SW1AOAA

Political Observer (not in the business!)

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@willguyatt I’m on a plane to the USA using WiFi. Even I’m not sure what time it is…

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@MattChorley @JustinOnWeb @awzurcher @SumiSomaskanda

Proof of life?

#Americast #mitchmcconnell

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@prestonjbyrne I remember the days when executives running online gambling websites from outside the USA didn’t dare transit through US airports as they risked being arrested and charged for enabling US citizens to gamble which was illegal under US law.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@LabDRN Which Labour MPs endorse your policies?

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@MishalHusain @lewis_louisa @mer__edith The argument that if you create tech to do A it will be abused to do B is nonsense in a liberal democracy. B must first get democratic consent. Try and do it covertly and a free press will soon expose it.

And totalitarian states will just do B anyway, skipping A altogether.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@sarahemclaugh How do you enforce laws against libel or incitement to murder if it’s impossible to identity those who commit these crimes online? They can’t escape justice if their illegal speech is in real life but can gain immunity online.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@Paul__Walsh Democracy is overrated???

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@prestonjbyrne Any policy will only apply to UK users - so either those using a UK registered IP address or those whose access reveals technical and behavioural flags that they are located in the UK while on a VPN.

US users unaffected unless they use a VPN set to the UK.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@prestonjbyrne It’s not long ago that executives who ran gambling websites legally from countries outside the USA had to avoid visiting or connecting through the US to avoid arrest by the federal government. The US rightly wanted to exercise digital sovereignty over services accessed from there

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@prestonjbyrne Where do you stand on democracy? The narrow and specific limits on free speech in the UK - slander, incitement of racial hatred etc. - were all set by the elected House of Commons.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@prestonjbyrne If the people elect democratic representatives who then pass legislation, then the state has been mandated by them (parents) to step in.

Note that the House of Lords is not the UK gGovernment, nor is it the elected House. So it is necessary for elected MPs to vote for this too.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@ShippersUnbound The principle of individual ministerial responsibility must be observed.

If a civil servant in the FCDO did this, the Secretary of State takes responsibility, regardless of any disciplinary process that may then follow for officials.

Without that, government is anarchy.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@nicholascecil £60bn a year on defence and we must just hope the French intercept any missiles headed towards London instead of shooting down the ones aimed at Paris.

Zut alors!

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

Poor @LTaylorTV trying to keep Dr @Tessadunlop on the right side of defamation and sub judice laws.

Hard to imagine any future juror who’s listening to @BBCNews today not being challenged on unfair media influence if a charge and trial follows. (Tessa - note the “if”)

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@Peston Let’s not lose sight in the chaos of the fact that the British people elected the centrist even “Blairite” version of Sir Keir.

The “bait and switch” to a more left-wing traditional Labour government is now taking place, even without a change of PM.

But that was always the plan

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@Steven_Swinford I’m not sure Darren would consider chief of staff a promotion from his ministerial post.

Chief of staff is still staff.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@BethRigby “and” doing a lot of work there.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@PaulBrandITV I’m not sure which is more ineffectual - an APPG or an EDM! One is a talking shop with no powers and barely any influence; the other Parliamentary graffiti.

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@Telegraph The Lords has no say on government spending

[SW1AOAA @SW1AOAA]

@politicshome Is this contingency planning for when @Keir_Starmer shuts down access to X in the UK.

No longer unimaginable.

Probably overdue.

@peterkyle