Journalist and broadcaster. Political editor of HuffPost UK and co-host of Commons People podcast podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas…
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The HuffPost UK weekend read on whether Nigel Farage really is "dead in the water".
As questions about his personal finances grow and even close allies admit he’s “tired and stressed”, is time running out for the Reform UK boss?
Or does the man who literally cheated death in a plane crash have plenty of fight left in him yet?
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/n…
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Don't think that'll do much to deter a suicide bomber. nitter.app/johnestevens/status/86…
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Gary Neville having a pop at white, middle-aged men really seems to have annoyed a lot of white, middle-aged men.
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Emily Thornberry to Labour conference: "The last time I stood here in 2018, I was shadowing Boris Johnson. When our conference was cancelled in 2020, I was shadowing Liz Truss. So ... I apologise in advance for the catastrophic premiership of Suella Braverman."
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Suella Braverman has deleted this, possibly because she was Home Secretary when it happened.
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Liz Truss: “There are plenty of areas where the government can become more efficient.”
Journalist: “Can you give me an example?”
Liz Truss: “Well not at the moment …”
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Asked about the behaviour of Nadine Dorries this morning, Rishi Sunak said: "I'm not focused on the past, I'm focused on the future."
Asked whether HS2 will go to Manchester, he said: "I'm not speculating on future things."
🤷♂️
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What an insult to the hundreds of British troops who died alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bad news for Starmer and Macron. Vance confirms the only US security guarantee in Ukraine will be the mineral deal. He also plays down British & French peacekeeping troops as “20k troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
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Worth pointing out that the foreign secretary who started the negotiations with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands in November 2022 was ... James Cleverly.
Weak, weak, weak!
Labour lied to get into office.
Said they’d be whiter than white, said they wouldn’t put up taxes, said they’d stand up to the EU, said that they be patriotic.
All lies!
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98y…
Community note
James Cleverly announced the opening negotiations with Mauritius to return the Chagos Islands whilst Foreign Secretary in 2022. At the time he said he hoped the deal would be finalised in 2023.
theguardian.com/world/2022/nov
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I appreciate Rishi Sunak's teetotal, but I'm not sure having him drink water from a pint glass in a pub is a great way of countering his "out of touch with ordinary people" image.
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Boris Johnson criticising London's Ultra Low Emission Zone as "an odious, unjustified tax on driving" in the Daily Mail.
Only snag is he set it up eight years ago ...
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/b…
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NEW: Keir Starmer tells PLP meeting that any Labour member will be booted out if they try to justify Putin's invasion of Ukraine by attacking Nato.
He says: "There will be no place in this party for false equivalence between the actions of Russia and the actions of NATO."
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NEW: YouGov poll reveals Keir Starmer's approval ratings have risen to their highest level in 6 months following his response to the Ukraine crisis.
By contrast, the number of Brits with an unfavourable view of Nigel Farage has risen to 65% over the same period.
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Liz Truss came onstage to Movin On Up by M People, whose lead singer’s son has just been elected a Labour councillor.
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Kemi Badenoch on Adolescence: "It's based on a real story, but my understanding is that the boy who committed that crime was not white."
Adolescence creator Jack Thorne: "There is no part of this that’s based on a true story, not one single part.”
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/k…
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Labour source: "For someone who’s not doing it to avoid inheritance tax, he seems to have an intimate knowledge of the next step he’s going to take to avoid inheritance tax."
Jeremy Clarkson on the inheritance tax changes: "People like me will simply put it in a trust, and so long as I live for seven years, that’s fine ... but it’s incredibly time consuming to have to do that, and why should all these people have to do that?”
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/v…
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James Cleverly last year backing the NI hike: "Labour just voted against extra funding for social care and frontline NHS services. Wow.”
Cleverly today backing Truss's plan to reverse it: "It's absolutely right that we allow people to keep more of the money they have earned."
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NEW: The Tories have been forced to delete a Labour attack video about crime in London after it featured a scene showing chaos at Penn Station in ... er New York.
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Rishi Sunak MP said: “For too long, water hasn’t had the attention that it deserves."
