Politics would be much more honest if Labour had just said the country couldn't afford the national insurance cuts under Truss/Sunak, opposed them, and reversed them in office.

Why didn’t Labour just oppose the Tories’ National Insurance cuts and say the country couldn’t afford them? That would have stopped them being backed into a corner, having to argue about tax rises and define who is and is not a “working person”

This thread is a lesson in how and why the bus service conundrum will be incredibly difficult to solve Simply providing localities with the powers to act isn't enough. It also needs lots of money

Grey Labour now dealing in extravagantly nonsensical mixed metaphors is it

Freezing fuel duty but increasing bus fare cap by 50% an interesting choice.

I'd forgotten all about this Dave 'Him Over There' Proudlove MDANT🎖🏴‍☠️

Basically agree. Mayors have few fiscal levers, but they do have one - and it’s mostly not used, because votes. At some point central government (and it may be in this parliament, red on red) will be well within its rights to say: you want it? Fine, raise the precept

The Budget in 5 points 1. Borrowing increase (quite large) 2. Spending increase (small) 3. Capital spending increase (quite small) 4. Tax increase (large) 5. Fiscal headroom (small)

Based on the most famous ground 😎

But with an oddly narrow very British tax base

Can anybody conflirm whether Joseph Stalin's agenda for liquidating the Kulaks did include provision to pass on about £2 million tax-free (£1 million each for property/farm) before seeking a contribution to public finances if more than that was being passed across generations?

🚌 chat from Stephen Bush 👍 on.ft.com/4foSwAL

My Sunday Times piece: Rachel Reeves’s first budget told us a lot about the state of the public finances but very little about how the government will lift the growth rate: My budget verdict: a damaging tax experiment — with little hope in sight thetimes.com/article/2c7f6d…

The Howard Bernstein tribute newsletter: the lessons ministers should take from Manchester’s unfinished business on.ft.com/3Z48Otx

Had lunch in Brixton prison today - superb food and great service, all done by the inmates, who get great training which helps them in the labour market upon release. Do spread the word, and give it a try yourself - details here: theclinkcharity.org/restaurants/br…

Times (£) Another lazy article that conflates the ability of a system which can only ‘plan and permit’ homes, with a business world which “provides, but only for profit.” No prospect of profit = no homes. How hard is that to understand? Very,it seems. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

1) Most Brits don’t live in London so wouldn’t know one way or other about the Mayor 2) Brits who do live in London have decisively elected Sadiq Khan 3 times. 3) WTF has it got to do with you?

More importantly we need a triumph of action over inaction.