@johnw60.bsky.social
Reposted
If The Times is right that Morgan McSweeney is close to resigning, it is overdue.
No 10 has drifted onto Reform’s terrain, especially on migration and belonging, and it has left Labour narrower and weaker. If he goes, Labour should stop chasing Reform’s agenda and start setting its own.
No 10 has drifted onto Reform’s terrain, especially on migration and belonging, and it has left Labour narrower and weaker. If he goes, Labour should stop chasing Reform’s agenda and start setting its own.
February 7, 2026 at 11:18 PM
If The Times is right that Morgan McSweeney is close to resigning, it is overdue.
No 10 has drifted onto Reform’s terrain, especially on migration and belonging, and it has left Labour narrower and weaker. If he goes, Labour should stop chasing Reform’s agenda and start setting its own.
No 10 has drifted onto Reform’s terrain, especially on migration and belonging, and it has left Labour narrower and weaker. If he goes, Labour should stop chasing Reform’s agenda and start setting its own.
Reposted
Quotation marks or not, none of this says McSweeney himself feels he should leave. He may feel he should stay to win back his boss's confidence.
I know little about him, but my sense is he's done more damage than good to this Labour government since the general election.
I know little about him, but my sense is he's done more damage than good to this Labour government since the general election.
February 7, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Quotation marks or not, none of this says McSweeney himself feels he should leave. He may feel he should stay to win back his boss's confidence.
I know little about him, but my sense is he's done more damage than good to this Labour government since the general election.
I know little about him, but my sense is he's done more damage than good to this Labour government since the general election.
Reposted
"The new law forbids counties and local law enforcement from contracting with ICE. It mandates that public bodies terminate any existing immigration detention agreements and prohibits the use of public property for federal civil immigration detention..."
kfoxtv.com/news/local/n...
kfoxtv.com/news/local/n...
New Mexico governor signs Immigrant Safety Act among other bills into law
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed four bipartisan bills into law, focusing on improving health care access, investing in statewide infrastructur
kfoxtv.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:05 PM
"The new law forbids counties and local law enforcement from contracting with ICE. It mandates that public bodies terminate any existing immigration detention agreements and prohibits the use of public property for federal civil immigration detention..."
kfoxtv.com/news/local/n...
kfoxtv.com/news/local/n...
Reposted
UK’s ‘unsung army’ of full-time unpaid carers needs more support, report says
UK’s ‘unsung army’ of full-time unpaid carers needs more support, report says
Resolution Foundation finds one in three carers from poorer families unable to work because of responsibilities
A growing “unsung army” of 1 million people with full-time caring responsibilities needs better support, according to a report that found one in three unpaid carers from poorer backgrounds were unable to work because of their duties.
The trend is the result of an ageing society and rising ill-health and disability concentrated in the poorest half of the country’s working-age families, the Resolution Foundation’s research found. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:16 AM
UK’s ‘unsung army’ of full-time unpaid carers needs more support, report says
Reposted
Cell at the Tower of London where Sir Thomas More, born OTD 1478, was imprisoned while awaiting trial for treason. Did not end well.
February 7, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Cell at the Tower of London where Sir Thomas More, born OTD 1478, was imprisoned while awaiting trial for treason. Did not end well.
Reposted
Morgan McSweeney is on the brink of resigning "on his own terms," according to the Sunday Times www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
February 7, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Morgan McSweeney is on the brink of resigning "on his own terms," according to the Sunday Times www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted
"Trump for Europeans conjures up the pre-war era when what we now call populism but then was called fascism engulfed country after country and led to a continent-wide catastrophe that killed millions of people."
Anne Applebaum on Trump's betrayal of Europe
"They’re bewildered we’ve allowed this to happen."
www.publicnotice.co
February 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM
"Trump for Europeans conjures up the pre-war era when what we now call populism but then was called fascism engulfed country after country and led to a continent-wide catastrophe that killed millions of people."
Reposted
8 February 1887 | A Czech Jew, Jakob Ziffer, was born in Nyklovice.
He was deported to #Auschwitz from the #Theresienstadt ghetto on 26 October 1942. After selection he was murdered in a gas chamber.
---
▶ Video about the history of Auschwitz: https://youtu.be/Fxnl5HTygrs
He was deported to #Auschwitz from the #Theresienstadt ghetto on 26 October 1942. After selection he was murdered in a gas chamber.
