Silas McGilvray

We are shocked and saddened to hear the news of @sinead1988.bsky.social passing. Heart felt condolences to her family and friends. 💔

"The result is the worst possible compromise." Bruegel on the latest EU budget proposal. www.bruegel.org/first-glance...

1. The consultation process is ongoing. It's a statutory requirement and it doesn't make sense to consult twice. Sort of what the changes are trying to fix. Duplication and doing the same thing twice or 14 times.

That juxtaposition of "a Europe of nation states, a Europe capable of being a genuine global power" is striking. Does he truly believe these things are positively correlated? How does he think such an EU would function? Or is it just that after so many years I still haven't got used to cakeism?

Another indicator that the EPP works with the (more) far-right 'Patriots for Europe' via the national-conservative ECR: "He said ECR lawmakers sometimes negotiate with the Patriots and then with the EPP, acting as informal mediators because the EPP does not want to deal directly with the Patriots"

The spouse visa process is one of the most tedious, hostile and infuriating processes you will ever go through in your life. I place a curse on whoever dreamt it up.

Von der Leyen embraces a far-reaching idea: She just announced she wants to open the door to Canada becoming the "first associate member of the European Union" (to huge applause).

It's polling day in Portobello Craigmillar! We're out and about knocking doors and making sure the SNP word out - polls are open until 10pm, so be sure to go vote if you live in the ward!

🗳️ Today is polling day in Portobello/Craigmillar! 🗳️ Polling stations are open until 10pm tonight. We need @snp.org voices on our city council to hold the Labour-led administration to account and stand up for local people. @silasmcg.bsky.social is a local champion who will do just that.

Last two nights of the campaign - tomorrow is polling day! Lots of SNP voters ready to go vote for positive change for Edinburgh in Portobello Craigmillar ward!

A busy weekend of campaigning this weekend, and our final one be before the by-election on Thursday. There was lots of sun, there was lots of rain, but we were out in both, speaking to voters to make sure that the SNP win that by-election!

Just over a week left until polling day in the Portobello Craigmillar by-election but plenty of campaigning still to be done! Lots of support for the SNP tonight and great conversations about local issues.

Deeply saddened by the news of Dolly Parton’s death. In Scotland, her Imagination Library inspired a love of reading and provided thousands of free books for children. Her warmth, generosity and her music were truly one of a kind. My thoughts are with her family and friends.

A sunny evening and a warm reception for the SNP on the doorsteps this evening. Plenty of enthusiasm for more SNP representation on Edinburgh City Council!

Nothing like a bit of SNP doorknocking on a sunny Saturday morning! Lots of positive conversations with voters, which went much better than my decision to wear a heavy jacket on a hot day!

A bit of swithering weather tonight, between sunshine and downpours. But no swithering from our SNP canvassers as we chapped on doors around Craigmillar! Lots of positive chats with residents and people fed up with labour's administration!

The dramatic downpour this evening cleared up just in time for us to chap on some doors for the Portobello Craigmillar by-election - lots of folk telling us they plan to vote SNP on 3rd September!

Soggy weather but a warm reception on the doors tonight for the SNP in the Portobello Craigmillar by-election!

Great turnout in Craigmillar today to do a bit of door-knocking for the by-election! Really positive conversations all around from people minded to vote SNP for a better council.

Beautiful sunny evening with lots of great conversations on the doors tonight! Lots of people fed up of this Labour-run council and many planning to make it an SNP in this by-election on 3rd September.

Another day, another door knocking session - this time in Niddrie Mill. Plenty of enthusiasm for the SNP on the doors!

Another evening, another door knocking session for the Portobello Craigmillar by-election! Lots of chat about the things an SNP council could do to help people in Porty with childcare, housing and the prom!

First time out on the doors as official SNP candidate for the Portobello Craigmillar by-election tonight - lots of good chats and support for the SNP around the Magdalene area!

There's a common thread in Anas Sarwar refusing to disagree with Starmer on bad political positions but then calling for his resignation when he looked unhelpful to Sarwar's chances of winning, and in refusing to resign for running a terrible campaign but then resigning so he could join the UK govt.

