Pauline Vincent

[Don McGowan @donmcgowan]

Kemi Badenoch at #PMQs today quoted Russia's defence spending at 10% and used to it to attack Starmer.

This is ... untrue.

From SIPRI's latest fact sheet, Russia's military spending is 7.5% of GDP.

She also claimed that Germany had risen to 3.7%. Another lie.

This year Germany increased to 2.8% with plans to hit 3.5% by 2029.

So many made up numbers when the government in which she served, cut defence spending rather than increased it.

We should not have to suffer perpetual lies from our politicians that need fact checking constantly.

[Richard Burgon MP @RichardBurgon]

Today I led a debate in Parliament to ban ALL MPs’ second jobs.

Nigel Farage didn’t show up to defend any of his - including the latest one, raking in £22,500 an hour to promote a gold dealer.

The gravy train must end. Watch the debate below.

[Pauline Vincent @Peeevin]

@g__j 39362

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 NEW: Keir Starmer hosted drinks for his aides and staff in the No 10 garden tonight

He gave a speech, as did his wife Vic, who thanked them for "being there" for her husband when others weren't

[NHS Million @NHSMillion]

One NHS, many nationalities.

Huge thanks to every single person who helps keep the NHS going 💙

[Sam @SamCKx]

The more I dig, the more I realise that Nigel Farage is literally done for. It's over for him. The £5 million bung is big enough to take the entire Reform movement down and possibly land Nigel in jail.

1) The fact the donation was made BEFORE Nigel was MP is absolutely irrelevant. Parliamentary Code of Conduct requires all receipts for the full 12 months before election. Nigel receiving his bung just a few days before he announced his candidacy makes it so much worse, not better.

2) "Category 5: Gifts and benefits from sources outside the UK - THRESHOLD FOR REGISTRATION Section 39. Members must register, subject to the paragraphs below, any gifts or benefits with a value of over £300 which they receive from a source outside the UK."

Nigel argues this was 'purely personal' but the Code refers to partners or families when it comes to personal gifts... this takes us to the next issue...

3) Christopher Harborne has a long track record of making SUBSTANTIAL political contributions to Nigel's parties, first to The Brexit Party, and later to Reform. He is a POLITICAL DONOR - any "gift" he made to Farage CANNOT be argued as personal or without political context due to this track record.

4) Using his platform as an MP, Nigel went on to promote 2 companies in which Christopher Harborne holds $ billions in stock - Nigel NEVER publicly endorsed or mentioned these companies prior to the "gift". Nigel also began actively pushing for policy that would directly interest Christopher Harborne and his business affairs. These were not interests that any could argue could possibly be of interest to his constituents - deregulation of crypto, and lowering of taxes on crypto gains. Nigel spent a substantial amount of time and effort pushing these policies.

It is beyond a doubt that this is the biggest breach of Parliamentary Code of Conduct rules in relation to donations in parliamentary history.

But even more concerning for Nigel will be that if it can be proven he was secretly incentivised to use his public office to push for policies to support a wealthy donor, then he should very likely face a criminal probe for corruption and bribery. I suspect Harborne might also be exposed to this. The United Kingdom and Thailand have a bilateral extradition treaty. Maximum prison sentences of up to 10 years for the offence.

This is not going to go away.

[Piers Morgan @piersmorgan]

Squirming Farage knows this is now a scandal that could end his chances of being PM.
Everyone, including his own supporters, knows his failure to declare a secret £5m bung from a Thailand-based crypto tycoon absolutely STINKS.

[Greg Jackson @g__j]

I met Craig, the first Octopus Cosy 9 Heat Pump customer in Yorkshire, at The Energy Tech Summit.

He has solar panels & battery, heats his home with the heat pump, charges his electric car at home - and drives 12,000 miles a year.

And pays nothing for his energy.

With solar to generate his electricity, battery to shift it to the evening & sell it to the grid, and a smart tariff to optimise all his electricity.

This is the sort of stuff the fossil fuel industry know is coming and its one reason you see such vitriol.

Of course, we'll still use fossil fuels for many years - but by ditching petrol/diesel and gas, people like Craig are living the cheaper, cleaner future and we shouldn't allow incumbency to slow it down.

[Pauline Vincent @Peeevin]

@Number10cat 😳

[Richard Burgon MP @RichardBurgon]

BREAKING: I've secured a parliamentary debate next week on banning all MPs' second jobs.

Farage has pocketed over £1 MILLION from outside "work" since the General Election

Being an MP is a full-time job. No MP should be out chasing lucrative second jobs.

Let's end this racket!

