Dear John,

The last week saw the collapse of the Dutch government after far-right leader Geert Wilders walked out of the coalition; Donald Trump and former advisor Elon Musk launch a fiery war of words via X and TruthSocial; and Zia Yusuf quit as Reform UK chairman - insisting working to get the party elected was no longer "a good use of my time". Ouch.. While Labour beat the SNP to victory in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election - with Reform in third place. 

Over at Best for Britain, we’ve been focused on the implications of the UK-EU reset summit for energy, defence and the economy, holding an expert panel session of the UK Trade and Business Commission (UKTBC) to digest it all. 

Read on for this week’s Weekend Wire.

Not another one?!

After the collapse of the Dutch governing coalition this week, which saw PVV leader Geert Wilders end the partnership over the other parties refusal to agree to his plans on asylum, there will now be snap elections in the Netherlands on October 29. No one tell Brenda from Bristol…

Wilders has long been a controversial, anti-immigration and Eurosceptic figure in Dutch politics. His package of asylum policies would have included the army patrolling the border; turning away all asylum seekers who reach the Netherlands; closing refugee accommodation; deporting all Syrian refugees; and suspending EU asylum quotas. His bet now is that by bringing down the coalition, he can use the row as a path to power this autumn. 

But, according to the Guardian, polls suggest immigration and asylum are no longer Dutch voters’ biggest concerns, with analysts predicting a centre-left or centre-right coalition.

Trump v Elon

While Donald Trump’s decision to impose a travel ban on 12 countries - and partial restrictions on seven others - might be the most consequential story emerging from the White House this week, eyes quickly turned elsewhere.

Who could have possibly foreseen that a suddenly close alliance - friendship, even - between two wealthy, powerful individuals, both with a tendency to enjoy having the last word, could have ended this way? The US President and his former advisor and special government employee Elon Musk this week took to their respective social media platforms X and TruthSocial to lambast one another with a series of creative insults amid a major falling out. 

Musk accused Trump of “such ingratitude” and claimed he would have “lost the election" without his support; while Trump insisted he “asked him to leave” the US government and that Musk “went CRAZY” over Trump removing the electric vehicle mandate. This could get ugly(er).

Reform UK reforms (again)

Who could have possibly foreseen that a close alliance - partnership, even - between two wealthy, powerful individuals, one with a history of previous fallings out with their colleagues, could have ended this way? Zia Yusuf, former chairman of Reform UK, has become the latest person to decide they’d rather spend their time doing something other than working with Nigel Farage.

And that isn’t us being sassy - take it from the man himself. Yusuf posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: "I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office."

The shock move came just ahead of a rare bit of good news for Keir Starmer, as Labour’s Davy Russell became the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, beating the SNP candidate by just 602 votes. Labour received 31.6% of the vote share, versus the SNP’s 29.4% and Reform’s 26.1%.

On Thursday, June 5, Best for Britain held an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1975 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EEC - and the spirit of outward-facing optimism the moment represented. 

As our chief executive Naomi Smith said in her speech: “Fifty years ago, we didn’t just vote for a trade bloc - we voted to be part of a community.

“A community that meant something. A community that offered peace, understanding, cultural exchange, and really good wine that didn't require a customs declaration.

“We are European. Whether we’re sipping espresso in Rome, dancing badly in Ibiza, or arguing with the French over how to queue: we are part of that family.

“The family that stands up for our freedoms, democracies and right to live in peace.”

Former Labour home secretary - and author - Alan Johnson, who also spoke at the event, has written an excellent op-ed on the spirit of 1975.

He writes: “It was a moment filled with ambition, optimism and a recognition that our future – economic, political, even cultural – was intertwined with the other countries in our continent.”

Read it in full on the Observer website here.

Polished off

​​History is famously written by the victor. Following the success of historian Karol Nawrocki in the Polish election, this age-old saying rings particularly true. Opinion polling before the election predicted a closely run affair, and in the end the race was won by the narrowest of margins. The defeat of the liberal mayor of Warsaw by an ardent nationalist and Eurosceptic will bring challenges for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and threaten Poland’s place at the centre of the European Union. With victory, Nawrocki becomes the latest European leader to actively ape President Trump as the MAGA movement seeps into European politics.

Nawrocki claimed victory by a self-proclaimed “razor's-edge”, winning 50.9% of the vote compared to 49.1% for his liberal opponent. He joins a stable of European politicians trying to ride the coattails of Trump's populist success on our own continent. Alongside Orbán and Fico, Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Alice Weidel in Germany, have all been keen to show their compatibility with the volatile US President. Closer to home, Reform UK’s councils have announced Trump-like plans to carry out cost-cutting audits and root out DEI initiatives - even where they do not exist. 

The creeping tide of right-wing authoritarianism and the repression of rights edged further into the mainstream last night in Poland. But victory is never inevitable. The narrow nature of Nawrocki’s victory highlights the importance of engaging voters and driving turnout to push back against the populist surge. After all, in functioning democracies, history is not just written by the victors - but by the voters.

Cringe Column 

This has been your Weekend Wire from Best for Britain. Keep your eyes out next week for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ long-awaited spending review on Wednesday.

Have a good one.

Jessica Frank-Keyes

Senior Press Officer

Best for Britain