[Tubby Isaacs]

The Lib Dems have responded to water bill rises by... calling for the abolition of Ofwat. The bills are rising (mostly) to pay for extra investment to build sewers and reservoirs. You can bet the Lib Dems will be in full "localist" mode complaining if sewage isn't reduced.

Still, this sort of stuff worked for Nick Clegg.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Some fantastic Lib Dem performances in by-elections yesterday, including in Preston. I think Labour might get a fair few of these voters in 2029 where it needs them (lots of the current abstainers/don't know will be Labour in places like that. But it's not great for Kemi Jenrick. Claire Coutihno in East Surrey may be one of several to have a problem if Davey thinks he's got the capacity to take her on.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Lib Dems to force vote on creating new customs union with EU
Ed Davey’s party believes the move is the best way to ‘turbocharge’ economy, rather than tax rises

Look at this rubbish. By all means, make the case for trying to negotiate a Customs Union. But, in the unlikely event of the EU being sufficiently interested, it would take a long time. He's seen how long the Starmer deal has taken (summit in main, negotiating mandate only just agreed). So the idea this removes the need for tax rises is absolute nonsense.

If you want to "turbocharge", surely you'd need the Single Market. Davey obviously thinks freedom of movement would be too unpopular,, which is the same position as Starmer. So what exactly is the difference between them, except Davey is playing dynamic Bozo to Starmer's Theresa May? We know how that ended.

I note this.

The Lib Dem plans propose a bespoke customs union with the EU by 2030, suggesting it could be similar to the one it has had with Turkey since 1995.

Nobody seems to think much of the EU-Turkey arrangement. What exactly is the benefit of it without the Single Market as well?

[Youngian]

The benefits are negotiating leverage which is geopolitical as much as economic. The big economic calls have been made in international trade, the main agenda for Europe is preserving the gains and seeing to it that Trump doesn't totally destroy the international order.
Any perks the UK gains over the EU with the US is either Trump eccentricity or a malevolent attempt to yank Britain away from Europe's orbit. America no longer has allies, its a transactional power.

[The Weeping Angel]

Where's George?

[mattomac]

What vote is he trying to win with that?