Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
The debate is between two evidently unworkable options with the fallback of breaching the Good Friday Agreement. U.K. is going to crash out on 29 March, isn’t it? amp.theguardian.com/politics/2018/…
Wed 2 May 2018 · on Twitter
Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
Creating the UK’s new image in the world: mean-spirited, petty, incompetent, with more than a hint of racism under the surface. Cruel Britannia. nytimes.com/2018/04/24/wor…
These stories get far more traction outside the U.K. than political guff about customs unions and so on.
Wed 25 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
Belgian PM attacking the main Brussels university for giving Ken Loach an hon doc, saying “we have to be firm against antisemitism” plus.lesoir.be/153335/article…
Wed 25 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
Already looking forward to seeing @casmudde @enricoletta and others at “Representation in the Age of Populism? Ideas for Global Action”. A benefit of living in Bxl is that great conferences come to you. eventbrite.com/e/representati… via @EventbriteUK
Fri 27 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
Why have soft power when you can have crunchy power? facebook.com/Diplomatie.Bel…
Sun 29 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
“We want to leave the customs union and single market but not put in place unnecessary barriers to our trade with the European Union.” David Gaucke in a perfect one-tweet summary of the UK’s bizarre policy.
“We are going to burn down all the hospitals and ensure quick access to the latest surgical treatments.”
“I’m going to encase my legs in this concrete and aim to break my personal best in the London marathon.”
Fundamentally incompatible goals are GREAT Britain
Originally posted as a thread of 4 tweets on Twitter on 22 April 2018. View the original thread.
Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
At the United Nations today (and tomorrow) working on “concise and action oriented guidelines … on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs”. More: ow.ly/8K6c30jo0ci ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pag…
Mon 9 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
Good interview with Vincent Mannaerts of @ClubBrugge_en. Keen to see Belgian clubs pushing further ahead in European competitions (and the end of the league playoff system, too). plus.lesoir.be/150992/article…
*Mannaert, sorry.
Sat 14 Apr 2018 · on Twitter
Get past the Sun’s hysterical spin and this is just sloppy-minded rambling, like Trump with grammar. twitter.com/simonjhix/stat…
And note the Sun’s desperation. “90% done” they say, but what Davis says is he could write down a summary of 80-90% of where he thinks it will end up.
And – though the article is unclear – he appears to set the end of the year as the deadline for the withdrawal agreement. Well, sorta. June, really, if you want anything useful negotiated on the next stage.
Oh, and saying that he was taken by surprise by how hard Northern Ireland was is *the* perfect summary of his and his colleagues’ wilful ignorance on the topic. They were told. They have no right to be surprised.
Originally posted as a thread of 4 tweets on Twitter on 10 April 2018. View the original thread.
What the…
*calls in air strike*
I’m not drawing any conclusions about the demographics of garden centres but the next shelf is jigsaws and the greetings cards are Matt cartoon ones.
There are six shelves of jigsaws. I’d bet Hamleys doesn’t have six shelves of jigsaws.
I haven’t been in a garden centre in 30 years (after being dragged round them by my parents for years). Doesn’t seem much different.
Actually maybe a bit different.
No Zs though.
Originally posted as a thread of 7 tweets on Twitter on 2 April 2018. View the original thread.
Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
Delighted to be speaking at @republica again this year (with top colleague @Kelly_McB). Always widens my perspective. Always meet interesting new people. And Berlin in springtime is 💯. Come along! re-publica.de
Mon 26 Mar 2018 · on Twitter
Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
Looking forward to talking at #OpenBelgium tomorrow, on our Networked Democracy thinking. See you in Louvain-la-Neuve, and if you can’t get there, watch online via 2018.openbelgium.be.
Mon 12 Mar 2018 · on Twitter
Some quite cool Belgian entrepreneurship here 🇧🇪🤘 economist.com/technology-qua…
Thu 15 Mar 2018 · on Twitter
Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.
This is a clever campaign: an empty chair instead of the usual boy-eating-crêpes on the sugar packet, to raise awareness of a missing children charity. Nice work @raf_tirlemontoise rtbf.be/info/medias/de… via @rtbfinfo
Fri 9 Mar 2018 · on Twitter
UK rendezvous with reality has a clear path: customs union has Parl majority > single market with special treatment on immigration > EU says
GTFOH on your special treatment > Norway plus has Parl majority > Norway plus vs Remain choice is discussed > (possibly 10 years out) >
Britain stays in/rejoins EU.
It’s a narrow road along a crumbling cliff, though, and we appear to be driving a clown car.
Originally posted as a thread of 4 tweets on Twitter on 28 February 2018. View the original thread.