Stephen Gander

The local swimming pool in #eastbourne is to close. @EastbourneBC have taken the decision to do this. It is an absolute disgrace and up to 2000 children per week will not be able to have swimming lessons. Absolutely outrageous and more council mismanagement. @sharrond62

@SDPThamesValley @KPomlett Well done Kyn, bloody good bloke.

Elections can be fun - and they are a great way of raising our profile! Here our local candidate @KPomlett is out braving the cold once again in Cholsey, where a by-election for South Oxfordshire District Council is taking place on the 5th December.

@DavidLammy @realDonaldTrump @JDVance Parody???

Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on your victory. The UK has no greater friend than the US, with the special relationship being cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years. We look forward to working with you and @JDVance in the years ahead.

@EdwardJDavey This comment is a massive spit in the face of millions of Americans who exorcised their democratic right. Please stick to persecuting sub postmasters.

This is a dark, dark day for people around the globe. The world’s largest economy and most powerful military will be led by a dangerous, destructive demagogue.

@PolitlcsUK Why the hell is the UK interfering in another countries election!!!

🚨 NEW: Nearly 100 current and former Labour Party staff are going to battleground states in the US election to campaign for Kamala Harris, with the party offering to ‘sort your housing’

@SDPhq Dual citizens should not be able to renounce their foreign citizenship to stop them being deported whilst in prison, as was the case with a lot of the Rochdale groomers.

Non-British citizens who serve jail time will be swiftly deported upon release from prison, and permanently barred from re-entry. - SDP policy This is not much to ask for. It should not be controversial to demand it. sdp.org.uk/policies/crime…

@MartinSLewis Would have got the same results if the question was do you vote Lib Dem.

Today's Twitter Poll: Do you support proposals to ban smoking from outside pub gardens, and outside restaurant seating areas?

@MartinSLewis Net zero goals costing you more and more.

NEWS. ENERGY PRICE CAP TO RISE 10% on 1 OCT. (pls share). Here's my instant briefing incl who it'll hit hardest, why govt needs change winter fuel payments, standing charges & WHAT TO DO NOW. First, here's the average Direct Debit Cap (it varies by region) ELEC - Standing charge 60.99p daily (from 60.12p) UP 1.4% - Unit charge: 24.5p per KwH (from 22.36p) UP 9.6% GAS - Standing charge: 31.66p daily (from 31.41p) UP 0.8% - Unit charge: 6.24p per KwH (from 5.48p) UP 14% Prices nearly double pre-crisis: This rise means this winter many will still be paying nearly double what they were pre-crisis. From 1 October, the vast majority of homes in England, Scotland & Wales will see costs jump 10% – so for every £100 you pay today, you’ll typically pay £110. To be more accurate, as most of the rise is on the unit rate not standing charge, higher users especially those with gas, will overall see their costs rise by more than 10% rise, lower users less. Govt must rethink Winter Fuel Payments or almost ALL pensioners will need to find £100s more than last winter. While energy will cost less than during last winter’s crisis time, the reduction in rates only equates to a drop of roughly £100 over the six winter months for a household with typical usage. Yet specific pensioner energy support has dropped by far more... Last year pensioner homes got up to £300 extra per household cost of living support - that’s gone, and its loss alone is far bigger than the saving made by slightly lower rates. Piling on top of that is the governments new decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments, that will leave all except usually those who claim Pension Credit missing out on a further £200 - £300. While there's a strong argument for ending the universality of Winter Fuel payments, eligibility is being squeezed to too narrow a group. Those just above the thresholds will be hardest hit. I'm due to meet the Chancellor in a couple of weeks, and will then be urging her to look at methods to widen eligibility – such as to homes in council tax bands A to D – an imperfect but workable proxy for lower household incomes. People can and should save by switching: The cheapest year-long fixes on the market right now are about 7% LESS than the new October price cap, but they mightn’t be around long, That looks a good deal, as its currently predicted once rates go up they won’t come down. Don’t just jump on any fix though, if you’re going to lock-in you want to grab the cheapest for your use and location, so use a whole-of-market comparison, like MSE’s Cheap Energy Club, and find out who will let you fix for less. Alternatively deals like E.on Next’s Pledge, or EDF Ensure are effectively discounted trackers, where they move with the price cap, but the unit rates or standing charges are guaranteed to be lower. And for more sophisticated energy users the Octopus Agile and Tracker tariffs where prices move rapidly can be far cheaper. Consultation to reduce Standing Charges launched: The Standing Charge is a daily poll tax that means everyone with gas & electricity pays a minimum £338 a year even if they don’t use it. This moral hazard penalises lower users, often many who are vulnerable, and means they will face a proportionately larger rise. I've long called for change, so welcome today's long promised consultation on reducing standing charges today - though I'm slightly disappointed even the maximum proposed reduction is only £100/yr - but I'll hold judgement until I've read the consultation in full.

@Peter88902568 The very best of the day that is the day of the hump.

"Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water are foreign-owned. Shareholders with no connection to the local community raid the company for dividends. Executives are paid many times more than the prime minister for running a public service." It can't go on like this thetimes.com/business-money…

Today was my 6th and last chemo treatment for my Richters transformation of CLL. I’m hopeful and feel ok. I even managed to run a general election campaign halfway through treatment. Google Richters Syndrome to see what an achievement it was. Thanks to everyone. @SDPhq #leukemia

Great space chat with @SBarrettBar courtesy of @basilthegreat. Thank you

@AaronBastani It’s an absolute nightmare to get to.

Spent the day in Norwich. Love it. Like a smaller, lower energy, medieval Bristol. But I’m genuinely struck by how few tourists there are here - and how many empty shop fronts there are. A city with this heritage and architecture in France, Germany or Poland, would be flying.

@paulwaugh Well that’s different to what the solicitor said the other day who was all for inciting violence.

I have checked with the family of the Manchester Airport incident and this remains their latest message to all communities. They have issued a plea for calm and ask for no further protests - they want due process to take its course and urge everyone to respect their wishes. Yesterday's meeting in Rochdale made clear that this is a community that strongly believes in the rule of law, that the criminal justice system should follow the evidence wherever it leads, and that offenders should be punished appropriately. Those present also rightly stressed that the law should be applied equally to everyone - and that no one, particularly the police, should be above the law.

Note only @reformparty_uk stood up for the police officers Out of 650 MPs

As I thought Vicious violent thugs They must be fully prosecuted And their lawyer, many other journos & politicians must apologise for backing the wrong guy twitter.com/breakingryan1/…

Attention #Brexiters !!! Are YOU outranged by the new plastic attached lids on bottles? Don’t be! Your MEP can raise the issue for you and ensure your voice is heard on this vital matter - that’s what being part of the EU is all about!! 🤦🏻‍♂️ oh yeah - you got rid of that so the U.K. now has to accept whatever EU standards are imposed on us 🤣 #Brexit #BrexitHasFailed #RejoinEU

Labour have dropped manifesto pledges requiring UK companies to train and recruit British workers rather than importing foreign labour. That didn't take long. The indifference continues... telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

@SGardnerSDP Next year 95% of solar panels will come from China, on diesel powered boats.

A huge percentage of solar panels are made in China in slave camps. The cobalt for them is mined using child labour. The water is polluted from the lithium mines for up to 300 years. It's hard to avoid slave labour in the manufacturing chain. Net zero. gbnews.com/news/cambridge…

Apparently Gareth handed his resignation to the FA. They passed it back, he passed it to Bellingham, he passed it sideways to Kane who passed it back to the keeper. @benleo @MartinDaubney