iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Cassandra 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🌐 @troybairn.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

By definition, English exceptionalists think that England is exceptional. They are wrong. England is just another medium-sized country coming to terms with the harsh reality of post-colonial decline. Once you stop thieving resources from the colonies, you have to start actually earning a living.

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Tomasz Oryński @orynski.eu · 02/12/2025

#PolishMeme "It's better to adopt two kittens than one, because kittens like to play and humans cannot jump onto the wardrobes fast enough". As an adopter of two beatiful cats I can confirm this is true.

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Erik Angner @erikangner.com · 27/11/2025

"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se

Infographic with AI slop published in Nature Scientific Reports

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 Very interesting Washington Post article on Gib's new treaty status. Comments on the article to follow, but first, what should campaigners in the UK take from this? A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

So, paper I missed a week ago from @davidheniguk.bsky.social on UKG's accepting and embracing the Brussels Effect. Firstly, he's right about UKG accepting the situation, as it's costly and wasteful, and best to get some political value out of it. 1

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

To be clear, at various stages the UK threatened not to honour its commitments to European citizens, to Ireland, and to the European budget. So Europe pointed out the consequences would be Britons' having to get visas to go to Quinta do Lago or Majorca. The UK relented. 1

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Brain Burning 🔥🧠🔥 @brainburnnow.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

OOO: On vacation next 2w. Family get-together in a rented house by a lake, so will be eating plenty of lightly charred meats and grilled veggies in the company of several children and small animals: 🧒🍖🐶🌽👶🍗😽🥔🧒🍔🐕🍼🚼🥦🐈🥩👶🦜 Friendly chaos, basically. 😂😍🥳 I'll need a vacation after, to recover. 😬

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Sarah Calvert 🇬🇧🇮🇹🇪🇺 @sarahcalvert.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

The third account set up pretending to be my husband. Misogynistic, creepy, stalker behaviour. @bremaininspain.com I would appreciate it if you could screenshot this post and share it as some of your followers who have blocked me have liked and shared other fake accounts set up by this weirdo.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

So I've been engaging a lot with exceptionalists in the last few days on the LDs and others attempts to blame Europe for Britons being subject to 90/180 controls at our borders as third-country citizens The responses are around "consenting" to the changes It's all very "Freemen of the Land" 1

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eurovanman.bsky.social @eurovanman.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

I can’t understand why this hasn’t had any traction in the media - it’s a BIG thing . Anyone and everyone travelling by road needs this in 4 weeks on paid work . Any they’ll also need an EU EORI .. And guess what Hardly anyone here is prepared Read it . It’s a headfuck Brexit eh ..

taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu

Import Control System 2

Advance cargo information system designed to improve security in the international transportation of goods and supply chain operations.

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George Peretz KC @georgeperetzkc.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Worth reposting, as the myth that there is such a rule is quite prevalent.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Note to exceptionalists: When we say it’s better with you in the room, that is not an invitation for you to exploit us. When we say we want closer ties, that is not a sign to expect exceptions. When we say it'd be better if you came back, that’s not at the expense of what we have already. 1

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Jonty Bloom qualifies these moves by UKG as "common sense". I agree. This is the UK acting as a more normal third country, swimming with the tide of the Brussels effect, rather than, out of Brexit pique, trying to oppose everything with "euro" in the name. 1 www.thenewworld.co.uk/jonty-bloom-...

thenewworld.co.uk

We are becoming more European

A new report shows that Britain is aligning itself with more European rules and standards – but there are two exceptions

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

We should thank @stevepeers.bsky.social for this post. For four reasons. Firstly, a UK gov official said to me a few months ago that Ireland's position was not rational on this specific issue. Quite clearly it was rational and, more pertinently, it remains rational 1

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Brain Burning 🔥🧠🔥 @brainburnnow.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

So... It seem the USA has decided to start charging visitors a "Visa Integrity Fee" of at least $250 dollars, as part of the Big Beautiful Bill. Details still sketchy - duh, Trump - but includes tourists, students, etc. Just in time for sportsball 2026, hurrah! www.nbcnewyork.com/news/busines...

nbcnewyork.com

Travelers to the US must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — What to know

The fee will be at least $250, is on top of other visa fees, and may be reimbursable.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Would James Bond have voted for Brexit? I'm in two minds. Firstly, biography, he's Scottish and mixed parentage. But his mother (Monique Delacroix) was 🇨🇭, a traditional anti-🇪🇺 state. A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

