Have you ever fancied yourself as a member of parliament? Or perhaps you’ve dreamed of a role in your local council, approving tax increases, revoking net-zero policies or betraying election promises. Then you’ve come to the right place!

Reform UK – formerly the Brexit Party/UKIP – are looking for new recruits across the country.

Responsibilities

As an MP or a local councillor, your role will be to represent your local constituents. Whether you choose ever to meet with them will be entirely at your discretion. However, you will be expected to respond to the occasional email or have your assistant do so on your behalf.

As a Reform UK politician, you would have the power to vote for or against new legislation – the decision as to whether to attend parliament in order to do so is entirely personal (and rarely employed).

Your role would include the promotion of MAGA-style values in a British setting, including the sharing of the leadership’s wise words on social media. (Ranting is permitted; explanations of policies are not required).

Background

Reform UK welcome new recruits from all walks of life, though a private education (or the wherewithal to pay for one) would be a bonus. Attendance at a boarding school, and therefore familiarity with a certain kind of discipline, would be most helpful.

Our doors are especially open to those with previous government/local government experience, regardless of former political affiliations. In fact, Tories are particularly welcome, as long as they are prepared to contradict any former negative comments about our party (or deny ever having said them, regardless of proof to the contrary).

NB. Former MPs need not be concerned about any run-ins with parliamentary authority, such as breaches of the ministerial code, unpaid tax issues etc. Such experiences will be of value, rather than a hindrance, to your successful application.

Skills

At Reform UK, we do things a little differently. We do not expect our representatives to devote many hours a week to their parliamentary role. In fact, we respect members taking time away from their role in order to satisfy the demands of any/all of their other jobs being held concurrently.

As for required skills, we only ask that you are argumentative, anti-immigration, evasive when asked direct questions and willing to offend (the media especially). Hand gestures are acceptable – finger-pointing absolutely essential.

You boy!
If you see any failed Tories in the dole queue send them over here.
Tell them I’m getting the old gang back together. pic.twitter.com/Q7us0wEEng

— Mark Cockerton (@CockertonMark) January 13, 2026

Salary and benefits

MPs will receive a salary of £94,000 per annum (updated annually above the rate of inflation), plus generous expenses, including thousands of pounds for living costs, travel and London rent (but only for you, not your horses, sadly).

Benefits include heavily subsidised meals, on those rare occasions members find themselves in the Palace of Westminster.

Local councillors are not paid a salary but receive taxable allowances to cover time and expenses. These vary according to the area, but there would be plenty of opportunities to garner additional remuneration locally. Probably.

Despite a lack of coherent policies, or any strategy to speak of, Reform UK is now home to such well-respected former Tories as Andrea Jenkyns, Lee Anderson, Danny Kruger, Ann Widdecombe, former chancellor (if only for 48 hours) Nadhim Zahawi, and, after being unceremoniously frogmarched off the Tory benches, Robert ‘Honest Bob’ Jenrick.

With their brains, experience and willingness to continue the fight despite former failures, we have a good chance of winning the next general election, thanks to our wonderful first-past-the-post voting system.

If you love your country (or how it used to be), and regardless of whether you’re a former Tory, REFORM UK needs you!

Don’t delay, apply now! The future of our country, the sanctity of Brexit, and our leaders’ bank balances are at stake!

Open any right-wing media and you’ll observe the stale and erroneous cry of “Brexit betrayal”. Whether it’s from a former Tory minister, a GB news presenter or an Express ‘journalist’, the sour grapes attitude smacks of irony – a fact the authors seem unable to grasp.

Whether it’s a debate on a customs union, agreement on rejoining Erasmus or plans to ‘get closer’ to the EU, it seems any proposals aimed at limiting the damage of Brexit are fair game.

Customs union bill

In what was claimed as a “historic victory” by LibDem Leader, Ed Davey, a private members bill was narrowly passed on 9 December. The UK-EU customs union (duty to negotiate) bill, described by the Guardian as “tokenistic” and likely to have “no practical impact”, still managed to rattle the Brexiters. Lacking any arguments as to why a democratic parliamentary debate on a bespoke customs union with the EU would be a bad thing, the cries of betrayal rang hollow.

Whether the Brexiters believe it’s the (declining number of) Brexit supporters that are being betrayed, or the whole country, is not always clear – filling in the blanks has never been a Brexiter strongpoint. As to the fact that those advocating leaving the EU swore blind Brexit would not mean leaving the customs union or the single market, it’s clear the country has been betrayed, not just those expressing their outrage.

