Ricky Gervais was right to rip into the Eton elite becoming Prime Minister.
Today we get Andy Burnham instead. He may not have gone to Eton, but he’s still just another career politician. Different background, same Westminster insider. Different accent, same political language.
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Scandals don't come much bigger than wasting £10bn of £15bn spent on unusable PPE during Covid.
The Tory VIP lane for donors, cronies and chums was a rip-off door.
Hunt them down and grab back the £10bn no matter whatever that costs.
https://t.co/iMXKTLH8N1
What is the rationale for a public service broadcaster like the BBC paying a DJ (Scott Mills) £750,000 a year to present the breakfast show on Radio 2 playing soft rock music which commercial radio already provides in abundance?
Sorry American soccer fans, but after listening to this demented pile of orange shit openly brag about his FIFA corruption, I hope Belgium beats the living shit out of Team USA tonight. Trump has singlehandedly turned millions of us into Belgium fans. 🇧🇪
All those "I know best" football thinkers telling us that it made sense not to take Trent AA , as *he can't defend*. Yeah. As opposed to this lot, who look fucking watertight.
This Burnham campaign video deserves a retweet (and many more). Take a look at the vast (shady) money and professional media operation behind Reform. It’s going to be an existential battle.Wherever you stand on the Labour leadership, this seat must be won.
Starmer's authority is now crumbling. But even those most committed to a new Prime Minister should pause for thought about what it means for Britain in the world. For all his many, many domestic missteps, Keir Starmer has genuinely led on Ukraine, make tough calls with Trump and rebuilt relations with Europe by working intensely with President Macron and Chancellor Merz.
Labour in government was shocked at how quickly it was swamped by foreign affairs from Gaza and Ukraine, to Trump and Iran. This isn't going to change. However Starmer's challengers have no foreign policy experience, no geopolitical worldviews, no foreign affairs teams and no experience in explaining our place in the world and its tumult to the public. But if they succeed that will be half their job.
What's the plan for a geopolitical pivot to Europe? What's the strategy to deal with Trump and our fragmenting Western alliance as China's Axis of Authoritarians deepens? What's next for Britain's extensive diplomatic and security role when it comes to Ukraine? Who will be maintaining key connections to the White House?
Changes at the top are often necessary. But they are delicate and not cost free internationally. In diplomacy so much is bound up in personal connections and trust built up over time. Building since 2016, these musical chairs at the top have now become so intense, with Prime Ministers lasting roughly two years and Foreign Secretaries now annuals, our allies and partners are frustrated. I've heard from European and Gulf leaderships first hand it is hardly worth investing diplomatically in a counterpart who's suddenly gone and thus hardly worth investing in Britain.
If your prospectus for a new quickly achieved post Starmer Labour Britain consists of spending more on everything, significant extra state borrowing and taxing people who aren't you or the voters to pay for it, then whether you call it Manchesterism or an end to fiscal caution, you are selling snake oil