As Enoch Powell remarked “politicians who complain about the media are like sailors who complain about the sea.”

Tice believes that Labour's Achilles heel is its net zero policies, and attacking the government on environmental issues will allow Reform to broaden its support beyond the anti-immigration base it has cultivated over the past decade. It is here that he believes Farage's friendship with Trump and Musk will be most valuable to the party, helping to amplify and legitimise Reform's message that there is an anti-green route to prosperity.

Tice as reported in the FT 12 December 2024.

Probably also believes that Status Quo wrote Rocking All Over the World 🤷‍♂️

Rather like being surprised by Mandelson might have vetting issues.

Opportunity cost is long overdue a comeback in British politics.

It’s also important to recognise that the long post war boom was a) an historical anomaly and b) reflected many factors which have weakened or reversed (eg favourable demographics). From Martin Wolf, December 2024.

Yes I saw that. Typical of a lot of places.

A very young Mandy Patinkin

High street government How to make public services visible again

In which point, just seen this open.substack.com/pub/howtorun...

Don't know why but I'm suddenly overcome by this urge to divest myself of dollar denominated assets

www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Wise Gruyères.

I think he’s trying (very poorly) to distinguish between changes in relative prices and inflation, with a half remembered quote from Friedman somewhere in the mix. If so, he makes Andrew Bailey look like a master communicator.

It’s a tough gig articulating the case for a strategic state, but Labour haven’t bothered trying. I wish I could share in the enthusiasm for Reeves’ two Mais Lectures but I can’t.

He’s going to be the “bad bank” of this government. Blame him for everything and attempt to start afresh.

One consequence of the last week is that it will further gum up the wheels of the state (already on a go slow on many issues because officials think the PM is a goner) with people covering their own backs.

Positive - it’s how Burnham has brought franchising to GM - but it requires ongoing public support because even London buses (that have never been deregulated) can’t cover their costs without cross funding from the Tube.

There’s a narrative for someone to pick up there. Extraordinary that it’s not a centre left government.

Lewis Goodall (@lewisgoodall) The Mandelson affair was survivable. Keir Starmer’s explanation for it may not be. It is a parable of his premiership- that the explanation is always process, not politics. Latest from me.

substack.com/@lewisgoodal...

We are therefore left in a curious position. The civil service is effectively saying the appointment was politically questionable, but that once made, the processes operated as they should. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister appears to argue the reverse: that the appointment was defensible, but that officials should somehow have stopped it after the fact. That he should have been told he could not have what he wanted. An unrealistic expectation of officialdom-and a complete failure in the relationship between state and elected government. Beyond the particulars, the fact of Robbins' testimony once again brings the Prime Minister's political judgment into question. It is clear that No 10 overreacted in the wake of the initial Guardian story. They could have stuck to the formulation that there was no clear pass or fail and clung to Robbins. Instead, for the sake of a news cycle and to give Starmer yet another fall guy at which to appear indignant, they handed Robbins a microphone to tear No 10 to shreds- an extraordinary act of prime ministerial self-harm. Labour MPs will inevitably be left wondering if this is just one mistake too many, albeit on an issue about which most of the public are unaware or uninterested.

An accurate summary of the current position

That’s always been the rumour but I don’t think there’s much evidence to back it up.

A large part of the problem is funding, but it’s also because the “state” isn’t visible to most people because of privatisation and contracting out. Our local bus only runs because of state funding but all passengers see is a private company.

Well they need a programme to govern by and Miliband is the only one to have anything like a coherent approach. Whether it’s deliverable given the pressure of the public finances from defence spending is more debatable

Wilson’s fascinating because although he won four GEs, and enacted many reforms which remain today, his successes were almost entirely between 1964 and 1966. Rather lost impetus after his landslide in ‘66 and the ‘75 Referendum was the big success of a pretty difficult two years.

Lost a GE and ushered in 13 years of New Labour.

He lost the Referendum, which is a pretty big failure, hence his resignation. Wilson won the 1975 Referendum and still resigned.

All the evidence suggests Wilson did go voluntarily, Eden and Macmillan rather less so.

bsky.app/profile/samf...

The only PM to leave office voluntarily since the War was Wilson fifty years ago last month, although I suppose you could put Eden and Macmillan into that category if you include ill health.

People have always described him as ruthless. The problem is that ruthlessness is reserved for preserving his position by blaming others, rather than delivering a programme for government. Wrong man, in the wrong job, at the wrong time.