James Barclay

Essentially labelling the Greens as extreme left does not just signify a complete ignorance of their broad policy platform but it crystallises exactly why Labour is haemorrhaging support leftwards while they chase Reform votes they will never win. A baffling strategy.

The correct space to inhabit.

Genuinely offensive too. And he wonders why progressive votes elude him...

This is the bit that drives me nuts. I presume it was a McSweeney policy but how they couldn't see that chasing after racists would alienate their core and, beyond that, any progressive left-leaning voter is completely baffling.

Anyway, how are you, Nick? Well, I trust.

Astounding, definitely. Deranged and deluded, certainly. Dangerous and divisive, without a shadow of a doubt.

I think it's very encouraging that Goodwin, Farage, and the Daily Telegraph, to name but three, have taken the result with such grace and humility.

JFC, the state of these headlines.

Rob Grant's death has hit hard. He was a lovely man, an incredible writing talent, a good friend and the purveyor of sound advice.

When I first met him, I asked him advice on how to cope with going full time as an author.

'Get dressed in the morning,' he said.

Very wise words.

RIP mate.

Listened to this fascinating piece on the dog walk this morning. Another great policy subverted by right wing nutjobs. What fascinates me is how the nutters manage to persuade anyone that if you live in, say, Kingston, you won't be allowed to drive to Richmond. The logical fallacies are endless.

These people are poison. They will unleash racist thugs on the streets of this country and call it security. They will subjugate us to the US and call it patriotism. They must be stopped. There is no more important task in politics.

Well, I saw a bird today
Flying from a bush
And the wind blew it away.
And the black-eyed mother sun
Scorched the butterfly at play
Velvet-veined, I saw it burn.
With a wintry storm-blown sigh,
A silver cloud blew right on by.
And, taking in the morning
I sang, O Requiem.

Jethro Tull, Requiem.

When I'm imagining a fight for a novel, you need to know these are EXACTLY the images rattling around in my head.

That's kind, thank you. Dave was such a lovely man and a peerless mentor. I still miss him, still want to run passages and ideas past him.

Yes, tragically, it's me, jawing on for ages. On the other hand, Nasrullah is a lovely human being.

This was such fun to do. Watch. You know you want to.

I listened to this on my dog walk this morning and it is horrifying.

Brilliant but horrifying.

Honestly, I can't believe that RJ Dark bloke is given house room at all. WHOEVER HE IS.

It is one I like to keep for special occasions.

It is possible that I was unsuccessful.

I was there last night (my far more talented wife's plus-one). I was delighted to hear him speak like this. We have to have more of it. We have to face what has been done to the UK by the Brexit calamity and the liars who brought it about.

Just one more reason to sign this petition
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...

I've been neck deep in a first person present manuscript for so long that writing my current short story commission in the third person is a fucking nightmare.

If you haven't come across @originstorypodcast.bsky.social yet, please look it up and get listening. You have the joy of seven seasons to catch up on and a brilliant eighth season on the story of socialism happening now. It is thoughtful, intelligent, funny, jaw-dropping, engaging... a proper treat.

This is a superb piece of research journalism by @skynewsrss.bsky.social. It confirms pretty much everything we feared about the malign influence of Musk and 'X' on UK political discourse.

The UK Government should be calling the platform and its owner out for what they are and leave it immediately.

Everything Carole does is worth your time and your attention.

I'm sure it's entirely innocent. Perhaps he was just trying to see why he was a bit constipated or something.

Happy Birthday, you lovely man. Hugs and everything. Jx

I'm not sure...

Did I? Well that's lovely. Who was kind enough to do that?

We Live Here Now by @sarahpinborough.bskyb.social is out in the UK today and it is superb. Pace, turmoil, fear, character, plot… I could go on. Everything about it works to perfection.

Buy it and love it, and be prepared…it’s a read-in-one-sitting book.

It is now the law that when anyone uses the phrase 'When push comes to shove' you must interrupt them with 'I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love.'

If they are confused by this, show them where to buy tickets.

Message ends. #Hamilton