On a purely factual point, Trevor Phillips’s column in the Times misrepresents our reporting in casting doubts on claims that there were more boys called Patel than Smith at Dulwich in 1980 (we did not report 1976 as the year it occurred). 1980 roll shows 13 Patels and 12 Smiths.

On Thursday morning I heard the awful news and set out to Crumpsall, an hour’s drive from where I was.

I have written a longer article about what I saw there, for the New Statesman: www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

Time to slash odds of Lab to Reform defections if Labour MPs are nodding along to this essay.

There is another political force that could neutralise the right and it’s… the governing party which you are in? And it could do that by… governing well and winning reelection?

Why has Bridget Phillipson chosen this moment to make such damaging remarks about the PM’s team? www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

It's been a long ten years

Andy Burnham speaks out in the New Statesman’s Labour Conference special issue

Not so long ago the Conservative Party would have seized upon the notion of deporting Ukrainians and Hong Kongers and extracted a heavy political price for it. Instead the position yesterday from CCHQ was that Farage is "once again copying Conservative ideas."

Note that in the past 24 hrs Wes Streeting has put himself front and centre of the Palestine embassy opening and now defended Sadiq Khan against Trump's "Sharia" attacks. Do read this piece by @georgeeaton.bsky.social on how Streeting is "spreading his wings" www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Three years on from the Mini-Budget, @willdunn.bsky.social persuaded Liz Truss to talk to the New Statesman and it's worth reading. In which she:

- Suggests Bank governor Andrew Bailey may have financially benefitted from her downfall
- Restates her praise of Tommy Robinson

On the new divide in Labour - whether to fight reform on grounds of principle or practicality www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Lucy Powell campaign warns of "fear and frustration" in the Labour party - my update on the deputy leadership contest 👇

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Professional news: I have joined The New Statesman, Britain's best magazine, as Political Correspondent. Cracking first week.

I think the current madness pervading the Right in this country is far, far deeper and wider than the grand illusion of Corbynism was for the left between 2015 and 2019.