Mackenzie Crook’s rural dreamscape #Detectorists published by #PenguinBooks (and its offshoots) down the years. 🧵 1/

Try it for yourself! devolvedelections.co.uk/scotland-pro... www.thenational.scot/news/2583446...

A good example of how strangely unpolitical this government is at times. The Economist is fretting that trade union laws have been tilted (sharply!) back towards strengthening unions. But is the government making an argument around this to progressive voters? No. economist.com/britain/2026...

The untold story that is told constantly and isn’t really true

Don’t tend to read political books but enjoyed @morganj0nes.bsky.social on 2nd referendum. No big show off explanations you normally get about “how clever we were inside the campaign”. More an anthropology study of the weirdness of FBPE and a two years of Twitter-driven national psychosis.

The rain over the last month has made everything much worse. Every hole that was there 5 weeks ago is now worse, and other big holes have appeared alongside. One road near us, patched up c.6 months ago, is now an absolute mess - worse than it was before - and it has only become so since Xmas.

The pothole situation is now a full-blown crisis. And it's not over yet.

What ultimately brought Margaret Thatcher down was the great helium leak of 1990

This is one for the party whips. MPs' voice pitch goes up in debates if they are intending to break ranks...

Where Starmer's disastrous week leaves him — and his potential successors Big, detailed PolHome read on what comes next, ft Rayner, Streeting, Carns ("Al-mentum") and the “wounded buffalo" PM w/ @siennarodgers.bsky.social @matildamartin.bsky.social @zoecrowther.bsky.social & Harriet Symonds

Me, on arousal, for @thehousemag.bsky.social. Political arousal, that is. www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

My thoughts on what is (and isn't) at risk for Reform in becoming "Tory Party 2.0", given recent polling, the dynamics of bloc politics, and the party's popularity with 2024 non-voters: theconversation.com/reform-has-b...

Let's say a new leader became PM on 1st April. They could be Prime Minister until the 16th August 2029. That would make them the Prime Minister with the median time in office - 29 would have served more, 29 would have served less. Three Years & a few months is actually a really long time in politics

"Well, lads, I haven't been able to get hold of any gunpowder, but what I have got is a consultants' report on the cost of restoring the building. If we just wait it out, they'll let the place collapse and/or burn down all on its own." "Nice one. Pub?" "Pub."

Yet this is a government with three years left to run and an enormous Commons majority. For all the problems, there is an enormous opportunity there for someone with the political nous to take it and use it.

Me, on arousal, for @thehousemag.bsky.social. Political arousal, that is. www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

The Al Carns stuff is nuts. He's not even been an MP for two years. He's not even a Minister of State. Parliamentary - and ministerial - careers have become accelerated recently, but not *that* accelerated.

We @qmulsse.bsky.social have a vacancy: a one year Lectureship in Public Policy (Teaching & Scholarship). Please see details below.

Why are legislatures in some authoritarian regimes more powerful than others? @emisimison.bsky.social (@qmulsse.bsky.social) and Alejandro Bonvecchi (UTDT-Conicet) tackle this question Lawmaking under Authoritarianism doi.org/10.1017/9781... Polisky

A red letter day. As the rain tanks down outside, and the lawn resembles the Somme, South East Water lifts a hosepipe ban that has been in place since July...

Throwback to my exclusive from back in September – Labour peer Lord Glasman issued a warning to No 10 about Lord Mandelson's "unwise" appointment: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Interested in the intersection between policymaking, especially in the UK, and academic research? Come work with us! The @mileendinstitute.bsky.social at @qmulsse.bsky.social is advertising for a new Policy Partnerships Officer. Details and application here: qmul-jobs.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/...

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It's important that we credit @siennarodgers.bsky.social who first scooped this back in September, not just because she did great work, but also because this shows how herd-like Westminster can be. This information was already there, if anyone cared to acknowledge it at the time!!!!!

Really just an excuse to post this again:

Me for years and years of living in Labour safe seats: I just want my vote to count for something and the parties to act like they care Me a week into living through this by election campaign:

I thought he was Alun Cairns at first, who isn't Labour, isn't an MP, and would be even worse (for a Labour government) even without those two points.

Rapidly elevating someone who had an impressive CV outside politics but little experience within politics certainly worked well with Keir Starmer (subs please check).

The Al Carns stuff is nuts. He's not even been an MP for two years. He's not even a Minister of State. Parliamentary - and ministerial - careers have become accelerated recently, but not *that* accelerated.

Three months until the next one kicks in.

He would have announced it dancing to Singing in the Rain

A red letter day. As the rain tanks down outside, and the lawn resembles the Somme, South East Water lifts a hosepipe ban that has been in place since July...

In case that manuscript amendment doesn't take the sting out of today's vote, the largest backbench rebellion thus far this parliament was 49, over the UC bill, back in July 25. Largest Labour rebellion over an opposition day motion so far this parliament stands at: one.

When @jasonleopold.bsky.social told me the Justice Department inexplicably redacted the “J.P.” from “J.P. Morgan” in a J.P. Morgan research note, I didn’t believe him. But here it is:

Well, quite.

Just a quick note to @greenparty.org.uk and @greenpartyhan.bsky.social - I was not consulted on being quoted on your leaflets and I have not endorsed your campaign (or any campaign in this seat). I think this note, like the bar chart next to it, is misleading and out of context.

Good to see this up! In this piece itself, I argue the problem is not *just* Keir Starmer.

In an otherwise utterly grim saga this is, I'm sorry, hilarious. Epstein, the recipient of Mandelson's leaks chides him for being indiscreet and betraying his bosses in his autobiography.

Anyone with experience of our party will know that these two groups might well have some crossover.

Imagine Mandelson is under a lot of stress right now so just as well his husband is a trained osteopath.

The awfulness of Epstein risks overshadowing the fact that what Mandelson did would have been wrong whichever financier he was sending stuff to. thecritic.co.uk/pete...

Social media really has ruined Commons scrutiny in that nobody hunts in a pack anymore, it's just 'would the minister like to repeat his statement but for *my* Facebook clip' these days.

Fun as well as erudite @financialtimes.com piece from @philipjcowley.bsky.social - "Bugger Burke" - on defectors and the pro and con of an immediate by-election as.ft.com/r/5c050691-6...

This is great: Meet Hereditary Peer Lord Hampton – The Only Serving Teacher In Parliament www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Because you can never have too much Yvonne Fair... www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUeC...

I like this. I have always opposed automatic by elections because it’s ultimately the MP that holds the mandate, but a higher-threshold recall petition would at least force the cynical switchers to make their case to the electorate, and provide a negative incentive before action.

Thoughts in the FT on why I don't like the idea of an automatic by election if an MP changes party - but understand why some people do, along with a possible compromise... How to deal with defecting MPs - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... via @FT

4 measly likes. You lot are so uncultured.

You can’t be against nerds and interested in psephology. Sorry but I don’t make the rules.

No.