Ben Combe
@benjcombe.bsky.social
World’s OKest political staffer. Office Manager for Kevin McKenna MP. Campaigns Officer for the Jewish Labour Movement. He/him. Teller of bad jokes, player of bad games, reader of bad books.
Call me old fashioned but I think that government sponsored breeding programmes are bad, actually
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Reform by-election candidate suggested people who don’t have kids should pay more tax
Exclusive: The Reform politician’s suggestion would ‘punish millions of women and strip them of their basic dignity to choose’, Labour’s deputy leader warned
www.independent.co.uk
February 6, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Call me old fashioned but I think that government sponsored breeding programmes are bad, actually
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
I know Welsh Reform's new leader as the guy who led the Barnet Tories to their worst defeat ever, so I'm thrilled by their decision
February 5, 2026 at 9:33 PM
I know Welsh Reform's new leader as the guy who led the Barnet Tories to their worst defeat ever, so I'm thrilled by their decision
Pro tip for all fellow Parli staffers with anxiety - don't read this report
"£1.5m is spent per week maintaining and repairing the Palace of Westminster."
The report into making Parliament safe to actually work in is full of jaw-dropping stats, but I think the above is a pretty good place to start...
committees.parliament.uk/publications...
The report into making Parliament safe to actually work in is full of jaw-dropping stats, but I think the above is a pretty good place to start...
committees.parliament.uk/publications...
committees.parliament.uk
February 5, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Pro tip for all fellow Parli staffers with anxiety - don't read this report
Reposted by Ben Combe
Yesterday, Labour voted to lift children out of poverty. The Tories and Reform would leave them in poverty. Why?
Not to save money. Not to change behaviour. But for political reasons - with children paying the price.
Not to save money. Not to change behaviour. But for political reasons - with children paying the price.
February 4, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Yesterday, Labour voted to lift children out of poverty. The Tories and Reform would leave them in poverty. Why?
Not to save money. Not to change behaviour. But for political reasons - with children paying the price.
Not to save money. Not to change behaviour. But for political reasons - with children paying the price.
I always hate this line of questioning (I hated it when they did it to the Tories too), Ministers’ job isn’t to memorise statistics, we have computers, they can get that information whenever they need it
'I don't have the exact number to hand...'
Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey says Labour is pushing for free breakfast clubs in primary schools nationwide. Naturally, @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social wants details.
Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey says Labour is pushing for free breakfast clubs in primary schools nationwide. Naturally, @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social wants details.
February 4, 2026 at 9:13 AM
I always hate this line of questioning (I hated it when they did it to the Tories too), Ministers’ job isn’t to memorise statistics, we have computers, they can get that information whenever they need it
Reposted by Ben Combe
The money that the government is using to lift the Two-Child Cap is technically the gambling levy - Remote Gaming & Remote Betting duties
This partly offsets gambling’s harm to the poorest kids
We need to support pubs much more, but this is perverse and incoherent
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
This partly offsets gambling’s harm to the poorest kids
We need to support pubs much more, but this is perverse and incoherent
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Nigel Farage accused of planning to plunge half a million children into poverty
The Reform UK leader announced a £3 billion support package for pubs, but is funded by restoring the two-child benefit cap, which is expected to lift 450,000 children out of poverty
www.mirror.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 8:37 AM
The money that the government is using to lift the Two-Child Cap is technically the gambling levy - Remote Gaming & Remote Betting duties
This partly offsets gambling’s harm to the poorest kids
We need to support pubs much more, but this is perverse and incoherent
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
This partly offsets gambling’s harm to the poorest kids
We need to support pubs much more, but this is perverse and incoherent
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reposted by Ben Combe
So his “lapse of judgement” seems to be that he said:
“we haven’t cut front-line services other than what the Conservatives had already planned to do”
So Kent-Dodge was itself a waste of money and effort? Everyone told them that before they started
“we haven’t cut front-line services other than what the Conservatives had already planned to do”
So Kent-Dodge was itself a waste of money and effort? Everyone told them that before they started
February 4, 2026 at 7:49 AM
So his “lapse of judgement” seems to be that he said:
“we haven’t cut front-line services other than what the Conservatives had already planned to do”
So Kent-Dodge was itself a waste of money and effort? Everyone told them that before they started
“we haven’t cut front-line services other than what the Conservatives had already planned to do”
So Kent-Dodge was itself a waste of money and effort? Everyone told them that before they started
Our surprising comrades on the 2-child benefit cap vote
February 3, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Our surprising comrades on the 2-child benefit cap vote
Ridiculous, they’re clearly running on a platform of selling Tower Bridge to the Swiss and using the money to introduce wild penguins to London’s parks
Is it Reform policy to relocate London to the South Pole?
