🎃🦇 Batrick Read 🦇

Matthew Pennycook MP speaks at the dispatch box in the House of Commons

The Renters' Rights Bill has been APPROVED by the House of Commons!

This is the final step before the Bill receives Royal Assent, which we expect shortly.

No more amendments, no more debate - renters' rights are coming.

Key China spy case witness removed 'enemy' from evidence under Tories Security adviser Matthew Collins says the term

Wooooah!

So the China spy case witness statement initially described China as the 'enemy'.

But that word was removed before submition, because it was NOT government policy at the time.

The government when this happened were the Tories.

So arguably the Tories are the reason the case collapsed!

Like, if Labour want LD and Green voters to like them and be willing to vote tactically for them, that has to be an active process, and a worryingly large number of Labour people's entitlement around such voters hardly helps that.

Lots of interesting takes and posts here.
But f you are interested or want to know more about Welsh politics then definitly follow @willhaycardiff.bsky.social

Especially as Wales has felt the most neglected part of the GB side of the union for some time.

Think Labour need to burnish/display their progressive credentials more and show some concrete actions in the budget.
But also wonder is there not a case for Labour to put some more funding for Wales in the budget?
They need to show they can deliver and in the end they now hold the purse strings

In the end a victory for common decency that Plaid won that seat and I suspect a lot of ex/labour leaning voters definitely got behind them to keep reform our after that poll came out.

Curious to see what if anything labour can do to turn things around before next years election

Great on so many levels as I remember reading so many books that my mum had found because they were boosted from winning prizes like this.
Even just getting on the long and short list will bring books to the attention of so many parents and young readers.

The Booker Prize Foundation launches Children’s Booker Prize

The Booker Prize Foundation has launched the Children’s Booker Prize, the charity’s first award for children’s fiction. 👇 #BookSky

Plaid smash Reform to win in Caerphilly These are the key takeaways from a massive night in Welsh politics

My latest newsletter with all the analysis from a historic Caerphilly byelection

willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/plaid-smas...

Do you have any thoughts on what such a change in strategy should entail?

Got to enjoy the end the witch hunt headline with the second story of 'an update from the witchfinder general'

At this rate will celebrity traitors be finished by episode 8?
Traitors only need to get 3 more people banished/murdered and they have 50%?

#celebritytraitors

Again frustrating it's taking so long but is important to draw this dividing line between Labour and reform/conservatives

Commons to ask crown estate for details of Prince Andrew’s rent-free housing as inquiry moves closer – as it happened Conservative chair of public accounts committee to raise questions about Andrew’s deal at Royal Lodge

Clip here of the PM's reaction on @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social blog here

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

NEW - Starmer on Katy Lam: "I can't tell you how much I disagree with her.

"People who are lawfully in this country, who have been working in our communities, our neighbours... to reach in and remove them from our country - for 'cultural reasons'. That is how far the Conservative party has sunk."

Oh damn! Didn't even realize this was out!

But seriously respiratory medicine is going to have a field day with this

The suffering of existence? CO2

Twitter post from a grifter: CO2 healed or improved all of these, even homosexuality. ® 4 Anxiety? CO2 Alcoholism? C02 Allergy? CO2 Anorexia? CO2 Asthma or shortness of breath? C02 Compulsion? CO2 Constipation? CO2 Concentration difficulties? C02 Cephalagia? co2 Cardiac disturbance? CO2 Depression? CO2

New wellness grift just dropped

Do you mind if I ask now that the commons has voted down the Lords amendments do the Lords have to pass it through? Or can they send it back again a few more times?

Was wondering this myself but from my reading I think it's because the Lords objected/tried to amend a bunch of stuff which slowed it down.
Although not sure what the delay is now the commons have voted against the amendments.

Well worth reading, some very powerful words from the five survivors here.
But also curious to see how frustrated and unimpressed they seem to be by those speaking against the inquiry.

Also does feel like the actions of those who have left the panel will just lead to more delay to this inquiry

Really interesting to find this out. Has felt like there's a big political game being played by some of the survivors who quit this week.

Looking at this credentials on paper Jim Gamble seemed like the kind of person you'd want dealing with inquiry and now he's pulled out.

Five grooming gang survivors tell PM they will stay on panel only if Jess Phillips remains in post Exclusive: In fresh controversy, the women write to Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood to speak up for safeguarding minister

Breaking - Five grooming gang survivors tell PM they will stay on panel only if Jess Phillips REMAINS in post.

They say Phillips has “devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would have otherwise been unheard”.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

PARTY OF ONE 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2025 "Take it, Past Me" - 2015 "Thanks, Future Me" Five special episodes celebrating 10 years of 2-player RPGs. October 27th-31st, 2025

Starting Monday, Party of One is celebrating its 10th anniversary with not just one episode, but 5 special episodes.

It's a big anniversary. It deserves a big celebration. A party, if you will.

The TUC (Trades Union Congress) is running a really good campaign on Insta:

Oh bugger more resident doctors strikes.

Looks like I'm back to my weekly posts about government parties really not understanding how upset health professionals are currently.

So are you telling us you committed a pho pas?