Don’t really agree with Merz’ assessment, but this archived BBC article is quite interesting in the context of these recent comments. Clearly these are long held convictions. Perhaps a window for the Conservatives in opposition to reach out to the EU. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/p…

Erasmus House in Bruxelles is a must visit. One of those tiny little niche museums but super interesting. 16th century fireplaces with original tiles in tact included.

If Farage enters Parliament, it’s not impossible to imagine the Tory leadership contest becoming a battle for which candidate would allow Farage to join the party/merge with Reform.

Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen. Struck that it’s a place that both Anne Boleyn and Thomas More would have known well, long before their fates would collide back in England.

Glorious day for walking!

Agree with the broad argument of this article, but this is a bad example. The decision of whether to ban onshore wind farms or not is surely policy, not implementation. The link to 2050 targets is logical but a big stretch.

The ever rising pedestal of George Dubya Bush is endlessly amusing. For years he was written off as a warmongering buffoon. Today he’s the pin up of a lost age of genius and probity in public life.

Bit of an extreme reaction to a Strategic Partnership on #CRMs

The stats are interesting but the underlying disapproval is a bit odd given the political situation in many of the countries concerned.

Can’t make it to Egypt to see the pyramids? Go to Rome. Not quite the same but still 2,000 years old.

A few interesting buildings from Rome. The sixties (?) apartment block with curved balconies a particular favourite!

Great to hear that Douglas Alexander has attacked the Brexit trade policy as a “post-imperial delusion”. As Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security, he spoke at a LabourList event. “We’ve had a lot of post-imperial delusion in British trade policy in recent years.

Brussels - one of the few places that can pull off East Berlin under the GDR and fin de siècle Europe in 180degrees