“The poll of 143 voters in Gorton and Denton…” Basically as useful as a vox pop www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

Labour deputy leader @lucympowell.bsky.social responds to Matt Goodwin being selected as Reform’s candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election:

Suella Braverman -> Reform UK

“The Labour Party’s factions are mostly speaking with one voice – that should scare Starmer far more than the prospect of a Burnham comeback.” www.politics.co.uk/news-feature...

“Starmer – in a crowning moment of centralised control-freakery – has chosen to keep Labour’s prince across the water in the relative wilderness. “Critics will argue that this culture of control is now crowding out assets in the battle against Nigel Farage.” www.politics.co.uk/news-feature...

Burnham responding to the Starmerite line: “I'm not sure losing a by-election does us any good either, Tom.”

Blocking Burnham will not stop the psychodrama There will come a time when Starmer runs out of procedural solutions to his political problems Thoughts for @politics.co.uk on today's developments 👇 www.politics.co.uk/news-feature...

Labour statement on Burnham: “Although the Party would be confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC could not put Labour’s control of Greater Manchester at any risk.”

Burnham blocked. Politics of this very questionable from the Labour leadership. First impression is Starmer has overestimated his strength. Set ups row now, and if Labour are bested at the by-election. Wounding battles before Starmer’s moment of maximum danger (May elections)

Hague appointing Portillo as shadow chancellor serves as a reasonable playbook for dealing with pretenders who make their way back to parliament via by-election

Right decision from Burnham’s perspective - Get blocked, and his standing as ‘Prince across the water’ is strengthened. Not sure the Labour leadership is strong enough to weather the backlash in this scenario - Get selected, stands a good chance of winning, prove ability to beat Reform…

I wonder if Gorton & Denton contest sparks a serious debate about FPTP and possible reform If speculation is true, we could see serious candidates from Labour, Reform (Yusuf), Conservative, Lib Dem, Green (Polanski), Workers Party (Galloway) all standing Belfast South (2015) on steroids 1/...

“Reform is assembling a collection of grievances, grudges and contradictions, united less by conviction than by convenience”, writes Mario Creatura 🗣️ Reform isn’t building a party of government. It’s building a retirement home www.politics.co.uk/comment/2026...

Jenrick accuses Mel Stride of presiding over “the explosion of the welfare bill” Priti Patel “created the very migration system that enabled 5 million migrants to come here - the greatest failure of any British government in the post-war period”

And there it is... Robert Jenrick defects

Badenoch looks to capitalise on her improved standing by sacking Jenrick *and* removing the Tory whip from him Move has big implications for the fight for dominance on the right. If Jenrick jumps, an outcome this action all but seals, does he take allies with him?

“Zahawi's defection strengthens the argument that Reform is increasingly functioning as a refuge for Conservative flotsam and jetsam.” www.politics.co.uk/news-feature...

13 November 1947: Clement Attlee accepts Hugh Dalton's resignation as chancellor after he leaked details of his budget to a lobby journalist The leaks, reported by the Star newspaper, were published 15 minutes before Dalton began reading his budget speech www.nytimes.com/1947/11/14/a...

Reform's strategic trolling of Mahmood is interesting. Rather than criticise her measures for not going far enough, they have chosen to damn Mahmood with faint praise It's an attempt to provoke a reaction from instinctively wary Labour MPs, but also to detoxify Reform's image in the country... 1/

Two of the four Tories who wrote Duncan Smith's “The quiet man is here to stay, and he's turning up the volume” speech in 2003 have defected to Reform UK www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/...

“This responsibility demands a strong financial pledge: stepping back now, even slightly, sends the wrong signal at a moment when decisive leadership is needed”, writes Labour MP @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social 🗣️ The UK’s Global Fund pledge is a missed opportunity www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

Stark language from this Labour MP speaking in opposition to the government’s asylum proposals “The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning.”

“Britain helped build the Global Fund because we understood that a healthier world makes for a safer world. This truth has not changed”, writes Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed 🗣️ UK government must back the Global Fund at critical time www.politics.co.uk/comment/2025...

Miriam Cates continues to slow roll her defection to Reform UK

Nigel Farage asks Enoch Powell for his support ahead of the 1994 Eastleigh by-election From this 2014 Telegraph article - www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic...

