Though it is early days, events in Ukraine may have reduced the public’s blame for the government for a decline in living standards.
Of the main tax cut candidates urged on the Chancellor, the best available is a VAT fuel reduction.
French leaders have a history of being dovish towards Moscow, and his rivals are having to explain past warmth towards Putin.
We need a Free World Trade Organisation – a democratic alliance to achieve energy independence and control crucial supply chains
Democratic nations need a much more coherent and comprehensive response to the new authoritarian powers.
If the war lasts a few years at most, the Chancellor can take the hit. If it’s a new normal that lasts for decades, the outlook is grim.
It should remain a long-term aim but ensuring that we can generate the energy we need without a reliance on overseas sources should come first.
If we do not taking our commitments to defend our values seriously, the world will swiftly become a much more dangerous place.
Just as its energy dependence on Russia cannot be reversed overnight, decades of drift into quasi-pacifism reflect a deeply embedded outlook.
Although we should arm Ukraine, we should not fan the flames of a wider European war – but tighten our economic grip in a way never before seen.
The President’s words to Congress were warm and embracing of the “freedom-loving” resistance. But those closer to the action have more to lose.
Their country is not in any danger of attack, but the leadership in Moscow have spent a decade building a frightening alternate reality.
Focusing on state sanctions risks understating the scale of the West’s economic response to Vladimir Putin’s war.
Whilst the Government is rightly preoccupied with soaring energy bills, the results of a spike in petrol prices could be very damaging.
A mini-series on ConHome this week from the author of works about new Russian warfare and Kremlin Ukraine activity.