I am going to be spending the rest of my day and possibly my week thinking about "Werner the Herzog" and quite frankly it's the last thing I needed
MaksonLima@maksonlima.bsky.social · 7h agoJuro que tem dias que eu acordo pensando nisso aqui:
Mark Wallace
@wallaceme.bsky.social
Chief Executive of Total Politics Group. Writer, broadcaster, media CEO. Publisher of PoliticsHome, The House magazine, Holyrood magazine, The Parliament magazine, Civil Service World, ConservativeHome and more. Columnist for the i paper. Never a dull day.
MaksonLima@maksonlima.bsky.social · 7h ago
British foreign intelligence agency ranked top in Europe in Ballon d'Or and Eurovision-inspired competition www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
MI6 ranked as Europe's best foreign intelligence service
British intelligence agency ranked top in Europe in Ballon d'Or and Eurovision-inspired competition
civilserviceworld.com
oh hey we're doing degenerate Jewish art but leftishly.
Current Affairs@currentaffairs.bsky.social · 2d ago
I do not miss having to deal with this kind of story as a Labour press officer. (Although usually it was things they did WHILE a councillor)
Topically, a surprising variety of people have become councillors after some quite alarming backstories: Lib Dem former mayor of Chippenham did time as part of a cocaine smuggling ring news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/3927911.stm
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 · 10h agoFWIW 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...
Appalling that police investigated a journalist for months because Jason Arday alleged reporting was “harassment” - even after finding no evidence of any crime they *still* took it upon themselves to instruct the reporter not to contact Arday again www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...
ConservativeHome’s leader today: conservativehome.com/2026/08/05/i...
I believe in second chances - but not for former neo-Nazis | Conservative Home
Again, I reiterate that I am all for second chances. But there comes a point in which one cannot extend the generosity of yet another attempt. Bonehill-Paine - I believe -, despite what he has done si...
conservativehome.com
It’s 9 years since the Cridland Review said the Triple Lock would have to be removed - it’s still there and the cost continues to grow and grow. My latest for @theipaper.com inews.co.uk/opinion/trip...
The triple lock is no longer fighting pensioner poverty
Mark Wallace: The biggest welfare bill in Britain belongs to those claiming their state pension
inews.co.uk
And they’ve reportedly changed the wording of the letter now. A pretty obvious rule of open letters is you cannot responsibly change what they say after people have signed them. At least without going to all the signatories to ask them if they want to keep their name on it.
Scott Wortley@scottwortley.bsky.social · 4d agoThe Good law project letter about malicious allegations about plagiarism and Prof Arday is still up for signature and people are still signing it, even after the Guardian and Times interviews.
Favourite quote: "When it comes to meeting world leaders, they’re not going to go, ‘Oh, he likes The Smiths, so we’ll do a deal with him’."
“He might be hopeless, but he seems genuine”: My focus groups on the early days of Andy Burnham - Lord Ashcroft Polls
My latest focus groups took place in Wallsend, Norwich and Lowestoft, where recently disgruntled 2024 Labour voters – and some opponents – told us what they made of Andy Burnham’s first days as prime ...
lordashcroftpolls.com
What a story! I remember reading it as a chapter in my dad’s old copy of The Martian Chronicles, then having to read it again straight away.
Adam Rawnsley@arawnsley.bsky.social · yesterdayToday, August 4, 2026, is the setting of Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” about a fully automated house continuing on after the family who lived there and the world around it died in a nuclear blast.
Shout out to the colleague who just inadvertently interrupted the global sales call with an unmuted mic, declaring “ I’m on the most violent of jack off calls; they’re all fucking jacking off about how great they all are” We have the AI notetaker as evidence…
There’s a guy doing people’s passports off the ferry at Poole who was like the Eye of Sauron. Get him in the Channel and problem solved.
Instead of the navy, have we thought about deploying in the Channel the resentful hostility that the Border Force normally show to legitimate visitors at British airports?
NB we also had a Downing St telling voters that Reform were the potential next government
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2d agoIt’s long been clear that Reform is beatable – Farage’s terrible personal ratings, toxic brand, mass tactical voting against them. The narrative that victory for them is inevitable was based on superficial analysis + wishful thinking on the right.
Ouch, including for the other papers that complied. (But also, instead of doing his own comms he evidently needs someone to tell him to put the phone down and step away from the firestorm)
James Heale@jaheale.bsky.social · 2d agoTop form by the Mail
Last year I watched The Wire for the first time. I’m currently watching The Sopranos. So my question is: what fantastic TV is on right now that I should make sure I watch in about 20 years?
Curse of the “Good” Law Project strikes again. Check out the second half of this www.theguardian.com/education/ng...
Playbooks, plagiarism and a pig’s head: new claims surrounding a star Cambridge professor
Jason Arday was regarded as an academic superstar, but then questions about his work prompted scrutiny of his backstory and counterclaims of racism
theguardian.com
One for #RomanRoadsFriday! “Roman Autobahn” uncovered next to the A8 (a motorway in Southern Germany). Achaeologists have uncovered a 90m stretch of the so-called Roman Alblimes road – a key frontier route linking Rottweil (my hometown) and Heidenheim. 👉 www.tagesschau.de/inland/regio...
What do Westminster and local government have in common? In Westminster, elected leaders are free to spend money exactly how Westminster chooses. In local government, elected leaders are also free to spend money exactly how Westminster chooses.
Hmm. First, if it's localism then the mayors could surely use the money in ways central govt doesn't agree with. Second, if they give a rebate - some rare councils in the past have simply sent every taxpaying household a cheque - then that isn't "setting income tax rates".
Daily Mail@dailymail.co.uk · 5d agoAndy Burnham's top ally attempts to shut down Tory mayor's plan to give local residents a tax rebate despite PM's pledge to devolve powers trib.al/02qZJPP
An official Sharpe’s Rifles tabletop wargame? Shut up and take all my money.
I wrote this 9 years ago, and it's all the more true for the passage of that time. For those on the right, "back to the 1970s" isn't really a useful message to communicate problems with socialism to voters in 2026. conservativehome.com/2017/10/02/h...
Hammond warns of the past, as voters wonder about the future | Conservative Home
For most voters, the 1970s are as foreign and distant as Venezuela.
conservativehome.com
