Deeply touched to receive personalised special offer and free gift from, er, Pure Cremation. On Ash Wednesday too!

We are proud to launch our new interactive report, detailing the impact of the Centre for Care during our first four years and setting out our ambitious roadmap for the future of our centre. Follow this link to learn more: centreforcare.ac.uk/impact-and-p... #towardsabetterfutureforcare

Astonishing donation to @mind.org.uk www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/mind-re...

In other news … (bottom p11, @thetimes.com)

👀

Weird and almost universal revisionism today. Even at the time, it was pretty clear that Mandelson wasn't appointed *despite* his dodgy links but *because* of them. Trump's Washington is a dirty swamp. Mandelson was deemed a man able to swim in it. This wasn't a secret. Everybody said it out loud.

Strategic re-set, you say? A black day for @washingtonpost.com and for journalism

Appreciating this attention to detail @pickardje.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

You have to admire Peter Mandelson's capacity to deliver surprises. thecritic.co.uk/pete...

Happy transfer window day to all who celebrate

and yes she did travel business class with the kids in economy fwiw

I can also reveal that: Ferguson received flights from the disgraced financier in 2009 for herself and her daughters which were worth over $14,000 at the time, other documents released by the US Department of Justice show.

Grim reading in annual official report on use of Mental Health Act. Out-of-area placements rising even though they should have been ended by 2021. www.cqc.org.uk/publications...

Times apology for Trevor Phillips column arguing that Labour’s NEC ‘should simply have made it possible for Burnham to carry a dual mandate’

A privilege to have been able to write this tribute to the remarkable John Knight. What a life. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

He’s losing the conservatives

US Speaker Mike Johnson has been sent to win Britain over. But can he hear the words coming out of his own mouth? My SKETCH. thecritic.co.uk/calm...

‘I’m surprised to notice that Jenrick’s pint is now almost half empty’ - broken Britain, eh?

Boris Johnson’s pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 - how it’s going …

Recalling that Nadim Zahawi’s first job in government was 18 months as a wholly unsuited junior minister for children & families. Awful appointment by Theresa May.

Well …

One of the good guys … www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Just one of the many great reasons to join me at the European Social Services Conference in Malta in May connect.esn-eu.org/public/confe...

I’ll shed no tears if I never hear another politician saying they shed no tears

Fantastic …

‘Her good manners and cut-glass accent sometimes took people by surprise in an area such as social care’ www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

This is very poor from the FT

Been an Observer reader for half a century but wavered of late. This joyous piece has done much to restore my faith. @theobserveruk.bsky.social

And perhaps care homes can advise councils to pay fee rates that cover their costs … @frasernelson.bsky.social @thetimes.com

Number crunchers PwC predicting an ‘almost 8%’ chance of England bringing home the World Cup. They claim to have run 100,000 simulations. Spain to win, natch.

FT defends London, one of the greatest cities in the world www.ft.com/content/dd79...

The Times’ reductive view of local democracy is to “kick out councillors”

Seems mandatory for journos these days to say you ‘sat down with’ the person you interviewed. Woodward & Bernstein’s best work was standing in underground car parks.

No question they’ve got the overall winner bang on - ‘The snail farmer of London, his mafia friends, and a £20m vendetta against the taxman’ @londoncentric.media

Housing ‘famine’, maternity crisis, war on motorists - 60 years ago

so great that Labour's adult care policy amounts to a Louise Casey report and an unspecified pay rise in about 2028 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Cinema in Highgate? The Phoenix in East Finchley, more like, where Stanley Baxter had his hair cut and liked a curry @thetimes.com

A children’s home in the West Midlands for sale for £1.3 million Vendors boast of a net profit margin of 24%.

so confusing at this time of year @theipaper.com

RIP Martin Parr

The Times has lost its mind

yes but was she really junior chess champion?

She would have made a fine cabinet secretary

yeah those double bookings were really awkward

Here's this week's column. Please - please - can we stop talking about migration in a way that's completely detached from the facts? www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Quite. @financialtimes.com

Best news for charity sector in quite a while …. committees.parliament.uk/committee/37...

Think Reeves can chalk this up as a win. A big win actually.

‘It is difficult to see how current levels of investment will stretch to deliver even the planned social care workforce reforms, let alone leave enough for wider changes to England's broken care system’ - @sallygainsbury.bsky.social Estimates NLW increase will cost social care sector £1.2bn