John Jones

Very kind - today I launch a series of essays - Viewpoint - that I hope will help the quality of debate, discussion and understanding. Please do share if you approve! ginamiller.org.uk/viewpoint/

The case for closer ties with Europe is not nostalgia. It is national renewal, and deserves a serious, honest debate. @GoldmanSachs estimates that rejoining the single market would raise UK output by 2-5%, £61bn - £152bn by 2030. Billions that would transform Britain’s capacity to invest in - better schools, NHS and social care, defence, modernise our infrastructure and the resilience we need in an increasingly dangerous world. BUT any reset requires negotiation and time so we need to start asap! @Telegraph

@andyburnham has finally said what millions of people have known for years: Brexit has done more harm than good. This isn’t about relitigating 2016, it’s about being honest about the damage and deciding, with evidence, how to repair it. The economic case: Brexit didn’t take back control; it took away choices - making trade harder, investment weaker, and families poorer. On the way forward: The Prime Minister is right that all options must now be on the table - a customs union, single-market alignment, a Swiss style model, associated membership as Canada, Australia and New Zealand are pursuing - and leaving the door open to ultimately rejoining; depending on where the EU and the world are in the 2030s. But this must be done carefully, transparently and with the country brought with us, not divided again. On trust: People were promised control, prosperity and lower immigration. They were let down. The decent, honest thing now is not to pretend it worked, but admit the failure, set out the real choices, and let people decide Britain’s future with the facts in front of them. Fixing #Brexit is not a silver bullet. But it is a necessary step towards a Britain that is secure, prosperous, fair and confident in the world. @Independent @politico

🚨 The EU and Canada are about to announce a sweeping new partnership - digital trade, energy, tech and climate. At the EU–UK summit this year, the UK must push for something similar: a deeper, smarter framework that goes beyond the current deal. Why? Because the EU remains our largest trading partner: - 41% of UK exports go to the EU - 49% of UK imports come from the EU - £385bn exported to the EU in 2025; £474bn imported Services trade alone is growing fast, EU services exports to the UK rose 53% since 2021, hitting €230bn in 2025. A new modernised EU - UK pact could: ✅ Cut red tape for professional services and tech firms ✅ Align on digital and data rules to boost AI and fintech ✅ Lock in energy security and green investment ✅ Reduce non-tariff barriers that are choking SMEs. Independent estimates suggest reducing existing frictions could add 10s of billions to GDP over the decade, through higher exports, investment, and productivity. This isn’t about ideology. Its about the truth - that we cannot prosper, protect people and defend our country without growth, jobs, and security. The government should go to that summit with real ambition and courage. Pragmatism now, talk of rejoining in the future EU and Canada to announce sweeping new partnership pact politico.eu/article/eu-and-c… @politico #UKEU #Trade #Economy #Leadership #Brexit @AlPinkerton @andyburnham @JohnHealey_MP

I know its not popular, but facts do matter! 'The UK is the fastest-growing G7 economy' is a snapshot, not a serious economic strategy. The UK recorded the strongest G7 growth in the first half of 2026, but that followed years of weak performance. And growth is not the same as living standards. At the end of 2025, UK GDP per head was still lower than a year earlier, and international forecasts have repeatedly downgraded Britain’s outlook. The real question is not whether Britain occasionally tops a quarterly league table. It is whether we can achieve sustained, productivity-driven growth that improves household incomes, investment and public services. Cutting ourselves off from our nearest and largest trading partner has made that harder, not easier. Closer economic cooperation with Europe would be a practical response to the world as it is, including US tariffs, and remove unnecessary barriers facing British businesses. I judge Brexit by outcomes, not slogans: and the outcome is our economy crying out for stronger, more reliable growth and certainty.

And some people still want to elect these despicable characters!

Made my Monday! #Clactonbyelection

Do you understand how sovereignty works in a representative democracy like ours? You may not like it - and there is much not to like/needs reforming to strengthen it - but whatever the issuse, NO PM can put themselves above the law!!

Horrified to hear about the circumstances of Ann Widdecombe death. We met in many Green Rooms, stridently disagreed on Brexit on a few other issues, but agreed to disagreed, and shared laughs & a sense of humour. No one deserves the brutality she appears to have suffered

Remember this in @Independent last September on #Mandelson failing vetting? "Sources told The Independent that MI6 failed to clear the Labour peer largely because of concerns over his business links to China." Journalist @DavidPBMaddox asked No10 comms about this. Reply = nothing to see here!

Trump's #Davos26 Speech All hail Emperor Trump and his aim to build an American Empire!!