Parthenon Marbles Row: Rishi Sunak Cancels Meeting with Greek PM

THE GUARDIAN: Tory source says ‘it became impossible for meeting to go ahead’ after Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged return of antiquities to Athens

Greece’s prime minister has criticised the decision of his British counterpart Rishi Sunak to cancel planned talks at which he had hoped to raise the issue of the Parthenon marbles, as disagreements over the antiquities erupted with renewed vigour.

As aides described Sunak’s move as “wrong and undignified”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is visiting London, voiced irritation at the scheduled Downing Street meeting being called off at the 11th hour.

“I [want to] express my annoyance at the fact that the British prime minister cancelled our scheduled meeting a few hours before it was due to take place,” the centre-right leader said in a statement released by his Maximou office as the diplomatic row intensified.

“Greece and Britain are united by traditionally strong ties of friendship and the framework of our bilateral relations is exceptionally broad. The views of Greece on the Parthenon sculptures are well known.

“I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart along with other international challenges: Gaza; Ukraine; the climate crisis; migration.”

The statement ended with Mitsotakis berating Sunak for failing to rise to the challenge of discussing the fate of antiquities that have spawned the west’s longest running cultural row. “Whoever believes in the correctness and justice of his views is never afraid of opposing arguments,” it read. » | Helena Smith in Athens | Monday, November 27, 2023

Fishy goings on in Rishi’s Downing Street hideaway! I hadn’t known before this that being rude to prime ministers of other European nations was in our own prime minister’s remit. Does Rishi's rude behaviour show lack of courage or lack of politesse, or perhaps a lack of both? – © Mark Alexander

Is Brexit Pulling the United Kingdom Apart? | 7.30

Mar 17, 2023 | The disruptive force of Brexit - the UK's 2020 separation from the European Union - continues to reverberate. The long-running issue of the border between the North and South of Ireland was recently resolved but what the long-term consequences of Brexit will be for the Irish people remains to be seen.

Fintan O'Toole is one of Ireland's leading writers and is in Australia for the Adelaide Writers Festival. He speaks to 7.30’s Sarah Ferguson.

Soaring Number of Rough Sleepers in London ‘Extremely Alarming’

THE GUARDIAN: GLA data reveals over 1,700 more people on the streets compared with last year amid cost of living crisis

Rough sleeping is soaring in London, with over 1,700 more people on the streets than last year – a 21% rise, according to figures from the Greater London Authority (GLA).

The increase from 8,329 people seen sleeping rough in 2021-22 to 10,053 in 2022-23 was described as “categorically terrible” by Rick Henderson, the chief executive of the Homeless Link frontline charity, and “extremely alarming” by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Good God! The Tories have made a bloody mess of the United Kingdom! It’s an omnishambles! – © Mark Alexander

UK Could Break Up unless It Is Rebuilt as ‘Solidarity Union’, Says Mark Drakeford

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: First minister of Wales says bonds that tie UK together have come under ‘sustained assault’ from 40 years of neoliberalism

Drakeford said Anglocentric Tories in London had shown a ‘fundamental disrespect’ for the Welsh and Scottish parliaments. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/AFP/Getty Images
The UK could break apart unless it is rebuilt as a “solidarity union” where every citizen’s rights to public services and financial security are protected, the first minister of Wales, has warned.

Mark Drakeford said the social and political bonds that tie the different parts of the UK together have come under “sustained assault” from 40 years of neoliberalism, a trend launched by Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and then reinforced after Brexit by Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

“In order to persuade people in all parts of the United Kingdom that their futures lie together within a restructured United Kingdom, we have to recreate a solidarity union,” the Welsh Labour leader said in an interview with the Guardian.

That included rebuilding the safety net for those sick or out of work, with fundamental rights, he said, to environment, consumer and trade union protections, to human rights and to affordable public services. » | Severin Carrell, Scotland editor | Monday, May 29, 2023

Michael Lambert: Back to Being the 'Sick Man of Europe"

Dec 17, 2022 | I have been in business for more than fifty years since before the UK was a member of the EU. For many years I dealt with small companies in Italy before having to switch to China where quality, reliability and prices were all unbeatable. I noticed how the Chinese were working so hard to produce cheap consumer goods, whereas we in the West seemed to take it easy and enjoy the benefits.

