You’ve identified the problem with precision. So many of us willed him on because we hoped that a hinterland of human rights work and a commitment to internationalism would fill in the blanks together with competent ministers. It’s failed more spectacularly than we could have imagined
A fascinating obituary of Magdalen alumnus Desmond Morris, who has died aged 98.
www.thetimes.com/article/1daa...
The Evening Standard employed 364 journalists and staff when Lebedev bought it for £1 in 2009.
It now has 16
pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/r...
Loved his music, an intelligent man.
After 20 months, Starmer is now on his third Cabinet Secretary, his third FCDO Perm Sec, his third/fourth No. 10 chief(s) of staff and his fifth No. 10 Director of Comms
No10’s account is incredible.
I held Developed Vetting for nearly ten years and spent three years at the heart of the Cabinet Office. I have never heard of a Developed Vetting denial being overruled. Here’s why…🧵
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
It remains the most damning part of the last reshuffle: if you cannot sack someone who is visibly not interested in their brief and is essentially AWOL, you are not governing.
My analysis of the fiscal impact of the "earned settlement" proposals, based on government's own data.
The direct savings are a fraction of the Home Secretary's misleading claims, and likely to be offset by the substantial costs of lower work-related migration.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
"Rob, how can you keep saying that Lisa Nandy doesn't exist when she gives all these interviews about how she does exist and is definitely turning up to work every day at her department which she insists also exists?"
Not that it’s the mane (sic) event but why is a car in captivity and is its enclosure large enough?
Why the long faces?
Trump, Putin, Farage… your boy took a hell of a beating.
Congratulations to the people of Hungary for showing that populist extremists can be defeated – even despite Donald Trump’s best efforts.
💯 it’s absolutely disgraceful
My Spring to do list
by JD Vance
1. Prevent Iran war
2. Negotiate end to Iran war
3. Reelect Viktor Orbán
No amount of gerrymandering will fix that
People will be closely studying how Hungary's opposition pulled off their win in such a pro-incumbent system. Important to note that the theme was corruption. Democrats need to get much better at calling out Trump's corruption.
one immediate dramatic consequence of the Hungarian result:
Magyar has promised to repair relations with the EU and unblock a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine
When Angela Rayner underpaid £40,000 stamp duty on her flat, Richard Tice said it was "morally completely indefensible” and she should immediately resign if she had “any moral decency”.
Now we learn he personally made £91,000 in excess payments by failing to pay the tax his company legally owed
Crispin Odey has dropped his £79mn libel claim against the Financial Times over its reporting of sexual misconduct allegations against him, acknowledging that the FT would win in its defence.
www.ft.com/content/6966...
Spanish PM Pedro calls for the IMMEDIATE ARREST of Netanyahu
He said: "Netanyahu launched the worst possible unjustified attack against Lebanon. His contempt for life and international law is intolerable. He is a criminal that must be arrested immediately.” #cdnpoli
“Let the children mentioned ability to cultivate quick thinking ability and improve self-planning ability to create more fun.” “Benefitting intelligence. Interesting Amusement. Funny Game.”
You could cut the queue to that rage by 25 minutes for just £350 #BusinessModel
Perhaps an unpopular take, but I hate it when MPs are described as out of touch. They meet a greater variety of different people than 99% of the population, often in order to hear their complaints. They think far harder about issues than ordinary voters do.
With Lord David Frost - possessor of the world's most mediocre mind - announcing his conversion to Catholicism, this timeless Tweet is well worth a resurrection (geddit??!!) ...
Starmer announces that the UK is pursuing closer EU relations:
“Brexit did deep damage to our economy. And the opportunities to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore. We want to be more ambitious. Closer economic cooperation. Closer security cooperation.”
A banger of a menu
Tweet from JK Rowling: Today's ruling by the IOC means a welcome return to fair sport for women and girls, but I'll never forget the scandal of Paris 2024, when people who consider themselves supremely virtuous and progressive publicly cheered on men punching women.
Been thinking about it since I saw JK Rowling posted this yesterday about the IOC's new policy, calling Imane Khelif a man.
Imane Khelif was born female. She was raised as a girl. Her original birth certificate says female. She's always been a woman.
But sure. "Men punching women."
New Substack out.
It's all about how politics has modern work largely wrong. And what a contemporary politics of work might look like.
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyp...
To be fair there would be worse appointments than Wright
