As Guido has long predicted, the BBC’s declining audience share meant that YouTube overtook the state broadcaster as the most-watched outlet by Brits earlier this year. YouTube is bigger than the BBC…
Now regulators are running to catch up. New ‘prominence’ rules being considered by Starmer after his ill-advised reset with the EU, the BBC could be given special treatment as an organisation hand-picked by ministers. Attempts are being made to ask social media platforms to change their display algorithms to give more ‘prominence’ to this content. In other words, some want to try to force YouTube and other video sites to give ‘prominence’ to the BBC over every other creator…
That’s ironic as the video sites themselves are massive net givers to the creative economy: YouTube alone contributed 7 billion Euros to the EU’s otherwise faltering media market in 2024. In the UK, that platform alone has added more than £2 billion to GBP…
State regulation of poplar platforms never works. Starmer’s internet crackdown is reaching insane new levels…
The European Council has approved Labour’s rejoining the EU’s Erasmus scheme for 2027 this morning. Higher taxes to pay billions to the bloc…
That means two new negotiations are starting. One on placing the UK inside the EU’s internal electricity market – which will likely entail massive rule-taking and bill rises – and one on a new payment mechanism for sending cash to the EU:
“The agreement would establish a permanent mechanism for an appropriate financial contribution of the UK towards reducing economic, social and territorial disparities between the regions of the EU, applicable to the electricity agreement and any further agreement affording the UK access to the Union’s internal market. The financial contribution of the UK should appropriately reflect the relative size of the UK’s economy and the proportion of the internal market in which the UK aims to participate in line with consistent EU policy.
It is important for the EU that both agreements should follow parallel paths and enter into force and apply simultaneously.”
Labour working hard to reduce friction and barriers on taxpayer cash it has earmarked for lining EU pockets…
UPDATE: Mike Wood MP, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, said:
“This deal goes far beyond rejoining schemes like Erasmus.
The UK is now being subjected to pay into funding EU infrastructure, regeneration and cross-border projects across Europe that bring no direct benefit to the British public.
“Keir Starmer appears ready to sign up to substantial payments to Brussels without securing meaningful returns – raising serious questions about value for money for hardworking British taxpayers.“
Zack Polanski has claimed that the EU should take up the role of global military policeman. He previously said the UK should team up with Mexico and Brazil as NATO alternative…
Matt Forde asked on his podcast with Polanski whose role it should be to police the globe seeing as “Britain has failed in its role as a nuclear power… and we just sort of sit here and go, ‘oh well, it’s not our role to police it’… if it’s not our role, whose role is it?”
Polanski replied: “The EU. So I think if you were gonna-” Forde chimed in: “Or NATO?”
The Green leader attacked NATO:
“Well, I think there is a role there for NATO, or we’re gonna get into this conversation, I’m sure, but Donald Trump has so much power in NATO that I think that it becomes impossible to make a sensible, coherent decision that isn’t about United States militeralism [sic] or them making more money from their military-industrial complex.
In fact, 86% of our arms imports in this country come from the United States. I think that’s a dangerous issue of resilience, and whether that’s as manufacturing our own weapons or using procurement across Europe, I think it’s time to rebuild those ties with our closest European neighbours.”
Guido sympathises with co-conspirators who struggle to keep abreast of Polanski’s military-industrial-geopolitical stances. Nice to see him backing massively expanded local defence manufacturing…
The European Commission has tasked the bloc’s anti-fraud agency – Olaf – to investigate Peter Mandelson’s activities while British commissioner for trade from 2004-2008. It just keeps getting worse…
The Commission told the FT: “Given the circumstances, and the significant amount of documents made available publicly, the European Commission . . . asked OLAF on 18 February to look into the matter… As new documents were published recently, we are looking into these and assessing whether there is any breach of the respective obligations.” That’s another win for Nigel Farage who wrote to Olaf this month asking for a probe into Mandelson…
Guido has had a look at the treaty compiled by Labour, the left-wing Gibraltarian chief minister Fabian Picardo, and the EU. Here are the worst developments summarised:
Spanish border guards stationed inside Gibraltar: Spanish authorities will perform full Schengen border control functions at border crossing points set up at the airport and port.
Spain can refuse entry to travellers: Spanish authorities are granted the right to refuse entry to third-country nationals (including non-EU citizens such as Britons from the UK mainland) who do not meet Schengen entry conditions.
Spain conducts border surveillance within Gibraltar: Spanish authorities will carry out border surveillance between border crossing points inside Gibraltar, including outside fixed opening hours, to prevent people circumventing checks.
Spain gets arrest, detention, search and seizure powers inside Gibraltar: Spanish authorities may arrest, search, detain, interview, and seize or search property of persons during the course of border control carried out at Gibraltar’s crossing points, under Spanish and EU law.
