Fordy

Wasps RFC and golf fan who loves curry, BBQ and gin while trying to get back into his fitness and flying.

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

Simples:
Release tens of billions from Ed Miliband’s net zero follies for defence capital investment.
Release billions more for day-to-day spending by some tough love for the 10m of working age not working and living on benefits. Plus abandon triple lock.
Go through current defence spending like a dose of salts to root out current waste and inefficiency (which is mega). Cull legacy programmes for platforms soon to be obsolete.

[Al Carns @AlistairCarns]

We owe those who serve the UK the kit to do the job and the loyalty to stand by them when it's done. We are failing on both.

I’ve spent my whole time in government making that case. Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as Minister for the Armed Forces.

Letter to the PM below.🫡🫡🫡⬇️⬇️

[Mel Stride @MelJStride]

Unemployment UP 📈
Taxes UP 💷
Benefits UP 💷
Cost of living UP 📈
National debt UP 📈

Labour have made us poorer.

[RugbyLAD 🏉 @RugbyLAD7]

They just love playing against England 😭😭

#GuinnessM6N | #SCOvENG

[Gully Foyle #UKTrade @TerraOrBust]

This is an essential thread, from a Professor of Economics no less.

The data is clear, the forecasts were wrong. Ten years of data shows that, if anything, leaving the EU has improved the UK economy. Just like Brexiteers said it would.

Don't believe the naysayers / sore losers!

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

In a Sunday Times analysis of the predictions of 26 major economic forecasters of the UK, the Office for Budget Responsibility came joint last with a rating of 1 out of 10. That’s right. Joint last. Yet it’s on OBR forecasts that UK Budgets are constructed. And Chancellor Reeves has given it even more power.
Britain quickly needs to find a better way of doing Budgets. The current process is ludicrous.

[TheCricketMen @thecricketmen]

Can’t bat. Can’t bowl. Can’t field. Can’t review. Still at least we can play a bit of golf that’s fun for everyone isn’t it

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

It’s a quite terrible deal for the UK. And means the extra taxes now being inflicted on working people will be used to finance some ‘study’ in Barcelona for gap-year yahs from affluent families. Starmer couldn’t negotiate his way out a wet paper bag.

[alexmassie @alexmassie]

A prolonged period of silence from all those who cheered on ‘Bazball’ trash would now be most welcome.

[Harry Cole @MrHarryCole]

Now PM still doubling down

“Yes, of course, all the other figures have to be taken into account. But we started the process with significantly less than we would otherwise have had.”

As Ed points out, that’s just not true:

[Jack Rankin MP 🇬🇧 @jackmrankin]

Just returning to Windsor and reflecting.

I am one of those people who has been frustrated as to whether my party fully gets where it went wrong and sceptical we are on the right path.

Britain is crying out for fiscal responsibility, authentic conservatism and growth. And what a speech: to meet that moment, for our party, for our country.

Renewal & restoring credibility is a journey - but this week’s policy announcements show we mean business:

💛 Our "golden rule": for every £1 we find in savings, half will go on reducing the deficit
🏡 Scrapping Stamp Duty on primary residences
🪫 Repeal the Climate Change Act so we can bring energy prices down
👷‍♂️ Saving £23bn from welfare budget with a package of reforms including reducing payments for low level mental health problems and ensuring only British citizens access welfare
🪓 Cut the civil service back to 2016 levels from 517,000 to 384,000 saving £8bn
 Save £4bn by ensuring only British citizens access social housing
🤡 Save £1.6bn by cutting net zero schemes including elements of Miliband's Great British Energy
🍺 Abolish business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses
💪 Review IR35 to cut red tape on business
🏢 Rewrite the London Plan to build homes in London
📣 Declared a Food and Farming emergency
🔥 Review all DEFRA quangos like Natural England who hold back growth in rural areas
⚖️ Abolish the Sentencing Council to ensure sentences reflect crimes
🔪Triple Stop and Search
🙄 Ban asylum claims for illegal entrants
❤️ Out of the ECHR, ECAT and HRA. Removals force to deport 150,000 a year, deporting all new illegal arrivals within a week and all foreign criminals
🥲 End the Immigration Tribunal, Judicial Review and legal aid for immigration cases

A proud Tory today 💙💙💙

[Alan Shipnuck @AlanShipnuck]

Live look at the “home crowd” at Bethpage:

[Chris Rose @ArchRose90]

Keir Starmer has managed to pick:

An anti-corruption minister who resigned after being accused of corruption.

A homelessness minister who resigned after making people homeless.

A housing minister caught up in a tax scandal over a second home.

He loves fellow hypocrites.

[TheCricketMen @thecricketmen]

Final test of the series going to the 5th day with an India win, tie or England win all still possible. 3 hundreds in the game, 2 5fers and 2 4fers. Fair to say that Lee Fortis has made a fantastic pitch at The Oval. A good week for a bloke who’s just the groundsman after all

[claire rogers @kclairerogers]

I have a working theory that people who grew up playing golf don’t really drink on the golf course as adults, but people who took up golf in college/their 20s and beyond do.

can everyone please provide their feedback on this

[British & Irish Lions @lionsofficial]

History made 🦁

#Lions2025

[RugbyInsideLine @RugbyInsideLine]

Half time ratings!

🔥 HOT
Valentini
Skelton
Gordon

❄️ COLD
Lions pack
Keenan
Lowe

[Sonny Bill Williams @SonnyBWilliams]

Always good seeing you lads
🏉🥊

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

Starmer really needs to stop comparing himself favourably to previous prime ministers. Other than the short ClusterTruss interregnum he is so far the worst PM in living memory. He has plenty of time to put that right. But that is where we are 10 months in.

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

Oh dear