Some risks are very hard to mitigate.

The Mandelson fiasco reveals the true nature of Starmerism This is a prime minister who does not understand the difficult trade-offs involved in governing

Ultimately this is a story with a simple cause: the prime minister outsourced his judgement to someone he *really* shouldn’t have, and now he owns the fallout from that, and hard to see how his government gets out from under that one:

Not a good day for Sir Humphrey.

Not necessarily! Ambitious for what, ambitious for whom - these are the important follow-up questions I think.

If only there was a book about this sort of thing oh there is
www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Foul-Ma...

One verdict on Starmer (via @politico.eu ):

The civil service priesthood is upset that some of its more obscure practices are being exposed to scrutiny.

In the Oval Office today (via @brianstelter.bsky.social )

Trump can't even surrender right says @pkrugman.bsky.social

The last person in this country I am going to listen to on the question of honesty is Nigel Farage.

The Mandelson affair is the inverse of Murder on the Orient Express: it was none of them!

Just not been Trump's week has it?

Hungary has chosen Europe.

Europe has always chosen Hungary.

A country reclaims its European path.

The Union grows stronger.

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.

Yours is better than mine! (Although mine is not half bad.)

It is!

👍👍👍

Hungary just voted Remain. Bigly.

Tokaji-ing the L

Excellent.
(This is now chilling - not the real five puttonyos stuff but it's all I had in.)

A number of British academics and ex-academics just lost a potential pay cheque.

ORBÁN CONCEDED

Might enjoy a glass of this later.

Corbridge Larder | Cheese Hampers | Northumberland Deli & Cafe The Corbridge Larder, home to some of the finest gourmet foods, with more than 100 cheeses and 50 local beers to choose from, plus wine and the exclusive Corbridge Gin. Buy gifts including cheese hamp...

You might have a calmer, happier lunch at this lovely place:
Corbridge Larder | Cheese Hampers | Northumberland Deli & Cafe share.google/JkosgEhVTKrh...

Was tempted to try this place after hearing about it, but now... (whiff of hubris from this establishment since getting a v positive write-up in The Tines).

Trump has the maturity and sophistication of a below average 10 year old boy.

Delighted to be appearing at the inaugural Mercer Hall Book Festival, near Blackburn on Sunday 17th May, 12.30pm, talking about 'These Isles: A People's History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.' Book here: www.hyndburnleisure.co.uk/event/mercer...

Lab clearly moving back to a pro EU stance, so time to start bigging up Brexit again - even if we're all poorer, weaker, isolated...

The rule of Benedict: Why good people embrace terrible ideas The case of the Times and Brexit

The embrace of Brexit by the Times shows the power of extremist minorities in Western democracies to police debate
Piece from me
open.substack.com/pub/nickcohe...

That's what a lame duck would say.