John Rentoul
@rentouljohn.bsky.social
Chief political commentator, The Independent, and visiting professor, the Strand Group, King's College London
Pinned
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair?
With her swashbuckling – and occasionally sweary – performance in parliament announcing that she will do ‘whatever it takes’ to restore control over immigration, the home secretary has won rave review...
www.independent.co.uk
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? www.independent.co.uk/voices/shaba...
French police to use nets to stop small boats crossing Channel www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
French police to use nets to stop small boats crossing Channel
New tactics to stop boats set to be introduced despite warnings there is ‘no way’ to carry out such manoeuvres safely
www.independent.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
French police to use nets to stop small boats crossing Channel www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
If you missed Shabana Mahmood’s all-conquering performance on Monday, it is worth re-reading hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
November 19, 2025 at 8:58 AM
If you missed Shabana Mahmood’s all-conquering performance on Monday, it is worth re-reading hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
Lovely from @roberthutton.co.uk thecritic.co.uk/quantum-poli...
November 19, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Lovely from @roberthutton.co.uk thecritic.co.uk/quantum-poli...
Reposted by John Rentoul
There is a huge caveat that peter has missed. Taking the mrp as the baseline assumes that no tactical voting is already baked into the mrp...that's wrong. Lots of people will already be giving a tactical voting intention. This risks double counting.
November 19, 2025 at 8:32 AM
There is a huge caveat that peter has missed. Taking the mrp as the baseline assumes that no tactical voting is already baked into the mrp...that's wrong. Lots of people will already be giving a tactical voting intention. This risks double counting.
Enjoyed that one www.ft.com/content/d532...
November 19, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Enjoyed that one www.ft.com/content/d532...
Peter Kellner has done the crunching of those YouGov numbers on tactical voting: Reform lose about 100 seats, half to Tories, half to Lab kellnerp.substack.com/p/one-hundre...
One hundred ways to thwart Reform
How tactical voting could stop Nigel Farage becoming prime minister
kellnerp.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Peter Kellner has done the crunching of those YouGov numbers on tactical voting: Reform lose about 100 seats, half to Tories, half to Lab kellnerp.substack.com/p/one-hundre...
Reposted by John Rentoul
Go to her show if you are in south London (but not tomorrow) susanrentoulpaints.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Go to her show if you are in south London (but not tomorrow) susanrentoulpaints.com
Reposted by John Rentoul
Some lovely new paintings I hadn’t seen before at my sister
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
November 16, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Some lovely new paintings I hadn’t seen before at my sister
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Reposted by John Rentoul
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? www.independent.co.uk/voices/shaba...
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair?
With her swashbuckling – and occasionally sweary – performance in parliament announcing that she will do ‘whatever it takes’ to restore control over immigration, the home secretary has won rave review...
www.independent.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? www.independent.co.uk/voices/shaba...
The View from Westminster newsletter has gone out. Free sign-up here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
November 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The View from Westminster newsletter has gone out. Free sign-up here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? www.independent.co.uk/voices/shaba...
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair?
With her swashbuckling – and occasionally sweary – performance in parliament announcing that she will do ‘whatever it takes’ to restore control over immigration, the home secretary has won rave review...
www.independent.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? www.independent.co.uk/voices/shaba...
Reposted by John Rentoul
Oxbow lakes! You won't read about them in the mainstream media.
November 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Oxbow lakes! You won't read about them in the mainstream media.
The View from Westminster newsletter has gone out. Free sign-up here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The View from Westminster newsletter has gone out. Free sign-up here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Some lovely new paintings I hadn’t seen before at my sister
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
November 16, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Some lovely new paintings I hadn’t seen before at my sister
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Sue Rentoul’s show in SW16
Reposted by John Rentoul
Good defence by Harry Yorke of the use of anonymous sources link.thetimes.co.uk/view/61951ae...
November 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Good defence by Harry Yorke of the use of anonymous sources link.thetimes.co.uk/view/61951ae...
Reposted by John Rentoul
Luke Akehurst on the falling-out between Streeting and McSweeney
November 16, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Luke Akehurst on the falling-out between Streeting and McSweeney
Reposted by John Rentoul
Great interview with Luke Akehurst MP, Lab moderate, by Luke O’Reilly www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
November 16, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Great interview with Luke Akehurst MP, Lab moderate, by Luke O’Reilly www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by John Rentoul
Shabana Mahmood to Laura Kuenssberg docs.google.com/document/d/1...
November 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Shabana Mahmood to Laura Kuenssberg docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Catch-up service: Rishi and Akshata doing a maths quiz (4 Nov) www.instagram.com/reel/DQoFivd...
The Richmond Project on Instagram: "❤️🤯🫠🫡🤪😭😂 Numbers can bring out the FULL range of emotions
What emotions do you have when you face a number challenge?"
38K likes, 745 comments - richmondproj on November 3, 2025: "❤️🤯🫠🫡🤪😭😂 Numbers can bring out the FULL range of emotions
What emotions do you have when you face a number challenge?".
www.instagram.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Catch-up service: Rishi and Akshata doing a maths quiz (4 Nov) www.instagram.com/reel/DQoFivd...
Shabana Mahmood to Laura Kuenssberg docs.google.com/document/d/1...
November 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Shabana Mahmood to Laura Kuenssberg docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Great interview with Luke Akehurst MP, Lab moderate, by Luke O’Reilly www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
November 16, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Great interview with Luke Akehurst MP, Lab moderate, by Luke O’Reilly www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by John Rentoul
“it’s important that we send a...clear signal to those people who are ...looking to get on a boat in the north of France: this is not a journey worth making.” They're risking their lives already. I struggle to see how these rules changes will alter that calculation www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Shabana Mahmood: ‘Illegal migration is tearing Britain apart’
The home secretary is planning to introduce a 20-year wait for permanent stay to end a ‘golden ticket’ for asylum seekers
www.thetimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 9:19 AM
“it’s important that we send a...clear signal to those people who are ...looking to get on a boat in the north of France: this is not a journey worth making.” They're risking their lives already. I struggle to see how these rules changes will alter that calculation www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted by John Rentoul
The Labour government has released to the media more details of its asylum reforms - to be released on Monday.
Their premise: UK attracts asylum seekers because it is too generous + reducing pull factors will change that.
There is a lot of overspinning from this govt
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Their premise: UK attracts asylum seekers because it is too generous + reducing pull factors will change that.
There is a lot of overspinning from this govt
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Refugees to face 20-year wait to settle permanently under asylum reforms
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce major reforms to the asylum system on Monday.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 16, 2025 at 9:20 AM
The Labour government has released to the media more details of its asylum reforms - to be released on Monday.
Their premise: UK attracts asylum seekers because it is too generous + reducing pull factors will change that.
There is a lot of overspinning from this govt
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Their premise: UK attracts asylum seekers because it is too generous + reducing pull factors will change that.
There is a lot of overspinning from this govt
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Good defence by Harry Yorke of the use of anonymous sources link.thetimes.co.uk/view/61951ae...
November 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Good defence by Harry Yorke of the use of anonymous sources link.thetimes.co.uk/view/61951ae...
Reposted by John Rentoul
And to conclude...
November 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
And to conclude...