I wondered whether I would do this, when the time came. But there don’t seem to be many tales of him as a person going round. And, for reasons that will become apparent, I’ll always be grateful. So anyway here it is:

A 🧵on the personal kindness of Keir Starmer

Rishi Sunak's pledge to introduce national service is eye-catching, but I suspect the option of a 12-month armed forces placement won't be embraced by large quarters of the UK military/MoD.

Last summer I asked Andrew Murrison, minister for defence people, his views on obligatory

I thought this was a joke when I heard it, but it's in the FT. Sir Humphrey would have called it a courageous decision.

There’s a lot to unpick from Paula Vennells’ testimony, but one is the acceptance that there were no bugs in Horizon. In reality, this should be a massive red flag that IT are delusional and/or lines of communication are so dysfunctional that nothing you hear can be trusted.

Andrew has captured something important in this thread.

One of the lousy things about living in Scotland is that Scottish Water keep digging up all the roads. Nightmare!
One of the better things about living in Scotland is that Scottish Water are doing serious work on the infrastructure. Thank goodness!
Life is a series of trade-offs.

I promised my wife and Labrador I'd take a day off and go to the beach with them. Now this is what I call a beach! It's the wonderful Tentsmuir, between Dundee and St Andrews. (Camera shy wife is hiding behind my back as I pan.)

James Christie 🇺🇦 One of the joys of being the head of Investigations is that I got to ask all the questions that everyone else was too scared to ask.

Curiosity is a much undervalued characteristic.

We all need to be much more like the small boy asking why the Emperor has no clothes.

James Christie 🇺🇦 Too many people, esp. at the top of organisations do not know how to ask questions, how to probe, how to test & verify what they are being told. Far too many are afraid of looking like fools. Far too many don't want to know. Far too many lack curiosity.

cyclefree.co.uk/the-art-of-ask…

I have booked a trip for me and my wife from Perth to Milan via the Côte d'Azur by train. Four long distance trains, plus a couple of local trains on the French Riviera. It's going to take six days to get there, but efficiency is highly over-rated. Can't wait. J'aime le TGV.😀

When you're desperate to get on with productive work but you first have to do something unproductive, and you've been pulled away by something else that's time critical. Then your phone goes.
'Hi, have you got time to talk about something?'
That's when soft skills really matter.

Red River Croft. Literally basking and baking in the high, fierce light of midday.

View over the croft, wee house and woodland to the Torridon mountains 🌞

20 MAY 1774, PERTH, SCOTLAND: The Sheriff Substitute of Perth, William Mercer, frees Joseph Knight from his enslavement by Sir John Wedderburn, ruling “'the state of slavery is not recognised by the laws of this kingdom, and is inconsistent with the principles thereof.”

In case anyone near Glasgow fancies this...

Luke McCowan personally delivered a signed top to Levi Rennie after full-time, great to see Levi back at Dens and in good spirits! 🥁

#thedee