---
▶ Video about the history of Auschwitz: https://youtu.be/Fxnl5HTygrs
February 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM
8 February 1887 | A Czech Jew, Jakob Ziffer, was born in Nyklovice.
He was deported to #Auschwitz from the #Theresienstadt ghetto on 26 October 1942. After selection he was murdered in a gas chamber.
---
▶ Video about the history of Auschwitz: https://youtu.be/Fxnl5HTygrs
He was deported to #Auschwitz from the #Theresienstadt ghetto on 26 October 1942. After selection he was murdered in a gas chamber.
---
▶ Video about the history of Auschwitz: https://youtu.be/Fxnl5HTygrs
Reposted
Given her background, totally unsurprising.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Given her background, totally unsurprising.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Reposted
Starmer must pin tail on the McSweeny shaped donkey and then start listening to Labour members.
February 7, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Starmer must pin tail on the McSweeny shaped donkey and then start listening to Labour members.
Reposted
Reposted
Men's football World Cup is 11th June to 19th July & will then crowd news/politics out a bit on TV.
2 leader changes in 2022 preceded winter World Cup.
A referendum, PM resignation, leader contests took place during Euro 2016. England had crashed out June 27th to Iceland, Wales made semifinal
2 leader changes in 2022 preceded winter World Cup.
A referendum, PM resignation, leader contests took place during Euro 2016. England had crashed out June 27th to Iceland, Wales made semifinal
February 8, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Men's football World Cup is 11th June to 19th July & will then crowd news/politics out a bit on TV.
2 leader changes in 2022 preceded winter World Cup.
A referendum, PM resignation, leader contests took place during Euro 2016. England had crashed out June 27th to Iceland, Wales made semifinal
2 leader changes in 2022 preceded winter World Cup.
A referendum, PM resignation, leader contests took place during Euro 2016. England had crashed out June 27th to Iceland, Wales made semifinal
Reposted
Briefings about threatening an election are silly & mad.
PM will get to reconstruct his No 10 operation.
Would need to show he can conduct a reshuffle post May - & prob needs Angela Rayner to agree to join the Cabinet again by or in May. He may want Lucy Powell, deputy Labour leader, in govt too?
PM will get to reconstruct his No 10 operation.
Would need to show he can conduct a reshuffle post May - & prob needs Angela Rayner to agree to join the Cabinet again by or in May. He may want Lucy Powell, deputy Labour leader, in govt too?
February 7, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Briefings about threatening an election are silly & mad.
PM will get to reconstruct his No 10 operation.
Would need to show he can conduct a reshuffle post May - & prob needs Angela Rayner to agree to join the Cabinet again by or in May. He may want Lucy Powell, deputy Labour leader, in govt too?
PM will get to reconstruct his No 10 operation.
Would need to show he can conduct a reshuffle post May - & prob needs Angela Rayner to agree to join the Cabinet again by or in May. He may want Lucy Powell, deputy Labour leader, in govt too?
Reposted
So Keir Starmer will get 3 momths to act & make his case to his own ministers & MPs & beyond (though in face of a broad Westminster media consensus that he can't survive). But a third of that is a pre-electiom canpaign period, and the May 2026 results look certain to be v bad on 4 different fronts
February 7, 2026 at 11:35 PM
So Keir Starmer will get 3 momths to act & make his case to his own ministers & MPs & beyond (though in face of a broad Westminster media consensus that he can't survive). But a third of that is a pre-electiom canpaign period, and the May 2026 results look certain to be v bad on 4 different fronts
Reposted
May anticipate next intense flurry in 3 weeks - the Byelection result overnight on Friday 28th Feb, through to parliamentary recession on 26th March. I think imminence of the pre-election purdah peroid makes i pretty likely that this 90 day period will hold.
What decisions/indecision follows is tbc
What decisions/indecision follows is tbc
February 7, 2026 at 11:26 PM
May anticipate next intense flurry in 3 weeks - the Byelection result overnight on Friday 28th Feb, through to parliamentary recession on 26th March. I think imminence of the pre-election purdah peroid makes i pretty likely that this 90 day period will hold.
