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Stephen Swan

@stephenswan.bsky.social
5.3K followers 6.9K following 7.1K posts

Lawyer (non practising). Constitutional law, criminal law, EU & international law. Legal history, Astronomy & astrophysics, planetary geology, climate science & biodiversity, classics & ancient history, the supernatural & folklore.

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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 7h
Pleasure, as always Niall. Currently bulb planting by way of a distraction!
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 09/10/2026
Lillian Jones MP, Chairwoman @uktradebusiness.bsky.social: "Burnham stressed that the next summit will be a moment to set out the different options for the UK’s relationship with the EU. This is a watershed moment. No PM has put the full range of options on the table since May drew her red lines."
lbc.co.uk
Britain needs a new deal with Europe that works for everyone | LBC
The Prime Minister has opened up a conversation about our long-term relationship with the EU. As Chairwoman of the UK Tr
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Lucie🐈‍⬛Catnip @luciecatnip.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to the South African legal pioneer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for defending international law and institutions in a world in which increasingly “might overtakes right.” www.nbcnews.com/world/europe...
Navi Pillay, who led U.N. panel that found Israel committed genocide in Gaza, wins Nobel Peace Prize

The South African learned of the award at a law gathering in Germany and told the crowd, "If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump."
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Billionaire David Reuben says he quit UK for Monaco ... actually already there since 2014. Worth £28bn, objects to non-dom tax changes. Doesn't want to be taxed on the same basis as UK residents Super-rich happy to make profits in the UK, want special treatment, hold govts to ransom.
theguardian.com
‘I reside in Monaco’: billionaire said to have quit UK over potential wealth tax had already left
TaxWatch contradicts claims about David Reuben’s departure and questions stories of super-rich exodus
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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 20h
This is a brilliant assessment/conversation by Niall and Alex. Please read and share. Any substantive comments by me would be superfluous.
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Lovely reply, Alex, and open and honest. I feel for those civil servants, like yourself.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For Georgians, joining the EU wasn’t a purely economic matter, but a statement of identity, values, freedom from Russia, escape from their past, and hope for a more prosperous future, secure future. The UK has never viewed the EU through that prism.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Truly expanded and deepened when I served in third countries, and began to understand how they viewed the EU, how important the EU was to them, and the influence, values and principles which the EU represented. My posting in Georgia was the culmination of my education.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Anyway, it’s what Ministers think which matters most. I just don’t know if any of our politicians truly “get” the EU. I was myself a bit of a eurosceptic when I worked in the Cabinet Office, and was purely focused on the domestic UK perspective. My understanding and appreciation of the EU only…
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It turns out that much of our bureaucracy goes along- and says and does what will most please Ministers. There’s a fine line between being an honorable , loyal civil servant - who’s job ultimately is, of course , to do Minister’s bidding , and being toadies, derelict in their duty to the public.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Niall, honestly, I don’t know- I’m no longer in touch with current FCDO staff. Unfortunately, one cause of my disillusionment with the FCDO was that I expected more of them to speak up about the catastrophe of Johnson’s Brexit - but it seems most senior staff valued their job and status more.
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
And it is sad. The UK is adrift. Question for you: within the FCDO do diplomats understand this, and do they favour the kind of action needed to fix it?
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Hi Alex, thanks for that. Whatever about the rebalancing after Brexit, Canada recognises the Union as the anchor or Western democracy and treats it as a significant partner in that light. The UK, as yet, does not. The final steps will be hard to take unless leaders make that case.
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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 20h
💯 agree with this assessment Alex.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Sadly, I agree completely with your analysis @nialloconghaile.bsky.social . This is what I wrote last month (before Burnham’s speech). bylinetimes.com/2026/09/17/w...
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Realism still needed for Europe debate in UK. Will Andy Burnham provide it? Me in @eastangliabylines.co.uk Enjoy! eastangliabylines.co.uk/news/brexit/...
eastangliabylines.co.uk
Britain still hasn’t learnt what being outside the EU means
Closer ties with Europe require Britain to abandon exceptionalism and understand what being outside the EU means
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I am always impressed by the courage of people who fight and have fought against Brexit, esp. those who have given up jobs or career advantages to be able to do so. (I fear I would be a coward in the same situation)
 HGW XX/7 gewidmet, in Dankbarkeit
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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Case in point, indeed bsky.app/profile/alex...
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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 20h
People need to be putting in multiple FOI requests and MP’s need to be tabling PQ’s.
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Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
On the face of it, a very odd refusal to name external advisors
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Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.com · 08/10/2026
Exclusive: the government doesn’t want you to know who’s advising it on civil service reform medium.com/state-of-the...
medium.com
Exclusive: the government doesn’t want you to know who’s advising it on civil service reform
The short version
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The CJEU has ruled again on the conflict between data protection rights and transparency of corporate ownership Analysis by Dr Samira Allioui - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-...
eulawanalysis.blogspot.com
The interplay between corporate transparency and personal data protection: A new stage in the CJEU’s case law
Dr Samira Allioui , Centre d'études internationales et européennes, Université de Strasbourg Photo credit : Alexas Fotos, via Wikimedi...
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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Navi Pillay — the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a former International Criminal Court judge — happened to be at the Nuremberg Court in Germany when she learned that she had won the Nobel.
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 22h
Nobel Peace Prize: Navanethem Pillay, a tireless advocate for international justice
lemonde.fr
Nobel Peace Prize: Navanethem Pillay, a tireless advocate for international justice
The 85-year-old South African judge, who notably served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the 1990s, recently chaired the United Nations Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry, which determined that a 'genocide' was taking place in Gaza.
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4fuxake @blueheartedly1.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This 👇
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South-East London for Europe (Selfe) @selfe.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
