Matthew Stadlen

Andy Burnham is comfortably the most likeable of the party leaders, which poses a significant challenge to the Tories and Reform.

**NEW** Spoke to the author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, about her new book, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, about the extraordinary story of how she became a storyteller, and about the challenges of writing about the Holocaust. open.spotify.com/episode/5vSJ...

Witkoff calling Putin a “humanitarian” is one of the most shameful moments in the history of American diplomacy.

Elon Musk’s X is awash with racism, white supremacy and other forms of filth

Fantastic to catch up with Bettany Hughes, one of the great communicators of classics! You can find our 20 Questions With together on Spotify, Apple etc. Well worth a listen. open.spotify.com/episode/7jrG...

Reform’s total ban on asylum seekers would, of course, mean turning away young girls and boys fleeing torture and murder. What a charming policy.

What Nigel Farage and Reform haven’t worked out is that the more extreme their policies get - eg threatening to use lethal force in the English Channel - the less likely they are to get anywhere near power.

Rob “ticket inspector” Jenrick has said that Reform would use lethal force against the small boats if necessary. Completely crackers. Utterly unfit for government. Joke outfit.

A great pleasure to share a stage with the wonderful Sir Alexander McCall Smith twice in two days. Today we were in Buckingham, and if you haven’t listened to Sandy’s episode of 20 Questions With, do find it on Spotify, Apple etc. It’s a lovely listen. Here it is: open.spotify.com/episode/4PCY...

Studied Classics at Cambridge with Tom Hiddleston, and watched him play Oedipus in the original Greek. Bloody clever and talented guy. And just to top it off, physically fit as a fiddle, too. This is an inspiring read from Men’s Health. www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/a...

Going through the papers this morning with @leahboleto.bsky.social on @skynewsrss.bsky.social tactical voting could push Reform into fourth place at a general election

They keep telling us Reform will do this, that or the other in government. But after months of bluster from Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice, we now learn that tactical voting could push Reform into fourth place in a general election.

It’s over for Reform. The only question now is when Nigel Farage decides the game is up and steps away to make more money.

The decline and fall of Reform in numbers even Richard Tice, Zia Yusuf and Lee Anderson can understand

Brilliant evening on stage and off with @deborahmeaden.bsky.social in Salisbury, underpinned by an optimistic message about Britain and what a fantastic country we still are

Elon Musk’s X has become a sort of dark web for racists and white supremacists.

If you think only white people can be English, you’re a racist.

Obviously some of them are monetising their racism, but the problem for most racists is that they’re doomed to live miserable lives. It’s too late for them and their ideology. Britain will forever now be a multiracial, multicultural country. And that’s just the end of it.

Don’t tell Reform

Trump has literally called it a “ban on the free press”. He’s talking like a dictator.

Monaco resident Sir Jim Radcliffe cuts an obviously absurd figure with his grumblings, but at the same time Britain should try harder to keep billionaires in the country and not haemorrhage the tax we lose when they leave.

Multibillionaire Sir Jim Radcliffe complaining about benefits policy, reminiscing about the British Empire and describing the UK as “on the slide”, while living as a tax resident in Monaco, shows that self-awareness might not be his greatest strength.

Trump’s banning of CNN etc from the White House lays bare the “free speech” movement on the right for what it always was.

An American President banning major news channels from the White House is profoundly sinister.

Donald Trump is chipping away at American democracy.

Good to see the hard-right Sweden Democrats fall from Sweden's second biggest party to its third after last week's election.

This week on his TV show, Nigel Farage laughed at a clip of a woman in tears because of the racism she’d experienced. “I can’t stop laughing,” he said. When people tell you who they are, believe them. And then don’t vote Reform.

This week on his TV show, Nigel Farage laughed at a clip of a woman in tears because of the racism she’d experienced. “I can’t stop laughing,” he said. When people tell you who they are, believe them. And then don’t vote Reform.

Threads is growing! My X account has grown by about 4–5k net since August 2024. My Threads account has grown by around 47k this year. A lot of people clearly sick of the filth pumped out on Elon Musk’s hell site.

A massive 69% see Nigel Farage unfavourably, and only 24% see him favourably. His net favourability is minus 45%. Just imagine how unpopular he’d be in the highly unlikely event that he becomes Prime Minister.

Billionaires shouldn’t be able to buy British elections.

A joyful podcast for your weekend: if you love cooking, food and a passion for living, this with Raymond Blanc is for you! open.spotify.com/episode/5oMk...

British democracy is under threat from right wing plutocrats.

Blatant racism. Don’t vote Reform.

**NEW** If you love potatoes, this is the podcast for you! Poppy O’Toole - Poppy Cooks - on her rise to fame and over six million social media followers. open.spotify.com/episode/3jOM...

Nigel Farage has made very clear that disagreements within Reform should take place in private, but the truth seems to be that he is simply too weak to sack Zia Yusuf, who continues to defy him publicly.

The building of settlements in the West Bank breaks international law. It is a very, very bad thing, changing facts on the ground through force and threatening the viability of a Palestinian state. It is NOT antisemitic to call it out.

Reform make a lot of noise about protecting women and girls, but the abiding image of their party conference will be of a young woman being publicly assaulted.

** NEW** Master chef Raymond Blanc shares his passion for life, love and cooking… Plus explains the challenges facing Britain and offers some advice to Andy Burnham to help rescue the hospitality industry. 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...

** NEW** Master chef Raymond Blanc shares his passion for life, love and cooking… Plus explains the challenges facing Britain and offers some advice to Andy Burnham to help rescue the hospitality industry. 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...

Nigel Farage claims there was a “marked difference” between the Dover protest, which he condemned, and the Portsmouth protest. Police officers were injured in Portsmouth. Characteristically disgraceful rhetoric from a man who says he wants to be Prime Minister.

Let’s hope we hear relentlessly from Reform politicians on how outraged they are about the thugs with face coverings who blocked roads in Dover.

We may be getting to the point where there’ll be a Netflix documentary about the rise and fall of Reform UK.

Do you think the penny is finally beginning to drop with Reform voters?

Nigel Farage labelling his now former head of policy, James Orr, and his now former senior aide, Dan Jukes, as “contractors”, really should be the end of his leadership of Reform.

Has Nigel Farage stepped down as an MP to trigger another by-election to clear his name yet?

The Reform UK Conference couldn’t really be going any worse, could it?

Reform should be absolutely nowhere near government and it looks increasingly likely that voters will ensure that they aren’t.

How are British Trump apologists feeling about Trump’s position on the Falkland Islands?

Catching up with Andy Burnham’s first address to MPs as Prime Minister. Positivity, optimism, vision. A sea change. And a real chance for Britain to be its best self.