[Abernathy]

I think for Luke, it’s an entirely natural and logical progression.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The obvious precedent if Mandelson, except he became an MP at 38, and was clearly ambitious for high office. Akehurst is 52, so the progression is less obvious to me.

[Abernathy]

Not at all sure that Luke has ambitions for high office.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This looks good.

[Abernathy]

Watching the manifesto launch. I still love these slickly choreographed events.

Nathaniel, a music teacher and terminal cancer patient with 3 months left to live, spoke from the platform as a warm-up for the leader, and told eloquently about though how for him, all hope was gone, he still held out hope in a Labour government that would re-build Britain and the NHS that had not been able to deliver the care more promptly that may have saved his life.

Not for the first time, that pesky lump in my throat has reappeared, and I appear to have been beset by a shocking bout of hay fever.

[Samanfur]

He spoke at conference last year, before Starmer's speech.

If he's even half as good at teaching and inspiring the next generation as he was on that podium, the world will be a far lesser place when he leaves it.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I've been reading the manifesto. These are the headlines:

• The first duty of any government is to keep the country safe
  Labour will stop the chaos and go after the criminal gangs
  Our approach is based on strong fiscal rules which govern every single decision we make in government
  We will bring down the cost of energy. We will reduce prices by removing barriers to businesses trading.
  We will make housing more affordable, expand access to childcare, and make work pay
  It is time to turn the page. Labour will restore stability, increase investment, and reform our economy.
  The innovation, dynamism and sheer hard work of British workers has never been in question.
  We will work in partnership with industry to seize opportunities and remove barriers to growth.
  Labour will stop the chaos, and turn the page with a strategic approach that gives certainty and allows long- term planning
  We need to forge ahead with new roads, railways, reservoirs, and other nationally significant infrastructure
  Labour will get Britain building again, creating jobs across England, with 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament
  Labour will support first- time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs
  Labour will transfer power out of Westminster, and into our communities
  Britain’s outdated employment laws are not fit for the modern economy. Labour will implement our plan to ‘Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’
  The clean energy transition represents a huge opportunity to generate growth, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and make Britain energy independent once again
  Labour will create a new publicly- owned company, Great British Energy. It will be owned by the British people and deliver power back to the British people
  Labourʼs National Wealth Fund will directly invest in ports, hydrogen and industrial clusters in every corner of the country
  Labour will save families hundreds of pounds, slash fuel poverty, and get Britain back on track to meet our climate targets. Our plan will mean good skilled jobs for tradespeople in every part of the country
  Britain’s coasts, rivers, and lakes are being polluted by illegal sewage dumping. Labour will put failing water companies under special measures
  to clean up our water
  Labour has a straightforward vision for policing and criminal justice. When you call the police, they should come. When you report a crime, it should be properly investigated no matter who you are, or where you live
  To get knives off our streets Labour will ban ninja swords, lethal zombie-style blades and machetes, and strengthen rules to prevent online sales
  For too long violence against women and girls has been ignored. We will use every government tool to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence
  Under the Conservatives, plummeting charge and prosecution rates have emboldened criminals. Labour will reverse this, driving up the proportion of crimes solved
  Breaking the pernicious link between background and success will be a defining mission for Labour
  Labour will fund free breakfast clubs in every primary school, accessible to all children. Our breakfast clubs will support parents through the cost-of- living crisis
  Poor mental health is another barrier to learning. The struggle to access support is paralysing children and young people through their formative years. Labour will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school
  With Labour, the arts and music will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few. Culture is an essential part of supporting children and young people to develop creativity and find their voice
  Labour’s mission is to build an NHS fit for the future. Investment alone won’t be enough to tackle the problems facing the NHS; it must go hand in hand with fundamental reform
  We should all be able to trust that the NHS will be there for us when we need it, whether it is a GP appointment, an ambulance, or help at A&E. Labour’s immediate priority on health will be to get a grip on the record waiting list
  Labour will undertake a programme of reform to create a National
  Care Service, underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country
  Labour will ensure the structures and institutions of intergovernmental working improve relationships
  and collaboration on policy
  With Labour, Britain will once again be strong on the world stage, confident in the pursuit of our national interest. Our commitment to NATO as the cornerstone of European and global security is unshakeable
  At the heart of our security are the men and women who serve and risk their lives for this country. We will strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities
  With Labour, the UK’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast
  Labour will create a new Clean Power Alliance, bringing together a coalition of countries at the cutting edge of climate action

[Tubby Isaacs]

Say what you like about Labour, they aren't short of lawyers. So what's the explanation for this?

Most likely explanation is that spending on cops polls better than running on court rooms. Doesn't mean they won't put money in just because it isn't in the manifesto. As with universities, I think it's going to be impossible to avoid some sort of bail out funding. And I doubt very many people will care about breaking fiscal rules when it happens. And the Tories aren't likely to be in the shape to challenge it.

[Youngian]

Why aren’t you offering free jam sponge and custard? kinda asks Beth Rigby.

Keir Starmer: "I’m running as a candidate to be Prime Minister, not a candidate to run the circus."https://www.threads.net/@politicsintheu ... EfKF1nzfZQ

[kreuzberger]

She deserved that length of his tongue, seriously.

[Bones McCoy]

Why aren’t you offering free jam sponge and custard? kinda asks Beth Rigby.

Keir Starmer: "I’m running as a candidate to be Prime Minister, not a candidate to run the circus."https://www.threads.net/@politicsintheu ... EfKF1nzfZQ

He's knocked it out of the ground, off the island and into the sea!

[Youngian]

Being a bit narky, Beth?

[Youngian]

He’s on a roll
https://x.com/haggis_uk/status/18012039 ... Dkr8MiQKBg

[Malcolm Armsteen]

She deserved that length of his tongue, seriously.

She's done herself no favours. I wish they'd given Ridge the gig.

[Youngian]

Suffolk West Labour candidate had a break from laughing to send me Nick Timothy’s efforts. She’s a dangerous communist hippy.

[Tubby Isaacs]

"Angela Rayner" is proper core of the core vote stuff.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is good. Hopefully the shit sandwiches should be shared out more fairly than in the past.

I recall Ben Bradley saying "Why does the Equality Act not deal with social class?" (Eh? Eh?) Well it did, but his mates never enacted it. I think he went quiet when this was pointed out.

[RedSparrows]

This is good. Hopefully the shit sandwiches should be shared out more fairly than in the past.

I recall Ben Bradley saying "Why does the Equality Act not deal with social class?" (Eh? Eh?) Well it did, but his mates never enacted it. I think he went quiet when this was pointed out.

It's always struck me as deeply grotesque that the right could ever parade on class given their performance economically over the past... 150 years.

[Andy McDandy]

"We offer the opportunity to get richer, while Labour wants you to be as poor as your neighbours".

Relative wealth. If you have £100, and the guy next door has £10, you'll feel a damn sight better off than if you've £1000 and he's got £910.