In case your MP doesn’t understand the point of signing the Early Day Motion (EDM) against the updated Code of Practice, this brilliant video by @stellacreasy.bsky.social is a great explainer. @tacc.org.uk @transactualuk.bsky.social @transsolidarity.bsky.social fb.watch/Hxhrq906tk/?

Time to wake up. British politics is in the process of being bought by a handful of crypto billionaires. The Representation of the People Bill needs to implement a cap on personal donations. Without it, it simply isn't fit for purpose. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

If ever I wanted to raise my blood pressure to the point where my own demise was likely imminent I would listen to this awful show. But I may make an exception for this episode since it features research by fab colleagues @karlpike.bsky.social, @philipjcowley.bsky.social & @mbarnfield.bsky.social

welcome to the cause, comrade Jeremy Hunt

Super important role available as advisor to Tony Vaughan, chair of the APPG on Refugees, and Baroness Lister, one of the busiest peers I know, and as part of the amazing RAMP team www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.a...

Mainstream US commentator

This says a lot about our political moment. Including how in a 30% majority world there is an incentive to adopt the extreme positions of a vocal (and powerful) minority. I guess PR might be more important than we think- not least to make it more difficult for such minorities to become a majority.

performing at a genuinely unbelievable level

An extremely fair and empathetic report on Zack Polanski evading Council Tax, that tries to give him the benefit of the doubt and he… smears the journalist to his social media followers! Not a good faith actor unfortunately.

So tldr, the mayoral electoral system will revert to supplementary vote the day after the Makerfield by election. Unusually effective movement for this government.

Most of Britain thinks net migration is still rising — when it has actually fallen by more than three-quarters From our new 2026 @britishfuture.bsky.social study of public attitudes to immigration, published online here www.britishfuture.org/britain-thin...

Lots of positives in these numbers for Burnham when thinking about how he would perform nationally. But also demonstrates the scale of the challenge: he will (obviously) have to be ~x3 better at attracting current Reform supporters to switch in Makerfield than the 6% here.

FT Exclusive: Nigel Farage’s claim that he paid for a £1.4mn house with his fee from a reality TV show has been challenged by corporate accounts that appear to show that the income remained on his company’s balance sheet after the property purchase. ft.trib.al/dtJOxC3

I hope this isn’t true. There are times when it’s more important to put country before party. This is one of them. Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy & counter the dire threat of a Reform UK government elected on a minority of the vote

Basically, Burnham has become - regardless of its accuracy - the image of "what you think Labour should be". Put into practice, that can obviously go quite wrong, but prior to that, it makes him uniquely attractive to people who should like Labour, but currently feel alienated from it.

Who’d have thought that being driven by a set of core political values is not just a good governing principle but is good electoral politics, too. The electoral case for True Labour, not Blue Labour, as set out by @stellacreasy.bsky.social back in March. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This really is quite something. In the 15 years @carbonbrief.org have tracked UK media, 2025 was first ever year where more newspaper editorials opposed #climate action than supported it. Meanwhile, the *actual* climate crisis deepens by the month. Go figure.

Manchester Withington Constituency Popular vote: Green: 37% Lab: 33% Lib Dem: 19% Reform: 8% Conservative: 2% Other: 1%

Zack Polanski and his partner called their narrowboat their “amazing home” for three years. He registered to vote there. If it was his main residence, council tax was due. None was paid. His team says he stayed there only “occasionally” - if true, there's a very big problem.

Have a feeling this one might have legs. taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/05/11/z...

Going to be a lot of talk about who in the coming days. True labour values compel us to ask what and why first. This is my piece for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social on how we can again show our values lead our vision of the country Britain can be with Labour. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

They're right that Reform is a serious party. They should try to take Reform's threat to detain and/or deport hundreds of thousands of people from internment camps more seriously.