I am somebody who watches a lot of popcorn films 🍿 Last night I watched Land of Bad, which is a dreadful title for a film, but is actually not a bad action thriller. It concerns a rescue operation performed by US special forces with a USAF guy in tow But something was off in the movie. A 🧵

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Michael @vivamjm.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

For UK to "take back control" it meant UK having to build vast new border facilities (ICDs away from Dover & Holyhead as no port space for main driver accompanied RoRo aerial routes) & find, adequately train & mentor additional "50,000" customs agents, 5000 customs officers & 2000 vets/PH inspectors

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

These astute points from @seanconnorswrites.bsky.social neatly demonstrate why Europe is not going to relent on commitment to the euro for applicant states And it comes down ti that much abused phrase "single market" A 🧵 (Apologies @brainburnnow.bsky.social + @andrewbrook.bsky.social forimages)

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Is this the kernel of the problem? Is it the unwillingness to acknowledge that Europe is a legitimate world actor. At this point, it's a hang-up And is that reflex rejection what is actually stopping the UK moving towards Europe? The history is interesting. A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Early on in his thoughtful essay on the ECHR, @rolandmcs.bsky.social states that that court can "overturn, constrain, or neuter parliament’s will" Put a 📌in that. We're going to come back to it. Initially, consider this debate from a non-British perspective A 🧵 rolandmcs.substack.c...

rolandmcs.substack.com

Breaking Convention

Where did hostility to the ECHR come from? Could it be valid?

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Euro-Esp-UK deal over Gibraltar. First thing to say, this is not a bad deal for the parties, in the main. The second thing to note is this could have been done years ago with more realism in Gib and less pricking around in London. 1 www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

UK agrees post-Brexit deal over Gibraltar

Talks on rules governing the border of Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since Britain left the EU.

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Johan Olofsson @jmolofsson.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Ping to you lot whom I most often interact with here! Today I am ashamed and fearful. It's a bit pathetic, but Niemöller's poem rings extra true today. In principle, I am an ally of the trannies. But I am no tranny, so I never spoke up. Quite the opposite. I kept my head down.

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Johan Olofsson @jmolofsson.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

This is devastating. And heartbreaking. Jonathan Joss Born December 22, 1965, San Antonio, TX Dead (assassinated) June 1, 2025, San Antonio, TX Joss had married his husband Tristan on Valentine's Day in 2025. R.I.P.

Picture of Jonathan Joss, taken in 2017. He looks good. His Comanche and White Mountain Apache ancestry is clear to see.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Long pièce by @anandmenon.bsky.socialin thé FT, which is well worth your time. Firstly this: Brexit has failed to deliver (that doesn't mean it's dead) ; and the European relative position is much improved. (who would have though Europe would respond so brilliantly to this crisis?) A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

@chrisgrey.bsky.social's summary of the Brexit reset talks success on the UK side. You can quibble about the degree (I would say more at the lower end of the scale, given UKG's own stated goals) but the general point is well made - a lot done, a lot more to do. A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Good point from @jmolofsson.bsky.social (worth a follow, incidentally). WM pols are programmed to look for deals that treat them differently to others. And now they are scrabbling every which way to find another equilibrium. They'll try everything before they do the right thing (≈ Efta)

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Euro-UK summit today, which is bringing hope to a lot of people. However, sometimes you have to wonder if everyone who seems on the European side is acting in the best interests of join. Take this site that has been promoted over the weekend linked to the reset. A 🧵

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Johan Olofsson @jmolofsson.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

This comment, in the Japan Times, is clear-sighted. Quote: For decades, many nations […] have been conditioned to view the U.S. as an anchor of predictability. Adjusting to a world where Washington is the source of volatility, rather than a remedy to it. requires more than policy shifts…

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Have to say, this is a poor take from @davidheniguk.bsky.social. Frankly, if you're bleating about unfairness of a deal that you've asked for and voluntarily entered into, then you need to accept it's down to your own side's negotiators Firstly, officials are duty bound to get the best deal A 🧵

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Brain Burning 🔥🧠🔥 @brainburnnow.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

The Czech are master trolls! I bow before their magnificence!

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GylesNaMopaleen @gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Massive moment for Labour coming up this week as the IMF pop in to "have a chat" about how they are handling the economy. It really is at breaking point. quick 🧵

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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

A core feature of the Trump regime is its embrace of "authoritarian democracy", as a battering ram with which to demolish any obstacle to its power. The very notion of "authoritarian democracy" can sound contradictory. But it's an old & dangerous idea, that needs to be better understood. [THREAD]

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

This is looking like the worst week for remainers/joiners since Boris Johnson's landslide. And it wasn't because of the new Pope's elevation. The obstacles to joining the Brussels system are mounting; even the medium term now looks unlikely A 🧵 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐱

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WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Wasn’t expecting that….love it 🔥….the kids are alright!

