No matter how much I read, I just cannot fathom the idea that civil servants should *not* tell ministers that their choice to be US Ambassador has red flags from Security Vetting.
That's *not* a defence of Starmer - and Robbins may have been applying the rules correctly. But the rule seems insane.
So, in the face of his views on the importance of process and all the times he said it was followed, it seems as if in the instance of sacking OR, Starmer didn't follow the formal process.
Uprating policy is such a dog's breakfast. Arguably was already a mess before 2010 but Osborne went to town on it, using freezes as a way of permanently driving real-terms entitlements down. We're seeing a welcome but *partial* reversal of this: LHA is not a matter of detail.
Always find it amusing that these knuckle-dragging racists genuinely can't get it into their heads that many of us are positive about immigration *precisely* because we do indeed have friends, family, neighbours from different backgrounds...
🥹🥹🥰
Quite.
Not just the government. Lots of Conservative/Reform policies fit this description too.
And all those here a few days ago defending the Hannah Spencer article advocating capping household energy bills for everyone/subsidising energybcomsumption in the face of a supply shock....
Good thread. There's tons a serious leftist govt could do whilst running a tight fiscal policy, as I said here: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/some-lefti... Social democrats' habit of viewing economic policy only through a "tax & spend" lens is a barrier to serious thinking about the economy.
After sunset, and the vast dome of sky shimmers. There's a sliver of moon. Slowly, stars begin to pop open. In a small hollow on the cliff I find shelter from the cold east wind, watch the snakeskin sea flex, and soak up the scent of myrtle which has overwritten even the tang of salt and stone.
Possibly being able to speak with a human at last was as much of a relief as getting an appointment...
"But we promise we won't make a mess..." 😍
The underlying structural problems of UK politics that the country doesn't have the resources to do everything expected of it and a Westminster class in denial about this doesn't go away in the event of a new PM.
I ache for the fragile beauty of it all
Try if you can to reconcile Starmer’s announcement that vetting will be reformed with new processes to prevent this happening again… with his complaint about the accretion of new processes in Whitehall
2. The process defense is further obliterated by the revelation that the Cabinet Office originally argued that PM did not need DV!
For the process led defense, hoisted by your own petard does not come close.
He's also very proud - do you think he might choose to resign as the 'honourable' action, rather than face the humiliation of being ousted?
Would the PM's PM debacle have happened if Sue Gray had not been replaced?
The idea that you need to send corrupt sociopaths as Ambassadors to DC is so funny, because it's a standard we have never applied anywhere.
We don't appoint corrupt gangsters to embassies in Moscow or religious fanatics to Tehran.
Also, Mamdani is able to handle Trump fine without becoming him.
It gets worse: No 10 also tried to get Matthew Doyle - a close friend of Mandelson - a job working for him in DC.
Remember - Doyle was asked by PM to investigate Mandelson's responses about links to Jeffrey Epstein & concluded he was "satisfied".
A *clear* conflict of interests.
🔥Oliver Robbins reveals that No 10 tried to get Matthew Doyle, Keir Starmer's former aide, a posting as an ambo in March 25.
He was under "strict instruction" not to discuss with then foreign sec.
Lord Doyle, awarded peerage by Starmer, was suspended after he publicly supported a sex offender.
And it is the party that the BBC gave special status to by using ReFuk branding for THE BBC’s chyron …this during election purdah.
bsky.app/profile/stur...
We are set to enter a new era on 13 May as @alanrenwick.bsky.social takes over from Meg Russell as our Director.
Tom Fleming will become Deputy Director and a new lecturer will join us next year.
We can also confirm that our annual conference will happen on 24 and 25 June.
Read all about it 👇
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Petals&Perches any bird with flowers in capture. The alt is #WhatTheFlock any capture of three or more of the same bird.
Here we have a charm of young Goldfinches meeting both of Alan's criteria...
@alan678.bsky.social #birds #ECK
This is astonishing. Whoever is responsible for this should lose their job.
Yes. Those being vetted are assured that their data will be held “in the strictest confidence”. That undoubtedly gives rise to an enforceable legal duty of confidence.
Yes🤦, thank you
Yes, it was - but after it had been leaked by the media (sorry, I can't remember who said it during this statement session)
Someone said that the media let it out and it was then confirmed by No 10
Oh that's so shabby and awful.
But did he mean this positively or negatively?
That bus just rolling right over Kamala and Alexandria there...
