Simon Barnes

Nor the people bearing the brunt of foreign aid cuts

if only we had a media and culture secretary @roberthutton.co.uk

Trippier and Shearer on Howe #NUFC

Went into “Wuthering Heights” with an open mind. I really don’t mind adaptations that take liberties with source material. But it is just a very hollow film and does not deserve to do as well as it obviously will.

Means a lot to him. It’s not a man that’s given up or lost the dressing room. #nufc

Is it just me that reads this as uhh not perhaps supportive

Presumably it will have to be an internal appointment to replace McSweeney because no one will give up an external job to work for a PM so clearly on the edge himself.

I think whether the job is structurally impossible is important to ask. But in this case the Chief of Staff was clearly unfit for the job: he only understood politics through the lens of petty Labour factionalism which is why he pushed for Mandelson and advised the PM to keep punching at their base.

Good. The UK is not a big CLP to have fun fighting factional battles with.

Starmer's moment of reckoning Where is the competent boring government we were promised?

This—by @iandunt.bsky.social—is the best thing I’ve read on the implications of this week’s shitshow for UK government, diplomacy and democracy

Reform has been warned that defecting Tories will damage its brand – and the first evidence is in Conservative voters have become more positive about Reform since the defections – but some Reform voters have been turned off.

My thoughts on what is (and isn't) at risk for Reform in becoming "Tory Party 2.0", given recent polling, the dynamics of bloc politics, and the party's popularity with 2024 non-voters: theconversation.com/reform-has-b...

Starmer faces questions over visit to Palantir office alongside Mandelson Former ambassador was also shareholder in lobbying group that counted US tech firm as a client

New on FT website:

Downing Street has refused to say whether Sir Keir Starmer knew Palantir was a client of Peter Mandelson’s lobbying firm when they both visited the company in Washington last February — ahead of it winning a £240mn UK government contract.

www.ft.com/content/5bba...

They will also be inheriting a multi-year spending plan which has baked in real term spending cuts for most departments by 2028 just as the next election approaches...

BREAKING: McSweeney’s think tank paid PR firm to investigate journalists Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists writing about its funding. Starmer's right-hand man knew.

🔴 BREAKING: Labour Together paid controversial PR firm £30k to investigate journalists who were digging into how its undeclared funding

Reporters from Sunday Times, Guardian and other outlets targetted

*And* Morgan McSweeney knew about it

Full story:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

This is the right take. The Tories now have the chance to explain why a race-baiter and authoritarian grifter like Jenrick belongs with Reform and not them. Will they take it? Almost certainly not. As Stephen says, they see Reform as lost family rather than a distinct and dangerous political foe.

Very easy to lose perspective. It was an amazing year.

We may end thd weekend in 15th place. #NUFC

I’m not Howe Out but there are very obvious problems that he is falling to address game upon game. It’s become harder to defend him.

I think the trouble with Netflix is you can always tell when it’s their production. There’s always something a bit plastic or unconvincing about what they create.

to paraphrase churchill, the license fee is the worst way to fund public service broadcasting, apart from all the others

A result which both illustrates the magnitude of the Reform threat and the problems with Labour’s “Farage is right, don’t vote for him” response. 37 point Lab to Reform swing. Labour go from first to 4th as anti-Reform vote splits 3 ways. Combined Lab/LD/Grn vote larger than Reform vote.

UNITED ✊

Britain:

American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.

Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.

Fascinated by the 8% of Reform voters who see the English flag as a racist symbol…

Brentford away is our secret weapon it seems..

The presence of Hall and Tino is the difference we’ve missed.

What an excellent win. We’ve lost points where we won them last season but what valuable set of points from a bogeyman team. Eddie’s mags are back.