[mattomac]

Simon Case was rarely this busy under the Tories.

[davidjay]

The trouble with Brentry, or whatever label it will be given, is that it would be too time-consuming at a time when there's so much to do. We've seen that whatever the government or its individual members does will be criticised unmercifully so at this point there's little to be gained by plunging into another battle in a war that most people thought was over.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Guardian is really not being helpful is it?

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... in-schools

Major fears over Labour’s nursery plan for 9-month-olds in schools
Early years experts warn of lack of staff, playgrounds and toilets

Major fears?!

Some fair points are made about very young children, the adaptations that'll have to be made and the budget for it, but it's also pointed out that lots of schools have wanted to do this anyway. Among the points made is that windows might be too high, like playgroups haven't been run in church halls since forever. Is that really a "major fear"? Sounds like one for "this isnt ideal, but if it takes off, we can fix that later". Same with other stuff mentioned like the need for a special playground for the nursery kids directly connected to the room they're in.

Apparently Labour is under "intense pressure" on this issue. Sure, it was a manifesto promise, but it was a Tory promise as well, and they never looked like getting it done.

[davidjay]

It's all starting to look like the sort of clickbait that football websites use - "Transfer shock as City star leaves" means Coventry have given some young lad a free transfer.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Some good news here I've just seen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14zyz2mnjlo

Lou Haigh's changed the decision by the previous government (under pressure from the likes of Theresa Villiers) to block building flats on the car park at Cockfosters tube station. There will now be 350 new flats, with a much smaller car park catering only to blue badge holders and pick up/drop off.

There are quite a lot of sites near stations in London/the South East that could be used for housing.

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's all starting to look like the sort of clickbait that football websites use - "Transfer shock as City star leaves" means Coventry have given some young lad a free transfer.

Yep.

Major fears suggests that the kids are going to get eaten by lions or something. What it means is "Labour probably won't make this target, and some of the provision won't be ideal".

Sometimes targets and promises like this aren't helpful, but in this case I think the prize (using existing buildings more efficiently, the convenience to parents, before we even mention the advantages of the nursery itself) are such that they'd give political impetus to getting the adaptations done.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Simon Case was rarely this busy under the Tories.

Hard to understand why Case hasn't be moved on. Maybe he's got the same contract the Sex Pistols had with A&M. Can't sack him just like that without giving him the loot.

[mattomac]

Whenever he does go he will end up being “removed” by Sue Gray, does seem there are a few choices so perhaps that is the issue.

Oddly enough he has enough to be sacked, considering he didn’t write the Sue Gray report as he had been at a party himself.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Who could have foreseen this? Loads of poor pensioners have signed up for pension credit.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ysis-finds

The line from the Government about targeting spending on those most in need is sensible. It should have been made more clear more quickly, but it's a good policy result. The Tories are going to have explain why they allowed so many people to go without the help they were entitled to.

[The Weeping Angel]

Scandal

[Tubby Isaacs]

I wasn’t aware meeting at a fellow Parliamentarian’s house was forbidden. What am I missing?

[davidjay]

Long may they carry on with this sort of expose. It's doing them far more harm than us.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think this would be good. She and Ed Vaizey seem to be leading on this, with the implication that Starmer is happy with a deal.

Thangam Debbonaire
‪@thangamdebbonaire.bsky.social‬
So this is happening - I’m off to Athens to help demonstrate cross party support for reuniting the Parthenon Sculptures. Today interview published in Greek national newspaper Ta Nea.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Simon Case has resigned.

[Oboogie]

Simon Case has resigned.

On health grounds....I expect that's Starmer's fault too.
https://news.sky.com/story/uks-top-civi ... n-13225419

[Tubby Isaacs]

Hope he's OK

[NevTheSweeper]

Scandal

Oh dear, another one.

[davidjay]

Committee meet at committee member's house. What were they supposed to do - hire the back room of a pub?

[Andy McDandy]

Hope he's OK

In the sense of average or just about adequate, he's very OK.

[Abernathy]

The common factor here is that anti-Labour media actors are clearly engaged on digging up whatever information that they can on Starmer, Rayner, Phillipson, Gray, and anyone else, and desperately trying to portray whatever it is as corruption and graft. The facts in every single case, however, demonstrate that there is no such thing involved, that no rules were contravened, no laws were broken, everything above board, everything properly declared. The worst that can be said about anything is that it involves poor “optics” (in plain English, it just looks bad, when the reality is that nothing bad is actually involved).

The intended effect is to undermine trust in Labour’s government and foment public dissatisfaction. And it seems to be working. I’m fairly sure that when Keir said that he was “prepared to be unpopular”, this is not what he was talking about.

Labour needs to address the “optics” issue properly, spike these bastards’ guns, and deprive them of their ammunition. This might involve a better awareness of how all kinds of things might look, or be made to look, but in the immediate term I’d suggest it requires a re-boot of the comms operation in Downing Street. I understand that Messrs Campbell and Mandelson may be available. But we’ve got five years.