Hopefully the Lords will now focus on improving rather than wrecking the assisted dying legislation #r4today

The horrific attacks on Ukraine last night further evidence (if it was needed for the hard of thinking) why the Govt must divert more public spending to defence . No point whatsoever in having an incredibly generous Welfare State if Europe’s freedom under threat from fascist Russia #R4today

“If” Trump’s “peace deal” holds, Burnham and whoever is his new Chancellor could get a timely economic boost in terms of energy costs falling back #R4today

“Move Welfare away from hand outs, to hand ups” . 100% from Al Carns 👍 👏👏 #BBClaurak

What this country needs now more than anything else is LEADERSHIP, determination, intelligence, ‘nouse’ and strategic ability. You don’t get to be a full Colonel in the Marines at 40 without those qualities. As a Labour member, if @AlistairCarns stands, he’ll get my vote & suport #BBClauraK

The fact that Starmer sends out Lisa bloody Nandy to represent the Govt says an awful lot about him and his Government . She’s utterly useless and can’t even say that there will be more money for defence #BBCLaurak

The look of disbelief and incredulity on Wilfred Frost’s face at the absolute nonsense that Nandy is coming out with about Starmer “being strong on Defence”, speaks for many of us . Cut Welfare, fund Defence . As Al Carns said “hand up, NOT hand out” #Trevorphillips #Bbclaurak

It would clearly be devastating for Starmer to lose a second Defence Secretary because of his appalling refusal to cut Welfare to fund our defence. Jarvis must use this power he now has, force Starmer to do so, or resign #Trevorphillips #BBClaurak www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Starmer has left our country totally unprepared for the threat we now face from Putin. Unforgivable . UK’s military unprepared for Russian threat on land, air and sea www.thetimes.com/article/a428...

Interesting from Bloomberg’s UK politics guy. Burnham clearly expecting a coronation as PM if he wins Makerfield . His supporters claim he has 250 MPs signed up and think Cabinet will force Starmer to resign .His refusal to back Healey on defence final nail in coffin . Full thread on X #R4today

Encouraging to hear that unlike Starmer, Andy Burnham is prepared to cut welfare to fund our defence #R4today www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

BBC reports that far left Green leader Zack Polanski has attacked a Judge for sending the terrorist who smashed a police officer’s spine with a sledge hammer to prison. He’s no better than the far right leaders who criticise the Judges for imprisoning the thugs who attack asylum seekers #R4today

Encouraging, however he must deliver on this promise . Andy Burnham: I’ll cut welfare bill to fund defence www.thetimes.com/article/1f3d...

Defence is clearly NOT the priority for Starmer . Welfare is . Utterly shameful #R4today

I used to respect Peter Kyle, he is a good local MP . His performance this morning is a disgrace. Anyone who defends Starmer’s refusal to defend our country is unfit to govern . Resign Peter #R4today

“I’m a firm believer in hand up not hand out” 100% agree Al Carns #r4today

As if Starmer & Reeves didn’t have enough problems, the economy is now contracting 🤦 #r4today

Tom Tugendhat is correct “John Healey & Al Carns letters speak for the country” . Unfortunately Starmer, Reeves and many on the left aren’t listening . We must cut Welfare . #R4today

“What Starmer was offering was stability. That has been replaced by CHAOS” completely correct from #R4today. Unsure however, whether Burnham will be willing to make the necessary massive cuts to Welfare required to fund our defence. Will someone like Healey stand on a ticket to do so ?

💥💥Al Carns has just resigned . Well done . He has more integrity in his little finger than Starmer has in his whole body .

Al Carns . What a man . Make him Prime Minister . Tonight @skynewsrss.bsky.social

Does Starmer not realise the catastrophic damage that he is doing to our Country and Labour by continuing to dither & delay over the £28 billion extra needed for defence ? NOTHING is more important than our Defence . Get on with it, if it means cutting other public spending so be it #R4today

So it turns out that the Sudanese asylum seeker who tried to behead someone had his asylum claim “fast tracked” by Reform MPs Suella Braverman and Honest BobJenrick when they were Conservative Ministers in 2023 . #R4today

Sooner or later, whether Starmer or Burnham is PM, hard left Labour MPs are going to have to accept massive cuts to Welfare to pay for Defence or a massive increase in basic rate tax or VAT . And no, “wealth taxes”won’t work #PMQs

Turkeys voting for Christmas #R4today Ditch Labour for real party of the workers, Nigel Farage tells unions www.thetimes.com/article/90d2...

