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I’m in Lincolnshire at an event organised by its regional mayor, Andrea Jenkyns (Reform), “the Great Exhibition”, a curious mixture of industrial discussions on energy and defence, plus main stage speeches compered by a robot. Robert Jenrick is currently giving something of a stump speech.

Previous speakers have included a Texan calling himself the “King of Carbon” and an “energy infrastructure entrepreneur” promoting heating solutions using bitcoin miners.

A senior official from Number 10 North, Duncan Parish, is now giving a speech outlining what the Burnham govt is doing (after Jenrick gave it quite a bashing, quoted some Tennyson, received some applause). But the top ticket speaker is Liz Truss coming after Parish. Fingers crossed for robot intro.

Zia Yusuf was previously advertised as a speaker. It is perhaps odd for a mayoralty-organised industrial event to have such a party-political speech as that given by Jenrick (“Benefits Burnham”; “Family Farm Tax”), who is an MP over the Trent in Nottinghamshire, not Lincolnshire. No big Tories here

Liz Truss on stage (right). Jokes about Burnham appearing last year and that she has come this year as it’s clearly on the short path back to No 10.