When you have an autistic child who really likes the things they like, it is very annoying when brands do this. He’s been asking for weeks if I can get some more Just Right and I’ve only just seen that Kellogg’s have discontinued it. www.thesun.co.uk/money/367130...

The then Katharine Ramsay was awarded a piano scholarship in her second year at the Royal College of Music. Since she didn’t actually need the financial support, she gave it up so that fellow student Samuel Coleridge Taylor could continue his studies. Read Red Duchess for more.

New review of Red Duchess! This time in Parliament’s in house magazine, with a readership of people I hope will enjoy a story of rebellion on a matter of principle…

Yet another maternity scandal. The NHS is failing pregnant women every day and *not enough* is being done to change it.

This is fascinating. Until reading Katy Balls's piece last week I hadn't appreciated the more moderate Dems campaigning from the centre as so much coverage here has been of Mamdani.

Abby Spanberger will now be governor of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill governor of NJ. I wrote about both of them, and their friend group, last year www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Why would you ruin a madeleine by filling it with lemon curd #GBBO

Top diplomatic gifting right there

That we should live to see such times

Actual size ---> 🎻

The infantile posturing of students playing at being politicians shouldn't be national news. 20 yrs ago the Oxford Union was home to the most objectionable of my contemporaries & it seems nothing has changed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“More than 600k women are on the NHS waiting list for hospital gynaecology treatment & the gender health gap costs the UK economy *£36bn* a year, through lost productivity from women who are unable to work.”

How will this ambition join up with schools? How are they going to equip teachers to promote these careers?

Inc me. But labour wards are not great for recovery - too noisy to sleep properly, long way to the loo, not enough food & not frequent enough pain relief. I was desperate to be discharged both times.

Frees up a Garter spot for someone who actually deserves it

I don't understand why people watch podcasts. To me they are background listening while I do the school run or prep meals, a way of turning time spent doing things for other ppl into time when I can learn something. www.derekthompson.org/p/why-everyt...

“My strong contention is that if you are constantly scrolling that is because your brain is crying out to learn something new, something that is hard enough for you.” So good from @naomialderman.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/naomiald...

The weekly Thula Mama singing group I went to on maternity leave was my favourite baby group by far. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Turning up to the "No Kings" protest with my "Actually maybe you need a king" sign.

First Scottish event for #RedDuchess at the matchless Blair Castle in #Perthshire on 27th October. I spent many happy days in Duchess Kitty’s archive there, so I’m thrilled to be reading from my book and answering questions. @perthwomenwiki.bsky.social @perthandkinross.bsky.social

If only there was a recent book exploring a precedent for a Tory PM kicking out MPs who dissent from his policy, but who turn out to have been right.... 😉

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

1 in 8 children in the UK does not own a book of their own. Over 1 million children have no bedtime story. Heartbreaking. #GetBritainReading

Social media was better when it was pinnipeds with buckets

Milngavie. Worcestershire.

You can get private covid jabs if you look - see below

Before the Iron Lady there was the Red Duchess. 40 years before Margaret Thatcher got into a tank, the Duchess of Atholl took on communist hecklers in the streets of Aberdeen. I wrote Red Duchess partly to restore this forgotten Conservative pioneer to her rightful place in the memory of her party.

Oh this is too too sad. She added so much to the jollity of life.

I’ve never seen The Sopranos, Gilmore Girls, Peep Show, Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Luther, The Killing or Happy Valley.

"Having children leads to a substantial and long-lasting reduction in mothers’ earnings; five years after the birth of a first child (Quarter 20), monthly earnings were reduced on average by 42%, or £1,051 per month, compared with earnings one year before the birth." www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Absolutely not. No way. We should be keeping kids away from ChatGPT and its ilk for as long as possible. Reading stories at bedtime is one of my favourite parts of the day. Why would I outsource that to a computer?

A vicar friend whose judgement I trust says the Bishop of Bath and Wells is a very excellent person

Oliver Letwin writes about the origins of the Climate Change Act in his book Hearts and Minds. He believed that cross-party agreement was vital, particularly to provide long term policy stability for investors.

I’ve never understood why Labour doesn’t close its conference with their leader’s speech.

On rewatching the 1995 Pride and Prejudice, I have had the horrific realisation that I’m now old enough to be Elizabeth Bennett’s mother.

"“If we create a legal system which allows unfettered use of all content by AI companies for training purposes, we lose the ability to reward authors for their work... & we end with a diminished cultural and academic canon.” www.cambridge.org/news-and-ins...

Earlier this year, I spent considerable time working on an essay for @ftweekend.com about issues around autism: www.ft.com/content/d1ba... I read a great deal about the condition and spoke to several experts. There is no indication whatever that use of a single drug in pregnancy is linked to it.

I have an autistic child. I followed *all* the NHS advice in pregnancy, and took paracetamol once during those 9 months. It is not that.

Among the biggest taxpayers in the country and a donor to education and medical research. Not something you can say about the Trumps….

Who could have predicted that the Sultana/Corbyn project would so quickly descend into a hilarious mess

“No single change to how we tax either housing or pensions, or indeed most other aspects of the system, should be seen in isolation. They ought to be designed & implemented as a part of a thought-through, long-term, well-understood direction of travel.” on.ft.com/3Iw7n1u

“Although Trump is a well-known teetotaler, guests were also able to enjoy a special cocktail created for the banquet, the Transatlantic whisky sour which mixed Johnnie Walker with marmalade, pecan foam and a toasted marshmallow on a biscuit.” NOPE.

Watched the King and Trump’s speeches at the state banquet and now the commentary says they are about to *start* serving dinner. At 20 to 10!!! Tea was all done by 6pm here. I would be eating the table arrangements

A lovely party last night for the launch of “Red Duchess” by @amygraywrites.bsky.social- a study of the fascinating life of Kitty Atholl- duchess, campaigner and Scotland’s first female MP. Great to catch up with Amy and many friends- and the biscuits were a brilliant touch!

Great turnout of lovely people for the launch of Red Duchess tonight. I made empire biscuits topped with the cover to celebrate.

It is *indescribably* exciting to go into a bookshop and say “hello, you have copies of my book, can I sign them for you?” (Have signed all the Red Duchesses in Hatchards and Piccadilly Waterstones en route to launch this evening at Waterstones Victoria, if you would like one)

For a brief timeline cleanse, I recommend the sheer joy that is Bohemian Rhapsody being performed by a full orchestra and huge choir at the Last Night of the Proms. www.bbc.com/news/article...

There are many annoying things about Netflix’s Hostage, not the least of which being that No 10 apparently has a ‘situation room’, which I’m pretty sure is an American term.