[Tubby Isaacs]

She can be prosecuted for what's happened here.

Did the agent advise her she needed a licence? It's more than likely that it's still her responsibility, but I'd be a bit annoyed if I was her. I thought the same with Rayner and the solicitor, but nobody much agreed with me.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Government's probably going to get a load of shit for not sorting out Prince Andrew as well. Did Geoffrey Clinton-Brown put this out himself, or are the whole committee clueless? I like to think if I'd have been sitting there I'd have thought "hang on, doesn't he have a contract though?"

Nearly Legal says Andrew's lease is valid.

[davidjay]

Where the fuck's Alistair Campbell when you need him?

[The Weeping Angel]

Doing emergency podcasts.

[mattomac]

Can I ask why should the government care about Prince Andrew’s lodge?

[Youngian]

Does the crown own the Queen Mum's castle on the Caithness coast vulnerable to radioactive fallout from Douneray?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Reopening the Portishead railway line to passengers for the first time in 60 years is moving closer with the final phase of enabling works now underway, paving the way for construction to start in 2026.

The multimillion-pound project was given the green light by the Department for Transport (DfT) back in July thanks to more than £47m of government funding.

Don't know where else to put this, but sounds like decent progress. It's a few miles of mothballed track, should have been done ages ago. The Government have rightly focussed on getting these things through planning quicker, but they have to watch that the cost too. I think this is devolved for delivery, and sometimes these aren't up to the job of controlling costs.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Apparently the ministerial code advisor has cleared Reeves. So perhaps that draws a line under it. Probably not though.

[The Weeping Angel]

Guardian live blog trying to make something of the fact the spokesman wouldn't answer.

[Tubby Isaacs]

In fairness, it's something a live blog would focus on. But as ever, I wonder what some people actually do for their fees. Shouldn't a commercial agent tell you you need a licence if they're letting a flat on your behalf? I think you'd be entitled to be very annoyed if they didn't, while of course I accept that it's your responsibility at the end of the day and you have to pay fines etc. Drumming someone out of their job for this would seem a bit harsh.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Actually they're saying that the advisor should have seen proof that it was inadvertent. What would that have been? It's a more likely explanation than the Chancellor thinking "Fuck em, I'm not getting a licence", I'd have thought.