James Valentine

'Reviving Sure Start is a great first step - a children's minister should be the next' - LabourList It’s time to stop treating children’s issues as an afterthought buried in wider departments. Our young people deserve more than a footnote in education policy - they deserve a champion.

‘Reviving Sure Start is a great first step – a children’s minister should be the next’
labourlist.org/2025/07/chil...

Starmer’s strategy is back to front - the trade deal we need isn’t with the US In Donald Trump’s mad world, up is down, black is white, and war is peace.

"We don’t need to choose, but we urgently need to prioritise and both the economics and public opinion point in one direction - towards 1.5% GDP growth with Europe."

👉 Our CEO @pimlicat.bsky.social on why we need to prioritise our relationship with the EU over the US.
www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...

Blue Labour on MAGA Square: Maurice Glasman’s Journey to Trumpism Jon Bloomfield and David Edgar look at the nationalist populist drift of Labour's anti-progressive tendency

David Edgar and I on Blue Labour's journey into the arms of Trump. All part of The Great Moving Right Show. @willjennings.bsky.social @sundersays.bsky.social @quinnslobodian.com @jdportes.bsky.social @lewisgoodall.com @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2025/04/01/b...

UK needs to relax AI laws or risk transatlantic ties, thinktank warns Tony Blair Institute says enforcing stricter licensing rules for copyright-protected material will threaten national security interests

Today, of all days. The TBI institute says we should sacrifice creatives to suck up to the US. Pathetic. tinyurl.com/4nftey9y

She's just tweeted the article.

Hope you're right. But it's not just the headline, it's written up as a quote: "Britain must learn from Donald Trump’s “positivity” and be more optimistic if the nation is to revive the “animal spirits” and turn around the economy, Rachel Reeves says."

Rachel Reeves: Britain needs a dose of Trump positivity The Labour chancellor thinks it’s time for Britain to quit the slow lane and learn something from the US president

This is a sad and desperate message. Who's it supposed to impress? www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Three Girls The true story of the young victims in the 2012 grooming and sex trafficking case in Rochdale. Powerful drama starring Maxine Peake.

Contrary to the assertions of Musk & the Tories, sex trafficking in Rochdale and other towns was revealed a while ago. The BBC's "Three Girls" exposed it in 2012 and the drama shows how kids can be exploited more vividly than any report. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

I've worked with @treesforstreets.bsky.social to get trees planted in my area and can recommend them.

I am not generally keen on Telegraph front pages but tomorrow's "Musk turns on Farage" says it nicely.

Not entirely clear on social care reform IMO but otherwise a spot-on interview from @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social on the Trevor Phillips show. And a robust defence of Starmer and Jess Phillips from Musk's disgraceful attacks.

Starmer urged to take action as 'out of control' Musk targets Jess Phillips Days after calling for X posts to be "more positive", Musk has dubbed Jess Phillips a "rape genocide apologist".

Elon Musk, owner of X, tweeted that Home Office Minister Jess Phillips "deserves to be in prison" and labelled her a "rape genocide apologist"

This is the type of radicalised content that socialises people towards violence against Ministers and MPs

www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/starmer...

Still perplexed by the Govt's plan for adult social care (members haven't been consulted). Why the insistence on cross-party agreement when they have a massive parliamentary majority? And don't they feel confident of a second term?

I recall "anti-imperialist" pickets at Labour Party conference coming out with White Helmet conspiracy stuff.

"Better balance"? What about the existing system that continues to allow building on flood plains via FRA sequential and exception tests? The balance here is in favour of developers who know how to work the planning system. And what about the wider public interest in preventing floods?

A shameful episode. The UK would have sent a plane or two to back up the US, but Labour opposed, and that was enough to put Cameron, and hence Obama off. I remember arguing the point with fellow Labourites, but virtue-signalling won, and Assad used chemical weapons against his own people.

Still can't figure out why Keir Starmer is going for a "measure me against these targets" strategy when this so clearly failed for Sunak.

Amazon workers in 20 countries to protest or strike on Black Friday Workers and their representatives to press US retailer to respect their rights and take action on the climate crisis

Thousands of Amazon workers are expected to protest or strike in more than 20 countries during Black Friday to press for better workers’ rights and climate action - a great initiative from over 80 unions and anti-poverty campaigners. tinyurl.com/5xbz6hct

Should the UK do more about the migration "pull" factors? Radio4 investigation highlights the relative ease of joining our informal labour market. And what about re-examining the ID card case?

Interesting to hear support for cross-party action on adult social care but no current Tory rep on the LauraK panel, just yesterday's man Mr Raab.

Bus travel too often ignored, good that #Labour has got it front of agenda on the Sunday talk shows.

Sadly it might not work that way. Folks do not like admitting they have been duped. How many Brexiters accept they were conned?

Shouldn't have put books as one of my interests, I am getting all this stuff about libraries..