Tom Scotson

Is this what a Reform foreign policy would look like?

Jonathan Brown, CEO of Centre for a Better Britain, on where the UK is going wrong on the world stage

🇺🇦🇬🇧 President Zelensky leaves the Speaker’s House to head to Downing Street

Senior Tories Voice Concern That Party Has No Clear Plan To Fight Reform Senior Tories have privately expressed concern that the party does not yet have a coherent strategy for taking the fight to Reform UK.

Senior Tories break ranks to bemoan what they describe as a lack of proper Tory strategy for fighting Reform

"There is no consolidated plan for Reform" — shadow cabinet minister

"If there is a plan to take on Reform, nobody knows it" — insider

Colleagues Tali and @tomscotson.bsky.social report

Coastal Labour MPs Unite To Resist Reform Wave Coastal Labour MPs are getting more organised as they brace for the threat of Nigel Farage.

"Unless Labour delivers for coastal towns and tackles disaffection, the tide will turn in the Sea Wall – and Reform will reap the rewards"

Great to speak to @tomscotson.bsky.social about coastal towns, a key Labour-Reform battleground.

www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Should Parliament scrap centuries old traditions because new MPs know best?

🚨OUT NOW🚨 Will Parliament finally get modernised?

📅 Labour MP Rachel Blake, Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney, and reporter Sophie Church join host Alain Tolhurst to discuss whether Westminster will finally drag itself into the 21st century

🎧 Listen here: pod.fo/e/2afc50

Labour MPs Urge Starmer To Hike Defence Spending Amid Trump’s Ukraine Peace Push The Prime Minister is under pressure to hike defence spending more immediately and show leadership on the world stage

NEW: Labour MPs are urging Keir Starmer to increase defence spending more swiftly and show leadership on the world stage

Starmer has arrived in Paris to join European leaders at an emergency crisis summit tonight

A team effort from @tomscotson.bsky.social @matildamartin.bsky.social and I

A tricky day for Kemi Badenoch gets a bit trickier...

@tomscotson.bsky.social has obtained a 2022 email to a constituent expressing support for recommended football reforms

On Monday, however, the Tory leader said a regulator — which was among the recommended reforms — was a "waste of money"

MPs Across Labour Urge Ministers To Back Digital ID In Fight Against Farage Members of Parliament from across the Labour Party are pushing the government to introduce a new digital identification system in a bid to get on t...

Many Labour MPs argue an ID cards policy would be a double boost for Starmer:

Help tackle issues like small boats, fight Reform

Lord Blunkett, who tried to introduce digital ID under Blair, said ministers seem to be "working towards" it

@tomscotson.bsky.social & @siennarodgers.bsky.social report

MPs Across Labour Urge Ministers To Back Digital ID In Fight Against Farage Members of Parliament from across the Labour Party are pushing the government to introduce a new digital identification system in a bid to get on t...

📲NEW: Labour MPs are pushing the government to introduce digital IDs in a bid to get on the front foot in the fight against
Reform UK

Supporters of the policy include Jake Richards, Dan Carden, Siobhain McDonagh and Lord Blunkett

The bureaucratisation of the British state 🇬🇧

Prior to WWII there were fewer than 50 people working in the cabinet office

As of 2024 there were more than 12,000 (!)

Penny Mordaunt Says She Plans To Stand For Parliament At Next Election Former Conservative Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt has confirmed she intends to stand at the next general election.

Former Tory Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt today confirmed she plans to stand at the next general election

Speaking to PolHome later, she said: "I have previously said I would like to return to the Commons, and I will try and do some good in the meantime"

@tomscotson.bsky.social reports

Northern Labour MPs Set Up 'Red Wall Caucus' To Fight Reform UK Exclusive: A number of Labour MPs in the North and Midlands have formed a group called the 'Red Wall Caucus' to fight the rise of Reform UK in thei...

Lots of coverage today of ‘Red Wall’ Labour MPs urging Keir Starmer to get tough on migration

My brilliant colleagues @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @tomscotson.bsky.social have been on this for a while – follow them if you don’t already!

First story back in November 👇

Labour To Step Up NHS Focused Attacks On Nigel Farage Labour has decided to step up its attacks on Nigel Farage and his Reform party, and the NHS will be front and centre of its campaign, PoliticsHome ...

Labour has decided to step up its attacks on Farage and Reform

The NHS will play a big part, as seen at PMQs

But material will also focus on the Reform leader's past support for Liz Truss' mini-budget, as well as remarks about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reports @tomscotson.bsky.social

Blue Labour v Reform: The Pro-Worker, Anti-Woke Plan To Beat Farage With Reform riding high in the polls, many new Labour MPs are deeply anxious about the threat posed by Nigel Farage. To fight him off, Keir Starmer...

A fascinating read from @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @tomscotson.bsky.social on the Blue Labour trend inside Labour re-emerging as the party scratches its head over the threat from Reform
www.politicshome.com/news/article...

How Will Kemi Badenoch Rebuild CCHQ? Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) is the party’s campaigning machine, but nowadays you struggle to find many Tories who are happy with it. ...

