Anthony Painter

At no point did they have the resources and policy to achieve this. A lesson in fundamentally flawed policy making. It was never going to be achieved other than through luck.

There is a very clear growth agenda you can pursue by pretending there are zero trade-offs to international trade, democracy, society, health and the environment and the whole thing won't collapse in a heap having caused irreversible damage. And it looks like this. x.com/RobertJenric...

Turning out to vote is a far more revolutionary act than smashing up the streets ever can be. In fact the latter feeds the authoritarian vultures. I hope European democracies can give young people something worth voting for in the next few months as Lula has done for Brazilians.

And thank you to Brazil for protecting the world's lungs, the Amazon rainforest, for at least a few years longer.

Watching the coverage of Burnham's comments on freedom of movement, it's clear that those in favour of joining the single market/EU will have to confront the lump of labour fallacy. The level of convenient ignorance that the media are willing to play along with means a need for shaper messaging.

Which raises a bigger point. The pro-EU proximity side - the majority as it happens - needs a much sharper campaigning infrastructure. Lots of orgs and people are doing a great job but it's all underpowered.

Burnham is not going to wait with the deadweight of the 2024 Labour manifesto weighing him down if he can decisively win an election. It would jeopardise social care, EU, political reform. The polls are moving into "decisively win" territory. I would look to Spring next year on current trends.

Burnham intends to be a transformational Prime Minister and he has a mandate for show incremental change. Something has to give.

Term limits have given enough time for an arsonist to set the constitution alight. But they timed out the guy with the fire extinguisher. History's cruel irony. A modest proposal: remove term limits and let Obama and Trump go head to head in 2028. Both parties would support right?

And as the guy says: yes of course prices and economics matter but a politics based on the "cost of living" or "affordability" alone is death. It basically means whoever is holding the ball loses and the next to come along could be pure evil. Progressives have trapped themselves. Values.

Burnham is not going to wait with the deadweight of the 2024 Labour manifesto weighing him down if he can decisively win an election. It would jeopardise social care, EU, political reform. The polls are moving into "decisively win" territory. I would look to Spring next year on current trends.

What this mostly shows is the immaturity of English devolution. If we have greater fiscal devolution there will have to be a more active local conversation about tax/spending. And if mayors can't make the case for this one where the costs are incurred elsewhere doesn't bode well at all.

For many years I was ashamed that it was Star Wars and I lasted until the first appearance of Darth Vader whereupon I screamed the place down, was taken out and into Bambi. Recently I realised that I was under three when this happened and maybe I wasn't responsible....

As far as I'm aware the Supreme Court hasn't granted immunity from prosecution for President's son-in-laws. As yet. Extraordinary story if it's correct. Iran-Contra +++ and maybe more besides. www.vanityfair.com/story/jared-...

It certainly shows, if true, that Kushner was running an illegal policy and laundered fund on behalf of Israel, the UAE as well as Saudi with no oversight or accountability. It suggests but doesn't yet prove personal enrichment in the process. Does it get much bigger?

As far as I'm aware the Supreme Court hasn't granted immunity from prosecution for President's son-in-laws. As yet. Extraordinary story if it's correct. Iran-Contra +++ and maybe more besides. www.vanityfair.com/story/jared-...

Good luck taking on the Finns when it comes to forests. Can't imagine the Government supporting this will survive next year's election. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A while back, a Finnish friend said to me, not about this specifically "we see the forests as part of us, they are sacred."

I'm afraid what is left of UK consumer manufacturing is going to have to be willing to write-off sunk costs and radically restructure. UK Government should be very clear of the need to change more rapidly rather than bending to existing business plans. Sometimes "partnership" requires home truths.

Ditto Europe. There is a case for transition protection but zero case for protecting existing business models. Whatever they threaten, offshoring etc, they are on borrowed time unless they face up to reality. Government and the EU can help them.

I find that young people simply look at me in disbelief when I tell them you used to turn on the TV and you were straight on to the content without having to wait for it to load then cycle through endless menus and apps.

To all the podcasters/Substackers/magazines I want to subscribe to I'm sorry - football and the FT have eaten all the budget between them. The latter doesn't even give you access to all the content which, sorry FT folk, it's a bit mean.

I find that young people simply look at me in disbelief when I tell them you used to turn on the TV and you were straight on to the content without having to wait for it to load then cycle through endless menus and apps.

But don't get me wrong, the modern media experience is great. I've just listened to a podcast, on the decline of long form content no less, with 4 minutes of "like and subscribe to my podcast", five minutes of content, then lots of ads for a job search site. Brilliant.

The whole theatre of politics has changed. And the theatre is owned by Elon Musk.

And even as we move towards net positive migration people still think things are getting worse. Which also shows the Government's hard-line proposals are doing little but adding to the atmosphere of "crisis".