From Aberdeen to Lambeth, Newcastle-under-Lyme to Holborn & St Pancras, Reform contested five by-elections yesterday. 💪 They lost all five… 😬 Five contests. Five defeats. That’s eleven out of eleven lost in a fortnight. Reform are not inevitable. 😉 Have a great weekend! #ReformLose
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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 21h
And, of course, Owls can trace their images on coins back to ancient Athens and to the foundations of democracy (limited as it was). And forget Churchill, you wouldn’t want to mess with Athena now would you…
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Peter Whitewood @pwhitewood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A shadowy network of hedgehogs and owls, operating at the highest levels of the British establishment.
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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
1. BREAKING The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay. Pillay is a South African jurist of Indian Tamil descent.
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 09/10/2026
Kemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax proposals are myth-based policy making at its worst. That's the verdict from @jillongovt.bsky.social following the leader of the opposition’s conference speech this week. Read the full comment here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/kemi...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Kemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax proposals are myth-based policy making at its worst | Institute for Government
The leader of the opposition’s conference announcement was not well thought through.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Good piece. The line that really caught my eye here was this one: "Lobby journalists, while being supportive in print, are typically unimpressed with Badenoch in person". It speaks volumes about how the Tory press sees its role, and its attitude towards the truth of what it prints.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
New post: The Tory conference represented a clear change in strategy. But so far the shift has been largely superficial and rhetorical. There are three big problems with making the strategy work - and it is not at all clear they're resolvable. samf.substack.com/p/the-three-...
samf.substack.com
The three big problems with the Tories’ new strategy
The Tories have finally noticed their only route back to power goes through the prosperous seats in the home counties and city suburbs lost to the Liberal Democrats and Labour.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 23h
*Useful idiot* doesn't do this abject dunderhead justice
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
We’re reaching a tipping point.
chadbourn.substack.com
The Next Three Months
Trump and Putin are now at their most dangerous
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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 21h
Congratulations Ms Pillay very well deserved.
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Ricky Davila @therickydavila.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026 is Navi Pillay, a brave extraordinary woman who has served at the International Criminal Court prosecuting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Immediately after being notified she had won, she mocked the orange felon on video. Love her. 💙👊
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András Forgács W @andraswf.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The idea that any of us is asked to make an argument for our Britishness is not only insulting and patronising but also pretty fucking racist
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Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
An announcement. There will be plenty of time to reflect on what we've achieved, and on the fantastic colleagues who have helped us achieve it. But for now, sad news ukandeu.ac.uk/announcement... 1/2
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Sure Trump will take it well
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TheFirstGirlySwotsToJoinBlueSky @thelastgirlyswots.bsky.social · 22h
. After Trump's duplicity towards Ukraine by taking oil from Russia in breach of international sanctions, there is no question that the orange plague is a burden on the rest of humanity. #r4today #bbcbreakfast #C4News #bbcaq #toriesgone827 .
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Anti-Reform @antireform.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
More Reform attacks on RNLI, mean more donations to volunteer heroes, faster Reform falls in polls "Tice, Oakshott (his GF) and Farage attacking the charities that save lives.Tice and Oakshot from the safety of their tax haven in Dubai where they avoid paying tax on their earnings" via Barry James
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Daily Herald #FBPE #NAFO 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇱 @dailyherald.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
t.co/EQ34MjLjQ3
t.co
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/labour-win-majority-general-election-projection-410379/
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Daily Herald #FBPE #NAFO 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇱 @dailyherald.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For the first time since October 2024, Labour are projected to win an outright majority if an election were held.
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Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Dear tv and radio producers. Thankyou for the invitation. But, no, I do not want to appear on your show to defend the idea that I am English, after 50 years of living and working here, because the increasingly feral right want to turn this into a "debate" and you cannot see how you're being played
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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF CANADA, DENMARK, GERMANY, FRANCE, ITALY, JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM "As committed supporters of the ICC we regret and strongly disagree with the announcement of sanctions to be imposed upon the Court by the United States."
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is Nazi rhetoric
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 09/10/2026
For the sake of our own security, we must pursue EU membership. "But it is not Lesvure, or Merz or even Burnham who is propelling the UK back into the EU, but the efforts of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump that are making the case for a stronger united Europe that can protect its own interests."
independent.co.uk
What the grotesque ‘naked Trump’ statue tells us about the UK’s future back in Europe
Andy Burnham’s state visit to Berlin comes at a moment when Europe – now outwardly disapproving of the US – is more open
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error. Same error amplified by right-wing think-tanks, press It suited their ideological leanings. Future historians might say - planet earth and human life was shattered by a spreadsheet error.
theguardian.com
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error
Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
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Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Some 3,400 years ago, an Egyptian artisan captured a sense of speed and elegance in this beautifully carved handle in the shape of a horse! 🐴 ❤️ New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III, c. 1390–1352 BC. The Met 📷 by me #Archaeology
My photo shows an ivory handle of a light whip or fly whisk carved in the shape of a horse. The ivory body of the horse is stained reddish-brown, and the mane and tail are black. The horse is seen in profile facing left. Its legs are outstretched in front and at the back in what scholars refer to as a ‘flying gallop' position, with a gracefully arched back. The eyes are inlaid with garnet, one of which is missing (not seen in my photo). It  is displayed on a vertical, thin metal stand in a museum display case. This beautiful object is dated to the New Kingdom period, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep IlI, c. 1390-1352 BC. Dimensions: L: 14.7 cm × H: 5.5 cm × W: 2 cm
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All Amort @all-a-mort.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Epic Leg Bomb
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