🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 New towns on the horizon 🏘️ Housing minister @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social, MP @seanlwoodcock.bsky.social, @susanparham.bsky.social, Rico Wojtulewicz, and @vickyspratt.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss the plan for new towns in England 🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/3c3869

Speaking to PolHome's @alaintolhurst.bsky.social on the latest episode of The Rundown podcast, housing minister Matthew Pennycook says building "exemplary" new towns will help reduce nimby sentiment “We have a chance here to show that we can do really good development in a different way"

The words ‘third places’ are absolute catnip to me, no way I’m scrolling past

lmao

Here we argue that predictions of local ‘chaos’ as a result of fragmentation may be misleading - given the current incentives of FPTP under bloc politics … We may instead be in the middle of a restructuring towards national fragmentation, local two-partyism.

“Worst she can say is no” Bro, she said I look like someone tried to draw President Taft from memory

Division is on the rise in the UK, former cabinet minister Sajid Javid has warned Speaking on PolHome podcast The Rundown, the former Conservative MP said recent debates about whether non-white politicians like him and ex-PM Rishi Sunak are British were not happening "even a decade ago"

🚨 OUT NOW🚨 Former Conservative MP and minister Sajid Javid joins @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss what he learned writing his memoir, the state of race relations and social cohesion in 2026, and the travails of the Tory party now it’s out of office 🎧 Listen now: pod.fo/e/3b3c77

“I’m a big believer in pride from excellence, pride from high performance": Exclusive interview with cab sec Antonia Romeo www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

I had this thought when I heard Theroux talk about trying to get the Tates for his doc - like what do you gain by putting those guys on TV; literally everybody knows who they are already, and there is a separate Wikipedia page dedicated to their crimes

My wallet is in so much danger

Have been holding back reading this until it arrived in print, going in now…

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Can ministers prevent an energy bill crisis? ⚡ MP @billesterson.bsky.social, @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social, @smfthinktank.bsky.social's Niamh O Regan and Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss the impact of the Middle East conflict on the UK 🎧: pod.fo/e/3a7fb5

A government intervention to protect household energy bills from the impact of the Iran war faces being "staggeringly expensive", a leading economist has said Paul Johnson told @alaintolhurst.bsky.social that Whitehall still lacked the necessary data to create more "sensible" and "targeted" support

The badger looks like the villain from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

I did think I would be bored of the Spurs Tudor / historical Tudor jokes by now, and yet

Great to join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social on The Rundown @politicshome.bsky.social alongside economists @jamessmithrf.bsky.social & @nickridpath.bsky.social to talk through the Spring Statement, energy prices and the global outlook. Clip below on why energy security matters for the UK economy👇

‘The cover-up is brazen’: one journalist’s tenacious, traumatic fight to expose Ghislaine Maxwell

New: Prison guards discussed cover-up in Epstein's death, inmate tells FBI. open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...

Twenty years on, the Iraq War still looms large in the minds of Labour MPs 🔎 @zoecrowther.bsky.social and @tomscotson.bsky.social explore how the 2003 invasion of Iraq and its aftermath are shaping Britain’s response to the Iran conflict

Wild that the two greatest guitar solos of all time are both on the same song

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 What did we learn from the Spring Statement? 📈 Labour MP @lukemurphy.bsky.social, Resolution Foundation's @jamessmithrf.bsky.social and the IFS's @nickridpath.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss the state of the economy 🎧 Listen now: pod.fo/e/39ea85

Very interesting @politicshome.bsky.social pod this week - looking at whether the low-key Spring Statement was a missed opportunity by Rachel Reeves to set more direction from the government, and to set out the dangers now facing the economy alongside the more positive OBR figures 🎧 Listen here:

Parliamentary Staff Furious Over MPs Getting Bigger Pay Award www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The American mind could never

JUST IN: Josh Simons quits government. Starmer: "to avoid any ongoing distraction from delivering the Government’s mission, you have taken the difficult decision to step aside." Laurie Magnus probe found no breach of the ministerial code. Story to follow

It's probably this and everyone should read it. jwmason.org/slackwire/po...

