I had some online run-ins with Joshua Bonehill-Paine in 2015 when I was the Conservative candidate in Hackney North, which includes the large Orthodox Jewish population in Stamford Hill. I have debated this at length with friends both in & outside the party, and agree with Mark and Ollie below.

Mark Wallace@wallaceme.bsky.social · 11h ago

FWIW I agree with Ollie Dean: we should want extremists to be deradicalised. We should want former criminals to be rehabilitated and live productive lives. None of that means either group (or someone who is both) should be a candidate for election. conservativehome.com/2026/08/05/i...

There are 6 Health Ministers and PPSs here, and responsibilities are listed for none of them www.gov.uk/government/o...

Department of Health and Social Care

We support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer. DHSC is a ministerial department, supported by 23 agencies and pub...

gov.uk

Can confirm off the west coast of Scotland it is 16 degrees and raining today, and I had to go and find a jumper this morning.

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 2d ago

Scotland, Yorkshire and the northwest of England are becoming more popular destinations to escape the record temperatures

Quietly brutal from gov.uk

"I came across your profile and thought this franchise opportunity might be of interest. Veeno is expanding its UK franchise network and is looking for entrepreneurs to open premium Italian wine bars in carefully selected locations." I don't drink and I'm not an entrepreneur, but otherwise 10/10

Got a Google alert for the title of my book. Ooo, is someone talking about it? Ah. "The cow class for females born before 1 January 2024 saw Cherryvalley Farm's Lisduff Philly Z121 take first prize, with Graeme Donaghy's Killaney Red Duchess Z567 placed second."

Rev Husband is watching the (v bad) Masters of the Universe film which has prompted me to find a picture of the She-Ra dentist sticker I had on my bed for most of my childhood

Youth unemployment is v high. We have not been building enough homes for years. The construction workforce is ageing and shrinking. Wd be nice to hear govt linking technical education to solving these 3 problems.

My 99yo grandmother has lived in Wigan her whole life. She thinks No 10 North is "stupid".

Dave Hill@davehillonlondon.bsky.social · last wk.

Number 10 North is style. Devolution is substance. Me hoping the new PM will dump his crowd-pleasing London-bashing for good: davehillonlondon.substack.com/p/no-10-nort... #london

Keep going north past Manchester for 400 miles and only then will you get to the top of mainland Britain. Feels like a lot of people in SW1 (and the Labour Party) need reminding that ‘the North’ looks very different from, say, Kendal, Newcastle or Glasgow.

This is a terrible line from the LCC. “Cyclists tend to run reds when they feel delayed unreasonably”?!?!

I really wanted to watch this but the Channel 5 app on our TV doesn’t show live programmes. And we don’t have TNT Sports or HBO Max. Guess the only bit of the Commonwealth Games I’m going to see is when we’re actually at Hampden Park next week.

I’m listening to a book set in a cathedral in which the reader uses the wrong pronunciation of ‘close’ every single time. I was so cross I wanted to tell someone who would understand. Turns out I am married to him.

The Labour Party always does best when it has a good number of Scots at the top….

Philip Nye@philipnye.bsky.social · 2w ago

One question that’s come up a couple of times: where do Andy Burnham’s new cabinet represent as MPs? The north west has been the big gainer, with seven cabinet ministers holding seats there – of whom, five are in Greater Manchester

"Lisa Nandy will remain as the culture secretary, Downing Street said." OH GOOD GRIEF

This is not the point at all, but the lighting in this picture is terrible

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2w ago

The United Kingdom now has an Evertonian, Catholic, Labour Prime Minister

Sensible policies for a happier Britain

Count Binface@countbinface.bsky.social · 2w ago

Wayne Rooney to be new BBC commentator for Eurovision. #VoteBinface

I am going to bed with another Angela Thirkell.

Some notable exceptions but my impression:

"Ah like a lot of them artists but ah thought it wuz crap" SPEAK FOR ENGLAND, WAYNE

Stephen Graham@stephengraham.bsky.social · 2w ago

KNIGHTHOOD FOR ROONEY

St Winifred's School Choir (New Jersey chapter)

Rev Husband and I keep turning to each other and saying "who's that?" which is pointless because of course the other one doesn't know either

Self-employed people! Sorry to put a downer on your Sunday, but in case you'd not seen, the Government wants us to pay our tax *monthly* like we're employees or something With the World Cup and all the politics, I'd missed the consultation they put out last month, which is here: 1/

Timely Payments in Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA)

gov.uk

When did the work start? More importantly, when will it finish? I wish all councils put this info on playground closure signs. And, given it’s needed doing for at least a year, why on earth is Cambridge council doing it during the summer holidays?

Revive Labour? What about the country? Burnham is coming in as Prime Minister. He needs to speak to the nation, and prioritise the nation, not his party.

I bow to no one in my love of a Yorkshire, but when you've got turkey, ham, pigs in blankets, roasties, sprouts, carrots, parsnips and gravy on your plate already, where do they go?

Alice Lilly@aliceolilly.bsky.social · 3w ago

I am obviously studiously impartial but Andy Burnham's latest video on socials, where he comes out as being strongly against having Yorkshire puddings in a Christmas dinner? Andy. Andy, Andy, Andy.

Los ingleses son todos españoles ahora. ¡Vamos, España!

Paul Brand@paulbrand.bsky.social · 3w ago

But a rainbow bucket hat is too political?

"When adults engage more with the internet, the quality and quantity of their interactions with young children is likely to decline – a risk that should be emphasized as much as children's own screen exposure."

Gavin Jackson@gavinjackson.bsky.social · 3w ago

The rollout of high speed internet in Uruguay worsended early childhood development. But not because the kids spent too much time in front of screens, because the parents did. cepr.org/voxeu/column...

Based on conversations and group chat with other mothers this morning, can confirm entire divisions/fleets of small boys would be happy to make up any recruitment shortfall

Amy Gray@amygraywrites.bsky.social · 3w ago

7yo has taken agin Argentina so hard that if they try and invade the Falklands again there will be at least one willing (and extremely bloodthirsty) volunteer to leg it to Port Stanley