Still such a remarkable quote www.ft.com/content/085e...

the mad thing is that when Mandelson went on the BBC earlier this month for a grand Sunday geopolitical interview, he knew that the FT knew about the Epstein payments to his husband, and that they were about to come out

Remembering Private Jonathan Kitulagoda 🇬🇧 I am grateful to the Deputy Prime Minster today for taking the time during PMQs to pay respects to Private Jonathan Kitulagoda. Having grown up locally, Jonathan was the first British soldier killed by enemy action in Afghanistan, on this day in 2004.

In 2021, the now Chancellor reminded us that 'kids weren't on their doorsteps banging pots and pans for management consultants'. In this excellent piece, @philtinline.bsky.social makes the case that Whitehall should stop opening the front door for them, too... www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

This Government's groundbreaking Warm Homes Plan is a defining moment for this Parliament - showing that tackling the cost of living crisis goes hand-in-hand with climate ambition. See below for more thoughts from our Directors on why the Warm Homes Plan is a game changer for British bill-payers 👇

Extremely excited by the sheer scale of ambition from today's Warm Homes Plan. It has the potential to be a defining policy moment of this parliment: from immediate impact on fuel poverty, medium-term growth for British industry and jobs, to the long-term reduction in carbon emissions. (1/2)

Today's AR7 results secured a record 8.4GW of offshore wind - the biggest single procurement of offshore wind in British and European history. This is a vote of confidence in the UK’s clean energy future and the direction this gov has set. See below for our Directors' thoughts on this milestone 👇

We are hiring at the Labour Climate and Environment Forum! We're looking for an enthusiastic and politically minded Climate programme manager - ad below. Please share to people you think will be interested and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.a...

I am extremely confused as to why the UK government and police are saying Grok’s mass-scale CSAM generation is an issue for Ofcom. This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.

Amazing record for the FIFA

I've had two outstanding public service experiences this hols: a new passport within 2 days of application & a prescription ready to pick up within 2 hours of request. Time saved is a key (unmeasured) productivity metric: digital tech makes a huge difference when implemented well.

It is very funny to see Lord Frost writing with such characteristic pomposity on the subject of ‘Silly Sausage Britain’ - and troubling that he seems to have done so off the back of X reactions like these. (@sofiejenkinson.bsky.social is a legend and not at all kitsch.)

Still laughing at this. Cannot imagine a more self-discrediting argument for socialism than “under socialism, you should be able to gesture to your crotch, tell a customer to suck it and keep your job”.

Today's budget marked a significant change for living standards across the UK. With cost of living the most salient issue across voter demographics, LCEF welcomes these measures to bring down fuel poverty and end tax exemptions for the wealthiest amongst us. 👇 LCEF's response below:

"I would make those people stand in front of the tower. I would make them stand and look at it" Building Safety Regulator chair, Andy Roe, asked to respond to commentators who call for the regulator to be axed:

I’m crying www.semafor.com/article/10/2...

One implication. More pressure for Labour to have an offer for progressives starting with the budget. Two main reasons A) As we already knew Progressive defections from Labour in of themselves are clearly real and squeezing Labour, to Plaid in Wales and the Greens more broadly.

Worth noting that the Labour party appears to fully accept the salary threshold definition of "contribution to society", remarkable given its history and voter base (do nurses not contribute to society?)

"It is wrong that people have to leave the communities they grew up in to find well-paid, good jobs" - this is why clean power represents a key industrial opportunity. 📣 See below for our Directors' comments on the Clean Energy Jobs Plan. 👇

Starting in a half hour ! Join us for this discussion at #Lab25

Fantastic end to the 2nd day of #LAB25 with the Labour Climate and Environment Party sponsored by Gren Energy With speeches from Emma Reynolds and Ed Miliband showing how central climate and environmental ambition is to the Labour movement "Pessimism never won a single victory"

Really proud of this one - thank you to Ed/ Lewis/ all who joined for such a good and fired up chat yesterday! As Ed said - 'What's the f*cking point of politics? The point of politics is to go out and argue for things.' Personally I'm always ready for the argument.

I'm very much looking forward to 'The Politics of Deliverism' at this years #Lab25. Lessons from a Democrat loss in the US, communicating to Reform curious voters, and what it all means for Labour in power from some of our new-ish Labour MPs. Come along if you're free (and have a conference pass!)

