Richard D-W

@cabinetofficeuk Not forgetting membership granted through political cronyism, of course. Stopping that would be the biggest reform to our Parliament in more than a few generations...

This is the biggest reform to our Parliament in a generation. 🇬🇧 This morning, the 700-year-old system of hereditary membership in the House of Lords was abolished. Membership is now earned through public service and merit, not granted by an inheritance. ✅

Welcome to Windsor! 🇬🇧🇳🇬 It was wonderful to welcome President Tinubu and First Lady, Mrs. Tinubu to Windsor Castle earlier today. They joined The King and Queen for a Ceremonial Welcome in the Quadrangle, where President Tinubu was invited to inspect the Guard of Honour.

The world is getting tired of Ukraine Slowly. Quietly The focus shifts Now it’s the Middle East I understand - A war that lasts years Is not “interesting” anymore But our war didn’t end Ukraine is still fighting Still making russia weak And we are still dying - Soldiers, civilians, children Even if you don’t see it in the news Ukraine is no longer a headline But we are still here Still fighting not only for ourselves - But for Europe’s future And we still need your support

Alexander Stubb exemplifies the know-all sneering disdain for democracy of the professional Eurocrat. British politicians, whether Remainers or Leavers, do not generally go around European countries mocking decisions taken by their electorates. I am sorry we never seem to be able to expect the same from our European friends.

What ? Someone who knows what they're talking about !

@GOPIsrael There is no legitimate Argentinian claim. The islanders exercised their right to self-determination, with their decision recognised by the UN. The US can weigh the relative merits of losing the bases it relies on to project power for a single Argentinian rust-bucket.

@SpencerGuard What a pity, then, that @POTUS so completely undermined this by not consulting and then insulting those allies from whom he then demanded support. You are surely not surprised that this weakened the credibility of collective security. For which @POTUS is personally responsible.

Defending international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is a coalition responsibility. That is not an offensive campaign. It is a defensive mission to protect freedom of navigation, global commerce, and the stability of a maritime chokepoint that carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s energy flows. When allies choose not to contribute, the burden shifts to fewer nations and the credibility of collective security is weakened. Putin benefits from that decision in multiple ways. Higher oil prices strengthen Russia’s war economy. Reduced coalition presence creates more space for Iran to threaten shipping, reinforcing Moscow’s partnership with Tehran. Most importantly, it offers a real-time test of NATO’s will and cohesion. Adversaries are not just watching capabilities. They are measuring resolve. IMO.

@OzzyJellyEllie @BarryAndrewsMEP @vonderleyen @fiannafailparty @RenewEurope Spot on.

Barry why are you deliberately misleading the entire population of Ireland? Firstly, the reason Gaza is flattened is because almost half of the buildings were rigged with explosives by Hamas. This isn't hearsay, it's documented fact. Hamas booby trapped every building with access to their terrorists tunnels. Given that almost half the buildings were blown up by Hamas explosive devices, proves there were a LOT of tunnels! Second, the Gaza war was instigated by the bloodiest attack on civilians in modern history by Islamic terrorists and their civilian supporters. The war wasn't a spontaneous action by Israel and the IDF, it was a response. And it wasn't a response against a population - it was a response against the terrorists that lead them. That needs to be made clear in all statements relating to the Gaza war. You fail to do it, repeatedly. Third, if Israel wanted to "collapse residential buildings in Central Gaza" they could have collapsed ALL of them on Oct 8th. They didn't. Why? Because flattening buildings was not the objective. Eradicating terrorists was. Instead, Israel fought an urban war, over a period of two years, with one of the lowest civilian to terrorist ratios ever recorded, that cost them the lives of over 470 young men and women in ground offensives alone. Over 1100 soldiers were lost during the Gaza war. That is a lot of unnecessary death if all they wanted to do was "flatten residential buildings"! Fourth, your greatest omission by far and your most egregious misinformation tactic, is your decision not to mention the terrorist group Hezbollah in your post. They and their murderous Iranian IRGC bosses are the reason for ALL strikes in Lebanon. Israel is not at war with Lebanon or the Lebanese people, it is at war with the terrorist group that has held Lebanon hostage for over 40 years, Hezbollah! I can educate you on the parallel structures Hezbollah have inside Lebanon - their armies, hospitals, clinics, schools, social welfare system, justice system (sharia of course), security systems and tax systems. Basically how they run a state within a state, but this is not the post for that. I can show you Gallup polls where 79% of Lebanese want Hezbollah disarmed. Where 86% of the population oppose conflict with Israel. Where 73% of the Shia population (Hezbollah core base) do not trust Hezbollah to lead them. Where almost all Christians, Sunnis and Druze inside Lebanon overwhelmingly and emphatically reject Hezbollah and want them gone. But as an MEP, I'm sure you're already aware of them. I can post statements from Lebanons Prime Minister Nawaf Salam who declared a "total ban" on all of Hezbollah's military and security activities, describing them as illegal. Where he emphasizes that the decision of war and peace rests exclusively with the state of Lebanon. Where he calls on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and security agencies to "immediately and firmly" implement the disarmament plan using all necessary means, to prevent missile/drone launches, and arrest the violators. The Lebanese President Joseph Aoun echoes his sentiments warning Hezbollah against using Lebanon as a "platform for proxy wars". He categorically condemns Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into this conflict and sees their disarmament as a necessary process to avoid collapse and civil war in his country. But you don't want to give Ireland that information, do you Barry? You don't want Irish people to know how deeply imbedded Hezbollah are within the civilian population of Lebanon. You don't want Ireland to know about the thousands of rockets, drones and missiles fired into unarmed civilian Israeli neighborhoods. You don't even want them to know that Hezbollah operates with impunity under the direction of the Iranian regime. You want to keep Irish men & women in the dark to further your narrative and your willing to use propaganda to do it. That's the Andrews Playbook and it's nothing but unadulterated, anti Israel hate!

