Out getting my steps in and taking in the local sights
First up a few bits of art from the London Mural Festival
First is by Jeba Second by Gent 48

The #NewsPenguin #TwitterQuiz Sunday Sept 8
20 general questions
5 bonus questions on MONTHS
90 minutes (7-830pm) to answer 25 questions
Answers tweeted at 840pm
1: In the children's TV series "Fireman Sam" who is the "Italian citizen who runs a Cafe in Pontypandy" 2: In "SpongeBob SquarePants" what is Mrs Puff, SpongeBob's paranoid driving teacher and the owner of the town boating school, first name

I’m going to attempt something that will probably take a few tweets and yes it is about Reform UK but more about voters and what I think is happening, and I promise not rant or snap
We need to go back, and I’m sorry but it is important, to 2016 after the referendum, not to … take sides in the Leave/Remain debate but to look at reactions
Most, although there were exceptions, dismissed Leave voters as thick and cries of “gammon” became a thing, they were the “dirty people” who frequented Wetherspoons and just didn’t understand the issues

Need to get this off my chest:
No one is secretly sabotaging the tory election campaign
This is all on him
The tory election campaign, as I’ve said before is being run from Number 10 and CCHQ is being bypassed
One of the most effective election machines in the world… … has been wrecked by a bloke who is good at spreadsheets, has zero political campaigning experience
He hasn’t learned from his defeat by Truss
He is rubbish, lacks judgment and contrary to his boasts never gets the big calls right

This is a similar claim dressed up as a question to others tweeted this morning

If you claim a Jewish MP is controlled or captured we know what it is

If you single out a Muslim MP and claim they have been captured or are controlled it is as bad This needs repeating because this nonsense is being used to defend Anderson/attack Khan:
“Khan is failing on policing antisemitism & a threat to democracy in London”
The power to ban marches lies with the Home Secretary not the MoL
The 2012 ban on EDL marches is the proof of this

Remember this all started with an SNP stunt
Labour as is their right tabled amendment
The government joined in by tabling an amendment meaning three votes would take place
Speaker decided all amendments would be heard
Nasty debate followed
Government withdrew their amendment Meant vote on Labour amendment was held first
It was carried and became the substantive motion so SNP motion no longer existed
I hope that is clear

A short thread about politics, what might be happening and how people might be ignoring the connections
Starting with ‘that email’ to all Cllrs in England from what most believed was from a couple of random Cllrs in a London borough
It is true that across the political spectrum … what is happening in Israel and Gaza divides opinion, however there are groups that are united, one such group is Workers Party GB, in October Chris Williamson, its him again, emailed all @UKLabour Cllrs, it didn’t receive much publicity and those involved were disappointed

Voting continues on the #Cafe I am going to visit today but with a travel time of 30+ minutes I’m off - will it be trendy brunch place or a traditional greasy spoon cafe
The adventure starts here
The lift was temperamental and for 60 seconds I thought this would be my morning An almost empty bus so I get the best seat - an almost empty high road

Full text of @Keir_Starmer speech is here labour.org.uk/press/keir-sta… I like this: “Boosterism and wishful thinking are not the same as ambition - If you don’t have a plan to make your hopes real, all you are selling is an illusion”

Good to hear @Keir_Starmer attack the north -v-south, city -v- town nonsense
Not a bad speech so far A lot to think about in that speech but done initial thoughts:
1: getting the hard bit out of the way, he isn’t a great orator BUT he is finally settling into his own style
2: He isn’t ducking the big issues and has started setting out dividing lines

Leadership campaign logos and my thoughts:
Sunak - predictable, clean and not a bad effort
Why change what you’ve already tried Mordaunt - not a fan of the dot com
This would work for a removal company

Rehman Chishti, the former Political Adviser to Benazir Bhutto announcing a bid for the tory leadership is something I didn't expect Interestingly he did resign his role as Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief over his "deeply held convictions of respect for the rule of law"
I reckon he will struggle to reach five MP supporters

The #NewsPenguin #TwitterQuiz for Sunday July 10
20 general questions
5 bonus questions on DAYS
90 minutes (7-830pm) to answer 25 questions
Answers tweeted at 845pm
1: Who owned the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world 2: In the children's TV series "Danger Mouse" Penfold is a timid, bespectacled hamster, and Danger Mouse's reluctant assistant and sidekick
What is Penfold's first name

Looking back at the @UKLabour leadership contest, the following were punted as candidates but didn't stand: The following individuals were discussed in the media as potential leadership candidates, but chose not to stand: Diane Abbott endorsed Long-Bailey
Yvette Cooper endorsed Starmer
Barry Gardiner endorsed Long-Bailey
Dan Jarvis nominated Nandy
David Lammy endorsed Starmer
Ian Lavery endorsed Long-Bailey
John McDonnell endorsed Long-Bailey
Angela Rayner endorsed Long-Bailey

A million (well ten) hearts are broken and betting slips lie torn up on the gutter

https://twitter.com/bwallacemp/status/1545732698567737344

Wallace’s eye has always been on a very different crown - replacing Jens Stoltenberg as the next Nato ‘chief’ on October
He now has the profile and image to be a serious contender - his candidacy was mainly stuff and nonsense by people picking names from a hat

This is one of the reasons I keep talking about 2005/6 and the Cameron detoxification
Imo it is easier to do in opposition than in government
Starmer has a head start whoever replaces Johnson will have constant internal battles to fight and cleansing to undertake

https://twitter.com/rewearmouth/status/1545726770556567552

I guess the as yet unanswered question is is whether the wider tory party is ready for or accepts it needs cleansing/detoxifying

As promo videos go it isn’t bad and is about the right length - the build up to the ending is ok
I’ve seen a lot better and expected Sunak to set a new standard but I think he has failed - a missed opportunity

https://twitter.com/rishisunak/status/1545426650032111616

And I think “ready for Rishi” is a huge error - awful campaign strap-line and easy for others to attack

A cafe disaster - finished at the pricking and prodding place and I wanted to introduce you to Frank’s - sadly it is no more So I wandered about a bit and I remembered the Bus Garage Cafe at Waterloo
Cheap, good and they do crumble - not sure if it is still open but we will soon find out

I will try to explain my frustration with a lot of the discussion around the current sleaze crisis
1: the debate shouldn’t be about whether £81k is a decent salary or whether MPs should be paid more, that issue is a red herring used by people with a different agenda 2: a partial ban or an approved list of 2nd jobs won’t work, it would set profession against profession and doesn’t deal with the real issue of sleaze - with a complete 2nd job ban lobbying could and would still happen

On internal @UKLabour politics: Whenever Labour starts to improve in the polls, start leading the political agenda and voters start noticing us and are prepared to at least listen to our ideas, one thing always happens, our internal factions up the volume of their criticism Whether we are in government, running the a council or improving our ratings in opposition it always happens
Red on Red is the main attraction for too many in @UKLabour
It is possible to criticise without doing the tories work for them

The detail of MPs expenses claims is stunning and transparent
I don’t think anyone should ever be out of pocket through work While I’ve been sitting in cubicles waiting to be prodded and pricked I tried to do an easy comparison thing on MPs staffcosts/expenses without travel, comparing a very affluent constituency to a poorer constituency but I’ve found it a lot more complex than that