@alexisconran.com “Richard, you’re smart enough…” Quite. Rinse and repeat. Great interview, Alexis.

@calumam.bsky.social That interview with the lady who has taken up the baton was quite something. Excellent interviewing; giving the space for the guest to speak at length. Thank you.

If you are one of the six people who are interested more in the technical details of Angela Rayner's tax position (and the penalties that might apply), and less about the politics, I've updated our analysis with more caselaw:

@thestigabell.bsky.social That’s the holiday reading sorted. Thanks for the recommendation (during the recent weekend Times Radio show when you were on the other side of the desk). It might take some time to get round to the Dorothy Sayers and Bill Bryson ones. This one is quite the doorstop.

@geoffnorcott.bsky.social That was a cracking show. Well done to you and Ria and Peter for keeping that going. Glued to it (better word for radio?) all the way through the dog walk, then afterwards as I grazed my way round the kitchen cupboards.

@ayeshahazarika.bsky.social Was visiting parents in Hamilton at Christmas (from Belgium). WHSmith in what’s left of the centre had a closing down sale. The lady who was condensing down the sales stock was (I assume) exactly the kind of retail employee that your guest was referring to. Sad times.

1/ Ok, so instead of just making jokes about the EU Reset, I wanted to do a very simplified thread on:
- what the actual problem is Keir Starmer is trying to solve;
- the options on the table; and
- why this shit is hard.

This will be very long. I'm sorry.

Let's get wonky.