As someone who is unashamedly on the “right “of Labour (and is concerned that the party will veer to the economic left under Burnham), I would like to at least feel that I could consider voting Conservative. I can’t do so with someone like Badenoch as leader . #R4today

God I’m so bored already of hearing about Makerfield, “The North”, the endless grievance of “working class Northerners” and Andy Burnham #R4today

Josh Babarinde is an outstanding young politician . Future LibDem leader or even Deputy PM in a Labour/LibDem coalition in 2029 ? #Bbclaurak

Zia Yusuf the unelected spokesperson for Farage, is one slippery dishonest fucker #Bbclaurak

Nigel Farage Listens to the News

Strong performance from CDS Knighton . Starmer could do the country a massive favour and secure his place in history by committing the Govt to massive increase in defence spending . Would then be very difficult for whoever comes next to reverse it . They will have to find the money . #R4today

I’m not a massive Burnham fan, BUT I think he’s going to win the by-election, take over from Starmer and win the next general election, maybe in some sort of coalition with the LibDems. If that stops Farage from taking Britain to a very dark place, I’m happy with that #BBCQT

I agree with Lord Mann . As a gay man I would feel uncomfortable being treated by someone wearing a lanyard/badge supporting a group known for homophobia. I can quite understand why a Jewish person would feel uncomfortable being treated by someone supporting a group known for antisemitism #r4today

Keir Starmer was at his best at PMQs today as he berated Farage’s attempt to whip up fury over the tragic murder of Henry Nowak

Reform MPs sitting next to Farage rightly look embarrassed for him #PMQs

Those “drone warfare” and “soft play” gags from Davey & Starmer both good . Big of light relief #PMQs

As usual, the brilliant Danny Finkelstein provides a calm, considered & sane analysis from the right. We need more centre right voices like his and less from the hard right #PoliticsLive

Whether one agrees that we need to cut welfare and transfer the money to defence or not (personally I do), it’s blatantly obvious that Labour backbenchers stopped the Govt from doing so last year and Starmer caved. To pretend otherwise is utterly dishonest Nick Thomas-Simonds #R4today

Oh joy, the self appointed “Shaddow Prime Minister” (sic) is about to address the nation again this morning 🙄🙄 #r4today

This is the most shameful thing Labour has done (or more accurately NOT done) since being elected. As the exchanges between McFadden and Mandelson show, too many hard left MPs are more concerned about protecting the damn Welfare budget than funding Defence 😡 #r4today news.sky.com/story/uk-fir...

Really can’t blame the Tories for this attack ad . Devastating for Labour . Liz Kendall and McFadden rightly wanted to cut Welfare, but hard left Labour MPs won’t let them . Starmer should have backed them and stood up to his hard left backbenchers #c4news

“Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get the 50th job you apply for” CEO of Reed Employment who encourages young people to apply for care work or trades. Good advice, but must be devastating if you’ve just spent 3 years and tens of thousands of £ on a degree. So glad I’m retired #R4today

Turkeys voting for Xmas #R4today As many union members support Reform as Labour, reveals ‘damning’ poll. Reform comfortably beats Labour among members of two of the biggest unions: Unite, by 36 to 30%, and the GMB, by 31 to 22%. www.thetimes.com/article/99f5...

Keir Starmer ally considers centrist challenge to Burnham and Streeting www.thetimes.com/article/b552...

Put it in capitals and it could be Trump.

Hunt is right that we should scrap the triple lock (as well as cut other welfare benefits) . We must spend vastly more on defence . Can’t see Labour, Reform or the Tories putting scrapping the triple lock in their manifesto because they all need older voters #Bbclaurak

It is of course completely believable that Sturgeon didn’t know where her £125k motor home, £2000 cruet, gold loo seat, gold pens, expensive artwork and jewellery came from . #BBClaurak

Whether one agrees with Blair, Burnham, Streeting (or any of the others putting their oar in) on the current state of the Labour Party, it really is quite extraordinary that this debate is taking place 2 years after Starmer secured a 174 seat majority. What a tragic self inflicted mess #R4today

We clearly need to reduce the ballooning welfare bill and get more young people off benefits and into work or education. However, the idea that Helen Whatley, (who was part of the Tory govt that allowed the Welfare bill to get out of control) now has the solution, is for the birds #R4today