Mrs Thatcher's decision to move to a service-based economy whilst manufacturing declined left us vulnerable. The 2008 economic crisis was the time that we should have decided to concentrate on IT and other high-tech sectors, but instead the government chose austerity. Since then we have struggled and many suffered whilst the rich have become richer. Faced with declining living standards a majority were persuaded that the EU was the reason for our decline and that if we left things would improve.

Now that we have finally left the EU, it is clear to all but the most ardent and disillusioned believers in Brexit that it was a terrible mistake. Our economy is now in a terrible state and deteriorating, and people are angry. The government's response under a very weak and clueless prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is to try to focus the country's anger on desperate asylum seekers who risk their lives to cross the Channel


You can buy Michael Lambert’s book here.

Another great synopsis. I can't disagree with anything you said. It was all the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thank you! I was going to make Brits' sense of superiority the focus of my comment today, but then you said exactly what I had been thinking. I, too, really believe that one of our biggest problems is the reluctance of Brits to embrace the truth about this country's size and influence. So many people are deluded: they think that Britannia still rules the waves! They just can't get it into their heads that we are merely a medium-sized country, just like other European nations. For years, we were able to box above our weight. But, now, that cannot go on. The sooner we Brits come to terms with reality, the sooner we will heal. One way or another, our destiny lies in Europe. After all, we are Europeans. But believe this or not, I actually know some people who deny even that obvious fact! Again, thank you for your hard work and clearly-expressed message today. – © Mark Alexander

Michael Lambert: UK Becoming an Authoritarian State?

Dec 10, 2022 | The UK is gradually becoming an authoritarian police state. The economy is collapsing and there is a massive cost of living crisis. People are angry and more and more unions are striking or planning to strike causing even more damage to the economy.

The government will find it difficult to concede to any wage demands and will, therefore, have to confront the unions. The former Home Secretary, Priti Patel, introduced Draconian new laws giving the police extensive powers to stop and search without cause, or ban protests for trivial reasons such as making too much noise.

A new bill going through Parliament will give the current Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, even greater powers including being able to restrict those who she even suspects of intending to attend protests and which could also be used to prevent picketing.

We should be very concerned indeed that these powers are leading us towards becoming a police state.


Michael Lambert’s book 'BREXIT - It's not going too well, is it?' is available from his website here.

Macron Says UK and France Must ‘Move On’ from Truss Remarks

THE GUARDIAN: Two leaders appear to smooth over tensions in first bilateral talks in New York but avoid awkward topics

Liz Truss had said the ‘jury’s out’ over whether Emmanuel Macron was a friend or foe of Britain.Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Reuters
Emmanuel Macron has offered Liz Truss an olive branch after her controversial “friend or foe” remarks by saying after their first bilateral talks that it is time to “move on”.

The two leaders appeared to smooth over tensions during their meeting in New York, which No 10 said was dominated by Ukraine and energy security, but avoided the controversial issues of the Northern Ireland protocol and migration.

After the talks, the French president told reporters: “I now believe in proof, in results. There is a will to re-engage, to move on, and to show that we are allies and friends in a complex world.” » | Pippa Crerar in New York | Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Good for Emmanuel Macron! He is the wise one: he is ‘showing better’. This is precisely the advice that my late grandmother always used to advise us to show as children!

The French are certainly our friends, even if Liz Truss doesn’t know this fact yet. The late Queen Elizabeth II knew it. Emmanuel Macron knows it too. Emmanuel Macron is indeed our friend; and a good one at that! It is to be hoped that Liz Truss will soon come to her senses. © Mark Alexander

What a Bloody Mess This Country Is In!

