Statement outside in pouring rain ✅
Things Can Only Get Better almost drowning out speech ✅
MPs and ministers furious ✅
Journalists manhandled at launch event ✅

Quite a way to launch a general election campaign…

Rain puns dominating the election splashes

I'm in the Lords chamber right now listening to a government minister defend media freedom.

The headline writers have certainly been having fun with the weather tonight.

🚨 New: Ofcom received over 5,000 complaints about GB News's lack of due impartiality in the previous financial year.

In stark contrast, all BBC TV, radio and digital services received just 1,302 impartiality complaints.

Ofcom say 87,008 complaints were received in 2023/24,

This week sees the release of the Infected Blood report and AND Paula Vennells giving evidence at the Post Office Inquiry.

The Eye first covered the contaminated blood story in 1987 and the Post Office in 2011.

Want to know what inquiries will be happening ten years from now

Tom Hunt(Tory MP): 'I haven't seen any evidence that brexit has had a negative impact on this economy.' 👀

Rafael Behr(Guardian): 'Your government, in their own forecasts, essentially accepts a cost to GDP from having left the single market...'

#PoliticsLive

Andrew Mitchell; 'The British govt is absolutely consistent, it always acts in accordance with the rule of law, & will always continue to do so.'

The same Govt. 👇

Brandon Lewis(Sept 2020): 'Yes, this does break international law in a very specific & limited way.'

Looks like Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland | Formerly Jurys Inn has deleted my rewards account, meaning that I have had to create a new one. I still get a discounted rate, but have lost my existing points and reward level. First world problems, but very annoying. Leonardo Hotels

The Telegraph Britain did what it wanted on Foreign Policy inside the EU and was invariably a leader backed by other EU states. More likely current UK leadership is now less influencial in Europe, just when it would have been very useful.

Another Brexit clanger.

Angie The Labour Party Keir Starmer No part of the UK has escaped the impact of the incompetence of the Conservative governments since 2010. At the national level, people have been left with £10,200 less to spend or save on average since 2010🤷🏽‍♂️ centreforcities.org/press/cities-o….

How hard can it be to book a car service with Stratstone? Impossible if the only time they actually answer the ’phone is to hang up.

What are the benefits of this

5 wasted hours / even demanding they inspect the back of the van so I can go home . No inspection / not interested . Just sat there . 5 hours unpaid . As for the rest .. I’m sure many have been there all day

For what . What benefits ?

While understanding the surprise (it was unexpected!) at Natalie Elphicke’s defection, I’m bemused by the shock, in some quarters, that Keir Starmer welcomed her.

No, not because Sir Keir is a “Red Tory” or a “short-term opportunist”.

His grand strategy explains it.

A 🧵/1.

Farrukh True Conservatism is the opposite of Brexit. Conservatism means changing as little as possible. But Brexit changed EVERYTHING – without any plan or evidence that it would make things better. Is the Conservative Party dead? Yes. And who killed it? Boris Johnson and the Brexiters.

Dominic Grieve, 'And the Conservative party, as a philosophical idea, is not connecting with the electorate'

'The core policy of Brexit is not delivering the change that was promised, and which ultimately the party has embraced because post Brexit or a referendum, it said it was

We are expanding our pastoral team - please get in touch if you'd like any more info about this exciting role as non-teaching Assistant Head of Year within #TeamHavelock tes.com/jobs/vacancy/a…

Imagine a general election campaign where a political party can interview itself on TV every day. It’s coming soon courtesy of Ofcom. My blog at profpurvis.com #Ofcom #GBNews

Keir Starmer has done a St George’s Day video in which he comes across as warm, genuine and patriotic. This is contrived, performative and inauthentic. The difference between the party’s social media operations is staggering.

If a Rwanda flight does take off…

Your bills will still be as expensive

Your wait for a GP/hospital bed will still be as long

Your court date will still be as delayed

Your taxes will still be as high

…but we will all be more more morally & financially bankrupt as a nation