Absolutely extraordinary story from the Sunday Times that is going to be very hard for Farage to deflect. "Nigel Farage secretly funded by convicted criminal" www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

I did my best to do a commentary on Burnham's theory of economic growth & its antecedents here. If anyone wanted an op-ed from me about it I'm available... softmachines.org?p=3324

If anyone is in East London this evening and would like to go to a free concert, I’m playing (2nd clarinet) in this. (Dvořak 8 is particularly lovely.)

On deepening EU relations: "I will build on the good work the government has already done in this area."

Burnham's answer on electoral reform, FYI

The western edge of London is, of course, Park Lane. Everywhere west of that is a suburb of Reading.

England and the United States are two countries divided by a common law This week's Weekly Constitutional at @prospectmagazine.co.uk, on how recent US Supreme Court judgments uphold executive power in a way English law would not www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

My thoughts for @labourlist.bsky.social on what is in Andy Burnham’s legal in-tray. labourlist.org/2026/07/andy...

Might be good if some of the people still taking him seriously realise what he's become.

A senior UK judge recently told me that the reason senior courts in this jurisdiction never look at US Supreme Court case-law is that they regard it as so politicised as to be useless as legal analysis.

Long form version of my postmortem on the birthright citizenship case (tldr just listen to Justice Jackson), courtesy of the fine folks at @theunpopulist.net www.theunpopulist.net/p/there-is-n...

My gripe (because I live on a one-way road) is Lime bikers riding the wrong way up the road (dangerous: it’s busy) or, worse, avoiding the danger by riding on the pavement. As Lime bikes are tracked, isn’t the answer for Lime to be made to take (say) £50 off the credit card of anyone who does that?

A quick note on this paragraph of Andy Burnham’s speech yesterday. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Between 2008 and 2014 (Euromaidan) USAID spent $12.7 million on supporting civil society organizations in Ukraine. If you think you can fund a revolution in a country of 45 million people by having a DC based non-profit hand out small grants... USAID report is here: oig.usaid.gov/sites/defaul...

“Opportunist” is no more a bad thing for a politician than it is for a footballer: when the goal is open, you kick the ball in. It’s your job.

Today one of Labour’s strongest supporters of Proportional Representation takes his place in Parliament. Welcome, Andy Burnham! Now let’s rewire Westminster together so that every voter is fairly heard. #Labour4PR 🌹 @andyburnham.bsky.social

Euston Station is the Museum of Levelling Up.

A good point - the complexities of extending the franchise (the Second Reform Act) were a large part of the explanation.

To be fair, the UK’s relative international position isn’t what it was in 1865. (And I’m not sure that Russell or Derby are much remembered today.) Gladstone, of course, was in a different league of greatness - but from almost every PM since, not just our most recent 5.

The UK had five PMs between 1865 and 1868. (Palmerston, Russell, Derby, Disraeli, Gladstone)

Every single Prime Minister since 1974 has either taken office or left office mid-term, between general elections. Sometimes even both. Starmer being replaced mid-term is not constitutionally unusual. What would be unusual is if he fought and then lost a general election having been elected at one.

I really deplore this sort of thing. GRKC has, with respect, either not read the published judgment & sentencing remarks or, if he has, has ignored them. For example, it was the defendants' lawyers who sought restrictions against the public knowing about the pre-trial "terrorism connection" ruling.

Tbilisi, Lviv, Buenos Aires (have been to the others): I’d add Isfahan, Samarkand, and Ravenna.

Not quite right, here, by @rachelsylvester.bsky.social. Obviously, having > 1/2 the MPs of the governing party call for the PM’s resignation is likely to have all sorts of political consequences. But it *doesn’t* mean that the PM doesn’t have the confidence of the House.

💥 Turns out a Russian air defense missile was responsible for the most glorious strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery. 10/10 🥇

UK attorney general tells staff to stop using X amid disinformation concerns | X | The Guardian share.google/vwN7EUQVgx4W...

Here's a fun fact about Elon Musk: in 2020, his (nominal) net worth was $20b, and today it's $1t (nominally). But *that's* not the fun fact; *this* is: everything he's done since 2020 was a flop. 1/

Interesting contrast here with Martin Wolf’s view that a 🇨🇭 type deal is the likely destination of “Bregret”. Wolf’s view is that a referendum is inconceivable (so a🇨🇭 model is the end point); Sandbu’s that being a rule-taker is inconceivable for the UK so that membership is the end point.

This excellent @justicehq.bsky.social paper www.justice.org.uk/reports/from... sets out many of the reasons why Labour (unlike the Conservatives and Reform) are committed to remain in the ECHR.

Barristers’ version: “Gutted that I lost that case.” “Delighted that this otherwise disappointing settlement means I am no longer having to work with the incompetent team from XYZ solicitors and the indecisive and ludicrously demanding clients at PQR plc.”

Three ways to improve high streets by *raising* business rates: 1. Higher rates on long-empty shops, to force realistic rents 2. End exemption for charity shops. 3. Make landlords pay when candy/vape shops vanish with unpaid rates. They'll ensure rates are paid up-front.

The real “civilisational decline” here is the deliberate spreading of lies and contempt for the bereaved by the government of a once great democracy.

The interesting thing about this article - which I think is right - is the passing mention of the point that 70% of voters think that this is revolting. But Farage is betting that FPTP will enable him to win with the 30%.

I agree. Vance’s comments display an extraordinary combination of ignorance and arrogance.

This, on the death of Henry Nowak, is an outstanding piece of journalism by @stephenkb.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/aa94...

I agree. Outstanding (and precise in its understanding of the facts of the case as found by the judge and the criminal law and policing issues) piece by @stephenkb.bsky.social which I would thoroughly endorse and recommend.

Similar analysis by @nixonsimon.bsky.social to mine of why Tony Blair is wrong about Europe. open.substack.com/pub/georgepe...

“Wes Streeting is expected to throw his weight behind electoral reform... [he] has yet to set out his position on overhauling the voting system in the UK, but @theipaper.com understands he is supportive of changing the First Past the Post system” 🌹 #Labour4PR

Don't forget your daily puffins, kids www.youtube.com/live/zt3MCin...

This piece is excellent.

Now we have seen Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer’s responses to Tony Blair, the differing tone of each - active and punchy vs defensive and trust me bro - fits rather nicely into the framework I set out here.

As misleading headlines go, that has to be up there with some of the worst! As is the claim that "Immigration is fuelling mass unemployment among under-25s." The "shocking new study" does NOT show that at all 🙄 🧵 1/21

My penny worth about Tony Blair’s recent essay. Title says it all. open.substack.com/pub/georgepe...

Once again: German universities were the envy of the world before the Nazis rose to power and took an ideological wrecking ball to the entire enterprise. If you want to know how long it took for German universities to recover… they haven’t.

I've written an essay in today's FT Weekend about why - and how - people are shaking off the feeling of being "frozen" in front of a "tusnami", and beginning to fight for the future they want. as.ft.com/r/cfa87609-8... (some free clicks here!)

Okay so I read the whole of the Pope's latest encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas", the one the internet is calling the AI Encyclical, but it's about a LOT more than that (of course it is, it's over 40,000 words). Here's a thread of quotes...

Pope Leo trolling Peter Thiel here. (From his encyclical on AI: Magnifica Humanitas. www.vatican.va/content/leo-...)

My penny worth about Tony Blair’s recent essay. Title says it all. open.substack.com/pub/georgepe...

In fairness, they might have been concerned that he wasn’t putting in a shift.