It’s easy to underestimate the economic catastrophe of the last 16 years because it’s been gradual. But imagine we’d actually grown at 2% a year since 2008 and then lost it all at once this year: it would be a collapse of >30% Hard to overstate how radical we need to be now

Is it really better to have been chosen by Boris Johnson than by the Almighty?

Well thank goodness the replacement systems of nominating corrupt cronies in one house and electing deviant non entities in the other has provided us with such wonderful leadership recently.

Peter Brookes cartoon in the Times today. Justice herself dies in the Grenfell Tower. Public enquiry - 7 years. Criminal prosecutions - another 10 years before the chance of a guilty conviction.

How HS2 went from state of the art to £67bn 'worst of all worlds' white elephant inews.co.uk/news/politics/…

An impressive maiden speech. How many have been delivered without notes?

15 Labour MPs selected in Parliament private members’ bill ballot as Tories lose out – via LabourList labourlist.org/2024/09/labour…

Great piece by Stephen Bush on the mindbending complexity/multiple possibilities of the contest, notwithstanding the small numbers involved. He's suggesting Cleverly may come through; I still wonder if it'll be Badenoch & Jenrick in the final two. ft.com/content/09b571… via @ft

Along with helpful conversation starters, our guidance also includes how to talk to your child about their online activity and how to direct them to safe spaces for support. Read more 👇 bit.ly/3AL0e9e

THE DICTATORS is published today! Buy a signed copy here politicos.co.uk/products/the-d… Or even better from your local independent bookshop. I thought you might like to see a full cast list of the 64 dictators covered and the authors of the essays. Pisistratus - Rene Lavanchy

"The big difference between Badenoch and Jenrick’s campaigns? Ex-Johnson supporters" Dr David Jeffery conservativehome.com/2024/09/05/dav… via @conhome

Still loving his work.

.Henry Hill on the leadership contest so far: "six people talking pleasantly about unity" conservativehome.com/2024/09/05/as-… via @conhome

This week’s episode of The Briefing Room with David Aaronovitch is available now - bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0… - expert analysis from Paul Johnson Mehreen Khan Chris Giles Or listen live at 16.00 on BBC Radio 4

🖊NEW #MEIBlog🖊 As #KeirStarmer marks two months in #DowningStreet, Dr. Max considers how #SueGray has settled back into Whitehall and how she has approached her first months as the Prime Minister's Chief-of-Staff. 🔗 qmul.ac.uk/mei/news-and-o…

Just saw a huge pile of Sam Leith 🐝 's magnificent new book in Hatchards. Snapped it up and can't wait to read it!

Yep. Not, of course, impossible; but presumably relatively few of the 121 must have entered - and, as the saying goes, you've got to be in it to win it!

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Nostalgia overload.

Brilliant, just brilliant. And it's 'only' a book review! lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/…