So, it's shaping up to be Jenrick v Badenoch. The most consequential contest since Prince William battled Gregg Wallace for a hair styling appliance.

There aren't many positives about being a Shrewsbury fan at the moment, but one crumb of comfort is that we shan't be playing games in Miami any time soon. #salop

@shrewsburytown.com have just published a list of shareholders. First named is a Mark Almond. Well he can say hello, wave goodbye to any profit on those shares. #salop (And yes, I know it's Marc, not Mark. And that it's a terrible joke).

Oh Victoria Atkins (Shadow Defra Secretary) you've really let yourself down here. Imagine holding a rally for the countryside at the Tory Conference in your Union Jacket and failing to sport a matching hat? The shame.

Darren Grimes: "Durham has lost £288m over 15 years from cuts and cost pressures. Children’s care costs have risen from £24m → £96m since 2018...We’ve told the Govt in a letter today: Fair Funding Review 2.0 is too little, too late." So there is no waste to cut, but a need for more money...

Diane Morton, Reform’s cabinet member for adult social care on Kent CC, told the FT that services were already “down to the bare bones”. “Everyone thought we’d come in and there were going to be these huge costs we could cut away but there just aren’t,” said another Reform Cllr.

I do not understand why some politicians try to pander to the prejudices of people who will never vote for them.

Fancy

Amazing. The BBC’s Political Correspondent at the Tory Conference was asked if Badenoch would survive the local elections. His answer was that there were also questions over whether Starmer would still be in post come next May. Not even subtle.

For the weekend - my piece on the PPE Medpro judgment.

Badenoch setting out what she'll do if she wins the next General Election is a bit like me looking up restaurants on Trip Advisor just in case Natalie Portman agrees to a date.

I've checked and Kemi Badenoch is an idiot.

The ability to condemn an antisemitic terrorist atrocity in one British city and support the right of people to peacefully protest in other British cities against genocide in Gaza are not mutually exclusive.

I call on Michelle Mone to issue a formal apology to me. And all other taxpayers.

"Hi, is that 'We Buy Any Yacht'?"

Courtesy of today's Shropshire Star

"So if I was to borrow the full £122 million over 72 months, what would the monthly payment be?"

"Poland will be governed by a Board of Peace, headed by me, Führer und Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler, and overseen by my good friend Josef Stalin."

"Nigel Farage? No, never met him."

Some of the funds generated by the national lottery are invested in community projects. Lovely. But why are community projects with shops excluded from having Lottery terminals (for being too small) when having them would drive footfall and aid sustainability?

A US President: - Elected, defeated, re-elected - Morbidly obese - Accused of being a rapist I am of course talking about Grover Cleveland. Why, who were you thinking of?

A US President: Elected, defeated, re-elected Morbidly obese Accused of being a rapist I am of course talking about Grover Cleveland. Who were you thinking of?

So you will not be able to do any paid work unless you have a digital ID card. Will that include MPs?

And this is what happens when you allow immigrant mascots into South Wales.

"The main problem with Labour introducing ID cards is that they get to place the contracts, which is something we very much wanted to do."

"Of course I supported ID cards. Up until the point they were introduced by a Labour Government."

A taxi driver told me that, under Sharia Law, you can force feed swans paracetamol so that when you eat them you become autistic but never get a headache. So, swings and roundabouts.

"And then I invented air, but I don't get the credit for that."

I'm really not sure anyone should be taking medical advice from a man who looks like he survives on Big Macs and regular injections of Sunny Delight.

Apparently, Tylenol can cause memory loss. Repeated mention of it could result in people forgetting all about the Epstein files.

I'm not sure what it is that Farage is banging on about. After all, there's one foreign national who came over here and worked so successfully that it appears she managed to save £850,000 which she used to buy a house for her boyfriend out of the goodness of her heart.

"I would have loved to have stayed to watch one of your soccer matches, but someone mentioned Spurs and I went all limpy."

If the flag on top of the White House was lowered an inch for every child shot dead in the USA so far this year, it’d be 160 feet underground.

Remembering my old school friend Graham, on the 24th anniversary of his death. #9/11

We are delighted to welcome Bindu Pokkyarath to #IEDConf2025. Bindu is Chairing our panel on 'From Stranded to Opportunity: Strategic Urban Reconnection', sponsored by Pegasus Group. To book tickets, and view the conference agenda, please visit sasevents.eventsair.com/ied-conferen....

Thanks to @siancampbell.bsky.social, Strategic Lead – People and Place and Senior Enterprise Fellow @unisouthampton.bsky.social Business School, for sharing her experiences as an iED member since 2003 ied.co.uk/membership/c.... #economicdevelopment #university #businessschool #highereducation #CPD

Hats off to whoever it was had the foresight to 'forge' Trump's signature in the Epstein birthday book 22 years ago.

You misheard. He doesn’t say ‘bosh’ he says ‘posh’. Just to remind people that in spite of the persona he likes to project, that he was in fact very expensively educated.

"Don't look at me, look at Boris!" (Have they gone away now?)

"But of course, my favourite ride is the Dodgems..."

Yeah, the problem being their massive egos. You can't have two top dogs.

Is that because it covers the rancid stench from your incontinence pads?

Oh my word

According to Farage, Labour Ministers are not fit to govern. Presumably he thinks we'd be better led by a man who's never run anything, property speculators and failed ex-Tories. Which I'm not sure is true.

It comes to something when having Nadine Dorries join your party increases the average level of intelligence of the membership.

Nadine Dorries joining Reform is a bit like having Robbie Savage turn out for your Sunday league team.

Nadine Dorries’ defects? Too many to mention.

Farage thought he’d rock up in America and be feted as some sort of freedom fighter. Instead he got his arse handed to him on a beautifully crafted silver salver. Not that you’d know that if you watched the television news.

Given all of the technological advances that football now enjoys, why, oh why, oh why, does the transfer window still have to slam shut?

Apparently, I'm on a list. And 'when' Reform wins the next General Election, certain people will 'come and get me'. I'm not sure where they're planning to take me, but I hope there'll be ice cream.