Interested in democracy, Conservative Party and UK history. Author of Battle for Monte Natale. The Italian campaign in World War 2 and Our Fight for Democracy.
Beaconsfield
Joined October 2009
- Tweets30.7K
- Following2.5K
- Followers2K
- Likes59.9K
John Strafford retweeted
I suspect France under Le Pen would veto Britain rejoining the EU just as De Gaulle vetoed us joining.
The Prime Minister speaks of an honest conversation, and yet the arguments to reverse brexit all sound like we'd be returning to the Europe of 2016. That just isn't true. The Europe we'd rejoin today wouldn't be one where centrists like Angela Merkel were in positions of leadership. Today, the AfD is surging and could take control in Germany, Marine Le Pen in France, Italy is governed by the populist right, hard-right parties are in power or gaining ground across much of Europe. This is a profoundly different political landscape to the one we left, and it is the heights of dishonesty not to hold this fact at the forefront of any conversation we have now.
We're seeing this conversation presented around returning to our young people all that brexit robbed them of. Again, we're having this conversation as though we're still looking upon the Europe of 2016. The Europe of 2026 is aflame, the young people are revolting against perceived economic injustices. An honest conversation would acknowledge this fact.
At a time when British politics is the most fractured it's ever been, reopening this debate, especially in the selective, rose-tinted manner in which it is being discussed, risks driving even deeper divisions through our society.
Is this really the government's priority?
Our young people need growth, opportunity, and a future they can believe in. They need a government focused on delivering these things, not one hellbent on reigniting one of the most divisive debates in modern British politics.
I am by no means opposed to closer ties with Europe, nor the economic benefits they might bring. But an honest conversation about Europe must begin with the Europe that exists today, the Europe we see on our screens, being set ablaze by its youth, not the one we remember from 2016.
John Strafford retweeted
"It is incoherent to talk of Britain building a sovereign capability in AI while simultaneously refusing to extract the energy upon which it depends."
"Data centres are essential to AI and are very energy intensive. But our net zero laws have led to Britain having the highest industrial power costs in the developed world, deterring investment in this frontier technology."
"If Mr Burnham is serious about resilience, the first step is to give Rosebank the go-ahead. The next is to tear up the net zero laws that make us so fragile in the first place." @Telegraph
#CostOfNetZero
John Strafford retweeted
Rachel Reeves proposed borrowing £97 bn more next year than the Conservative government plan she inherited. John Healey wants to borrow even more and is trying to find ways within the Fiscal rules. A bad idea.
John Strafford retweeted
Andy Burnham is open to adopting EU free movement
He is totally out of touch with British voters
Enough is enough
Voters do not want more immigration
Latest evidence confirms it has made us poorer
thetimes.com/article/491a046…
John Strafford retweeted
The UK joining the EU might benefit just over 10% of firms (the ones that export to the EU), but it would harm nearly 90% of firms (the ones that don't export to the EU). We already have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU. Let's leave things where they are.
John Strafford retweeted
From iconic to ironic. The pedestrianisation of our iconic Oxford Street is incredibly disappointing and, with all the cyclists flying about, ironically dangerous to pedestrians. Successful pedestrianisation of such a major, high-profile thoroughfare requires a plan for the pedestrian’s experience, based around magnificent landscaping. As it stands, we may as well have the buses and taxis back.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10…
John Strafford retweeted
If EU immigration is supposedly less permanent, how does Burnham explain (1) that we have around 6 million EU citizens with permanent rights to live here under the EU settlement scheme, and (2) that we are still granting applications 6 years after leaving the EU?
Andy Burnham first discussed his theory that EU immigration might be less permanent than post-Brexit immigration (and so perhaps better for the UK) in his interview with me on @GBNEWS last month.
CH: You said immigration controls weaken Brexit, but Brexit gives you the power to control legal migration. Boris Johnson ignored that. The Boris wave happened. He was punished at the polls. Brexit gives you the power you want to be a sovereign nation.
PM: One thing that I want to convey here is Brexit has changed the nature of immigration to this country, because in the past, when we were in the European Union, people can have their view about it, about whether it was good or bad. But what we had was a more revolving door form of migration, where people would come here in their younger years. Many people did from Eastern Europe. People would remember, and they'd maybe spend you know a few years here in their mid to late 20s, and then go home and start a family, and that was a very common form of immigration. Now, immigration is more likely to be a permanent settlement, where people are coming on a visa to work here. And then we saw obviously the Boris wave and the changes that came through in that in that period. So it's changed the nature of immigration.
John Strafford retweeted
It is hardly surprising that someone open to rejoining the EU would be open to free movement.
Burnham's romanticised picture of EU membership ignores the fact that we literally had no idea who was coming into the country before 2016. We were always told there were 3 million EU citizens in Britain. When we counted them we discovered there were 6 million.
Any attempt to return to free movement has to reckon with the fact that a country like Spain has legalised the status of a million plus illegal migrants since then, and with the very visible tensions and anxieties amongst EU member states on the subject.
There can be no viable policy which doesn't involve HMG having full control over who comes into this country. We aren't there at the moment, but we will need to get there in the end. Andy Burnham may not understand this now, but he will have to do so eventually.
