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This may well be nonsense (it was ever thus...); but PM Johnson seems to have a plan. It gives me no pleasure to say this, but it will be difficult to stop. 1/
Phil Syrpis
27K posts
Phil Syrpis
@syrpis
Professor of EU law @bristolunilaw. Not sure there's time for much beyond #brexit, but here's hoping... Also @syrpis.bsky.social
Joined December 2015
- Fair play to Liz Truss. She’s assembled a Cabinet without Johnson, Patel, Dorries (or Frost), and managed to make it even worse.
- You know how the Chancellor cut fuel duty by not 1p, not 2p, but *drum roll* 5p per litre? Since last year's Spring statement, petrol prices have risen by... not 1p, not 2p, but *drum roll* 40p per litre.
- I have to say that I am struggling with this notion of a super-majority. I was brought up to believe that a 52:48 ratio gives the winning side free rein.
- I find it most peculiar that the 'underlying culture' in Downing St didn't seem to create problems for Theresa May.
- Why does it take tweets from Dominic Cummings to prompt the media to find the footage of the Govt saying that its policy in March was herd immunity? When Ministers deny it (why?), why doesn’t the media show them said footage?
- The shortage of lorry drivers is, apparently, a global problem. And yet we can solve it, apparently, by a short-term visa fix. Any pretence at coherence has left the building.
- The dismissal of (eg) John Major's comments, on the grounds that he is a remainer, is one more reminder of how the shadow of the Brexit vote still casts a shadow over our politics. 🧵 1/
- This shouldn't need saying again, but in view of today's media coverage of the NI Protocol, perhaps it does. The problems are *not* caused by the NI Protocol, but by this particular form of hard Brexit. 🧵 1/12
- Just logged onto twitter... to see that the Govt and Tory MPs are telling anyone who disagrees with their position (on legal, moral, economic, or practical grounds) to 'shut up or else'. It isn't new. And it isn't good.
- I have been reading and listening to a lot of analyses of the reshuffle. Pretty much all of them seem to me to be wide of the mark. THREAD 1/14
- Various tweets from @LeaveHQ are getting a lot of attention today. To sum up: a) Brexit is not going well (agree); and b) this is remainers' fault for failing to compromise (strongly disagree). Thread. 1/13
- So, supporting Kwarteng and Truss, and their economic gurus, Minford, Lyons and a (slightly half-hearted) Jessop; we have Hannan, Lilico and Ashcroft and some of the more obscure residents of Tufton St. They have a near 100% track record. Of being wrong. About everything. 1/4
- Given that the Govt got all the big calls right and delivered a world beating COVID response, it’s baffling that they seem to be at pains to challenge the jurisdiction of the inquiry they (belatedly) called. 1/3
