Good article. Interesting reflections on, as with so many things, the populist right may have a kernel of a point but they leverage it in such an unhelpful way they always make things worse, and not by accident.

If Burnham does become leader and there's a significant bounce, I think we're looking at a GE this time next year.

Are Kemi's sums right? No. Is she renewing the centre-right for modern times? No. But is this approach paying off for the Conservatives politically? Also no.

That depressing feeling that the UK and perhaps much of the rest of Europe may become stuck in a Peronist downward spiral of failing to come to terms with a changing world. Because it is so much easier to promise past glories than future unknowns.

The UK is stuck in a time loop. I woke up and it's 2016.

I'm actually starting to think Burnham losing to Reform because of a split vote by the Greens is the best thing that could happen to the Labour party, properly cathartic.

"Go on, Andy. If you want the Greens to stand down then give them a reason."

So we are starting to see who funded Lord Frost

What if he loses? What's plan b?

I can’t be bought, says man who took money from: - insurance businessman Arron “I'd privatise the NHS" Banks. Nigel’s policy? An insurance model for the NHS - crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Nigel’s policy? Reduce taxes on crypto & make the UK the “world's premier hub for crypto”

Just saying...

One thing about this PM's power slipping away is that usually this would be a problem because they would struggle to get their legislative program through, but if the PM's perceived problem is that they don't have a legislative program where does that leave us?

It's a neck and neck race between number of ministerial aides resigning and number of newly elected Reform councillors departing.

Thoughts on the PM situation

Just embarrassing to see the Lib Dems limit themselves to demanding a customs union. Would take years to negotiate and achieve very little. Party policy currently serving to restrain European demands rather than encourage them.

Morning! Let’s all do our best today not to vote for racists.

Basically people should pay more attention to Aesop's The North Wind and The Sun.

Yes. Stop Farage. Stop Reform. Stop the corruption. Stop the racism. Stop the misogyny. Stop the hatred. Stop the cruelty. Stop the incompetence. Stop the division. Stop the threats. Stop the fascism. Stop the failure. Just, ffs, stop him.

Excellent column by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social:

Blade Runner Aliens Terminator 12 Monkeys The Martian Mars Attacks The day the earth stood still (original) Mad Max Being John Malchovich E.T.

I'm aware the Rejoin lobby is becoming more vocal. I'd just suggest that the British – the English in particular – first need to truly and *culturally* value rules that stretch across international borders and to see them as 'in the national interest', not as something we grudgingly suffer.

Slightly diminish a film Prince Kong

This is really bad.

Don't think too hard. Top ten passwords to your bank accounts for you

Fast car - Tracy Chapman Mr Blue Sky- ELO Pigs - pink Floyd Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Friday I'm in love - The cure Life on Mars - Bowie American Pie - Don McLean Basket case - Green day Price Tag (acoustic) - Jessie J Ordinary World - Duran Duran

And this is *exactly* what Reform would do here in the UK… join forces with this network of malignant power-brokers to bankrupt the people and enrich themselves… All in the name of representing ordinary people and dealing with their “legitimate concerns”. It’s intolerable.

The demise of the lunchtime pint is about more than just sobriety, it is a Kuhnian paradigm shift. We have traded a human centric workplace for a machine readable one, and we are losing our edge in the process. (1/7) 🧵

More on this I hope later this week, but the world is talking itself into 1930s style aggression on trade, only then it was tariffs and now it is weaponisation. Both could have the same impact, and countries like the UK should be rejecting this completely.

Well this will have the Brexit folk frothing. But it reflects their failure, indeed the failure of pretty much the whole UK political class to understand the world and the realistic options available - which don't include vast regulatory or trade gains from sovereignty.

Wasn't aware this was a thing in the UK. Seems very worrying given the current global instability and the importance of defense. Defence workers being refused bank accounts share.google/mBoULfkZj3ap...

Yes, because all the intelligent life is hiding.

Which will open first the Hormuz strait or UK negotiations to join the EU?

I think we’re at the stage where we need two separate governments. One will be there to deal exclusively with allegations relating to Peter Mandelson. This will be the main British government. And then there’s a secondary administration that does all those little things like running the country.

If I were a government minister and I had a magic wand, I think 'make people more aware of pensions and how they work' is the thing that solves so many political problems.

This is a) spot on about influencers and freebies, b) an amusing interlude in the WTF news of today, and c) reminds me of the time I was approached to be an influencer for a new brand of tights and stockings, which ended... shall we say "interestingly"

Whistleblower protections, who needs 'em?

Music recorded in stereo should be listened to in stereo or at most 2.1 definitely not Dolby Atmos

Trump threatens to end US-UK trade deal because UK won't join his illegal Iran war. There is no special relationship. It is subservience to the US. Don't make agreements with Trump. He doesn't honour them. The King's visit should be cancelled. UK must rejoin the EU, build alliances with others.

This is right, but I'd go further: winning the domestic argument on the free movement of people is what's needed to unlock anything further than the reset. That means Starmer has to repudiate many of his own arguments on migration. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A big ongoing development in UK EU relations is Labour MPs now understanding the importance of freedom of movement. Replacing the cakeist Customs Union calls with this shows a real evolution in thinking to respond to what Brussels is saying. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This should be read in Ronnie Barker's voice.

Excellent article.

This seems.. Big... British forces evacuated as Trump's deadline to annihilation looms | News World | Metro News share.google/rwCU7qJ9kiT6...

Final one for now to upset anyone I haven't so far - I actually feel more confident in Starmer handling Trump than any opposition leader or recent PM. Hardly perfect, Cameron, Brown, Major all worth a shout on this, but avoiding most of the obvious traps.

I understand why you might want to pitch the Iran bombing to voters as a domestic costs issue. But it is clearly illegal, both under international and domestic law, killing innocent children, and wholly counterproductive, shutting the Strait at enormous economic cost. /2

The biggest story in the world right now is that the president of the United States is a demented old man who takes pleasure in torturing and killing people and is committing crimes with impunity. And yet most legacy media outlets are too cowardly to tell it like it is.

Yep

Then vs now. Such a shame.

My very unpopular opinion is that this is a good decision (as it'll be pursued alongside a continued hard push towards more renewables).