Gill Malik 💙❤️ 🌹

Tweets likely to be on non league football and politics. Labour Party member. Retired NHS worker and Union Rep (UNISON).

[BBC Politics @BBCPolitics]

Britain won't tolerate threats on our soil, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says as he summons Iran ambassador

https://t.co/MLbjbVrTV7

[BBC Radio 4 Today @BBCr4today]

Will the government put more money into oil and gas?

Government minister Luke Pollard says their focus is on transitioning to renewable energy.

He was responding to Chris O'Shea, the boss of Centrica, who says he wants the government to invest more in gas storage.

[BBC Breakfast @BBCBreakfast]

'I'm not sure Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson should be going round calling anyone a liar'

On #BBCBreakfast Defence Minister Luke Pollard defended Andy Burnham after the PM said it was "clear" there had been interference in the Brexit referendum by Russia

https://t.co/7tfeMnKNj5

[Torsten Bell @TorstenBell]

New IMF forecasts tell you 2 things about UK economy. Firstly, the British economy has proved resilient in face of the Iran conflict: IMF have UK growth as joint second fastest in G7 this year (forget forecasts, in hard data we’ve seen the fastest growth in G7 so far this year)

[Bill Kristol @BillKristol]

"The Russians have provided Iran with intelligence, ammunition, and explosives...Trump’s response is to beg Putin for a few thousand barrels of diesel. This is the most stunning display of submission and weakness from an American president ever."

https://t.co/EJcnORlk2n

[Roman Anin @RomanAnin]

I spent 15+ years investigating Russian secret services and organized crime. I know people who served with Putin in the KGB and sat in on his deals with St. Petersburg crime bosses. So let me explain the "diesel deal" the way they would — in gangster slang. Because that's the language Putin actually thinks in.

First, the facts.

Putin just raised Russia's 2027 military budget by 27% to a record 17.1 trillion rubles — about $203 billion. Who budgets that kind of money for a war they're about to end?

The FT reported yesterday that Western intelligence has warned the heads of European defense companies that Russia is plotting to assassinate them.

Since September, Tusk, Macron and the intelligence services of Poland, Czechia, Latvia, Belgium, France and Denmark have all warned that Russian hybrid attacks — including drone and missile strikes — will intensify in the coming months.

None of this looks like a country preparing for peace.

Who actually benefits?

🇺🇸 What the US gets: Every serious analysis I've read says the announced volumes won't move American diesel prices. This is a PR move for Trump before the midterms — a story about prices that will "very, very soon" come down once his friend Vladimir's tankers reach US shores, plus the chance to claim he ended another war (I've lost count). The only US "benefit" is Trump's rating.

🇷🇺 What Russia gets: billions of dollars to keep funding its genocidal war against Ukrainians. Sanctions relief. A demonstration of power to the rest of the world. A deeper rift between the US and its European allies. And a real chance to disrupt US weapons and intelligence flowing to Ukraine.

So what is Putin's actual goal?

Trump's disapproval is at record highs and polls show his party will most likely loose midterm elections. In less than a month his power will be badly weakened. Why would Putin sign a long-term peace deal with a lame duck whose signature will soon be scrutinized at best and annulled at worst?

He wouldn't. And here's where the slang comes in.

In the eyes of Putin and his siloviki, Trump is a baryga — a greedy, unscrupulous businessman who puts profit above law and principle. Gangsters despise barygas, but they love using them. The goal is always to turn a baryga into a lokh — a mark, an outsider who doesn't understand the rules of the underworld and gets played to serve the gang's interests.

By signing the diesel deal, Putin plays two scenarios at once:

A) The deal miraculously helps his lokh keep power — great.

B) The deal changes nothing, the baryga loses the midterms — but by then it has already done its job: inflamed US political tensions and acted as arson inside the American system.

Putin knows that the majority of Americans support Ukraine. He knows that by signing, Trump draws unprecedented criticism, including from his own party. And he knows a baryga won't give up power easily, because he will have to answer for everything he did in office — this deal included. That's classic gangster/secret-service method: tie a man to your organization, make him a partner in your crimes, so he can't walk away.

Pouring more oil — diesel, in this case — onto the most explosive fault lines of American politics, raising the stakes for Trump and pushing him past the point of no return serves Putin far better than a peace deal that could be voided within months.

Remember: Putin's goal in the West is chaos, not peace.

