Eggs are great - so many variations! Boil em, fry em, stick em in an omelette

Poached on brown marmite toast probably the winner. I must also be about the 400 mark

The more I pay attention to the Government (& on the one hand I don't think I pay *that* much attention, but on the other hand I've just watched over 2 hrs of Olly Robbins giving testimony to a Commons committee) the more I think the big issue is Morgan McSweeney being *hopelessly* out of his depth.

Also they have social media in Canada and Carney's doing fine.

They have it in Spain and Sanchez has been PM since 2018.

And in France where Macron's been President since 2017.

Giles was so generous with his time and so helpful when it came to explaining to journalists very clearly and with quotable precision exactly how a wrong un landlord was being a wrong un. But mostly I just remember thinking he was a really, really kind human who cared about the state of others.

Hi Tim, I've been told by two sources now that Mandelson in fact did not clear vetting with MI6 but the PM pushed his appointment anyway. The problem was China not Epstein though. Is there any comment on this? David 14:06 V/ Vetting done by FCDO in normal way. 14:54

This is the text message journalist David Maddox sent to No.10 Director of Communications Tim Allan.

They knew Mandelson was a security risk, had failed vetting, but appointed him anyway. Then they orchestrated a cover up; now firing the Foreign Office Perm Sec who wasn’t even in post at the time.

Ministers both exempt from NSV themselves and have prerogative to overrule I believe

It’s not like Mandelson’s reputation was not known to the PM - Epstein, the lobbying work, New Labour era scandals

Surely the PM knew any of this could give rise to issues in a vetting process?

Yet he announces the appointment before any process could happen - why? That’s the Q that needs asking

Yep - even during thaws in 2000s they would still send Tu95's to test UK reaction times

Hope UK is still able to convince Russia of both means and intent should brazen UK airspace violations occur (as have begun in Eastern Europe) - point was more UK contribution to extended deterrence in Europe

Image from Dr Rob Johnson’s written evidence to the Commons Defence Committee last year

Russia was not deterred from invading Ukraine because it (correctly) believed UK and European powers lacked the means and will to fight

UK arguably still falls short on both counts. Absent US commitment, Europe must now deter Russia alone

Defence investment has to catch up with Germany and Poland

Defending the British Overseas Territories The Memorandum | No. 17.2026

🇬🇧 must procure cost-effective vessels and counter sub-threshold threats to protect its Overseas Territories and prevent the erosion of its global influence

👉 Read the #Memorandum for #BritainsWorld by @robinpotter.bsky.social

FACTCHECK UPDATE: No, the UK can't "be more like Norway" in the North Sea

🇬🇧 extracted most of its oil & gas after privatisation
🇳🇴 has much more left due to state stewardship
🤔Lawson spent UK windfall on tax cuts; Norway got a sovereign wealth fund

www.carbonbrief.org/...

No mention of any UK attack submarine deploying in response - likely as only one is operational and sent to Australia to fulfil AUKUS commitments

Can UK actually sustain ambitious global strategy with a small navy and threats at home?

If the operation lasted for a month, was it really deterred?

Kremlin Hotline: How Hungary Coordinates With Russia Blocking Ukraine From the EU - VSquare.org Péter Szijjártó offered Sergey Lavrov to send EU documents through the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow. Leaked audio reveals a strikingly deferential, submissive attitude from Szijjártó toward Lavrov.

💥 New leaked calls — transcripts and audio: Sergey Lavrov encourages Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó to blackmail the EU Council over Ukraine, then asks him to pass along EU documents. It’s hard to say which part is worse.

Hungary and Russia struck 12-point plan for closer ties, documents show The cooperation agreement sheds more light on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ties to the Kremlin ahead of Sunday’s general election.

🚨🚨Whilst unsurprising still quite a scoop by @politico.eu revealing that #Hungary and #Russia struck 12-point cooperation agreement for closer ties in light of the forthcoming general election. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/hung...

It is sad when the vice-president of the United States sees his job as spreading Kremlin propaganda.

Hope the UK’s political-security apparatus is now much more clear eyed about the threats to UK interests from this administration, and indeed where those interests really lie after the Greenland crisis

Fair enough doesn’t sound urgent

🚨🚨special episode: I spoke to the UK’s former head of international energy strategy about what the war means for global energy supplies. It’s bad news, I’m afraid.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Cyprus leader calls for ‘frank’ conversation on future of UK military bases Tensions between London and Nicosia have risen as Iran war elevates threats in eastern Mediterranean

This has been brewing for a while

Iran has brought UK military decline and inadequate defence of Cyprus into focus

For UK MoD allocating thin resources, tension between 'NATO first' and sovereign requirement to defend UK territories

Nicosia will have been watching Diego Garcia deal with interest

British right must not allow prejudice to be masked as principle In history, curtailing religious freedom has only ever been the road to horror — the Tories can choose not to repeat it

Today's newsletter. Cheery topic!

Genuinely good news

But - whether it’s on fiscal devolution or the EU single market, the depth of the inherited economic hole which has necessitated these moves was very clear two years ago

Why didn’t Labour arrive with fiscal pilot packages ready to roll in London, Manchester, and West Midlands?

Sovereign air launch option might be more achievable in medium term?

Unfortunately across range of security spheres the UK at present looks least likely globally to start extricating itself, to build autonomy or diversify its relationships

Look at the language in the National Security Strategy or the 'Tech Prosperity Deal', the agenda was/is deepening dependency!

Just fundamentally unserious

Three decades of defence cuts and delays to replacement ships during austerity have consequences, it turns out

“The Navy is not just hollowed out, but is now actually incapable of performing many of the routine tasks it was managing until quite recently”

Heartbreaking

Can anyone explain to me what the Blue Labour justification for this is? Who out there will vote Labour because Mahmood prevented a Sudanese Chevening Scholar? And to be honest, why won’t the PM simply overrule her?

I dunno guys I feel this probably should have implications for more areas of domestic policy?

Though as has been put to me in recent discussions at Chatham House - do our leaders really believe these assessments? As incomprehensible to understand relative inactivity otherwise

📸UK/FR strategies

UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war, expert warns Prof Tim Lang says country produces far less food than it needs to feed population and is particularly vulnerable

Another example (as if we needed it) of the UK government’s strange aversion to civil defence planning - despite commitments to develop “whole of society” resilience in UK defence and security strategies

“We’re not thinking about this adequately. We’re ducking it”