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Alisdair Calder McGregor @acmcgregor.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

OK so this has crossed my feed so I want to talk about it. And I feel I can because - as a former member of the LibDems Federal Policy Cmte, and a *current* member of the party's Federal International Relations Cmte (we have a lot of Committees) - it's kinda my role in the party to be on top of this

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Will it upset Europe? The issues with CH were around direct effect, single treaty, and governance. Much as Europe has addressed these with CH, it will avoid them with the UK. Given that we've restructured the relationship so that, while not perfect, is essentially an SM structure now. A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Titanic paper from @andrewduffeu.bsky.social, which I missed at the time While there may be some stuff to quibble about, and some of this will be hard reading for Europeans, as well as for some in the UK, as a whole this is what needs to be said. This should be the focus for join. A reaction 🧵

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Michael @vivamjm.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

It is incomprensible to me that there is still so much confusion and conflation between the/a customs union and the/a single market (of rules & regs under mutually legally recognised oversight). How to put it simply? @nick1webb.bsky.social (another transposed 2022 Twitter thread here)

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Brain Burning 🔥🧠🔥 @brainburnnow.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

But we've known this since at least 2014, when the US under Obama, and the UK under Cameron, bailed on the solemn security guarantees given to Ukraine to convince them to give up the nukes. Much as I despise Trump, no UK or US leader since 2014 have exactly covered themselves in glory over Ukraine.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

The latest @chrisgrey.bsky.social piece is about the reaction Trump, in particular the @bestforbritain.bsky.social paper on Europe recognising UK standards as "equivalent". Advise strongly to read it, as it's quite subtle. Quick🧵reaction chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/how-...

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

One of the reasons that the US advanced so spectacularly in terms of technology and innovation in the 20th century was the flight of intellectuals - often Jewish - from Europe. I know one university which is actively looking to recruit in the US as a result. 1

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Heavily promoted report from @bestforbritain.bsky.social Worth reminding ourselves, before looking at the report, what Europe's redlines are: - Unity of the 27 - Demonstrating the advantages of membership - Retaining decision-making freedom A 🧵

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Shannon Monaghan @shannonmonaghan.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Crucial, clear, and compelling video from @anderspucknielsen.dk on challenges to NATO deterrence, the potential testing of Article 5, and the failures of the Biden administration's Ukraine policy. Well worth 12 minutes of everyone's time. Thank you, Anders. www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7_r...

youtube.com

Donald Trump and the risk of a NATO-Russia war

YouTube video by Anders Puck Nielsen

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Seeing as everyone is writing Brexit anniversary pieces, I thought I'd give it a go. Brexit for 🇪🇺 didn't begin in. 2020 or even 2016. Brexit began during the financial crisis, with UK blackmail. A 🧵

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Johan Olofsson @jmolofsson.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

There are some shortcomings hurting Britons but, strictly speaking, not so many else: 1. Lack of a constitutional court 2. Lack of a codified and readableconstitution, that cannot be changed on a whim 3. Lacking powers and responsibilities for local government 4. The voting system The result:

youtu.be

Is Keir Starmer a worse Prime Minister than Liz Truss?

YouTube video by Richard J Murphy

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Looks like it's back to school for Shanker Singham in @ukandeu.bsky.social. Let's start with HISTORY The context is: failure of global trade liberalisation, a rising and mercantilist China, a protectionist and capricious US, and a collapsing WTO, leading to retrenchment of regional groupings. 1

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

With regards to UKG's attempts to divide European MSs, it is important to get the order events right. After Brexit the Council agreed to continue to deal with the UK on the most substantial matters pertaining to common interests as one. A 🧵

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

This captures the prevailing mood in Europe. It is not at all "give third-country nationals more rights". It is the opposite. It is let's limit them (I know of one Council MS that wants to reduce 90/180). I'd say to the exceptionalists to take it on the chin and learn, but they never learn. 1

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

In the latest @chrisgrey.bsky.social this gem is pointed out by the author with regard to Tim Shipman's new book. (Busman's holiday for you Chris, this Christmas?) This problem afflicts not just Mr Shipman's account, but also the wider Brexit and #JoinEU movements. A 🧵

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