[Lettie @Lettie44]

@welshroots The Tories, Farage, Banks, UKIP et al, and of course the media, all colluded to bring Carole down. #RussiaReport #FollowtheRussianMoney

[Dr Peter Prinsley MP @PeterPrinsley]

At a time when misinformation and disinformation are spreading across the world, the importance of trusted, independent journalism cannot be overstated.

Today, I asked the Prime Minister to reaffirm his support for the BBC World Service - Britain's voice to the world, and a vital voice for truth and facts.

I'm pleased he confirmed his strong support for both the World Service and the BBC as a whole. 👇

[Alex Taylor @AlexTaylorNews]

Ukraine hits 3 major data centres in Russia, and 𝐥𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 !

"Patriot" bot activity tanks massively not only all over Europe but also thousands of pro-Trump MAGA accounts unusually quiet 👇

What a lovely moment amongst ourselves before they all come back 😀

[Dr Peter Prinsley MP @PeterPrinsley]

On Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking at a dementia awareness event organised by the wonderful Tricia Forrest-Morley, attended by over 100 people.

The dementia virtual tour was a particularly powerful experience, offering an insight into some of the challenges faced by those living with the condition.

Dementia affects so many families, yet too many people remain unaware of the support available to them.

We must do more to support people living with dementia and the unpaid carers who do so much for their loved ones.

My thanks to Tricia and everyone involved for organising such an important event.

[Lucy Powell MP @LucyMPowell]

As Deputy Leader, I was delighted to join @andyburnham in welcoming our newest member of the PLP @Sagal_AW to Westminster today 🌹

[Frank Place 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @BotFinderUK]

This man is most responsible for the last decade of hardship in the UK.
His time is over.
Lock him up

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 WATCH: Sagal Abdi-Wali is sworn in as the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

We never communicate what we will do next in our operations. Last night, we did not attack any energy facilities on the territory of Russia because President Trump said that there would be an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. We did not attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities.

I think it was Putin’s answer to President Trump. And the message from Russia was very clear – they don't know anything about the energy ceasefire. It's a pity, because they always find reasons not to stop this war. Which is why I think we need more pressure on Russia.

From an interview with Fox News.

[Timostene @SandroRossi_x]

Oggi Musk ha minacciato di bloccare Starlink alle truppe ucraine. Che lo faccia o no importa poco: basta la minaccia a dimostrare che nessun governo deve affidare i propri sistemi strategici a un miliardario psicolabile.
Guai a farlo.

[Chris 🕷🐦 @imageplotter]

Why is the BBC glued to Nigel's every word? Why report on whatever his announcement of the day is, when his party has fewer than 10 MPs and waning influence? Who takes these editorial decisions at BBC News? Why is my license fee spent in this way? Shambles.

[Bernie Sanders @BernieSanders]

Donald Trump is corrupt.

He is a narcissist.

He is a pathological liar.

He is a danger to the United States and to working families.

We cannot allow his party to control the Senate. VOTE.

[Kateryna Lisunova @KaterynaLis]

So, the so-called ceasefire is basically a demand from the Administration that Ukraine stop targeting russian oil refineries. russia keeps targeting civilians, but Ukraine cannot retaliate by striking its economy. To put it mildly, it’s pure blackmail of Kyiv. Not to mention that it won’t help America at all. And it shows just how painful these strikes are for russia, while Washington is literally coming to the rescue of a bloody dictator.

And all of this just before the midterms. It’s hard to imagine a more damaging move for Republicans. Which raises 3 very logical questions: Whose interests does this serve, and who benefits from it and why?

[𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 🇺🇲 @USarmypower_]

🚨 BREAKING: 🇸🇦🇷🇺 SAUDI ARABIA WARNS PUTIN: "WE WILL CRUSH YOUR WAR BUDGET !"

Saudi Crown Prince MBS lays down an absolute ultimatum to Vladimir Putin: stop supplying weapon networks to regional militants or face an immediate oil flood that will sink Russian crude prices to zero!

💥 Putin refuses to back down, setting the stage for the most dangerous energy market crash in history!
"Proxy weapons vs crude oil taps — The ultimate Saudi-Russia showdown has begun!" 💣⚡️

[Republicans against Trump @RpsAgainstTrump]

A judge cleared the BBC to serve subpoenas on Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner after Secret Service protection thwarted in-person delivery.

The BBC argued the president’s eldest son, daughter and son-in-law likely have “personal knowledge and possession of discoverable information” relevant to the cash https://t.co/5MDK8wHeob