Andy Croy

Which party underperformed the most in the 2025 local elections?

Arguably Reform UK. A 🧵 on what the locals tell us about a key and neglected dimension in analysis of the current political situation.

No defence of this error but it combines several themes that perhaps lent it credence;
- cronyism/corruption(see also covid)
- dislike of Blair (see Iraq)
- political dynasties
- Blair's continual presence,see also 'his' people in government
- dodgy data peeps - see also Plantir, Cambridge

Badenoch's desire to remove Stamp Duty only helps the wealthy, whilst those starting out get no benefit. It is a ridiculous idea with no concept of how to fund it and will drive market prices up, making it even more difficult for 1st time buyers. She and the Tories only help each other not us

Utter joke of an 'analysis' on Sky News of Badenoch's announcement of a multi-billion hole in the next Tory budget.

Not even a squeak of 'where's the money coming from?'.

Rachel Reeves is not being allowed to sneeze without being asked how she's going to pay for it.

The UAE is an authoritarian autocracy, a petro-state with no income tax for citizens, to bribe them for the lack of democratic voice or free speech

It is 85% migrant, a segregated society with a ban on integration in principle and practice, few rights, equal opportunities, nor voice for incomers

Jenrick is a potential case study for the hypothesis that quite a few Conservative MPs and Spads whose brains have been marinated in Right wing American social media are increasingly being sucked into a civil war mindset that has embedded itself among many leading MAGA Trump figures.

Or 5% of a lettuce.

I have lost count of the number of times
"What is my Council Tax spent on?" and "I pay high income tax, why is my road rubbish?" comes up.

Speaking of roads, the party that figures out a bond market proof way to sort potholes and road surface quality will be looking at decades in power.

All my friends are at another conference.

We need this.

Brian would be a DEI hire.

A club statement from Blackpool saying Steve Bruce has been sacked along with coaches Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence. Stephen Dobbie and Steve Banks will take temporary charge.

You don’t have to be called Steve or Stephen to work at Blackpool, but it does help.

"I see gangs of masked thugs roaming the streets rounding up anyone the wrong colour, and I think: *this* is what Britain needs."

And bold to think that publically damaging the party will help anyone other than James Cleverley become leader.

I can't believe that what is left of the party thinks they can out compete Reform.

I am not a Tory but I don't think it would take too much brain to make them half electable again.

Brave to become leader in time to swallow the local election results.

They can merge parties all they want but great swathes of Conservative voters won't be voting for any Faragist party.

And now helpfully a story on the BBC.

They would help themselves if the story was prefaced with "More Constitutional carnage and illegality from the USA..." and then the story.

It could be the story at the end of every bulletin, just before the fundraising rabbit slot.

This is a bizarre segment.

Canvassing is pretty much always in listening mode and never in telling mode.

Canvassing has always been an activity for a tiny minority so losing just a few people can be impactful, though.

Reform don't have to work as hard to get the vote out so a minimalist operation will produce a lot. An A5 with a photo of blessed Nige goes a long way. Other parties will need lot of good data and a good local record to do the same.

To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone. We will not let hate or those who spread it win. We stand with you

As Yom Kippur ends, it is terrible that a holy day has seen people killed at a place of worship in Manchester

I hope many of us will express solidarity + support for Jews in Britain, and work with them + those of every faith and none to deepen our efforts to tackle antisemitism, hatred + extremism

Don Karki is Nige’s Russian mafia name.

He is confusing it with Nige saying he would 'don kharki, pick up a rifle and head for the front lines'

Can someone ask Farage or Zia Yusuf why, if they're so concerned about incitement to violence, they had Lucy Connolly as a guest star at their conference?

He doesn't need security in Clacton (0% of time) or Mar A Lago (30% of time).

Nigel Farage schooldays letter reveals concerns over fascism Channel 4 News obtains a letter about Ukip leader Nigel Farage, from his days as a schoolboy, in which teachers are quoted as accusing him of being "racist" and "fascist".

“Another colleague described his publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views. Yet another colleague described how, at a Cadet Force camp organised by the college, Farage and others marched through a quiet Sussex village late at night shouting Hitler-youth songs.”
www.channel4.com/news/nigel-f...

Moscow. That’s who bought Farage’s house.

Moscow.

When David Lammy says Nigel Farage flirted with Hitler Youth, he’s referring to the fact that teachers from his school described him as a Fascist and recalled how he marched through a Sussex village singing Hitler Youth songs. Sounds pretty flirty to me.

One of those hereditary peers who gets to sit in the House of Lords because an ancestor did something in 1442.

When I was on twitter I genuinely thought he was a troll. Clearly has a chip the size of Offa's Dyke on those shoulders

From a Hamas POV it did read like a demand for unconditional surrender rather than a 'deal'.

Oooo where can I read up on the US military reaponse?