Former Chair & now Distinguished Fellow @rusi_org. President @conseurope, UK chair #Königswinter & #AuroraForum Ex Cabinet & MP [email protected]
Princes Risborough, England
Joined February 2012
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David Lidington retweeted
Britain and its allies must be resolute in our support for Ukraine.
Today I have written with former ministers from Germany, France and Canada urging immediate action to use seized Russian sovereign assets to help Kyiv in its defence.
David Lidington retweeted
A horrific Russian strike on the railway station in Dnipro. The Russians launched a drone attack on a platform where an ordinary commuter train and a scheduled passenger train were standing. Unfortunately, 13 people have been confirmed killed as of now. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Ten more people were injured. All necessary emergency services are working at the scene.
Just how many terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector, rather than de-escalating? This is precisely why Ukraine has always said that just and decisive action by America and Europe is needed in response to Russian escalation – sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues. It is time for new, stronger sanctions steps by the EU, the United States, and the G7. I thank everyone who is ready to help in this way.
David Lidington retweeted
Je viens d'apprendre avec émotion qu'un drone à réaction russe vient de s'abattre sur la gare de Dnipro, avec un très lourd bilan.
J'adresse au Président @ZelenskyyUa et au peuple ukrainien mes condoléances et notre solidarité.
Nous devons, dans ce contexte, aspirer à bien plus qu'un cessez-le-feu localisé comme celui qui vient d'être négocié localement à Olechky. Il est intolérable que la Russie continue d'opposer son refus à toutes les propositions en ce sens, en continuant de miser sur l'escalade et en visant les civils.
Nous devons ensemble redoubler d'efforts pour une paix juste et durable et amener la Russie à la table des négociations.
David Lidington retweeted
The mind boggles. The nationalists have no answer for what currency an independent Scotland would use- and when they try, you get the below.
I'm not even sure how wrong this SNP Cllr is- does she think Bank of Scotland notes are a different currency from UK Pounds? Did she think the whole debate was about where the physical notes were printed?
David Lidington retweeted
NEW @Telegraph understands Nigel Farage did not display a valid date stamp on his prayer card and it was removed as per Chamber protocol.
I also understand Mr Farage did not attend prayers and did not approach Commons staff regarding a seat reservation.
telegraph.co.uk/politics/202…
David Lidington retweeted
Mindblowing chart from OBR. In 2029 real household disposable income per person expected to be just 1% higher than in 2019. What an unbelievably awful decade. It used to grow by 2%+ every year, not 1% in 10 years.
David Lidington retweeted
This budget does very little to the overall level of tax, and the overall level of tax is going up significantly.
Here's the tax increases over the next few years, in 2026 £. You can just about see today's changes in green.
David Lidington retweeted
This shows a surprising lack of knowledge of @HouseofCommons procedure from @Telegraph
As I used to be a regular at getting in early and booking my seat, here's my thoughts:
First did Nigel Farage attend prayers? If he did having booked a seat and the card removed that is discourteous to say the least. Yet Nigel could have questioned the member claiming to have "booked" it before he did. (For clarity no requirement to actually take part in prayers, just to be present)
Second if this occurred he could immediately have selected another unreserved seat nearby and put his prayer card in.
Third one of his party colleagues could have offered him their seat at any point before the budget without infringing their ability to speak later or losing their own reservation for doing so provided they stayed in the chamber overall.
#UKPolitics
Nigel Farage was unable to attend the Budget in the Commons because his seat reservation was removed, The Telegraph understands.
The Reform UK leader’s prayer card — a green slip of paper that backbench MPs put on a spot on the green benches to reserve their seat — was moved after it was placed this morning.
🔗 telegraph.co.uk/business/202…
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Farage's prayer card lacked a valid date stamp and was removed per House of Commons protocol. MPs confirm seats were available unreserved and he did not attend prayers to secure one.
mirror.co.uk/news/politics/…
x.com/hope_sapphire/…
David Lidington retweeted
John Healey got his can and gave it an almighty kick down the road
thetimes.com/article/27e6b41…
David Lidington retweeted
Here's the real story of this Budget, the can being kicked down the road. This Labour government is apparently planning spending cuts on most areas of public service spending of 2.6% per year between 2028-29 and 2031-32.
Pull the other one. It's got bells on.
David Lidington retweeted
It’s worth repeating that the “root cause” of the 🇷🇺 war against 🇺🇦 is Vladimir Putin. Nothing less.
David Lidington retweeted
Suomen presidentti puhui tänään Vladimir Putinin kanssa. Tämä on paljon suurempi uutinen kuin miltä se ensi silmäyksellä näyttää.
