IMMEDIATELY improve your blood pressure by not allowing yourself to become emotionally attached to the survival of a political leader (from any party) who really doesn't care about you much, if at all.

Crikey. That's the definition of "excoriating".

Arguably likelier than Labour electing a woman any time soon.

As far as I am aware, the Labour rulebook only specifies that a sitting Labour leader can be challenged "prior to party conference". Now, one can argue as to what "prior" means. But technically, Starmer could remain leader of the party for months & there is absolutely no mechanism to stop him.

I feel like a least a percentage of people are confusing "Best Communicator" with "Best Potential Leader". And I think that's a mistake. Starmer's failure has been a lack of a plan AND being a dismal communicator. You can't correct the latter without effectively addressing the former. 1/2

I really want His Maj to get up tomorrow and go, "As you all know, a couple of weeks ago I gave a speech in the legislature of a crumbling democracy, riven by factionalism, bigotry & naked ambition crossed with dismal incompetence. "Which is why it is such a refreshing change of pace to be here w-"

It’s simple, we just make Galba Emperor then he can hand over to Otho in an orderly fashion in due course.

Starmer channelling the announcements board at Euston by refusing to name a departure time.

Think it's now clear the writing is on the wall for Starmer. Until yesterday, apart from Catherine West, the majority of MPs calling on him to go were either Socialist Campaign Group or SCG-aligned (AKA. the usual suspects). But now we're starting to see the normie MPs publishing their letters.

Important thread. I'm just surprised that Polanski, given his previous roles as Chief Executive of HMRC, Governor of the Bank of England and Chief Spokesperson for Compare the Market, would have allowed himself to slip up in this way.

I’m sorry, but this isn’t the fault of journalists. They didn’t cause Labour to do catastrophically at the locals & they aren’t the reason behind the dire polling and consistent focus group anger. Thinking that the press is behind this Labour crisis is a 20th century mentality.

LOL

In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to pick a Prime Minister whose *four letter name* was CONSISTENTLY misspelled by a large number of people in this country.

God, I already pity the poor bastard who has to ghostwrite the country’s blandest ever political memoir.

A growing number of Jewish students now in uni, or looking for jobs, contact us saying they want their name removed from a @jewishnews.bsky.social piece, because it comes up on Google Search & identifies who - & what - they are. Think about that for a minute. www.jewishnews.co.uk/i-deleted-a-...

Goodness, yes, from Northumberland to Newquay the voters are saying, with one voice, "you know what would bring us back to Labour? Cutting employee national insurance."

Hearing Gazza has just rocked up outside of Downing Street with a fishing rod, cans and a bucket of chicken.

These statements by various Labour MPs are reminding me of the old Soviet joke about describing the state of the economy Politburo apparatchik: "Describe the state of the economy to me in 1 word!" Economists: "Good" Apparatchik: "Excellent! Describe it to me in 2 words!" Economists: "Not good".

I'm glad they've withdrawn that demand, but I feel physically sick at the grotesque irony that a pride parade should have somehow thought it acceptable to demand that Jewish attendees conceal a key part of their identity. www.jewishnews.co.uk/brussels-pri...

Ooooooh man

As we get the inevitable social media posts about how "the Right are really focused on Zack Polanski, they must fear him!" I find myself once again reflecting on how the far-left seem unable to distinguish between *fearing someone* and *believing someone is an absolute tit*.

Zack Polanski and his partner called their narrowboat their “amazing home” for three years. He registered to vote there. If it was his main residence, council tax was due. None was paid. His team says he stayed there only “occasionally” - if true, there's a very big problem.

Walter Titty strikes again

Arsenal fans exultant, West Ham fans incandescent, Spurs fans who just received a probable stay of execution pretending to be outraged because Arsenal are the beneficiaries…

Pep right now:

VAR IS GOOD NOW, can’t believe it

Number 1 fan

This club, man. The migraines I get…

*My “let me be clear: this is not a golden calf” statement is raising a lot of questions already answered by my statement.*

Arsenal now face an impossible challenge: not dropping any points for 3 games.

As we are about to see again, the story of Labour’s internal leadership plotting over the last 16 years is *which faction of the party can benefit from being the least incompetent at this specific moment in time?*

The government right now:

🎵“I come from a land down under Here Keir is slow, Labour blunder Can you hear, can you hear the thunder? You’d better run, you’d better take cover.” 🎵

Been thinking about what the Catherine West declaration reminded me of and I finally realised.

When last month people were talking about a potentially major issue for the government due to someone named West performing in Haringey, this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.

Anyway, now she’s declared, I genuinely do hope various colleagues don’t manage to talk Catherine West out of it. If various would-be candidates are whining about how the starting gun fired before they were ready, then they’re not exactly showing the competence & flexibility that says ‘good PM’.

In the (extremely unlikely) event that Burnham managed to a) convince the NEC to let him stand for a seat, b) win it (not exactly a foregone conclusion these days), & c) successfully challenge & become PM, I think it would take around 6 months for him to be even less popular than Starmer. At most.

Catherine West holds the rather dubious distinction of being an even more awkward public speaker than Keir Starmer.

“And should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace. Shut up, Andy.”

People, Starmer isn’t going anywhere until the end of the month, with there having been a mysteriously well timed visit to meet Peter Magyar in Budapest beforehand, on the same day as Arsenal play in the Champions League final.

On that note, Labour has just lost control of Enfield council, which it has held since 2014. Looks likely to go No Overall Control, although the Tories still have a chance of taking it with 7 seats left to declare. Currently: Labour: 24 Tories: 27 Greens: 5

I think it's worth people knowing that Enfield has a Labour MP and a Conservative councillor who are *both* called Bambos Charalambous.

Just a reminder that @jewishnews.bsky.social are determined to report on those sharing antisemitic conspiracy theories *from any party*. And sadly it is present in every party. www.jewishnews.co.uk/reform-uk-fa...

I know people may not be as interested as I am, but Barnet Council results (63) seats are currently as follows: Tory: 14 (+4) Labour 8 (-5) Green 1 (+1) Reform: 0 Lib Dem: 0

There was nothing in the pollen to suggest this would happen

My personal view is if you had no problem going on marches ostensibly about the destruction in Gaza but contained a bunch of people who chanting for globalising the Intifada, I'm not interested in your pearl clutching about a march against antisemitism because some people will wave Israeli flags.

"So the control tower says we should use this autopilot, 'Andy' - although it can't actually land the plane."

Happy "these results clearly confirm my prior political opinions" day!

Today, the @jewishnews.bsky.social and @jewishchron.bsky.social have published a joint editorial regarding this Sunday's Stand With British Jews event. We hope that allies of our community will come and stand with us. www.jewishnews.co.uk/voice-of-the...

So basically another day ending in "y", then.