Khan calls for regional powers to have rent controls

Pressure mounts on Starmer’s speech tomorrow to be an absolute, rhetorical barnstormer. Khan criticises Starmer for “campaigning in prose”. He is calling for the need to “tell stories” and says he’s an advocate for “governing in poetry”.

Sadiq Khan takes a little swipe at Andy Burnham “I’m the Mayor of London. Other Mayors are seeking to expand their empire…”

Sadiq Khan very much distancing himself from suggestions that he’s going to stand down at next election SK: “When I retire in 30 years’ time…” Fraser Nelson: “Are there term limits for mayors?” SK; “Thankfully not.”

Such a stark contrast at Labour Confernece between the mood with the parliamentary party and the mood with the mayors. Khan knows what his good stats are and he gets frequent rounds of applause not for trotting out sound bites but celebrating his positive achievements.

All part of the service. Gets the diaphragm working in the morning.

This pun, from @hackblackburn.bsky.social, made me AUDIBLY GROAN and now you can, ahem, enjoy it too. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Sadiq Khan distinguishes his approach to Reform from Starmer’s “Important to have this debate without name-calling. I don’t call the followers of Reform racist. I don’t call Nigel Farage racist. But I am concerned about his policy in relation to indefinite leave to remain.”

Sadiq Khan: “It’s a badge of pride that bad people hate London” Pretty spiky response to Donald Trump “I’m living rent free in the head of President Trump. I’m worried he might send me an invoice, or that I’ve got squatters’ rights and I’ll have to live there permanently.”

Pretty mega queue to see the man described by the leader of the free world as a “terrible, terrible mayor”. Sadiq Khan’s popularity only growing in Labour circles

Lisa Nandy says that every funding model for the BBC is on the table, apart from through general taxation. “We haven’t ruled out of anything else” “The licence fee has been important… but fewer and fewer people are paying it”

Lisa Nandy says Labour is going to act to stop politicians presenting news programmes. This is aimed at GB News, but plenty of Labour MPs might be worried about their gigs on LBC

Amusing little muddle from Lisa Nandy - “we’ve lost the ability to agree disagreeably”. Think Labour are actually remarkably good at that.

John Curtice says the big problem is that people don’t know what Keir Starmer stands for. He calls it “The mystery of Keir Starmer” which makes it sound quite sexy an intriguing Think it’s more like that feeling of mystery when you can’t find your keys

Sir John Curtice gives Labour some good news and tells them that the Rayner and Mandelson scandals haven’t made any impact on their poll position. “The problem is your ratings were so low in the first place…”

Something to celebrate

In my @TimesDiary this morning, Robert Jenrick tells Tories there’s “nothing to be gained” from changing leader… … and he begins relationship with new opposite number David Lammy by mocking him over old Mastermind appearance www.thetimes.com/article/02c1...

Kemi Badenoch cannot keep time, and so she might be running out of time. The true story of Kemi Countdown in this morning’s @timesdiary Tick-tock — Kemi Badenoch v the clockwatchers www.thetimes.com/article/ef7f...

Also, the latest on Your Party, the world’s greatest Monty Python tribute act

Kemi Badenoch cannot keep time, and so she might be running out of time. The true story of Kemi Countdown in this morning’s @timesdiary Tick-tock — Kemi Badenoch v the clockwatchers www.thetimes.com/article/ef7f...

🚨 PERSONAL NEWS 🚨 Am formally taking over The Times Diary as Diary Editor & History Correspondent for @thetimes.com. I’ll be working from Westminster, and it’s a privilege to take on what Ed Balls recently described as “probably the most impactful national newspaper diary”.

🚨 PERSONAL NEWS 🚨 Am formally taking over The Times Diary as Diary Editor & History Correspondent for @thetimes.com. I’ll be working from Westminster, and it’s a privilege to take on what Ed Balls recently described as “probably the most impactful national newspaper diary”.

When your child has had the best day at the theme park, and you have had a very long day taking them round the theme park

Terrified. Just been told Keir Starmer has full confidence in my share portfolio.

All a bit Mordor tonight

La lune en rouge, Antibes

Thursday Murder Club - never has a feature film so clearly aspired to be an ITV3 drama

I honestly think the point of this series is to generate more @stephenkb.bsky.social content

Went okay I think

Big news in @thetimes.com’s diary this morning John Betjeman liked ganja www.thetimes.com/article/5772...

Big news in @thetimes.com’s diary this morning John Betjeman liked ganja www.thetimes.com/article/5772...

Big thanks to @hackblackburn.bsky.social for featuring us - and some mischievous moggies - in today's Times Diary! www.thetimes.com/article/b809...

Sure @stephenkb.bsky.social is going to love the look of these costumes

Just going through JD Vance’s album of negotiated peace settlements

Very odd conversation this morning resolved when we realised the other person had confused Enoch Powell with Colin Powell.

Oddly emotional. I’m throwing away these shoes today after 16 years. They have been with me to France, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, the Canaries, Germany, India and the Maldives. They were also good in the garden. Like a farewell to an old friend.

A Virgin Queen A Scottish King A stolen crown? The historian Tracy Borman’s new book is making the startling claim that, when Elizabeth I died, James VI of Scotland “stole” the crown of England New from me in @thetimes.com talking to @tracyborman.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/362f...

A Virgin Queen A Scottish King A stolen crown? The historian Tracy Borman’s new book is making the startling claim that, when Elizabeth I died, James VI of Scotland “stole” the crown of England New from me in @thetimes.com talking to @tracyborman.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/362f...

Anyone else see this and think Jawas?

The 57% who think actors are overpaid need to go and do a panto in an inner city school for £100 a day

Activate the Queen

Big thanks to @hackblackburn.bsky.social for including us in today's Times Diary. 'Piggy comestible' is one of our favourites from the book (as well as in our diet...) 🐷 www.thetimes.com/article/3dc7...

Asif Aziz almost forced out London’s Prince Charles Cinema earlier this year. Is he trying the same again with Picturehouse Central - and is another major central London cinema under threat from the same landlord? www.londoncentric.media/p/picturehou...

I'll be talking about #VJDay80 on Radio 5 in about five minutes

In the past few days and weeks, a number of friends and colleagues have asked "What's VJ Day?". Here is my brief history of the war in the East, from the perspective of British soldiers who fought it. www.thetimes.com/article/a6f2...

Today, on #VJDay80 I am thinking of my late father and his father Harry, known as 'H'. H served in Burma. We have a picture of him meeting his son for the first time in the spring of 1946, about four months after my father was born. My grandmother hired a photographer specially.

In my job, I very occasionally get messages saying a piece really resonated with a reader. Happens once a year. Twice at most. This piece has generated three emails in a day. Nothing to do with me. Everything to do with veterans of #VJDay80 www.thetimes.com/article/a6f2...

In my job, I very occasionally get messages saying a piece really resonated with a reader. Happens once a year. Twice at most. This piece has generated three emails in a day. Nothing to do with me. Everything to do with veterans of #VJDay80 www.thetimes.com/article/a6f2...

Britain played a significant role in the Pacific, and areas like Burma - which was just brutal - were absolutely key to the whole effort to defeat imperial japan

The story of the war against Japan With tales from those who fought it And how they were forgotten We’re Britain’s forgotten army. This is what we sacrificed for victory www.thetimes.com/article/a6f2...