Sunderland Council's Starmer Yes Man Leader left red-faced after persistently defending the indefensible Winter Fuel cuts - and refusing to even allow councillors to debate a Lib Dem proposal on changing the thresholds, which is exactly what has just happened.

Benfieldside (Durham) Council By-Election Result: 🔶 LDM: 28.3% (+17.3) 🌹 LAB: 27.4% (+0.8) ➡️ RFM: 25.6% (-6.6) 🙋 Ind: 15.7% (-8.0) 🌳 CON: 1.6% (-5.0) 🌍 GRN: 1.4% (New) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform. Changes w/ 2025.

official greggs account can’t even spell pasty. game’s gone

Is this the tipping point? With an irrelevant Conservative Party and a deeply unpopular Labour government, Liberal Democrats now have an historic opportunity and a grave responsibility to be the last best hope against the dangerous populism of both left and right.

A LibDem source: “Thought this was one of our bar charts for a second."

Galloway underpriced in this by-election imo

Shouting into the void here, but calling it: Reform ceiling is way lower than the Green ceiling in Gorton & Denton Reform only win if WPB get off the ground in Levenshume and Longsight and take votes off the Greens (imo looks unlikely rn) Otherwise, Greens win it

Nailed-on Green gain

amateurish from Reform here — tells Labour voters that they can stop Reform by voting Green. unless their own internal polling shows Lab in 1st or 2nd place and this is designed to muddy the waters re tactical voting, it will backfire

what are we supposed to find objectionable about this

abomination

if this is ‘cheating’ we may as well ban political campaigning now

absolutely desperate stuff

The furore over that Reform letter really shows now noncompetitive politics is in most parts of the country. If you live in a competitive council seat with a half-decent Lib Dem, Labour, or Green Party you’ll be used to this by now.

got spotify premium back after a month without it and my quality of life has gone up tenfold instantly

What’s underpriced here is the Tameside bit is roughly half the population of the Manchester bit, giving Reform a lower ceiling and suggesting they’ll only win if the anti-Reform vote is split. Green win still much more likely outcome imo

I have just canvassed my first naked man of the 2026 election cycle

she’s right

imo this suggests it is going v badly on the doors for them