The Conservatives have been in power for 12 years.
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🔥from @ChrisMasonBBC
Jeremy Hunt: “Well look at the record of this Conservative government. We inherited an economy that was on the brink…”
Chris Mason: “The one from last autumn?”
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Huge gamble to do an event with such an unpopular figure who is prone to making terrible decisions, but I suppose Elon Musk knows what he’s doing.
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Michael Gove: “There are one or two aspects of the Sunday Times report that are slightly off-beam”. Which must be the weakest rebuttal of all time. #ridge
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Suella Braverman says “the overwhelming majority” of Brits support the government’s Rwanda policy. Anyone seen any polling to back that up?
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Just the Prime Minister being corrected by The Actual Hulk.
Boris Johnson forgets that the Hulk only fights for the good of the whole. Mad and strong can also be dense and destructive. The Hulk works best when he is in unison with a team, and is a disaster when he is alone. Plus...he’s always got Dr. Banner with science and reason.
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Call me old fashioned, but I think that one person who's taken the time to go out and vote, only to be turned away, is one too many.
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Amazing clash on Radio Scotland between presenter Martin Geissler and Rishi Sunak, who confirmed he is taking a private jet to Scotland to make his, er, green energy announcement today.
The PM bizarrely accused him of wanting to ban people going on holiday. Extraordinary stuff.
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Nothing says “I’ve changed” like saying you’ve got 100 MPs supporting you when you don’t.
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So just to recap: one Tory MP didn't vote against the government last night because Labour MPs were laughing at him, and another doesn't know the capital of Rwanda is Kigali.
What a party.
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Important to stress how unusual it is for the prime minister to issue a statement at 6pm on a Saturday night.
Suggests No10 are worried about the political blowback from the Lineker row.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/r…
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Struggling to follow the logic of the PM’s defence on the Abba party. If it’s true that he was only in the flat to work, why didn’t he tell the others that they were breaking the rules (that he drew up) and should all go home?
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Overheard conversation between a Tory MP and aide.
MP: "I just asked Rees-Mogg who's resigned and he said I'm not sure. I said 'are you not meant to be in the fucking cabinet?'. He said 'I am, but I'm not sure who else is'."
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Audible laughter in the @BBCr4today studio as Greg Hands describes the Tories' win in Uxbridge as "the standout result" of the night.
Nick Robinson: "We're joined by John Curtice and Chris Mason. I wouldn't be disrespectful enough to laugh at your answer but they just did."
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Boris Johnson says a "stray early draft" of his speech referred to "onanism", which he did not say in the final version.
To be clear, this "stray early draft" was briefed out under embargo to journalists by the Tory press office yesterday, so he's talking nonsense.
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Labour source: "It is absolutely incredible that Ric Holden and James Daly have been pressuring the police over Angela while sitting on this Mark Menzies case in CCHQ for three and a half months without thinking to report it."
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/t…
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NEW: Jeremy Hunt becomes the most senior Tory to criticise plans to privatise Channel 4. The former Culture Secretary: "I'm not in favour of it because as it stands Channel 4 provides competition to the BBC on public service broadcasting."
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SCOOP: BBC director general Tim Davie will address the next meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers.
To say this is highly unusual would be an understatement.
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Zinger from @SophyRidgeSky to Jeremy Hunt as he prepares to put up pensions by inflation while cutting the pay of public sector workers in real terms.
"Do nurses have broader shoulders than wealthy retirees on the golf course?"
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Keir Starmer is bloody good at this. #PMQs
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Jeremy Corbyn this morning: "It's time for MPs to work together, find a consensus that can get through parliament, be negotiated with the EU in time and bring Leave and Remain voters together."
Last night he walked out of a meeting because Chuka Umunna was there.
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Sorry to disappoint all those signing the petition calling for another election.
Labour source: “This government was elected just a few months ago with an overwhelming mandate to deliver change. The sooner those who lost accept that, the better.”
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/n…
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No10 says international co-operation on tackling #coronavirus is essential, but also says the UK will not take part in an EU scheme to procure ventilators, even though we can if we want to.
