alison read 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇱

@Telegraph He's shot his bolt again, hasn't he. I'm not convinced he even wants the job.

🔴 Mayor of Greater Manchester’s camp makes discreet approaches to senior officials as speculation mounts about his return to Westminster 🔗 telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/…

@DanielJHannan I have no problem with Viscount Stansgate being made a life peer. I definitely have a problem with all the other hereditary peers not being given the same option.

This is going to be an unpopular post, but Viscount Stansgate is an outstanding public servant, vastly better than most appointed peers. I wish the hereditaries were staying as hereditaries; but, that pass having been sold, the more of them who are made life peers the better.

@iWalkOutdoors If everyone earns £31k, the price of everything they make or do will have to go up to cover it. Then your £31k won't be worth Jack.

Green Party say they plan to ensure everyone has a minimum wage of £31,000pa. I run a business. I don’t earn that. I employ 2 people. They don’t earn that. The business I run doesn’t take in enough to pay that. I’d need to charge customers way more to afford that 🤷‍♂️. Or go bust.

@LiamHalligan We thought that last time, and the time before that (in my memory). Yet, here we are.

Labour is steering the UK into a bond market meltdown. And after getting hammered in Thursday’s local elections, this spend-thrift, fiscally irresponsible government will no doubt shift even further left - detaching itself even further from economic reality. If Labour’s internal party antics do spark a deeply damaging sovereign bond meltdown – during which the poor will suffer most, as they always do – the party could be consigned, deservedly, to political history. My weekly "Economic Agenda" column in @Telegraph telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/…

The Burnham manifesto: •Rejoin the European Union •Break the fiscal rules to borrow more for defence. Thus destroying the fiscal rules… •Extensive devolution, including tax powers. •A wealth tax •Nationalise water, energy, utilities, and what remains of rail •A land value tax •A council tax revaluation •A ‘National Care Service’ •Rollout of nationalised bus franchising, modelled on Greater Manchester’s Bee Network •A £2 single fare bus cap •A fully elected upper chamber to replace the Lords •Bring in “free transport for teenagers in England.” •No welfare reforms. •Build more council houses. By borrowing £40 billion… •Scrap the whipping system in the Commons. An old favourite, truly barmy… •MAYBE: Proportional representation. Once behind the No10 door, people tend to lose interest in that one…

An interesting fact about the Graham Linehan @Glinner appeal is that the right Mr Linehan exercised - an automatic right to appeal a summary conviction via a full rehearing in the Crown Court - would no longer exist under David Lammy’s proposed reforms.

@DailyMail What is wrong with the man? Has he no shame?

Keir Starmer hit by hypocrisy allegations as niece is revealed to be Labour candidate... after sitting councillors mysteriously blocked from standing trib.al/y0apjhu

The Greens have hit back, accusing Steve Reed of ‘baseless smears’: A Green source said: ‘Steve Reed can make baseless smears against the Green Party and their voters as much as he likes but the Labour government has nothing left to offer, no plan for the affordability crisis and no plan to save Starmer’s failing leadership’

In these unbelievably crazy & polarising times, I remain supremely grateful to all who keep on keeping on, especially the small accounts who must sometimes think their voices aren’t heard or paid any heed to. Let me tell you, your support & loyalty means the world… every time.

📣🚨GRAHAM LINEHAN ACQUITTED OF CRIMINAL DAMAGE “The decision of the Court to throw out this case , is very welcome – but this case should never have got to court. There has been a troubling pattern of police forces around the country to ‘believe’ trans-rights activists, time and time again, even when there has been overwhelming evidence that complaints have been made against gender critical campaigners, in bad faith. The police have failed in their duty to properly and fairly investigate – preferring instead to support one side over the other in a debate. All this has done is erode the faith the public should be able to have in the police. We are sick of two tier policing and I hope with today’s verdict it will end. I have suffered greatly in my fight to protect women and children from what I believe to be a dangerous ideology. But I am proud that I have never given in and I will not do. I have been lifted through support from friends and strangers, from women’s rights groups to London cabbies who have taken the time to stop and shake my hand. I am very grateful to my legal team; Daniel Berke and Sarah Vine KC and to the team at the Free Speech Union”.

@JackElsom Very good 😂

Zack Back and Track

The list is long, but surrendering the Chagos Islands was one of the worst decisions Starmer made as PM. Defence spending has to rise. So today I’m announcing that we would spend that money on building British frigates faster. That’s how we build a Stronger Country.

ICYMI, this morning's Bank of England data show annual growth in broad money has remained subdued at around 4% 👇 This is much weaker than in the run up to the inflation spike in 2022 and another reason not to panic about inflation risks now... 🤞

Once again, Nigel Farage has committed to "towing the dinghy's back to France". I’ve successfully led the development and implementation of national integrated border strategies, including the development and execution of operational plans for maritime and blue borders. The idea that you can “tow small migrant dinghies back to France” sounds tough, decisive and appealing, but is not operationally credible. These are overloaded inflatable craft. They are not designed to be towed. The forces involved would very likely cause structural failure, turning an enforcement action into a rescue operation. And once you are in a rescue scenario, the legal duty is to save life, not push vessels away. Even if returns at sea were possible, you'd simply create a build-up in northern France unless there is a functioning return and processing system behind it. The boats must be stopped. They can be stopped. Indeed I've campaigned for this for the last 12 years. But the truth is that you will not end the flow by waiting until they launch into the Channel. Sure, you'll get people to vote for you because it sounds tough, but you'll not deliver the results you promised. The only way to solve this is by removing the incentive these illegal migrants have to make the crossing in the first place. That requires a realistic and detailed assessment, and detailed, coherent, enforceable strategy and implementation plan. Tough sounding but operationally empty slogans won't deliver anything but soundbites and headlines. Every illegal migrant must be detained securely. No benefits. No perks. No freedom to walk the streets. No appeal. No exceptions. Basically internment, until they can either be removed or they ask to go. Then, the appeal of entering the UK illegally will disappear and the boats will stop.

This ruling has effectively hung Kathleen Stock out to dry and given the green light to trans activists to hound those they disagree with off campus. Far too many academics have been driven from their jobs, abandoned by colleagues, and subjected to vile abuse for holding and expressing lawful views. This judgment effectively renders the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act (Hefsa) toothless. Universities must do more than pay lip service to the free speech duties set out in the Act. The Free Speech Union sincerely hopes that the Office for Students appeals. If it does, we hope to intervene. Read more below 👇

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@PhilTory And stop the Oxford Street pedestrianisation nonsense?

We will make Westminster city council Conservative again !

I like the Donald, but this is funny 😂

congratulations to these brave officers for their use of robust policing to take down this terrorist in Golders Green today - let’s show them 100pc support

Well done @Helen_Whately who has been leading the charge on this - still not great proposal, but much better than what was first proposed by this failing government