Mark Pack
@markpackuk.bsky.social
Lib Dem Life Peer. Party President 2020-5. Author, "Polling UnPacked" / http://www.theweekinpolls.co.uk / https://libdemnewswire.substack.com / imprint + privacy http://markpack.org.uk/legal-privacy / he/him
New Lib Dem councillor is former Labour council leader
New Lib Dem councillor is former Labour council leader
Congratulations to Pat Hackett, a former Labour council leader who has just been elected unopposed in a by-election for Dawlish Town Council.
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM
New Lib Dem councillor is former Labour council leader
"Today" ... Hmm.
Keir Starmer does not plan to resign today, says his spokesman.
He's "concentrating on the job at hand," he says
He's "concentrating on the job at hand," he says
February 9, 2026 at 12:33 PM
"Today" ... Hmm.
No.10 certainly needs a new team, but as @pollymackenzie.bsky.social has perceptively pointed out, Starmer seems to always think that getting just one key person right is going to fix things rather than being a good team builder.
Tim Allan quits as 10 Downing Street director of communications after around five months in the job
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success," he says in a short statement
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success," he says in a short statement
February 9, 2026 at 11:14 AM
No.10 certainly needs a new team, but as @pollymackenzie.bsky.social has perceptively pointed out, Starmer seems to always think that getting just one key person right is going to fix things rather than being a good team builder.
Reposted by Mark Pack
Re-upping this for the Monday crowd... I think my favourite, most revealing detail is that the guy seems to not realise he's in trouble because London Centric's reporting didn't hit anything like his view counts, so therefore it can't really matter.
Hate-filled fake videos about London are everywhere. We've obtained a recording of a TikToker confessing to secretly filming Londoners in their homes for clicks.
He says it's not political. He just wants to make money from far-right anger.
Read what he says: www.londoncentric.media/p/london-tik...
He says it's not political. He just wants to make money from far-right anger.
Read what he says: www.londoncentric.media/p/london-tik...
February 9, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Re-upping this for the Monday crowd... I think my favourite, most revealing detail is that the guy seems to not realise he's in trouble because London Centric's reporting didn't hit anything like his view counts, so therefore it can't really matter.
My Parliamentary Question on Tuesday should be interesting.
February 9, 2026 at 8:48 AM
My Parliamentary Question on Tuesday should be interesting.
If I wanted to know whether Al Carns has been impressive or underwhelming as a minister, what should I read/listen to?
February 9, 2026 at 7:42 AM
If I wanted to know whether Al Carns has been impressive or underwhelming as a minister, what should I read/listen to?
How Keir Starmer's polling encourages both change and paralysis buff.ly/OzjooYz
How Keir Starmer's polling encourages both change and paralysis
Welcome to the 198th edition of The Week in Polls (TWIP), which this week takes a look at how Keir Starmer’s polling compares with that for the Labour Party, kicking off with some good news for the…
buff.ly
February 8, 2026 at 9:48 PM
How Keir Starmer's polling encourages both change and paralysis buff.ly/OzjooYz
No clearer sign of the directionless floundering in Labour that at the same time as McSweeney is saying he takes responsibility for what went wrong over Mandelson, his friends are busy telling the media that no, he wasn't responsible.
February 8, 2026 at 8:14 PM
No clearer sign of the directionless floundering in Labour that at the same time as McSweeney is saying he takes responsibility for what went wrong over Mandelson, his friends are busy telling the media that no, he wasn't responsible.
Reposted by Mark Pack
Polling, February 1966 style.
February 8, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Polling, February 1966 style.
About time.
BREAKING: Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's chief of staff amid fall-out from the Mandelson scandal
February 8, 2026 at 3:18 PM
About time.
PING! Another day, another Reform councillor goes: buff.ly/g8nhFd8
Ever-lengthening list of all the departures now also updated: buff.ly/SBmkIz0
Ever-lengthening list of all the departures now also updated: buff.ly/SBmkIz0
Worcestershire councillor quits Reform over plans to raise council tax
Worcestershire Reform councillor David Taylor says he will now sit as an independent.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 8, 2026 at 2:31 PM
PING! Another day, another Reform councillor goes: buff.ly/g8nhFd8
Ever-lengthening list of all the departures now also updated: buff.ly/SBmkIz0
Ever-lengthening list of all the departures now also updated: buff.ly/SBmkIz0
Agenda published for Lib Dem Spring Conference 2026
Agenda published for Lib Dem Spring Conference 2026
Taking a look through, I was glad to see that a change I introduced as President has stuck … Read the full post »
buff.ly
February 8, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Agenda published for Lib Dem Spring Conference 2026
Set myself a tricky writing challenge with the opening lines for tomorrow's The Week in Polls.
