Chris Read

@maxtempers UPS are a better employer.

I have decided to renounce politics and take up yodelling instead

@VictoriaPeckham @thetimes He has no authority. Massive majority, but anything he may wish to achieve is couched in claused and conditional language, and takes ages to progress. I think he has a subservient personality. A bad boss!

Why is there such hatred for Keir Starmer? It is strange why the animosity is greater for him than for any past PM: my @thetimes column. thetimes.com/article/c7f6af…

@tomhfh When three asylum seekers were found guilty of a nasty rape in Brighton, last month, the Government statement said it would ‘seek to’ deport them. Pure Starmerism.

A figure in Starmer’s government told me the moment he lost the party was when in his speech on Monday, he re-announced the nationalisation of British Steel. It wasn’t that everyone had thought it had happened already. Though that did play a part - how long it takes to do anything in this country. What was the absolute kicker to this insider was that the Prime Minister couldn’t help himself saying six words after his big announcement: “subject to a public interest test”. It summed up everything about Starmer’s cold managerialism. He can’t have a vision unless it’s subject to procedure. He can’t have a rhetorical flare unless it’s tested against a focus group and watered down if it’s too bold. Personally I don’t agree with nationalisation, and I think it’s good that we have roadblocks to it. Steel is dead in this country due to energy costs, not its ownership structure. But I instantly got the point being made to me. This Prime Minister can’t be a man of action. He’s a man of process. Of stakeholder consultation. Of stasis.

@kevinhollinrake @KemiBadenoch So you’ll go into coalition with Reform in Worcestershire, instead? Because ultimately, adults (of whatever party) need to provide governance for local residents.

Politics is not a game. We are working hard to build a serious, united Conservative Party people can trust - built on honesty and responsibility. These values have to mean something and that is why we have taken the decision to suspend Councillor Adam Kent.   The Party's position was clear from the start. I was very clear we did not approve of the arrangement with the Greens at Worcestershire Council and it did not have our support. Councillor Kent agreed. That should have been communicated clearly and unambiguously to his colleagues.    He told the national Party that he would not do a deal with the Greens. Then he went ahead and put together a rainbow coalition involving Green councillors anyway.   Worse, his group was told something that was not true. Fellow Conservative councillors were given the impression that this deal had Party support when it did not.   This was dishonest.   People are tired of politicians treating public office as a game of manoeuvres and tactics, saying one thing while doing another.   We can see the chaos this is bringing to the Labour Party nationally. That is exactly the sort of behaviour that has damaged trust in politics for too long and the party leadership under Kemi Badenoch is bringing an end to this nonsense.    We are a team and we are honest with each other.   And as a party we want people to know what we stand for, what we will do and that those representing our Party are honest with their colleagues and with the public.   As soon as we became aware of this, we acted immediately because unlike parties like Reform, we take responsibility for those who represent our Party.    We do not want people in politics who think this sort of conduct is acceptable. Our values are standards, not slogans.   As Party Chairman, I have received a full and firm account of what happened at Worcestershire County Council. Given I was clear that this arrangement was not approved and did not have our support the deal will not now go ahead. That position has been agreed by other Conservative councillors locally.   We are one Party and one team. When someone representing us falls short of our values, we do not hide behind process like Keir Starmer or pretend it has nothing to do with us like Nigel Farage. We act.   That is the truth of why the Conservative Group Leader has been suspended pending investigation.   We are a new Conservative Party under new leadership, built on honesty, responsibility and trust.   The public are tired of politicians saying one thing and doing another. So are we.

@DPJHodges ‘What will you do if you don’t win the leadership? Will the new PM have your full support?’

Key thing to the Burnham challenge. To win the seat he has to be able to say explicitly he is coming back to seek to lead the Labour Party in a new direction. Voters will respect and respond to that. If he has to feign loyalty to Starmer people will see through it, and he won't win.

@tomhfh 8. If he becomes PM, can he do anything materially different to Starmer, given the constraints on the public finances and his own restless back benches.

