Mailwatch(ed) Forum

It's interesting to look at a map and see why we acquired those seemingly unimportant bits of pink. Gibraltar - control of the Med, Falklands - coaling station, Hong Kong - keeping an eye on China. Those Victorisn and earlier diplomats weren't daft.

Over £69 billion confirmed for council budgets
Final Settlement confirms over £69 billion government funding for councils, a 6.8% cash-terms increase in Core Spending Power

Same as the Tories, I don't notice any differences in my day to day life etc

This assumes all councils will raise council tax by the maximum without referendum, so it'll probably be a bit less. But positive, even if the result is that fewer things fall over.

I understand the purpose of a global network of staging posts when Britain was a global thalassocracy but what is the geopolitical rationale in the 21st century?
These islands aren't near the Horn of Africa and anti piracy vessels would be moored in Gulf states like Oman.
The days of needing giant golf ball listening station to monitor shipping are gone and it's one hell of a detour for a refueling station to send military planes and ships to Australia for bizarre unspecified reasons.
Of course Farage and Bozo cream their pants at a revived East of Suez strategy but even the slightly annoyed Chinese mainly found Johnson's speeches on the subject an eccentric joke.

It's a US base. Say what you like about them, they have an East of Suez strategy.

Mauritius wants the UK to pay the lease on the US Diego Garcia base?
I'm all at sea now, better do some reading up.

davidjay wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 12:39 pm It's interesting to look at a map and see why we acquired those seemingly unimportant bits of pink. Gibraltar - control of the Med, Falklands - coaling station, Hong Kong - keeping an eye on China. Those Victorisn and earlier diplomats weren't daft.

The Med's a case in point - Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Suez.

Then there's Belize, close to Panama. Singapore and Hong Kong effectively bookending south east Asia. Falklands for the Drake Passage, islands up the Atlantic, across the Pacific, Aden watching the other end of the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean our private paddling pool.

6 more regional mayors coming.

I used to follow a few people on devolution but got fed up with the "it's meaninglesss because the Treasury" all the time.

Jonn Elledge.

https://jonn.substack.com/p/but-whats-it-for

Ministers keep talking about the need for a reset in relations with Europe – but over the weekend, home secretary Yvette Cooper dismissed the idea of youth mobility scheme as “not the right starting point”, even though it’s hard to imagine a smaller or less justifiable concession, and that without such concessions there is no reason for Brussels to give us anything. Someone in government, meanwhile, is briefing how annoyed they are that Liz Kendall is taking her sweet time finding ways to cut benefits yet further in a cost of living crisis, and a bunch of MPs whose seats are threatened by Reform are calling on the government to be noisier about how mean it’s being to immigrants. None of it is particularly edifying.

No one of any seniority seems willing to say anything in defence of the welfare state, that immigrants are people, or to express the minute possibility that Britain will be better off working with Europe than getting pushed around by Trump. They’re not making arguments in favour of duty or solidarity, or a national mission to rebuild what the Tories destroyed. All too often the pitch seems to be slightly more competent management of the rubble.

I’m far from the first to ask this, but – what do they think we elected them for, exactly?

I like Jonn but honestly I find articles so frustating. It's like you've done stuff but you aren't saying and echoing my worldview so therefore you're bad.

An explanation as to why a continuing presence on Diego Garcia is needed. I now need an update on comms technology in the 21st century.

So, a listening post.

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2025 12:29 am Jonn Elledge.


I like Jonn but honestly I find articles so frustating. It's like you've done stuff but you aren't saying and echoing my worldview so therefore you're bad.

Yeah, he's good, but the Commission suggestion was for 18-30 for 4 years. That's not trivial, particularly if there's a massive run of applications because they think the Tories will scrap it. By all means concede something like that as part of the deal.

But the idea of controlling immigration was very important to lots of voters who aren't zero net immigration fanatics. Cooper's right on this.

Yuan yi zhu was ridiculing the security concerns. If Mauritius shuts it down, they'd get sanctioned apparently. As I always say, "write that on the top of your GCSE paper". If there's a military emergency, sanctions are rather too slow a burner.

I'm sure Sunak and Truss were advised on the security implications, hence they had the same policy.

I mean, Christ knows what Trump does or says, but it's not impossible that his administration accepts it. Which might make Farage and Badenoch look silly.

Nuclear plans announced today. I think this is a good policy, but again it's a slow burner. Apparently Labour see this as a wedge issue that can stop people voting Green or Lib Dem. Trouble is that Labour's not losing votes to these parties. Politically, what you need is more stuff that encourages them to vote tactically for Labour.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2025 1:41 pm The academic lawyer whose (Chinese origin) name I can't recall was ridiculing the security concerns. If Mauritius shuts it down, they'd get sanctioned apparently. As I always say, "write that on the top of your GCSE paper". If there's a military emergency, sanctions are rather too slow a burner.

I'm sure Sunak and Truss were advised on the security implications, hence they had the same policy.

Yuan yi zhu.

Thank you. I'll go back and edit.

The only reason anyone really cares about Chagos is this Empire mindset. Everything I’ve read in the know seem to think it’s generally required.

The problem none of this is debated by opposing sides with some knowledge, it’s mostly debated by those who haven’t a clue where it is on a map.

Lisa Nandy on good form in the discussion here. I think she's probably very happy with this role. It was regarded as something of a snub at the start.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2025 2:18 pm Nuclear plans announced today. I think this is a good policy, but again it's a slow burner. Apparently Labour see this as a wedge issue that can stop people voting Green or Lib Dem. Trouble is that Labour's not losing votes to these parties. Politically, what you need is more stuff that encourages them to vote tactically for Labour.

They are.

That's interesting. Especially all the Don't Knows.