Amid (disputed) reports of CCHQ crisis talks, here's @tomscotson.bsky.social's December piece about the big issues facing the Tory party machine, post-defeat:

- staff shortages
- money
- rift with local associations

and convincing people to help the rebuild given "opposition is a terrible job"

Met Police Urge MPs To Give Evidence Over Drink Spiking Case The Metropolitan Police have called on MPs to come forward with any information about the alleged spiking incident at Strangers' Bar, urging witnes...

www.politicshome.com/news/article...

New: The Met Police have called on MPs to come forward with any information about the alleged spiking incident at Strangers' Bar

Here's the short letter below 👇

Tory Shadow Cabinet Set To Lead Policy Commissions Exclusive: The Conservative Party is set to launch policy commissions across the Shadow Cabinet in Kemi Badenoch’s first step in creating policy.

💥EXC: Conservative Shadow Cabinet ministers are expected to take the lead on new policy commissions

It marks the party's first step at creating real policy

Close ally Alex Burghart and Victoria Hewson will oversee the project

UK population is projected to rise from 67.6m to 72.5m over the next 10 years (ONS), driven by net migration of 4.9m

But this assumes annual net migration of 340k — far below the 750k seen in 2024

The UK will remain the 8th most densely populated country in Europe

Trump Team Is “Very, Very Sceptical” Of UK Government, Says Labour Peer Invited To Inauguration Lord Glasman, the only UK Labour Party figure to be invited to President Trump’s inauguration, has told PoliticsHome that the team around Trump is ...

💥Lord Glasman, the only UK Labour representative at Trump’s inauguration, claims Trump’s team is 'very, very sceptical about the Labour government'

An exclusive interview between the Blue Labour founder and
@siennarodgers.bsky.social
👇

Trump Team Is “Very, Very Sceptical” Of UK Government, Says Labour Peer Invited To Inauguration Lord Glasman, the only UK Labour Party figure to be invited to President Trump’s inauguration, has told PoliticsHome that the team around Trump is ...

💥Lord Glasman, the only UK Labour representative at Trump’s inauguration, claims Trump’s team is 'very, very sceptical about the Labour government'

An exclusive interview between the Blue Labour founder and
@siennarodgers.bsky.social
👇

Trump Team Is “Very, Very Sceptical” Of UK Government, Says Labour Peer Invited To Inauguration Lord Glasman, the only UK Labour Party figure to be invited to President Trump’s inauguration, has told PoliticsHome that the team around Trump is ...

EXCL: Lord Glasman, only Labour figure to be invited to inauguration, tells me the team around Trump is “very, very sceptical about the Labour government”

“They are looking for the govt to be their partner, but they don't see any indication that they are”: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Will Starmer clean up politics?

🚰 Labour MP Melanie Onn, Blakeney CEO Gabe Winn, Politico's John Johnston, and PR expert Jon Gerlis join Alain Tolhurst to take a look inside the sometimes hidden world of lobbying in Westminster

🎧 Listen here: pod.fo/e/2a300e

🇬🇧Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the Southport sentencing:

“After one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history we owe it to these innocent young girls and all those affected to deliver the change that they deserve”

I’m the MP Elon Musk praised for ‘integrity’ over the grooming gangs The call by Labour’s Dan Carden for a national inquiry won him attention, but his priority is for his party to win back the working-class vote

Late to this brilliant @thetimes.comprofile on Labour MP Dan Carden and Blue Labour

Blue Labour reportedly has good links and regular conversations with Vice President JD Vance. Maurice Glasman recently went on a podcast with Steve Bannon too

What are the chances a third runway at Heathrow doesn't get built during Labour's *second* term in Government?

Keir Starmer Should Use 'Entire Political System' To Build Ties With Trump, Says Ex-National Security Adviser Lord Sedwill, the former national security advisor, has said the government should use people who 'have a good relationship' with the Donald Trump ...

🇬🇧 Mark Sedwill, former security advisor, says Keir Starmer should use those with a "good relationship" with President Trump to improve ties with the US

The move increases pressure on the PM to utilise Nigel Farage more effectively 👇
www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Scottish Labour MP Warns Oil Refinery Closure Under Starmer Risks Thatcher-Era Scale Devastation A Scottish Labour MP has compared the closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery to the “social devastation” caused by the closure of coal mines acros...

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Labour MP Brian Leishman warns oil refinery closure risks Thatcher-scale devastation

His intervention comes as Scottish Labour continue to trail the SNP in the polls 👇

Keir Starmer Should Use 'Entire Political System' To Build Ties With Trump, Says Ex-National Security Adviser Lord Sedwill, the former national security advisor, has said the government should use people who 'have a good relationship' with the Donald Trump ...

🇬🇧 Mark Sedwill, former security advisor, says Keir Starmer should use those with a "good relationship" with President Trump to improve ties with the US

The move increases pressure on the PM to utilise Nigel Farage more effectively 👇
www.politicshome.com/news/article...