Cherilyn Mackrory

Cornwall - Working mum, fish wife, dog owns me! All opinions my own etc etc. #lovewhereyoulive

[Rishi Sunak @RishiSunak]

Some political ideas age better than others.

When I proposed a new model of national service in the 2024 election, it quickly became the butt of jokes. Now France and Germany are taking steps towards it, and in Sweden places are highly prized by teenagers and employers alike.

What I’d seen as prime minister – the constant probing by our enemies, which didn’t distinguish between civilian and military – had convinced me we would soon need some kind of resilience corps. The cyberattacks on European supermarkets, with fridges remotely set to 50C so the food spoils, show this is our new reality. Defence spending won’t stop that. Responsibility for our security can’t just be subcontracted to the military.

In a world in which the government feels obliged to tell us to stockpile tinned goods, our culture needs to change. It will take more than well-stocked cupboards to meet this moment.

A new, universal national service scheme should offer people options. A few might join a small, selective military cadre. Others could serve with search and rescue, St John Ambulance or Meals on Wheels, or train in cybersecurity.

It would make us more resilient and more cohesive, give the almost one million young people not in education, employment or training a sense of purpose, and remind us all that citizenship brings responsibilities as well as rights.

My @thetimes column today 👇 https://t.co/gvrFNCTzRd

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

A Learjet morphed into a scud missile and smashed vertically into a road in Palm Beach from 35,000 feet — only eight miles from Trump’s gilded Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, from where he’d just taken off an hour before. 

Probably just a terrible accident. But the conspiracy mongers went into overtime.

Meanwhile the established parties fracture and struggle to retain traditional allegiances. 

In the swing state of Michigan a leading Democrat suddenly switched her support to the Republican candidate for senator. 

In swing states everywhere – Ohio, Iowa, Alaska, Texas, now even Kansas – Republicans struggle to hold on in the face of the damage Mr Trump’s tariffs and Iranian war have done to the cost of living.

Last week, after a classified briefing, the Democratic Senator for Connecticut, Chris Murphy, warned Trump had “insane” plans to escalate the war against Iran once the midterms were out of the way. Shortly thereafter the 53-year-old suffered a stroke. 

Curious and curiouser.

In the country’s current febrile mood there’s a risk of reading all manner of things into matters that aren't merited. But these are strange, worrying times  — and not just in America. 

Europe stagnates while malevolent forces take to the streets, exploiting a continent-wide leadership vacuum.

Russia, Iran, even China take every opportunity to undermine and disinform, all the better to sow dissension and division among us, helped by the legions of useful idiots among us who populate social media. 

Major NATO exercises have been taking place in the Baltic States. Germany is running its biggest armoured exercise for a while in Lithuania right now.

More than 6,000 troops from the Bundeswehr's 10th Armoured Division are taking part in two exercises being held at the same time.

German tanks back in the Baltics. Who would have thought it? At least it shows we’re aware of the dangers. 

But the autocrats are on the march. Bizarrely the biggest of them — Putin and Xi — seem to have an ally in the White House, who seems inclined to join them in a modern-day Yalta conference, Europe in general and Ukraine in particular excluded. 

So by all means let’s celebrate another glorious manifestation of democracy in America today. 

But let’s not forget that democracy is in more danger now than it’s been since the 1930s. And wake up to the fact that, as things stand, it’s far from clear that we’re in any great shape to defend it.

[Rt. Hon Ben Wallace @BenWallace70]

This is a straight forward lie Wes. You know what i said was both Labour and Conservatives hollowed out defence. Be man enough to admit it. Lies dont hide your own record. The last government to spend 3% of GDP ( without all your treasury tricks) was a Conservative one. MOD now spends 2.2% GDP and you are cutting day to day spending this year and next. many veterans, like me who served under a Labour government never forget the Snatch Landrover scandal. If you want to be taken seriously as a Defence Secretary stop playing child like politics. Earn your respect by sticking up for the armed forces, fighting the Treasury for real funding not spin and be honest about Labours part in hollowing out. At the moment your fake claims on 2.7% GDP coupled with under funding day to day spending are a perfect example of hollowing out. @haynesdeborah @larisamlbrown

[Rt. Hon Ben Wallace @BenWallace70]

Despite a direction from me when Defence Secretary that the Skynet 6A , £2bn contract was too important to the UK space industry to offshore to Lockheed Martin it looks as if Wes is preparing to place the contract overseas. The damage it would do to Stevenage and the UK satellite industry would be irreversible and it was always assessed it could mean the end of the sector. Lockheed’s promises of factories in Newcastle were skin deep. The differences between types on offer were marginal. No.10 could, and should stop this. @AirbusDefence @wesstreeting @larisamlbrown @kevinbonavia @haynesdeborah

[David Frost @DavidGHFrost]

Great deconstruction of the myths around the economics of leaving the EU from @bernardjenkin. 👇

https://t.co/nrA2ojLwFs

[Julia Lopez MP @JuliaLopezMP]

'I don't think employers are working people'

Hmm, ok, Minister.

