Of all the names to mix up…
Anybody within of the Palaces of Westminster today would notice a distinct buzz in the air, as MPs and staffers alike have been queuing up to receive freebies from an event organised by Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez International. Guido would advise ethical parliamentary co-conspirators to avoid rushing to the terrace for their fill free chocolate bars. The golden tickets aren’t what they seem…
Mondelez international is far from an ethical supplier, here are just some of their problematic issues:
No wonder they’re trying to sweeten British MPs…
Amid all the hubbub, a Guido investigative journalist ventured down to the terrace this afternoon. After Guido had a single slice of chocolate cake, a Mondelez executive escorted him out…
An interview with Boris from an upcoming documentary released by the BBC this morning reveals Putin threatened to kill him over the UK’s support for Ukraine. During a chat between the two of them “on the blower”, the Russian leader warned Boris “I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile it would only take a minute”. Boris calls the chat “jolly”…
Ipsos MORI have been making a list, and no doubt checking it twice, of who the British public ranks as naughty and nice. With the exception of President Zelenskyy, voters put politicians firmly on the naughty list. The five public figures set to be most disappointed by Santa this year were:
Piers Morgan also joined this esteemed collective, alongside Kanye West, Rishi Sunak, Elon Musk, Suella Braverman and Nicola Sturgeon. At least Piers should be used to low ratings by now.
And topping the nice list:
One notable absence from either contingent is Keir Starmer, for whom only 20% of people put on either list, with slightly more calling him naughty. It seems Sir Keir didn’t leave much of an impression…
It turns out that left-wingers the world over, not least in Britain, may have rushed too quickly to delight in yesterday’s news that hard-right Brazillian president Bolsonaro had been defeated by the hard-left, former convict Lula.
Jeremy Corbyn said his victory is “I hope, a comeback for humanity”; McDonnell agreed with him, calling the election result the “progressive movement’s breakthrough”. Dawn Butler said it was the “winning politics of hope over division”. Zarah Sultana is currently partying in Brazil…
It turns out the new president may not be so welcomed so warmly by the people of Ukraine. While Zelenskyy diplomatically congratulated the new president, Lula has hardly indicated he plans on being an ally to the country in its heroic fight against Russia.
Zelenskyy is, according to Lula, “as responsible as Putin for the war”, calling him “a bit weird” and accusing him of waging war to “show up on TV”. He also claims in his interview with Time Magazine that people are “stimulating hate against Putin”…
“Can you really say that to Zelensky? He didn’t want a war it came to him.
“He did want war. If he didn’t want war, he would have negotiated a little more. That’s it. I criticized Putin when I was in Mexico City [in March], saying that it was a mistake to invade. But I don’t think anyone is trying to help create peace.
People are stimulating hate against Putin. That won’t solve things! We need to reach an agreement. But people are encouraging [the war]. You are encouraging this guy [Zelensky] and then he thinks he is the cherry on your cake. We should be having a serious conversation: “OK, you were a nice comedian. But let us not make war for you to show up on TV.” And we should say to Putin: “You have a lot of weapons, but you don’t need to use them on Ukraine. Let’s talk!”
He went on to argue that the west and Ukraine themselves are responsible for the war:
“it’s not just Putin who is guilty. The US and the EU are also guilty. What was the reason for the Ukraine invasion? NATO? Then the US and Europe should have said: “Ukraine won’t join NATO.” That would have solved the problem.
Lula is apparently a victory for democracy – just not if you’re Ukrainian…
The European Commission on Wednesday allowed for the transfer of Russian coal to ease “energy insecurity around the world”. A positive development for the Kremlin’s coffers, this softened the prior sanctions package, which had prohibited EU actors from transferring or providing services for Russian supplies. This comes at a time when the EU is supposed to be phasing out coal use in pursuit of net zero targets. The decision was pushed through despite reported opposition from member states, including Poland and the Baltics. It also comes as Russia gears up for an escalation. They certainly picked their moment…
What makes this policy shift the more bemusing is the gulf between supranational word and deed. The move follows von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, where she promised an “unshakeable” solidarity with Ukraine, whilst committing to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Barely a week has passed and already two of her priorities have been dealt a self-inflicted hammer blow.
