BORIS Johnson may well have slunk away in a blaze of ugliness but he was just a symptom. The disease is something deeper. And it’s still very much here.

Seen one way, the problem is our political institutions.

The archaic and undemocratic first-past-the-post voting system, an over-centralised governance system, the unelected Lords (although it has to be acknowledged that they’re currently doing a far better job of holding government to account than the Commons), the populist abuse of sovereignty, the stuffy and outdated conventions and public school atmosphere - the whole lot of it.

It breeds a distrust which Johnson always fed off.

Seen another way, it’s about nationalisms and identities. Specifically, England has struggled to find its way in the modern world. We cling to our delusions of imperial grandeur, pretend that we’re so much more than "just English", and the devastating consequences are all around us.

English exceptionalism drove both Brexit and the government’s cavalier approach to the Covid pandemic. But we still struggle with it not being enough, in a way that nobody seems to struggle to be just Swedish or Japanese or Peruvian.

When we English do finally settle with our own identity, I suspect we’ll discover we’re much more progressive than we’re ever led to believe. Once the baggage of “British greatness” is shed, we can get on with being another northern European country.

An English parliament with proportional representation, perhaps based in York or Leeds, wouldn’t be filled with bigots from the English Defence League, and other fascists who currently exploit the lack of English institutions or representation. I suspect it would look more like the English football team – as diverse as the country itself and a real source of pride.

https://www.thenational.scot/politics/23619787.caroline-lucas-ending-union-good-us/

NEXTA
@nexta_tv

Chechen fighters "are already on their way to the tension zones"- Kadyrov

Kadyrov called the actions of the Wagner PMC a military rebellion and promised that it will be suppressed. "If tough measures have to be taken to do this, we are ready!" - Kadyrov wrote.

NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦
@NOELreports

The road from Rostov-on-Don towards Taganrog is closed, and mined. Wagner PMC forces are preparing for an engagement with Kadyrov's troops who reportedly entered the region, backing Putin.

[Twitter video]

Malcolm Nance
@MalcolmNance

WARNING: If Kadyrov joins Putin to attack Pregozhin then this is an unambiguous indicator that a 2ND RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR is about to break out.

Open warfare between Putinist forces and Pregozhin Rebels will shatter Russia’s national stability within days. Eyes on WMD and nuclear weapons storage.

Dmitri Alperovitch
@DAlperovitch

Kadyrov finally lets us know that he is all in with Putin and that Prigozhin’s action is indeed a “stab in the back” (Putin’s phrase)

Says he is willing to help with the harshest measures and has already sent his fighters to help

Maria Drutska 🇺🇦
@maria_drutska

Invincible units of Kadyrov "Akhmat" are going to Rostov to liquidate Wagner. Or to record TikTok.

[Twitter video]

Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en

Kadyrov announced that his army is on its way to fight Wagner PMC: military from Chechnya defense ministry and Russian guards already left for the "tension zone". He promised to do everything to keep Russia united and its statehood protected!

Dmitri
@wartranslated

Fighterbomber: "Wagner has speed, it's moving through unsecured areas, our generals are unable to respond:

"The most basic and most powerful weapon that Wagner has is speed.

While our fathers-commanders decide where to strike, the column is already a hundred kilometers to the north, demolishing ridiculous cars with sand and other keeper tapes.

There are no mines on the roads, bridges are open, no orders have been brought to a bunch of units at all, and so on. It is clear that in a couple of days the commanders will tighten up, but Wagner will not wait for this moment.
The inertia of our generals, of course, was taken into account by Wagner in their plan.

And yes, I keep forgetting to say. If you think that I am for one of the parties, you are mistaken. I know perfectly well that both sides are absolutely matched for each other. Bellends on both sides. And they equally give a fuck about our problems. I am for Russia, and only for it.

But today there is no choice. Today, everyone who fights against our army is our enemy. The only defense and support of our country is our army and navy. And the enemy must be destroyed.

And after the victory, we will reward everyone according to their merits."

MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦
@Maks_NAFO_FELLA

"For the time being, in connection with the threat of the capture of Moscow, the Wagner PMC, the state administration bodies of the Russian Federation may be transferred to St. Petersburg. A number of high-ranking officials are already there" — rosZMI

(((Tendar)))
@Tendar

Russian insurgent forces have mined the roads from Rostov to Taganrog, one of the primary supply lines of Russian forces to Ukraine.

#Russia #coup #Rostov

[Twitter video]

OSINTdefender
@sentdefender

Heavy Fighting is reported to now be ongoing in the Voronezh Region between the Wagner PMC Group and Forces within the Russian Military and National Guard; the Russian Air Force is also continuing to Target these Wagner Positions with Guided-Bombs and Rockets.

