Best Of

First. I note that Reform’s odds for Makerfield have come in overnight.

A reaction to the private poll which I am told is a kosher poll.

Showing a Reform win?

No, this poll.

https://www.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2026/06/11/private-polling-klaxon/

That will be the poll that Restore will point to when they get more like 2% rather than the 12% indicated?

I did hear from a very deflated Tory canvasser that they comfortably found more Restore voters than Tory voters.

Their view is the Tories ain't ever winning again until GB News and social media are banned in the UK.

They could of course try the old method of having a reasonable set of plans set within a well presented vision of where we are going and how we are going to get there alongside honestly about money, debt, deficit and tax, the limits of government, the responsibilities of the individual, previous Tory failings, and hard choices. And then spend three years communicating it brilliantly well.

It’s either breakfasts for poor kids or stopping the Russkis shooting them.
At least Colonel Blimp was a sensitive, honourable man capable of change underneath the reactionary old fool, whereas this guy..

Lord Alan West: "Its all very well having nice spending for breakfast for children at school.. but if that means.. you have Russians stomping down your streets shooting the children who would have been having breakfast.."

Russians killing your kids. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

https://x.com/saulstaniforth/status/2065301442752070026?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

Curious. Not that long ago it was the overseas-aid budget that was sucking the funding from Britain's defence requirements.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1156278/jacob-rees-mogg-iran-jeremy-hunt-boris-johnson-lbc-brexit-news-video

Rachel and Sir Keir slashed that in half, but now it's breakfast clubs that are the problem. What gives?

Lord Alan West (why am I reminded of Walk on the Wild side?) is an excellent argument for Members of the Lords to retire at 80.

Shaved her legs then he ...? I don't think so.

You never know. Let's not stereotype, Pete.

Long train tourneys are very cool, my wife and I plan to do the Trans-Siberian one day.

I did it with my mate when I lived in Moscow. In a hair brained scheme we went to Vladivostok on the "002" train and picked up a Japanese import LandCruiser which we then drove to Novosibirsk. My wife just assumed she'd never see me again.

It's very claustrophobic and smelly even in 1st class. The food is fucking rank (and I went to boarding school and was in the RN so I know rank when I gag it down) as might be expected from a Russian state directed enterprise. You'll spend the whole trip medicating yourself trying to hit the sweet spot between constipation and the runs.

Chinese trains are much nicer. The "003" train which also leaves from the Yaroslavsky station is run by Chinese Railways and is supposed to be better than the "002".