John Rentoul Yeah, I didn't find that, hmm, convincing. Thought three points more worthy of consideration: whether they really are high density, how they can change a neighbourhood at ground level and whether because of that there should be more consultation. Some of it was a bit Poundbury.

Why is no one compiling a list of celebrity responses to the Chinese treatment of the Uyghurs, Saudis in Yemen, or ethnic cleansing in Sudan?

It’s a (((mystery))).

Dismal 2/10 in John Clarke's Saturday Quiz in i newspaper (answers in the paper or here later)

14 years ago today Gordon Brown left office and David Cameron became Prime Minister: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi…

Zadie Smith and the “Both Sides” Problem – Ian Leslie ian-leslie.com/p/zadie-smith-…

People ask what brought the #QTWTAIN hashtag and series to an end 5 years ago

From the archive, 5 years ago: #Top10 Accidental Inventions independent.co.uk/voices/top-10-…

“People don’t know when they are being interesting.” Janan Ganesh on the quest for insightful conversation ft.com/content/11fd76…

We have surprisingly little idea what kind of PM Keir Starmer would be: my conversation with Iain Martin reaction.life/john-rentoul-o…

The wholesome Mrs M, interviewed by Alice Thomson thetimes.co.uk/article/0dc234…

Love it thetimes.co.uk/article/richar…

Personal recollections Yvette Cooper are very touching in her great speech about late Labour leader John Smith Mile End Institute see: bit.ly/3WHRuJQ. 92 election a formative experience. Her views fascinating to read. Close to my own as per here: bit.ly/3Jf2UeB

Q: In May 2023, Starmer clearly ruled out ANY sort of deal with SNP after a GE, but refused 7 times to do the same about the Lib Dems. I asked him again today, and again he declined to rule out a LD tie up while repeating No Deal with SNP

An intriguing but I think unworkable plan for limited pre-election pacts politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/could-a-n…

got a lot of negative feedback for this on Instagram but I reckon a cold tin of soup (tomato for preference, drunk straight from the can and paired with some fruit) is a sane and practical lunch

The Spectator on political defections: 5 Sep 1711

“Nothing that is not a real crime makes a man appear so contemptible and little in the eyes of the world as inconsistency, especially when it regards religion or party... A man perhaps does but his duty in changing his side. But…