Morning!

🚨Huge Britpop anniversary alert!🚨

Happy 30th birthday to “Parklife” by Blur. This was their first album to reach number 1 on the UK chart and every studio album since has repeated the feat!

Favourite track? For me it’s “London Loves”.

blur Dave Rowntree

Tremendous lunch at Cuubo in Harborne today - at £30 for three courses, it has to be one of Birmingham's top culinary bargains. The cooking is precise and clever and service is spot-on.

Column. Ignoring Liz Truss would be charitable, but also a collusion with Tories who want us to forget that she happened (Or, tough on Truss, tough on the causes of Truss) theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

#bbc2 Free solo just starting.

Have to look away can’t look away viewing.

I just cringe at all of this. It’s so excessive, it looks so mean and bitter and I’ve always been a huge Ange fan. From a Tory perspective it’s totally counter-productive and to harangue the mother of a blind child looks absolutely dreadful. She’s a joy and a firebrand,…

New post on Dividing Lines: Jeremy Hunt has forced Labour to fill the gap in its tax and spending plans quickly, but not for the reason you think dividinglines.substack.com/p/tax-gaps

YouGov: Labour on course for majority of 156. Survation. says 286. Which is nearer the mark? My answer, for Prospect: sorry, Survation, you have the wrong numbers. No, Labour won't win Harpenden, or Sutton & Cheam, or Woking, or Hazel Grove, or Torbay prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/elect…

“Rayner put two sachets of sugar(approximate value 0.0003p) in her pocket after having a coffee in Starbucks.”

Private Eye Magazine⁩ 😆

Some of Buster Keaton’s best stunts!

Buster Keaton never had a script, in fact him and good friend Charlie Chaplin never even thought of writing one. Comedian, stuntman, and director, 100 years later, were still learning from him.

Garlic aioli toothpaste. April 1st shenanigans aside, I know a few raw garlic advocates who’d love this.
Leon you’re on to something…

A message from a longtime The Labour Party friend asking me to explain why I get grumpy or dismissive when people cheer MRP polls showing a huge Labour majority and reacting as though we have won the general election, so here is a short thread
To start we have to go back to 2020

Opinion | The Red Wall is over – towns like Harlow and Peterborough will decide the election

🖋️ Paul Waugh

trib.al/zrcTz4m

The shift in the mood of the electorate this parliament has been simply incredible.

Conservative poll leads, March 2020
Opinium +26
NCP +26
Ipsos +22
Kantar +21
Redfield & Wilton +18

Labour poll leads, March 2024
Savanta +21
Redfield & Wilton +20
YouGov +19
Opinium +16

The political knighthood/damehood has been completely devalued in recent years. Virtually every backbench Conservative MP of any length of service has been given one, simply for doing their jobs. Rest of the public (save senior civil servants) have to do something exceptional.

Ah Mr Bun. We meet again.
I’ve been expecting you.

Special educational needs in English schools in ‘crisis’, minister admits theguardian.com/education/2024…

I'm live on Soho Radio from 8pm tonight, with music from Dr Dre, Stranglers, Belbury Poly, Kate Bush, Doors, Genesis, Dumbo Tracks, Solomon Burke & more. In the 2nd hr, I'm joined by the brilliant LIAM BAILEY, selecting some of his faves & talking about his ace new LP Zero Grace.

NEW: Councils are increasingly ­rejecting requests to assess children for ­special needs amid the financial crisis in the SEND education system

Councils rejected a fifth more requests for SEND needs assessments in 2023 than 2022

By me, for the Observer: theguardian.com/education/2024…

#bbclaurak ‘100k doesn’t stretch as far as it used to’ according to Jeremy Hunt in a poor attempt to deflect from his earlier comment.
Nice try Jeremy, but everyone knows cutting back on a 3rd annual holiday is not the same as choosing between heating and eating.