Jennifer Williams

Labour council accuses minister of ‘moral bankruptcy’ over social care dispute Hartlepool leaders ‘furious and appalled’ after meeting with Steve Reed about growing cost of social care

Labour council accuses minister of ‘moral bankruptcy’ over children’s social care dispute

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Stockport: deeply into the ironising phase of its revival

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And then obviously in that vacuum has immediately come the politics

There was some suggestion that the observers were not allowed to raise this during polling hours as it would constitute interference, but I also heard differing views on that. I’m not casting aspersions, just feel like I don’t entirely understand what’s happened

Although whether I was entirely functioning as a journalist or even human being on Friday morning is debatable, but I did try

Fwiw I was told the organisation’s chief exec was unavailable for comment on Friday, which made establishing any of the above impossible

This story has been puzzling, because im still not clear exactly what is meant to have happened where, or why DV insists there was egregious family voting but the council seems so sure nothing was raised with them on the day (bar one concern, I’m told, which apparently turned out to be innocent)

It’s fine Kelly Osbourne rightly blew it out the water

🤣 that properly made me laugh well played

It’s fine Jack Whitehall has brought things back into equilibrium by slagging off city, all good

Oh it might have only been live not on the telly. Ended it with up the fucking blues and half the arena switched to BOOOOO

Quite a big deal this being here. Lovely antidote to the last month 😎

Well done Noel. Managed to unite and then immediately divide the entire arena. Should go into politics

In this campaign I basically trusted nothing I was told bar by people I’d known for a very long time (several of whom said “Labour could come third”). Wasn’t a bad rule of thumb in the end, but a bit depressing nonetheless

It’s also diminishing returns, or it should be. Next time someone tries to tell you something you apply the “yeah but is that bollocks” card. I always used to find that politicians rarely lied outright, even off record, for that general reason. Because it’s stupid.

There was briefing going on *during the count* that they were looking good, when they knew during the day that it was lost - and in fact their 10pm statement hinted at it. Like, what

Yes exactly. And I also heard a mix from the campaigns, which made me think they didn’t know either. Although I was doubtful of the Labour spin all the way through (it just didn’t ring true at all) and that turned out to have been correct

I think this is fundamentally why I found it so hard to call: it wasn’t just the neck and neck polls (which could have been wrong) but that I personally knew a lot of people agonising over it who didn’t know which way to jump - so I was damned if *I* was going to pretend to know when they didn’t

The ULEZ thing was baffling even from here

Quite. One reason why the 'sectarian' stuff rings hollow is if you think that Labour were not doing their own communal campaigning going 'you know what their position on gender is, right?' I have a picture of an ape to sell you.

I have election jet lag. What day is it

There are a couple of police investigations into how Labour played that campaign that alone would suggest that.

I also wonder whether Starmer knows much about how Labour itself goes about campaigning on the ground.

*24 and a half hours ago to be precise

I think it fails to understand the coalition of voters that just voted Green, and why. And as usual you won’t get very far by implicitly slagging off the voters. The Green voter coalition was your coalition five minutes ago.

All the political people at this count had been safely out of the reach of journalists, on the counting floor, until these guys walked in and the entire press pack went OMG FINALLY

Friends of Sir Oink a Lot say it’s been a tough campaign and the weather has affected turnout

Officially 3-4am but I wouldn’t bet against recount(s)

A lesser spotted early evening coffee