Spain gets primacy in coercive action: Where coercive action (arrest/detention/seizure) is required based on alerts in both UK-Gibraltar and Spanish databases and can only be carried out by one authority, it defaults to the Spanish authorities.Sequencing also gives Spain the final check on exit…
Spain can block new residence permits: Before issuing or renewing any residence permit, Gibraltar must notify Spain. Spain has 28 days (extendable to 42) to object on grounds of public policy, security, health, or international relations. If Spain objects, Gibraltar must not issue or renew the permit…
Spain can force withdrawal of existing residence permits: Spain can request that Gibraltar withdraw an already-issued residence permit on the same grounds, and Gibraltar must comply “without delay.”
Spain can retroactively review pre-treaty permits: Spain can run database checks on all existing permit holders at the time of entry into force and request withdrawal of any it deems a threat, which Gibraltar must carry out.
Spain can ban individual Gibraltar residents from leaving Gibraltar: If Spain considers a person resident in Gibraltar to be a sufficiently serious threat, Spain can issue a prohibition preventing that individual from travelling to any Schengen country. Gibraltar must enforce the ban, including through police cooperation with Spain. Appeals go to a Spanish court…
Gibraltar must provide quarterly risk assessments to Spain: Gibraltar is required to regularly (at minimum every three months) provide Spain with risk assessments on all persons resident in Gibraltar who might pose a threat.
Spain issues short-stay visas for Gibraltar visitors: Where a third-country national’s main purpose is to stay in Gibraltar, the short-stay visa is issued by Spain, not Gibraltar.
Spain can block emergency border visas: If Gibraltar wishes to issue a rare humanitarian visa at the border, Spain can object and Gibraltar must then refrain from issuing it.
Spain can object to Gibraltar granting asylum: When someone applies for international protection in Gibraltar, Spain may within 14 days (extendable to 28) object.
Advance Passenger Information transferred to Spain: Gibraltar must ensure all carriers transfer API data for flights arriving from outside the Schengen area to Spanish authorities. The same applies to Passenger Name Records, residence permit applicant data, and all permits and visas…
EU has real-time access to Gibraltar’s customs IT systems: EU authorities are given “real time and continuous access” to all relevant IT systems used by Gibraltar’s customs authorities.
EU can unilaterally levy VAT and excise on goods bound for Gibraltar: If the EU determines that tax-rate differentials are causing trade distortions, it can — after a 10-day consultation window — unilaterally levy VAT and excise duties on goods heading to Gibraltar at the rate applicable in the relevant Spanish customs post.
EU safeguard mechanism over customs compliance: The EU can suspend customs provisions or impose punitive measures (increased collection costs, levy VAT/excise) unilaterally if it finds insufficient application of the rules, fraud, or smuggling — with only a 3-month consultation period before acting.
A Spanish body assesses Gibraltar’s tax rates: A joint UK-Spain body can assess whether Gibraltar’s transaction tax and excise duty rates cause competitive distortions relative to Spanish rates, and Gibraltar must adjust its rates based on this body’s recommendations.
EU inspection teams can enter and inspect Gibraltar infrastructure: Gibraltar must admit EU and Member State representatives and experts to visit and inspect infrastructure inside Gibraltar as part of Schengen evaluation mechanisms. EU authorities can also request joint inspection visits to Gibraltar airport to monitor compliance, and the other party “cannot refuse” such requests…
Gibraltar must align entry conditions with EU law: Gibraltar “undertakes to align entry conditions under the law of the United Kingdom, in respect of Gibraltar, to those applicable under Union law.”
Gibraltar must apply EU product rules: Goods may only be produced or placed on the market in Gibraltar if they comply with the relevant rules of EU law.
Gibraltar must align with EU data protection law (GDPR): Gibraltar’s data protection regime must apply provisions equivalent to the GDPR, interpreted in conformity with CJEU case law and European Data Protection Board guidance.
Gibraltar must implement EU civil aviation rules: Gibraltar must incorporate listed EU civil aviation regulations into its domestic regime, and when new EU aviation acts are adopted, Gibraltar has only 30 days to accept or refuse them.
Enhanced police checks in Gibraltar: Spanish and Gibraltar authorities shall perform enhanced police checks within Gibraltar (and the Spanish contiguous zone) to prevent crime and irregular migration, which may take the form of joint operations.
All that in exchange for easier access to the EU. Guido is aware this is a long list – it is a Labour sellout after all…
While Bad Al was visiting Ukraine when he was handed “an official EU folder for my work to get the UK back in” from EU ambassador Katarina Mathernova. What on earth are those trainers…
Starmer loyalist and Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Starmer should not be replaced:
“We saw what the Tories did. They were in power for 14 years, and after 2016, I think we had nine education secretaries, seven chancellors, and five Prime Ministers. Doomscrolling through Prime Ministers doesn’t resolve the problem.”
