Ofsted’s EEG is yet another example of leaders who don’t actually inspect spending huge amounts of money on an IT system that has never worked properly and those leaders being too stubborn to admit the money has been wasted.

But unlike a British Prime Minister who must command the confidence of the House of Commons, the US President and his VP are directly elected and so with an unsupportive congress not much might get done in terms of legislation, Trump has shown that Vince could have an awful grip on executive power

Any successor to Trump is Vance so let’s not get our hopes up

Easter jew features in quite a lot of them. Still, Joy to the World - oh no - the tune was written by a German immigrant to England.

I’m just wondering what carols they had, presumably not Hark the Herald Angels Sing with its tune by a German, or Away in a manger with its words by a German, Ding Dong Merrily on High- French tune, Good King Wenceslas- Czech bloke, ‘We Three Kings- hmmm might have Asian or African, and a Middle

Not a new kind of Christianity so much as yet another heresy

Christian Nationalism is an oxymoron. Take away the first three letters and you have the name for its followers who are clearly unaware of or choose to ignore the teachings of Christ - the first bit of the name.

Not quite right. Joining the EU is actually the single biggest step the government could take to grow our economy, put money back into people's pockets and generate billions for our public services. Customs Union is 3rd best but a big improvement on the current position

I apologise unreservedly for my interruption to a private discussion with my misjudged attempt at humour. I was replying because someone I follow had reposted your comment. My intervention may have been perceived as inappropriate but I do respect your contributions on Newsnight etc

I must be - I was educated by the state before, going to university, teaching, training teachers and then spending 16 years as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors, inspecting some rather inadequate independent schools. ps I normally have huge respect you.

You do know that education is free in the UK?

The thing we sometimes forget is that in a parliamentary system there is an incentive for the government to at least try to be popular by the time of the next election. I don’t see any such incentive for a second term US President, no backbenchers to keep on side, no potentially vote of confidence

No need to apply politics - just apply Geography. Keep the Eurovision Song Contest for Europe. Sorry Australia, but it would make things so much simple.

Surely the producers have taken their eye off the ball.

😀👏

I think I can help the Conservatives with their enquiry.
1. Conservatives established the OBR.
2. OBR publishes budget on its website too early.

Job done. There may well be many things for which criticise Rachel Reeves, but this clearly isn’t one of them.

You have to feel sorry for all those MPs including the leader of the Lib Dem’s who can’t believe their luck to be called in what is normally a PMQs with a huge audience watching BBC 2 for the budget only to find that BBC2 abandoned PMQs to discuss the budget which has not yet happened.