GB News and the other Farage-backing media are furious that we won the vote on our customs union bill yesterday.

They know they're losing the argument and that the tide is turning.

More and more people back our plans to rebuild Britain's trade with Europe and tackle the cost of living crisis.

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— Liberal Democrats (@libdems.org.uk) 10 December 2025 at 11:42

Erasmus+ programme

Following the news that, after months of negotiations, the UK is finally rejoining the Erasmus+ scheme, new cries of betrayal have been voiced. Those voices include the former Tory home secretary, Priti Patel, who claims that Labour are continuing to “betray Brexit” and “have consistently undermined the result of the 2016 referendum”. Patel also accused the government of “throwing away billions of pounds of hard-pressed taxpayers’ money” on rejoining Erasmus.

2025: Priti Patel says Labour adopting Erasmus is a betrayal of Brexit

2020: Priti Patel was Home Secretary when her boss Boris Johnson said Erasmus would not be taken away because of Brexit

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— Farrukh (@implausibleblog.bsky.social) 17 December 2025 at 21:52

It would appear that, along with other former Tory minsters and MPs, Patel has forgotten what her former leader, Boris Johnson, promised at the despatch box in January 2020 – that there was “no threat” to the Erasmus scheme. Understandable, I guess, when there were so many misrepresentations of the facts, so many betrayals, so many broken promises. As to the cost, Brexiters seemingly also forget we must now pay non-membership fees for the benefits and opportunities of inclusion in any EU programmes.

Closer ties

Over recent months, the government has changed tack regarding the mention of Brexit, having abandoned their code of silence. Where once the rhetoric was about ‘making Brexit work’, and a ‘reset’ of EU/UK relations, lately the damage of Brexit has been openly discussed, even by the PM and chancellor. Calls for closer ties that would help limit the damage or improve trade, however, are – to Brexiters at least – yet more evidence of a Brexit betrayal.

As Starmer takes baby steps to undo some of the damage of Brexit, the ‘Brexit Betrayal’ narrative is revived. It won’t wash this time! We need to go further and faster back to the heart of Europe! 🇪🇺

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— Graham Simpson (@grahambs.bsky.social) 1 December 2025 at 15:18

Whether Brexiters truly believe their cries of betrayal, or whether it’s just more noise from those with no arguments or credibility left, surely it’s time to challenge the rhetoric. While talk of closer ties is welcome, the reluctance of Labour to revisit their red lines, and the snail’s pace of any progress, continues to frustrate. Government’s adherence to the letter of their manifesto – while showing a welcome commitment to promises made – demonstrates an unwillingness to be flexible, even when the situation changes.

There’s no doubt that relations between the UK and the EU have improved since Brexit. Or that the government are committed to strengthening those bonds and working more closely together on common goals. However, an apparent willingness to side with the US could seriously impact any future plans, especially if the government favour American policies and standards over European ones.

Brexiters short of any convincing arguments or facts will continue to cry betrayal at the least provocation. If our government continues to acknowledge the damage of Brexit while simultaneously failing to offer any real solutions, it won’t just be those on the far-right complaining. Those of us of a more ‘woke’ persuasion will be screaming betrayal too!

You can’t take Brexiters seriously any more. None of them.

We should have zero respect for anyone who is happy to turn a blind eye to the damage & losses

The news about Erasmus+ prompted Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel to fulminate: “Labour continue to betray Brexit.

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— Bremain in Spain (@bremaininspain.com) 18 December 2025 at 11:09

Earlier this year, we reported on a talk given by Professor Christina Pagel of University College London (UCL) at a Grassroots for Europe webinar about the Trump Action Tracker project, documenting the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions in the United States by the Trump regime. Bremain Treasurer Helen Johnston writes for Yorkshire Bylines.

On 9 December, in a webinar attended by activists and policy-watchers, Professor Pagel presented a bleak update, making it clear that the Trump regime’s actions are reshaping global norms, with consequences that Europe and the UK can no longer ignore. Her Trump Tracker has recorded over 2,000 individual actions since January and the picture that emerges is one of a relentless, systemic campaign to capture institutions, reward allies, and punish enemies at home and abroad.

