Starmer's problem is that with 34% of the vote, he lacks a mandate. Any replacement PM would have even less of one. General Election anyone???

It's not all going the way of Greens and RefUK

The night before these important elections, my take: 1. Labour will not do as badly as predicted. 2. Farage and Greens will fall short of the hype. Yes, Labour will lose seats and ReformUK and the Greens gain them but much less than foretold and Starmer will survive.

The true result of Thursday's elections will not become apparent before Friday afternoon. There are no exit polls. So the nation will wake up on Friday wanting news and no editor will say 'too soon to tell... ' So there will hours of speculation and competing spin doctors from the parties. :-(

Quote: '... Reform’s case, is that its electoral coalition turns out to comprise the rather smaller group of people who dislike Muslims, but whose own social policy preferences are uncomfortably close to the Taliban’s.' giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

One thing Donald Trump and King Charles have in common - they are both descended from immigrants. 😉

There are 8 RefUK Mps (including ex-Tories) and 5 Green MPs. And yet the media discourse is about PM Farage and a rampant Zac Polanski. To get anywhere near power these two minnows have to take 100s of seats from sitting MPs. It that at all plausible? Does incumbency count for anything?

I just watched this new animation for schools by #HumanistsUK. When it comes to religion or belief, the state should treat and protect everyone equally. In a diverse society, secularism helps make that possible. Find out more about #secularism today! understandinghumanism.org.uk/secularism/

These two women are suing Andrew Tate, alleging he raped them. Here they visit the social media companies that created Tate. Please share. *one voice altered to disguise identity

Not surprising Farage hasn't bothered to announce a health spokesperson - his entire team is populated by politicians who broke the NHS. They've also forgotten about a foreign affairs spokesperson, but I guess they will take their orders straight from Trump's White House anyway.

#newsnight Yes, theyare important stories BUT night after night to the exclusion of so many other vital subjects, stories about inadequate men and their sexual proclivities.

How depressing to think back to the Brexit referendum, it was all about sovereignity. It turns out we have lost sovereignity since then being squashed between a rogue USA and a increasingly important EU. Stiil - there's always China!!

President Biden's statement on what Trump & Vance are doing to Minneapolis.

Polls are strange. Trump 30% - he's doomed. Farage 30% he's going to be prime minister!

Dearly beloved US citizens, We know that Trump is an aberration. Yes, the US political system, once a beacon to all of us, has failed. But we must strive to re-establish it. Here are ten handy hints on how to do it. 10 Crucial Things You Can Do in 2026 open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe. Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.

Fascinating discussion with Zack Polanski. They hold him to account for his cavalier attitude to detail! For example he says 80% of farms are tenanted - in fact the figures are 14% wholly tenanted and 31% mixed tenure. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DC2...

ep.ft.com/permalink/em... The trouble with nationalised railways in a nutshell. A fare freeze (politically popular) = an investment freeze (longterm disaster).

Tell Zack Polansky - wealth taxes don't work. 80% of projected yield comes from ~5,000 people even is only 10% of them leave - remember they already pay a lot of tax and that revenue will leave with them. It is hard ti implement and easy to avoid. taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/07/22/u...

So this is Labour's response to Farage's speech this morning - but put out this afternoon across all the channels they are active on. Very good Labour, very good!

'An essential condition today for entry into the upper echelons of Conservative party politics is being willing to at least pretend that you think taking Britain out of the EU was a good idea. This is a never-ending lobotomy for the Tories.' on.ft.com/4n4byzK

A stonker of a night for us. Three huge wins, Reform nowhere near us and the Tories down to ten percent in Mel Stride’s own seat. We are the only party taking Farage on and the only party beating him.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... 'She really thought she was rehabilitating the Tories, but she has reduced them to a low-wattage thinktank attached to a warehouse storing future parliamentary candidates for Farage.'

This strip is 43 years old. Tell me again how it all started because of 7th of October.

#ReformUncovered subscribe.bylinetimes.com/reform-uncov...

Warm words from Donald Trump on ending Putin’s war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are welcome, but the Prime Minister would be naive to take Trump at his word. We know his unpredictability all too well by now.

London is over

We were F****d by Brexit and now we're being RefUKed.

I gather from @stephenkb.bsky.social That Tory members are joining RefUK in droves. Maybe the remnant could join the LibDems and leave the ashes of the Tory Party to be blown away in the wind!

Westbourne and Poets Corner by-election on Brighton and Hove City council: Labour Hold Labour –> 894 Green –> 685 Michael Wang – Lib Dem –> 598 Reform UK –> 258 Conservative –> 129 Independents –> 93 TUSC –> 91 Independent –> 7 Well done Michael Wang for a massive increase in vote share.

Also pretty telling that they'd rather make Davey look like an unserious fool than actually engage with a LibDem manifesto that was seen as better on the NHS than Labour's, per the NHS Confederation, particularly due to expended public health and mental health services.

Great article by Stephen Bush but no mention of families. Although Stephen grew up in a flat and liked it, there is a strong desire for families to live on the ground floor. High-rise flats could help Labour hit its housing target - on.ft.com/4iucH1U via @FT

Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/do...

This from Kemi Badenoch: “A typical Liberal Democrat will be somebody who is good at fixing their church roof. And .. the people in the community like them." What are you meant to do when your political opponents start paying you compliments??

The Week in Polls - is a fascinating weekly read for political nerds (like me)! theweekinpolls.substack.com?utm_campaign...

Trump's victim blaming:' Ukraine started the war' echoes the cry of the rapist across the ages: 'She was asking for it'.

Could I get some help with boosting this please??????

There's a rumour that Nigel Farage is keeping his head down because he's off to a Trump cheerleading conference over the weekend. I’m afraid I’m being proved right- Farage is far more interested in Trump's success than British security. He is a bootlicker and a plastic patriot.

It's time for fairer votes. After a historic vote of support for fairer voting in the Commons, the Government should allow the time to take this vital step in improving our democracy.

Why is the government happy to cosy up to China, but won't even look at a better customs deal with our closest neighbours in Europe? Ministers say they’re looking everywhere for growth but are ignoring what is staring them in the face.

"Forming a Customs Union with the EU is the biggest thing we can do to turbocharge our economy long-term." "But an agreement to work towards one would unlock big economic benefits for the UK now and start tearing down those damaging Conservative trade barriers this year." @eddavey.libdems.org.uk

This.👇

I have just realised a slightly shameful thing about myself. Although I desperately wanted Kamala Harris to win. Now that she hasn't, life has become more serene. Dispassionately watching the slow motion car crash that is Trump 2.0. Imagine the grief and stride if she had won.