Plus: I’ve been around the political lobbying world for 30 years, but the Greensill scandal has genuinely floored me.
A traffic light coalition? A Jamaica coalition? Who knows? What’s certain is that the CDU/CSU is struggling amidst a fragmenting landscape.
The prominence of Russians in the UK means that the UK can play an outside role in making the migraine even worse.
The fundamental premise of Trumpism, namely that globalisation is bad for ordinary people, is false.
Tensions have been building for the best part of a year, serious skirmishes broke out in June – and America is nowhere to be seen.
From working with Lithuania to enable gas pipelines, to relaxing visas for Belarusians, there’s much we can do to put pressure on Lukashenko’s regime.
Plus: Russia’s opposition leader was poisoned, so now slap Magnitsky sanctions on Putin. And: Phil Collins’ ungracious departure.
We could give in to the leftist, isolationist Little England vision of a reclusive UK. Alternatively, we could make Global Britain a reality.
The opposition has already demonstrated their courage and fortitude. By all indications, for Europe’s last dictatorship, change is finally coming.
If Putin hoped that Brexit would detach us from our alliances, there’s no evidence of that happening so far, and much to the contrary.
The Chancellor should make further provision for them. But the vast though necessary expansion of state spending will need emergency powers-type checks.
Politicians are so uncomfortable talking seriously about our international role and relationships that instead we constantly engage in proxy battles.
It allows for criticism and negotiation provided the West stands together to call out abuses.