The populist, authoritarian playbook

From violating democratic norms through to weakening civil rights, corruption, personal enrichment and nationalism, Pagel argues that it’s truer now than ever that Trump has embraced a populist right wing authoritarian playbook.

Pagel points to deregulation and government contracts designed to benefit friendly companies, especially in technology, cryptocurrencies and fossil fuels. Disaster relief money has been openly steered towards red states, while Democratic ones are left to struggle.

A wave of pardons has favoured donors and loyalists, while legal cases that were started under Biden against powerful firms have been dropped. Meanwhile, Trump and his family have found many ways to personally profit from office, whether by buying government bonds whose value they influence, striking foreign property deals, or cashing in on crypto, even selling Trump-branded phones and perfume from the White House itself.

Then there is his appetite for personal glorification. The US Institute of Peace has been renamed the Trump Institute of Peace, US national parks now offer free entry on Trump’s birthday but not on Martin Luther King Day, and FIFA has awarded him its first ‘peace prize’. Institutions are learning that currying favour brings rewards.

Destabilising the global order

The Trump Tracker has logged 265 actions relating to US foreign policy since January, including the systematic undermining of international institutions, economic coercion and threats of force. Threats have been targeted at Greenland, Panama, Canada and Gaza and, since September, military action against Venezuela has escalated, with one recent incident labelled a war crime by international lawyers.

Alongside direct force, the US is deploying trade wars, tariffs, sanctions, and aid blackmail: threats to cut off aid to states such as Argentina unless it backs Trump-aligned candidates; sanctions on Brazilian judges, ICC lawyers, and South Africa. There are real-world consequences for those targeted, from frozen bank access to travel bans.

The same authoritarian logic is applied to immigration, asylum, and aid. Visa applicants will be vetted for ‘anti-regime’ social media, and anyone who has ever worked in fact-checking, misinformation research, or content moderation may be banned. Travel bans have been imposed on 19 countries, with proposals to extend to more than 30. Asylum has effectively been halted, with the notable exception of white South African farmers. US support for major global health and humanitarian programmes has been withdrawn, including USAID projects and funding to combat HIV and the GAVI vaccine alliance, with devastating results.

Europe can no longer pretend the US is a protector

In September, Pagel warned that Europe could no longer treat the US as a reliable protector. Events since then have only confirmed and sharpened that warning. Trump’s rhetoric about Europe has become more openly hostile: Europe is “decaying”, its leaders “weak”, and EU rules on climate, human rights and tech regulation are framed as intolerable constraints on US interests.

The Trump regime repeatedly claims free speech is under attack in Europe. But Pagel would argue that the true threat to free speech comes from the US. It’s not just visa applicants being policed: under new rules, US citizens’ social media posts, protest attendance, and other activities will come under surveillance for evidence of views deemed critical of the US or its government.

And now, of course, Trump has turned his sights on the BBC, bringing to Europe the brutal legal tactics he uses to intimidate and punish non-compliant media in the US.

Most alarmingly, a new official US National Security Strategy openly states that the US will no longer guarantee Europe’s security, claiming that “…within a few decades at the latest, certain NATO members will become majority non-European” – a barely-coded reference to race. Accusing the EU of ‘stifling political liberty’, the strategy paper states that US interests will be served by backing “patriotic” (ie, far-right) parties to victory in Europe. As Pagel says:

Are UK institutions ready for a similar assault?

Pagel recently worked with Professor Martin McKee on the independent agencies that generate evidence, regulate sectors and hold the UK government to account. Their report examined key ‘arm’s-length bodies’, identifying areas where they are vulnerable to state capture and offered a series of recommendations for defending democratic infrastructures.

Drawing on this work, Pagel asks: could what has happened to US institutions happen here? Her conclusion is alarming: the UK is at least as vulnerable, and in some respects more so. Some organisations, such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS), have considerable embedded independence guaranteed in law. Others, such as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), have almost none: they sit wholly within a department, lack a firm statutory footing, and could be reorganised or abolished almost overnight, as happened to Public Health England during the pandemic.

Strikingly, the leaders of the majority of these bodies are effectively minister-appointed. Ministers can override independent selectionpanels either by forcing a process to be re-run until the ‘right’ candidate emerges, or by directly appointing someone the panel considers unsuitable. The long saga of attempts to install Paul Dacre at Ofcom, Pagel suggests, is a warning of how this power can be abused. “You can get away with these kinds of vulnerabilities when no one is actively trying to exploit them,” Pagel warns, “but by the time you realise you need safeguards, it’s too late.”