“Britain can once again set the global standard and prove that great science and the welfare of animals are not mutually exclusive”, writes Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage 🗣️ The future of science is animal-free – Britain must not be left behind www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

“Politics once moved at the pace of persuasion. A leader would make a case, tour the country, take questions, debate opponents – and then wait weeks or months to see whether the argument had landed. “That rhythm is gone”, writes ex-No 10 special adviser Mario Creatura

“It’s official. The Conservative Party leadership has joined the ranks of climate deniers, in a race to the bottom with Nigel Farage and Donald Trump”, writes Labour MP Olivia Blake 🗣️ Why cross-party leadership on climate policy is essential www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

“Rewarding failure tells the public that accountability is optional, and that consequences are negotiable”, write Lord Clement-Jones and Lord Arbuthnot 🗣️ Fujitsu must be barred from new government contracts www.politics.co.uk/comment/2025...

“It’s been a poor conference season for those who would be king.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

"Jenrick’s own podium contribution was seriously underpowered – echoing his sermon at the Conservative Party’s 2024 fête. (The shadow justice secretary’s rise has been powered by a canny social media strategy; it’s noteworthy that he has not risen to the set-piece opportunities afforded to him)."

Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now It’s been a poor conference season for those who would be king. Some observations on the political landscape ahead of parliament's return next week Latest long-read for @politics.co.uk 👇 www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

Not seeing the strategic sense in this line. Phillipson is likely to lose, she will know that, so what’s with the hostility? It just reads like No 10 rounding on Powell, who will be invited to return fire. It’s not just the contest at stake here, but the kind of deputy leader Powell will be

“Obama’s London speech was a welcome reminder of politics’ oldest truth – people need stories. Starmer has one, of patriotic renewal after national decline, about fairness after years of drift”, writes @plmr.co.uk CEO @kevincraig.co.uk www.politics.co.uk/comment/2025...

“Starmer’s story about Britain’s moral character, and threats to it, should not relegate concerns about its material condition.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“Political narratives matter, especially in a fractured and highly competitive political landscape, because they dictate the battles a party picks. “Managed conflicts are a means by which parties project their values to voters.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“Starmer positioned Labour as Reform’s antithesis and antidote. He defined the nature of the populist threat, and presented a theory to explain its moral failings. In other words: Starmer told a story.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“Starmer’s conference address was an analysis of the political landscape, its recent redevelopment, its faultlines – and a statement of where Labour under his leadership would stand within it.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

The calling of Keir Starmer ‘Pledges’, ‘milestones’, ‘first steps’, ‘missions’, ‘foundations’ and ‘phases’ are no substitute for singular purpose. Starmer’s conference speech was a reminder of the power of narrative Latest long-read for @politics.co.uk 👇 www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

On Starmer's popular front strategy – the opportunities and risks (from my newsletter: www.politics.co.uk/subscribe/)

Starmer: “The Tories, do you remember them conference?” The Conservative Party gets its first mention

Expect a 'no time for novices'-esque message from Starmer tomorrow. That was Brown's retort to an upstart David Cameron, which had the happy consequence of catching David Miliband in the crossfire PM probably won't go for inexperience (not a big enough distinction between him, Burnham and Farage)…

Already seen quite a lot of this so far

Bridget Phillipson is the first cabinet minister to receive a shoutout in Starmer’s conference speech. Definitely not the No 10 candidate…

On Starmer's popular front strategy – the opportunities and risks (from my newsletter: www.politics.co.uk/subscribe/)

@richardburgon.bsky.social tells @moreincommonuk.bsky.social fringe it’s “politically inevitable” that Keir Starmer “will no longer be prime minister” if the polls hold up to and into the May 2026 Holyrood, Senedd and local elections

Anneliese Dodds @moreincommonuk.bsky.social fringe: “Ultimately we have to be better at telling a story about what we're doing… “But the story's got to be an authentic one and this is where I think actually picking the right fights is important…”

From deputy prime minister David Lammy’s conference speech:

The 'King of the North' holds court On Burnham's surreal appearance at the electoral reform conference fringe event yesterday. To receive this newsletter: www.politics.co.uk/subscribe/

Expect a 'no time for novices'-esque message from Starmer tomorrow. That was Brown's retort to an upstart David Cameron, which had the happy consequence of catching David Miliband in the crossfire PM probably won't go for inexperience (not a big enough distinction between him, Burnham and Farage)…