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Woah. Rory Stewart says that if PM Boris Johnson prorogued Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit "we will hold our own session of Parliament across the road in Methodist Central Hall and we will bring him down".
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The actual home secretary on Sky this morning saying Labour "will bring in votes for prisoners", based on no evidence whatsoever.
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Rishi Sunak pushing the 'Jeremy Corbyn' panic button after a pretty rough PMQs, there.
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Rishi Sunak is going to have to break glass and crack open the emergency "Jeremy Corbyn" attack line at this rate ...
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Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan: "Boris Johnson has basically thrown our top ambassador under the bus. His disregard for Sir Kim Darroch and his refusal to back him was pretty contemptible and not in the interests of the country he is hoping to lead."
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Nick Robinson nailing Jeremy Hunt on VAT.
"Which party put VAT up to 15%? Which party put it up 17.5%? And which party increased it to 20%?
"Every increase to VAT there's been in your political lifetime - Thatcher, Major and Cameron - were increased by Conservatives govts."
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Is that the same Jeremy Clarkson who told The Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was “critical” in his decision to buy land?
Jeremy Clarkson joins the farmers protesting on Whitehall, suggesting that everyone there will be affected by the inheritance tax changes
More from @JeremyClarkson on @bbc5live from 2pm
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Sir John Major on Brexit: “My fear is that millions of people who do not deserve to be hurt are going to be hurt.” #r4today
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The Tories showing the SNP how to get rid of a leader who fails to deal with sexual harassment complaints.
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This is awkward, given the government’s North Sea announcement this morning.
Last year, Jeremy Hunt told Michael Gove that his decision to allow drilling for oil at Dunsfold in his constituency was “wrong both economically and environmentally”.
The decision to allow drilling at Dunsfold is bitterly disappointing and wrong both economically and environmentally - my letter to @michaelgove
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Kemi Badenoch: “I came to the UK with my dad’s last £100, working at McDonald’s - look where I am now.”
Trevor Phillips: “12 points adrift in the polls, that’s where you are.”
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Ex-Tory chairman Richard Holden demands to know what Labour are doing about the gender neutral toilets in the Home Office.
Minister points out they were installed for £37k by … er … the Tories
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/r…
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Charlie Stayt: "What are your credentials for being policing minister?
Chris Philp: "Well I've been a member of parliament for the last seven years ..."
Brutal.
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SCOOP: FDA boss Dave Penman writes to Rishi Sunak demanding an apology after Suella Braverman accused civil servants of being part of a “left-wing blob” blocking govt attempts to stop small boats. Also says she’s broken the ministerial code.
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Liz Truss says the “maximum” people will pay for energy under the government’s new cap is £2,500, which is just not true.
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It’s really weird that when senior staff at Labour HQ were apparently trying to sabotage the party’s 2017 election campaign, it outperformed all expectations. But, when the 2019 campaign was run by supporters of the leader, it did really badly.
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Former Tory chair Baroness Warsi not holding back on Suella Braverman: "Whether this consistent use of racist rhetoric is strategy or incompetence doesn’t matter. Both show she is not fit to hold high office."
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/s…
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How can it be a “vision of Keir’s Britain” when it’s happening now, after 13 of Conservative government?
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NEW: Keir Starmer accuses the Tories of planning to "salt the ground" by spending every last penny on tax cuts so there's nothing left for Labour after the election.
"They’re not acting in the national interest, they’re acting in party interest."
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/k…
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This community note deserves the widest audience possible ...
In 2010 under Labour, someone earning £15,000 paid £2,726 in tax.
In 2024 under the Conservatives, someone earning £15,000 will pay £679 in tax.
Community note
A person in 2024 earning £15,000 would have been earning only £10,201 in 2010 thus the comparison is invalid.
bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-polic
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Imagine being lectured on democracy by a man who tried to stage a coup because he lost an election.
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On accusations that he's boring, Keir Starmer tells the Today programme: "If I came on and did a bungee jump, you wouldn't say 'oh great, now we've got the prime minister we need'."
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Remarkable. Not a single Conservative in Brandon Lewis's constituency have contacted him to criticise Boris Johnson. What are the odds?
