Mr Christopher

For my own sanity, I have decided to leave Twitter, probably for good. I can no longer bear the intrusion of endless ads that I have no interest in, but more importantly, the insufferable direction this platform is taking. I will be trying out bluesky. Handle name Simonc-csays

@implausibleblog @campbellclaret 8 years to find "common sense".....8 bloody years.

2016: David Davis, "There will be no downside to Brexit at all, and considerable upside" 2024: David Davis, "Closer trading relations with Europe are just common sense"

@itvpeston @Peston @seanspicer @Nigel_Farage This is a classic example as to why journalism really is in the toilet today. What an idiotic suggestion / question. I mean, why don't you suggest a gift of a nice soft couch for VP Vance to soften him up while you're at it.

“He’s got a great relationship with President Trump... why wouldn’t you take advantage of a relationship?" Former White House Press Secretary @seanspicer welcomes the idea of Reform UK leader @Nigel_Farage acting as an intermediary between the US and UK governments #Peston

@PolitlcsUK If your answer was to appoint Mark François then you clearly didn't ask yourself the right questions.

🚨 NEW: Kemi Badenoch has appointed Mark Francois as Shadow Defence Minister

@pattonoswalt @eddiemarsan Does anyone else masturbate their corn dog before eating it like that? If you do, then you should let him know as he really wants your support.

@adrianmcmenamin It is so good to see a government of adults focused on what the country and its workers need rather than on a small rump of Tory members.

@bbceducation And?

VAT change is existential threat to private schools - headteacher bbc.in/4hCOUgD

@tom_watson Bezoz.

They literally won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of January 6th.

@montie But at least he likes Britain.

On immigration. On tax. On union power in schools. On green regulation. On law and order. On trans vs womens rights. On religious freedom. On identity politics…. The US Democrats are veering sharply to the Left. I understand why many Conservatives object to Donald Trump but @michaelgove’s decision to endorse Kamala Harris over him isn’t a good start to his editorship of The Spectator. PS And at least Trump actually likes Britain. A lot.

@nick_pope @BenAndo @RobBurl Do you think she may have been tipped off that this had been found out and was going to be revealed after the interview? Which, of course, wouldn't have been an embarrassment but a scandal.

@simonccsays @BenAndo @RobBurl Do you think she purposely sabotaged her own work? 🙄

Seems a bit weird that the BBC website front page doesn’t have the abandoned Johnson interview up as a story. It’s a jaw-dropper.

@bbclaurak Important question. What form was the message? Email WhatsApp Text Tinder

While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow,  by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team. That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead. It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.

@nick_pope @BenAndo @RobBurl How do you know it's a gaffe? What, just because she says so. There have been questions / allegations about her bias. Has she pre-briefed Johnson or other politicians before?

@BenAndo @RobBurl Precisely. It's a gaffe in the preparation for an interview with a has-been. Johnson is of little relevance compared to the news about Israel, Ukraine, and, domestically, the Conservative Party leadership.

@BenAndo @RobBurl It is a story. Indeed, further questions need to be asked as to whether this is something she has done before.

@RobBurl It’s a huge gaffe and very embarrassing but given what’s happening elsewhere I wouldn’t call it front page news. Johnson is no longer even an MP and can be rescheduled. What I don’t really understand is why they didn’t just go ahead with some different questions.

Goodbye Iran

So. Absolute grilling of Labour DPM Rayner last week on DECLARED 'gifts' to her and the PM. Today not a word aimed at potential Tory Leaders on their very suspicious UNDECLARED gifts. This is ridiculous #bbclaurak

@SkyNews This is utter bollocks journalism. Since when is staying at a friend's place costed / quantified? Absolutely ridiculous story.

BREAKING: Sir Keir Starmer accepted accommodation worth £20,000 to help his 16-year-old son study for his GCSE exams, it has emerged Read more: trib.al/mFwiVHi

@AdamBienkov @mrjamesob @bbclaurak looking forward to you grilling him on this for most of your interview with him next week.

Robert Jenrick, who is the favourite to be the next Conservative party leader, received £75,000 from a firm which has no employees, has never made a profit and has £332,000 in debts after taking a loan from an untraceable British Virgin Islands company tortoisemedia.com/2024/09/20/rob…

@AdamBienkov @CPhilpOfficial, you must be absolutely fuming about this given your outrage at Starmer being offered Arsenal seats this morning on @bbclaurak

@Peston Backtracking there, Robert. Your original headline tweet did exactly what you intended. To cast the Prime Minister in a bad light. We need honest journalism, not this constant twisting of stories for salacious headlines or click bait.

Here is a funny thing. I am slightly struck, via Arsenal sources, that the club is keen for the world to know there is no formal arrangement with the PM! Not that I said there was. I did not say Arsenal “gifted” the minister permanent use of a specific box for his exclusive use throughout the season. There was no suggestion of that in my blog. I pointed out the club understands his security issues, and would help him when they can, as they did on the first game of the season. To be clear though, each and any match the PM attends on that basis represents a generous gift by most standards. Starmer is an authentic, a proper, Arsenal and football supporter. And he would much rather be in the stands. But security needs must.

@GuardianEdu The state the Tories consecutive governments have left our public services in is unforgivable. They must never again be given the reins.

‘Incredibly disheartening’ decline in special needs pupil attainment in England theguardian.com/education/2024…