What decisions/indecision follows is tbc
What decisions/indecision follows is tbc
Reposted
The dog that didn't bark in the last 72 hours & the Sunday papers [no ministerial resignations, declared challenges, etc] do confirm that it now seems consuderably more likely than not that there will be no formal leadership moves (beyond incessant speculation) for 90 days, until Friday May 8th.
February 7, 2026 at 11:15 PM
The dog that didn't bark in the last 72 hours & the Sunday papers [no ministerial resignations, declared challenges, etc] do confirm that it now seems consuderably more likely than not that there will be no formal leadership moves (beyond incessant speculation) for 90 days, until Friday May 8th.
Reposted
Sunday Times reports suggest PM's chief of staff would like to control the terms (ie, timing) of a probable imminent + voluntary departure from government
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Peter Mandelson got five-figure payoff for sacking as ambassador
Despite his Epstein disgrace, the Labour veteran secured an exit payment equivalent to three months’ salary
www.thetimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Sunday Times reports suggest PM's chief of staff would like to control the terms (ie, timing) of a probable imminent + voluntary departure from government
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted
The entire anti wokeness nonsense of the past decade was about making this kind of gutter racism broadly acceptable again bsky.app/profile/adam...
Pour one out for every professional political pundit, writer, consultant whatever that has spent the last decade trying to pretend that the Trump phenomenon was about trade or opiates and not a big chunk of white america losing its mind over having a black president bsky.app/profile/kyle...
A screenshot from a video posted on Trump's Truth Social account: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...
February 6, 2026 at 10:09 AM
The entire anti wokeness nonsense of the past decade was about making this kind of gutter racism broadly acceptable again bsky.app/profile/adam...
Reposted
Saying you would take a "much tougher stance on immigration" than the Labour government is (or should be) discrediting for the same reason that saying your budget plans would be "very fiscal" would be. What does it mean?
RIP the hypothetical Al Carns leadership bid
To include "a much tougher stance on immigration"!
1. What is the content of how Labour could be much tougher than Home Sec Shabana Mahmood?
2. How is that viable in a leadership election? Or with Labour voters?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
To include "a much tougher stance on immigration"!
1. What is the content of how Labour could be much tougher than Home Sec Shabana Mahmood?
2. How is that viable in a leadership election? Or with Labour voters?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
A surprise candidate to replace Starmer could neutralise Farage’s voter appeal
With the prime minister rumoured to be ‘in a dark place’ and considering quitting over the Mandelson scandal, political editor David Maddox looks at the possible replacements, including a rapidly eme...
www.independent.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Saying you would take a "much tougher stance on immigration" than the Labour government is (or should be) discrediting for the same reason that saying your budget plans would be "very fiscal" would be. What does it mean?
Reposted
I’m no expert but I reckon a candidate who actually likes Labour MPs and members will win the leadership when the time comes (or at least one who, like Starmer in 2020, pretends to like them)
February 7, 2026 at 7:29 PM
I’m no expert but I reckon a candidate who actually likes Labour MPs and members will win the leadership when the time comes (or at least one who, like Starmer in 2020, pretends to like them)
Reposted
Exploding on the launch pad
RIP the hypothetical Al Carns leadership bid
To include "a much tougher stance on immigration"!
1. What is the content of how Labour could be much tougher than Home Sec Shabana Mahmood?
2. How is that viable in a leadership election? Or with Labour voters?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
To include "a much tougher stance on immigration"!
1. What is the content of how Labour could be much tougher than Home Sec Shabana Mahmood?
2. How is that viable in a leadership election? Or with Labour voters?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
A surprise candidate to replace Starmer could neutralise Farage’s voter appeal
With the prime minister rumoured to be ‘in a dark place’ and considering quitting over the Mandelson scandal, political editor David Maddox looks at the possible replacements, including a rapidly eme...
www.independent.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Exploding on the launch pad
Reposted
It would be hugely illegitimate to carry out policies that are the polar opposite of the manifesto
February 7, 2026 at 7:29 PM
It would be hugely illegitimate to carry out policies that are the polar opposite of the manifesto
Reposted
Reposted
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's favourability with Labour members in Survation's tracking fell 32 points between Sept 2025 and Nov 2025 (net +20 to net -6). She was a fairly popular member of this government as Justice Secretary: her asylum + settlement reforms are unpopular with Labour members
February 7, 2026 at 6:58 PM