Perhaps not the public line, but Starmer was high-fiving aides the morning Johnson quit saying “this is a good day for us”.

The reason why this interview is so revealing is that a true believer will always be able to sniff out someone who is adopting their movement's political clothes - without actually holding most of its convictions.

Well done Steven Edginton - a reminder that Truss refused to do any one to one interviews during the entire leadership campaign. Preferring to be fawned over by party members.

I was once told that Peter Shore said to a newly elected MP the following:

'MP stands for Man of Principle. Your principles are the only thing you have when you enter this place. They should be the only thing you have when you leave it'.

Frank Field epitomised that ideal.

Frank Field exemplified everything good and decent about politics and public service.
He was a genuinely brilliant man and it says far more about our system than it does about Frank that he was seen more as a maverick than as the towering figure he really was. In the US, for

Frank Field on the rise of Militant (1981)

Such sad news about David Marquand. His Progressive Dilemma and Britain Since 1918 genuinely superb. And his rehabilitation of Ramsay Macdonald’s reputation was brilliant and important. He was also responsible for one of the only actually amusing Skinner witticisms!

It's now more than six weeks since the portrait of Lord Balfour was attacked at Trinity College, Cambridge.

So far as I can tell, nothing has been said about what the College and/or the police are doing in response to this vandalism.

Have I missed something?

There is surely no greater tribute to David Marquand that the issues he grappled with so eloquently remain wholly relevant to British politics today. This is from his 1981 essay on 'club government'.

#Hexham : very enjoyable first visit to Hexham Racecourse in 15 years-plus; ok, weather mixed but that corner of #Northumberland as picturesque as ever (definite top three of British tracks) and such a good example of the variety offered by GB #horseracing

I imagine this will be closely watched in Britain. Wider public attitudes have changed very dramatically since Justin Fashanu's day, so when it happens in the EPL, a neutral/positive reaction is a realistic hope. Currently only one male player is out in England's top 4 divisions

🧵Happy St George’s Day. To mark the launch of Marc Stears and Tom Baldwin new book More in Common and UCL Policy Lab looked into what Englishness means to the English. As you might expect the monarchy, tea and the weather are top of mind, but there’s much more too…

How many politicians does it take to rebuild a bridge?

My City A.M. column this week is on state capacity - why it matters, how we've lost it, and why the big debate on the centre-right should be how to get it back
cityam.com/if-our-politic…

Happy St George's Day. Here's my (slightly old) piece for ConservativeHome about the Lion and the Unicorn and why we should celebrate today properly: conservativehome.com/2021/04/23/dav…

Calling an election on the basis of your policy (which tries to address an issue which isn’t even the 2nd most salient matter among the public) not being implementable and then deciding to hold a vote on leaving an institution that most people have never heard of is…interesting.

Ascot racegoers en masse, make their way to the course from Ascot station in 1930....

It may not be unrelated that in the wake of the financial crisis, America chose deficit-funded growth while Europe chose austerity.

Since then, the US has powered ahead and left us behind economically.

Another reason they don't resonate is that lots of the terminology and language used in these debates is alien to voters and largely very online/elite. Only among our progressive activist segment could a significant proportion feel they could explain what culture wars mean.

Gateshead Council not allowing Gateshead a 10-year license on the stadium to they can compete in the National League play-offs is absolutely wild.

What are they playing at?

Little doubt that Andy Street is one of the most effective Tory politicians in the country. He's thought big on housing, infrastructure and place and has been constantly ambitious for Birmingham and for Levelling Up.