Looks like Palantir may have fallen into the Streisand trap;

in seeking their right to reply (under Swiss media law) via the courts, they have drawn a lot more attention to two articles (based on Freedom of Information requests) that reveal why the Swiss state refused to do a deal with Palantir for some military software; they were worried data would be obtained by the US Govt.

Now a story, originally limited to the Swiss is gaining traction across Europe; oops.

#Palantir #politics
h/t FT

Looks like Palantir may have fallen into the Streisand trap;

in seeking their right to reply (under Swiss media law) via the courts, they have drawn a lot more attention to two articles (based on Freedom of Information requests) that reveal why the Swiss state refused to do a deal with Palantir for some military software; they were worried data would be obtained by the US Govt.

Now a story, originally limited to the Swiss is gaining traction across Europe; oops.

#Palantir #politics
h/t FT

As with all by-elections the turnout will likely be low in Gorton & Denton, so the issue will be how many past Labour voters while not voting for anyone else will (as the saying goes) 'sit on their hands'.

The political circus has come to town & many voters (at least as reported across the media this weekend) are fed up with being a destination for carpet baggers who will move on leaving the constituency in the same plight they found it.

Political disaffection many the real winner?

#politics

RE: https://mamot.fr/@Martin_Pigeon/116113491654948651

Having said I'd seen no obituaries of Susan George, @Martin_Pigeon has provided links to two....

#RIPSusanGeorge #politics

The imminent announcement of the Govt's proposed reforms to Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) support system has, been (like other policies) prefigured by briefings & leaks on its policy content.

Certainly SEND proposals need clear & informed public discussion, but this process of selected leaks to the media, as always, just looks point scoring not the desire to have a reasoned conversation!

Discussion should only start when the *whole* policy package is public!

#SEND #politics

There's been little acknowledgement but Susan George (political scientist as Wikipedia have it, or political economist, as I would prefer) passed on 14th February. I've seen no obituaries, but here is her Wikipedia entry which included the long list of her excellent & insightful books... many of which were always on my reading lists

I'm sure the lack of obits has nothing to do with her being a women or a critique of global capitalism. /s

#politics

h/t @AnnPettifor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_George_(political_scientist)

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the bookies' odds, tactical voting advice (now going online) for the Gorton & Denton by-election is focussing on voting Green (Hannah Spencer) as the best route to block a win by ReformUK Ltd.

This is exactly what Labour fears; as the Green Parties (of England & Wales, and Scottish) become the best route for tactical voters, their support will start to consolidate more widely sapping Labour's remaining support.

#GortonAndDenton #politics
https://stopreformuk.vote/parl/gorton-and-denton

Our top story, from Steven Monacelli: Wearing black, owning zines, using the encrypted messaging app Signal. The broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance as the government builds its "antifa conspiracy." https://www.texasobserver.org/antifa-scare-prairieland-19-trial-ice-detention/

#politics #USpol #news #FreeSpeech #Texas #NorthTexas #ICE #law #antifa

Our top story, from Steven Monacelli: Wearing black, owning zines, using the encrypted messaging app Signal. The broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance as the government builds its "antifa conspiracy." https://www.texasobserver.org/antifa-scare-prairieland-19-trial-ice-detention/

#politics #USpol #news #FreeSpeech #Texas #NorthTexas #ICE #law #antifa

Camilla Cavendish (FT & Tory peer I should add) does sum up Keir Starmer's problem with Minsters' private actions well:

'this is a government whose hallmark is legislating for complexity. Ministers shouldn’t ask that we judge them by lower standards than they apply to everyone else....

A hallmark of Starmer’s administration has been its pious tone, which makes the hypocrisy doubly unpalatable.... at least Boris Johnson never pretended to be “good”.'

Which is fair comment, I think

#politics

@adamtooze argues in the FT today, given the shifting of the global political tectonic plates (my term not his), Europe needs to move from national re-arming to the development of a proper European military force (funded by joint debt issuance on its behalf).

In the wake of US' growing unreliability, Europeans can only rely on themselves for security.

