Work in media, supports Nottingham Forest, loves telly, catholic, views my own!
London, Esher
Joined November 2011
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- Following709
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Joe retweeted
Slavery was an evil in which people from every continent and region participated. We should be honest about the whole history, not select the parts that are politically convenient today, especially given Britain's leading role in ending the transatlantic slave trade.
If Caribbean countries are asking Britain for a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, will they also be asking the same of the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade?
On demands for reparations, whether through cash or debt relief, we have been down this track before. Twenty-five years ago, Jubilee 2000, Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History argued that cancelling the debts of poorer countries would give them a fresh start. More than $100 billion of debt was eventually written off, but many of those countries have since built up even bigger debts. Labour are already spending too much on Britain's welfare state, now is not the time for Andy Burnham to be providing global welfare.
There is no reason British taxpayers today should be held financially responsible for things that happened generations before any of us were born. And I have even less patience for political elites in commonwealth countries who don’t know how to make their own citizens prosperous now looking for another opportunity to blame Britain.
As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham should be Britain’s greatest defender. Instead, he is writing articles saying we need to confront our history (as if we haven't done enough of that) and considering another formal historical apology. Tony Blair already expressed Britain’s deep sorrow and regret for our role in the slave trade nearly twenty years ago. There is no need to do so again.
This is all another navel-gazing distraction. The Commonwealth should be looking forward, not endlessly backwards. That means economic partnerships to make us all richer and deeper military and security cooperation against common threats. If every Commonwealth summit becomes an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash then we need to start asking if it is worth the effort.
Joe retweeted
Boris Johnson: Putin's failure in Ukraine is already discouraging Beijing from launching an attack on Taiwan.
When this war ends, we'll see the benefits in Eastern Europe, across the former Soviet Union and in the South China Sea.
Joe retweeted
Disgraceful evasion by @Ed_Miliband
Joe retweeted
Owen Jones has done a 16 tweet thread explaining how a 14 year old Jewish student being called a “Jew bitch” and physically assaulted while another is taunted with gas chamber noises is just criticism of Israel.
Joe retweeted
If a right wing commentator posted a 16-tweet thread trying to dismiss and undermine an official report into any other type of racism, Owen Jones would be the first to call them racist. But when it comes to antisemitism, he is first in line with the 'debunking'. What a hypocrite.
Joe retweeted
Let me get this straight. Work all your life building a business. Sell that business to a rando - charged at 24%. Try to pass it on to your family - charged at 45%. Genuinely insane telegraph.co.uk/politics/202…
Joe retweeted
Apparently Brexit made our trade with the EU 'go to ruin'... 🤔
In reality, the UK sold £181.4bn worth of goods to the EU in 2025.
And the share of UK goods exports going to the EU, at 47.2%, was the same as in 2015.
Source: gov.uk/government/statistics…
Joe retweeted
If Russia caused Brexit, she hasn’t done well from the investment.
Britain was well ahead of most EU countries in supporting Ukraine, before, during and after the invasion.
Some of the most loyal and leading EU members dragged their heels and limited coordinated EU action.
Joe retweeted
Today at the pro-Pal march:
- Nazi salute at Jews
- Damage to the Battle of Britain memorial
- Assault on a police officer
- Support for Palestine Action
- Support for Marwan Barghouti
- Antisemitic placards
- Hamas red triangles
- Calls for destruction of Israel
BAN THEM!
Joe retweeted
It is sickening that the USA is now lifting sanctions on Russian fuel, and transparently ridiculous to blame Ukraine for the spike in prices that obviously began with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Putin is murdering innocent Ukrainian civilians every day. The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. And yet the White House is apparently determined to force American drivers to bankroll Putin’s slaughter. It won’t work and I doubt it will make much difference to the price of fuel.
If we want Russian oil and gas back on the world market then let’s end this war - with a free, sovereign and independent Ukraine.
Joe retweeted
I assume BBC Panorama is making a programme about Burnham and Manchester's relationship with the UAE, as now exposed by Manchester City scandal. If not, then the Panorama editor should consider their position.
Joe retweeted
A Jew tried to join the Cable Street march today and because he’s a Zionist the ‘antiracists’ physically attacked him and dragged him out. I honestly don’t have words for how scary and disturbing antizionism is.
Joe retweeted
Torsten, when you find the fool who:
😱 Voted for 330 pages of employment red tape
😱 Hiked NI costs by £25 billion
😱 Jacked up rates on businesses
do be sure to tell them precisely what you think.
Joe retweeted
I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning. What we can say for sure is that this is the kind of random and senseless attack Ukrainians are enduring every day - even on civilian railways. So far Putin has been responsible for the deaths of 1700 staff of Ukrzaliznytsia - Ukrainian Railways. They and their daily passengers are absolutely heroic.
When are we going to give them the air defences they need? Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine? There is more than €140 billion in a Belgian bank account - and about £10 billion in London. Britain could show a lead.
The Ukrainians are going to win - that much was clear from the last three days in their wonderful country. But we will get this dreadful war over much faster if we all get serious and give them what they need and deserve.
Joe retweeted
I reread this every year.
I cry like a baby every year.
Todd Beamer died a father, husband, and hero.
Todd: Hello… Operator… listen to me. I can’t speak very loud. This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco. Our plane has been hijacked.
Lisa: I understand. Can they see you?
Todd: No. There are three that we know of. They have knives — razor knives, like box cutters. Someone announced from the cockpit there was a bomb. It sounded fake.
Lisa: Your name?Todd: Todd Beamer. United Flight 93.Todd: They killed one passenger in first class. They forced most of us back. Fourteen of us here. Five flight attendants. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor.
Lisa: Are you okay?
Todd: We’re going down… wait. No. We’re leveling off. We changed directions. We’re flying east again.
Todd: A guy named Jeremy called his wife. She told him two planes hit the World Trade Center. Lisa, is that true?
Lisa: I have to tell you the truth. It’s very bad. Both towers are gone. A third plane hit the Pentagon. Our country is under attack. I’m afraid your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh God. Lisa, will you do something for me? Call my wife and my kids. Promise me you’ll call.
Lisa: I promise.
Todd: Our home number is… You have the same name as my wife. Lisa. We’ve been married ten years. She’s pregnant with our third child. Tell her I love her. I’ll always love her. We have two boys — David, he’s 3, and Andrew, he’s 1. Tell them their daddy loves them and he is so proud of them. The baby is due January 12th. I saw an ultrasound. We still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy.
Lisa: I’ll tell them. I promise, Todd.(Lisa patches in the FBI.)
Agent: Todd, your plane is on a course for Washington. Best guess is the White House or the Capitol.
Todd: I understand. I’ll be back.
Todd: Everyone knows this isn’t a normal hijacking. We have decided we will not be pawns in their plot.
Lisa: What are you going to do?
Todd: Four of us are going to rush the one with the bomb. Then the cockpit. A stewardess is getting boiling water. We’ll take them out.
Todd: Would you pray with me?They pray the Lord’s Prayer. Then: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Todd: God help me. Jesus help me.Are you guys ready? Let’s Roll.
Joe retweeted
Kelsey Grammer on reparations: I don’t have to apologize for my grandparents.
“My grandparents were extraordinary people. They survived the Depression. They fought World War II. My grandfather was away from home for 28 months in the South Pacific. This is not a man who has to apologize for who he is.”
“Do the people who have ancestors who were killed in the Civil War owe reparations?
Do the Italians who came after the Civil War owe money?
Do the Irish who came through Ellis Island owe money?
I think it’s just a dodge.”
@KelseyGrammer
@piersmorgan