Tim (totally unremarkable) Profile picture
Former Labour Press Officer, storytelling, #NewsPenguin #TwitterQuiz at 7pm on Sunday. Ketchup is a vegetable. Polls predict - elections prove
GabrielleLainePeters 🚀 Profile picture 1 subscribed
Feb 24 6 tweets 2 min read
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 Image 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
Feb 21 4 tweets 1 min read
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
Nov 20, 2023 11 tweets 4 min read
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 Image
Jul 8, 2023 74 tweets 28 min read
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 Image An almost empty bus so I get the best seat - an almost empty high road Image
Jul 11, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
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”
Jul 11, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
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
Jul 11, 2022 7 tweets 2 min read
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
Jul 10, 2022 5 tweets 1 min read
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
Jul 10, 2022 25 tweets 3 min read
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
Jul 10, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
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
Jul 9, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
A million (well ten) hearts are broken and betting slips lie torn up on the gutter 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
Jul 9, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
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 I guess the as yet unanswered question is is whether the wider tory party is ready for or accepts it needs cleansing/detoxifying
Jul 8, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
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 And I think “ready for Rishi” is a huge error - awful campaign strap-line and easy for others to attack
Jul 8, 2022 9 tweets 4 min read
A cafe disaster - finished at the pricking and prodding place and I wanted to introduce you to Frank’s - sadly it is no more ImageImage 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
Nov 10, 2021 7 tweets 2 min read
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
Nov 9, 2021 7 tweets 2 min read
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
Nov 9, 2021 8 tweets 2 min read
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
Nov 8, 2021 4 tweets 1 min read
Some suggest Johnson is playing a clever political game and victory is reforming the standards committee process
If you are right (you aren’t) the political capital he has used up and damage done simply isn’t worth it
He is on the run , hiding from scrutiny and out of control If it was about reforming the Standards investigation process he could’ve turned up in parliament, said what Barclay said and his backbenchers would’ve started to heal and move behind him
The front pages might well have been different
He was set a leadership test and failed
Nov 8, 2021 6 tweets 2 min read
Latest poll from @RedfieldWilton tells a familiar story
Labour base shifted up and solid
Tory base dropping
The October/November cliff edge is real Fwiw and professional pundits and commentators might have different views
1: I think it shows that after the Corbyn era voters are starting to at least look at labour again
2: A consistent new base for Labour of circa 35/36% isn’t a bad base to be after all that has happened
Nov 8, 2021 8 tweets 1 min read
Stephen Barclay expresses regret at the government’s approach last week All I will say is that it takes a cowardly ‘leader’ or ‘leader of the house’ to send out another minister to ‘express regret’ or apologise on behalf of the government
Nov 7, 2021 25 tweets 3 min read
The #NewsPenguin #TwitterQuiz for Sunday November 7
20 General Questions
Five bonus questions on US STATES (Thanks
@Pam_nAshes)
90 minutes to answer 25 questions (7-830pm)
Answers tweeted at 845pm
1: In the Harry Potter series, the Fat Friar is the ghost of which Hogwarts House 2: In the Mr Men series by Roger Hargreaves Mr Fussy is