Ben Thomas

Publican that ran for Parliament once...

[Rachel Reeves @RachelReevesMP]

I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.

It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.

But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@DPJHodges Would the speaker accept his outfit if he wore a tie?

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@Nigel_Farage @MaajidNawaz The @ElectoralCommUK cannot allow this. It would set a precedent that any foreign power would be able to purchase our democracy on demand in the future.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

The @LibDems £20bn War Bonds proposal making its way to the top table is a big win for the party. @JamesMacCleary has been championing this as a way to fund the DIP for ages 👏🏼

[Pippa Crerar @PippaCrerar]

EXCL: Senior govt officials are planning to lobby Andy Burnham during access talks to revive idea of “war bonds” to pay for higher defence spending.

Senior figures, incl some in No 10, want to be allowed to borrow more for Defence Investment Plan - but have consistently been blocked by Treasury.

The Guardian understands that Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s former chief of staff, had started pushing for them before he quit.

PM’s business adviser Varun Chandra has drawn up plans to issue £20bn of bonds which would have been exempt from inheritance tax.

By @kiranstacey, me and @dansabbagh

https://t.co/sfJCEQsLGP

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@SouthernRailUK Deer?

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@TRobinsonNewEra Or just get the fuck out of our city?

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@jonesgez1 @ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK All of the offices that I know have streteched the five into as many as possible. Typically 1 researcher in London, then a CoS/OM, 2 caseworkers and a comms person in the constituency office.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@jonesgez1 @ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK You’re lucky to find an office in the SE for under 30k and 5 FTE staff rapidly consumes the bulk of the budget… anyways, you can see how the money has been spent on the IPSA website.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@crankylobstah @ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK I agree. I think this local govt reform is a missed opportunity in that respect, if councils were funded and councillors empowered, MPs could push all that social stuff back out and focus on the big issues.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK They are expectations from constituents, so yes they are.

They also, spend hours on behalf of the MP chasing down housing associations or rogue landlords to help constituents plagued by rodents, help pensioners liaise with the DWP over credit issues, prepare briefings,

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK Staff to reply to the 1,000s of emails and letters an MPs office receives weekly, staff that organise an insane diary that changes every hour because our parliamentary system is arcane, staff that edit the videos, write the press releases, maintain relationships with charities…

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@ramonagusta @PolitlcsUK Offices, staff, stationery, electricity… all these things are not free you know.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

Cheeky Nando’s pic incoming with Gordon Brown, Chuka Umunna, Starmer and Harman 🐓

[Patrick Maguire @patrickkmaguire]

Chuka Umunna (????) just walked into No 10

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@mikeysmith “Daddy’s back” 🤢

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@foemcr @SalfordLibDems Sorry, you might have the wrong Ben Thomas as I’m on the south coast.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

Bottled the bottling.

[Sam Coates Sky @SamCoatesSky]

NEW: PMQs will take place on Wednesday.

Last week government sources thought that Parliament would be prorogued before PMQs.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

It has been 45 minutes of trains just saying delayed.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

Hi @SouthernRailUK, people at platform 4/5 at Lewes have no idea if and when there will be a train to Brighton. I appreciate there’s a trespasser but some comms would greatly appreciated.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

@Birder35598 We have a real issue in our politics currently, where councillors talk about national issues instead of focussing on good local government and our MPs end up doing council casework instead of addressing the national issues.

[Ben Thomas @BenThomasLD]

The Greens awful recycling legacy in Brighton and Hove shocks the House of Lords.

Just recently, Brighton ranked 297th out of 321 local authorities for its abysmal recycling rates.