Lost my other X Twitter account that I had since 2012 - so here we go again! Recent ex Labour member - never again.
Joined August 2026
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The Coup that was planned from over a year ago…
It was planned well, waiting for major policies to pass.
Now Burnham is taking credit for what has already passed in Parliament or is under way.
A Summer of announcements that weren’t Burnham’s at all.
gov.uk/government/news/engli…
These numbers are scary
When UK ministers talk about how they are spending £298bn over four years on their defence investment plan it sounds impressive.
But this is just the annual budget - including for recurring costs like canteen food, boots and light bulbs - lumped together from 2026-30.
We have analysed the numbers in the small print of the investment plan (DIP).
It shows that military chiefs are banking on tens of billions of additional pounds from 2030 and beyond.
Or else their own numbers do not add up.
Check out our rather rough and ready maths - and thank you to @FTusa284 for sharing your views! ⬇️
news.sky.com/video/is-there-…
The UK officially re-enters the Erasmus scheme done by the Starmer government on January 1, 2027.
He had finalised an agreement to rejoin the EU's Erasmus+ student exchange programme.
(Just in case Mr so and so says it was all me me me.)
gov.uk/government/news/uk-an…
GovWatch retweeted
It is wholly inappropriate for any Defence Secretary to talk about the Chairman of the Defence Select Committee in this way – totally disrespectful.
Just because @TanDhesi had the temerity to question where the money is going to come from to get to 3% - given John Healey still has no plan, despite resigning over that very matter – it’s no excuse for @wesstreeting to vent his frustration in this way.
GovWatch retweeted
Another good take on #Budget2026... 🤔
***BLOOMBERG BUDGET ANALYSIS***
John Healey’s modest budget achieved his main aim of avoiding an adverse market reaction.
But the cost-of-living support is small and will be swallowed up by coming rises to bills.
It is a long way off Andy Burnham’s pledge to rip up 40 years of neoliberalism and transform the economy.
And it could be out-of-date within days if Trump escalates against Iran and causes another energy price shock.
The question is: does this budget really meet voters’ expectations of the change Burnham is promising and mean Labour’s popularity continues to improve? Or will it mark a turning point as Healey struggles to live up to the PM’s rhetoric within the constraints of the manifesto, global headwinds and fiscal reality?
The IFS characterises the budget as “lots of fiddling, short-term things.” The Resolution Foundation says Healey has “spread the jam thin.” Kemi Badenoch asks: “Is that it?” Will this narrative take hold, or will Britons continue to be won over by the force of Burnham’s personality?
It also seems fair to ask what happened to his big ambitious ideas? There was not much on “public control” and nationalisation today. The council house building programme isn’t so revolutionary. There were no major reforms to council tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty, a land value tax, cutting the personal tax threshold, as he’s previously floated.
Healey’s commitment to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 won immediate praise from Zelenskyy and NATO. But deferring the decision on how to fund it means the next year will be very tough for the government. The spending review and next budget look painful, with big welfare cuts and tax rises likely needed.
The immediate fear in cabinet is Trump and Iran. UK officials believe it is likely the US military campaign is going to resume shortly. Resolution suggests that if there is serious escalation there it would wipe out Healey’s £15 billion headroom: “He doesn’t have enough to survive one bad roll of the dice.”
It leaves Burnham’s fate in the hands of Trump. That gives a whole new meaning to his strategy of “hope.”
With @PhilAldrick: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
This
John Healey claimed his first Budget 'for working people' would help Britain navigate global 'storms' in the short term and create the conditions for growth. What does former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane make of it?
Follow updates: ft.trib.al/q4vK7Er
GovWatch retweeted
Burnham’s face today while kemi was telling him off...what a pic..looks like he wanted to throw his rattles out the pram 😆 🤣 face like a slapped Ass.
The Debt Management Office has been forced to sell nearly £5bn of five-year gilts at their highest interest rate since 2008,
underscoring the fiscal challenge for Healey.
Published yesterday:
news.uk.cityam.com/story/247…
GovWatch retweeted
There really was no reason for Healey to resign.
But we all know why he did had nothing to do with what he said it was
A traitor beyond all Traitors to assist Burnham and his coup
John Healey’s resignation was “the nail in the coffin” for Starmer’s government, says @darrenpjones
“I just knew at that moment, that was it.”
So how does he feel that the now-Chancellor is adopting the same policy he resigned over?
GovWatch retweeted
🎯👇
(I've been banging on about this for a while! Business investment has rebounded as Brexit uncertainty has eased, and few businesses think 'rejoin' should be a priority)
GovWatch retweeted
You are still ignoring the fact that 100 days ago nobody asked us if we wanted YOU to promise to do things differently. In the blink of an eye, conspiring Backbenchers and disloyal Ministers forced our Prime Minister to resign and up you popped, promising hope in every postcode!
GovWatch retweeted
To think that the Prime Minister used to be so strongly against free movement of people in the EU as it was bad for his constituents. Is Leigh that far from Makerfield? (No, part of Leigh went into Makerfield in the last boundary changes).
GovWatch retweeted
FYI, talking about Brexit yesterday, Angela Rayner claimed that...
“The evidence is really clear in terms of 20% down in exports to the EU, 16,000 businesses no longer exporting to the EU, it has been the red tape on the EU deal we got, has been damaging to the economy”.
But if this is indeed the evidence, it really is not clear!
Let's unpick it... 🧵
Confusion confusion…
It forced a Downing Street spokesperson to say the prime minister was not proposing a return to freedom of movement, or any particular option.
Can’t make it up 😅
theguardian.com/politics/202…
GovWatch retweeted
NEW: Britain is walking away from joining the Canada-led international Defence, Security & Resilience Bank
@FT first revealed last month that the UK was exploring the proposal, including an option to merge the DSRB with the Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM), a separate UK-spearheaded international defence initiative.
Talks broke down over merger, including disagreement about locations of proposed headquarters, acc to officials briefed on the matter.
Via @GeorgeWParker & me
ft.com/content/1f7924c1-ab63…
GovWatch retweeted
Another UTurn - Burnham lied to the PLP to get their endorsement as PM
theguardian.com/politics/202…
A reminder:
Steve Reed under Starmer’s government scrapped Ofwat (currently going through transition) and also
Introduced the water special measures act in 2025 which proposes exactly this and more so ..
gov.uk/government/publicatio…
Do more research….. @guardian
GovWatch retweeted
As Andy Burnham approaches his 100th day in office, the FT interviewed swing voters in Sheffield. The consensus? Britain's prime minister has a job to do — and limited time to do it.
Read the full story ft.com/content/989dce73-2245…
GovWatch retweeted
This week's episode of The State of It with @patrickkmaguire @benrileysmith
* Why the government's planned welfare reforms will see the cost of the system rise before it falls
* There will be a big initial boost to employment support with tougher decisions on cutting benefits for young people further down the line
* This will inevitably make it an easier sell with Labour MPs - the carrot will come first, the stick much later - likely not even in this Parliament. This is about long-term welfare reform
* Inside the government rows over plans to make it harder for migrants to claim indefinite leave to remain. Will Andy Burnham back Shabana Mahmood or will he side with Angela Rayner and Miatta Fahnbulleh?
youtu.be/zPMf9f06Kwc?si=67Ak…
GovWatch retweeted
Did PM just nick one of the Chancellor's possible budget announcements? Burnham used #pmqs to say he's asked him at cutting standing charges from gas bills - average is 29.7 pence a day