Best Of

Trump backpedalling furiously over his comments regarding foreign militaries in Afghanistan.

https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/2015105148880671153

Rumour is that the brass hats at the Pentagon were furious with him, and rightly so.

The damage has already happened

I think, personally, Burnham is “not up” to the job of being PM, and perhaps not even a front-bencher.

But I think the same of Starmer and Badenoch, so perhaps my standards are too high for 2026.

Appears to be a video of ICE killing a man on the street.
https://x.com/David_J_Bier/status/2015089069953343817

Reports are that ICE also arrested witnesses.

Out of control thugs.

So on a scale of 1933 to 1936, where are we so far ?

We're one speech away Trump talking about Lebensraum and Anschluss between America & Canada.

He mostly spends his time saying they only exist because of US protection etc and should spend more time licking his boots.

Gratitude is a bit like respect in that people who are msot obsessed with demanding it rarely ever show it to other people, and actively discourage it as a result.

So Skyr - will you allow him to be the candidate?

If yes - trouble at t'mill.

If no - trouble at t'mill.....

The sensible* thing to do is let him stand and skewer Burnham when Reform win the Manchester Mayoralty.

* I know one doesn't normally find Starmer and sensible in the same sentence.

Ok, I was wrong in saying earlier he wouldn't stand.

I really thought he would wait until 2027/28 - so losing Manchester to Reform would not look so bad.

Don't take tips from me.

If Burnham is allowed to stand and wins the selection contest, he'll win the seat comfortably.

My advice to Starmer: chill out and just let it happen. If Burnham is elected, welcome him warmly, and just take if from there. He's promised not to undermine you in his letter: take him at his word unless/until there's evidence to the contrary.

Sensible advice

If Burnham is allowed to stand and wins the selection contest, he'll win the seat comfortably.

My advice to Starmer: chill out and just let it happen. If Burnham is elected, welcome him warmly, and just take if from there. He's promised not to undermine you in his letter: take him at his word unless/until there's evidence to the contrary.

Can we know @tse whether this was an embargoed bit of news?

It seems likely to have been, and I wonder under what agreement it was restricted.

It wasn't embargoed per se, but reliable sources told me he was going to put out a statement at 5pm on the dot.

His non denials to over the last 24 hours or so were a huge pointer that he was going to stand.

I've fully expected him to stand all along. Ever since he put out that laughable "in the dark" statement about the by-election.

What a pr***!

I'd love him to stand and lose to the Greens!

It's possible that could still happen.

This isn't the peak Blair-era when, during by-elections, Labour could run pretty much whoever they wanted and be assured of victory. Labour are polling as low as 14%.

It depends just how strong his personal brand is.

He seems pretty popular in Labour ranks, and there's a very loud suggestion that in time he will challenge Starmer, so I'd think he would get the core tribal vote and the anti-Starmer vote should not all quit to the Greens, leading to a decent result.