The budget looked big but in the end it was an economic non event. Followed last govt in increasing size of state. Big spending choices kicked down the road. No reform of tax or public services. Nothing for growth beyond higher investment spending. thetimes.com/article/7007f7…

The person who published the conspiratorial tweet below on the day that Russia launched its unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the largest and most devastating war on European soil in 80 years was just nominated to be the US director of national intelligence.

Nobody should have any illusions now

"From three friends in high places to essentially zero is quite the feat of statecraft. Britain is now outside its own regional club & exposed to a protectionist America & having to defrost its relationship with China after a period of mindless neglect." ft.com/content/b8bfdc…

So £715 million was spent on a piece of performative cruelty that we are told not one member of the Tory Cabinet believed would actually work. Should be misconduct in a public office.

Here are two jarring facts. The chancellor has just appointed a special Covid corruption commissioner to examine an eye-watering £7.6bn of dodgy and fraudulent contracts awarded for Covid equipment, and the PM has just appointed as cabinet secretary Chris Wormald, who is the top

Reform UK is an essentially xenophobic org that has done much to debase politics, tarnish public life and diminish the national interest. The Tories at their moral & electoral nadir have sought to emulate it rather than ostracise it. There’s little more to say.

After an FOI dispute lasting 18 months I've finally obtained the official reasons Boris Johnson gave for peerages of Charlotte Owen & Ross Kempsell. The reasons cited for Owen seem thin, inadequate & lacking in evidence, leaving her peerage as a mystery rather than justifying it.

Mark Zuckerberg is an appalling human being

There’s being bold and there’s being plain bonkers. No-one who thinks for 5 minutes can believe means testing the state pension is a good idea - but that is what Kemi Badenoch says she’s up for

In 2017, Trump inherited a strong economy, low interest rates, and a generally stable international situation. For the next 3 years, Trump enjoyed the dividends from his inheritance - until he crashed into his first real crisis, the COVID pandemic. 1/x

Why the second administration of Authoritarian-Populist leaders is so much more damaging for democracy.

Here’s a little information on my new Substack called Desperately Seeking Wisdom - it’s for people looking for help navigating a complex world. I hope you’ll check it out. craigoliver.substack.com/p/desperately-…

If you’d asked AI to write a piece of Russian propaganda in the style of Donald Trump, this is what you’d get. Well done America, you’ve elected a Russian asset as your President.

Britons tend to say it is more important to support Ukraine than to maintain good relations with the US More important to support Ukraine: 48% More important to maintain good relations with the US: 20% Neither: 14%

French President Macron: The United States should be compensated by Russia for expenses incurred in supporting Ukraine, since Russia started the war.

Thoughts on White House seizing control of pool coverage: 1. Next step on the slippery slope is to control who has access to video and audio of presidential events. U.S. military records and distributes audio/video feeds now. Trump could break precedent and limit distribution 1/

Newsnight graph tonight showing Lab+Con share in 2024 election as 45%. It was actually 58%.

This - intellectually dishonest, cynical, opportunistic and profoundly unserious - captures why the Conservative Party is in a death spiral.

It is really incredible how badly the party has fared as opposition. Trump is wildly unpopular but the Democrats even more so because they have no vision and no agenda.