I’m sure this is well-meant, but if I had just called a by-election after facing allegations of financial impropriety, I’m not absolutely sure the first thing I’d do would be… offering the returning officer thousands of pounds in cash.

BREAKING NEWS: Nigel Farage has thought long and hard and decided to put himself at the centre of a fresh media circus. Extraordinary. So out of character.

Called it.

Hmm, so broadcasters are being lined up to take a live Reform feed? My suspicions that this is a ruse are increased...

Given that Farage’s current vibe is that he hates the media more than normal, the odds that he’s deliberately trolling them with his statement must surely be quite high. Secure blanket coverage and live feeds, then spend half an hour lambasting journalists.

Westminster folks- are we definitely expecting the Burnham takeover as PM to happen on the Monday (20th), or will he go to the palace the day after he becomes leader, ie the Saturday?

Wow- have just watched the highlights, and blimey, if it was always like that I’d watch football more often. It was stressful enough when I knew the result- can’t imagine how that felt live. ⚽️

I have a piece in the @telegraph.co.uk this week previewing my book “Churchill’s Queen”, about the remarkable friendship between Elizabeth II and her first Prime Minister. Do take a look, and if you like what you read, consider buying the book! www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family...

Absolute cracker of a game. ⚽️ Apparently. I didn’t stay up, as I have a busy day today, so of course it was inevitable it would be an unparalleled moment of national unity that those who experienced will never forget. You’re welcome. 🤷‍♂️

Not bringing in the safety car to allow a dramatic last lap of racing was quite the choice. Unbelievable anticlimax. #F1

What?!

Always a twist at the end… #BritishGrandPrix

So, whose collision or other incident will bring out the safety car and turn the race upside down? My money’s on Stroll breaking down at the most inconvenient place and time. #BritishGrandPrix #F1

Loving the brazenness with which Amanda Holden didn’t even pretend to be an F1 fan as she was interviewed by DC in the pit lane, which I’m sure will provoke furious envy from viewers. #BritishGrandPrix #F1

Catching up on the Trump #America250 speech. My goodness me it’s bad. Not particularly egregiously offensive (for once), but just a bad speech, delivered badly. It’s painful. Just imagine what Presidents Reagan, Clinton or Obama would have been able to do with such a significant moment.

For those of us watching #America250 coverage on CNN in the UK via Prime, we have the sublime irony of the celebration of the US Declaration of Independence being punctuated by regular appearances from His Majesty King Charles III, in an advert for his TV documentary.

I think I have firework fatigue. #America250

Donald Trump, standing in the eye of a violent storm, heedless of the advice of experts, shouting at a dwindling number of supporters while the rest of the country does its best to ignore him. Quite the apt image, that.

BREAKING: New York’s fireworks display has been going on so long they’ve run out of American songs and are having to appeal to the mother country for reinforcements of guitar dad-rock.

Well, the #America250 celebrations look wild. Dangerous storms in DC have led to what sparse crowds there are being told to flee for safety, and as the weatherman was detailing the severe danger of lightning strikes, he was interrupted by Air Force One flying over. 😳

Just heading off for a brisk evening 10k run… Around BRANDS HATCH! 🏎️ 🏃🏻‍♂️ 40 years since the last British Grand Prix here, which was won by… some guy called Nigel.

Well, that took its time. 86 minutes? Felt like years. #ENGDRC

Hydration break 💀 #ENGDRC

Hydration break. England fans:

Oh no! This is another very sad loss. I recently rewatched all of "To the Manor Born", and Penelope Keith's performance is an absolute joy. It you only know her from The Good Life, do give it a watch. Farewell, Audrey.

Random optimistic thought as I find myself giving feedback on some student assessments: The fact that the use of GAI is causing a nightmare for academic assessment might actually mean that the only way forward will be to get to know students better, in person, to understand better what they know.

I’m currently scheduled to be in Scotland on the day of the World Cup Final.

Yesterday I was in Westminster when I was asked to do a TV interview on Starmer’s resignation. Unfortunately I’d somehow left my glasses at home, and also didn’t have a private room from which to dial in - so I broadcast from a sweltering Parliament Square, wearing sunglasses. It’s a look, I guess.

Crossover achieved! Having successfully kept our house below 25 degrees all day (downstairs, anyway) by keeping the doors and windows shut and the curtains closed, the thermometer outside now says it’s 23 degrees, so we can finally throw open the doors and windows and let the breeze in.

How's everyone else coping?

Good to see England back on the inspiring form we all know and love. Nothing unites the nation more than the chance to make rueful remarks about the agonising shared experience.

Rather a fan of all these hydration breaks. Absolutely necessary in this heat. Very thoughtful of FIFA to think of us all over here watching.

I see the England team has begun kicking the ball toward the goal at last. Jolly unsporting of the other team to keep getting in the way…

Don’t be surprised if Keir Starmer suddenly decides to stay and fight, is all I’m saying.

For anyone else woken by the violent thunderstorm in London and the South East, it all just got very “Two Cathedrals” out there. Like Westminster needed any more West Wing overtones right now. I could almost hear Dire Straits playing. ⚡️

Well, if you enjoyed that absolutely torrential rain, you can thank those of us who watered the garden last night.

“Then, as Andy Burnham came South and the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote dawned, a violent thunderstorm broke over London of such intensity that it left journalists and commentators struggling in vain for words that could fully convey the extent of the metaphor that had burst in front of them.”

This is a lightning map, and also a map of everyone awake at 4am.

Well I guess now we know what “Manchesterism” means for Westminster.

For anyone else woken by the violent thunderstorm in London and the South East, it all just got very “Two Cathedrals” out there. Like Westminster needed any more West Wing overtones right now. I could almost hear Dire Straits playing. ⚡️

Pedantry alert: "The Prime Minister has resigned" No he hasn't. He has announced "I will resign as Leader of the Labour Party." So he hasn't even resigned as party leader yet. There will be two more "Starmer resigns" moments: when he tenders his resignation as leader, then when he resigns as PM.

Just heard someone on TV used the word "coronated." For the sake of my sanity in the coming weeks, the word is "crowned."

I loathe the impact of AI on most areas of life, but employing it to strip out the irritating sound of noisy protests from televised speeches would be an eminently acceptable use, in my view.

Called it. Last month Wes Streeting was, briefly, in a position to prevent Burnham becoming PM by triggering a contest early. He decided not to, and to give Burnham a chance to become an MP first. I thought at the time these were prime conditions for a deal to have been done...

I swear this is how 'ancient' customs start. In 20 years, tour guides will be talking about how the Keeper of the King's Podium plays a key ceremonial role in the UK's unwritten constitution, and it's unclear from where the role emerged but it's believed to trace its origins back to Henry VI, etc

I was ten years old when I experienced my first Prime Ministerial resignation: I came home from school to be told by my brother that Mrs Thatcher had quit. "Don't be silly." I replied. It just wasn't a thing back then. Today's ten year olds will no doubt shrug at the sixth in their lifetime.

I was listening to that as I drove into the office:The familiar lectern-based ritual of British Prime Ministerial turnover, to the accompaniment of an irritating protester with a loudspeaker. I wonder if this choreography will now be included in the Cabinet manual as a constitutional convention.

Aha- confirmation the government is in crisis mode: they’ve sent for Jacqui Smith to do the “impossibly sticky wicket” ministerial media round.

What could possibly motivate someone to do a 5-mile race in this heat? “Cake” is the answer. Cake is always the answer. 🍰 🏃🏻‍♂️ #WillRunForCake

On which note, goodnight. Tomorrow is going to be… interesting.