Mark Davies

Thanks Ken

'Tough talk, cruel policy — and it still won’t stop the boats' - LabourList The politics of Mahmood's proposals are terrible: it won’t stop the boats, it won’t satisfy Reform-curious voters and it will anger Labour supporters.

‘Tough talk, cruel policy — and it still won’t stop the boats’ labourlist.org/2025/11/toug... – via LabourList Very good piece from @markdavies67.bsky.social Good policy is good politics. This fails that test.

Let's level on Net Zero Tone Langengen lays out how progressives must face the reality that people won’t back net zero unless it means cheaper energy and credible growth.

On our latest episode @tonelangengen.bsky.social joins the herd to lay out how progressives must face the reality that people won’t back Net Zero unless it means cheaper energy and credible growth. Out now wherever you get your pods, and in links below. nocows.substack.com/p/lets-level...

No honour, no decency There are times when I truly hate football.

open.substack.com/pub/markdavi...

@unionchapeluk.bsky.social do you have set times for Robert Forster please?

Do have a listen to the second episode of our new podcast No Sacred Cows, an attempt to tackle some of the most pressing political issues facing the UK and US - and let me know what you think!

🚨NEW EPISODE - We've turned our attention to immigration - an issue some dare not speak of, or perhaps now you cannot talk about enough. @FrankSharry joins the herd to talk about whether the centre-left needs to ditch its timidity and worry. Listen now. open.spotify.com/episode/7r4z...

One of my sacred cows is party conference, in current form. Does nothing at all to help further policy, gives media a stage around which to build endless plots and subplots, gives opponents or would-be rivals a massive platform, costs a fortune, cuts public off from politicians….

A few thoughts on Labour conference I attended my first Labour conference in 1993.

Some thoughts on Labour conference open.substack.com/pub/markdavi...

We're the cows Listen now | Peter Hyman, a former adviser to Tony Blair and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joins the herd to make the case that the left isn't always right about everything.

We're the cows! Peter Hyman joins Ed, Charlotte, Anna and Lanae in our first podcast episode to lay out how the left itself is a sacred cow that needs to be slayed with its arrogance, complacency, and superiority all being sent to the slaughter house. nocows.substack.com/p/wearethecows

Unhinged rant.

London looking just fine and dandy to me.

So proud of my son Alec, who is walking 89km to every football ground in London today. Started at 3am at Bromley. Expects to finish about 9pm. Has so far raised £1k for @myelomauk.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/thefoot...

The quiet closure of the ARAP scheme on July 1 is deeply counter-productive. It will lead to an increase in Afghans trying to come to UK via small boat.

Indeed approval rates for asylum are around 90pc for people from some of the main countries of origin - Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran etc.

Very niche

It’s the same almost everywhere I fear

Great if depressing piece! Console yourself: I will be 72 by the time the first passengers clamber on board an HS2 at Old Oak Common!

I couldn’t find it on the BBC site, though fortunately Dua Lipa’s engagement is covered.

I was at that game too. Did Hagi ever come on?

Probably the right decision but sad that it didn’t work out in the end. There were moments when things looked very promising - just not enough of them. #utb #boro

Worst day of my life. Yesterday high up there.

And at least Chris Wilder is staying down

I can’t think of a single redeeming feature about this season. Utterly miserable in every way. At least we didn’t get relegated I suppose.

It’s also very MAGA “end of Western civilisation” etc…

The levels of exaggeration and unhinged hyperbole *just this week* - “police state”, “gimp” etc.. - from people like this guy and Boris Johnson suggest a heightening of right-wing Trumpification of political narratives.

Maybe, but if so it didn’t work, and was never going to work.

Would this increase in migration include 200k Ukrainians and around 150k people from Hong Kong?

We heard a lot of quotes from Macbeth over dinner last night!

Sure, don’t disagree with that