It can happen here

In this respect, the rise of the populist right is deeply worrying. Reform has already announced plans to undermine institutions along the lines of Trump’s DOGE; to hollow out our institutions and politicise our judiciary and civil service. Farage’s recent attacks on the BBC, parrot Trump’s threats against the broadcaster, while pushing channels such as GB news. The Tories have also been talking about activist judges and lawyers in language that Pagel finds “quite scary”.

Meanwhile, some of the world’s richest men are increasingly willing to use their platforms and fortunes to interfere in other countries’ politics. If, on top of the Russian disinformation and interference we have already seen, Musk and others start pouring billions into UK, German or French elections, it could destabilise those processes. Terrifyingly, “the best hope for the UK is that Musk seems to think Farage is too soft, and really wants Tommy Robinson.”

Pagel is a health systems researcher who, during Covid, saw at first-hand how politics and disinformation can cost lives, so “If you’re literally seeing the most powerful country in the world fall into fascism, I feel like you have to do something.” Her message to Europeans is stark: stop assuming that “it can’t happen here” and stop assuming that the USA is on our side.

The vulnerabilities are real, the threats are explicit, and, if democracies want resilient institutions, they must strengthen them now, before they come under the sort of sustained assault already visible across the Atlantic.

On Saturday 13 September, it was my pleasure to join the Thank EU for the Music team handing out EU flags at the Royal Albert Hall. In what has become an annual event, guests arriving for the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms were offered free EU berets and over 3,000 free EU flags; many even came prepared by bringing their own EU flags from home.

It was a pleasure to be there, to see so many EU flags & to talk to so many people that want to see us back in the EU.
@bremaininspain.com @euflagmafia.bsky.social
#thankEUforthemusic

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— Sue Wilson MBE (@suewilson91.bsky.social) 14 September 2025 at 12:19

EU flags at the Proms

The aim was to see thousands of flags being waved alongside the Union Jack during the Proms finale of Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem. Even the BBC’s blue lighting could not disguise the level of EU support or dampen the fervour of those expressing concerns about the damage of Brexit and the urgent need to rejoin the EU.

While our small, peaceful and friendly flag-waving efforts received no attention, the world’s media were out in force earlier in the day, covering flag-waving of an entirely different nature. Fuelled by hate, rage and in many cases alcohol, a record crowd of over 110,000 marched through Westminster for Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’.

Although small in comparison to earlier peaceful demonstrations against Brexit, war or hate, Saturday’s event was notable for the antisocial behaviour and for violent clashes with the police. Following the event, where 26 police officers were injured (four seriously), Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that 25 arrests had been made and more were expected over the coming days.

Hooliganism, not patriotism

According to the European Union, the EU flag symbolises “the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe”. The Union flag and St George’s flag, on the other hand, have taken on a new, more sinister meaning since being commandeered by the far right. Rather than demonstrating the patriotism that Robinson and his followers claim, the flag waving and flag hanging have become both a threat and a provocation – another weapon in the imagined war against anyone not recognised as part of their tribe. To be a member, it would seem, means being white, straight, and what the tribe determines to be British or English.

If that weren’t bad enough, some protesters – or to call them what they really are, hooligans – were seen carrying Christian crosses, adding religion to their long list of reasons to hate anyone who doesn’t look or act just like them. Of course, not all of the protesters are fascist and/or racist. But those who aren’t, seem more than willing to stand alongside those who are or to listen to speeches that most definitely were.

Drunken thugs doing more to dishonour our flag and our capital than any of their imaginary enemies ever managedpic.twitter.com/8Mtx0zfJWg

— Otto English (@Otto_English) September 13, 2025

Outside interference

As if we didn’t have enough home-grown fascists to deal with, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, joined the rally by video link, calling for the “dissolution of parliament”. He told the assembled crowd he was appealing to British “common sense” and that “whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you”, adding, “you either fight back or you die”.

It’s unclear whether Musk provided any funding for Saturday’s rally, but Robinson has been funded by wealthy American far-right supporters in the past, including US tech billionaire Robert Shillman. Musk also helped revive Robinson’s fortunes in 2022 by reversing Robinson’s Twitter ban once he’d taken over the social media platform. Considering the scale and organisation of the London rally, it’s clear there was considerable funding behind it, even if the source of that funding remains unclear.

