B O'Brien

To mark 75 years since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and the UK, we asked you to share personal photos that capture the many connections between our countries. Here's a selection of your pictures and stories celebrating 75 years of 🇩🇪-🇬🇧 relations.

NEW: How robust is opinion change on Brexit/Brexit @persuasionuk.bsky.social research properly stress tested it. We find a fair bit of softness. We think headline Rejoin support is more like 52 v 48% (!) rather than ~64-36% you see in polls. Not fatal for Rejoin but worth paying attention to🧵

In Greek Democracy every citizen voted on every law. In our 'Democracies' you never vote on any law. Instead you vote for 1 of 2 parties. One you absolutely hate and the other you vote for because it's slightly better than the one you hate. That is not democracy, it's a scam.

It's that simple. 👇

As I've said elsewhere and will say again - Rooney effectively demanded her publisher and their banks (and their employees) put themselves in legal jeopardy for her beliefs from the safety of Mayo, and is getting a massive publicity bump from it. Martyr she is not.

Dear people of the UK, this Prize is for you! In 1946, the British founded the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. 80 years on, NRW says "Thank you", presenting its highest award, the State Prize, to the people of the UK, recognising the deep friendship between the state and the UK.

Zack Polanski repeatedly declared that the Greens were “replacing” Labour and said he was “incredibly confident” of winning Holborn & St Pancras. Finishing 12.8 points behind cannot be spun as a “good” result.

This is absolutely damning. A must-read.

The share of children who died before they were 5 years old in 1950 and 75 years later. Africa: 33% ↘ 6% Asia: 25% ↘ 2.5% Oceania: 9.3% ↘ 2% Latin America: 21% ↘ 1.5% Northern America: 3.8% ↘ 0.6% Europe: 10.5% ↘ 0.4% Globally: 23% ↘ 3.5%

Taking a step back, I find it astonishing that a mainstream British political party has actually resolved that a whole foreign country should not be allowed to exist & anyone who says different is a racist The arrogance is just stunning Now do Russia Now do Iran Maybe Belgium Unbelievable...

The Green Party: “We stand against racism” Also the Green Party: “If Jews go to a synagogue we don’t like, they will be punished”

This is like saying “we will never tolerate fire” as your house goes up in flames behind you.

What it comes down to is this. If you’re determined a motion on Zionism isn’t seen as antisemitic, you pass this amendment. Obviously. It was instead rejected twice. First in a pre-conference meeting re: all amendments, then by conference members in the hall. This is now what the Green Party is.

Those people currently destroying the Green's are so obsessed with their own superior morality and the 'rightness' of their beliefs they can't see what many of them actually are which is antisemites. Yeah you can be young, progressive, 'believe all the right things' and basically be an antisemite.

The greatest service Keir Starmer did the Labour party was to drive the anti-Semitic left out of the Labour party. He deserves immense credit for that. The Greens welcoming them with open arms was absolutely always going to prove a disastrous decision

SNAP POLL / By 48% to 28%, Britons support Andy Burnham's proposal to change the triple lock in order to help fund part of a national care service yougov.com/en-gb/daily-... yougov.com/en-gb/daily-... yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...

Sharon Graham on Today was extremely shouty, which made her sound like a completely unreasonable person, irrespective of any merits in what she was actually saying. Does she always talk like that?

"Away with ya now and don't bother coming back ya gobshite."

You might have to turn up for the results of this one, Nige.

A pensioner being taxed at the basic rate for a £200 pa Winter Fuel Allowance would pay an additional £3.33 a month. It would not be £33 a month.

If no other picture survives Reform UK conference this year, let it be this one. It is a teachable moment. #ReformAssault #Fascism

How Farage has been covered by the BBC versus How Farage has been covered by Channel 4

Reform UK will increase the efficiency of HMRC by encouraging everyone to spend all day repeatedly phoning them.

What do marginal middle class voters want in the middle of Suffolk, say, or in Nuneaton or Bognor? Ah yes, race hatred, huge numbers of people thrown out of the country, climate change denial and war with France! Do me a favour.

Reform’s electoral record at parliamentary by-elections: win by five votes when the previous Labour MP had literally decked one of his constituents. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Beat a novelty candidate with no ground game while doing worse than the Tories in the same seat in 2019.

The sheer hatred of Keir Starmer was something to behold. People spat out his name like he was the devil. 'Covered up for [Jimmy] Savile'; 'thinks men can become women'; 'Zionist'; 'communist'. Heard it all. With that fury taken out of the equation, politics opens up again.

Burnham: Social Care is a huge challenge that demands a proper longterm solution. It can be done if parties work together. Most parties: PM is right and we'll work with him for a solution. Tories: PM is right and we'll work with him for a solution. BUT ONLY IF HE CAN DO IT FOR FREE. Grow TF up.

Con+UKIP(etc) vote in Clacton: 2010: 53% (Con only) 2014(b): 84% 2015: 81% 2017: 68% 2019: 72% (Con only) 2024: 74% 2026: Conservatives not standing, Farage mobilises activists from across the country as he is worried about being outpolled by Count Binface.

Love the smell of a Reform lead evaporating in the late morning.

Tony Benn also said the first duty of a government is to make its citizens feel safe.

I stand by my record – including putting us on course for a record reduction in child poverty – and if the Tories think that makes me a 'spiteful class warrior', it tells you everything you need to know about them.

Which part of UK has outperformed the rest since Brexit? Northern Ireland of course, as it has effectively stayed in the EU’s single market!

The Starmer government was one of the most left-leaning we’ve had that was almost never identified as such.

The lowest moment... for Steve Bray. Mate, you've done your thing. And we've enjoyed it. Time to exit.

Just a reminder, if you deface the Reflecting Pool you will be arrested…. Oops wrong picture

“Mother, I've weighed the risks - which I prefer to living in a world dominated by Nazis. Bill" Thank god for Bill and so many more like him (Pic from @profpeterdoyle.bsky.social on X)

Have Reform every considered not fielding a complete tosser as a by-election candidate?

Good to hear. I can't remember what it was. Putting "Labour supporter" in your bio seems to be regarded as a green light for abuse

The Tories from 2010 to 2024 spent the lowest % of GDP on defence of any Govt in the last 75 years, never once hitting 2.5%. And every Tory Govt since the early 1950s has ended their term spending a lower % of GDP on defence than they did at the start. But it's all Labour's fault...

Who else agrees that President Obama was one the coolest presidents we ever had? ✋🏻 #ObamaAppreciationDay

Reform isn’t the change you are looking for or deserve.

Well done, America. For the first time in the history of international sport, the whole world is united in wanting your team to fail. You have done this to yourselves.

Trump can’t make a deal with Iran because Trump doesn’t understand he lost the war. He has been lied to by Pete Hegseth and others.

Japanese reporters astonished, as a new Maglev train passes by at approx. 500kph. (Don't blink, or you will miss it).

Dear American politicians Your country is a an absolute shit-show that genuinely makes a mockery out of democracy Please focus on that before sticking your stupid beaks into the business of anything going on in Europe

From the 1950s to 2010, every Tory Govt dramatically cut defence spending as a share of GDP - and every Labour Govt kept it relatively stable. After 2010, the Tories never hit 2.5% of GDP on defence, leaving Labour to now push spending upwards. Yet to the Right, it's somehow all Labour's fault. 🤔

I guess they got the non-woke president they were looking for.