Commissioners: council lacks focus and robust delivery plans insidecroydon.com/2026/03/24/c... #Croydon #CroydonInCrisis #CouncilTax @itvnews.bsky.social @adambienkov.bsky.social

Don't threaten me with a good time ...

Very positive policy move - which will reduce pressure on prisons and likely reduce reoffending. Remember when @richardburgon.bsky.social proposed this as Shadow Justice Secretary in 2019. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#OnThisDay 20 years ago ... Gordon Brown announced free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people anywhere in England. Great policy that has stood the test of time.

Incredible posts by @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social There needs to be a full independent investigation into Labour Together. Did they also commission APCO to investigate McDonnell? And if so how many other Labour MPs have they done this too?

Incredible posts by @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social There needs to be a full independent investigation into Labour Together. Did they also commission APCO to investigate McDonnell? And if so how many other Labour MPs have they done this too?

What's clogging up the courts? ✅ prosecutions like this* for possession of drugs ✅ years of austerity ❌ jury trials *and I'm generally in favour of more Tory MPs and ex-MPs being prosecuted ... www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

NEW: Unemployment has fallen slightly to 1,869,000. Still up 37,000 on 3 months ago and up 324,000 in the last year The wider underemployment measure rose to 5.23 million people underemployed, up by 475,000 on a year ago There are currently 7.16 people seeking work for every vacancy

NEW: Unemployment has fallen slightly to 1,869,000. Still up 37,000 on 3 months ago and up 324,000 in the last year The wider underemployment measure rose to 5.23 million people underemployed, up by 475,000 on a year ago There are currently 7.16 people seeking work for every vacancy

These proposals need to be dropped entirely and apologised for ever having been proposed, not 'watered down' ... inews.co.uk/news/politic...

How Kemi Badenoch's spokesman responded when I asked if she agrees with her Shadow Lord Chancellor that Muslims praying in Trafalgar Square is an "act of domination"

Starmer again weaponising delays to rape trials to justify curtailing jury trials. As Labour MP Charlotte Nichols said: “experiences like mine feel like they’ve been weaponised and are being used for rhetorical misdirection” #PMQs

Good question by Ed Davey on the flagrant breaches of Ofcom's stated rules by GB News ... Starmer replies it's a matter for Ofcom. But why isn't the regulator regulating? #PMQs pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/b...

Starmer saying Badenoch "completely wrong" for backing UK participation in US/Israel war on Iran. Logically therefore, Starmer thinks US and Israel action (and demands for UK participation) is also "completely wrong". #PMQs

Good to see more Labour MPs speaking out against Shabana Mahmood's immoral migration proposals.

Starmer's so far limited compliance with the US/Israeli war on Iran has won him some plaudits But the big challenge he faces is how to deal with the economic impact: higher inflation, higher mortgages, rising energy bills / food costs, and reduced consumer spending 1/2 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#OnThisDay in 2003, Robin Cook resigned from the Government in protest at the Blair's decision to follow Bush into an illegal war on Iraq "We cannot base our military strategy on the assumption that Saddam is weak and at the same time justify pre-emptive action on the claim that he is a threat"

Minor, but this is not a great message to be sending during a cost-of-living crisis ...

They said it would take 193 years to clean London’s air. We did it in nine. 💨 London has now met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide air pollution.

If ministers want the NHS to recover, they need to start by valuing the people who make it work.  ➡️ Join thousands of NHS staff and supporters: Tell the government 3.3% isn’t enough 🔗 action.nhspay.org/page/187023/...

Housing costs have risen by 41% in last five years Looking at ONS data, average weekly earnings have increased by 30% in last five years. Cost-of-living crisis in a nutshell ... www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

Interesting piece on private landlords issuing Section 21 notices before they're abolished in May ... If you are facing eviction or preparing to use a section 21 notice and have a story to tell, you can contact: [email protected] inews.co.uk/news/landlor...

If an MP voluntarily changes party they should be forced to fight a by-election n.b. I don't think this should apply if an MP has the whip removed. But then if they go from independent to another party a by-election is required Imperfect, but better than now. What do you think?

These are startling forecasts for Labour in the North East by @fletchersimon.bsky.social This is meltdown territory if anything like this happens ... modernleft.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

As part of the my Interview series for @insidecroydon.bsky.social I'm speaking to candidates to be Croydon's Executive Mayor For my second interview, the Lib Dems' Richard Howard gives his view on restructuring council management & what he learned as an Army Major insidecroydon.com/2026/03/12/l...