It used to be said that the left was far too 'online', but it seems that this is increasingly (more) so for the right nowadays.
January 25, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Ridiculous, they’re clearly running on a platform of selling Tower Bridge to the Swiss and using the money to introduce wild penguins to London’s parks
Reposted by Ben Combe
NATO Article V has been triggered only once: by the US after 9/11.
When our ally called, we in the UK didn't hesitate to stand with them.
636 British men & women paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many more living with their injuries today.
When our ally called, we in the UK didn't hesitate to stand with them.
636 British men & women paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many more living with their injuries today.
January 23, 2026 at 11:10 AM
NATO Article V has been triggered only once: by the US after 9/11.
When our ally called, we in the UK didn't hesitate to stand with them.
636 British men & women paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many more living with their injuries today.
When our ally called, we in the UK didn't hesitate to stand with them.
636 British men & women paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many more living with their injuries today.
Finally watched Sinners. That one scene is exactly what I want from movies, I just want it on loop forever
January 22, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Finally watched Sinners. That one scene is exactly what I want from movies, I just want it on loop forever
Reposted by Ben Combe
This headline makes a mockery of both British Jews and for concept of asylum and safety. We are a community of refugees and those who welcomed them. We should all refuse to be a part of these games.
January 19, 2026 at 3:34 PM
This headline makes a mockery of both British Jews and for concept of asylum and safety. We are a community of refugees and those who welcomed them. We should all refuse to be a part of these games.
And the cost of not transitioning (maintaining/expanding new fields etc.) is virtually identical, without factoring in that without transitioning we’ll need to spend far more dealing with natural disasters/sea level rise
Last week, a new report by the Institute for Economic Affairs argued that the cost of transitioning to net zero could be billions – even trillions – more than some government forecasts.
✍️ James Graham spectator.com/article/the-...
✍️ James Graham spectator.com/article/the-...
The secret costs of net zero
Last week, a new report by the Institute for Economic Affairs argued that the cost of transitioning to net zero could be billions – even trillions – more than some government forecasts. That may…
spectator.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:34 AM
And the cost of not transitioning (maintaining/expanding new fields etc.) is virtually identical, without factoring in that without transitioning we’ll need to spend far more dealing with natural disasters/sea level rise
4/7 of Reform's MPs were initially elected as Conservatives, the other 3 are all former party members.
The grassroots of a party and its leadership are always a little different, but this is on another level.
The grassroots of a party and its leadership are always a little different, but this is on another level.
January 18, 2026 at 8:54 PM
4/7 of Reform's MPs were initially elected as Conservatives, the other 3 are all former party members.
The grassroots of a party and its leadership are always a little different, but this is on another level.
The grassroots of a party and its leadership are always a little different, but this is on another level.
Reposted by Ben Combe
NEW: Another Conservative MP defects to Reform, just days after Robert Jenrick.
Andrew Rosindell becomes Reform’s seventh MP.
Put another way 43% of Reform’s serving MPs were Conservative MPs and were not elected as Reform.
Andrew Rosindell becomes Reform’s seventh MP.
