[Boiler]

However...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... rds-trains

Have they finalised the route towards Cambridge yet? I still think it was a dumb idea not to electrify the line from the start, but that'd probably upset the Nimbys in Tempsford even more.

[Tubby Isaacs]

You beat me to it. This is so spectacularly depressing.

I have had more than enough of these Lexit goons in the RMT and ASLEF. It all feeds into "nothing the government does ever works".

[The Weeping Angel]

In more positive news.

[The Weeping Angel]

Janan Ganesh has thoughts.

[mattomac]

Consider this…

The Tories for those last 4 years seemed forever by breathless commentators on the verge of a possible comeback even though the polls said for about 3 years they were finished. In fact Johnson’s hold over the country seemed complete as one commentator opined he sat squat across the political spectrum of this country. A year later he was scrambling around to find an MP to sit in his cabinet before resigning.

Meanwhile

Labour were unproven
Labour had to seal the deal
Labour had a lot of convincing to do

This now seems a given for Reform even though their big first test at running councils they are looking at best woefully prepared, they lost a seat in Wales that seemed foregone and only just took Runcorn another formality.

Perhaps a bit more focus should go on that…why do I feel like most political analysis it will end up forgotten within 12 months. Labour might not recover but it has opportunities to do so.

[The Weeping Angel]

I'd also add that, considering this is supposed to be the worst government ever, the polling has, on the whole, remained relatively stable. Reform is in the lead, but not to the extent that Labour had over the Tories.

[The Weeping Angel]

Talking of amateur social science a lot of people have suddenly noticed that the Social Democrats in Denmark aren't polling very well, and that's proof of idiot Starmer. A moment's research shows they've been in power since 2011. I would assume they copped a fair bit of backlash from inflation, like Biden, Sunak, Macron, and everyone else. So it's not clear to me from the outline facts (which is after all what loads of commentators just have) that there's electoral oblivion for the centre-left in what Starmer's doing. There's still a route to a decent Labour performance and coalition with other parties who do run on a more liberal programme. That would be a good result.

I saw Nadia Whitome highlighting this; it's an example of 4-D Chess, apparently.