Sign up here to see if I managed to meet it: theweekinpolls.substack.com
Sign up here to see if I managed to meet it: theweekinpolls.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Set myself a tricky writing challenge with the opening lines for tomorrow's The Week in Polls.
Sign up here to see if I managed to meet it: theweekinpolls.substack.com
Sign up here to see if I managed to meet it: theweekinpolls.substack.com
Green councillor Manu Singh joins the Lib Dems
Green councillor Manu Singh joins the Lib Dems
Welcome to Manu Singh, previously a Green councillor on Runnymede Council and now a Liberal Democrat councillor.
buff.ly
February 7, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Green councillor Manu Singh joins the Lib Dems
I think "the prime minister's allies" may have missed that the way to help the PM is to float sensible ideas, not risible ones.
Will Keir Starmer use his nuclear option to try to head off a leadership challenge? www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...
Will Keir Starmer use his nuclear option to try to head off a leadership challenge?
The prime minister’s allies have hinted that he will call a general election, says John Rentoul
www.independent.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 4:23 PM
I think "the prime minister's allies" may have missed that the way to help the PM is to float sensible ideas, not risible ones.
Magic, at the Twist Museum.
February 7, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Magic, at the Twist Museum.
Simpler times.
Happy Jacket Theft Anniversary, @paulwaughmp.bsky.social !
February 7, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Simpler times.
Three council by-elections this week
Three council by-elections this week
Three principal authority council by-elections this week, one a traditional non-party affair for the City of London Corporation.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Three council by-elections this week
Reposted by Mark Pack
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
Welcome
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
A Reform UK cabinet member in charge of purging Kent County Council (KCC) of waste and inefficiency has resigned
KCC Reform UK cabinet member resigns over ‘lapse of judgement’
A Reform UK cabinet member in charge of purging Kent County Council of waste has resigned over a ‘lapse of judgement’.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM
A Reform UK cabinet member in charge of purging Kent County Council (KCC) of waste and inefficiency has resigned
A double-dose of former Labour Mayors voting Lib Dem
Looking bad for Labour in South London when former Labour mayors of Southwark & Lambeth are voting for us this May.
Welcome to all the many former Labour voters who are voting for us now.
Welcome to all the many former Labour voters who are voting for us now.
February 6, 2026 at 3:34 PM
A double-dose of former Labour Mayors voting Lib Dem
Reposted by Mark Pack
so a month ago I was reading @markpackuk.bsky.social’s speech on Twitter in the lords and there were obviously fake stats the government used to justify Twitter’s UK reach and its continued importance to British audiences
Rob has now found the source of the data was… Twitter
Rob has now found the source of the data was… Twitter
UPDATE: I've had a response from the Cabinet Office!
"the statistics cited ‘19.2 million British citizens registered with X and 10.8 million families using the platform’ were provided by OmniGov, the government's media buying agency, who received this data directly from X itself."
"the statistics cited ‘19.2 million British citizens registered with X and 10.8 million families using the platform’ were provided by OmniGov, the government's media buying agency, who received this data directly from X itself."
February 6, 2026 at 9:50 AM
so a month ago I was reading @markpackuk.bsky.social’s speech on Twitter in the lords and there were obviously fake stats the government used to justify Twitter’s UK reach and its continued importance to British audiences
Rob has now found the source of the data was… Twitter
Rob has now found the source of the data was… Twitter
Howard Sykes retiring as a councillor
Howard Sykes retiring as a councillor
Councillor Howard Sykes, Oldham Borough’s longest serving councillor, is to retire from Oldham Council this May.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Howard Sykes retiring as a councillor
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
Welcome
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Capita, the Cabinet Office and the civil service pensions fiasco
Davey clashes with Starmer over Mandelson-Epstein Links
Davey CLASHES with Starmer over Mandelson-Epstein Links
When Keir Starmer made Peter Mandelson his US Ambassador – even after his Epstein links were well known – did he think at all about Epstein's victims?The Pri...
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February 5, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Davey clashes with Starmer over Mandelson-Epstein Links