This could be Labour’s “stop the boats” moment. Raising the salience of a tricky issue which other parties and media will hold them to account on. If they don’t deliver this could seriously harm their electoral chances.

Looking forward to the Labour Growth Group and Building Back Britain Commission drinks this evening to mark the launch of a new report looking at how to boost productivity across the U.K.

The only messages cutting through to the public is that Labour do not have a clue what they stand for and that the PM is weak. Welfare reform 🤷‍♂️ Winter fuel payments 🤷‍♂️ Open door for the Opposition which puts more pressure on Badenoch to land a bigger blow than Farage.

The next 4 months to the Budget will involve a drip, drip of all sorts of tax raising ideas as a result of the welfare u turn and hole in the finances - which will lead to uncertainty among the business community and potentially slow down investment and recruitment decisions.

One of the most irrelevant yet glorious paragraphs I’ve read for a while.

As Reform UK continue to lead the polls expect a lot more scrutiny on their fledgling policy agenda. The big q is whether policy specifics make the slightest bit of difference to the electorate who might in 4 years time just want “none of the usual lot”.

How will nationalising the railways improve the passenger experience? The govt needs to do better at communicating the “why” and the “how” not just the “what”.

According to the latest data: - The average man is living until 79 - The average woman is living until 81 Retiring at 66 is clearly going to be increasingly unaffordable.

The most significant move of the Tory reshuffle is the appointment of Neil O'Brien to effectively the role of ‘shadow minister for policy.’ One of the smartest policy brains in Westminster & well respected by colleagues and the centre right policy world.

Let’s tax people more who release pressure on our public services…so they can’t afford to go private and…add to the waiting lists. Hmm.🤔

Completely right Robert Colvile. Raising taxes at the Budget won’t solve the problem. The govt has to have a very honest (and unpopular) conversation about spending cuts in particular welfare and health (the two largest, and increasing, budgets). thetimes.com/article/f62be5…

What on earth is “strategic storytelling”…

From what’s being reported Labour might well be going down this route.

Excellent column Matthew Syed. Commonsense voters see the abject folly of the West’s purity spiral thetimes.com/article/632163…

Agreed. It made you want to watch it.

What would add to my angst in CCHQ is that Reform UK chose not to announce his defection on the eve of Tory conference. Suggests there may be something else cooking perhaps…

Abolishing stamp duty is a smart move. It’s a hated tax which gums up transactions so speaks to the Tories’ fundamental problem of showing they have an offer for younger people and older people who want to downsize. Also guarantees media coverage and cut through.

The govt is pushing through the Planning & Infrastructure Bill at speed to ensure the OBR can score the impact of the initiatives on the legislation ahead of the Budget - nice little insight by Sam Coates Sky anne mcelvoy on this morning’s podcast.

Datacentres could create thousands of high value jobs and crowd in investment across the U.K. A new WPI Strategy report for Microsoft says the U.K. is well placed to attract a wave of new investment in this critical infrastructure. wpi-strategy.com/datacentresrep…

Has there ever been a budget so heavily trailed? I can’t think of one.