When my Dad was dying from cancer, he moved from one hospital to another and it took *days* for them to access his records. The doctors had to rely on us — none of us clinicians — to know what drugs he was on. Absolutely absurd in this day and age.

As some point dividing up the electorate into little blocs you have to pick and choose between is part of why Labour is in this mess. At some point you just have to make people's lives better. I'm not saying that's easy, but it's not as hard as Labour make it seem either

If only they had listened to Morgan McSweeney

I’m pleased to see people realising this morning that a Lab>Reform seat change can happen because Lab>others and Con>Reform. The underlying vote flow evidence has been screaming this since autumn 2024 😎.

DCMS Minister Reg Removeleader presumably doing the radio round

Most Reform-leaning councillor names: - Barry - Thomas - Adrian Most Labour: - Angela - Laura - Dave Most Conservative: - Roger - Phil - Nick Most Lib Dem: - Tim - Sam - Richard Most Green: - Jonathan - Ben - Kate

If you believe the polls, the Greens are the second most popular party in the country - and this is what its leader is reposting in the wake of an antisemitic attack. (The terrorist was holding and not giving up a knife)

So, naively, I thought it would be the likes that got Zack into trouble. But here he is attacking the police rescuing people from an anti-Semitic rampage.

When journalists publish critical articles, you can bet that Zack will appear in the replies. Here are three of his likes (now removed) that caught my eye

The rewriting of history carries on. It was the 2016 Brexit referendum that has crowded out more important issues from British political life. The single biggest cost of Brexit is its opportunity cost: all the things that could’ve happened between 2016-24. But sure, let’s talk about “SW1 pathology”.

On the part that Trump appeasement plays - traits that should have disqualified Mandelson were seen as credentials to be emissary at the court of a rogue president www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The end times job dot ack automated email!

EVENT: Why are populists winning? Join us, @liambyrnemp.bsky.social, @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social, @samfr.bsky.social & @bobbyduffy.bsky.social to explore why populist movements are making significant gains across many Western democracies. 🗓️ 5 May | 18:30-19:45 ➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/events/why-a...

And -yet again -they are *not* in aggregate low paid or low skilled. Earn more than Brits on average and have seen faster pay growth.

Zia Yusuf is up next to talk about the immigration message. Discussing the composition of immigrants to the UK, he says: "Britain went from immigration primarily from EU countries to vastly higher levels of immigration from primarily non-EU countries." I wonder why that might be.

An off ramp for the government on jury trials, should they be wise enough to take it… www.theguardian.com/law/2026/apr...

My statement tonight on President Trump:

And Stella Creasy gets dragged on the independent’s strange political podcast for going to a silent disco. 🙄

If they don't go, Labour will weaken its hand and the ultimate deal and get to the next election saying "look, we stuck to the 2024 red lines". And *no-one who might vote for you cares*. But the country will be poorer and that will knock your support considerably.

Stella Creasy asked 3 straight questions that govt is simply refusing to answer (!) - When do fiscal contributions + fiscal costs arise? - What impact does that have on the fiscal rules for 5 years? - How much would the proposed delay save (or not?) questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

The combination of a political demand on the right for ICE-style deportation campaigns, and the woeful data-management of the Home Office, looks like a calamity waiting to happen. Windrush should cast a longer shadow than it does. www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Observer reports govt shift Like almost all media outlets, it mistakenly reports Home Sec proposed to double settlement to 10 years "in most cases" Necessity of policy retreat much clearer once simply state govt had proposed to triple wait to 15 years in *most* cases observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Australia did a number on gullible UK politicians by suggesting they be the first FTA partner expecting to be able to take advantage of weakness. They were right, nothing was learnt, and some of the same people now say CANZUK can be a UK saviour... www.politico.eu/article/ange...

Really looking forward to tonight's book launch @resolutionfoundation.org with Ruth Curtice @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social & David Gauke about why populists are winning & what it actually takes to beat them. Three sharper minds to stress-test the argument I couldn't ask for. Should be a lively one!