Gavin Shuker

Happy Birthday to this guy, the raiser of a narcissist.

Rob whistle | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine The day had begun with Robert Jenrick accused of racism. This is of course quite unfair. Racists believe in something. Some of us remember Jenrick as a chubby-cheeked fan of David Cameron fighting the...

I could write for a long time, and never produce an intro as good and, crucially, important, as @roberthutton.co.uk.

‘The day had begun with Robert Jenrick accused of racism. This is of course quite unfair. Racists believe in something.’

thecritic.co.uk/rob-whistle/

Some really very good Aldi products: Magnum dishwasher tablets; Greysons Gin (Ridge Valley Light Mediterranean Tonic Water rivals Fever Tree and is the pick of the tonic options); Four Seasons Skin On Fries; Bramwells Tomato Ketchup.

Ah excellent, I see everyone is an expert in the Church of England today.

Well, this is very encouraging - there was a polling station in Luton yesterday.

New Towns Taskforce: Report to government

This is good, serious, common-sense stuff. Every serious party should now come out and commit to it.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Available to consult on keeping the band together.

Experience: Change UK
Performance: See above.

Who do you think is thinking for me?

Yeah, honestly, I don’t know. I just think if you oppose fascism you kind of have to oppose facsism, y’know?

Oh, that was so much fun! That’s a lovely memory 😊

Worth reading my wiki on this one.

I find this summer far more subversive than last. In ‘24 the actions were so clearly criminal and violent; this year the same bad actors have learned to inch back.

You and I may not be best placed to describe how intimidating it is to have men in balaclavas erecting flags outside our houses at 4am.

Genuine question - I’m not necessarily dunking on the guy. Can you explain why he hasn’t done the same this summer?

For the first time in my life the social norms that kept a lid on nationalist fascist racism; that reclaimed the flag; have stalled.

The lack of actual vocal leadership for us to rally around - for the pro-democracy, pro-rule of law, anti-violent, majority - is now becoming an existential problem.

Reasonably well forgotten now, but he was Corbyn’s first Shadow Leader of the House.

I looked it up, so Andy Burnham didn’t have to.

I’ll bat on this - I don’t think it’s a bad idea to stick one person on it across the whole civil service. There’s all sorts of complexities with MPs tax affairs; special attachments to the standard self assessment return. They compartmentalise for privacy also, which I don’t consider unreasonable.

Clearly still suffering Twitter PTSD and the need to insulate myself from bad-faith actors 🤷‍♂️

Thanks. I guess if it were sought through that channel - and poor advice given, or declined to be given - it might strengthen her case. If it were not sought, the opposite.

@davidallengreen.bsky.social Genuine question re Rayner - when I was an MP, all MPs tax affairs were handled out of a separate tax office (with an actual phone number you could use and the guy picked up, was helpful, etc). Is it conceivable they could/would have given advice if approached?

In fairness the sub-editor there is not having the greatest of days ✊🏻

Happy back to school (we expect you to walk, now you’re in year eight) day! ☔️

I mean, it feels like important context - missing from the original article - yet a search of the BBC’s own CMS would have thrown it up.

A quick google and you’ll never guess what… www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-engl...

See also: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

New storm names dropped

The constant bombardment of racism from blue-ticked engagement farmers was enough; deleted my twitter account today. Sad times - probably been on there for 18 years. Anywho.

It’s a system so bits that don’t work push the demand onto already really strained services. Incredible kindness and care from people working in a broken system.

Some amazing care from the NHS (111, out of hours, 111 a lot) in the past 30 hours or so - also some inefficiencies and tech bits not being able to talk to one another. Resulted in an ambulance crew being taken off the road for hours as the only way of getting the care l needed.

Props to my back, which, after 43 years of nominal operation has chosen *today* to render me completely horizontal. Completely vertical would have been preferable. Switching states not an option.