Elon Musk called for the “dissolution of parliament” and change of government in the U.K. during a far-right rally in London yesterday, speaking via video link.

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— POLITICO Europe (@politico.eu) 14 September 2025 at 12:07

Divide and conquer

Ever since Brexit, the far right have successfully provoked dissent and division to satisfy their own political aims. Where once debate was possible between those with different views, now opinions are more entrenched, both with the public and with those who represent us. By making people feel that they must pick a side, the space for discussion – even on common areas of agreement – has shrunk.

Leaving aside the extremists, many have been drawn to the likes of Farage and Robinson because of their own very real grievances – grievances the right is adept at exploiting. Those in the political centre, and even on the left, share many of those same grievances – whether it’s the state of the NHS, the lack of jobs or affordable housing, the cost of living or concerns about immigration. What’s also common across the political landscape is a lack of faith in our parliamentarians to fix the problems, even if/when they accept that those problems exist

Land of Hope and Glory?

The Unite the Kingdom rally – and other recent activities by the far right – have made many feel uneasy about waving the flags of England or the UK. However, for many Albert Hall promenaders, there seemed a great determination to reclaim their own ideals and symbols of patriotism and the traditions of the occasion.

While many expressed their concern over earlier violent events in London, there was still a desire to cling to older, more familiar and certainly more acceptable ideas of Britishness. For many, that vision of Britishness would ideally include a return to Europe, as was evidenced by the number of attendees keen to fly both the Union Jack and the EU flag.

Of course, Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory, even with its outdated theme of imperial pride, will always stir the blood for its melody, if not for its lyrics. But whether it will bring back the hope, the glory or the pride we once felt for our country remains questionable.

Never surrender our flag

Thankfully, if rather late in the day, Keir Starmer stated that Britain will “never surrender” our flag to far-right protesters, reminding the public that our nation was “proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect”. The PM’s comments, while welcome, followed criticism that he had failed to condemn racist attacks or to defend those on the receiving end of far-right bile and violence. Starmer may feel comfortable with his new-found attachment to the British flag, but for us ‘woke’ types, the flag’s association with the far right has stolen any remaining pride.

By stark contrast, the attachment that British pro-Europeans feel for the EU flag – and to its association with peace, unity and solidarity – remains as strong as ever. So does our desire to see the UK returned to its former glory and British citizens returned to full EU citizenship status, reclaiming the benefits and opportunities we so greatly miss.

In the meantime, we’ll keep handing out EU flags and explaining to anyone willing to listen how to make Britain the land of hope and glory once more.

Encore!

On 8 July, Grassroots for Europe hosted a webinar on the current state and future of government and democracy in the USA, and the knock-on implications for Europe. The key speaker was Alex Hall Hall, a former diplomat who made waves when she resigned from the Foreign Office in December 2019, because she felt unable to represent the UK’s position on Brexit with integrity. She was joined in the webinar by former MEP Richard Corbett, who led the UK Labour Group in the European Parliament.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid

Alex drew parallels between events in America and the situation in Georgia, where she was ambassador. Pointing out that democratic collapse can happen faster than we think, she believes American democracy is like the frog boiling in water, and not enough Americans fully understand the gravity of what is happening.

The administration is chaotic and disorganised, with people appointed for loyalty rather than competence. For example, a source told Alex there is no systematic national security process, with proper briefing papers and meetings. Senior national security officials often simply try to grab the attention of the president, vice president or cabinet ministers as they walk by in the corridors of the White House, to try to get them to focus on a policy issue. Individual cabinet ministers and senior political appointees are also scared to take decisions without official blessing from Trump.

Executive overreach

The White House is churning executive orders out at an unprecedented rate, making huge administrative decisions with no congressional oversight. Trade policy, budget matters, and decisions on war, including arguably the decision to bomb Iran, are the domain of Congress, but the executive is trampling over its normal legislative powers, with little or no meaningful opposition from the Republican dominated legislature.

Meanwhile, the judiciary branch’s authority to check whether the president’s actions are constitutional or legal is also being weakened. Although almost all cases against executive orders have been won by the challengers, the administration is simply ignoring court orders. So, for example, despite orders saying people may not be deported without due process, the deportations are still happening.

