Ben Thomas

It has been 45 minutes of trains just saying delayed.

Hi @SouthernRailUK, people at platform 4/5 at Lewes have no idea if and when there will be a train to Brighton. I appreciate there’s a trespasser but some comms would greatly appreciated.

@Birder35598 We have a real issue in our politics currently, where councillors talk about national issues instead of focussing on good local government and our MPs end up doing council casework instead of addressing the national issues.

@BenThomasLD It doesn't surprise me. As a former Green who left when the far-left captured it. They had no interest in the environment back then except to further their revolutionary agenda

The Greens awful recycling legacy in Brighton and Hove shocks the House of Lords. Just recently, Brighton ranked 297th out of 321 local authorities for its abysmal recycling rates.

The King should not ingratiate himself with a man who shows no respect for international law or the past sacrifices of our armed forces.

@Martin_Abrams @adamlangleben @LabourTogether Noooo, more important is delivering a reorganisation that no one asked for, with metro mayors for rural areas that no one asked for, and only delivering more funding once that’s all in place but only after they keep delaying decisions or elections to those bodies… 😀

@adamlangleben @LabourTogether Maybe the Labour Government in charge of the sixth richest country in the world should give local councils more funding? Wacky suggestion I know...

This is an excellent tool from @LabourTogether. See how difficult it is for councillors: labourtogether.uk/council-sim

@DylanMcLellan04 @ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 I would argue that the unelected house, firstly should be abolished and be replaced with an elected chamber - but secondly, should never block something that is the will of the commons, whether it was in a manifesto or not. We’ll have to disagree on this.

@BenThomasLD @ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 No one is disputing that they don’t have to be in the manifesto. But they have to be in the manifesto to legitimately claim that the Lords cannot block it. PMBs by nature have no democratic assent from the people and that’s why they are exempt from Salisbury convention etc

Exc: King’s Speech “locked in” for May 13 Parliament set to be prorogued in the week of April 27 Prorogation will effectively serve as a deadline to publish the Mandelson Files… otherwise they won’t come until after the elections ⏰

@ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 That’s not how private members bills work.

@BenThomasLD @danbloom1 The poorly drafted bill approved by the commons hoping that the Lords would sort it out for them. Supported vigorously by the unelected Charlie falconer who was ennobled & made Lord Chancellor simply for being Blair’s college roomie. If the commons want it put it in a manifesto!

@DylanMcLellan04 @ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 Private Members Bills are not required to be in a party manifesto, nor is any legislation really. It was for a matter of fact in both the Lib Dem’s and Green Party’s manifesto though and there have been plenty of MP’s openly campaigning for a change in previous years.

@BenThomasLD @ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 Show me a single manifesto which mentioned the death bill or MPs who were campaigning on this issue.

@ShimonKefa76 @danbloom1 The assisted dying bill that the commons, the elected chamber, wishes to proceed with but unelected lords are holding up…

@danbloom1 And the death-bill in the Lords will almost certainly be euthanised!

@PippaCrerar So, a customs union?

NEW: Rachel Reeves sets out plans for UK to align more closely with EU rules - saying Brexit "did damage” with impact on GDP as high as 8%. Chancellor said deviating from regulations set in Brussels should be “the exception, not the norm”. She acknowledged she would have to win political argument, with Brexiteers viewing divergence as one of key benefits of leaving EU. “There are areas in which regulatory autonomy may be necessary for sectors with unique characteristics or strategic importance for the UK, but that should be the exception, not the norm. “To get this right, we must work more closely with businesses, both here and across Europe, but when the economic gains exceed the costs, the trade-off is worth making.”

@kateferguson4 This is highly illegal bribing. Surely as a journalist you are concerned about that?

Reform are launching a competition - one winner will have their energy bills and the bills of everyone in their street paid for by the party. Nigel Farage will go to the persons house to announce the winner!

This is third world shit. Bribing the electorate.

@PolitlcsUK Isn’t this treating the electorate?

🚨 WATCH: Robert Jenrick launches a competition where Nigel Farage will pay for a year's worth of household energy bills for an entire street

@georgeeaton @RebeccaCait04 Lib Dem’s have been calling for this for awhile now.

The main reason UK energy prices are so high is not net zero but the fact the price of gas still sets the price of electricity. Breaking that link should be the priority.

@harryricher96 Or give our councils the budgets to succeed?

As an ex-parliamentary staffer, I cannot overstate the amount of MP and staff time that is spent on issues that should be handled by local councils and councillors. We need to give MPs bigger staff budgets or reform our local councils so MPs can focus on legislating.

@AlistairCarns One count binface…

Oldest trick in the book 🥱 … and not my job title. Whoever registered and accredited this…well done 🫡🤔!

For interrupting the six nations with an ad, I am never flying @VirginAtlantic again.

This is why we MUST abolish the House of Lords and have a properly elected second chamber. Deliberately blocking the elected members business is outrageous. theguardian.com/society/2026/j…

@journocastle @networkrail Yes

@BenThomasLD @networkrail Hi Ben, please can you follow me so I can send you a DM? Please may we use this photo on BBC?

@networkrail I have reported this flooding before to East Sussex Highways who claim it’s your property. These drains on the bridge at Lewes Train station have been blocked for months now so you cannot pass by foot when it rains without getting soaked.