Alasdair Fraser

It's extremely clear that the US doesn't really have an objective here except to inflict maximum pain, and attacking water supply is going to end catastrophically for the entire region. It's not just a war crime, it's approaching a crime against humanity.

*Love* this video from @transparencyuk.bsky.social - what a compelling case for taking big money out of politics.

And who is that devilishly handsome Irish chap talking such sense in Parliament half way through 🤣

You make a good point - defo not slagging them. I’m probably a dying breed of print NS reader under 35 😅 I say reader generously to myself. I’m more of a hoarder as I rarely get kid free time to read cover to cover the way one would like.

This helps as I’m considering resuming some campaigning after Sarwar’s intervention and the departure of McSweeney. I like to be prepare to tell voters on the doorstep what bit of the movement I’m from when they inevitably call out nonsense someone in the party is doing. Thanks as always.

Just finished the Blue Labour episode @iandunt.bsky.social @dorianlynskey.bsky.social Very good. Did a much better job than the New Statesman at explaining what the fuck it is. When asked “what kind of Labour are you” I can confidently say: anything but that batshit stuff 😂

I think many have tried to find this type of principled decency in the likes of Starmer but it just isn’t quite there in the same way. They don’t ever seem to get people the same way, to care as much. More of this now would be great.

This framing. Obama failed in many things in office. He oversaw or sanctioned horrid stuff. Like all leaders of large, violent and interventionist countries, he will bear the stain of those on his soul. Equally, the man has a decent, kind and warmly humanist approach to leadership.

That is a fucking incredible line up.

Please, my magic bean, it is very sick

To save the UK’s battered reputation for good governance, the government needs to go big on political reform The latest scandal to engulf Peter Mandelson shows how the UK Government needs to go harder and faster to stop the rot in politics.

🆕"Mr Mandelson is a symptom and not the cause of the current rot and reform must go beyond just removing titles."

Head of Research & Investigations, @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social, on what needs to be done to save the UK’s battered reputation for good governance.

If Mandelson and McSweeney end up felling the Starmer premiership I don’t think the left’s “I told you so” will ever stop echoing through the Party.

A whacking majority squandered and you can bet there are people still saying we should be grateful they didn’t purge everyone & thank these rogues.

Sorry but why the fuck would you *not* want to recreate 2006?Pre-financial crash, pre-austerity, pre-Brexit, pre-inflation. Britain's economically healthy, decent public services, largely competent government, fairly amiable political disputes. What kind of person prefers this period to that?

Really enjoyed the Labour 3 parter @dorianlynskey.bsky.social @iandunt.bsky.social helped me work through my fucking despair at the current leadership. I’m not quite ready to rejoin the campaigners in the doorstep but I’m also now less inclined to rage quit. Yours, a liberal and a socialist 😉

This open invitation to the @nebriefing.bsky.social was published in the @financialtimes.com today. Please check whether your MP can make it here: www.nebriefing.org and if not ask them to!

We will be briefing on national security, tipping points, food security, nature and more.

Labour MPs call on Rachel Reeves to scrap council tax Exclusive: 13 mainly northern MPs say a new system should better account for higher house prices in south-east More than a dozen Labour MPs have written to Rachel Reeves calling on her to scrap council tax, as the chancellor faces mounting pressure to overhaul Great Britain’s property taxes in next month’s budget. Thirteen MPs, mainly from seats in northern England, wrote to Reeves last month asking her to abolish the tax and replace it with another system that better accounts for the steep rise in house prices in London and the south-east over the last 35 years. Continue reading...

Labour MPs call on Rachel Reeves to scrap council tax

Labour MPs call on Rachel Reeves to scrap council tax Exclusive: 13 mainly northern MPs say a new system should better account for higher house prices in south-east

Labour MPs call on Rachel Reeves to scrap council tax www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The IFS, @danneidle.bsky.social and now a chunk of her Northern comrades are all calling for property tax reform - maybe it’s time Reeves started listening to something other than treasury orthodox, bizarrely uneven centrist gradualism & out of date, self-imposed fiscal rules.

Rachel Reeves to unveil £39bn housing boost in spending review shake-up — The Guardian Chancellor promises biggest investment in social and affordable homes in a generation to hit 1.5m target

Renewal and progress. There is a lot I don’t like about the Starmer and Reeves top team but much in this article gives me hope apple.news/AUmPBLUAQQmy...

This post and the comments below it highlight the stark effect of Trump's tariffs.

They also bring to light another perversity of the setup: sales tax is charged on the tariff, as well as on the underlying price of the item.

So that has the effect of inflating prices for consumers even more...

Failing to learn that this is a path to oblivion from the Tory’s misguided tack to the right is unforgivable

I think this is the nub of the problem of the McSweeney strategy in power. It’s ruthless at collecting votes in a FPTP general election on the heels of a horrible 14 year Tory govt - it is rubbish for a left of centre govt with a “change” agenda & goal for “growth”.

White Lotus season 3 theme slaps. Like being teleported back to the early 2010s listening to Burial for the first time & feeling my whole body relax. Why don’t they make music like this anymore!

It's time the biggest and richest polluters most responsible for climate breakdown paid their fair share.

Today in Parliament we launched our joint policy platform with Global Witness and @oxfamgb.bsky.social – supported by over 35 civil society orgs.

It’s a good book. Not as good as Maguire and Pogrund’s Get In but really worth a read/listen.

For fellow corruption watchers & politics geeks who have always wondered what role exactly Charlotte Owen had in govt before getting a peerage from Johnson, Anushka Asthana’s Taken As Red covers her time with Johnson & Truss and why she was so valuable to the former.

“We’re ready to work” – Welsh asylum seekers show their skills in demand for working rights A bill moving through Parliament this year provides a perfect opportunity to give people seeking asylum the right to work – if only the government would see sense

“We’re ready to work” – Welsh asylum seekers show their skills in demand for working rights

A bill moving through Parliament is a perfect opportunity to give people seeking asylum the right to work: if only the government would see sense | Hannah Graham

@bylines.cymru

The Guardian view on a new deal for travel in Europe: bring back student exchanges | Editorial Editorial: The EU is expected to push for special youth visas as next month’s summit. Sir Keir Starmer should say yes

The Guardian view on a new deal for travel in Europe: bring back student exchanges | Editorial

The Guardian view on City deregulation: a recipe for recklessness Editorial: The Treasury seems to think relaxing financial rules will boost growth. There’s little evidence for this idea – and every reason to believe it could exacerbate risks

The Guardian view on City deregulation: a recipe for recklessness

Shut down the youth clubs.
Sell off the playing fields.
Put up "no ball games" signs.
Make public places hostile to teenagers.
Then:
"Young people, eh? Always indoors looking at their phones."