Attacks on institutions

It’s not just the major branches of Congress and the judiciary that are under attack. Numerous semi-independent bodies set up by Congress to oversee the operations of the executive are being dismantled or sidelined – such as inspectors general, judges advocate in the military, labour boards, ethics watchdogs, etc.

Scientific and medical bodies are being disbanded, auditing authorities dismissed, or asked not to produce reports. There are attacks on universities, law firms which take up cases against the administration, and the media, all repeatedly threatened with budget cuts or lawsuits unless they comply with the administration’s demands.

For example, recently, the government has suggested it will attack CNN for reporting on a new app that tells people when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are in their area, accusing CNN of enabling people to resist law enforcement. It has slashed funding to public broadcasters and to highly regarded independent organisations like the National Endowment for Democracy, Radio Free Europe, and the US Institute for Peace.

Lack of resistance

There’s been astonishingly little resistance. There is public opposition, but the elites, Congress members and business leaders in the private sector, who should know better, are either going along with it or keeping their heads down. There has been no organised resistance from the university sector to the attacks on them, including on Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, who are fighting their own battles while others are hoping they won’t be next in the firing line.

Republicans are utterly cowed and running scared. Some have just decided to step down and no longer fight, while others, like Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski, say this is all very inappropriate, and then vote with the administration. Meanwhile, the Democrats have no unified strategy for resistance and bureaucrats are terrified of losing their jobs. They have to sign loyalty pledges and are ordered to report on colleagues if they support woke policies.

The Supreme Court has shown it is willing to give the executive extensive leeway, and has made a few astonishing decisions, such as the 27 June ruling limiting the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions, so that, even if an executive order is unconstitutional, a single federal judge can no longer block it from taking effect nationwide. Most recently, the court approved the administration’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education. It has also sanctioned the dismissal of thousands of public sector workers.

Constitutional crisis

The damage Trump has caused will last beyond this administration because so many good people have been driven out or purged. Institutions have been turned upside down, programmes have been slashed or ended. None of these will easily be reinstated. The damage will take decades to put right.

Though many of her Republican contacts insist Trump will not try to stay on for a third term, Alex personally does not rule out the risk. He and the people around him who have facilitated his actions risk a flurry of lawsuits when they leave. Trump can pardon himself and his family members, but he can’t pardon everybody who has been complicit in his law breaking, so they have an incentive to help him stay on in office. He could engineer a crisis and declare a state of emergency, for example in response to public protests against his administration’s actions.

This has already gone beyond a constitutional crisis. The checks and balances in the system and the institutions that are supposed to act as a check on the executive are failing. This is how Alex sums it up:

The danger to Europe

Richard Corbett agreed Trump’s actions are essentially undermining democracy. He also believes Trump is more or less overtly seeking regime change in Europe. The invitees to Trump’s inauguration were the first tell-tale sign of this: not foreign heads of state and ministers, but the leaders of far-right parties from across Europe, including Nigel Farage. In Munich, JD Vance argued that the main threats to democracy in Europe are not Russia or China, they are internal. He was not referring to the parties on the right and the far right, he meant the so-called ‘liberal elite’, allegedly imposing its views on the people of Europe.

Now the US is giving overt support to far-right candidates in Romania, Germany, and Hungary. The US. Secretary of State for Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, actually went to Poland during its elections to say that Karol Nawrocki, the far-right candidate, should be the country’s next president.

Money is also being channelled from ultra-conservative groups in the US to European political parties and campaigning groups. Steve Bannon has been reactivating his network of contacts and meetings across far-right parties in Europe, while right-wing Christian groups channel funds to conservative Christian groups in Europe to challenge gay rights.

The European response

Richard notes that parties like Germany’s CDU, previously very pro-US, have been talking up the need for European cohesion and for the EU and European countries to work together more. Public opinion in countries that were traditionally somewhat Eurosceptic, like Denmark, has switched to being much more pro-EU. Trump’s threats to Greenland have certainly focused attention in Denmark and beyond.

Governments, however, and indeed the European Commission, are still being very cautious, as we are still highly dependent on the US for security. They fear Trump may act on his many hints to pull the plug on NATO, or at least reduce the American commitment, and Europe is not yet ready to take up that challenge by itself, despite unease about Trump’s relationship with Putin.