MARK ALEXANDER: I have lived a few years already and I must say that I have never lived through times like this before. Absolutely everything is going pear-shaped! Food prices are going through the roof. Prices for energy are scandalous, and for many, are becoming unpayable. People at the top are rewarding themselves with multimillion pound salaries and bonuses for doing FA. Ordinary folk are expected to suffer in order to pay for these excesses of the people at the top. Wages are stagnant. Savings, because of double-digit inflation, are being eroded very rapidly. The prime minister is largely absent. The last I heard, he was away in Greece having a ball whilst ordinary folk are having to suffer.

Brexit was always a very, very stupid idea. Now, the stupidity of the move is being shown to all, being shown to be as stupid as all sensible people knew it would be from the start. There are many things impoverishing us Brits now, but Brexit is one of the main things causing that impoverishment.

When I was growing up, we could always depend on the Conservatives to run our economy in a sensible way. We could always depend on the Conservatives to lead the nation to relative prosperity. That was once. Once upon a time. Alas, no longer. Now, the Conservatives are the architects of our demise. They are the ones enabling the rich to get even richer, and the poor to be impoverished beyond their wildest nightmares. The wages/salaries of the working classes and even of the bulk of the middle classes have been stagnant for years now. Yet the Conservatives, or Tories, have been in power for about twelve years already; therefore, it is the Tories who are the architects of this fiasco. We can blame no-one else other than the Tories.

This country’s politics was historically dominated by two parties: the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs went the way of the dinosaur: into extinction. It is high time that the Tories did exactly the same. This country can do better than the Tories. What this country needs is a business-friendly party which is both pro-Europe/pro-EU and progressive. The Tories are neither pro-EU nor progressive. On the contrary, the party has ossified. Indeed, it is made up of fossils from a bygone age. Let the party go the way of the dodo. This party is unable to bring prosperity to this nation. Under this backward party, the country can look forward to only one thing: sliding into oblivion.

Trump is not one of my favourite politicians. But he did get one thing right: he spoke of “sh*thouse countries”. Unfortunately, he got the nomenclature right, but he forgot to include the UK in the list! This country is truly becoming one of those nations.

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Britain's Own Anti-Abortion Conservatives

Johnson Risks Breakup of UK over Northern Ireland Protocol, Says Varadkar

THE GUARDIAN: Ireland’s deputy PM accuses No 10 of making ‘shocking’ blunders with protocol bill

Leo Varadkar, pictured with Boris Johnson in 2019: ‘It is not normal for a democratic government in a respected country to sign a treaty and then try to pass domestic legislation to override it.’ Photograph: Getty Images
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, has accused the British government of risking the break-up of the United Kingdom and making “shocking” blunders over Northern Ireland.

Varadkar said Boris Johnson’s administration had been undemocratic and disrespectful and tacitly accused it of being dishonest and dishonourable.

The tánaiste made the sharp attack in a BBC interview on Thursday night, days after the Northern Ireland protocol bill – which could override the Brexit deal – cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons.

“I think that’s a strategic mistake for people who want to maintain the union because if you continue to impose things on Northern Ireland that a clear majority of people don’t want, that means more people will turn away from the union. It’s a peculiar policy coming from a government that purports to want to defend the union,” he said. » | Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent | Friday, July 1, 2022

We Rational Brits Are among the Least Religious in the World

In a global ranking of 65 countries, the UK came sixth from last, with only 30 per cent of the population calling themselves religious
With many thanks to the Daily Mail on Pinterest for this image,
Brits among the least religious in the world: UK comes 59th in poll of 65 countries after only 30% of population say they have a faith: Britain was sixth from last in a list of the world's most religious countries / In Thailand 94 per cent of people deemed themselves religious by contrast / China had the smallest religious community with 61 per cent are atheists / Those under 34 tended to be more religious than other groups, found poll | Click here to read the article from April, 2015.

