TIMES Radio "I'm not even sure that when we do get more evidence that there's going to be some sudden drops off in..support." Sir John Curtice says the prime minister is so unpopular that the Mandelson vetting scandal is unlikely to make an impact.
John Curtice wasn’t wrong
Clip of @sophyridge.bsky.social challenging McFadden in the @thenewsagents.co.uk podcast.
It captures my disappointment too in Starmer and this Labour govt. @maitlis.bsky.social
Normally quite forgiving @sophyridge.bsky.social says
"Part of the reason I think that people feel frustrated about this is that Labour is supposed to be the party if equality, where status & class doesn't matter, & what this whole saga stinks of from Mandelson to Matthew Doyle is jobs for the boys"
youtu.be/78U-1303Jmw?...
Loved this on Matthew Goodwin! LOLs!
@maitlis.bsky.social @mrjamesob.bsky.social @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social
tweet by JK Rowling Nothing's changed. I was being honest about how I feel about an individual trans woman I know, who was a gay man pre-transition, and who I met for the first time post-transition. Objectively speaking, she has physical characteristics that make it fairly obvious she wasn't born female, but she's a gentle, funny person I've never referred to as anything other than 'she' and 'her'. I find it perfectly easy to reconcile my fond feelings towards her, and my experience of her as someone with very female-coded energy, with a belief that she hasn't literally changed sex (and incidentally, she doesn't believe she's literally changed sex, either).
JK Rowling admitting that she won't be transphobic to you as a trans woman if you are "gentle" and "funny" and you have "female-coded energy."
What on earth is "female-coded energy"? Doesn't this strongly suggest that Rowling is a conservative woman who expects women to be a certain way?
Finally, new clause 65, tabled by the right hon. Member for Oxford East talks about national limits on campaign expenditure and essentially proposes to reduce the campaign expenditure limits, which were increased under the Elections Act 2022. Philip Rycroft mentioned the problem of an arms race between parties spending ever more. Initially, the whole idea of setting campaign expenditure limits during the regulated period was to encourage parties not to spend too much. However, if the limits are high, parties will inevitably end up spending right up to them, if they have the financial capacity. Together, these proposals for a cap on donations, lower limits on expenditure and limits applying year round—or at the very least for the Electoral Commission to do a review, as per my new clause—would be critical safeguards for our democracy. They would go some way towards recognising the reality that currently, big money has a huge, damaging, distorting and anti-democratic effect on our politics. Samantha Dixon Sharethis specific contribution New clause 30 seeks to place a cap on the amount a person can donate to registered political parties in a calendar year. The Government aim to strike the right balance in relation to political donations to protect against foreign interference and improve transparency, while also ensuring that legitimate donors can continue to fund electoral campaigning. This new clause goes a step too far in restricting legitimate donations and could significantly limit parties’ ability to raise sufficient funds to communicate their views to the electorate—an essential part of a healthy democracy and effective election process.
The Government has rejected a proposal to cap donations for (non-foreign) donors, saying it could "significantly limit parties’ ability to raise sufficient funds to communicate their views to the electorate."
Lord Glasman has declared the Home Secretary to be the new leader of the blue Labour group, but it is widely thought that the Home Secretary is likely to judge that 2026 would not be her moment to prevail in a party-facing contest (despite having been considered a frontrunner in September)
Attacking 'white liberals' making them fearful, or even hesitant, about calling out racism is a cultural pressure that's a symptom of the radical right's stranglehold on our culture?
It only legitimises and emboldens the radical right enabling them to win power?
Shabana IS stupidly enabling Reform:
but we've backslid so far we're in crisis and can't afford to lose any voices in the fight against racism?
There was a time when it felt like the progressive left, anti-racism, etc was in a good enough place that we could move onto important next steps like making sure we platform (primarily/exclusively) ethnic minority voices to challenge racism and speak on civil rights etc
Shaming white people for speaking out about or caring about racism is exactly how the right tries to isolate and destroy ethnic minorities' fight for equal rights?
🔴 BREAKING: EU provisionally approves €90bn Ukraine loan as 🇭🇺 Hungary drops opposition
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/22/u...
Bullying and intimidation often excused as "a joke". Trumpian.
Who doesn't love some lightheaded banter about tasering and illegal deportation from the person whose job it is to protect the safety and rights of UK citizens?
She is absolutely awful. Yesterday she was swearing at people. This isn't intelligent, best-outcome politics, it's just schoolyard sadism & sneering.
In 'How to Lose a Country: 7 Steps from Democracy to Fascism' @ecetemelkuran.bsky.social warned 'laugh at the horror' is a dangerous sign of democratic backsliding.
Is Mahmood now legitimising Trumpian fascistic policies as something to 'joke' about? So offensive & wrong.
Cf @sundersays.bsky.social🧵
"The idea that he would dismiss [Olly Robbins] and the way that he dismissed him... sends a real chill through the civil service."
Dave Penman, General Secretary of the FDA, says the PM is "losing the ability to work with the civil service."
#Newsnight
Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
This is what should happen to him wherever he goes.
Here’s some of the senior officials that Starmer has sacked. Just trying to work out what seems to be the problem here.
open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...
Taps sign while Badenoch is speaking...
Let's be clear: The Trump Admin's vendetta against the SPLC is a sign of how impactful their work is.
The SPLC has been at the forefront of exposing some of America's most notorious hate groups, like the KKK. The fact that the Trump Admin feels threatened by that speaks volumes.
My own answer to this pretty odd question would be that I wouldn’t choose to taser anyone.
Who would? And framing this around political opponents is really problematic.
Idk what 'tribe' @mrjamesob.bsky.social wd put me in. I don't really care. I guess the sort of Labour voter Mahmood has told to f*ck off? I care, respect & value ppl e.g immigrant care workers?
I'm with @iandunt.bsky.social & hoped Starmer wd restore standards & rule of law as advocated by e.g. Meg?
I voted Labour all my life & joined the party to support Starmer as leader based on his pledges which he's broken.
So much evidence e.g supporting the US & Israel's genocide in Gaza, anti-immigration rhetoric & policies & his normalisation of the radical right is unforgivable?
@mrjamesob.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/blay...
bsky.app/profile/stop...
This is amazingly confused! The OBR, as Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng discovered, are not Lafferian supply siders. They think if you raise taxes it reduces the deficit! I think they may have confused the OBR’s rules with Morgan McSweeney’s.
