[Tubby Isaacs]

Interesting that Claire Coutihno is still in the same brief rather than getting a promotion, notwithstanding Sunak landing her with defending his "meat tax" nonsense. I think Badenoch sees this brief as a political opportunity and Ed Milliband/ Net Zero as a weak link.

I've said before that I'm not sure that the public appreciate the costs. Sure, costs of not doing it are higher, but long term, and the way people think about pensions isn't encouraging. It's not just a matter of clean power. Transport, farming, industrial processes are enormous issues, and it's only the last of those where I discern much of a plan.

I don't think there's a political market for going full Kipper on this, with Lib Dems in such a good position across lots of the South. But somebody numerate and tech literate like Coutihno is capable of finding a sweet-ish spot. This'll probably need the Tories to chuck away the opposition to onshore wind and pylons. I don't know if Badenoch is even bothered about those anyway, seemed like a Cameron short term dodge that passed its political sell by date yonks ago.

[mattomac]

I think you think more of these people than their skill sets have demonstrated so far.

I think Labour’s position is to develop green energy and ramp that up while paying lip service to some other areas.

I don’t agree with the latter but that’s the position they have taken.

This is not a shadow government in waiting unless the waiting is for a train.

[Youngian]

We know where LDs and Greens stand on Nimby opposition to Miliband plans; we're not anti solar, wind, grid renewal but this stuff should go someone else. And we know where Reform sit: net zero is woke nonsense let's drill more oil and reopen coal mines. Where will the Tories pitch themselves?
See also any other policy area to ask the same question.

[Crabcakes]

This is not a shadow government in waiting unless the waiting is for a train.

Plus it’s not shadow as in “following” it’s shadow as in “shadow of their former selves”

I have no love for the Tory party, but in purely historical terms this must be an absolute low point in terms of potential, talent and seriousness. People like Major and Heseltine, or even as recent as Dominic Grieve, are titans compared to these no marks.

[Youngian]

I have no love for the Tory party, but in purely historical terms this must be an absolute low point in terms of potential, talent and seriousness. People like Major and Heseltine, or even as recent as Dominic Grieve, are titans compared to these no marks.

The house that Bozza built

[Youngian]

This is a joke, right?

[satnav]

Chris Philp as Shadow Home Secretary should be comedy gold he is extremely thick but he is also very thinned skinned. Yvette Cooper will run rings around him.

[Bones McCoy]

I have no love for the Tory party, but in purely historical terms this must be an absolute low point in terms of potential, talent and seriousness. People like Major and Heseltine, or even as recent as Dominic Grieve, are titans compared to these no marks.

The house that Bozza built

And Gove groomed.

[mattomac]

This is a joke, right?

I doubt it could have got worse but it did

[RedSparrows]

Wait is Francois SERIOUSLY shadow defence?

Hahahaha. The parody writes itself, my god.

[Crabcakes]

Badenoch’s first PMQs and she’s already kicking off.

She is going to be absolutely awful at this.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Didn't she want Starmer to apologize to Trump, or something? That's the thing with her lot, always very hot on sovereignty.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Trump's said he'll whack a load more tariffs on everybody. Free trade talks?

Badenoch says Starmer is not answering the questions. She asks if he will continue free trade talks with Trump.

[Tubby Isaacs]

There's probably no penalty for this. The truthiness is "lefty liberals don't care about defence". But we can hope.

[Crabcakes]

Interesting ‘review’ I’ve seen of Badenoch’s performance is she’s behaving like she’s the PM (as in, the way Sunak and Johnson did) - not taking into account anything the other person says and ploughing on with a script regardless of how irrelevant it is/has become, because you either can’t respond or you aren’t quick witted enough to pivot.

That was annoying when they were being asked questions. But when they’re *asking* the questions, it’s just bizarre.