Makerfield as a mini (and low bar) test for Rejoin.

Nanny saying leadership speculation is "froth and nonsense". We are long past that.

This is your party, Nigel. It’s like UKIP all over again.

"Ordinary Britons" don't go to Nazi rallies

Makerfield could become the first mini-test for Rejoin.

Social angst in Telegraph world.

Morning

“In the long term there is a case for that” (rejoining the European Union) Andy Burnham tells itv news

Sneaking a giant screen into the flagshagger march is one of the funniest things @ledbydonkeys.org have ever done. "STAY HYDRATED" 😂🤣😂

Whether they get this far, who knows, but the contenders will be nudging in this direction.

Wes Streeting calls for the UK to rejoin the EU in his speech to the Progress conference. “We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe - and one day back in the European Union”.

If Starmer was any good at politics (which he isn't), he could use this – very loudly and publicly – to further clamp down on all foreign donations to any party or member of parliament/the Lords.

But Matt Goodwin said he was in Budapest and saw a country free of crime…

Crikey, this is significant. All about Orban's regime showering money on populism abroad including the UK. David Frost mentioned as an alleged recipient, plus Unherd and The Spectator. So much for pushing back against foreign interference. H/t @guystall.bsky.social

This is a really interesting point. My assumption had been that the leadership campaign would be in part an EU closer relations bidding contest. But that’s not the case if Burnham is effectively crowned post winning Makerfield (ie there isn’t much of a contest).

huge numbers.

I'm warming to this theme. 'Makerfield' might well end up being carved onto Andy Burnham's political tombstone. Whether he wins it or not.

Starmer's leadership has been marked by trying not to upset Brexit voters – on Brexit itself, on immigration, on nastier manifestations of anti-immigration sentiment... perhaps even on Trump. The next Labour leader needs to stop/reverse all of that. Fire Mahmood as Home Secretary for starters.

This. Flying the flag is all about context. Royal wedding, fine; BNP rally, no. This really isn't hard. And yet councils seem reluctant to remove the flags as they may upset people 'simply expressing their patriotism'. It is flatly not that; it is marking out territory. (Starmer useless here.)

Just patriots who want to show their love for country latest. If communities want to fly the flag great but it shouldn't be down to far right thugs whether they do. Those who vandalise community property and threaten and harm people should be arrested. Basics. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Morning.

Autogolpe is my word of the day.

Morning.

The Conservatives’ Alternative King’s Speech claimed the welfare bill is higher than income tax receipts “for the first time ever”. We’ve heard this a few times recently, but it’s not true. Welfare spending (including pensions) has been higher for years.

Has Spinning Hugo disappeared from this platform?

BREAKING: I'm told that Labour's national executive committee has - as expected - voted for Andy Burnham to be allowed to stand for selection as the party's candidate in the Makerfield by-election

This closing paragraph by @andrewduffeu.bsky.social is superb. It should be double underlined. This is a civilisational issue. The UK needs to embrace Europe - liberal, democratic - as it's home. And that needs to be it's permanent abode. That debate needs to start today. 11

This is significant regarding the ECHR, not least because it shows the Council of Europe can respond when there is (common) political will. Britain has influence from the inside, one might say. We may or may not like the outcome but it is an important moment in the battle to retain the ECHR.

Trump is one reason to make Angela Rayner leader.

Interesting. One to watch. And I've no doubt Sunder will be watching to see whether more complaints get upheld.

Rupert Lowe (unsurprisingly) loses his court challenge to a decision of the Commons Indep Complaints and Grievance Scheme. Note that Farage would likely fail any court challenge to a decision by the Parl Comr/ Standards Cmtee for the same reason. caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...

New post: "Why do PMs keep failing?" We'll be on our seventh in a decade soon. It's not an impossible job + recent PMs have all been v flawed. But the job is unnecessarily hard because of how it's evolved. Here's how it could be made easier. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...

🔥🛢️ Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil refineries with an annual processing capacity of 17 million tons of oil, engulfed in flames following a massive overnight drone attack on the facility.

'Just patriotic gentlemen...'

'Tickle vs Giggle' is probably the best legal case title in history. [Australian case so of little relevance here; there's been a major development in it.]

Evening.

Current Nowcast Model for Makerfield, following the news that Josh Simons MP is standing down in a bid to get Andy Burnham a seat in Parliament.

The fact that Keir Starmer has drafted Morgan McSweeney back in to save him has to be funniest part of all of this. Truly committed to never learning a single lesson you have to give it to him

Nigel Farage tells The Sun's Harry Cole that Elon Musk offered to give Reform loads of money "if we said certain things" and he refused. "I can't be bought." Two things: 1. This is an allegation of attempted bribery. Very serious. 2. It shows the obvious: donors expect something for their money.

They’re almost inviting the voters of Makerfield to upset the apple cart, stick it to the elites, and prevent the coronation of Andy Burnham.

Fair play to Burnham though. If he loses to Reform his career is over.

Runcorn: 15k majority (34%) was lost by 6 votes: three times safer than Makerfield. So Burnham needs a candidate effect to retain the seat

Is Makerfield going to be a slam-dunk win for Andy Burnham? There are better/safer constituencies...

BREAKING Labour MP Quits Seat To Let Andy Burnham Make MP Comeback And Launch Labour Leadership Bid www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour...

I know I'm seen as being down on Rejoin, but I have nothing against it in principle. It is a legitimate, admirable and worthy goal for Britain. By all means campaign for it, if that's what you want; start building a head of steam for it. I just observe that it'll be harder than you think (IMHO)...

Hierarchy of Brexiters made to look fools by Brexit: 1. The DUP 2. Lexiters 3. Liberal Leavers 4. Free trade evangelists 5. Boris Johnson and Lord Frost 6. Pro-Brexit business folk like Wetherspoon's Tim Martin 6. All other Brexiters

The Lexiter version of 'Brexit wasn't done properly', with no contrition for the fact that there was never any chance of Lexit being enacted and no recognition that the situation now isn't one in which Labour can just say "ok, let's rejoin instead": www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Ooh it's hailing outside. * * It's a law in Britain that you have to comment in a surprised way when it hails outside.

Farage claiming the £5m was a "reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years" - what an utterly stupid thing to say in the circumstances. And too many people (that matter) still think Farage is a political genius.

Streeting calls for a “battle of ideas about the party’s future”. I wonder if he basically means stopping/reversing the immigration proposals and all associated language. And firing Mahmood.