Seven hurdles for Andy (some bigger than others): 1️⃣Is the Chancellor going to appoint Josh Simons to the Chiltern Hundreds - allowing for him to resign. 2️⃣Is the Government Chief Whip then going to move the writ of a by election in short order? 3️⃣Is the Labour Party NEC then going to select Burnham’s name for the candidate shortlist? 4️⃣If the local party going to select Burnham from the shortlist? 5️⃣Then if Burnham is selected can he win over an electorate that overwhelmingly voted Reform on Thursday? 6️⃣Then can he win over enough Labour MPs to be nominated? 7️⃣And then can he win over the labour membership?

@GavinBarwell Agree on this. If they’re only prepared to work with Reform councillors, then that says a great deal and I’m not sure why they’d bother continuing as a separate party.

Beyond the specifics of this case, she shouldn't be telling local group leaders who they can work with. They know the local situation much better than she does. She is now going to be asked which parties Conservative councillors can work with. What will her answer be? 3/5

No amount of impressive rhetorical performances in the Commons will make up for poor strategic judgement. Kemi doesn't seem to realise the survival of many of her MPs at the next election will depend on their ability to attract anti-Reform tactical votes 1/5

@montie @KemiBadenoch What is the conservative approach - or, indeed, the Green approach - to filling potholes, adult social care and SEN? Because that’s what county councils do, and if necessary everyone should be prepared to work across party lines.

Well done @KemiBadenoch. A test of your leadership and you've passed it. BUT, BUT, BUT this should only be the beginning. Your party needs the mother of all spring cleans. Far too many Conservative councillors and MPs are Conservative in name only.

@edwest Okay, your ear might get nailed to a snooker table if you spilt a pint, but they were good to their mothers, and you could leave your front door unlocked.

Didn't know that Wes Streeting's grandfather was an East End villain

@Steven_Swinford @BethRigby The arrogance of these people, thinking they can parachute Burnham into some random constituency and expect the voters to do their duty. This plan deserves to be trounced by Greens, Reform or whoever.

EXCLUSIVE from The Times Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is backing plans for Andy Burnham to return to parliament as he builds cabinet support for a potential leadership race Burnham is ready to trigger his return, and one ally said he had a seat “locked down” and was “ready to move if he needs to” A source in the Burnham camp said he had an MP willing to stand down to allow him to return to parliament and an announcement could be made as soon as Tuesday Alexander, who has been seen as a loyal backer of Sir Keir Starmer, joins Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, and Lucy Powell, the deputy leader, in support of the mayor. An ally of Alexander said her position in the event of the prime minister resigning was “hypothetical” but insisted that she was not co-ordinating with other MPs in the Burnham camp Alexander has previously said that Burnham’s return was a matter for the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC). “She is fully on the Andy train now”, a supporter said. Burnham was seen arriving at Euston station from Manchester earlier on Tuesday. The mayor has so far stayed silent since last Thursday’s disastrous local election results plunged Starmer’s leadership into crisis. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

@jfwduffield White working class, many with employment linked to Heathrow airport or its suppliers.

That Reform concentration in Hounslow in South West London is Feltham? Does anyone know?

@WMcHBg Possibly struggled with joined-up handwriting. I never mastered it, to the despair of primary school teachers, so came up with a ‘squiggle’ signature. Not a big issue.

@ElectionMapsUK Not a lot of new housing is going to get built in Richmond.

Richmond-upon-Thames Council Election Result #LE2026: LDM: 54 (+6) CON: 0 (-1) GRN: 0 (-5) Liberal Democrat HOLD. Changes w/ 2022.

@AaronBastani Cancel the passports and/or driving licenses of anyone caught shoplifting twice.

He’s talking about ‘values’ when he needs to rapidly operationalise 100 things which grab media cycle and make every part of the country better. Go after dodgy vape shops, give local authorities cash to remove chewing gum and graffiti *now*, ban high street charity ‘bins’, pigouvian tax on cans of spray paint, give Met a bollocking over de facto decriminalising phone and bike theft, bring back Burnham, reduce the size of the Lords, announce full northern powerhouse rail, have more bins in public spaces, refund BTP, promise to remove all those stupid benches that people aren’t really meant to sit on within 18 months. Have all unused phone boxes gone within 6 months. Move, get things done! But no, ‘values’.

