“A student debating society in Bangor has barred several Reform members. This will lead to petrol bombs” is a moronic take to begin with. But obviously what he means is he hopes it leads to petrol bombs. The threat is implicit and explicit.

Keir Starmer's best hope of survival is a reshuffle that elevates the soft left. www.newstatesman.com/politics/lab...

Another huge announcement today from government giving people more control over their energy bills and energy security. £1bn to support community groups and local authorities own and invest in the clean energy they need.

Reform banned journalists they dislike from covering their party conference and then Nigel Farage dissembled about it to Congress, so I think we’ve heard quite enough faux free speech bollocks out of them, tbh.

Yet more evidence of bloc politics and increasing polarisation of the debate in the UK - these are some pretty big swings (Tho the numbers in 2011 are striking) I don't think this is a situation where a 'middle' position is tenable for any party - particularly where your base is so polarised 'pro'

NB: partisan polarisation is a massive effect Prog party voters (Lab/LD/Green) are still +40 economy, +39 culture in 2025, but were only just +4 economy, +5 culture in 2011, and +60 in 2022 `Right-wing (Reform/Con) are -44 economy, -52 culture in 2025 having been -5 and -1 in 2022 but -30 in 2011

Wow, these are some pretty huge swings.

Great to see this profile of Rethinking Economics, the project to challenge neoclassical economics co-founded over a decade ago by @yuanfenyang.bsky.social, now a Labour MP. I hope its thinking now starts to permeate the Labour government more! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

“Wes Streeting: consistently pro-Palestine”, an entirely true statement believed only by six people, three of whom are pro-Israel MPs on the right of the Labour party who will therefore not nominate him.

Who will take Labour back into Europe? Customs Union for all! Single Market for many! The next leadership contest is a race to see who can be the most pro-EU. My newsletter, out now.

If Starmer wants a reset - and not yet another U-turn when the parliamentary party balks at a policy - here is his chance.

I like a lot of Warren's stuff - he does a good job sharing govt policy and achievements others miss - but this is delusional.

I've been at the sharp end of Green attack leaflets and there seems to be a culture of misleading claims. I suspect White Hat Bias plays a big role. Misrepresenting anyone is wrong but putting into question the independence of someone like @robfordmancs.bsky.social really is beyond the pale.

I think politics is very hard, harder than most people realise. But at the same time it is also more simple than politicians imply: most people want things to stop getting more expensive at the same time as their quality of life gets shitter, and they want to broadly trust that the system is fair.

NEW - Statement from the Tribune group of soft left MPs backing Starmer to remain as PM. But a subtle call for a cabinet reshuffle, saying change will require "a Cabinet and front bench that reflect the breadth of views across the PLP... and the diverse traditions that make up our movement."

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well/ It were done quickly: if the assassination/ Could trammel up the consequence, and catch/ With his surcease success; that but this blow/ Might be the be-all and the end-all here/

If some random MP's can meme Al Carns to leader on the basis, essentially, he was in the military we can meme Yuan Yang leadership from Bluesky on the basis of her dog.

I mean, I wouldn't trust the Greens as far as I could throw them anyway, but this is truly shit behaviour from them. But then perhaps this is what we should expect from a party led by a man who said he could hypnotise a woman into having bigger breasts.

Indeed! People keep talking about 'oh, the soft left this', 'oh, his rivals in Downing Street that'. No, it's not the soft left on the backbenches or the Blairites in the Cabinet or No 10. It's the 'alliance of MPs who can count and would like to remain MPs'.

They’ve also reportedly been ripping Vote Labour signs off garden stakes. Everything is out of the Lib Dem playbook. A very nasty campaign.

This will not be a suprise to anyone who saw their campaign in Bristol Central. Its incredibly poor form to do this after Rob has requested they don't. I'm not sure what action the returning officer can take, but hope there is some real steps taken. Urgh

The remarkable thing is Labour have basically made 'anti-child poverty' and 'climate change' the two core missions or this Government and... ... basically refuse to talk about one or them. Genuinely bizarre.

