Tree of the year contender

Starmer and Reeves ditch Budget plan to increase income tax rates Chancellor explores alternative ways to raise revenue to fill fiscal hole estimated at up to £30bn

Big scoop by my colleagues, this:

📣 Very excited to say that I’m joining The Independent’s brilliant Lobby team next week

I can’t wait to get started!

Exhausting, loud, a DJ blasting ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ at full volume

But enough about my Sunday, how’s Labour conference?

Kevin currently the top of the BBC home page

Shear delight for teenager who took sheep to collect GCSE results Milly Johnson, 16, brought her ‘best friend’ Kevin with her to Tarleton Academy in Lancashire on Thursday.

A pun in the top line and a sheep called Kevin
www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/nationa...

Good evening from The Oval

The explosion in support for women’s football has been one of my greatest joys in the last five years

I love this team and I love Sarina Wiegman

I ADORE SPORT

I don’t like sport

The explosion in support for women’s football has been one of my greatest joys in the last five years

I love this team and I love Sarina Wiegman

Badenoch ‘will get better’, says Stride as Tories’ polling woes continue The shadow chancellor insisted the party has the right person in the top job.

Mel Stride earlier today insisted Kemi Badenoch would 'get better through time', just like Margaret Thatcher did.

Reform backs cryptocurrency tax cut as party receives first Bitcoin donations Party chairman Zia Yusuf suggested the cut could generate up to £1 billion for the Treasury over a decade.

Reform has already received cryptocurrency donations as it announces plans to cut taxes on Bitcoin (interestingly, party chair Zia Yusuf admitted he doesn't own any crypto himself) www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Lordship isn't close to a tube station so I think is more local.

And then *just* down the road is Finsbury Park which is obviously very well connected and gets closer to 700/800

Very new to ParkRun and thought the 200-odd at my local in north London was a lot. Then saw that Battersea gets over 1000!

Truth Social and football phone calls: the final hours of the UK-US trade deal Sir Keir Starmer said the timing ‘couldn’t be more apt’.

Sir Keir Starmer was pulled away from the second half of his beloved Arsenal’s semi-final to firm up the final details of the US trade deal with Donald Trump.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

Truth Social and football phone calls: the final hours of the UK-US trade deal Sir Keir Starmer said the timing ‘couldn’t be more apt’.

Sir Keir Starmer was pulled away from the second half of his beloved Arsenal’s semi-final to firm up the final details of the US trade deal with Donald Trump.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

filling time on air until the new pope is announced is known as "pontiffication"

Trump sends No 10 into disarray on trade deal, but Starmer will be thrilled with the result (unlike Arsenal)

💂‍♂️ UK scrambling to announce deal on VE Day
🏭Reporters sent to the wrong factory
☎️Weird speakerphone press conference
✅But major win for PM

You think running a marathon is hard?

Try being in your late-20s and trying to keep track of everyone you know when London and Manchester are on the same day

Mine arrived in four days *over Christmas and Boxing Day*

🕰️🌅

The Prime Minister will deliver a statement on defence in Downing Street at 5pm this afternoon after pledging to raise defence spending from its current 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP

BREAKING: Tulip Siddiq has resigned

She says she would be a 'distraction' to the govt if she stayed in post

Independent ethics adviser found she did not breach ministerial code

Insider secret about Downing Street for the bluesky lads. It is the coldest street in Britain. It could be 30C on Whitehall and you’d need a woolly hat here.

Starmer hits out at Tories over Badenoch’s call for new grooming gang inquiry Elon Musk claimed Sir Keir Starmer was ‘hiding terrible things’ by refusing to back a national probe.

Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of prioritising winning support on Elon Musk’s social media site over protecting children by pushing for a vote on a new nationwide child grooming investigation.

uk.news.yahoo.com/starmer-hits...

Half an hour later and I’m still bleary-eyed about Smithy waiting for Mick

Decisions were made here

Father Christmas doesn’t just travel by sleigh 🎄🎅🏻

He’s also taking his chances on the UK rail network tonight: www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-n...

You all laughed at me for not putting Haaland in my fantasy team…