Me in The Telegraph - I'm a social democrat, affirming, progressive. That's a product of my orthodox Christianity and not contrary to it. If we dilute the faith we lose the faithful.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/1…

Superb video - and a proof that good communication isn’t just ‘spin’: I listened to three minutes of a message about foreign policy I wouldn’t have heard otherwise.

How politics works now. This has been viewed millions of times, retweeted a lot and attracted much criticism. Given what she has said it sounds realistic. I tweeted 'good grief' - as in a new low for Truss. But she has never been on CNBC and didn't say this, says her spokesman.

Me in The Spectator on #Easter and #Antisemitism
spectator.co.uk/article/grappl…

This could stimulate a healthy mixed economy of private, public, formal and informal childcare as well as allowing many parents to have what they say they most want - more hours of precious time with their infants. It might also be an awful lot better for children. 10/10

If the government is willing to spend around £5000 per child per year, why not give it to parents as cash or vouchers so they can choose how to care for their own children, including spending it on childcare or working fewer hours? 9/10

The Centre for Social Justice centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/parent…

Leaving aside the question of whether long hours of institutional childcare is best for babies (evidence suggests otherwise), do we think the State should be taking on the role of substitute parent in the Early Years?

There is another answer. 8/10

capx.co/why-we-should-…

But they tend to operate only from 9am to 3pm during the 39 weeks of school term, offering even less flexibility for parents. Many cannot expand for practical reasons. And do we want the State to be responsible for the ‘education’ of all children, full time, from 9 months? 7/10

In other words, with the government now intending to buy 80% of all available childcare places at below cost price, the only economically viable answer is to nationalise the means of production. But is this a good solution? Well, there are some superb school-based nurseries. 6/10

It therefore seems likely that, as the funded hours expansion progresses, the private sector will shrink rapidly and the public sector will grow (although there will be recruitment struggles). Indeed 1 in 4 private nurseries anticipates closure. 5/10 bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

However, there is one sector that can operate at a ‘loss’. The public sector. That’s why state school-based nursery provision has grown slightly over the past year. These nurseries have lower fixed costs and are buffered by guaranteed tax-payer funded school income. 4/10

private nurseries will be forced to ‘sell’ almost of all of their places at below cost price. Very obviously they will not be able to stay in business. Indeed many already can’t, that’s why 650 nurseries were lost last year. 3/10

nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/o…

They use these profits to cross subsidise the loss-making ‘funded hours’ for 3 to 4 year olds, for which government pays less per hour than the cost of provision. But once the Gvt scheme to offer 30 funded hours per week for every baby aged 9 months to 4 years is in place… 2/10

Can private sector nurseries survive the rollout of the Government’s childcare plan? A🧵…

In recent years, private nurseries have only remained financially solvent because they make a profit on their places for under threes. 1/10

Topped the shad cab election in 2010. Clearly a decent bloke.

Shadowed John Healey MP when he was at the Treasury. He's a good man and was an effective Minister.
If we have to have Labour, he'll be a capable and committed Defence Secretary.

🗳️ Those who think Lee Anderson is the red wall 'made flesh' are lazy and condescending. They've scarcely made the effort to understand what happened in 2019.

Latest i newspaper column on why the Tories should not try and chase Reform's tail inews.co.uk/opinion/tory-f…

Extremely sorry to hear of the death of Patrick Cormack of whom I have fond memories.

😡 Thuggish mob politics has arrived in Britain - it can’t be left unchecked.

The question for Sir Lindsay Hoyle isn’t whether he was siding with Labour, it’s whether he can protect Parliament and MPs from intimidation.

Latest i newspaper column inews.co.uk/opinion/mob-po…

And they are more important than ever with votes on the most important and emotive public issues, such as the Gaza conflict 9/ends