Trump is disrupting world trade, tearing up agreements, imposing tariffs, changing his mind, reimposing them, prolonging and shortening deadlines. It’s chaotic, and a real threat to Europe’s economies. Hence attempts to appease Trump or to flatter him. European countries are publicly very cautious at the moment about confronting him, but their hand may well be forced if Trump really does act on withdrawing or reducing US support for NATO or refuses to compromise on tariffs.

Pushing back

Alex mentioned Georgia, where people have been out protesting for over 200 days, sustaining the pressure on the regime. Likewise, Americans should be lobbying their members of Congress and supporting politicians who have the courage to stand up and resist. They should be making sure they vote, and they should be taking part in civil activities and peaceful protests, like the recent No Kings marches, whenever they can.

She is concerned by the lack of effective pushback in the US. Before the election many intelligence and defence experts were saying Trump was a threat to national security. This included John Bolton, Trump’s own national security advisor in the first administration. Now their criticisms are muted, as they are afraid of being painted as part of the anti-Trump deep state. They hedge their words and express support for some of his actions. Those who have tried to really speak out have had no effect, and people who work within the bureaucracy risk losing their jobs.

The Democrats are divided. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani, the New York mayoral candidate, are speaking out, but the more establishment Democrats are worried this opens the party up to accusations of harbouring socialists and terrorist sympathisers, or of being accused of allegedly ‘failing to learn the lessons’ from the November elections, about public sentiment on immigration or ‘wokeness’. There is real anger in the Democratic grassroots about the Democrat party leadership’s failure to mount more effective resistance to the administration.

Giving dictators the green light

Is Trump’s success in dismantling the checks and balances of democracy in the US emboldening would-be autocrats elsewhere? Alex believes dictators in Belarus and Georgia would be doing what they are doing anyway, but Trump’s attacks on universities, free media and independent organisations make it much harder for the US to then criticise other countries. Trump has slashed funding for organisations that promote democracy abroad, such as Freedom House, the National Democratic Institute, and Radio Free Europe.

The State Department has revised what it will report on in its annual human rights report, avoiding subjects such as the repression of protest or election rigging, because the US might want to do these things itself. The US under Trump will not care about what is happening in Georgia, for example. His foreign policy is values-free: if a regime has something Trump thinks will benefit America or him personally, he is not going to care what it is doing to its own people. He’s happy to be hawkish on Iran, not because Iran has a terrible human rights record, but because Iran has nothing to offer America.

Richard agreed Trump is emboldening far-right groups and autocratic leaders in Europe and elsewhere. Orban, for instance, is isolated in Europe, but at least he can rely on US support. Trump’s overt backing for far-right parties helps them sell themselves in their own countries: “You see, we’re not extremists. The president of the United States thinks we’re good.”

How should the UK handle Trump?

Richard understands that Starmer is doing the same as most European leaders, that is, trying not to alienate Trump by avoiding overt criticism. After the Zelensky incident in the White House, Starmer invited Zelenskyy to London, and made a point of welcoming him on the doorstep of Downing Street. He didn’t openly criticise Trump but his deeds made a point. It’s a very fine balancing act until we can build greater resilience, and that means, says Richard, Europeans must work together.

Alex agreed a responsible British prime minister can’t afford to fall out with America. Trump’s attitude on Ukraine has softened. He’s sounding more critical and frustrated with Putin, and he’s just resumed sending armaments to Ukraine. She thinks Starmer has been influential in that. There was concern Trump’s administration might walk away from the AUKUS nuclear cooperation deal between Australia, the UK and the US, which is key for security in the Pacific, but Starmer has kept it on the road. So, while it’s uncomfortable sometimes to see Starmer having to appease and flatter Trump, until we are truly independent, we can’t afford to upset him.

Final thoughts

Alex concluded by noting that, at the end of the day, no constitution can withstand a determined assault. Such attacks can only be combatted when the people decide they will not tolerate them. The American constitution is being stretched to the limit, and ultimately it’s not words on paper, it’s a living document. Its survival depends on how much people are prepared to fight. “And the failure is not coming from the American people. It’s coming from the American elites and the people who staff these institutions. That is the failure.”

After numerous delays, the European Union’s new entry/exit system (EES) will finally be introduced on Sunday 12 October. The new system will require facial biometrics and fingerprints to be taken from all non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area. Thanks directly to Brexit, that includes British tourists.

