This highlights the Government's challenge on clothing donations and particularly David Lammy's line of defence. The public overwhelmingly think that a Prime Ministerial salary should be enough to pay for clothing without the need for either donations or public funding.

Why should I bother? I bet it's rigged.

I'm sitting next to a Lincoln impersonator at the airport bar. He's watching MSNBC reporting on yesterday's assassination attempt. This is easily the most surreal thing I've ever witnessed.

“I have often heretofore ventured my life in defence of this nation, and I shall still go as far as any man in preserving it in all its just rights and liberties.” James II [14th October 1633 – 16th September 1701] James II by Peter Lely

PM is more interested in the 'upstream' deals Italy (and EU) have struck with Libya and Syria. This is startling. If you care about the refugees, those arrangements are far worse than the Rwanda deal. That these are seen as 'grown-up' is pure vibes over substance 🧵

Casper and Emma is the biggest marriage for Tory England since Charles and Di #MarriedAtFirstSight

But the UK DOES have an industrial strategy, big sums are being pumped into net zero by 2050 and the northern hotel sector

Very encouraging stuff from Jenrick this morning conservativehome.com/2024/09/17/rob…

Counterpoint: this is a really lovely idea if it can be made to work, and the Tories need to stop opposing literally everything Labour proposes just because Labour proposes it

Remember that Keir was a top Human Rights lawyer before he became DPP. So when he tells you it’s illegal to demand that he pays for his own footy tickets, you better listen.

The problem with the ‘smash the gangs’ strategy is that no matter how many gangs you smash, there is so much money to be made that new ones will simply replace them. Changing the incentives on migration is a far more effective - and long-term - strategy.

A woman on my train is explaining to a couple of dumbfounded American tourists why “I won’t let me kids read JK Rowling anymore… she’s just so hateful” Meanwhile the Americans are desperately trying to steer the conversation back towards their upcoming trip to Hawaii

Politicians and environmentalists have got to face up to some hard realities. If you seriously want to decarbonise the economy and abandon the use of fossil fuels now or very soon, then - unless you lean very hard into nuclear - living standards are going to have to collapse

Despite appearances, Ed Davey is the most successful Liberal leader since Herbert Asquith ✍️William Atkinson eu1.hubs.ly/H0cr4_70

Starmer's handling of his specs & dresses bills plus Sue Gray shows he's roughly as good at politics as Sunak and Truss. This government already has the air of a bunch of exhausted clueless hacks that usually takes years to acquire. No10 has *no political story* for the reptiles

Sometimes, governments should be unpopular. It can be a sign that they are taking genuinely difficult decisions in the long-term interests of the country. What’s staggering is that Labour has decided to be unpopular over winter fuel payments and donor-bought designer clothes.

From Karl Williams: Growth, not immigration, is the answer to Britain's long-term debt woes conservativehome.com/2024/09/17/kar…