“I will now demonstrate how a robot picks up a bottle”. Great radio #r4today

As Britain is an island, it’s literally correct to say that the Normans invaded it. But isn’t it more appropriate to say they invaded England? #r4today #PedantsCorner

Today’s #r4today top stories: 1) A pop singer’ wedding 2) The kickoff time of a football match wasn’t changed 3) A Harris hawk’s owner being interviewed You spoil us!

This report from Jim Naughtie has a very “Alistair Cooke - Letter From America” vibe. For those old enough to remember it… #r4today

“She was raised in appalling Coventry… er, raised in appalling poverty in Coventry”. Brummie Adrian Chiles slips and shows his bias #r4today

Burnham: “there is room to move on tax despite his pledge to stick to manifesto commitments” says the News reader. “Despite” is used to compare two contradictory positions. There is nothing contradictory here. The person who wrote those words is showing bias #r4today

We should give DR Congo more respect and use their full name. That’s DR Congo PhD #r4today

I’m supporting Noah Sadiki then England then Congo PhD in that order. So, on balance, I’m doing OK #EngDrc

Just as well England didn’t take Trent Alexander-Arnold. Wouldn’t want a right back that can’t defend #EngDrc

“Non-consensual sex”? Isn’t there a word for that? #r4today

Keir & Vic go through the door of No 10 to empty the mini bar for the last time

Steve Hilton living in California is the UK’s gain and the USA’s loss #r4today

Peter Kyle is making some good points on Labour’s record on Defence. But the debate has moved on. It’s now about Keir Starmer’s leadership and, on that topic, Kyle is wasting his breath. Starmer is toast. #r4today

I’ve rarely been so depressed at the state of British politics. The barbarians are at the gate. Can we repel them? #r4today

It’s a stupidly high bar but I believe this to be Craig Brown’s finest work

On a crowded train but: Wearing sun glasses Sipping a G&T Listening to Taking Heads’ first album I may be wrong but I think I win…

Blair saying we should put policies before politics - ie what do we have to do before we choose who does it - makes sense. But isn’t that effectively what’s happening? Burnham and Streeting are both laying out policy platforms #r4today

Jimi Hendrix on #r4today Vicar in trainers!

I generally agree with your comments Jess Phillips but the rape victims weren’t “young women”. They were children - aged 14 and 15 #r4today

Lindsay Hoyle is an analog Speaker in a digital world #r4today

Whenever there are reports on Andrew, #r4today adds that he has “consistently denied any wrongdoing“. Has he? He denies anything criminal but has accepted poor judgement in seeing Epstein after his criminal conviction. And there is the out of court settlement to Virginia Giuffre. No wrongdoing?

I’m sure the term “false flag” can be used appropriately, but I’ve only ever seen it employed by conspiracy theory nutters #r4today

Imagine Benjamin Netanyahu telling you that you’ve gone too far… #r4today

I’m not especially a critic of Justin Webb (as many on here are), but considering this and his previous interview, he appears to be particularly dense this morning #r4today

Regarding Nick Robinson’s line that equalising capital gains and income taxes “affects people with a bit of savings” - remember that the ISA investment limit is £20k per year and that attracts no tax at all. You have to be pretty well off to pay any capital gains tax #r4today

This idea of a voluntary price cap on some foods… It seems the Treasury has been having discussions with supermarkets. Someone didn’t like the suggestion of curbing their profits so have used the BBC and other media to get their side of the story out. Tiniest of violins being played here… #r4today

Ian Wright there talking about the last time Arsenal were champions… #r4today

After Makerfield candidates were announced, Farage said: “This is the ‘The Plucky Plumber’ taking on ‘Open Borders Burnham.’“ “Plucky Plumber” is OK but “Open Borders Burnham”? Really? How long did it take his scriptwriters to come up with that?

Chuffing ‘eck! Jim O’Neil is a fan of Andy Burnham! #r4today

Chelsea’s tactics are paying off so far but haven’t they got some terrible whiners in their team!? Good for England fans that Palmer and O’Neil are doing well for their respective teams

30 years of hurt is now 60 years of hurt? Put another way, David Baddiel has been milking his hit record for 30 years #r4today

It’s a high stake game for Burnham. Lose the Makerfield by-election to Reform (and they win the vacant Manchester mayorality), his political career is over and Reform look like a government in waiting. Win and he will sweep on to be PM with the reputation as the man who can beat Farage #r4today

The mentioned FT profile of Andy Burnham includes this: “Burnham set out his theory of who broke Britain: ‘It was the four horsemen of Britain’s apocalypse, deregulation, privatisation, austerity and Brexit’ “ Which seems about right to me. #r4today

Keir Starmer’s Big Speech yesterday offered no new ideas. He could have impressed on many areas: foreign affairs, welfare, business, defence. But no. Zilch. Louise Haigh, by contrast, on the single topic of fiscal reform, comes up with a range of clear suggestions renewal.org.uk/articles/a-n...

Are we ready for a Prime Minister called “Darren”? Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting seem to have as many detractors as supporters. Could Darren Jones come through the middle? #r4today

Nick Robinson: “ I don’t normally like having the last word in interviews”. Nick, you bastard, you just made me spit out my tea… #r4today

Just preparing my Darren Jones bingo card: * Keir is listening * He gets it * We need to accelerate * Now is not the time for infighting #r4today

Will Starmer announce he will step down today? Tomorrow? It seems imminent #r4today

An American chap receiving an award for something doesn’t know who Celia Imrie CBE is. The American chap was, apparently, a drug dealer called Seth Rogan-Josh. I’m sure he will do well. #BAFTA #BAFTAs

Were I a Labour MP considering Keir Starmer‘s future, I would ask myself whether he has: a) the ideas to turn the situation around? b) the skills and the team to execute these ideas? c) the ability to communicate these ideas clearly? And I would answer maybe, no and definitely not. He has to go.

I’m old enough to remember when David Attenborough was principally known as Richard’s kid brother #r4today

I know this will be an unpopular view on Bluesky but that was a good interview. Robinson asked appropriate questions and allowed Starmer to answer. #r4today

I left X because it had become an odious cesspit. There, I imagine the response to antisemitic attacks is to focus on the attacker being a foreign-born Muslim. Bluesky is becoming a grim mirror. Here the emphasis is to suggest that antisemitism is exaggerated or, worse, they deserve it #r4today

Is Starmer a bad person or is he just rubbish? Very balanced discussion on #r4today

“Good morning Emma” the Catholic commentator says to Anna. Not infallible, then #tftd #r4today

We all want “this murderous, dysfunctional and kleptocratic regime” to be toppled. Is he talking about Iran or the USA? #r4today

The perils of retail diversification… “Marijuana?” “Yes please” “Cocaine?” “Why not” “Vape?” “Yuk! What kind of person do you think I am?” #r4today

Starmer is looking like he’s had enough. If there was a viable alternative in the wings , he’d be a goner already

Douglas Alexander drew the shortest of short straws today #r4today

“Thank you” in AmolSpeak is, invariably, “Thank you so much”. So, when he means “Thank you so much” he has to say “Thank you so so much” #r4today