‘I’ll support him all the way’: Clacton voters rally to Nigel Farage despite heightened scrutiny My dispatch from the Essex seat ahead of the by-election next week 👇 www.ft.com/content/8e48...

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Discussing Burnham, bus fares and prisoner release on Sky News With dream team @jayneseckersky.bsky.social & @breeallegretti.bsky.social

How will UK foreign policy change under Ed Miliband? Ex-energy secretary vows to reinvigorate climate diplomacy, stand up for the rule of law under his new values-rooted approach, and ‘nurture’ relationship with US Read more 👇 www.ft.com/content/e0aa...

Meet the 22-year-old Harvard drop-out bringing AI to the public sector William Tarr is among 30 new ‘No 10 innovation fellows’ on ‘tours of duty’ - and salaries of up to £200k - on Whitehall...

Bloomberg’s attempt to explain Count Binface to an American audience 😂

British politics is moving pretty fast! Next Thursday the FT is hosting a live webinar to answer all your questions about Starmer, Burnham, Brexit a decade on, and whether the govt is still able to deliver change You can register and submit your Qs at ft.com/Brexit

Great to join BBC R4’s The Long View on electoral reform, setting out the arguments both for and against proportional representation The issue is back on the agenda given Burnham’s stated desire to introduce it for Westminster elections www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Great fun to record in the Bucks Head in Abram, a few tables away from the local bingo club Sadly all our chat meant the barm pie (aka Wigan kebab - a pie in a bap) was left uneaten :( Big thanks to the rest of the team Persis Love, Breen Turner and Jon Super

👀 Labour’s NEC really does enjoy an extraordinary degree of discretion over leadership contest rules... Party constitution explicitly says the rules for a contest can be ‘varied by the consent of the NEC’ & it sets guidelines on nominations, timetable, code of conduct Could prove v significant

🚨 EXC: Britain’s ambassador to US has said that America’s only ‘special relationship’ is ‘probably Israel’ Christian Turner also said Keir Starmer was ‘clearly on the ropes’ earlier this year, & predicts Labour will ‘remove him’ if the party does ‘v badly’ in May elections

Great to discuss ‘whole of society’ readiness for conflict at the London Defence Conference today Fascinating insights and lessons from Taiwan via Lin Fei-Fan, Moldova via @dorinrecean.bsky.social, Finland via Janne Kuusela, & Ukraine via @drjademcglynn.bsky.social. Top panel to moderate!

On Tues FT reported a defence official accusing CDS of not grasping that failing to send warships to the region during the conflict amount to an ‘absence of theatre’ needed to secure allies’ confidence

UK military response to Iran war has sparked criticism of political decision-making by PM But attention has also turned to Chief of Defence Staff FT revealed last week CDS was coming under scrutiny for mil options presented to No 10, acc to official No 10 figures said didn’t recognise this

🧵 Britain removed two warships from Middle East in run up to Iran war, @FT revealed this week HMS Lancaster, Type 23 frigate, was removed from Bahrain in December HMS Middleton, minehunter, was towed home from the Gulf this month Both ageing ships were withdrawn from service

A key memo in Mandelson files Nat Sec Adviser Jonathan Powell believed his appointment as ambo was 'weirdly rushed' Powell had 'raised concerns' about him to McSweeney McSweeney said 'the issues had been addressed' Starmer may have had 'political conversations around this' - ie the concerns

👀 Labour MP Joani Reid said today that she was “not part of my husband’s business activities” after her spouse David Taylor was arrested on suspicion of spying for China But her former company was loaned money (interest free and with no set repayment terms) by his companies

Honoured to be on the #WiW100 list alongside such a talented group of women across Westminster Thanks to @thehousemag.bsky.social for a great party last night with so many top journalists, politicians, mandarins & campaigners

So thrilled we won ‘story of the year’ for the Afghan Files at the Political Podcast Awards last night! 🏆 Congrats to all the FT Political Fix team!! @manuelasaragosa.bsky.social, @lulusmyth.bsky.social, @georgewparker.bsky.social, Flo and the rest of the gang

Well this is nice… Political Fix nominated for two awards at the @inhousecomms.bsky.social Political Podcast awards — ‘story of the year’ and ‘producer of the year’ @manuelasaragosa.bsky.social really is the best in the biz - thrilled to see her on the shortlist! 💪

Lovely weekend at Cheltenham Literature Festival — thanks for having me #CheltLitFest 📚🎙️

Great fun appearing at the #ftweekendfestival for a Political Fix / Swamp Notes mash up today @georgewparker.bsky.social, Brooke Masters, Marc Filippino & I chatted Anglo-American politics and podcasts (And away from a snotty 3 month old & a sticky-fingered 3 year old, I dared to wear cream…)

Beyond thrilled that Political Fix has won both ‘political podcast of the year’ AND ‘podcast of the year’ at Publisher Podcast Awards tonight!🏆 Alongside amazing FT panel you hear each week, big props to incredible team @manuelasaragosa.bsky.social @lulusmyth.bsky.social, Flo Phillips, Breen Turner

You asked and we delivered... ‘Ask Political Fix‘, a new semi-regular Q&A format for the podcast! Of course I had the easy job filleting your fiendish questions... This week @greenmirandahere.bsky.social, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social answered them Tell us what you think!

It is, of course, a local election results special on Political Fix this week 🎙️ @stephenkb.bsky.social, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social & @georgewparker.bsky.social join me to discuss the ‘reformquake’ and whether it’s the end of the two-party duopoly… Out now, wherever you get your podcasts! 📻🎧

🎙️ Political Fix has recorded a handy local elections guide this week 🗳️ I'm joined by @greenmirandahere.bsky.social, @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social & Anna Gross to discuss Reform’s momentum, the races to watch, and the stakes at play for the main parties Available wherever you get your podcasts! 📻🎧

EXC: Britain must expand its military footprint in Arctic and High North as region becomes increasingly contested due to melting sea ice, govt’s strategic defence review set to advise Story from me, @sylviapfeifer.bsky.social & Charles Clover on.ft.com/4jhnrBp

🎙️What is a ‘woman’ in law? The Supreme Court ruling Plus: the British Steel debacle’s impact on UK-China investment & diplomatic ties @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @annasophiegross.bsky.social & @sylviapfeifer.bsky.social are on Political Fix this week Available wherever you get your podcasts! 📻🎧

Keir Starmer is often criticised for his lack of political moorings/vision, but is an absence of ideology helpful in the Trump 2.0 era? Flexibility is helpful when leaders can do little more than brace & react to US Standing in for @stephenkb.bsky.social in his Inside Politics newsletter today 👇

Interesting to be at the London Stock Exchange today for opening of the market Confetti cannons and soaring music marked the Chinese finance vice-minister’s visit to launch new renminbi sovereign green bonds… As VIPs watched screen show FTSE tumbling post Trump tariff bombshell