As part of the my Interview series for @insidecroydon.bsky.social I'm speaking to candidates to be Croydon's Executive Mayor For my second interview, the Lib Dems' Richard Howard gives his view on restructuring council management & what he learned as an Army Major insidecroydon.com/2026/03/12/l...

labour market flexibility for thee, generous employment rights and severance packages for me

This was a really brave speech by @charlotte2153.bsky.social on the Courts & Tribunals Bill And really glad someone said this, and so powerfully: “experiences like mine feel like they’ve been weaponised and are being used for rhetorical misdirection” Curtailing jury trials is not the answer.

Opinion | 'Dog licensing could end up taxing Britain’s 13 million dog owners' 🖋️ Andrew Fisher Read more: trib.al/OjG4oEb

If Mandelson was still ambassador to the US he'd be working round the clock to drag us into this insane war. As well as being corrupt and nonce-adjacent he was also extremely politically dangerous and wrong

Big news from Unite union which has voted to cut its Labour affiliation by 40% (£580k a year) Sharon Graham not mincing her words "Unite members are coming to the end of the line as far Labour is concerned… whose side are Labour on, who do they really represent, because it certainly isn’t workers"

Big news from Unite union which has voted to cut its Labour affiliation by 40% (£580k a year) Sharon Graham not mincing her words "Unite members are coming to the end of the line as far Labour is concerned… whose side are Labour on, who do they really represent, because it certainly isn’t workers"

Coming soon to a podcast platform near you... @fisherandrew79.bsky.social with his latest interview. Exclusive content for subscribers, sign up here to support real journalism from the heart of Croydon: www.patreon.com/c/insidecroy... #Croydon #LocalElections2026 @eddavey.libdems.org.uk

With the Greens flying in the polls and Polanski in the ascendant, he has an opportunity to "scrape the barnacles off the boat" ... My new column for @theipaper.com on the Greens' policy problem inews.co.uk/opinion/star...

With the Greens flying in the polls and Polanski in the ascendant, he has an opportunity to "scrape the barnacles off the boat" ... My new column for @theipaper.com on the Greens' policy problem inews.co.uk/opinion/star...

Well you'd hope not ... he is the Liz Truss of football management

Looks like 10 Labour rebels on the Courts and Tribunal Bill, with nearly 100 abstentions... 10 rebels were: Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Kim Johnson, Ian Lavery, John McDonnell, Bell Ribiero-Addy, Jon Trickett, Nadia Whittome

"David Lammy received deserved praise for his landmark review into the criminal justice system... jury trials were found to be one of the few parts of the system consistently free from racial bias" @kimjohnsonmp.bsky.social on the importance of defending jury trials labourlist.org/2026/03/lamm...

Hope all Labour MPs will vote against the Courts & Tribunal Bill today. Limiting jury trials won't reduce the court backlog, and will diminish justice. There is also no mandate for it. It wasn't in the manifesto. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Reform blames scrounging migrants. The Greens blame the rich" - to the Economist those two points are equally bad And what does the Economist offer to boost growth? Failed 'centrism' - welfare cuts and planning deregulation It is precisely this failing 'centrism' is fuelling the rise of both

"Fuck VAR" the Wrexham fans chant. Speaking for all of us.

This whole 'Starmer has stood up to Trump' thing is really weird. Starmer originally said the US couldn't use UK bases, then u-turned. How is that 'standing up to Trump'? UK public opinion is overwhelmingly against and Starmer still capitulated.

"Reform blames scrounging migrants. The Greens blame the rich" - to the Economist those two points are equally bad And what does the Economist offer to boost growth? Failed 'centrism' - welfare cuts and planning deregulation It is precisely this failing 'centrism' is fuelling the rise of both

Those first few responses got a chuckle out of me.

Guardian has now [after my complaint] corrected Mahmood's deliberate & incendiary false claim settlement gives immigrants "immediate access to welfare and social housing". Good for Gdn but embarrassing/shameful that Home Secretary deliberately misled the public for political gain like this.

Your regular reminder than a large majority of voters - and overwhelming majority of Labour voters - favour giving settled migrants access to the welfare state after five years or less. The Home Secretary is not reforming rules in line with public opinion. She is doing the opposite.

Beautiful from Private Eye on the massive toddler-tantrum that Matt Goodwin and Reform are having, because they got whooped in Gorton and Denton.

In 2015, then Mayor of Newham Robin Wales was found to have "breached the members' Code of Conduct by failing to treat a member of the public with respect" In 2018, Labour members deselected him. drive.google.com/file/d/0B5fY...

This is how to do it. Actual grownup behaviour

YouGov polling shows UK public support for US attacks on Iran at 28% - with 49% opposed. Among Labour supporters that falls to 18% support and 63% oppose. Only 32% of the UK public think UK bases should be used, with 50% opposed. Among Labour supporters that falls to 24% support with 59% opposed.