Edellisen kerran, kun suomalainen presidentti keskusteli Putinin kanssa toukokuussa 2022, Sauli Niinistö ilmoitti Suomen aikovan liittyä Natoon. Nyt Alexander Stubb keskustelee saman miehen kanssa Nato-maan presidenttinä, yhdessä Norjan pääministerin Jonas Gahr Støren kanssa. Jo tämä kertoo, kuinka perusteellisesti Suomen asema on muuttunut.
Puhelu ei tullut tyhjästä. Viime viikolla Ukrainan presidentti Zelenskyi pyysi Suomea ja Norjaa järjestämään Oslossa tapaamisen, johon osallistuivat myös Yhdysvaltain neuvottelijat. Nyt Stubb ja Støre ottivat itse yhteyttä Putiniin välittääkseen Ukrainan viestejä ennen uusia rauhanneuvotteluja.
Miksi juuri Suomi ja Norja?
Mielestäni tähän on useampi kiinnostava selitys. Molemmat ovat Venäjän rajanaapureita, vahvoja Ukrainan tukijoita ja Naton jäseniä. Suomella on pitkä kokemus Venäjän kanssa toimimisesta, Norjalla puolestaan vuosikymmenten kokemus pohjoisten alueiden turvallisuuspoliittisesta vuoropuhelusta. Stubbilla on lisäksi suora keskusteluyhteys Trumpiin, ja molemmat johtajat ovat rakentaneet läheiset suhteet Zelenskyiin.
Norja ei myöskään kuulu EU:hun, mutta Suomi kuuluu. Kaksikko pystyy siten lähestymään asiaa eurooppalaisina Nato-liittolaisina ilman, että heidän tarvitsee ratkaista koko EU:n puolesta, kuka Eurooppaa neuvotteluissa edustaa.
Tässä on jotain poikkeuksellista. Kaksi suhteellisen pientä pohjoismaata on onnistunut rakentamaan itselleen aseman, jossa niillä on suora keskusteluyhteys sodan kannalta keskeisiin pääkaupunkeihin. Euroopan suurvallat eivät ole onnistuneet löytämään vastaavaa yhteistä toimintamallia.
Venäjän sota ei kuitenkaan koske pelkästään Ukrainaa. Putin on pyrkinyt muuttamaan koko Euroopan turvallisuusjärjestystä.
Muistetaan joulukuu 2021, jolloin Venäjä vaati Yhdysvalloilta ja Natolta käytännössä rajoituksia sotilasliiton laajentumiselle ja toiminnalle. Venäjän tavoitteet eivät tuolloin rajoittuneet Ukrainaan, eivätkä ne välttämättä rajoitu nytkään. Suomen ja Norjan kannalta kyse on myös siitä, millainen turvallisuusjärjestys Eurooppaan sodan jälkeen rakennetaan.
Siksi pidän huomionarvoisena, että Stubb ja Støre korostivat Putinille Suomen ja Norjan toimivan vakaasti ja ennustettavasti Itämerellä ja pohjoisilla alueilla. Keskustelussa oli siis kyse myös kahden Venäjän rajanaapurin mahdollisuudesta viestiä suoraan omasta turvallisuudestaan.
Samalla kannattaa kysyä, mitä Putin itse tavoittelee suostumalla keskusteluun.
Venäjälle diplomaattisen prosessin jatkuminen voi olla hyödyllistä silloinkin, kun se ei ole valmis todellisiin myönnytyksiin. Putin voi rakentaa kuvaa neuvotteluvalmiudestaan ja jatkaa samanaikaisesti Ukrainan sotilaallista painostamista. Talven lähestyessä ajan pelaamiselle voi olla aivan oma sotilaallinen logiikkansa.
Kreml voi myös yrittää hyödyntää suoria keskusteluyhteyksiä eurooppalaisten erimielisyyksien kasvattamiseen tai vaatia turvallisuuspoliittisia myönnytyksiä, joita se ei ole onnistunut saavuttamaan sotilaallisesti. Tässä piilee yksi prosessin suurimmista riskeistä.
En siis julistaisi tämän päivän puhelua vielä rauhanprosessin läpimurroksi. Sen merkitys nähdään vasta siinä, mitä seuraavaksi tapahtuu. Muuttuuko Venäjän neuvotteluasema vai jatkuvatko keskustelut samalla, kun sota etenee entiseen tapaan?
Silti tässä on Suomen kannalta jotain historiallista.
Suomen yhteys Venäjän johtoon on nyt avattu aivan erilaisista lähtökohdista kuin aiemmin. Emme ole enää sotilaallisesti liittoutumaton rajavaltio, joka yrittää tasapainoilla idän ja lännen välissä. Olemme Naton jäsen, Ukrainan tukija ja aktiivinen toimija Euroopan turvallisuuspoliittisessa diplomatiassa.
Suomen ei tarvitse valita, puolustaako se Ukrainaa vai keskusteleeko se Venäjän kanssa. Olennaista on, että pystymme tekemään molempia ilman, että annamme Moskovan sanella keskustelun ehtoja.
