23 May: 'The government has no current plans ... for the restoration of any form of National Service'.

25 May: 'Guys, guys, guys! We've got this amazing idea...'

The imv very signif bit: its funded by closing the Shared Prosperity Fund, which was the UK replacement for EU structural funds, in 2028 after only six years. UKSPF is a 'central pillar' of 'levelling up' (source: HMG).

If anything could make me support Votes at 16, it's a government proposing national service for the young, in an attempt to shore up its vote among the old.

I'm a sceptic on votes at 16, but it's absurd to call it 'gerrymandering'.

No one knows who 16-yr-olds will vote for in 2029 or 2034.

That so many Tories *assume* they'll vote Lab marks a striking lack of ambition from a party that once had the biggest youth wing in UK politics

I wish the post-match interview had asked Ten Hag about his tactical plan, how he set up United and how it worked, rather than questions he can't answer about whether he's getting sacked.

Wonder what United could have done this season with Varane and Martinez at the back throughout, and Amrabat in this form in the middle.

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Bob Neill(Tory MP): 'My brand of conservatism... depends on respect for institutions, checks & balances & the independence of our judiciary... anyone in politics whose attacked judges for coming to their independent decisions... it's not constitutional or conservative'

A pseudo-hardline broadcast to cover imminent capitulation. He declined to defend or even mention the Council of Ireland.

The election just got dirty - and it's only day two. Let's hope Mr Sunak at least disassociates himself from Johnson's poisonous garbage - even if he can't bring himself to outright condemn it. #BGE2024

Last year, I was awarded a WomensHistScot's Bursary to research the Scottish Convention of Women, which brought together individuals and women's groups ahead of the March 1979 Assembly referendum.

Read my account of the creation of this pioneering 'resource and advice centre'⬇️

I felt much the same about Chris Tavaré as a child. I have not the faintest idea why, and suspect that was also true at the time.

Next Tuesday, we will be hosting our first event since the #GeneralElection was called.

Join Robert Saunders, the Director of Conservative Environment Network Sam Hall, Environment Journalist Pilita Clark and founder of ClimateGuide Rachel Coxcoon to explore Conservatism and the Climate Crisis!

I don't share Diane Abbott's politics,but our awful electoral system makes it crucial that the Big Two are genuinely broad churches.

If people like Abbott are locked out of Parliament, more & more people will feel that their views are unrepresented. That's not good for democracy

Now that a general election has been called, I thought it was worth pre-emptively laying to rest some rumours that sometimes circulate about Economic and Social Research Council rules on what ESRC-funded researchers supposedly are and aren't allowed to say during the ‘pre-election period’. (1)