Might as well admit we got absolutely addicted to this game (Mafia) and routinely came home early from nights out to play it

Unparalleled TV #CelebrityTraitors

This guy literally laughed his head off when he was asked if he was a faithful and these muppets still didn’t get it 🤣🤣🤣

Nick Mohammed is the most faithfully faithful to ever do it #CelebrityTraitors

Can’t remember the last time I got this hyped about something on television and it’s some celebs playing a version of a late night drinking game I played as a student #CelebrityTraitors

New - Louise Haigh and Vicky Foxcroft are reviving the Tribune group to do organising in the PLP along the soft left. Key figure in the welfare rebellion are formalising their organising power ahead of the Budget. (yes this is one for the nerds) Story here - www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design. news.sky.com/story/the-x-...

New statement from the MoJ just dropped (never great if you are still having to clarify at 9pm)

I think one of the underrated things about Mamdani is just that he looks like he’s enjoying himself - which is incredibly appealing. It’s one of those qualities which helps a lot of the most successful politicians, from Barack Obama to Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. Being at ease with yourself.

Exc - Reeves is finalising a multibillion pound energy support package that is likely to cut taxes and green levies from people’s bills as she looks to save as much as £170 from the average bill - @kiranstacey.bsky.social reports www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

What an absolute hero Samir Zitouni is - doubtless he saved lives that day www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Lots of commentary saying that it's not clear what the point of the speech is. Seems pretty clear to me. It's pitchrolling broad based tax rises in the Budget and making sure - as Reeves did with the fiscal rule change in 2024 - that it doesn't surprise the markets on the day.

Rachel Reeves' answer to @pippacrerar.bsky.social makes it crystal clear that Reeves is headed towards breaking a manifesto pledge on tax and how she will frame it - as a necessary response to "the world as it is" when the alternative would be more cuts or borrowing.

“My job is to deal with the world as I find it, not the world as I might wish it to be” - Reeves tells the press conference. Strategists have been saying this has been the chancellor's mantra for the last few months, when tempted to rage about the timing of the OBR's productivity downgrade.

I was at Rachel Reeves' first speech of the election where she promised not to raise income tax, NI or VAT. She was asked the question in different ways by every journalist in the room, we could not believe she was ruling it out for the whole parliament. It seemed an extraordinary thing to do.

Clearly a campaign that resonates but it’s interesting how MPs feel they have to literally hold up signs outside No10 to signal what they want from the Budget. Don’t recall this ever happening before when a party is in government…

Reeves to lay groundwork for tax rises in ‘candid’ speech about budget www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Exc - Activists could be jailed for six months for protesting outside MPs’ homes New amendment laid by government tonight will toughen laws on protests outside private homes of public officials www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

This is an extraordinary read which does make you want to bang your head against the millions of pounds of steel and concrete used to build this pointless bridge

Age restrictions on social media for over 50s.

One potential factor in X radicalisation/racism which shouldn’t be ignored is the financial incentive to be outrageous/widely-shared. Rupert Lowe - whose payments we know as he has to declare them - can clear £5,000 a month in X payments.

Everyone has their kids thing they go to the wall over. Mine is not Halloween, they can do what they like (even though I’d prefer witches/ghosts). World Book Day is a different story. A book about Spiderman doesn’t count. You are going as a real book character.

In principle I strongly agree with this, but if my daughter wants to be Ella and we already have the costume it's definitely easier to sacrifice my principles

Guys this is the ONE client you really need to double check

New - Harvey & Wheeler, the estate agents used by Rachel Reeves to rent out her property have apologised for an "oversight" after they did not apply for a licence on her behalf, having offered to do so.

This is exactly right and it’s IMO part of the answer to the ifG’s very good “come on, you gotta take standards more seriously”. At any given point, at least three ministers will be “accidental landlords” (owning their own home, but in government digs). Just have it be rented out by the state!

Some truths being told here by @willoyd.bsky.social - one of the best to do it www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

lmao

Danny Kruger’s interview this morning feels like a cautionary tale for Tory MPs thinking of defecting. He’s about to launch his grand new Reform policy and instead has to painfully blither that yes Sarah Pochin shouldn’t be suspended and what the difference is between racism and racist intent.

“This is what you wrote your book about. I am not bringing this up randomly” - honestly that comes up more often than you would think with some interviewees…

Labour’s new deputy leader says party must pay more heed to its members

Powell’s election is a sign of the disillusionment of Labour members - but there is a much much bigger and more worrying sign. Turn out was just 16%

BREAKING: Lucy Powell is elected Labour’s deputy leader

Exc - Rachel Reeves is considering raising income tax at next month’s budget to help reduce a multibillion pound shortfall, sources have told the Guardian. Very live discussion in the Treasury and No10 as debate rages over how to give biggest possible buffer www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...

EXC: Rachel Reeves considering doing the unthinkable at the budget - and raising income tax. Story by me, @jessicaelgot.bsky.social and @guardianheather.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...

So much angsty equivocation on responding to this from some Labour strategists - and yet when you actually ask the prime minister about what he thinks on this issue, he's absolutely crystal clear. Might make you think no one ever asked him what the Labour response should be. (clip is on ITV)

NEW - Starmer on Katy Lam: "I can't tell you how much I disagree with her. "People who are lawfully in this country, who have been working in our communities, our neighbours... to reach in and remove them from our country - for 'cultural reasons'. That is how far the Conservative party has sunk."

Conservatives complain to whips about fellow MP’s comments on legally settled people

Breaking - Five grooming gang survivors tell PM they will stay on panel only if Jess Phillips REMAINS in post. They say Phillips has “devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would have otherwise been unheard”. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EXC: Mark Sedwill's chances of becoming Washington ambassador have been knocked, as officials fret over an article he wrote in 2021 criticising Donald Trump. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

It’s definitely my strong feeling, from the reaction to it within the party and leadership, that they were not at all across the detail and scale of what they were proposing at all.

Indeed, and yet the press release they issued the night before draft bill landed gives them nowhere now to hide if they think they can pretend the policy is a work in progress.

NEW: Labour condemn Tory plan to strip people of indefinite leave to remain: “It’s utterly grotesque that Tories want to deport people with the lawful right to be here to achieve ‘cultural coherence’. “This policy would mean tearing families apart and ripping out our neighbours from communities."

Here this all is as a story. The Conservatives said they would provide clarity, but they have not as yet. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Jim Gamble, arguably the most qualified candidate you could find to lead this inquiry with a long record of combatting child abhse, quits the race condemning political opportunism and toxic environment. More failure of these victims. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Exc - MPs on the Public Accounts Committee are pushing hard to launch an inquiry into Prince Andrew's residence at Royal Lodge Keir Starmer indicated at PMQs today that he would not oppose MPs examining this www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Most of Westminster is still on X.

What about childcare hours for example? A benefit that allows more adults to work and pay more tax…

As reported in the Guardian months ago! But looks like Wormauld departure now imminent www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

How does this timid quote tally with what Keir Starmer said in his speech - and in his interviews - just a fortnight ago?