❗️EXCLUSIVE❗️
Andy Burnham has opened the door to Britain rejoining the EU’s free movement rules, arguing an “honest discussion” about the idea is needed
The PM said the nature of immigration has been “different” since Brexit, with more foreigners moving permanently to the UK rather than returning home
Burnham noted how his father, Roy, an engineer, took advantage of the EU rules in the 1990s to work in Germany
He also said since leaving the bloc Britain has lost access to ‘Eurodac’, an EU database on border crossings
“I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this,” he said
Burnham made clear staying out of free movement would **not** be a red line for talks (unlike adopting the Euro or rejoining the Schengen Area)
Burnham made the comments to me in one of four interviews conducted during his first 100 days in office. All unpacked in tomorrow’s Sunday Times.
It’s big news. Free movement seen as a key reason why the country voted Brexit in 2016. No PM has made the argument for potentially rejoining since… until now.
(Important to note: Burnham accepts there were ‘very significant challenges’ too with free movement. Hasn’t reached a firm decision yes or no. He continues to mull over ‘options’ for closer EU ties)
KEY BURNHAM QUOTE
“Freedom of movement had very significant challenges associated with it and I spoke about them in my previous time in Parliament. But, at the same time, it was a type of immigration that perhaps wasn’t as difficult (as now).
“Revolving door migration where people would come and then go back is different. The balance of migration has changed, hasn’t it, since then? I think we’ve just got to have an honest discussion about those things.”
Read the full story here:
‘Andy Burnham is open to adopting EU free movement’
thetimes.com/article/491a046…
John Strafford retweeted
Conservative Premier Designate Lorne Doerkson's victory in BC is a political earthquake.
John Strafford retweeted
Indeed Bernie. Bodies lying all over the place here in Europe.
No, wait. The 32,000 is not an actual body count. It’s the result of modelling by Imperial College on the basis of several dubious assumptions.
People did die of heat this summer. They usually do when it gets v hot e.g 1976, 2003. The exact number is not clear.
But even if 32,000 was a real figure we know for sure many, many more will die of cold this winter. They always do.
John Strafford retweeted
The Government claims that closer ties with the EU would boost growth.
How disingenous.
There is no reason to suggest that we would not face the same low-growth, low-productivity future as France and Germany if we were to rejoin.
Rather than face facts, Burnham hides his head in the sand.
My latest for @CityAM👇
John Strafford retweeted
This is a really important expose. If Powell had received the required level of vetting - DV (Developed) - would he have passed ? His wife’s alleged opinions on Palestine Action would surely have been flagged up; or in theory other things? For such a sensitive job? Have we been captured?
Jonathan Powell was not vetted before being appointed National Security Adviser, we can report.
spectator.com/article/reveal…
John Strafford retweeted
France cannot dig itself out of its hole – because it is has surrendered its legal and monetary sovereignty
Bob Lyddon explains how difficult it will be for France to dig itself out of its debt crisis without leaving the Euro and the EU @LyddonConsult bit.ly/4kdXRAt
John Strafford retweeted
Too many on the Right are naive about the nature of the left.
The Left is being dragged towards Islamo-communism.
They are a threat to our country.
🚨“The Right behaves as if we're in a game of cricket... to Left-wing activists, this is a mission.”
@trussliz and @GuidoFawkes' @_adamcherry_ examine the activist networks and funding linked to recent undercover investigations — and why the Right is failing to fight back.
John Strafford retweeted
The risk of winter blackouts has risen for the first time in four years, amid warnings from Britain’s grid operator that net zero is making it harder to keep the lights on.
A damning independent report earlier this week warned that Neso control-room engineers were concerned that the switch to renewable energy was making it harder to manage the grid but felt pressure to “convey a positive message”.
#CostOfNetZero
John Strafford retweeted
Just when there is good news of more tax revenue from allowing the Jackdaw field, the Chancellor announces more spending on renewable power grants to more than offset the extra tax. Start to get borrowing down.
John Strafford retweeted
Damning breach of trust from Sunak and party advisers and a reflection of the corruption at the heart of the Tory party that let members down so badly. Totally shameful.
John Strafford retweeted
The IMF praises the UK “plan”to get new borrowing down in three years time.This government has put up spending and borrowing massively in its first 2 years. Why do they think it will suddenly cut spending in the run up to the next election?
John Strafford retweeted
📢ANNOUNCEMENT📢
We are delighted today to announce former President of Poland @AndrzejDuda as the ninth national leader to join our International Advisory Board 👇
growth-commission.com/2026/1…
John Strafford retweeted
"The more renewables we build, the more our electricity depends on the weather, the more expensive back-up is, and thus the more problems we have... We don’t need renewables. We need oil, gas, and nuclear," says @DavidGHFrost, warning:
"The energy clock has not stopped. It is ticking, and ticking down to economic decline, unless the policy changes. An energy strategy that simply makes Britain poorer and colder is not in the interests of the British people. It is a failure of government dressed up as a moral achievement."
#CostOfNetZero