This is the key point that is lost in so much Westminster bubble talk on net zero. It is popular. It’s hugely popular with Labour’s base and with the progressive voters it needs to vote tactically to defeat Reform. And it’s even popular with Tories who Labour needs not to switch to Reform.

One thing that genuinely does mystify me, with no snark: Trump is one of the least masculine, least adult people in public life. Needy, whiny, defensive, pleading, scared of women & terrified of more powerful men. I’m at a loss about why Trump’s base sees him as manly or strong.

Realised Ive watched too much European sport/winter olympics and I not believe that the Seahawks must be from Slovenia given the lime green trim. Good as reason as any to back them

The arc of the political universe is long, but it bends toward Miliband

The differance between *what the govt is actually doing* and ehat 90% of people, including its MPs apparently, think its doing is remarkable.

The government is spending tens of billions of pounds on net zero! The government is softening Brexit! The government is consulting on getting every business to do ethnicity pay gap reporting!

Rejoinerism would honestly be an extremely good strategy for Labour to pursue at this point

Ed Miliband backed into second favourite to be next leader on Betfair, now has marginally shorter odds than Wes Streeting.

While we all get swept up in Westminster, take a moment to think how fortunate we are

Also it’s a lot easier to blame “the algorithm” than “what people enjoy watching”, because the former suggests there an easy or quick fix and the latter…doesn’t. bsky.app/profile/jim....

Excellent and clear - as Sam says there us relatively little room to maneuver and not that long, in political terms, left. The big opportunity is around immigration: stopping the present proposals and focusing on making the existing system work + better rhetoric woulf have a huge impact on vibes

Interview with her was a good example of the insane temperament you need to be an Olympian. Injuries so bad she could barely go on walks with her kids. Retired, had an operation that fixed it... Then decided to go back to competing.

Again I come back to: people are spending too much time thinking about politics and boiling their brains. There isnt even a data arguement here! Its pure vibes!

Once again the Labour right fail to reckon with the fact that, first, they have to win with the membership. This is actually mental and the blokes (and it will be blokes) advocating it are entirely detached from reality

Saying you would take a "much tougher stance on immigration" than the Labour government is (or should be) discrediting for the same reason that saying your budget plans would be "very fiscal" would be. What does it mean?

If I was Welsh Id be pissed at how entirely disrespectful England are being. Theyve shelled 3 scored + through, essentially, playing a game of 'how can we score here'

I have made an error.

Yeah, this is going to be a *big* score. England just better in every area

Questions to which the answer is no

The untold story that is told constantly and isn’t really true

It is terribly sad that the former PM feels the need to say this in the face of low life blowhards. We cannot allow this to even be a question. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Quite like the fact that basically all the freestyle ski women are wearing their bibs with only one arm in, for fashion... ...except for the New Zealander who is, in a very New Zealand way, wearing it Properly and Sensibly

Its not a new sentiment but: Fuck Matt Goodwin. I have family members who'd dearly like to have kids, but can't due to medical stuff. Friends who have spent years trying but it hadnt happened. Multiple miscarriages. Fuck Goodwin and everyone who supports him.

So as I struggled with miscarriage after miscarriage before having my 🌈 baby, Reform would seriously think I should pay more tax during that agony. This policy isn’t just a slippery slope to a handmaids tale dystopian future - it’s a deliberate step towards it www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

I actually really don't buy this, particularly in Labour. The 2024 intake is very strong and there are plenty of other specialists out there. There is a question of whether they're promoted correctly and, IMO, if pure policy specialists have the breadth of top level cabinet roles.

I really hope people advocating to ban kids from SM read this. Some kids are isolated by disabilities or circumstances. Furthermore, some kids grow up in abusive households. “Ideally, a child’s exposure to online worlds should be moderated by their parents” isn’t a reassuring sentiment for everyone

This is amazingly bad datavis

Just saying - if any of you want a insane ski deal Sunweb tends to be pretty decent....