[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... me-with-uk

The EU is prepared to make major concessions in negotiations to allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to travel and work freely, potentially paving the way for a long-awaited reset with Brussels.

A scheme that would allow thousands of young Europeans to live and work in the UK has been seen as a key EU demand in reaching a post-Brexit pact incorporating defence, energy and migration.

It is understood that EU member states could now be willing to limit work visas to as little as 12 months, with quotas on numbers and restrictions on the sectors EU citizens could work in.

They are also open to a “one in, one out” style plan being considered by the home secretary.

[The Weeping Angel]

Nah, let's focus on the briefing in the Times instead.

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... me-with-uk

The EU is prepared to make major concessions in negotiations to allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to travel and work freely, potentially paving the way for a long-awaited reset with Brussels.

A scheme that would allow thousands of young Europeans to live and work in the UK has been seen as a key EU demand in reaching a post-Brexit pact incorporating defence, energy and migration.

It is understood that EU member states could now be willing to limit work visas to as little as 12 months, with quotas on numbers and restrictions on the sectors EU citizens could work in.

They are also open to a “one in, one out” style plan being considered by the home secretary.

Have to see the whole deal. It may or may not be wise to go so hard on this, but visas are definitely one of the UK's better cards. We know from FoM days how attractive the UK is to a big range of people, within and across EU member states. The original EU proposal (4 years for everyone aged 21-30) was never going to be accepted.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Why are so many academics doing this? There've been lots of reports of progress in the talks. Why the "there they go, silly morons like the last lot"? BTL picks up the hint.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Obviously, Tim Bale and co and primarily responsible, but it's all feeding into this sort of nonsense.

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Confidence among people in Britain about the economy over the next 12 months has fallen to the lowest on record, polling firm Ipsos MORI said on Sunday, with only a small number expecting improvement over the period.
Seventy-five percent of Britons expect the economy to get worse over the next 12 months, up 8 percentage points since March, Ipsos said.

Economic figures don't remotely justify this so far. Worse than Covid and the Crash?!

An unholy alliance of Remainers and Kippers, with their own media profile, seemingly won't happy till this comes true.

[Youngian]

Trump's trade war madness and the possibility of a European war is enough to sap Jo Public's confidence.

[The Weeping Angel]

Why are so many academics doing this? There've been lots of reports of progress in the talks. Why the "there they go, silly morons like the last lot"? BTL picks up the hint.

They get clout online. Academics will happily debase themselves over a variety of subjects just to build an online audience.

[Tubby Isaacs]

That's only human, but it's the lack of media literacy that I find surprising. I believe the Bloomberg stuff is happening because I can't see any benefit in either side leaking that and it not happening. But with this latest story, sounds like the sort of thing the EU would leak to a domestic audience, who might reasonably want to know they're being tough with the prodigal son. I've never seen Starmer or anyone else talk Bozo cake-ism because they know it's not on offer and would just look stupid.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Good work here, reducing the number of branded items that schools can require for uniform, which are typically more expensive. Savings will vary- parents with more than one kid of the same sex at the same school can recycle items. You almost wonder whether uniforms ought to be scrapped completely.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mill ... form-costs

[Tubby Isaacs]

Prescription charges frozen, both one off items and the "season ticket" which I get because I require 3 different medicines. Seems to have cost a fairly small amount of money to do this- £18m, compared with the recent rises. Cost remains £9.90. I wonder if this freeze is going to remain- when it goes over £10, that'll generate a lot of bad publicity, and if you're not doing it now, you probably don't want to do it later in the Parliament.

[The Weeping Angel]

Support for Brexit latest.

https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-eu-d ... claration/

BRUSSELS — Britain and the European Union are set to sign a formal declaration committing to “free and open trade” in defiance of Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.

A leaked draft seen by POLITICO promises a “new strategic partnership” between London and Brussels based on “maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade.”

It comes as Keir Starmer’s U.K. government is locked in negotiations with the Trump administration to try to get a carve-out from the U.S. president’s new tariffs.

[Killer Whale]

Good news for anyone analysing differences in US tariffs being applied to the UK and the EU and running an on-paper import-export business. Kerching.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This chap is one man "Labour Good News" account. Sometimes tries a bit hard, but mostly interesting. Doubtless this reflects work done under Sunak too, but why did it take so long to get to this stage? Given the profile of NHS users, they're always going to have to do some admin by traditional paper methods- unlike Tech Bro business, the NHS can't tell people who can't use the app to fuck off. But surely, you'd expect virtually all hospitals to have the option of using the app?

[Youngian]

Good news for anyone analysing differences in US tariffs being applied to the UK and the EU and running an on-paper import-export business. Kerching.

Yebbut fish. Tories and Farage won't resist going down a Brexit rabbit hole that holds no practical interest to 70+ percent of the electorate.

[Tubby Isaacs]

And the European Court of Justice. That's a real Fleet Street Brexiter thing, with limited resonance in Middlesbrough.

[Tubby Isaacs]

As well as swinging elections in Canada and, probably, Australia, Trump is also boosting renewable energy round the world. Ed Miliband is too polite to mention Trump, of course.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/bus ... 23914.html

PM fast tracks £300m for offshore wind in push for clean energy investment
The announcement comes as the UK Government and International Energy Agency hosts a summit on the future of energy security.

Mr Miliband said: “It is only by taking back control of our energy that we can protect families and businesses from the rollercoaster of global markets we don’t control.

“That is why this Government is doubling down on our clean energy superpower mission – driving economic growth, good jobs and investment across our country.”

[Tubby Isaacs]

Something I don't understand. I've had it explained to me why gas sets the price for electricity and think I understand it. Marginal pricing, the price of every input is set by the most expensive (gas, for the foreseeable). Or something. I've also read that this might not continue. I don't get that.

Anybody understand it?

[Youngian]

Haven't read this crucial debate but my guess is no. Starmer could randomly snatch millions of immigrants and deport them without due process, the answer will still be no.

[RedSparrows]

That's the question any notionally rational person has to ask themselves: 'can I ever be satisfied with anything group X does?'

If the answer is no, you're either Lenin or a moron.

[Tubby Isaacs]

For the number of readers they have, the Express might as well praise Starmer on immigration and sit back while irate people share it on social media with "see, how low Starmer's sunk".