Andy Burnham has been urged to scrap Labour's 'reckless' migration plans, with the SNP warning they are an imitation of 'Nigel Farage's toxic agenda' 👇 🔗 www.thenational.scot/news/2...

In Scotland-is-a-poorly-governed-hell-hole news:

My statement on the abhorrent anti-Muslim violence in Edinburgh.

Why propaganda and disinformation are essential to far right parties like Reform in a nutshell.

The scenes we saw in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Ayr last night are unacceptable. Scotland is a welcoming nation and those who choose to make their lives here are valued members of our communities. Racism, hatred and intimidation have no place in Scotland. We must stand against it.

Can nobody see the problem with a parliamentary inquiry (whether Holyrood or Westminster or joint) into the internal affairs of one political party?

Also whilst I totally get the opposition parties making some hay out of the Murrell embezzlement case, "there should be a public inquiry held by Holyrood" is just an absolute classic in the "surely THIS time we will Get The Nats" genre. A public inquiry? For £400k? Embezzled from a *party*? Silly!

the capacity of the Labour party - both UK and Scottish variants - to shoot themselves in the foot whenever they have the slightest glimmer of something promising is truly extraordinary. Just underlines that this Labour party, and the Union more broadly, is irredeemable

Serious alarm bells running in German politics. It used to be argued that the AfD has a ceiling around 15-20%. Now, despite having become one of the most radical far-right parties in Europe, it is getting closer to 30%

Full story: The European Union reaches a political agreement to sanction Israeli settlers over their violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The deal was possible after Hungary, now under Péter Magyar, lifted its long-standing veto.

Or, as Donald Tusk argued at the time, the only real alternative to hard Brexit is no Brexit. For me, if (still the biggest of IFs) a UK government removes the red lines of single market and customs union, the natural path is back into the EU.

Deranged reactions from the Greek gov but not entirely surprising considering that 🇬🇷 has been undergoing an autocratisation episode since 2020 according to @vdeminstitute.bsky.social. At the very least, @ec.europa.eu should consider freezing EU funds but unlikely to happen for political reasons

🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈⚖️🇭🇺 A legal earthquake - CJEU finds Hungary to have violated EU law on multiple counts with its anti-LGBT+ legislation (as expected) but also for the first time in history, in an EU law-reshaping precedent, finds Hungary to violate Art 2 TEU in a self-standing manner.

This is the dumbest fight and more evidence of NATO’s brain death. After all, NATO’s done such an amazing job not coordinating defense procurement. Clearly NATO just wants to use the summit to promise arms deals to Trump.

Labour doth protest too much about this evening's revelation of Sarwar sidling up to Offord. It's believable because they have clearly been briefing that they planned to do exactly that.

Wait, what? Scottish Labour were, themselves, briefing that they'd do such a deal around 9 days ago!

A small irony for those who followed Orbáns path that now Manfred Weber is celebrating Orbán's loss as a 'historic day for Europe' - while Weber for a long time played an important role in keeping Orbán/Fidesz in the EPP until 2021.

Orban called. Tisza have won Margin too big for him to attempt to rig the vote Important day for Hungary - and Europe 🇪🇺🇭🇺💪🏾

Incredible numbers: turnout at the Hungarian elections hit almost 38% at 11 in the morning. Something big is happening.

Parents across Scotland have told us they need more support. The working day does not stop at 3pm. A re-elected SNP Government will extend childcare from 9 months old to the end of primary school, 52 weeks a year. Make it #BothVotesSNP on May 7 for a Scottish Government on your side. #SNP26

We are entering the next stage of the strategic breal-up between Europe and the US:

So that's a Green win in Gorton & Denton, with 40.6%. Reform second on 28.7%. Labour third on 25.4%. Not even particularly close.

🇵🇱⚖️President Nawrocki vetoes the law reforming the National Council of Judiciary, dispelling any hopes the Polish government had of reforming the rule of law through new legislation. Major, but expected, defeat for the new MoJ Waldemark Żurek and his plans. 1/

Like Gideon says. Good column on all the pain that’s still forthcoming in the transatlantic relationship.