Inside the Lords: EU law and Zelensky in town
Plus a play recommendation
I began my update from Inside The Lords this week with a discussion about EU law. The House is currently going through the process of deciding which bits to keep and which to chuck - and while some suggest this is all being rushed, I for one welcome the deadline. After all, we've been made to wait for Brexit for long enough. And to those scaremongering about the loss of worker's/women's/maternity rights, please remember who it really was who won those (not the EU!).
On the issue of rights - I went to see Sylvia at The Old Vic Theatre. I promise I'm not being paid for PR but I urge you all to go and see it - a wonderful reminder of great historical figures and a refreshing event where women were celebrated without controversy!
The other big event this week was of course the visit of Volodymyr Zelensky, which was a very exciting and historic occasion. I certainly was glad to be there. While I might have some issues with the sycophantic way some of our own politicians act towards him, I commend and unequivocally support Ukraine and its leader's fight for sovereignty. It has been disheartening to see some of my followers state that the support for Ukraine fits a conspiratorial narrative. Some seem to think that support for Ukraine can only be the result of dark influence or social-media brainwashing. Those of us who were Leavers learnt how poisonous the 'you've been duped' line was post-Brexit, let's not repeat that.
We'll be releasing a Substack from our colleague Jacob Reynolds on this issue next week, and will continue to discuss the issues raised by Russia’s invasion, and the West's support of Ukraine, further. So stay tuned for announcements from Academy of Ideas.
Dear Claire, I read with interest what you wrote, but we have to put things in perspective. Putin amassed his troops of the Ukrainian border and gave NATO a deadline saying that if NATO was going to offer membership to the Ukraine by such and such a time, then Russia would invade. There was zero response from NATO and so Putin invaded. That is why I am on the fence. As a country, we gave our undertaking to Russia that NATO would not expand eastwards. And NATO has. Who is at fault here? Also I read somewhere that Zelensky’s wife spent about $40,000 in Europe somewhere. I can’ recall where. There are two sides to every story.