A by-election isn't a general election. Voters are aware there's no risk of a change of government – you might get a Reform MP, but you won't get a Reform PM. Taking left-wing "stop reform" voters for granted only goes so far: people who might hold their nose and vote in a general may not here.

Unless his allies are wrong, hope he loses the by election now. Pathetic.

I really don't understand why they made a series *of* the books rather than spinning off. Pick a time period that doesn't overlap, and have some characters and stories *written for multi-series episodic TV*

This show needs to be shut down right now - it shouldn't be able to survive this. And more broadly, I hope it signals the beginning of the end of shows where people are thrown together in the hope that they'll shag each other and then have dramas. It's a shit, exploitative model that needs to die

You reduce the number of fit/sick notes by having a healthier population. Anyone who doesn't get that is either too moronic to be allowed in government, or is just an ableist arsehole.

Oh, FUCK OFF, labour. Ableist tripe like this is exactly why you *deserved* the annihilation you got at the locals.

The fuel duty delay would be a bit more explicable if the government was also going hard on reducing demand - encouraging if not incentivising ways to cut demand (wfh, public transport, walking and cycling, reductions to non essential travel) - but they've done absolutely nothing there.

Plus warmed over SNP leftovers with supermarket price caps. It's a complete joke, Starmer can't go soon enough.

Agree with Emily Thornberry here.. this is a properly shit decision from the govt. How can you just throw them under the bus

Badenoch asks Starmer why oil from Russia is acceptable while oil from Aberdeen is not? It is a *very* good question and a sign of just how stupid and venal the government's relaxation of sanctions was in this instance.

This is worrying. Too early to say, but this may suggest team Starmer has killed labour off for good.

This looks odd to me. Two thoughts occur as to possible explanations: 1. The members unhappy at labour's immigration policy have already left the party in the fairly large exodus of recent years Or 2. There's something janky with yougov's sample

What's a starmtrooper's favourite river? De Niel 😉

Marks and Spencer boss slams ‘preposterous’ UK proposal to cap food prices ft.trib.al/dg9jNt3

Solar in general - rooftop, plug in, small scale commercial, and full size plants. Until we get fusion reactors working, we can use the giant one in the sky, yet solar is stuck behind prattlings about "local benefit" while climate change is real and oil is Expensive.

The government seems to believe it's main problem is Comms, not policy, but we could now be six weeks into a big "This is what is happening, this is what it means" campaign about oil prices... And we just aren't?

Yikes. All credit to the FT for running the numbers, but the maths just isn't mathsing for the AI bubble, and when the product is *so* hype based... Yeah. 2009 redux, he we come...

It would be great if the government could spend some time trying to solve the many, many real problems facing the UK – instead of imaginary ones. UK retail operates on *tiny* margins – averaging around 4p in the £1. Supermarkets are cheap and efficient: food is expensive because inputs cost more.

Reeves really is a stupid person's idea of a clever person. Between this and employer's NI contributions, she has no understanding of consequences... UK Treasury pushes supermarkets to cap food prices - www.ft.com/content/8573...

I still fear strictly is holed below the waterline, but this is... OK? BBC News - Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe to present Strictly Come Dancing www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

*sigh* just let the JR have enough blasted staff parking. Park and ride isn't suitable for shift work, and just makes a long day/night shift even longer. Council always been The Bad Guys here, shame to see it continue.

This story has everything. Pointless AI integration, gig economy workers exploiting it (can’t blame them for gaming a system that pays so little), franchisee screwed by corporate who have never made a pizza. www.businessinsider.com/pizza-hut-ai...

Hello! This gig has gone live for a Narrative Designer at Rebellion. A good part of it is implementation rather than writing, but there's some of that, too. Also, HUGE BONUS, you get to be on the same team as me! Hey, where are you going? apply.workable.com/rebellion/j/...

People are stealing anti-vehicles, are they? Grauniad level punctuation fail from the beeb here... BBC News - Thames Valley Police launches anti-vehicle theft campaign www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I guess this varies? In my experience teachers will say a *little* more than HCPs, but both will mostly just invoke "government policy" in a neutral "don't blame us" sense, and even then only for specific policies, not "blame 16 years of underfunding" or "Gove broke GCSEs"

The local democracy reporter project is failing. It's incredibly hard to make a case that this is good for local media or local democracy (and it's by far from the worst abuses media groups have got up to with using this staff funded by this scheme to replace their own paid team).

The esteemed Mr. Fahey absolutely nails it on stark realities of gamedev business models here. www.gamesindustry.biz/the-hangover...

The mindset is quite funny when you work backwards - genAI fans are often too willing to talk up negative outcomes, *especially when they make the tech sound more powerful*. They will play up narratives about loss of jobs, or being too smart to control, simply because that makes genAI sound better.

Ahh, Nandy. Protecting her job where she can do nothing and not be sacked for it.

Gratuitous self repost simply because I'm very happy with the "Frodo Begins" joke.

Nandy is a symptom of what's wrong with the government, so her failing to have a useful opinion is... Yeah. Complete waste of a job.

I feel like a far simpler solution covering 99% of the use value is a "delete and repost" button which deletes my post entirely but pops up a window with a replica of the post so I can edit whatever mistake I made without having to faff around with adding every single image and alttext from scratch.

Britain really needs to stop sending "British #eurovision entries". I know we'll never send our truly big hitters, as they don't want to be subjected to the political voting, but we could send good stuff who don't care about that - new upcomers, old hands, or popular but not mainstream.

We're getting nul points this year, aren't we... #eurovision

Ok, I actually laughed out loud there. Croatia Understood The Assignment 🤣 #eurovision

Bad information films now. Remember when #eurovision hosts nations did stuff like Riverdance?

The hosts are *bad* this year. And sadly more annoying than entertainingly naff...

Right, let's DO THIS! Eurovision final on. We may not stay awake until the end 🤣

Note to Rachel Reeves: going “not touching, can’t get mad!” and hiking employers’ NICs and taking an axe to salary sacrifice is NOT finessing your way out of it.

Yup, the films are *so* well made. About the only thing they cock up as an adaptation (and apologies, you can't unsee this once you notice it) is lack of civilization/population. Other than the shire and Mordor, everywhere is in the middle of fecking nowhere. Ok for Rivendell >>

Yeah, this is probably the solution at this point - anything even pseudo canon with the Jackson lotr trilogy has to either live up to it (hard) or be crushed. A new take (Frodo Begins, as it were) would break free of that.

It's part of why I wish instead of making 'The Hunt for Gollum', Warner Bros would just get another director with a different sensibility to make Lord of the Rings again. They might do it badly but it is actually a text that can bear different interpretations!

* need And yes.

Nice one, Kier. Sooner he's gone, the better.

The plan involves raising taxes to cover desired day-to-day and borrowing to invest in stuff that will actually make Britain more productive, while also trying to rebuild trade with the EU. Anyone who doesn't say something like that is simply not taking the question seriously IMO

I'm sorry, but what the actual FUCK?

It says a lot about quite how mad tech investment is these days "human colony on mars" is MORE LIKELY THAN AGI. It's ridiculous hard and expensive, but we at least know vaguely how to do it*, whereas we don't have the even faintest idea how to make AGI. Not a scooby. *Remember to send a botanist.

I am putting the people I represent first and resigning as their representative.

The best option for everyone* is for Starmer to quit, and soon. Minimises the disruption to force his hand, and means the best possible version of the leadership contest. *Apart from Burnham and Starmer, but I really don't give a fig about what either of them want, selfish fools.

Health Secretary who cares about health, please. I know, ridiculous ask.