@toptargets My primary school had our sports day there, in 1984, and we all thought the facilities were great.

Hornchurch vs Torquay for a place in the National League. The best of luck to both teams & if it ends up being Hornchurch then it would be some achievement but, genuine question..... would that stadium meet National League standards, or is that not a thing?

@Steven_Swinford Incisive rhetoric there, from Ruth Jones. I feel she may be an AI trained on Keir Starmer.

'WE WILL GET SLAUGHTERED' The roll call of Labour MPs who have called for Keir Starmer to go, with varying degrees of caveats: Lou Haigh, former transport secretary: 'He is doing an incredible job on the international stage in the middle of global instability and the war. It is imperative he is successful. But what is abundantly clear is that unless the prime minister delivers significant and urgent change I think the PM has to go' Anneliese Midgley, Labour MP for Knowsley: 'The results here and across the North are beyond our worst expectations. It's truly devastating. Unless that changes significantly and quickly it's clear the PM can't lead us into another election. It was a mistake to block Andy Burnham in Gorton & Denton and if a situation arises, he should not be blocked again' Sarah Owen, chair of the women and equalities committee: 'Unless Keir Starmer delivers tangible change and truly connects with the public on a human level, he can’t lead us into another election (locally or nationally). People want politics and politicians who are upfront and true to their values' Ruth Jones, Labour MP for Newport West and chair of the Welsh Affairs select committee: 'I can't say yes or no at the moment but certainly he must consider his posiiton as we go forward' Simon Opher, Labour MP for Stroud: 'The public has spoken, I think we need to change our leader. It's not if now it's when. Keir is a decent guy but I think he's not the right leader for the next election. If we go into the next election with him we will just get slaughtered' Connor Naismith, Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich: 'In the wake of these catastrophic local elections results, with regret, it is clear to me that we need new leadership. Leadership which is capable of bringing together a broad coalition of voters to stop the Thatcherite politics of Reform UK' David Baines, Labour MP for St Helen's North: 'When you're the leader, the buck stops with you. There's no doubt his popularity has plummeted and we've heard it on the doorstep' Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich: 'The Prime Minister has reached the point where the question is no longer whether he can recover. It is whether, by staying on, he does lasting damage to Labour’s ability to govern, rebuild trust, and stop the advance of the right. That is why a timetable for his departure is now necessary. The longer this is delayed, the greater the damage to the party and the country.' Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East: 'It is clear that Keir has fought his last election as Labour leader and, deep down, he will know it. The party should now work towards a timetable for an orderly transition to a new leader by the end of this year.'

@yourcroydon I was going to start a Taking the Initiative Party, but I never got around to it.

The results for the Mayor of Croydon election have been declared and Jason Stephen Perry (CON) is elected.

@CapelLofft I voted with the belief - perhaps misguided - that for strategic reasons, it’s worth keeping the Conservative party on life support. The party infrastructure is dead in my area, though.

I live in a rural ward. LDs won it by a mile last time. I wasn't going to bother to vote because I despise all parties nowadays but memories of old battles against the LDs have steeled me. I will go and cast a futile tactical anti-Lib Dem vote. It is God's work

@andrew_lilico He’ll do a mini-reset next week. The various plotters will squabble, whilst grumbling ‘we can’t go on like this’ in anonymous briefings. Summer will arrive, and the moment will have passed. He’ll fight the next GE.

Do we think anyone from Labour is really going to go for Starmer tomorrow or within the next week or two, or are they all going to wait for each other for so long that the moment passes & Starmer survives (as has happened up until now)?

@LoftusSteve Community Relations

I don't understand how HMRC don't easily detect this. They say they have algorithms that can detect if you don't pay the £100 tax on your Ebay side hustle, but apparently there's no flashing red lights that a Turkish barber that employs 3 people is doing 1000 haircuts a week.