Has any other politician ever called a by-election on an explicitly anti-transparency, pro-sleaze ticket before?

Thinking of opening a book on how long it will be between Farage finally shutting up and the first emergency podcast dropping

Remember that episode of The Thick of It with the press conference where the announcement is that there is no announcement...?

LNER is telling people not to travel today or tomorrow - but their trains are still running. Are they hoping that the trains will be empty? Or are they hoping that just the right number of people ignore their advice? It really isn’t a helpful thing to say to people with travel plans.

I’m sure this is the right decision, but it would have been nice to have a Darren in No 10. One day our time will come! www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...

Personally I think that Steve Bray has entertained us all for long enough. I would like him to announce a timetable for his departure.

So is this morning all about watching for a lectern in Downing Street?

The sacking of Olly Robbins has been badly handled by Keir Starmer. No.10's bullish response is further damaging the already fraught relationship between civil servants and ministers www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mand...

Written English has barely changed in 300 years. If you can read Harry Potter, you can read Robinson Crusoe (1719).

New timetable for implementing employment rights act pushes 'fire and rehire' changes back to January 2027 www.gov.uk/government/p...

Has Starmer just taken time on live TV to announce that he does not in fact plan to do anything?

Division on the abolition of the qualifying period! Very exciting!

Lord Vauxhall also minded to accept Government amendments. I think this is going to pass!

Clear Lib Dems won’t be blocking the Employment Rights Bill in the Lords.

Lord Fox for the Lib Dem’s in the Lords endorses the six month qualifying period. But says there is unease about removing the compensation limit. Says the has been confusion about the word ‘lift’ but looks like LibDems will support Government.

I see the point but I have a nagging feeling that Cromwell. might also have had some issues with his behaviour towards others “Hinchingbrooke School has five houses names after historical figures connected with its history, including Pepys and Oliver Cromwell.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I think section 15 of ERRA 2013 gives govt the power to change the cap (including removing the 52 week limit, and setting the cap anywhere from 1-3x median earnings) by Order, which must be approved by both Houses. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/2...

Well this seems to settle things. Will be interesting to see what now happens to the initial period of employment - it’s still in the Bill despite the Lords’ amendments

Division! This time on day one rights. Will the Lords insist on their imposition of a six month qualifying period? (I suspect they will)

Division! House of Lords voting on whether to insist on its ERB amendment allowing employees to opt out of being offered guaranteed hours.

For reasons I can’t quite explain, this remains the funniest thing I have ever seen. Giggling now fourteen years later.

@mrjamesob.bsky.social - since you’re talking about it this morning!

Following Last nights drubbing in the House of Lords over the Employment Rights Bill, I have a suggestion for the Government on how to deal with the qualifying period for unfair dismissal: rangeofreasonableresponses.com/2025/10/29/t...

Altogether the Governments points would have been better made if they just let the civil servants who wrote the speeches conduct the debate. Watching Government front benchers read out the notes they were given was excruciating.

One last division - this time on the school staff negotiating body. Again, I wouldn’t rate the government’s chances.

And now a division in union political funds. Government has lost every division so far so it doesn’t bode well for them. #employmentrightsbill

Government commits to a review of the right to be accompanied!

Bill will also go back to the commons to reconsider the unfair dismissal qualifying period. Government torn to shreds on that motion

Lords now voting on unfair dismissal as a day one right.

Moving on to Heritage railways now so this might get heated #employmentrightsbill

Lord Fox’s amendment is carried. That means the Bill must go back to the Commons! #employmentrightsbill

First Division is on Lord Fox’s amendment allowing workers to opt out of receiving guaranteed hours offers. #employmentrightsbill

Government rather struggling in the Lords to defend a day one right to claim unfair dismissal

And they are done. Ministers are told to go off and draft reasons for the Lords explaining their disagreement to some of their amendments. Next stop the House of Lords

Now we come to the crux of matters- the employment of children on heritage railways

Government experiencing no difficulty in throwing out Lords amendments that were put forward by the Opposition. But it’s all very time consuming. Silly that they can’t vote by pressing a button. They could all be home by now.

Asked about timetable for NDAs SoS says roadmap ‘stands as is’ All very well but the roadmap was published before the NDA ban was in the Bill so we still don’t know when it will come in

Peter Kyle claiming that the Bill only relates to exploitative zero hours contracts. Hmmm

Looks like the Government is making one concession over the employment rights bill - offering a review of time off for public duties and the duties of special constables

As I suspected, the Commons debating Lords amendment to the Employment Rights Bill is kicking off over employing children on heritage railways

I don’t know whether Ambassadors are technically employees or not. But of course in Mandleson’s case it doesn’t matter because he doesn’t have two years’ service!

I have some thoughts on the reshuffle and the Employment Rights Bill. rangeofreasonableresponses.com/2025/09/09/t...

Just seen that Justin Madders has gone. Now have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to the Employment Rights Bill.

So we have a new cabinet minister responsible for the Employment Rights Bill?

Slightly surprised to find that I have very little idea of who is actually in the cabinet. I used to be such a nerd about this sort of thing.

I know it’s a small thing in the overall picture but if Angela Rayner is forced out that might make a big difference to the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill.

Employment Rights Bill has been passed by the House of Lords. It now goes back to the Commons to consider the amendments that have been made.

Lord Burns proposing the words fullest ever amendment. He really needs to get out more