Auch in Deutschland scheinen die Leute von Religion gar nicht begeistert zu sein:

Austritte aus der katholischen Kirche erreichen Rekordniveau: Noch nie haben so viele Katholiken ihrer Kirche den Rücken gekehrt wie im vergangenen Jahr. 360.000 Katholiken erklärten ihren Austritt. Ihre Entscheidung hat oft mehrere Gründe. »

EU Raises Spectre of Trade War If UK Rewrites Northern Ireland Protocol

THE GUARDIAN: Brussels vows to respond with ‘all measures at its disposal’ as Liz Truss sets out plan to make changes

Liz Truss and the European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič in February. The foreign secretary has asked to be given a rewritten negotiating mandate. Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
The European Commission has raised the spectre of an economically damaging trade war with the UK, pledging to respond with “all measures at its disposal” if Liz Truss presses ahead with a plan to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol.

The foreign secretary set out plans on Tuesday to table a bill that would make key changes to the protocol, including waiving all checks on goods flowing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland where they are not destined for the Republic of Ireland. » | Heather Stewart, Jennifer Rankin and Lisa O'Carroll | Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Reality check: the Northern Ireland protocol isn’t the problem, Brexit is: The Tories are addicted to conflict with the EU, for fear of taking responsibility for the consequences of liberation »

Finnish President Tells Russia 'You Caused This' as He Signs Security Pact with UK

May 11, 2022 • The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö has told a news conference in Helsinki that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "changed the picture" on the country's security.

Scottish Independence: Could Britain Break Up? | The Economist

Apr 18, 2021 • The union between the nations of the United Kingdom is looking increasingly fragile, thanks to Brexit. If Scotland were to break away from Britain it would face an uncertain future—as would the rest of the union.

Leaders & Comedians

Origin: Unknown

U.K. vs. Oligarchs: ‘The Gloves Are Now Off’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Russia’s war in Ukraine has finally led the British government to go after ultrawealthy Russians in London. But curbing the flood of corrupt money will require going after more than the big names.

A view of London. Some Britons are calling on their government to curb a phenomenon that some call the “London laundromat.” | Andrew Testa for The New York Times
LONDON — On Friday, the day after Britain blacklisted seven prominent Russian oligarchs, residents of the wealthy London borough of Kensington and Chelsea rolled a washing machine overflowing with fake pound notes in front of a multimillion-dollar townhouse belonging to the family of the president of Azerbaijan.

It was a camera-ready stunt that made a serious point: For Britain to be successful in curbing the flood of dirty money — a phenomenon some call the “London laundromat” — it needs to go further than imposing sanctions on highly visible Russians like Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of the Chelsea soccer club.

The Azerbaijani leader, Ilham Aliyev, is one of hundreds of wealthy foreigners who have exploited Britain’s lax regulations to amass property and other assets, often under a web of offshore companies that disguise their ownership. Others have parlayed their fortunes into gilt-edged social status, endowing revered British cultural and educational institutions, or donating money to the Conservative Party.

Targeting these figures will be even more challenging than going after boldface names like Mr. Abramovich, whose ties to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia are longstanding and well documented. But the protesters in Kensington said such an effort was crucial if Britain genuinely wanted to rid itself of the taint of dirty money. » | Mark Landler and Stephen Castle | Sunday, March 13, 2022

Britain Has Delusions of Grandeur, Says Former Australian PM Paul Keating

Ben Wallace and Liz Truss visited Australia over the weekend to discuss China’s influence over the Indo-Pacific region | BIANCA DE MARCHI/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMES: A former Australian prime minister has mounted a scathing attack on Britain, saying Australia’s oldest ally suffers from “delusions of grandeur and relevance deprivation”.

Paul Keating, who left office in 1996, said the UK was led by a “disreputable government” and labelled Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, as “demented”.

Keating, 78, who succeeded Bob Hawke as Labor prime minister in 1991, released his statement on Sunday after Scott Morrison’s government hosted Truss and Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, in Sydney as the allies work to counter China’s influence in the region.

Keating’s attack was prompted by an interview Truss gave to the Sydney Morning Herald in which she said China could replicate a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine through aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. » | Bernard Lagan, Sydney | Monday, January 24, 2022 [£] *

The Times currently has a special offer for new subscribers. New subscribers can gain full access to the newspaper for the first month free.

