Ian Macready

[Shoaib M Khan @ShoaibMKhan]

So @michaelgove has repeatedly proudly announced that "Dame Heather Hallet found *no* evidence of cronyism or corruption on the part of ministers or officials".

This is what the report says. What is this then?

How do our leaders define cronyism?

[Clive Wismayer 🇪🇺🥪 @CliveWismayer]

@michaelgove is hoping no one bothers to read what Dame Heather Hallett found in relation to the so-called ‘High Priority Lane’ for Covid procurement. ‘No evidence of cronyism or corruption’ was found, he said.

The judge found that:

• out of the total of £15B spent on PPE, £10B was wasted
• the HP lane embedded unfairness in the procurement process
• it should never be repeated

Gove says he takes ‘full responsibility’ for what he calls ‘mistakes’. I invite him to tell us what that means. What consequences should befall those, including him, who made these so-called mistakes?

Dame Hallett was not conducting a criminal enquiry. It was not her job to make findings of cronyism & corruption. I think we can all make our own minds up about that, given that the known facts scream criminality.

[Rihards Kols @RihardsKols]

The IOC has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, opening the door to Russian participation at Los Angeles 2028. FIFA's leadership has quietly reopened the door to Moscow through youth competitions. The war that triggered these suspensions in the first place has not ended, has not paused, has not changed.

These are not neutral technical decisions. They are political choices made for increasingly convoluted reasons that reek of corruption (which is not always bribes) in more ways than one. Every European federation that funds the IOC and FIFA now funds this outcome.

Europe still has leverage here, funding, hosting rights, the terms of its own participation, and so far we’ve used none of it. If international sport will not hold the line against a state waging war on European soil, European governments and federations must draw it themselves.

[Karl Turner MP @KarlTurnerMP]

If I were advising, I am not, I’d be saying that @UKLabour and other left of centre parties should be giving serious considerations to supporting the candidacy of a none affiliated anti-sleaze candidate in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election. A Martin Bell type person. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[ianVisits @ianvisits]

Frankly, I am disappointed.

It's just not the behaviour you would expect from a holder of the FIFA Peace Prize.

[BBC Politics @BBCPolitics]

"Nigel Farage is not going to be remembered as he wants, as the man of the people – he's going to be remembered as the man of the PayPal"

Former PM Gordon Brown calls for an investigation into Brexit Party funding

[tap to expand] https://t.co/4SYt89gooq

[Will Hutton @williamnhutton]

Andy Burnham refreshingly speaks human. But put aside the creation of No 10 North . The promise today to introduce something equivalent to Germany’s Article 107 of its Basic Law, equalising the resource available to every German region, is mind-blowing. This is real levelling up

[Clive Peedell @cpeedell]

Thatcherism…..

[Parody Nigel Farage @Parody_PM]

I proudly boasted about having claimed "zero personal expenses". Which is not surprising when you consider that there is no such thing as 'personal expenses' for MPs, so nobody has claimed any. But I have claimed over £150k in office expenses.

[Will Hutton @williamnhutton]

As we swelter after a winter of incessant rain, its obvious the climate is dramatically changing. Yet Ed Miliband who acts on that reality, is routinely described as an anti fossil fuel, anti job, net zero zealot especially by the right. Who will future generations thank?

[John O’Brennan @JohnOBrennan2]

Thoughts on Brexit, ten years on.

[Ms Mountebank @MsMountebank]

Brilliant from @MatthewdAncona (no paywall) https://t.co/226HyhM91f

[alan rusbridger @arusbridger]

A forensic demolition of Michael Grade's nonsense about how @Ofcom should be regulating @GBNEWS from two senior people who worked at the regulator and actually know what they're talking about https://t.co/VpD6JRSb3w

[Jordan M @Jordan_MG_]

When two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, a COBR meeting was called within hours.

When five Muslims were stabbed in Scotland, where was the COBR meeting?

Maybe there’s a good reason. Maybe there isn’t.

But if government responses differ, the public are entitled to ask why.

[Jakub Krupa @JakubKrupa]

Osobna rzecz warta odnotowania, która dla mnie wyraźnie odróżnia brytyjskie media:

Czy jakikolwiek tygodnik opinii w Polsce, po którejkolwiek stronie politycznej, byłby w stanie zrobić tak autoironiczną okładkę o być może najważniejszym dla siebie temacie politycznym?

[Sadiq Khan @SadiqKhan]

Brexit has cost Britain billions. It’s imperative we rejoin the EU.

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Brexit vote, my piece for @ObserverUK ⬇️
https://t.co/u2k499zUQG

[Adrian Gosling @digitalsunshine]

"How on earth have have we ended up in this position?" asks Laura Kuenssberg, who along with Chris Mason, Henry Zeffman and co, have pushed long and hard for us to wind up in exactly this position

#bbclaurak
#BBCBreakfast

[Frank - Queen of Schengen 🇪🇺🏳‍🌈 @ChillaxBcn]

"It’s imperative we rejoin the EU" Sadiq Khan, London Mayor

Khan says the UK should join the SM/CU in this parliamentary term and join the EU after the next general election "effectively putting rejoin on the ballot paper and letting the British people decide."

🇬🇧🇪🇺

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[Madeleina Kay 🫐🌺💫 @MadeleinaKay]

#MarchforRejoin marking 10 years since the EU referendum in London today! 🇬🇧❤️🇪🇺 We can’t afford another decade of decline… British youth deserve a better future of opportunities, rights & freedom back inside the EU! ✊🏻 #RejoinEU