Europe’s entry-exit system (EES) begins 12 Oct

It connects all Schengen area frontiers to a central database so that the comings & goings of non-EU citizens can be more closely monitored, helping identify suspected criminals & police the 90 / 180 day limit that applies to UK & other nationalities

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— BremainInSpain (@bremaininspain.com) 21 July 2025 at 14:00

What is EES and what does it mean for travellers?

The new system – which has been labelled by the European Commission as the “most modern digital border management system in the world” – will replace passport stamping with facial recognition technology and fingerprint ID. Travellers will also need to provide personal details such as their name, date of birth, travel plans, proof of accommodation and medical insurance.

The collected data – which will be valid for three years – will be used to monitor the 90-day-in-180 stay limit, and for the identification of criminals and terrorists. It will also provide a record of a user’s history of travel and allow for checks against security databases held by Interpol and the Schengen Information System.

EES will be phased in over a six-month period, with different ports of entry starting the process at different times. It will apply in 29 countries in the Schengen area, including Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, even though they are not part of the European Union. The system will be fully operational from 10 April 2026.

Later in 2026, the EES system will be joined by the European travel information and authorization system (ETIAS) – a new visa requirement – at a cost of 20 Euros for three years’ travel. Under-18s and over-70s will be exempt from the fee.

New requirements to travel to Europe

Entry/Exit System (EES) for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay in 29 European countries (due to start later in 2025)

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— vetbizresources.bsky.social (@vetbizresources.bsky.social) 6 March 2025 at 21:08

What British tourists can expect

Dedicated booths are being/have been installed at airports, train stations and ports to allow for the scanning of fingerprints and the taking of photos. The necessary questions that travellers will be asked will usually be done at automated kiosks. However, if the traveller is unable to answer correctly, they would then be referred to a border officer for further checks. Travel experts, such as Luke Petherbridge of ABTA, believes “more people are going to be asked these questions in the future than were in the past”, though he stressed that did not necessarily mean entry would be denied.

The UK government has been “working closely” with the European Commission, member states, local authorities and the travel industry to prepare ports for EES. Facilities at Dover, St. Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel will benefit from £10.5mn in extra governmental support. That support – at the only three ports where the French border is sited on UK soil – will ensure “EES registration is simple for anyone travelling to the Schengen area”. However, the government is warning travellers to “be prepared to wait during busy times”.

Of course, the new EES will not just apply to tourists. The RHA – the largest dedicated trade association in the UK for HGV and LGV vehicles – is so concerned about the impact of the forthcoming changes that it is calling for a professional drivers’ exemption.

What Tourists Need To Know About Europe's New Entry/Exit System Before Planning A Trip

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— Explore (@exploredotcom.bsky.social) 2 August 2025 at 15:04

What Britons resident in EU can expect

While Britons living in the EU have been assured they will be exempt from facial biometrics and finger printing requirements, there are still many unanswered questions.

Following the UK-EU summit in May, and the prime minister’s ‘reset’, an announcement was made that British citizens would be able to use e-gates on entry to the EU. Apart from a similar announcement in July, regarding e-gates in Germany, there has been little or no further news on the subject. Until we hear any different, it would be best for British tourists, and British residents of the EU, to assume we’ll be joining long queues along with all other third country nationals.

An update on the UK gov website urges Brits resident in Spain to swap their green certificate for a TIE card because the green paper will not travellers from the European Entry-Exit System (EES) border control system coming in this October, whereas the TIE biometric residency card will

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— murciatoday.com (@murciatoday.bsky.social) 8 July 2025 at 13:41

Further complications for British residents in Spain

As for those of us living in Spain – the most popular EU country for Britons migrating to Europe – the process is complicated by the fact that we must all now have biometric residency documentation. Of over 400,000 Britons living in Spain, the Spanish authorities estimate that as many as 100,000 Brits do not yet have the necessary documentation, even those that are legally resident.

Those with the older paper residency certification must now make an appointment with the local Foreigners’ Office to switch to a biometric card (TIE) as proof of residency. Failure to do so could result in being prevented from boarding a plane or ferry when returning to Spain, or even being refused entry into the country. 

To complicate matters further, it is now more than five years since the last pre-Brexit influx of UK migrants, whose temporary residence now needs replacing with a permanent one. As a result, there are now two distinct groups of British citizens in Spain searching desperately for appointments before 12 October. With available appointments in the most populated areas as rare as hen’s teeth, it looks like we’re all going to have to put up with queueing for some time yet. Thanks, Brexit!