✈️ Just landed back in #Brussels after seeing situation on ground in #Beirut. 🇮🇱 Israel are now collapsing residential buildings in central #Beirut, a city of over 2m people. This is the Gaza playbook. Again, @vonderleyen is silent.

I would like the U.S. not to perceive Ukraine as a country that merely asks for help. That is not the case. Ukraine is defending interests and values. Of course, the U.S. is right when it says it is farther from this war than Europe. That is understandable. But we see U.S. allies in the Middle East, and we see what – and who – threatens them. The war is not as far away as it may seem. We need to act as quickly as possible, and the whole world needs to wake up. It is no longer the case that someone can simply buy modern weapons or extract oil and gas and remain safe. Security comes from having the most advanced technologies and constantly developing them. If we don’t come up with a quick solution, if we don’t join forces with our allies leveraging the technology and expertise that have emerged from the war, if there is no combat-capable security alliance, then war will ensue. War comes when you are weak or alone. Enemies see when alliances are divided. From an interview with New York Post (3/5).

A person who claims that gender identity cannot trump/supplant biological sex is not a "transphobe." Such a person is merely rational.

@SpencerGuard I do not doubt that the US military planned extensively and in detail for every foreseeable scenario. It appears, however, that this either did not include or has been ignored by @POTUS's unhinged decisions and direction.

For the love of all things holy, if you still see self-appointed "military experts," or whatever derangement syndrome X-perts claiming (whether they served in the military or not) that the U.S. military did not plan extensively for the vast range of possible scenarios in the Strait of Hormuz. STOP FOLLOWING THEM. These are not the experts/analysts you are looking for. War is politics by other means and there is plenty political happening but to claim the U.S. military did not plan is just straight dangerous ignorance.

I’ve been saying for years now that drone defences should be the number one priority for our defence procurement. This is why.

Ex CIA Director, PETRAEUS: Ukraine is fighting our war — let's make no mistake, they're fighting NATO's war. ​(Applause) HOST: And right now, Ukraine is also protecting many countries in the Middle East with its drone technology. They're the hottest ticket in town.

@DaveKent101 Indeed. And @Keir_Starmer proved the point by answering a question that had not been asked. Again.

Well done, Andrew Snowdon MP. Probably the best takedown today at PMQs of the vile Keir Starmer.

@sharrond62 Those now condemned to die lingering, painful deaths with inadequate or no palliative care might disagree with you. I do. I have seen loved ones dying slowly and begging for death but denied. It is my life. Why can I not decide on dying with dignity when it is inevitable?

Well done Scotland. The more I’ve listened to the arguments on both sides the more I realise it’s impossible to stop assisted dying being used against the disabled, the depressed or the coerced in a bad way. I was once in favour but it’s important to see how good intentions can have bad consequences

We started with simple kamikaze sea drones. Then we built drones with turrets that can shoot down helicopters. Now we have drones that can shoot down Russian fighter jets from the sea. We have developed boats that carry other drones. We also have boats that strike targets on land from the sea. And we are developing more stable drones that can operate longer and more effectively at sea. Soon – and not in the distant future – we will have systems that can operate even in ocean conditions. We are also actively working on underwater systems. So, facing threats in the Black Sea, we are finding the right security solutions. These solutions can be used in your matters as well – including in complex situations like the Strait of Hormuz today. Drones can solve problems that even a fleet sometimes cannot. From my address to the Parliament of the United Kingdom (6/7)

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Final touches taking place for this evening’s State Banquet! 🍴🌷 The table has been decorated with handpicked seasonal flowers and foliage from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. 🌼 After the Banquet, the flowers that cannot be reused are donated to Floral Angels, of which The Queen is Patron. The charity delivers flowers to hospices, elderly care homes, shelters, and many other deserving beneficiaries within the local community.