Terms limits are a God-send for lobbyists who get inexperienced legislators to prey on.

You suddenly bolt awake shivering. It is 13 October 1066, and you are William of Normandy. You call your retainers and once ordered, reluctantly they begin marching back to the shore and your waiting fleet. The cursed future you saw shall not come to pass.

That wasn't why they appointed Mandelson, it was purely a favour to one of McSweeney's mates.

If I was the Greens I’d be worried that people who have demanding we refuse requests for help from countries invaded by fascists intent on genocide as a red line see them as an attractive prospect

Putting aside the question of how Labour are supposed to attack candidates before they know who they are...

... I think the issue is that you selected people who did antisemitic things as candidates, not others attacking them for that.

With Orban gone the EU has now approved the 90 billion Euro loan to Ukraine and another package of sanctions on Russia. V good news.

My hometown of Nashville -- a blue city which went about two-thirds for Harris-Walz in 2024 -- was gerrymandered by the TN GOP into three different districts all represented by Republicans now, so please get in line to complain about how unfair this all is, Virginia Republicans

I am so tired of people in our movement treating our leaders like idols. It was bad enough when the Blessed St Jeremy of Islington was leader and if you criticised him you were a 'Red Tory'.

How much integrity is involved with trying to appoint a thoroughly bent individual, who Cabinet Office propriety and ethics had warned you carried major reputational risks, to a plum posting?

I don't personally think the ten pledges u-turn was beyond the pale, but you can't just dismiss it as 'not a legal document'. Promises should mean something, not just be chucked around to win a leadership contest.

How are those two things connected? And before you say "they appointed Mandelson to appeal to Trump", the answer is no they didn't. Karen Pierce had excellent relations with Trump's team and Mandelson was not especially liked by them. He got the role as a political thank you.

The GOP entered this redistricting under the rather childish delusion they were going to gerrymander, and nobody would gerrymander them. In TX, MO, and a half dozen other states, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind

It is extremely damning that every defence of Starmer involves portraying him as a poor little innocent duped by those around him. Which, ftr, I don't believe to be true. He knew from the Cabinet Office P&E team what the risks were. It was public knowledge that Mandelson had close ties to Epstein.

"He's just not a natural political animal".

That's sweet, but he should resign if that's the case regardless of the Mandelson calamity. We can't have an incurious naif as PM.

This is about exposing the SPLC's informants in right-wing extremist orgs and driving them out so they can plot in secret. The bullshit criminal charges are just a bonus.

"He also should have realised McSweeney was working on trying to get a mate an ambassadors job?"

Well, yes. This was blindingly obvious.

The earliest an anti-gerrymandering bill is becoming law is 2029, so some form of interim plan is needed.

I'd rather improve the odds than bet on winning a game rigged against Democrats.

I've come round to the idea that politicians should show less 'personality' and avoid jokey, politainment set-ups like the plague. The merits of being professional, sober and avoiding being crass are much underappreciated.

As @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk pointed out, using Thatcher as an example, politicians should be much less willing to do 'jokey' interviews or engage with silly stunts.

I just think if the government was to become this unpopular this quickly, they might as well have done it by increasing taxes on median+ earners.

Yes, but that means that you refuse to answer it.

Serious levels of losing the plot. Hopefully a sign that Number 10 wants to water down the ILR changes.

Is the Home Secretary's hypothesis that Yvette Cooper wouldn't be criticised if tabled the same asylum/settlement reforms?!

The personal characteristics of Nigel Farage/Zia Yusuf, Chris Philp/Kemi Badenoch, Shabana Mahmood/Starmer seem v marginal to who supports/opposes their immigration plans!

Conservatives Stand Tommy Robinson-Supporting Candidate Who Called Boris Johnson a ‘Traitorous Scumbag’ Nathan Smith said the former Conservative leader would be "jailed the second we take power" as he backed far-right Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe as "the only MP fighting for us"

🔴EXCLUSIVE: The Conservatives are standing a candidate who:

- Praised Tommy Robinson
- Said man who Robinson allegedly assaulted “deserved it”
- Said far-right MP Rupert Lowe is “the only MP fighting for us”
- Called Boris Johnson a “traitorous scumbag” who “will be jailed the second we take power”

The toxic people who don't think Shabana Mahmood doesn't belong in this country are white racists, not white liberals

But white liberals - like the mixed race, Asian or black liberals - have just as much right to disagree with Shabana Mahmood as they do with Theresa May or Nigel Farage or Zia Yusuf

something about being in my late 30s really has me sitting at the window watching the birds jumping in the little dishes of water i set out for them in the garden, i can’t get enough of this shit despite having no preexisting interest in the business of birds.

Ed Miliband eating a bacon sandwich photoshopped into a still from The Devil Wears Prada 2. (left to right) Stanley Tucci, Ed Miliband, Meryl Streep, Simone Ashley sitting at a board room table

An #EdEats Devil Wears Prada original for @jamesdaustin.bsky.social

On reflection, I think post the Robbins appearance, KS will have to resign — OR torpedoed the government’s line to the HoC in three crucial regards.