This is a very lucid argument. Summarised: The problem "is not environmental regulation itself, but an adversarial planning system that incentivises pre-emptive risk aversion.

Text of Trump's ramble in Davos. It's worth reading just to understand how absolutely venal he is. And utterly tone deaf. Claimed USA won WW2 and “without us, you’d all be speaking German.” He said this in Switzerland where the majority language is German. www.weforum.org/stories/2026...

This is a disgusting thing that Trump said. Britain’s forces took 457 deaths from combat in Afghanistan. He has a fucking nerve, go tell the British Army they weren’t on the front line in Kandahar.

Four very difficult, very salient urgent questions in the Commons today.

If this is really provably true, then all those people around Trump, the military leadership, the Senate and House, the tech Bros and the corporate titans, just have to say no to him.

This is not a "silly" idea at all. Might be a good opportunity for EUFA to demonstrate a bit of backbone too.

As political grovels go, this is off the dial.

Of course Jenrick has to say it's not "personal ambition". He also has to say that because he is now clearly someone likely to be a challenge to Farage. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...

Liberal Democrat led Boroughs tried to curtail the London Freedom Pass. Labour Boroughs have put a stop to it. www.standard.co.uk/news/transpo...

Some broadcasters and press in London have reported that the Freedom Pass is under review. It isn’t. Three Lib Dem boroughs tried to trigger a review but Labour Boroughs have repudiated this and committed to protecting the Freedom Pass.

It would be so much better if we did not have Mandelson on TV “explaining”. An extended period of silence preferred. Perhaps this is step 1 in yet another attempt to rehabilitate a reputation that is totally trashed.

Kent County Council's Reform Leader says "I would love to say I’ve found a magic way of not putting (Council Tax) up". But that's exactly what she said at the hustings last year. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, our annual trip. Directed by the irrepressible Clive Rowe but sadly minus his usual lead appearance. As ever, a strong cast, brilliant band and outstanding design and technical stagecraft.

In the list of very good reasons for older people to to stay in London (or move here) is healthcare. It's true, everyone, everywhere has NHS services. But London is head and shoulders above the rest of the country with some of the world's best hospitals, life science research and medical staff.

Richard Osley's sharp, but accurate, Arsenal assessment in this week's Tribune: "all that needs to happen ... is some basic shooting practice ... just kick it in the goal and we’ll all sleep well." www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/keep...

Strange times. In the UNISON General Secretary election "far left" candidate Andrea Egan has ousted Christina McAnea having secured 60% of the vote. The voting numbers show an extraordinarily low turnout however - just 7% of the eligible membership. www.unison.org.uk/news/2025/12...

Cllr Sara Hyde appointed to House of Lords It has been announced that Cllr Sara Hyde has been appointed by the King as a new member of the House of Lords. A Cally councillor since 2018, Sara will be an active "working peer" fully participating in the Lords legislative and scrutiny functions. She…

It's about time the Council started using this account.

This afternoon there was a stabbing on the Westbourne estate in Islington.

This is not OK messaging.

Yesterday Badenoch said the Chancellor lied about the public finances being in a bad way. So, is Badenoch saying the public finances are actually in great shape then?

Although “profits are reinvested in NHS services” it’s annoying to see UCLH advertising private healthcare for people with health insurance. It’s queue-jumping and it ultimately hollows-out public healthcare.

Cally community activist David Lear has died The Cally community and Councillors have expressed shock and sadness at the sudden death of the local campaigning journalist, David Lear, on Saturday 15th November. David lived on Centurian Close and collapsed whilst recording events outside HMP…

Oooh, he’s upped the damages. Now could be $5 billion. Five billion dollars!Stupid. He has no reputation. BBC should offer $500 charitable cause donation.

BBC gets it right. Calls Trump's bluff. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The BBC has already said sorry. Should have added “if that programme hurt your feelings”. Thereafter, defend the libel action. Florida defamation bar is set very high (they like free speech). And 1 billion dollars is a laughable damages claim. Failing that offer to settle for $500 to a US charity.

This is an awful reflection how bad things are becoming. After decades of safety and peace, Sikhs now facing racially aggravated violent and sexual attacks.

Ed Davey is right. But his argument might carry more weight if he quit “X” himself. I did so, over a year ago.

A quieter day than most so time for a lunchtime pint and pie in the Crown, Cloudesley Rd

If you haven't yet read @lewisbaston.bsky.social on a north #London council by-election of some significance that took place last week, find five minutes to do it now. Strong signs of one of the various ways in which the capital's political winds are blowing: www.onlondon.co.uk/lewis-baston...

In 2014, 5 out of 6 asylum claims were determined within 6 months. By 2023, only 1 in 6 decisions were made within 6 months. That’s why thousands of asylum seekers are being held in limbo, warehoused in hotels

Wonderful morning at Cally ward partnership talking with residents & hearing from our valued voluntary and community sector. Always love seeing brilliant Nicky Ludgate from Help On Your Doorstep. Cllrs @paulconvery.bsky.social, Una O'Halloran & I had a lovely time. Thanks to all who joined the fun!

Like Owen Jones, Yaxley Lennon is not a journalist. Both are political activists with social media presence. That does not give either of them journalism privileges. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Danny Thompson has died. I first saw him play live with John Martyn in 1973. His playing peppers the best recordings for over half a century. ukjazznews.com/musicians-pa...

Our normally reliable local paper, Islington Tribune, gets some facts wrong. Owen Jones is not a journalist. He is a political campaigner who writes things and does videos. He also fund raises for poltiical candidates opposed to Labour. www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/me-a...

On their holiest day, Manchester’s Jews face their ‘darkest of moments’. Our story about today’s attack. manchestermill.co.uk/on-their-hol...

Islington Council Leader’s statement on today’s atrocity in Manchester. www.islington.media/news/attack-...

On any day this would be truly horrific. But today is Yom Kippur. This is a hate crime on an utterly shocking scale. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx...

Andy Burnham is making some serious unforced errors here.

Are out-of-work benefit claims at a record high? My new post open.substack.com/pub/inequali... , and also my take on More or Less this morning at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Wake up North London. Trump's bloody helicopters have arrived. But they aren't providing security, they're just making a point.

Ashburton Grove, N7. Great expectations were not confounded. Arsenal played some of the best attacking football I’ve seen in a while.

... also a deceased person's estate is not a legal person and therefore has no locus to bring any legal action, something else that an attorney should know.

BBC Chris Mason desperately abusing statistics here: rate of resignations running at "one per week". Only if you measure it across the last two weeks. He's right these events are extraordinary but he's overdoing the rhetoric here.

Peter Mandelson is now on his 3rd strike. He cannot continue as UK ambassador. Starmer should fire him right now rather than wait days until he eventually resigns.

Stating the obvious I know but, with 399 Labour MPs, it is not arithmetically possible for 6 potential candidates to be nominated. Four is the maximum, 3 is more likely.

Usually, a political party gets a "conference bounce" in the polls. Seemingly not this one.

Nearly 40,000 fans at todays’s WSL fixture at Ashburton Grove to watch Arsenal comfortably and confidently win 4-1.

“Farage claimed last year to have “bought a house” in his constituency but the property is actually owned in the name of his partner, meaning he legally avoided higher-rate stamp duty on the purchase of an additional home – given he already owns other properties” www.theguardian.com/politics/202...