Carl Gardner

Yes, I see.

I suppose to be fair to the US, maybe it's obvious Russia would just veto any effective pressure on Iran's regime. But generally, although the nuclear weapons risk is very serious, this seems more sudden and unilateral than Iraq, and without any case being built and made. Trumpy.

I don't want to relitigate Iraq, but I'm not sure this really is the same. I'm thinking about this (my support for the Iraq war being something I often reflect on). Then, the US, UK and others did at least try a UN route.

The UK Supreme Court Welcome to SCOUTSblog’s newest recurring series, in which we interview experts on different supreme courts around the world and how they compare to our own. For our debut column, we […]

In this interview with the SCOTUS Blog, which launches its series on global apex courts, I reflect on the role of the UK Supreme Court and consider whether adjudication at this level in the UK is really as apolitical as we often assume it to be. www.scotusblog.com/2026/03/the-...

I was well into This Life at the time.

Yes, it is.

This has grown on me a bit, but only a bit. It’s bog standard cosy crime, and some of the characters—I mean the narrator and Nevada—are pretty non existent, they’re so undrawn. They feel like the 7th Doctor and Ace, and I wonder if I’m meant to think that or if I’m being daft.

I know there are amazing, historic pubs a walk away, that have a wider and more interesting range of beers. Plus an okay craft beer place opposite. But among the glassy office buildings and the “Neck Oil if you’re lucky” bars, this is an oasis. I think it’ll do well with office workers.

Steak pie, mash, cabbage and gravy

I’m trying the Hoop and Grapes on Farringdon Street—which can’t have been long reopened. This is a good addition to the area. Much better than a lot of the bars nearby. The staff are great. www.hoopandgrapes.co.uk

I think this is great, too.

In person please!

Could I come to this please?

I suppose not!

At the risk of sounding like an ultra hawk, or as if I support the American action, isn't there an argument that this is all more complex than just a conflict that started a few days ago? Isn't there an argument that it's all part of a US-Iran-Israel conflict that started last year at the latest?

Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks

Legal advice re use of UK bases for attacks on Iranian missile bases now published www.gov.uk/government/n...

I get how this song works in the context of and given the theatrical style of the Threepenny Opera, but have never understood why it’s sung on its own in concerts and albums. However jazzed up, it’s so repetitive.

What alternative leader and policies do you think might solve Labour’s problem?

I think it’s because it seems to be trying so hard to be kewl, youthful in the way that yet another Stones tour is youthful, and relentlessly quippy and stuffed with quirky “fun” characters.

I’m not really convinced by Cartmel as a novelist I have to say. This feels a bit screenplay-brained somehow, with odd and sometimes confusing choices about where to use dialogue for example. And his world so far mildly annoys me in much the same way the 7th Doctor’s did.

I’ve just started an Andrew Cartmel novel, just because of his #DrWho connection. The village England he creates in this is so far quite like the world of the 7th Doctor. You almost expect Ace to appear any moment.

@davidkitchen.bsky.social A couple of Listmakers ideas. Top stories featuring quarries. Top collaborators—human villains working for or with alien baddies. Such as Tobias Vaughan, Stien or Guy Crayford.

It didn’t seem especially polished when I was there at Christmas! Hard to get a place to sit, but I liked this place.

I stopped listening to it then too, and have never gone back. It began to feel like Brexit Daily, with Humphrys fiercely interrogating only opponents and sceptics.

Thanks for meeting that challenge! I think there's quite a bit of that in the letter. It starts with praise for the candidate for example, and contains stuff about confronting division, and about delivery. I see your point about listening: yes, you're right, there should have been more of that.

But they can't just rejoin unilaterally. It wouldn't dramatically change anything, as they can't do it.

Both Reform and the Greens are led by obvious charlatans. But large parts of the general public either don’t care or choose to ignore that.

That’s how weak the Labour and Conservative propositions are right now.

Okay, so rather than thinking it was a bad letter in the context of him writing to Labour MPs, you just don't want him writing any such letter.

I'm too out of touch to know how much of a compliment that is.

I'd welcome it if someone rose to my challenge of saying what he ought to have written instead.

It doesn't say they're the same as Galloway. It says he endorsed them, and they capitalised on that. Is either of those things untrue, or unfair?