So the US National Security Strategy claimed that it would help restore European civilisation. They've delivered. Orban down. Now send Vance to France. Yes, it rhymes.

A friend in the democracy movement in Hungary texts “landslide victory”. I don’t want to allow myself to believe yet … but …

Just opened a Cadbury Crunchie Easter egg. Normal size. In it, you get *one* fun size Crunchie. What a miserable bunch.

Look at this bunch of pathetic wimps. Ooooh, there are cultures that are very different to ours. Let's call them "civilisations" and make them sound scary like they are going to invade us. Then some big talk about "clash" and war etc. Then let's undermine our own values. We are clever and tough.

New active travel infrastructure is of more benefit to those who don't currently cycle than those who do: including those who drive. It creates real choice: including options over your cost of living. Oh, and it makes everyone safer.

It's the scroungers who contribute nothing who are the worst.

So let me get this right, Trump has smashed the exports of US allies in the Gulf through a foolhardy war and now celebrates US big oil mopping up the unfulfilled demand at elevated prices. What an ally and friend he is. About right?

Drill, baby, drill! (Holes to attach solar panels on your roof). www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Some time ago there was a surge in esteem for carers and care workers. Now we have dodgy Home Office dossiers on how migrant care workers are a burden. Time to get back into esteem mode: whether carers are paid or volunteering heroically. They keep us going. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This is a point I've come to a number of times - public discussion about Palantir is about data privacy and obnoxious values. The real problem is lock-in and potential leverage. The techno fascism makes this worse of course- especially when it's embedded in MAGA. open.substack.com/pub/backofmi...

Labour onshoring wealth there. Sure this superhero will help save Western civilisation too. Such is his self-evident prowess. He's better than us.

He's playing it absolutely perfectly and appropriately. With dignity and courage.

If you are taking the kids to see this you can either go with a cinema full of kids clapping and whooping or the Guardian's film critic. It's a kid's film for kids. Which is better for kids than kid's films for adults which don't work for either. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ma...

"The only way to get energy independence is to go even more quickly to renewables because we are not going to get it on the international markets." Here's the full clip of Keir Starmer's interview with ITV News where he discusses UK energy, including renewables and North Sea

London is descending into hell. Nowadays you can't even take your £2m fabergé egg and watch-set in a designer handbag outside a Soho pub without it being stolen. It wasn't like this in the 1950s. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

So we have a ceasefire with continued firing. And an open Strait of Hormuz that is closed. Nothing has any meaning anymore. What a dangerous state of affairs.

The @acjsissons.bsky.social / @johnspringford.bsky.social cooperative is back. Basically, they argue that the Chancellor is playing the right game but on too small a pitch because of Labour's manifesto red lines and the Home Office. They are right. getting-out-of-the-hole.uk/labours-red-...

This is right isn't it?

We have to be very careful of going into this situation under ceasefire conditions and then getting trapped in a war situation escalated by the US and Israel again (or Iran of course). Mark Rutte has already expressed his support for the war and is simply not trustworthy.

Excluding kids from the lowest income third or so of working age households from cultural experiences. What a nasty thing to contemplate.

In Vance's comments about EU "interference" in Hungary and Trump's comments on NATO, we are not just dealing with verbal aggression. There is a complete lack of understanding about the mechanisms of international cooperation- which are unique in each case. They just don't have the 101. Problem.

The problem with the US is who do you pick up phone to in order to get a clear position on anything? Donnie, Benji, Jared, Steve, Stevie, Susie, Marco, JD, Lindsey, or Ivanka?

Threatening civilizational erasure- was that "Western Civilisation"? What is this "civilisation"? Ethnicity? Race? Confessional (the Reformation is a bit awks there)? Because it's sure as hell clearly not a moral bond. You are woke and "decadent" if you aren't for genocide? Please.

If you listen to the nonsense coming from Hegseth just now you realise he's a very different personality type to Trump despite similar behaviours - a fantasist. So a narcissist and a fantasist leading a war. Meanwhile, the amoral provocateur is in Hungary.

As someone who both pays Council Tax and has their bins collected by the arrangement in this area, I can confirm this is utter nonsense. I have no desire to pay people less for the same level of service as the Conservatives seem to want. The question should be why aren't more Councils doing it?

Still only roughly a quarter of *new* cars in the UK fully electric. Though those driving PHEV for local commutes and able to charge regularly largely there. Slow burn. Too slow.