[Twitter video]

Visegrád 24
@visegrad24

BREAKING:

Russian military helicopters are bombing fuel depots held by the Wagner Group in the Voronezh region.

[Twitter video]

Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ
@CalibreObscura
It seems the mystery of how the fuel depot went up in #Voronezh is solved- a Wagner operated Strela-10 fired on a VKS Ka-52, but the likely 9M37-series missile missed and hit the depot.

Explains why the Ka-52 wasn't seen firing rockets, just dropping flares.

[Twitter video]

Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en

Russian army attacks a civil truck in Voronezh region - Russian military bloggers.

Reportedly, the driver and passenger died on the spot.

[Twitter video]

NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦
@NOELreports


Commander Zeki of a "Storm-Z unit", part of the 71st Guards Regiment expressed his full support for Prigozhin. Storm-Z are so called penal batallions and mainly consist of convicted Russian inmates. The commander himself was sentenced to 26 years in prison.

[Twitter video]

NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦
@NOELreports

In Moscow, they started to take down Wagner PMC banners that promote joining them.

[Twitter video]

NEXTA
@nexta_tv

The situation in #Rostov is escalating

[Twitter video]

Volkan Ayhan
@vayhan49

Ukrainian soldiers at the front follow the coup attempt in Russia by eating popcorn.

#Wagner #Russia #Moscow #Prigozhin

[Twitter video]

TheKremlinYap
@TheKremlinYap

This is how today's conflict between Prigozhin and the General Staff of Russia began.

Prigozhin openly says that Russian authorities lied about the causes of the war.
After that, the Russian army began to kill mercenaries of PMC Wagner
We wish both parties success in this matter

[Twitter video with subtitles]

TheKremlinYap
@TheKremlinYap

Prigozhin tells who was interested to start this war. He accuses Shoigu of thirst for glory and the Russian ruling oligarchic class of irrepressible greed.
A little more and he will start blaming Putin

[Twitter video with subtitles]

Jay Rayner
@jayrayner1

It’s true.

Dr Johnny Bananas
@Dr_RaulDuke

Jim Sheridan
@Jim_Sheridan

Fantastic job from #PennyMourdant as she carried the “Kebab Of State” for the entire ceremony..
Definitely a future PM 🇬🇧
#Coronation #CoronationConcert

John Bull
@garius

Penny Mordaunt has now been holding that sword longer than Liz Truss was Prime Minister.

IT'S YOUR DECISION, DANIEL 🥇
@ItsJohnRain

“I’ll have the pie and chips”

Colin the Dachshund
@DachshundColin

When you pop to Aldi to get some bread but then go down the middle aisle.

Jamie McDonald (aka @JamieHolePunch@mastodon.scot)
@JamieHolePunch

Absolutely no way he isn't receiving all 136 Freeview channels.

Wolf, guess what my username elsewhere is
@wolfcat

And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin... Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.

Guffers
@gavmacn

Charles was escorted by German Audis, by people carrying Swiss guns, he wore stolen Indian diamonds, in a carriage pulled by Canadian horses and you watched it sitting on a Swedish couch eating Chinese food watching a Japanese TV.

Pipe down.

Nikos
@nikt50

The coach was also made in Australia

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-06/australian-made-coach-to-feature-in-king-charles/102312474

Dom Joly
@domjoly

Meghan Markle’s disguise nearly had me fooled…

Ed Cumming
@edcumming

“See that bloke? Literally cannot sweat.”

Balderdash
@notDcfcBoss

Remembering Diana today - the People’s Princess.

HappyToast★
@IamHappyToast
No other country can do this

North West Bylines
@NWBylines

Public Order. cartoon by dormouse, with permission

James Felton
@JimMFelton

Love my country. People can’t afford to eat and we’re spending £150 million deploying police to protect a man in an actual golden carriage and a hat worth more than Kent from seeing a “not my king” placard. Just a wonderful place for all.

Mark Moraghan 🚫
@MarkMoraghan

Goodnight. Don’t have nightmares.

Julia Davis
@JuliaDavisNews

For those who may not have realized that gov't officials and Putin's pet propagandists actually meant what they've been saying on Russian state TV — for years! Their openly genocidal rhetoric matches their imperial mindset.

Carl Bildt
@carlbildt

A brutal honesty in this message from the 🇷🇺 Kremlin - 🇺🇦 should be erased from the map. A country that’s chairing the 🇺🇳 Security Council this month simply denies another country its right to exist. I think this is unique in the annals of international behavior in modern times.