Hitchin is a beautiful part of our beautiful country 🇬🇧 But after last week’s scenes in London and pockets of disrespectful graffiti, our communities aren’t immune from the same fears felt by many. It’s important we all step up and showcase our values at their unifying best.

From an advisor to Gordon Brown to MP to Secretary of State to leader to the backbenches to Energy Secretary once more - you can’t look at the last 3 decades of Labour and climate without running into Ed Miliband. Hear from the man himself about what has been and what is still to come. Register 👇

Obama on Charlie Kirk:

As ever, Nick Lowles is spot on. When it comes to taking on the far right, progressives haven’t got a moment to waste in building a vision of togetherness we can unite the country behind. Plenty to reflect on from his Guardian interview 👉 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Community energy allows local people to produce, consume and own energy where they live, together. It is incredibly positive to see community energy continue to feature so prominently in the delivery of the Clean Power Mission.

Trump’s 2nd term has left many clinging to the status quo on climate multilateralism. We argue for more. Proud to publish w/ @americanprogress.bsky.social 's Ryan Mulholland & @mwilli.bsky.social on how global trade policy can back workers, industries & the planet. 🔗 renewal.org.uk/blog/a-multi...

Not that anyone in politics listens to research, but there is a bucket of research (including some excellent recent studies) which show exactly this. Voters listen to leaders and respond to what they say.

👇 Leadership matters and does change things. (A smaller scale version of this is watching people on here who have a red rosette where their own moral compass should be sharing a statement that only earlier this morning they thought it was Actually Wise Not To Make)

Horrendous.

In 2023, we won the Build Public Renewables Act — a groundbreaking law empowering NYS to speed up the clean energy transition and lower your bills with publicly-owned power. Today is the deadline to tell the New York Power Authority that we need a plan for 15 GW by 2030. Take urgent action below.

Read this thread. Please.

Great to speak at TUC congress on the unhelpful narrative of builders vs blockers. Its not how you take people with you and get development moving in communities. Thanks to Prospect Union for hosting and their report showing supported regulators on the front foot can be accelerators or growth.

A rare example of an all-women planning panel - you love to see it! #GGsummit

In a few short years we will put Sadiq Khan in this category for ULEZ.

Sort of dizzying to think about how many people are alive today because Patricia Hewitt (ban on smoking in enclosed spaces) was health secretary and because Norman Fowler (mandatory seatbelts) was transport secretary and health secretary (HIV/Aids).

Thrilled to be working with the @ippr.org as an associate fellow, with a specific focus on (winning) the new politics of climate change. Excited to get stuck in with @samalvis.bsky.social et al!

I think this, from Peter Hyman (former Blair and Starmer advisor) is simply excellent. Some pragmatic advice for crafting and delivering a message, as well as a lesson on the virtue of 'navel-gazing' and the value of having (and interrogating) ideas. peterhyman21.substack.com/p/how-to-cra...

I turn on my TV and a TV presenter is asking a Govt minister why they are talking about rolling out free childcare when the big issue is asylum hotels. This is objectively insane.

Ben Obese-Jecty is the only Conservative MP and frankly one of the vanishingly small number of MPs, full stop, to react to this stuff in a normal way.

Christ. I mean, why not just suggest adding phrenology to the points based immigration system?

A week late to this v good piece but icymi (like I did) - worth reading!

I've written about why the older demographic of the Palestine Action protestors should be unsurprising – given that, from becoming councillors to activism to just voting, it is very often older people who are actually *doing* politics in this country: www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...

Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley has died aged 91. She is the subject of I think, one of the best ever FT lunches, which you can read here (registration or subscription required, will post a first 300 clicks free link in the replies):

Two whole years since The Sun provided some great artwork for the bathroom 🧟‍♂️

Political trust is at crisis point and the decline of community infrastructure is a big part of the story. As pubs, youth clubs and libraries disappear, loneliness grows, and so does support for the radical right. Nick Garland, research fellow at IPPR, for LBC 👇 www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...

Great new @ippr.org report from @sachahilhorst.bsky.social, making very clear the link between the decline of community spaces and the rise of the radical right. Sacha reimagines the 20th century miners' welfare fund as a model for reviving social infrastructure: www.ippr.org/articles/pla...