“I wake up, stirred by the cacophony of alerts from my phone, bleary-eyed and dazed. I remind myself to stop trawling the internet until the early hours. I snooze my alarm and haul myself up later.”

Model railway fan creates fictional Yorkshire town from cereal boxes bbc.in/3WkVC2C

What happens when an ex-Daily Star journalist applies clickbait tactics to running for election? theguardian.com/politics/2024/…

Heading to San Sebastián for a few days, any recommendations very welcome…

Very sad news about Frank Field. To lose him and Patrick Cormack in the same year is to have the left and right columns that kept up a vision of a distinct Anglican social and political polity vanish. With no obvious replacements in national life, it feels like the end of an era.

Absolutely shocking details in this excellent reporting:

My quote in this article:
“The public is entitled to know whether government ministers can fulfil their role properly. Lord Cameron has to accept that this loss of privacy goes along with him returning to a vitally important public position.”

Rwanda is safe. How do we know? Because parliament said so. Robert Hutton on parliamentary sovereignty (extreme edition)
thecritic.co.uk/parliamentary-…

A bit from me about pubs — including The Alderman in Harold Hill, whose days may be numbered

Has the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office just given up on responding to FOIs? Several internal reviews and FOIs delayed with no specific date mentioned, citing 'a high volume of casework' and insisting they 'are doing [their] best to process your request as a priority'.

you really must read this article and watch the video

Peculiar smell of Earl Grey in the House of Lords at the moment (bergamot, not the peer)

NEW: Peter Hain calls for inquiry into MoD’s alleged role in Saudi bribes scandal.

Government auditors must look into claims of complicity in corruption on arms deals with UK, says Labour peer.

Will the National Audit Office now ask the MoD to open the books?
theguardian.com/world/2024/apr…

Typically good edition of 💥Beijing to Britain💥 this weekend. Particularly interested by mention of a Facebook post by a Singaporean minister comparing SG to UK after an Economist piece on SG.

beijingtobritain.substack.com/p/minister-to-…

A crime novel about government corruption and train timetables is perhaps tailor made for me but absolutely loved “Tokyo Express” which I raced through today and would be very grateful for any suggestions of a similar vein. Thanks to Ned Donovan | فارس دونوفان for mentioning it in his Substack

Very interesting story from yesterday by Emily Dugan about an employment tribunal this week - theguardian.com/politics/2024/…

‘As promised… The digested read

‘A five year-old on acid’: Liz Truss’s Ten Years to Save the West, digested by John Crace theguardian.com/books/2024/apr…