Experimenting with a new weekly notebook on Substack… find my Times column and some other stuff here. open.substack.com/pub/maguirep...

‘The Starmer Project, such as it ever existed – or we should probably call it the McSweeney Project – it looked inwards. It was about the battle for supremacy and struggle for mastery in and of the Labour Party.’ @patrickmaguire.bsky.social on the podcast. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

In the latest episode of ‘On Politics’, @piercepenniless.bsky.social discusses the collapse of the Starmer project and the prospects for a Burnham administration with @patrickmaguire.bsky.social and @will-davies.bsky.social. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The view from the People’s History Museum: Andy Burnham’s first big speech as prime minister presumptive was deceptively substantial. No 10 North is the most concerted challenge to Treasury authority in half a century, hiding in plain sight. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Great goal by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social

New Substack on Andy Burnham's choice of chancellor and Jimmy Reid's lessons in decorum for the incoming government. maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/andys-chan...

If you enjoyed my Times essay on Andy Burnham’s Catholicism, I’ve explained a little more of the context and culture in this Substack. open.substack.com/pub/maguirep...

Absolutely the most interesting thing I’ve read on Burnham. First rate.

Terrific piece by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social:

This is what he believes www.thetimes.com/article/5d9c...

Patrick Maguire of The Times channelling Spartacus Mills here.

Andy Burnham is about to find out whether it’s possible to make Labour — and politics itself — look normal again www.thetimes.com/article/f4b5...

I understand where Labour MPs on the “it’s too soon, best thing is for Keir to govern well and go in 2028” train are coming from. I used to think that myself. But the core problem is Keir won’t and can’t govern well.

(at my absolute political and personal nadir) Ah, a delegation of my most loyal ministers request an audience? Delightful - certainly, they would bring only good news

We need to have the courage to have the hard conversations. To go further in our boldness. And to then embolden our conversations with the voters. That is the change I was elected to deliver.

My latest in The Times: Reform has been split between Hertford Street and high street strategies in recent months. Now the high street has won – and Farage is turning back to catch-all, anti-politics populism. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

New Substack on Morgan McSweeney’s 150 minutes on the rack, whether Keir Starmer is sat at the front of the DLR or behind the wheel of a Waymo, what he might say next week, and the understated Irishness of Joseph P Kennedy Sr. maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/whos-drivi...

In the unlikely event I have Maltese followers on here, can anyone help sourcing a copy of this biography of Dom Mintoff? It is, I have just learned to my frustration over a few days, possibly the hardest book to find even in Malta! bdlbooks.com/product/the-...

This is a really excellent podcast

Getting really tired of "this is all a media concoction"... Starmer has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history bar Truss. Senior ministers are openly and unsubtly positioning. His Chief of Staff, Director of Comms and Cab Sec have all resigned on the same day. I mean come on...

Absolutely brilliant column by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social: every word of it true:

I spent today with Nigel Farage and watched Robert Jenrick’s rumoured defection become reality in the space of minutes, listening to a phone call from my vantage point in the back seat of a people carrier. Here’s how it happened. www.thetimes.com/article/12d3...

Indeed. The overriding essay question that Reform needs to answer in the next three years is: if you are on the right and hate Keir Starmer, which of a) Reform UK or b) The Tories is the bigger, stronger, more viable vehicle for change? In many ways it is a basic issue of showing mass and velocity

99 per cent of analysis I’m reading about Zahawi is way too involved. To the extent people pay attention to this at all, it will be to note that Reform are doing well and hear someone else say Farage will/can be PM. Also: are Reform the same old Tories or something new and scary?

I've gone completely insane. New Substack on – variously – Harry Enfield, Alan Bleasdale, Walter Greenwood, Dennis Potter, Jimmy Reid and Damian McBride. maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/in-defence...

Insightful piece from @patrickmaguire.bsky.social on what makes some voters tick, and how to tickle them maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/the-voters...

New Substack: why Labour Together's membership survey matters. And how to define "helpful" maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/how-not-to...

I've written a Substack about what I've been reading and writing recently – on the voters who make populism happen, and why Labour isn't speaking to them. maguirepatrick.substack.com/p/the-voters...

New on my similarly new Substack: why Keir Starmer needs fat men around him, the person actually doing a good job inside No 10, and the best books on Brownism substack.com/home/post/p-...

Column: not many people appreciate just how many Brownites there are at the top of this Labour government. But are they the right ones for a PM with his back to the wall? www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

I've joined Substack to share more thoughts on my reading, writing and thoughts on the history that helps explain our political moment. Subscribe here, if you like. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Nigel Farage v Keir Starmer is the only game in town | ✍️ Patrick Maguire

A podcast intro that is actually funny! @patrickmaguire.bsky.social sings I Think We're Alone Now at Maggie Thatcher’s 100th birthday to explain Kemi’s position at conference. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Nigel Farage is leading Labour round in circles www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Fascinating and hugely depressing stuff by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social There’s a void at the heart of Labour: it needs a battle of ideas www.thetimes.com/article/7177...

Morgan McSweeney: - broke contact with “dismissive” Mandelson on Tuesday - resolved he should be sacked on after PMQs on Wednesday - then went to Brussels that evening - by the time he returned, his longtime friend and mentor was gone Full story in today’s Times: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Terrific column this:

Peter Mandelson and Keir Starmer: a sorry story that begins and ends with the incoherence of the prime minister’s political project www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Really interesting by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social (apart from the unnecessary LUFC dig) www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Don't think I'm being overly precious to say not enough made of the booing of the minute's silence for Jota. TNT coverage seemed desperate to move on and be able to talk about how wonderful and deserving the Palace fans were. Yes, I know, a minority etc.

The central issue for parties now is fairness. For Labour that means cost of living, good public services, social justice. But Farage has defined it on crime, immigration, welfare bills and voters being played for mugs. And right now he is winning that fight www.ft.com/content/e153...

Column: Labour should beware Mums for Reform www.thetimes.com/article/160a...

EXC: Ministers and civil servants are deliberately misleading the public with “false” and “unfounded” briefings about the Hillsborough Law, Andy Burnham tells The Times KC who wrote draft bill says officials are seeking to “subvert and destroy the entire process” www.thetimes.com/article/a220...

Is Keir Starmer planning a progressive pivot? He made a class-conscious speech to cabinet last week. But the justice secretary asked whether Labour could really claim to represent the working class... ...and then his policy chief sketched out a tougher direction of travel.

Column in this morning's Times: - How four MPs ended up without the Labour whip – and why No 10 wanted more - Shabana tells Keir: no point having a working class cabinet the working class hate - Liz Lloyd tells cabinet: social cohesion under threat due to migration www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Danger is welfare rows + winter fuel and coming rows on SEND etc recreates sense of chaos voters thought they’d got rid of with the Tories. Damaging in two ways 1. Annoys exhausted electorate 2. Derisks Reform - people think (fairly or not) if current lot already chaotic how bad can Reform be.

This guy