In my constituency, the salon owners, nursery owners, cafe owners, restauranteurs, shop owners, pub landlords, builders, dentists, professional advisers....I can go on....all seem to be working pretty damn hard.

They are not only providing for themselves and their own families but taking risks to build businesses that can employ and support other people.

Many are questioning whether the levels of tax on them make it worth it. That is a problem for us all.

[Andrew Griffith MP @griffitha]

Bridget, telling lies is a breach of the Ministerial Code.

It's well known from your time as Education Secretary (before your demotion!) that you struggle with the truth.

As the then junior minister responsible for financial services regulation, I was not even remotely a 'co-author' of the mini budget. I did not see it until the night before.

I’m flattered that my decades of real-world business experience outside Westminster trigger so many Labour MPs. It’ll be useful when the next Conservative government has to clean up your mess!

(P.S. Mortgage rates are higher now than in 2022…)

[Rt. Hon Ben Wallace @BenWallace70]

Now we can see the OBR and HMT Red book. The MOD faces a real term CUT to day to day spending of nearly 0.5% (RDEL) in 27/28. That’s money we spend on training, ammunition, maintenance and operations. So the Chancellors son in the Reserves will have even less training and ammo.

[Rosie Duffield MP @RosieDuffield1]

This is utter rubbish. Labour never use prayer cards, so I've never used one in 9.5 yrs. When the Chamber's rammed (as it was when Zelenskyy spoke remotely to MPs in the HOC Chamber in 2022), we sit on the floor, the steps, stand, perch in the doorways, etc. But today's Budget wasn't rammed at all.

[FarmingUK @FarmingUK]

Cornish farmers urge the government to put farmers’ livelihoods first in the upcoming autumn budget 🚜🇬🇧

[Cherilyn Mackrory @thisischerilyn]

@RicHolden @UKLabour Yet again clobbering farmers and fishermen. When will it stop?!

[Kevin Hollinrake MP @kevinhollinrake]

How can this be fair? @ONS

[Kevin Hollinrake MP @kevinhollinrake]

Who should run the countryside: the people you elect or agencies nobody voted for?

Natural England and the Environment Agency answer to no minister. Homes are blocked and farmers are buried in red tape.

Conservatives will scrap them.

[Cherilyn Mackrory @thisischerilyn]

@ClaireCoutinho So pleased to hear this wonderful news @ClaireCoutinho. Much love to you all xx

[Rishi Sunak @RishiSunak]

President Xi’s aim is to make the world dependent on China, while China depends on no one.

Without a coalition of countries to counter it, he will succeed.

https://t.co/ykIqcgDX2L

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

Then the 70% are wrong.
Privatisation of energy was a success. Prices fell. Consumers benefitted.
It all started to go wrong when the Tory/LD Coalition relentlessly increased state control of energy in pursuit of net zero. Continued under subsequent governments. The state now has more control over UK energy than it did in the days of the Central Electricity Generating Board!
And the remuneration last year of the boss of Gaz de France (now Engie) was €5.5m.
Other than that you’re spot on.

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

Stephen Kinnock’s claim that there were no boat people because we were in the European Union is a straightforward lie. Illegal immigrants flooded in by lorry, train and cars. They disappeared into towns/cities and couldn’t be properly counted. When advances in technology made these methods of transport much harder to use the illegal migrants took to boats, courtesy of the people smugglers. Since the boats are usually interdicted on arrival the counting is easier. Nothing to do with being in or out of the EU.

[Cherilyn Mackrory @thisischerilyn]

@FarmingUK I blame Brexit.

[Lord Moylan @danielmgmoylan]

@andyburnham today: “We’ve all spent too much time arguing with each other and looking backwards and not enough time looking forwards. What I’m trying to do is draw that line.”

Sadly he only meant that for Scotland. He wants to sow division amongst the rest of us.

[Cherilyn Mackrory @thisischerilyn]

@RosieDuffield1 @bindelj Fabulous women x