Simon Cook

Anyone interested in the UK benefits debate should check out benefitsdata.uk

@guy_herbert @peterkyle I get that… but why do we feel ministers continually need to do fairly pointless photo calls to announce policies

@cooksimon @peterkyle From their records in government so far, better they stay with the mixed infants.

Isn’t this the most colossal waste of the Prime Minister’s time? He’s only got so many hours in the day, the country has huge problems - so why is he faffing around with 3 year olds at a nursery school

Kudos to @edwest for this line “the Scottish government – the Wuhan Lab of terrible ideas in UK politics”

@Peteihfd @aliciakearns Putting that entirely to one side, the comments from the judge were indefensible

@aliciakearns Then you must look in detail at the sentencing law. Judges have to apply it. You may be surprised to learn that detention for their age is highly unlikely.

I’m relieved the Attorney General has listened to public disgust at the sentences handed down, and most of all to the strength of the survivors. Deterring rape in our country requires these boys to face lengthy prison sentences.

@tomhfh Tbf there was a very particular flaw with the conservative candidate for South West Norfolk

The problem with applying a uniform national swing is that it ignores local factors. In 2024 the Conservatives simultaneously lost South West Norfolk (Con 26,195 majority to Lab 630 majority). And held West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Con 843 majority to Con 3,441 majority).

@PC_Angry @rorymeakin @Skint_Eastwood1 Sure - but this is not the case because you made it too general

@cooksimon @rorymeakin @Skint_Eastwood1 I heard the same video you did…

British Police 2026: Woman Pulled Over on Way to Hospital Appointment for “Inappropriate Use of Horn” 🤦‍♂️ This is what British policing has come to. A driver is pulled over on her way to a hospital appointment. A pedestrian steps out from a junction without looking. The driver beeps her horn to avoid an accident. The police then stop her and confirm she is being reported for court over “inappropriate use of horn.” Driver: “You’re taking me to court because I came in from a junction and a male was crossing the road, didn’t look and I beeped… is that correct?” Officer: “Yes.” The officer then reads her the caution before stating: “You’ve been reported for the consideration of prosecution for inappropriate use of horn.” This isn’t a joke. While violent crime, knife attacks, grooming gangs, thefts, and burglaries continue to plague communities across the country, officers are spending time and resources pursuing a woman for sounding her horn at a careless pedestrian. When everyday road users trying to drive safely are being dragged toward court for basic defensive actions, but far more serious offences often go under-policed, the public loses confidence in law enforcement. We need police focused on actual crime, not this.

@rorymeakin @PC_Angry @Skint_Eastwood1 You may well be right. I was more commenting on @PC_Angry’s lack of precision

@cooksimon @PC_Angry @Skint_Eastwood1 That is likely what happened, though, by her ‘I beeped when I was coming in from a junction’

@PC_Angry @Skint_Eastwood1 It wasn't a blanket "pedestrians have priority" when crossing the road, and it absolutely didn't give them priority crossing a straight road.

@PC_Angry @Skint_Eastwood1 That's not strictly true. The change to the Highway Code (rule H2) was very specifically about junctions / side roads. ie if a car is turning into our out of a side road and pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross *that side road* then cars should give way to them.

@tc1415 Whilst you’re there, could you check if the Pope’s still catholic?

I can report it is very warm in Rome

@John_Stepek @garyFstones @MerrynSW And lo and behold a newsletter came to pass 😀

@garyFstones @cooksimon @MerrynSW Yes we absolutely should and we've been saying it for a very long time. It's a small amount of tax take, in exchange for a likely bigger benefit in terms of growth. But politically it can be painted as a "bung" to investors, and we all know how that goes down.

How to make @MerrynSW and @John_Stepek very happy

"I once spent £400,000 of other people's money on jewellery, cosmetics and a campervan and my wife didn't know anything about it."

@Simmons__ Doesn’t say much for her attention to detail

Quite incredible that his wife who lived in the house with all the ill-gotten gains and also signed the SNP accounts didn’t notice any of it

@holland_tom @TheRestHistory Tiny giveaway that the picture isn’t from WW1 :-)

Continuing our series on 1915, today on @TheRestHistory we are out at sea, steaming across the Atlantic with THE LUSITANIA. How & why did an ocean liner come to be sunk by a German U-boat - and as it really carrying contraband explosives? linktr.ee/restishistory

This is very good by @ElliotKeck

The problem in France is that when there is a heatwave, about 30,000 people die. That's almost three Agincourts (to use the universally accepted metric for dead French people).

@ajcdeane @LiamHalligan @spectator On one level it really is - just the timeframes are longer, the government is immortal and has more levers to pull. But sooner or later the bill comes due

@LiamHalligan @spectator “So what?” The left will say. “Your quaint comparisons with household budgets are so midwit! This is just how government works!” Yes, it’s not like households. Because the household would be bankrupt. Instead, we are piling debt upon the shoulders of children yet to be born.

Fiscal year to March 2026 - Government borrowing: £132 billion. Government debt interest payments: £110 billion.

Given that she had precisely one job to do for Keir Starmer and signally failed to do it, I’m not convinced this is a good sign