What have I been saying all along? Exactly this! Thank you, Mr. Keating. Thank you for saying the truth. – © Mark

Britain Says Moscow Is Plotting to Install a Pro-Russian Leader in Ukraine

THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a highly unusual public statement, backed by U.S. officials, London named the putative head of a potential puppet government but few other details.

A Ukrainian soldier at the border with Russia. The Russians have deployed thousands of troops nearby and, according to a British assessment, are seeking to install a new government in Ukraine. | Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a highly unusual public statement, backed by U.S. officials, London named the putative head of a potential puppet government but few other details.

KYIV — The British government said Saturday that the Kremlin was developing plans to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine — and had already chosen a potential candidate — as President Vladimir V. Putin weighs whether to order the Russian forces amassed on Ukraine’s border to attack.

The highly unusual public communiqué by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, issued late at night in London, comes at a moment of high-stakes diplomacy between the Kremlin and the West. Russia has deployed more than 100,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders that could, according to American officials, attack at any moment.

“The information being released today shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking,” Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign secretary, said in a statement. “Russia must de-escalate, end its campaigns of aggression and disinformation, and pursue a path of diplomacy.”

The British announcement was the second time in just over a week that a Western power had publicly accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs, part of a concerted effort to pressure Mr. Putin to de-escalate. On Jan. 14, the United States accused the Kremlin of sending saboteurs into eastern Ukraine to create a provocation that could serve as a pretext for invasion. » | Michael Schwirtz, David E. Sanger and Mark Landler | Saturday, January 22, 2022

The Guardian View on Britain and France: The Very Worst of Rivals

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Despite Brexit, a shared history and geography means Paris and London will have to find a way to work together

‘The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been quoted describing Boris Johnson as “a clown”’. Photograph: Alastair Grant/PA
At the core of Boris Johnson’s Brexit is a conflict between ideology and geography. The purpose of the project is divergence – a competitive leap away from Europe into other markets. But that impulse to move is thwarted by the permanence of Britain’s location. No matter how much sovereignty the Eurosceptics claim over national regulation, governing a medium-sized power 30 miles from the coast of France will always require some accommodation with the interests of neighbouring states.

EU membership was not the only possible way to manage those relationships, but it worked better than anything that had been tried in the preceding centuries, and nothing has been arranged to replace it. The Brexit withdrawal deal offers only a technical framework for economic partnership, and even that is unstable, as is clear from the ongoing negotiations over customs checks for Northern Ireland and operating licences for French fishers in UK waters. » | Editorial | Monday, January 3, 2022

The UK Must Ban ‘Conversion Therapy’ – Even for Adults Who Claim to Want It

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: In allowing over-18s to give ‘informed consent’ to this abusive practice, the government is pandering to rightwing evangelicals

Last week the government finally published its proposals on how it intends to ban the degrading practice of so-called “conversion therapy”. It has taken years of lobbying, several high-profile resignations, as well as various statements from senior religious leaders and indeed whole denominations – such as the Church of England and the Methodist church – to get us to this point. Was it worth the wait?

In truth there is much in the proposals that can and should be welcomed. The government has shown willing to listen to the senior human rights lawyers behind the Cooper report, which I convened, and has accepted our proposal of a two-pronged approach involving both criminal and civil remedies. This means that as well as clear criminal sanctions against perpetrators, who now face sentence of up to five years and a hefty fine, it will also introduce new protection orders that will work to safeguard young vulnerable LGBT+ people from harm.

That is, if you are under 18 or have been found to have been forced or coerced into conversion therapy. But this restriction, focusing purely on the under-18s, is woefully inadequate and leaves thousands still open to abuse, particularly in religious settings – which the government’s own research has shown accounts for the majority of conversion practices. The new law would still allow adults to freely seek out such therapies. However, we know that it is young adults (aged 18-24) who are vulnerable to significant risk when they leave home and find themselves wooed by fundamentalist religious groups. » | Jayne Ozanne | Tuesday, November 2, 2021