David Lidington retweeted
Virtually all of the slopulist right "influencers" in Canada were on Team One BC, which won 1% of the vote.
They set their hair on fire when the BC Conservatives decided to stabilize themselves as a mainstream centre-right party at the beginning of the campaign.
As with the Alberta referendum, this is yet more evidence that these so-called influencers have no influence, and should be broadly ignored by sensible, principled Canadian conservatives.
A lot of the recent drama on the right in BC came from a crazy right populist splinter party, @One_BCHQ.
Made up of self styled “real conservatives” with the usual assortment of weird obsessions & conspiracy theories: vaccines, ostrich farms, chem trails, xenophobia, MAGA North, all communicated with the volume nob stuck on 10.
Basically the BC counterpart of hard core Alberta separatist activists, or Bernier’s @peoplespca.
Tonight they’re at 1.4% of the vote, after two years of being a hugely divisive distraction on the right of BC politics.
Yet another reminder to Conservative parties: ignore the crazy fringe of the hard populist right. Don’t let the tail wag the dog. Let them stay in their little fringe parties.
Being a principled conservative party does not mean pandering to incoherent, perennially angry populism. Instead, propose bold, thoughtful policy reforms rooted in conservative principles that appeal to the broad mainstream. Just like the @Conservative_BC did in this winning campaign.
David Lidington retweeted
Lorne Doerkson delivered a gracious, unifying, and forward-looking address as British Columbia’s incoming premier. He opened by sincerely thanking Premier David Eby for his years of public service and the personal sacrifices of his family, then extended appreciation to every candidate across all parties for putting themselves forward
He struck a note of inclusion toward voters who supported other parties: “To the British Columbians who voted for another party yesterday, I heard you. Starting today, I am your premier as much as anyone else’s. You will have a government that listens to you, works for you and respects you.”
Doerkson framed the result as a clear mandate for change after nearly a decade of NDP government, noting that people are “paying more and getting less.” He committed to an independent financial review of the nearly $14-billion deficit and eight credit downgrades, launching an expert commission within 100 days to keep emergency rooms open and cut wait times, and raising the basic personal exemption to $32,000—putting roughly $1,000 a year back in the pockets of nearly every working British Columbian. He reaffirmed the promise not to raise taxes: “When I make a promise to British Columbians, I will keep it.”
On the economy and trade, he pledged early outreach to the Prime Minister and Alberta’s Premier Smith to advance the Pacific Link working group, supercharge growth through LNG and new Asian markets, and make B.C. “the most attractive place in the world to invest”—the best way to protect jobs in a trade conflict with the United States
He particularly addressed rural and northern communities, noting he lives in Williams Lake and understands mill closures, nighttime ER shutdowns, and wildfires: “Under this government, you will never be an afterthought to the public service.” He closed on a note of seriousness and determination: “People are stretched. The economy has stalled and too many British Columbians have stopped believing government can get anything done. My job is to prove them wrong. … Strong leadership for serious times. That’s what British Columbians voted for and that is what they are going to get.”
Overall, the respectful speech emphasized listening, fiscal realism, practical healthcare and affordability measures, economic growth through resources, respect for rural voices, and high standards of conduct—positioning the new government as ready to deliver results on day one @LDoerkson
David Lidington retweeted
For the international crowd, the Conservative Party of British Columbia won because it purged the more MAGA wing of the party in a civil war.
David Lidington retweeted
A lot of the recent drama on the right in BC came from a crazy right populist splinter party, @One_BCHQ.
Made up of self styled “real conservatives” with the usual assortment of weird obsessions & conspiracy theories: vaccines, ostrich farms, chem trails, xenophobia, MAGA North, all communicated with the volume nob stuck on 10.
Basically the BC counterpart of hard core Alberta separatist activists, or Bernier’s @peoplespca.
Tonight they’re at 1.4% of the vote, after two years of being a hugely divisive distraction on the right of BC politics.
Yet another reminder to Conservative parties: ignore the crazy fringe of the hard populist right. Don’t let the tail wag the dog. Let them stay in their little fringe parties.
Being a principled conservative party does not mean pandering to incoherent, perennially angry populism. Instead, propose bold, thoughtful policy reforms rooted in conservative principles that appeal to the broad mainstream. Just like the @Conservative_BC did in this winning campaign.
David Lidington retweeted
“Russia invaded Ukraine, committed atrocities in the territories it occupied, and when it failed to force the government to fall or achieve its aims on the battlefield, began targeting civilians, seeking to terrorize the population into accepting Russian domination. The first Trump Administration shook off the Obama Administration’s reticence to assist and admirably sent both weapons and military trainers to help Ukraine. After the full-scale invasion in 2022, the Biden Administration orchestrated a herculean international effort to assist Ukraine, which the Trump Administration has abandoned.”-@KoriSchake @AEI aei.org/foreign-and-defense-…
