[Tubby Isaacs]

This is going to be the Big Society all over again, isn't it? Ministers weren't too convincing when asked about what voluntary work they'd done, as I recall. Francis Maude went to church and Danny Alexander went down the rugby club.

[Oboogie]

This is apparently a matter for a Royal Commission. That's rather overkill, isn't it? Can't the Civil Service be trusted with it? They're trusted with a zillion other things more important than this nonsense.

They want to abolish the civil service because they keep saying "no" to unconstitutional/impossible stuff, remember?

[Youngian]

Ha ha ha. Delivering prescriptions for free is hardly an "opportunity", is it?

In fairness to Keegan, she probably only heard about this last night.

Has anyone Photoshopped Gillian Keegan face on Pamela Anderson yet?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Thread on costings and capacity here.

Short version- £2.5bn a year is obvious rubbish.

[Youngian]

Captain Cleverly organised a tactical retreat on TV this morning in preparation for burying the policy by Wednesday. The Tories will return to last week’s policy.

[Bones McCoy]

I'm not sure about the win, but Florence "podiums" the internet.

'Supporting your community during storms'? Your leader can't even protect himself from a light shower.

https://x.com/LoxyFlo

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's not levelling up if the money's taken out of poorer areas and spent on the whole country, is it?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Gillian Keegan is a massive lightweight. There've always been private schools that have shut- Gove saved a bunch of them by turning them into free schools. This is a Roman Catholic school (which have falling rolls generally) with a falling roll in an area where there are other private schools.

[Yug]

The Torygraph have excelled themselves with that headline.

Party of opposition's proposed but not yet implemented policy blamed etc etc.

Yeah. Right.

[Bones McCoy]

If you can spare 10 minutes.
This three week old video has become remarkably topical.

[Tubby Isaacs]

National service makes the country more resilient and "the national culture" stronger. If so, shouldn't other age groups be made to work 168 hours for free. Lots of well-paid Tory voters could surely spare the time?

[davidjay]

Didn’t Cameron float voluntary national/community service or was it Hague, Howard etc as well?
Next week: Ministers to work at the coalface.

Lonely sane Tory Danny Finkelstein looks very chirpy

Ayesha Hazarika, "One of my jobs under Tory Blair was to help set up these photos.. We'd be looking for exit signs.. Avoiding moron at the back of his head.. Those were the basic things"

"Hand on heart, this is the worst campaign launch I have ever seen.. This is the kind of thing that even The Thick Of It wouldn't be able to dream or write about"

Rachel Johnson, "Things can only get better.. Things can only get better"

https://www.threads.net/@implausibleblo ... mjdmPutRfw

If you haven't read Alistair Campbell's diaries, about two weeks before the 1997 election everyone knew we were going to win big but he was still running the tightest of ships. Not a word off message, not a potentially-embarassing photo-op. Nothing was left to chance.

[mattomac]

Policy gets worse by the hour.

Unlike some 20-30 year old spads and the likes of Seb Payne, I actually meet young people in my job every day with various issues and problems affecting live and study.

And can I just say this, this policy would do absolutely nothing to help them. Maybe before coming up with utter nonsense like this they might want to talk to a young person.

[davidjay]

They'll say they have met young people who are all for it. And every single one of them will be named Harvey or Josh (one or two of the delectable young fillies will be Charlotte or Becky) and wearing an open-necked shirt.

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's not fair, the media aren't talking policy seriously, says policy heavyweight, Nick Timothy.

[Tubby Isaacs]

More policy heavyweight action here from Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who doesn't know that 18 year olds are adults.

[Tubby Isaacs]

"I know! We'll use a Donald Trump line!"

[Tubby Isaacs]

Steve Baker sounds very pissed off.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Actual Editor of the Evening Standard here. Hardened newshound Emily has looked at wikipedia. Shame she didn't look on LinkedIn really- Reeves worked at the Bank for 6 years.

[Youngian]

Steve Baker sounds very pissed off.

Telling Michelle O’Neill you want to draft her grandchildren into the British army wasn’t a task Baker was seeking.

Steve Baker is sounding more and more like a deprogrammed cult member who’s looking for an escape plan.