Patrick Herring

"SUNDAY TIMES TABLES": "LABOUR set to build fewer houses than the Tories," warned a Sunday Times headline on 17 November. To evidence this claim, the article explained: "The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is projecting that 1.3 million homes will be built across the UK over the course of the current parliament - fewer than the 1.6 million built since 2010 under the Conservatives." Or, in other words, according to the figures cited by the Sunday Times - one of which relates to just five years while the other to 14 years - Labour are projected to build 145,714 more homes a year than the Tories did!

Dire stuff from the Sunday Times. It would be funny, if the paper didn't have the influence it does. Via Private Eye

In July, I FOI'd the Home Office for the full breakdown of spending on the Rwanda scheme

I was refused because the government planned to publish the data in future, and today is the day. These numbers are in millions
www.gov.uk/government/p...

Good to be out with @teamlabouruk.bsky.social colleagues in Old Walcot, Swindon, in the late November sunshine

Really lovely time at the opening night of the Enchanted Gardens Light Trail tonight in #Swindon!

Proud to have something so cool right on the doorstep.

Congratulations @heidialexander.bsky.social! Fantastic news, you're going to be absolutely brilliant.

This also gives me an excellent excuse to talk everyone to death about buses and trains and bikes and whatnot (as if I needed one). Hurrah!

Roommates, even

I'm at the extreme end- decs up one week before Christmas, down one week after.

This is a tradition that I reckon is not going to survive contact with my almost-5 year old very much longer...

Keir Stamer to meet police and hospitality bosses over spiking Keir Starmer says tackling spiking is "personal", as the government pledges more training for bar staff.

PM to meet police and hospitality bosses over spiking

Labour to bring in a new specific law against drink spiking

It's time (way past time) this happened

We covered this many times on my radio show.

Horrific stories against both women and men of all ages

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Street full of parked cars in Bordeaux France, Google photo from 2008.

Same location in Bordeaux photo taken by me in 2023.

Before & After: I don’t think people realize the extent to which parked cars degrade public space.

The bond market would have a field day with this one. Expect mortgage rates to go through the roof if Badenoch ever gets within a whisker of 10 Downing Street.

NEW: Are we tough enough on killers?

Just 6 per cent of the public think murder sentences are getting tougher.

In reality, they have jumped 50 per cent in two decades. Why is public opinion so out of step?

1/6

🔗 www.thetimes.com/article/6b42...

Careful now

Many people have objected to this tweet saying BBC Verify is rubbish. Not one that I have seen has explained what is wrong with its calculations which to me seem correct. Of course there are other things they would like it to have said - some unprintable! - but facts are facts

That is one exceptionally attractive cat.

Starting as I mean to go on. Cat and canvassing content. Good to be out with the team in West Swindon today. This one is for you @petersketch.bsky.social!

Good to see the detailed swindonoasis.co.uk plans. Been closed for too long and getting this key part of Swindon open is important. Integration of the site into transport plans will be important.

Tories Accused Of 'Desperate Smear Campaign' After Watchdog Clears Labour Over Cronyism Claims The new government had been accused of stuffing Whitehall with their supporters.

This was predictable, but it'll also be like those newspaper corrections on page 17 of a smear story splashed across page 1. Infuriating.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tories...

The Turkish rather famously really, really love their tea.

My 5 minutes of viral memedom, that.

At long last! It feels like this one's been coming for, what, a decade? The regulator really seems to have regulated this particular project very nearly to death.