Vice President JD Vance gets roundly booed at the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics. "Those are a lot of boos for him, whistling jeering," says the presenter. US athletes receive a warm welcome from fans, though.
This is why I’ve struggled to understand the political logic of Mahmood’s interviews, speeches, and policy announcements - none of which have seemed aimed at the people who actually choose the Labour leader.
Three thoughts.
1. It’s always been about the white nationalism
2. He is returning to the old favorites because his support is waning
3. He dabbled with this trope before but would always leave a hair of deniability. Going straight there also seems like a sign of weakness
New post!
Europe isn't now in a cold war with the United States. Instead, we're having to manage violent swings between a democratic Jekyll and a MAGA Hyde:
threehostages.substack.com/p/democratic...
Yet this is a government with three years left to run and an enormous Commons majority. For all the problems, there is an enormous opportunity there for someone with the political nous to take it and use it.
Starmer's reported condition - incredibly unpopular, shorn of authority, probably un-reelectable and yet will stagger on for want of an alternative - is just the new normal of how Britain is governed. It was also true for two-thirds of May's premiership, half of Johnson's and all of Sunak's.
My read tonight including what I think is an growing belief among the 2024 intake that none of current options for leadership are up to it, and they are starting to look among their own ranks
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Trump: "Mike Johnson is a very religious person. He does not hide it. He'll say to me sometimes at lunch, 'Sir, may we pray.' I'll say, 'Excuse me? We're having lunch.'"
I don’t think it’s doing Trump any favours - all these files being released about everyone else but him. Probably makes it more likely that someone is going to “flip”.
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks#ProudBlue
Labour just needs to close its eyes, elect Angela Rayner or Ed Miliband as leader now, and hope for the best. No one is going to emerge from this broken government as a better alternative than them so you're only wasting valuable time until the inevitable happens
feels like Labour is stuck in the seventh circle of leadership contest hell, ie pingponging endlessly between 'he should go!' and 'but not be replaced by any of the people available in this actual life'
The Mandelson saga is doubly bad for Starmer & co. First because it goes against their supposed brand of probity. Second because it fits their actual brand of not listening to concerns from their colleagues and majoring on ideas that only make sense in transactional terms or getting through the week
Talk has turned to who replaces Starmer (again).
Labour MP tonight:
“As far as I'm concerned, Starmer is done. What matters is what's next. If it's Angela, the honeymoon lasts a week. If it's Wes, a month. If it's Al, 6 months. Hard to see how it turns around beyond that.”
it must be annoying to be a 90 year old Republican congressman and have to pretend like you know what's going on anymore. you got into politics to pass laws giving out tax breaks for every horse you own but your groyper staffers are like "you need to condemn a new YA novel about bottom surgery"
I don’t understand how this gets Starmer out of what he admitted in PMQs – that he was aware of Mandelson continuing his friendship with Epstein after his first conviction.
That should’ve been the end of the appointment.
“Peter Mandelson lied to the Prime Minister, hid information that has since come to light and presented Epstein as someone he barely knew.
“In September, new information revealed the depth and extent of the relationship was materially different to…”
One of the best books I’ve read in recent years is Katharine Graham’s memoirs, which makes the destruction of the Post especially sad - knowing how her father, her husband, and she built it into a global brand and great journalistic institution.
