hold accounts on major social platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, YouTube unless the platforms can prove…
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SIZE CERTAINLY COUNTS FOR SOMETHING Donald, but does not necessarily always win. Britain, June 1941: alone, but unbowed. Transcript of Donald Trump interview with Dasha Burns, Washington DC, 8th December 2025
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We cross over to Geneva now for the vote of the European Jury. Here we have it: “WHOLE OF THE SENTIENT WORLD CALLING (VIA JOHANNESBURG): NULL POINTS FOR DONNY’S 28-POINT “PEACE” PROPOSAL.” Geneva became the centre of strategic gravity on Ukraine this week, as Ukrainian, American and European officials picked apart the 28-point peace proposal…
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DYING HERE, BOMBING THERE Suicide Assistance Enabled On Friday the Commons voted by 314 votes to 291 to pass Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill to legalise medical assistance for suicide for people with fatal illnesses judged likely to have less than six months life remaining. The clumsily named Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill…
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SHOCKWAVES In a move that has sent more than ripples through the global economy, US President Donald Trump imposed significant tariffs on just about all US imports, with a “baseline” 10% tax on imports from even nations in “trade balance” with the US (including the UK) and a sliding scale of higher rate tariffs apparently…
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TWOP IS LAUNCHED! Welcome to the first of my weekly political roundups! Every week I will try to break down the biggest UK political stories in a simple and easy to understand way. NHS Waiting Times Still a Major Concern New data this week showed that NHS waiting lists are still very high, with over…