With the UK-EU summit coming up on 19 May negotiations are underway for a closer defence pact with the EU. It is Labour who is pushing for a more “ambitious” arrangement…
Striking in a draft version of the deal is a requirement for UK troops to take part in “civilian missions and military operations and missions, upon the invitation of the EU.” Signing up to the EU army…
With ten days to go there is no mention of the EU’s €150 billion ‘Safe’ defence fund or a path for the UK to join it – a key goal for Labour. Signing up for this deal is meant to be the main prerequisite for accessing the fund…
Brussels has shoved in the UK’s involvement in projects on “artificial intelligence, fake news, and terror” but has avoided any reference to helping tackle people smugglers or illegal immigration in general. Starmer will also have to extend EU fishing access for three years to sign up to the deal. What is the UK getting out of it, exactly?
Speaking on Times Radio, former Home Secretary David Blunkett spoke about overdiagnosis of mental problems:
“Let’s distinguish those who are really severely mentally ill, diagnosed with things that require prolonged medical and diagnostic treatment. My wife and I talk about this a lot, because she’s a retired GP, about the fact that you can be sad without being ill. You can be momentarily depressed because your boyfriend or girlfriend’s just thrown you and you’re not mentally ill. You can even have mild issues, which can be dealt with with the right kind of support, but it doesn’t make you mentally ill. So we’ve got a real task, I think, to get the psychology, if you like, of this over. But there are things where you definitely need medical intervention, and there are other things where you need good friends, you need good connectivity, and you need a job.”