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Greatest Labour leader of the last 50 years:
Long-Bailey: Oh I don’t know.
Sir Keir: I’m tempted to go for Wilson.
Nandy: The greatest Labour leader that never was, Barbara Castle.
The Tony Blair-shaped elephant in the room was big enough to be seen from space.
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This is absolutely maddening. Brandon Lewis again insists that the policy proposal IN A LIZ TRUSS PRESS RELEASE "was not something that was ever proposed".
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Interesting that, despite having 5 MPs, Reform have to continually roll out Zia Yusuf (who isn’t one of them) to do big TV interviews.
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Derbyshire Police: "This is non-essential"
Pope Francis has prayed and delivered an "Urbi et Orbi" blessing - normally given only at Christmas and Easter - from an empty St Peter's Square amid the #coronavirus pandemic.
Get the latest on #COVID19 here 👉trib.al/OsR68iy
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Car crash stuff from Tory chairman Ric Holden here.
"It's not been edited, it's been clipped."
"That's exactly the same thing."
"No, it's actually quite different."
"I work in audio production, Mr Holden."
“It's not been edited. It was clipped.”
Chair of the Conservative Party Richard Holden defends the use of a “clipped” video of Sadiq Khan on the party’s social media.
@CalumAM | @RicHolden | #TimesRadio
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While it's quite good fun watching Rishi Sunak take a flamethrower to the Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson, let's not forget he spent the 2019 election campaign telling us it was great.
piped.video/imS2bzRqM5k
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Labour couldn’t pay for publicity like this.
Ed Conway: Do you have an apology for the people whose mortgages went up so much during your time in office?
Liz Truss: "It's wrong to suggest that I'm responsible for British people paying higher mortgages... " 👀
#TrevorPhillips #bbclaurak
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Have to say that Left Twitter is not covering itself in glory in its reaction to Nadine Dorries getting the coronavirus.
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Professor Jason Leitch: "I've only pulled out my 'masters in public health' line once, and it was 10 minutes ago with Piers Morgan. I did have to say 'I'm not sure Mr Morgan where you got your masters in public health'. 🔥
Please tell me someone has that clip??
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A Labour source texts: “The last Tory to use ‘hasta la vista’ in parliament was….Chris Pincher. 1 April 2011.”
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🚨NEW🚨
Humza Yousaf reveals James Cleverly failed to reply after he wrote to him about his mother-in-law trapped in Gaza.
Says Rishi Sunak has not been in touch.
Cries as he says he feels "powerless".
Says Israel is "going too far" in Gaza.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/h…
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Polling guru Sir John Curtice: “The chances of a Labour majority are as close to zero as it is possible to be.”
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Kwasi Kwarteng in March: "If we lifted the fracking moratorium, it would take up to a decade to extract sufficient volumes - and it would come at a high cost for communities and our precious countryside."
Liz Truss today: "Let's get fracking!"
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/k…
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Not sure what point Jeremy Corbyn is trying to make by blanking Boris Johnson. Just seems really petty.
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An incredible amount of nonsense in this email from Rishi Sunak, but the best but it is him pleading for help to “get Britain back on track” after 12 years of Tory government.
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Jeremy Corbyn pulls out of the last meeting of Labour's parliamentary committee before the summer recess. One MP says: "I've known braver bowls of custard. And they showed stronger leadership qualities."
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Keir Starmer's day from hell:
1) Number of small boat arrivals in 2025 passes the total for the whole of 2024
2) Asylum seeker deported to France comes back to UK on small boat
3) Last remaining candidate to chair grooming gangs inquiry withdraws
It's only 3.17pm
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Penny Mordaunt: "Labour are borrowing from the Gary Lineker playbook. They are a party of goalhangers and the occasional leftwing striker hanging around the goalmouth poised to seize any opportunities and take any shot."
Is slagging an England hero a good idea for the Tories?
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Genius line from Telegraph lobby legend @christopherhope on PM: “There is a global storm, the rest of the world is sheltering. We seem to have run outside, stripped all our clothes off and got zapped by lightning.”
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