I don't get it. The vetting was "leaning into" Mandelson being a risky appointment yet Robbins decided this was OK because he would put safety measures in place... yet told no-one. What? And he's somehow the hard-done-by hero? Listen to Emily Thornberry from 26.50. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Nice to see a positive from the use of technology....roll it out!

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband's speech at the Good Growth Foundation’s National Growth Debate.

Farage has suddenly decided he has concerns about X. I’ve written for @lbc.co.uk about why this is blatant hypocrisy and he should sit TF down - www.lbc.co.uk/article/nige...

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has presented the U.S. with a unique "Drone deal" - it includes plans for repelling massive attacks, primarily drone strikes.

Not bothered by people who want Starmer to go. I agree. My reasons are selfishly practical - he lacks the vision and charisma to lead the UK through impossibly challenging times. What bothers me is when people cosplay moral outrage to not just oust, but destroy him, because it gives them a thrill.

This is my favourite thing to ever have happened on Twitter alongside Ed Balls day.

For too long, gambling companies have been allowed to take over high streets and harm our communities. That changes today. Tonight we'll be voting to give more power to local communities and to halt the gambling takeover.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is one of the most important - and too often overlooked - pieces of legislation in decades. Creating a smoke-free generation means fewer cancers, less pressure on the NHS, and longer, healthier lives. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Last week we were told either Starmer must have known and was lying or should have known Mandeslson failed vetting and must resign This week Robbins told us Mandelson didn't fail vetting and that Starmer not only didn't know, but wasn't allowed to know the result, but Starmer must resign anyway

The one thing that I have learnt from this debacle, is that MPs are not security checked before taking their seat in the HOC. Why not for goodness sake?

Part of the blind spot on Mandelson will have come about because he was heavily feted within Westminster/parts of the media. This is why many deemed his appointment a ‘masterstroke’, long after most of the key details about him were known. Some convenient recasting of that going on at the moment!

Why do you say he didn't need to? Robbins fundamentally believes he has the legal powers to make decisions against the recommendations of UKSV and tell no one, not even the PM & Parliament about doing that. How can the PM trust someone who holds that view, when the PM believes it's legally wrong?

Further confirmation that gloom over the labour market was considerably overdone. Employment numbers also look broadly stable, and real wages still rising (slowly). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Amidst the Mandelson brouhaha and kerfuffle a metric that really matters - real wages are rising.

By 8:15am today solar was generating 70% more than our baseload usage. On a cloudy day, in England, in April!

Roll up! Roll up! Get your tickets here! The Zack show is coming to a town near you! Guaranteed 100% policy-free! Why? Because it's all about meeeeee!

OMFG I had to go and check that this ACTUALLY happened. Since when does the BBC ever do chyrons with a political party's branding, rather than their own? Not to mention this is during a pre-election campaign purdah. (h/t @iainsol.bsky.social)

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

A participant in 'the attention economy'.

NEW PODCAST: Electricity is just 20% of global energy. The other 80% (heating, transport, industry) still runs on fossil fuels. Full electrification could cut total energy demand in half. More in my conversation with @bobbyllew.bsky.social of Everything Electric Show youtube.com/watch?v=-jSqcwxpd14

Reform UK's Lee Anderson thrown out of the Commons chamber after refusing to withdraw an accusation that the Prime Minister has lied

Harrow Conservatives (again). Doesn't get any prettier, does it? bylinetimes.com/2026/04/20/c.... #harrow #conservatives #london

Devastated to learn that Giles died at the weekend. He leaves shoes impossible to fill. One of life’s warriors, dedicated to righting wrongs in an area of law so full of wrongs that his enormous brain and energy was constantly put to use. Thoughts with his family, loved ones and friends. xxx

The problem is that people tend to judge others by their own shabby standards

See all of Andrew's very erudite thread.

"Great news everyone, I'm not on the BBC news about my failure to pay tax."

Let us salute the rogue genius of Desmond Morris, ape-watcher and last of the Surrealists, gone at 98. Here he is, less than 2 years ago, with his Man Ray tribute work - the photographic lips are those of Diana Dors, whom he dated in the 40s when she was still Diana Fluck.

A new scoop from @writesbright.bsky.social for @desmog.com with The Mirror 👇 The £675K pocketed by Farage from foreign governments, companies & donors dwarfs his public salary. For me, this begs the question, Farage is Minister of Parliament for... who exactly? www.desmog.com/2026/04/18/n...

Letter in today's Financial Times co-signed by CEOs of Octopus, E-ON and EDF: "...ministers need to move levies away from electricity bills and shield households from any unnecessary grid upgrade costs"

Long thread incoming on the Mandelson/ Ollie Robbins’ sacking. Please be patient. I think context and the timetable really matters and is being overlooked Expect much Civil Service (CS) / Ministerial cross finger pointing

Stamer retains his March lead ahead of Farage and Badenoch, on who Brits think would be the most capable Prime Minister. He’s down -1 since March 2026. There’s been no change for Farage, whilst Badenoch is up +4.

This is superb reporting by BBC News’ Nick Marsh on spikes in insider trading ahead of Trump’s Truth Social pronouncements and weirdly accurate predictions on the betting market Polymarket. Well worth a read. “The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump's presidency”

i am a neutral and i want arsenal to win the league because human rights abusing petrostates are worse than annoying fans, and i don't understand how this isn't a consensus opinion.

You need a magnifying glass to see in tiny type that this note on blue paper is from the LibDems - and why did it come in a plain blue envelope? #shifty 🧐

This is the way

Olly Robbins had to implement something many people at the time believed to be a bad decision, badly made. But enough of his time as Brexit negotiator.

In case you’re confused - the £100k of tax Richard Tice failed to pay here is totally different to the - £92k of tax not properly withheld on dividends - the £600k side-stepped via highly aggressive tax avoidance Industrial scale grifting revealed by @danneidle.bsky.social and Gabriel Pogrund

Zelensky says in his evening address that the US has again moved to ease oil sanctions and that it brings no real diplomatic benefit. He says important security cooperation updates with partners are coming next week.

Others have posted this but it needs to be shared far and wide. Goodall's response is telling, it's victim blaming, it's akin to women being told not to wear short skirts and if they do they're asking for it. Absolutely appalling but not really news to many of us who are sick of the media.

Hannan's tweet where he links to his creditable Washington Examiner article (about Trump going insane) has received *no* favourable engagement from *any* recognisable name on the British Right. No retweets, no favourable quote tweets. The only recognisable retweets are Bill Kristol and Navratilova.

Russia is preparing for a major mobilization and is restricting social media to prevent riots, Zelensky says.

This is a long but fascinating read from @ldfreedman.bsky.social on how Ukraine has rapidly turned into a world leader in drone technology, and how that has got Russia worried.

Will Reform deputy leader Richard Tice now resign over fresh allegations about nudging another £100,000 tax after he demanded Angela Rayner quit over £40,000? Changed his tune. "A long career with multiple businesses is bound to feature some errors." www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Nigel Farage criticised after refusing to rule out Tory election deal

“I’ll be voting for Reform - it can’t get any worse” Oh it really can. You put a bunch of corrupt, racist, incompetent, lying Trumpists in charge and things will get very much worse. Potholes and empty shops will feel unimportant compared to the loss of the NHS, social care and a torched economy.

Barbaric hunting must be banned

Last night the US quietly lifted sanctions on Russian oil for another month - two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it wouldn’t happen.