Dan Weir

Labour must stop channelling Reform and unite with progressives. That’s the lesson from Gorton and Denton | Sadiq Khan The threat to the party in some parts of our country is now existential. But we can progress, as we have in London, by being bold and strong in our core beliefs, says London mayor Sadiq Khan

Khan too. London going Green is a real possibility. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

To be clear, I don't back Streeting. He's well to my right still on trans rights and other issues. But he's a cautious opportunist with a factional following so a change of tack from him may suggest Starmer's position doesn't have much support even from the self avowed centrists.

Streeting actively moving to Starmer's left is interesting.

I suppose it's because we don't believe we can influence the US any more.

Partially it's the US hasn't asked the UK to back it (or if it has, the government has kept it behind the scenes). But even so, when the US does something like this you'd expect some debate here.

What's been surreal to me is the lack of public debate on Iran. The buildup has been happening for months, but compared with Iraq or Libya there has been very little public cutthrough.

The ridiculous extension of the wait for settled status isn't about putting up barriers to arrival, it's about putting up barriers to integration for people who have already been here for years. It's agreeing with Farage that these people should be treated with suspicion - and leaving it at that.

This could be a mistake - Reform's voters are not libertarians on the whole, nor, I suspect, are many of them career landlords.

We've had questions from three broadcasters so far, and they have all been about the practicalities and costs. None has asked about the legal/moral issue of retrospectively changing laws so huge numbers of people who have made their lives in the UK will be expelled.

‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, i...

A retired British primary school administrator with a British passport and a valid visa was shackled, chained and detained for six weeks by ICE

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Absurdly, I could imagine a situation where the UK becomes a republic but has still not managed to get rid of the hereditary Lords.

If you publicly comment that you think someone is guilty when they've been arrested and not yet charged you are (a) a dickhead (b) an absolute GIFT to trial lawyers like me who can argue my client cannot possibly have a fair trial as no jury can be unbiased with the volume of social media posts.

Not the point, but I'm fairly sure the English realm isn't a thing and hasn't been since the Acts of Union.

This explainer is very good on the topical offence of Misconduct in Public Office.

Useful detail on when it has been used re politicians.

I don't disagree with the sentiment, but I do think you should go to the effort of ensuring it can be sung to the tune of We Didn't Star the Fire.

Genuinely good point; people who don't like cities are often people who also don't like anonymity. I actively like being able to walk into a pub I've been going to for 17 years with the confidence I won't know anyone there and no-one is going to say hello and try to start a conversation.

Oh absolutely not, nope, nope. No.

Yes, on this basis, orchestra conductors are complete freeloaders...

I will die on this hill: medal is a noun not a verb.

Extraordinarily, the men’s figure skating was won by the skater who *who didn’t fall over.*

Which is not usually the bar we look for people to beat at this level.

#WinterOlympics

Exciting news! 🎉

Today the Treasury has recommended Money and Mental Health for super-complainant status.

This gives us the power to take issues facing people with mental health problems straight to the FCA or PSR – and they must respond to us.

@helenundy.bsky.social explains what this means 🎬

Right that the prime minister has resigned. His successor, Keir Starmer, has a very difficult inheritance.

Hold the Line - Tell Your Labour MP to Stand Firm Email your Labour MP to support stable government. In a world where Trump tears up international rules and Reform waits in the wings, Britain cannot afford political paralysis.

Very strong FBPE vibes.

holdtheline.org.uk

How could I have possibly known that Peter Mandelson couldn't be 100% taken at his word, says Keir Starmer, about a man whose public nicknames include 'the Prince of Darkness' and 'the Dark Lord'

For a long time I thought Starmer would hang on. But now I think he might be done. This feels Johnsonian.

I'd sort of assumed most murders happened at home?

TfL wants to create a publicly owned bus company for London If established, it would be the first major publicly owned bus company to operate in the capital for thirty years.

Amazing news! 🎉🚌🎉🚌🎉🚌

Well done @mayoroflondon.bsky.social "If a private company is making profit, would it not be nice if it was run by us, and we made the profit and reinvested it in public transport rather than in our shareholders getting dividends?" 👏👏👏

www.cityam.com/tfl-wants-to...

If benefits were made easier to claim then fewer people would need the specialist services (which require their own funding) - and people who do need help, for example due to a mental health problem - would be able to get more tailored support!

Now, in the report, we call for more and better services to help people claim the benefits their entitled to - but - speaking personally, I think there's an implicit challenge to government here. Why are benefits so hard to claim that people need specialist services to access them?

We've just published this report - it's well worth a look. Income maximisation is an issue that doesn't get nearly enough attention. We have a system that can, in principle, make a lot of money available to people who need it, money that can be vital - but it's too hard to access for way too many.