TASS
@tassagency_en

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev believes that no-one in the world needs Ukraine, therefore it will cease to exist, he said in his post on social media:
https://bit.ly/3GrctI2

Dmitry Medvedev
@MedvedevRussiaE

WHY WILL UKRAINE DISAPPEAR? BECAUSE NOBODY NEEDS IT

1. Europe doesn’t need Ukraine. The forced support of the Nazi regime, by the American mentor’s order, has put Europeans into a financial and political inferno. All for the sake of bandera’s unterukraine, that even the snobby, insolent Polacks don’t take for a valid country, and time and again toss in the issue of its western areas anschluss. There’s a nice perspective ahead: to permanently put the nouveau-Ukrainian blood-sucking parasites on the decrepit EU’s arthritis-crippled neck. That’ll be the final fall of Europe, once majestic, but robbed off by degeneration.

2. The US doesn’t need Ukraine. True, the military and sanction campaigns are attempted for PR by political blabbermouths, who long ago attested to their impotence and imbecility. Average Americans don’t understand what “Ukraine” is, and where “it” is. Most of them won’t show this “power” on the map on the first take. Why won’t the US establishment focus on inflation and job issues, or emergencies in their home States, instead of a country 404, unbeknownst to them? Why does so much dough go across the ocean?

Sooner or later, they’ll ask for that. Then, storming of the Capitol in January 2021 would seem like scout games.

3. Africa and Latin America don’t need Ukraine. The hundreds of millions spent by US on pointless fights in Ukraine, could finance many development programmes for Latin American and African states.

Latin America is gringos’ backyard – that’s what they’ve been rubbing in for decades. Africa’s had its share of suffering from the genocide, and colonial dependence, imposed by former western slave traders. That’s why the people of African huts and Latin American favelas ask a very reasonable question: for their former suffering and present-day loyalty, why is somebody else rewarded – very, very far away?

4. Asia doesn’t need Ukraine. By Russia’s example, they see “colour” technologies at work to eradicate the largest competing powers. They understand what scenario the America-led collective West has for them if they disobey. “Help us to overcome Russia, and we’ll soon come to you”, the utterly brazen Western leaders tell them. Such gigantic countries as India, China, and other Asia-Pacific states face the big enough challenge of post-pandemic economic recovery, let aside the drugged clowns, with their whining for aid.

“We are not interested in you”, Asia tells their messengers, responding to the calls to support Ukraine and confine Russia. The country, geopolitically many times closer to Asian powers, the one that historically has proven itself a reliable strategic partner. Do Asian giants need such headache coming from former colonisers?

5. Russia doesn’t need Ukraine. A threadbare quilt, torn, shaggy, and greasy. The new Malorossiya of 1991 is made up of the artificially cut territories, many of which are indigenously Russian, separated by accident in the 20th century. Millions of our compatriots live there, harassed for years by the Nazi Kiev regime. It is them who we defend in our special military operation, relentlessly eradicating the enemy. We don’t need unterukraine. We need Big Great Russia.

6. Finally, its own citizens don’t need the Nazi-headed Ukraine. That’s why out of 45 million people there’re only some 20 million remaining. That’s why those who stayed want to leave for any place: the hated Poland, EU, NATO, to be America’s 51nd state. Joining the Antarctic with its pinguins will also be fine. As long as it’s quiet, and the food’s good. The ruling junta’s criminal ambitions forced Ukrainians to beg and roam around the countries and continents, searching for a better life. All that is for an obscure European perspective. Or rather, to let the harlequin in a khaki tricot and his band of thievish Nazi clowns to put the money stolen from the West into their offshore accounts. Would ordinary Ukrainians need that?

Nobody on this planet needs such a Ukraine. That’s why it will disappear

Humza Yousaf is to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister after a vote of party members.

Mr Yousaf defeated rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in a leadership contest that exposed deep divisions within the party.

The 37-year-old is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.
...
Mr Yousaf is currently Scotland's health secretary and was widely assumed to be Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor, although she did not explicitly back any of the candidates in the contest.

The leadership election was decided by the Single Transferable Vote system, with 50,490 of the SNP's 72,169 members casting a ballot - the vast majority of them online.

After Ms Regan was eliminated in the first round, Mr Yousaf defeated Ms Forbes by 52% to 48% in the second round, with Mr Yousaf receiving 26,032 votes and Ms Forbes 23,890.

The new SNP leader will face a vote in the Scottish Parliament - which he is virtually certain to win - on Tuesday before becoming Scotland's sixth first minister.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65086551