Put another way 43% of Reform’s serving MPs were Conservative MPs and were not elected as Reform.
January 18, 2026 at 8:37 PM
NEW: Another Conservative MP defects to Reform, just days after Robert Jenrick.
Andrew Rosindell becomes Reform’s seventh MP.
Put another way 43% of Reform’s serving MPs were Conservative MPs and were not elected as Reform.
Andrew Rosindell becomes Reform’s seventh MP.
Put another way 43% of Reform’s serving MPs were Conservative MPs and were not elected as Reform.
Reposted by Ben Combe
Even London’s critics have to accept the evidence - homicide in London has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade.
Our work is not done. We’ll continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to utilise every tool at our disposal and keep Londoners safe.
Our work is not done. We’ll continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to utilise every tool at our disposal and keep Londoners safe.
January 18, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Even London’s critics have to accept the evidence - homicide in London has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade.
Our work is not done. We’ll continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to utilise every tool at our disposal and keep Londoners safe.
Our work is not done. We’ll continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to utilise every tool at our disposal and keep Londoners safe.
In a world where we’ve passed the employment rights act, don’t Sunday Trading Laws just stifle growth?
January 18, 2026 at 12:27 PM
In a world where we’ve passed the employment rights act, don’t Sunday Trading Laws just stifle growth?
Reposted by Ben Combe
I’m old enough to remember when many of the voices saying very little tonight told us very loudly that Obama and Biden were anti-British.
January 18, 2026 at 12:27 AM
I’m old enough to remember when many of the voices saying very little tonight told us very loudly that Obama and Biden were anti-British.
Just once I’d like to read a political memoir that cuts the bullshit and opens with “Chapter 1: a list of people on my own side who I blame for costing me the election and all of the reasons why I’m right and they’re wrong” so I know who they’re trying to settle scores with
January 17, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Just once I’d like to read a political memoir that cuts the bullshit and opens with “Chapter 1: a list of people on my own side who I blame for costing me the election and all of the reasons why I’m right and they’re wrong” so I know who they’re trying to settle scores with
Reposted by Ben Combe
This is why it was wild for Kemi Badenoch to describe Greenland as a “second-order issue” last weekend. www.bbc.com/news/live/c1...
Trump tariffs: US president announces plan to hit UK, Denmark and other European countries with tariffs over Greenland
The US president says the countries will be charged a
www.bbc.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:48 PM
This is why it was wild for Kemi Badenoch to describe Greenland as a “second-order issue” last weekend. www.bbc.com/news/live/c1...
Reposted by Ben Combe
Reform’s hollow revolution: a wave of Tory defections reflects a Thatcherite tribute act rather than a true insurgency. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reform’s hollow revolution
A wave of Tory defections reflects a Thatcherite tribute act rather than a true insurgency
www.newstatesman.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Reform’s hollow revolution: a wave of Tory defections reflects a Thatcherite tribute act rather than a true insurgency. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
So did no one ask Farage or Jenrick about Farage’s antisemitism today?
January 15, 2026 at 10:26 PM
So did no one ask Farage or Jenrick about Farage’s antisemitism today?
Jenrick is now by my count the 3rd person who thinks he's going to be Reform's Chancellor
Key line in Will Lloyd's piece on Robert Jenrick's sacking: "Jenrick had told friends in recent weeks that he thought Reform lacked a viable economic spokesperson or an eventual shadow chancellor."
Is that the job Jenrick has his eye on?
@willoyd.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/politics/con...
Is that the job Jenrick has his eye on?
@willoyd.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/politics/con...
Is there a strategy behind Kemi's Jenrick purge?
She cannot decide whether to rebuild or remake the Conservative Party
www.newstatesman.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Jenrick is now by my count the 3rd person who thinks he's going to be Reform's Chancellor
Oh my god, he IS a moron!
January 15, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Oh my god, he IS a moron!