A European Military Keynesianism may look like a major project but its logic becoming inescapable.

#politics #Europe #military #security

Simon Tisdall sets out the betrayal of Ukraine by the US, starting (rightly) with the failure to uphold the so-called 'security guarantees' offered by President Clinton to ensure that Ukraine gave up it nuclear weapons on independence...

How different the situation would have looked if those guarantees had actually been fulfilled (or of course, Ukraine had kept the nukes stationed on its soil).

Who now would believe anything the US 'guaranteed'?

#Ukraine #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/21/ukraine-us-betrayal-donald-trump-vladimir-putin

The hostility of the Labour party to migrants steps up with Shabana Mahmood's proposal to double the time to gain settled status would double (to 20 years) if migrants have been in receipt of public funds... this is pretty grim stuff, but even more un-just would be the inclusion of in-work benefits which are in effect not to benefits for migrants but (as I have pointed out often) a subsidy to low-wage employers' profits.

This move is a disgrace!

#politics #migrants

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/20/uk-migrant-families-vital-in-work-benefits-hardship-avoid-punishment

The hostility of the Labour party to migrants steps up with Shabana Mahmood's proposal to double the time to gain settled status would double (to 20 years) if migrants have been in receipt of public funds... this is pretty grim stuff, but even more un-just would be the inclusion of in-work benefits which are in effect not to benefits for migrants but (as I have pointed out often) a subsidy to low-wage employers' profits.

This move is a disgrace!

#politics #migrants

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/20/uk-migrant-families-vital-in-work-benefits-hardship-avoid-punishment

On one level we might see it as good news for gender equality that Antonia Romeo has been appointed as the first female cabinet secretary... on another this is 2026, the post has existed for 110 years, and we can be sure its not merely a figment of the distribution of the appropriate skills that its taken that long to appoint a women to the post.

It *is* more evidence that we are slowly moving away from politics as boys club, but the key word here is 'slowly'!

#politics #feminism
h/t FT

Some might find it ironic that Yvette Cooper (as Foreign Secretary) is arguing that a couple who were on a motorbike tour of Iran & have been jailed for spying (for ten years) is'completely appalling and totally unjustifiable'.... when as Home Secretary she proscribed Palestine Action (a decision now in some doubt after judicial review) which involved the prosecution of peaceful protestors under the Terrorism Act.

#politics
h/t FT

Partly in response to high(e) 'valuations' of AI-related shares in the US bute also reflecting the growing global pivot away from the US, in early 2026 there's been a record flow of investment into European stock markets raising share prices & (to some extent) providing funds for European corporations from outside the continent.

Whether this is a longer-term shift in investor perceptions, or just a periodic 'rotation' of investment priorities remains to be seen.

#investment #politics
h/t FT

Giving with one hand; taking away with the other:

while disabled benefits recipients will have been happy with an extra £400 for those who rely on care at home, for the 16th year running capital limits in care payments (related to recipients' savings) have not been increased.

This sort of fiscal drag is more widely perceived as a stealth tax rise, but here is a stealth disability benefits reduction & an incentive not to save for care!

#disability #benefits #politics
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/government-announces-400-care-charges-cash-boost-while-quietly-snatching-funds-from-savings/

Some might find it ironic that Yvette Cooper (as Foreign Secretary) is arguing that a couple who were on a motorbike tour of Iran & have been jailed for spying (for ten years) is'completely appalling and totally unjustifiable'.... when as Home Secretary she proscribed Palestine Action (a decision now in some doubt after judicial review) which involved the prosecution of peaceful protestors under the Terrorism Act.

#politics
h/t FT

The key Q.for today is this:

Now the Royal once known as Prince Andrew has been arrested, and he no longer (and very clearly will not) benefit from the protection of the monarch (his brother unlike his mother seems happy to let the due process of law continue), how widely will the police cast their net?

While being investigated for misconduct in public office what else might a curious investigatory team find?

He may be about to find out quite how friendless he has become!

#Andrew #politics