[Martin Cymbal💚 @cymbal_martin]

@AndyBurnhamGM Hope you have the sense to make him Foriegn Secretary and allow him to continue to build upon our standing and relationships abroad.

[Hilary Benn @hilarybennmp]

We saw today the dignity and decency that Keir has brought to being our Prime Minister. He has achieved so much, not least bringing Labour back into government and restoring the UK’s reputation on the world stage. We owe him our profound thanks for his service to our country.

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

"I have accepted Keir Starmer's resignation as my chief servant and have invited Andy Burnham to lay out details for how many meals a day he'll give me"

[Jack Dart @JackWDart]

If people genuinely believe Burnham won’t receive the exact same media onslaught, they’ve not been paying attention.

Starmer is not, objectively, bad. This idea that he is somehow the worst PM in British history is frankly laughable.

Liz truss lasted 49 days, crashed the pound and was laughed out of Downing Street.

Since Labour took office, Keir Starmer’s government has:

• Scrapped the two-child benefit limit, lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and putting money back into some of the hardest-pressed households in the country.

• Expanded free school meals, cutting costs for families and making sure more children get a proper meal during the school day.

• Expanded funded childcare, reducing one of the biggest monthly costs facing working parents and making it easier for people to stay in work.

• Raised the National Living Wage, increasing pay for millions of low-paid workers.

• Strengthened workers’ rights, giving people greater protection against insecure work and bad employers.

• Introduced statutory sick pay from the first day of illness, so workers are less likely to choose between their health and their wages.

• Ended no-fault evictions, giving renters more security in their homes.

• Brought rail operators back into public ownership, taking key services out of failed private hands and giving the public a stronger stake in how they are run.

• Cut NHS waiting lists from their post-pandemic peak, meaning more patients are being seen sooner.

• Raised the state pension through the triple lock, protecting pensioners’ incomes against rising costs.

• Scrapped the old non-dom tax regime, making some of the wealthiest people in the country pay more fairly.

• Added VAT to private school fees, raising money from those most able to contribute.

• Removed business rates relief from private schools, ending an unjustified tax break.

• Increased neighbourhood policing, putting more officers and PCSOs back into communities.

• Helped bring knife crime down, meaning fewer families face the devastation of serious violence.

• Recorded the lowest homicide rate since the 1970s, a material improvement in public safety.

• Created Great British Energy, giving Britain a publicly owned clean energy company.

• Created the National Wealth Fund, backing investment in industry, infrastructure and clean energy.

• Passed planning reforms aimed at getting homes and major projects built faster.

• Improved relations with the EU, reducing diplomatic hostility and rebuilding practical cooperation.

• Agreed a UK-EU security partnership, strengthening cooperation on defence and European security.

• Signed a long-term partnership with Ukraine, reinforcing Britain’s support against Putin’s invasion.

• Secured new trade agreements, opening up markets for British businesses.

• Helped restore seriousness to government after years of scandal, chaos and decline.

People do not have to like Starmer. They do not have to vote Labour. But pretending this is the record of the worst Prime Minister in British history is absurd.

[Pauline Vincent @Peeevin]

On a train out of London Bridge on the way to Horsham today, and 2 young chaps gave up their seats for my partner & I. ( we’re 70+). Thank you both so much. Chivalry and decency is alive and kicking.

[Dan Jarvis MP @DanJarvisMBE]

The defence of our nation is the first duty of government.

Our Armed Forces carry out that duty every day with professionalism, courage, and extraordinary skill.

It is a huge honour and a privilege to serve alongside them again.

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

@Nigel_Farage Cat check: Nigel Farage unsuccessfully stood for Parliament in the following constituencies
Eastleigh, Hampshire
Salisbury, Wiltshire
Bexhill & Battle, East Sussex
South Thanet, Kent
Bromley and Chislehurst, London
Buckingham, Buckinghamshire
South Thanet, Kent (again)

[Alethea Bernard @Tush27J]

Dear @KemiBadenoch
£100 Bn general waste by the Tories.
£148 Mn owed by Michelle Mone.
£1.6 Bn stop the boats barge
£21 Bn handed to covid fraudsters
£471 Mn in total paid to destroy PPE not needed/in storage too long.
=
£123,219,000,000
What have you to say about that?

[David__Osland @David__Osland]

Working-class white people are burning down the homes of black working-class people, at the instigation of the world's only trillionaire. How has it come to this?

[Trades Union Congress @The_TUC]

Elon Musk could build hospitals. He could fund schools and universities. He could help eradicate diseases.

Instead he uses his wealth to fuel hate.