Shout out to Hafnia, a "world leading product & chemical tanker shipping company" who are getting a truly amazing amount of earned media today, because in 1979 a meat company of the same name decided to sponsor Everton FC

Andy Burnham did the 2014 London Marathon in 4 hours 26 mins 19 seconds, if you were wondering

Sure

Been on this because of Andy Burnham's classic Everton shirt (1979-1982 home) and it's a little reminder of what the internet used to be, an outlet for people's passions/obsessions. Sad to see it's no longer being updated: www.historicalkits.co.uk/Everton/Ever...

Sources tell the BBC Thursday 18th June is the “likely” date of the by-election in Makerfield

ADVISORY: Robb Stark is styled “King IN the North” not “King OF the North” in Game of Thrones. Please update copy accordingly.

James Murray is the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Earliest possible date for a Makerfield by-election is Thursday 18th June

Me boarding Avanti West Coast for the by-election

Andy Burnham confirms he will put himself forward to be Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election

Well then

👀

So last Prime Minister to have not served beforehand as either Leader of the Opposition, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary or Chancellor was...Arthur Balfour? But even he held the title of 'First Lord of the Treasury', usually held by the Prime Minister before taking over

New idea. Next time we publish a report on a politician, I’ll keep the politician’s name blanked out for a week, and let everyone take positions before they find out who it is.

Statement from team Burnham on pulling out of BBC Radio Manchester’s “Hotseat” tomorrow: “As you know, Andy doesn’t like to miss the Hotseat. But this week, to get the best deal for Greater Manchester, he has to prioritise discussions arising from last week’s local elections.”

Me explaining VAR to people who don’t like football: so each team pays about £100k a year to get some referees to watch the game in an office somewhere Them: so they can make sure there are no mistakes? Me: absolutely not, no

These Conservative Party emails sometimes feel a bit personal

Making London host two Jacksonville Jaguars games is another nail in the coffin of the “special relationship”

The seating arrangements for the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament have been agreed. Parly officials stress the layout carries no status implications, particularly for the two parties tied on seats.

Oh my god the photo of Southampton's intern spying on Boro is incredible

Eurovision semi-final from Tuesday lowest since it moved to BBC One from BBC Four, with average audience of 1.3 million.

The Prime Minister has “full confidence” in the Health Secretary according to the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson.

An absolute all-timer of a canva graphic there

The Wikipedia graphic version of the Columbian Exchange is somehow hilarious. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbi...

Have they considered time limiting the backstop?

The only currency left is attention and you are going to pay attention to this. All four months of it. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Sign of the times Toby Melville/ @reuters.com

As I was saying, the Duke of Wellington has been made a life peer

26 former hereditary peers nominated for life peerages: www.gov.uk/government/n...

I’m the first to have criticisms of the Lobby and the way politics is often covered in the UK. But the comforting fiction that what we’re seeing is a pure media concoction is simplistic nonsense. The reason Starmer is in trouble is because many of his closest colleagues think he’s not up to it.

There are *two* news helicopters up over Whitehall at the moment

New set of PPS appointments announced!

Remembering the 56 who went to a football game and didn't come home. And the others who did and had their lives forever changed by May 11th 1985.

Price of best available World Cup final tickets tripled by FIFA to more than £24,000

Gordon Brown appointed the PM’s “special envoy on global finance”

I can't think of another UK columnist who could get away with this.

A guess a lot people will be spending a lot of today checking some slowly changing numbers on a BBC webpage. If you enjoy that sort of thing and want it to be a more than annual occurrence - can I recommend getting into county cricket?

In Downing Street today a bird landed on our camera. WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY MEAN 🤷‍♂️

Deleted a post because it included the phone number of ITN’s media control room 🤪 Will try again.

Badenoch in Bexley, where the Tories kept control of the council: “Bexley said no to Reform and do you know why? Because you guys are next to Kent and you saw the mess that they are making”

Nice to see Brian Taylor on the election results but as ever, he’ll save his best insights for Twitter

Stephen Gethins wins which means a Arbroath and Broughty Ferry Westminster by-election

Tories trounced in Essex. Current vote share: Reform – 43%, Tories – 10%. The backyard of Badenoch, Cleverly, Burghart going teal.

Shetland Islands (Highlands and Islands) Constituency Vote (vs 2021): SNP: 5453 (47.5%, +5.6) LD: 3936 (34.3%, -14.3) GRN: 949 (8.3%, +8.3) RUK: 725 (6.3%, New) LAB: 169 (1.5%, -2.1) CON: 137 (1.2%, -3) OTHx2: 115 (1%) Valid Turnout: 63.9% SNP GAIN from Lib Dem ^AF

Election latest: A swarm of bees has arrived at Worthing Leisure Centre where counting for Worthing, Adur and West Sussex councils are under way. Returning officer Paul Brewer has advised everyone to REMAIN INDOORS

Football language creeping into everything latest, Labour group leader on Hull City Council on Keir Starmer: "I wish Keir Starmer no ill but I think ultimately he’s not the right man to take us to the next level"

Absolutely adore Race Across the World, properly life affirming stuff. Best show on TV, except any ones I happen to work on of course

Ah that’s sad www.theguardian.com/football/202...

I do genuinely enjoy the process of voting in person, always feels good to do a civic duty

Prime with ads. Just how Kubrick intended.