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Reform's revolt on the right ➡️ Director of British Future @sundersays.bsky.social, pollster Scarlett Maguire & @robfordmancs.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social & @tomscotson.bsky.social to discuss the threat to Reform from newer parties on the right 🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/39888f

There's been secret chemical barrels, accusations of devil worship and allegations of millions of pounds of fraud. But now things have gotten even stranger on one of south London's biggest estates. www.the-londoner.co.uk/loughborough...

Learning a second language can be hard. Signing up for Pre-K and 3-K is easy. Go to myschools.nyc to apply today. Deadline is tomorrow at midnight!

A vote for Bulbasaur is a wasted vote. Only Squirtle can beat Charmander in Gorton & Denton

Government is preparing to launch its digital communications overhaul The work, months in the making, is expected to see the New Media Unit given expanded capacity to boost the Labour administration's digital reach, PolHome understands @zoecrowther.bsky.social & @adampayne26.bsky.social report

Resident doctors' strikes: Labour MPs are quietly optimistic that a deal with the BMA might soon be reached - but there are fears that an end to the dispute could cause new problems for the government. My feature for @thehousemag.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Italy are the fourth six nations team to try a red away shirt and unfortunately they have all been dog shit

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨Is this the Green Party's moment? 🗣️Green MP @elliechowns.bsky.social, Director of Thinks Insight & Strategy Allie Jennings, & PolHome Editor @adampayne26.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to take a look at the voters thinking of backing the Greens 🎧 Listen now: pod.fo/e/393114

DOG AT THE OLYMPICS FULL COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

Have written about how the below is one symptom of a really bad set-up at the centre of government. It makes sense that in the moment prime ministers keep trying to find a different person to do various jobs, but the problem is also a structural one, and the dysfunctional structure keeps on winning

The longer I cover politics the more I think this is true; if you want to be party leader/PM then the best time to run is whenever there is a contest. Waiting for the ‘right time’ rarely works out the way you want it to, better to try and fail than sit it out and regret

EXC: Lord McDonald has attempted to block Antonia Romeo from promotions three times previously. In anonymised sections of his memoir, McDonald describes Romeo as “self-promoter”, and the 2017 investigation findings as “catastrophic and damning”. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The workload facing MPs and their staff is growing, in ways that aren't visible to the public: casework and the inbox. For @thehousemag.bsky.social, I delved into what the workload looks like, why it's growing, and what this means for how MPs can balance the different aspects of their role

The government has confirmed it is scrapping plans to delay 30 local council elections after receiving legal advice In a letter seen by PolHome, ministers were warned that the decision to delay dozens of local elections would be illegal Nigel Farage's Reform UK had launched a legal challenge

"The collision of a multiparty electorate with a voting system designed for two parties is creating new risks for Britain". I signed this letter. It's not about blocking Reform;it's about the danger to democracy of a system that can't cope with multiparty voting www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Everyone in the world comes to get married at the NYC Marriage Bureau. Last week, the Mayor stopped by to officiate a few of those ceremonies.    Thank you to all the couples who shared their joy with us. Happy Valentine's Day, New York.     Watch the full video at Youtube.com/nycmayorsoffice

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Editors assemble: Can Starmer survive? The House & PoliticsHome editors @franciselliott.bsky.social, @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @adampayne26.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss what the PM could do to get to the May elections and beyond 🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/38ecfe

Unprecedented PolHome / House scenes as — for the first time — the three editors — @siennarodgers.bsky.social, @franciselliott.bsky.social & I — gather around the mics We reflect on a mad week and ask, what next for Starmer? hosted by @alaintolhurst.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...

Some thoughts on Chris Wormald's short stint as cabinet secretary, and what Starmer needs from his next pick - which includes someone who's going to be a much more visible leader for hundreds of thousands of civil servants. 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/next...

Ahead of Starmer addressing the Women’s PLP at 1pm today we report: - Starmer has been having meetings with women across the party in recent days to listen to their concerns - Some MPs pushing for more women in Cabinet reshuffle - What MPs think Mandelson revelations mean for VAWG strategy