"A total and complete victory" - Confirmed the US President is insane - Left Iran with its regime intact and stronger - It still has nuclear enrichment, ballistic capability - Control over the Straits - China influence growing - NATO split. Perhaps fatally - US decline confirmed and accelerated

I'm not sure how long the "collective self-defense" line can hold when the US-Israeli action is itself inevitably a threat to our interests and assets in the region. Surely there comes a point when any facilitation is harmful to our self-defence. Are we there? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

America as a civilised country dies tonight if this has any substance to it whatsoever. This is a very sick man. And you are letting him create hell. And Europe needs to find its voice too.

This is very welcome. Wider reform needed- we can't have a system where it's a graduate tax for middle earners but a loan for upper earners. Clearly unfair. But this is a sensible move and should be kept in place permanently ahead of reform. www.theguardian.com/money/2026/a...

I'm going to be honest, I'm finding it very difficult to separate stories of human discovery in the Artemis mission and of devastation in Iran and the wider region. Awesome technologies lie at the heart of both. And I fear the society that possesses them isn't capable of controlling them.

1-4 are all a subset of 5 which itself is a subset of HM Treasury doesn't like them and nor has it historically liked giving localities/regions the fiscal muscle to make infrastructure happen (and not just trams- buses, trains, active travel). Hopefully that's changing.

Our politics is no longer mainly about left and right. It's pro-system v anti-system. The problem is anti-system is also populist by and large. It ignores real world constraints. The question is whether an anti-system, non populism is possible. Or whether pro-system can widen its appeal.

Two good pieces on the current state of text based social media. One from @jamesrball.com and one from, er, Nate Silver. I hope Bluesky survives. It's great in the main. X can go to hell. open.substack.com/pub/techtris... open.substack.com/pub/natesilv...

This is a good piece. We simply accept 1000s of unnecessary deaths because we won't force all of us who drive to accept we have a dangerous machine in our hands. And then fail to enforce that fact as police have basically stopped policing the roads. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I don't agree with this. You have to go as fast as you can when you can. It's not about economics or technology. It's politics. Whatever pace the Government is going the right would attack it as it has seen political advantage- and could be the next Government. www.economist.com/britain/2026...

I don't agree with this. You have to go as fast as you can when you can. It's not about economics or technology. It's politics. Whatever pace the Government is going the right would attack it as it has seen political advantage- and could be the next Government. www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Artemis II. Sophisticated advanced rescue within Iran. Precision weaponry never before seen. All this technology and yet relentless idiocy. Can't help thinking the two are connected.

There is a problem with the discourse about regulation: On one side you have "everyone dies in the end" Reform and "abundance": only growth matters and deregulation is the only route to it. On the other, you have any and all changes mean death and misery. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

They know how to hit us where it really hurts. Whatever they want, give it to them.

45 minutes that really sums up #lfc at the moment unfortunately. Really good 25 minutes, then silly defensive error. Then complete mental and physical drop off. Very difficult to explain.

The main beneficiaries of the rise of the Greens, oddly could be the Lib Dems Here's why. Green strategy is contagion from the left (like Reform's is on the right- no I'm not saying they are the same as Reform. That's silly.) It has a similar political contour to Corbynism *but*....

The Home Office's dodgy data is wrong on net fiscal contribution of recent care work migrants and it's not even asking the right question. Because it doesn't want to. The question is why HM Treasury isn't either. As sharp as ever from @chrisdillow.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/chrisdil...

What hope do we have as a country when even our police and politicians fail to pay for all the items in their M&S basket?

Honestly, whenever you hear an argument for self-sufficiency just dip into any chapter in this. Everyone in policy should possess a copy.

As exec chair of a supermarket group it would be most helpful if the Government's cost of living advisor could help on issues like food prices. Instead of freelancing on tax policy. Here's one idea: intervene to ensure the same prices across all store formats. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Another right wing convert who hasn't done the due diligence. The "creator God" also has a universal ethical code of care for all, especially the weakest, the environment and peace, tolerance and respect. I imagine the Easter message on Sunday will have him choking on his cornflakes.

Not all inflation is equal. Intriguing chart from last Summer showing that people are most concerned about energy and food costs. Seems odd given housing is a bigger part of a family budget. It's likely that people feel *more control* over housing costs (rightly or wrongly) than energy/food.

Bondi beached. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

Can't think of anything more un-English than flying flags everywhere, all the time. Legally or illegally. Or performatively celebrating St.George's Day. Englishness is an understated patriotism. Apart from during international sporting events. The flag vandals have misunderstood what it's about.