Mark Purchase 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇪🇸 🇪🇺

A good analysis of the 'Swiss option', which would allow the UK privileged access to the SM, provided it abided by the rules (essential, obviously) but keep it out of the more political areas. Definitely a plausible arrangement. Well worth reading.

It looks like there is still an increased impact (compared to neighbouring areas} along the flight path routes into Heathrow, though lower than 2016. Aviation & shipping is a sector where emissions are still increasing post covid [ ourworldindata.org/emissions-by... ]

I'm thinking the Guardian didn't see how poorly Mayfield was playing before he got injured www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...

Nigel seems to have missed out the L

I think Burnham was very brave to open the topic of rejoining the EU and detoxify the freedom of movement issue, which is the most difficult. He showed leadership and needs to be commended for that. The € and Schengen, those are topics for another day.

UK offering Freedom of Movement would be the game changer for conversations with the EU, one of the trio of people, pounds and positivity I identified earlier this year as crucial to any significant move to removing barriers.

The UK does not value education, or the values it inculcates.

Then maybe don’t send him to bloody boarding school… #Cruelty

With 2 hours to go, the Titanic designer met the Cpt to show him with charts that it would sink. Some 1st class passengers stayed in the bar even as lifeboats were loaded, as the band played on. Because the tech was safe. The ship unsinkable. And less than a century later, we're still in the bar ...

Pre UK-EU summit briefings starting up, the first sentence of this story is wrong though, it cannot be a success if the reset package isn't substantively delivered including youth mobility. However difficult the issue continues to be. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

Honoured to be name-checked in @davidheniguk.bsky.social's first Substack Even more honoured to be recognised for my services to glumness

If you aren't a fan of reality you probably shouldn't bother with this new bloggy thing from Mr Henig

Brexit was the greatest act of economic self-harm in our country’s history, leaving Londoners nearly £3,400 worse off on average.

Given the British negotiating style—one step forward and three steps back—this will be an never-ending story.

Very expensive cattle Hurts is 3 years into a 5 year contract worth $255 million, with $180 million of that guaranteed He’s also 28 years old, in his 7th season playing professionally so he’s old enough and experienced enough to make his own decisions

You can see why the arrogance of this approach makes the UK a highly dubious candidate. To put it mildly. As someone put it pithily, 'If you don't like the rules, don't join the club.'

in honor of Rays-Brewers here's a handy guide to discussing market sizes and TV ratings of championship series: —you don't have to care about it —it's not your problem —you can just scroll right past any posts about it

To be clear, rejoin didn't get a UK political hearing without work to show the state of public opinion and the general consensus on the economic hit. But a far stronger case would be needed to persuade the country and Brussels that this is really worth doing.

Hopefully when he’s fit again his first game will be in the North West Counties First Division North

If we're going to conditional poll "what if Nigel Farage throws a hissy fit about EU relations" can we also do "what if someone actually shows some leadership and makes a positive case"? Because the UK isn't getting closer without the latter anyway.

Enormous amounts of rain in Spain's Valencia region once more: up to 376 mm in the 7 hours since midnight already! The well known autumn 'DANA' events but supersized by the record warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Don't talk about "a wholly new European Union" if you actually want to rejoin since it still sounds somewhat reluctant. And don't have semantic worries about the word rejoin. Advocate or not for the UK to be in the same group as all of its neighbours. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

You are entirely right, David. It really isn't helpful for people to suggest that there is a quick and easy solution. That will only lead to frustration and disappointment when it turns out not to be so.

He said it. He's almost certainly wrong. Stop clinging on to the hope of easy answers to fix the UK's EU relationship.

Anyone who wants City to face a severe punishment should hope that they continue to win every game It'll make it much easier to kick them out of the PL and make all their games this season null and void As soon as they draw or lose a game it'll make that impossible as a team will then lose points

You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence

Lamine Yamal this evening showing us all the reasons why he is an obvious choice for the Ballon d’Or and also multiple reasons why he might not be an ideal choice

This is good: PP is definitely stuttering. When I heard Feijóo pre-empting victory the other day, I couldn’t help thinking of Neil Kinnock in Sheffield in 1992.

Millions of graduates are being ripped off by sky-high student loan interest rates. It's time for Andy Burnham to fix this unfair system in the upcoming Budget so balances stop growing faster than they're paid off. Add your name if you agree: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/an...

Oh gawd……not again !!!!

Donald Trump is a traitor to NATO & Europe... America, hang your heads you Russian supporting TW@s #FuckTrump www.bbc.com/news/article...

The EU is not a separate issue competing with Britain's economic debate; it is integral to it. The deeper question here is whether Britain is capable of discussing its future relationship with Europe without treating European consent, interests and institutional obligations as afterthoughts.

On the argument that talking again about the EU will take oxygen out of the room for other political issues - when was that not the case? The UK is always talking about the EU. And it mostly points towards a government that will need to be on top of the issue. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This pushes the UK squarely in the 'voluntary alignment' zone: It can decide to take part in the 'Made in Europe' block, but for the small price of accepting EU defensive car tariffs against China, in which it had no voice in adopting:

The Dodgers have a payroll of $433.1m [est] (the highest in MLB history) more than the Brewers, Guardians and Rays combined (and that's not taking into account the $150m in deferred salaries This is karma for going to the White House to meet Trump after the 2025 WS www.mlb.com/news/brewers...

Obviously the IMF doesn't have the inconvenience of having to face the electorate every 5 years

I do remember in the total confusion in the days after the brexit referendum, a commentator raised the topic of how Ireland should react. And some senior Conservative politician replied that they should simply “follow us as they always do” because it would be good for them.

The protesters camp in the centre of València has nearly doubled in size over the past week