Mark Davies

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

You could do the same at other embassies in those areas where most people seeking asylum come from.

The race for 10th place is ours #boro

Great day in the sun! Wilf Mannion on the pitch!

If we’d not thrown away leads v Sheff Wed twice we’d be solidly in play offs.

We’ve squandered so many points this season. If we’d hung on to leads in both games v Sheff Wed alone we’d be solidly in the play offs. So frustrating. #boro

I heard on one of the podcasts that she was seeing Trump to talk about a Michigan issue and didn’t realise she was going to get ambushed.

My timeline is all either #boro misery or the descent of the US into a rogue nation. Happy days.