Changing up

by dfl1955 i.e. the article author

A nasty little piece by Mujtaba Rahman which contains the unstated assumption that the UK’s political direction and relations with the EU, are fixed and desirable. He catalogues some new laws, where for instance on AI the UK is attempting to carve a differentiated niche between the EU & US. He fails to address under-investment.

I’d say, the other side of the coin is that the EU is about to change up; missing the boat would leave the UK isolated and poorer. Despite this, the UK shouldn’t apply to rejoin until its ready to be a good citizen and sees the EU as more than a trade club.

Rahman says,

The EU of 2026 is an organisation built increasingly on common borrowing, an assertive joint industrial policy and a growing role in security and defence.

I ask who wouldn’t want that. The changing nature of the world’s international relations means we need reliable friends.

Let’s see what changes Burnham makes to the Labour Party, or what space he gives to its eu-phile majority.

Originally published at https://davelevy.info on July 6, 2026.