‘Happy hour’

Exclusive interview: A decade after her sister was brutally murdered for her political views, Kim Leadbeater had hoped the country might have turned its back on the hatred and took Jo Cox’s life. Instead, the Labour MP says, it has only got worse. Leadbeater pointedly never names her sister’s killer, refusing to draw attention to him as an individual. But she will, this year, name what he was. “Jo was murdered because of her political views. This wasn’t a random act. This was a politically motivated murder by a neo-Nazi, right-wing fascist… That’s hard for me to say… it’s one of the things that I sort of push down inside, so I don’t have to deal with it. But it’s true.” She draws a parallel with David Amess, the Tory MP, murdered by an Islamist extremist in 2021: “We have to call it out for what it is,” she insists. Why does naming it matter so much this year? Because, she argues, you cannot address extremism without being honest that it exists – and without confronting the conditions that feed it. If people don’t have “a sense of identity and belonging… part of the danger is that they are drawn towards the extremes. So, we have to own that conversation.” She also knocks down a persistent myth, too: that her sister’s killer was mentally ill rather than driven by ideology. “People say that and that is not true,” she says. inews.co.uk/news/politics/lo…

After all the turmoil this weekend, intriguing to know from Starmer allies that PM has prepared bank account and a company, ready to fight a leadership contest - will his determination to fight still be there this time next week?

One MP says of the potential ban on social media for under 18s past 8.30pm: "Are we giving votes to 16 year olds but banning them from watching the election results on YouTube?"

An all-British podium for the first time since 1968 🇬🇧 #McLarenF1 | #BarcelonaGP 💃

Nothing says World Cup more than lettuce

Honoured to accompany PM Sanae Takaichi to Westminster Abbey for laying wreath to the tomb of the unknown warrior.

The civil servant who led Britain’s preparations for leaving the EU has called on political leaders to open a debate over rejoining the bloc, as he declared “Brexit is not done”. Read more: independent.co.uk/news/uk/po…

We’ve had MPs stabbed to death. Lovely Jo exactly 10 years ago. Should Musk be banned from the UK? I think that comment is the line. Otherwise, let him continue to tweet manic bile, even his fans will increasingly think ok you’re an idiot.

That genuinely is stupid, isn’t it?

All for cross-party work and not a fan of tribalism so much so that many on my own side objected to me having Labour & LD friends. I had more in common with them than the ERG and Borisers let’s face it. But the reason Labour won’t work with Badenoch? Because she’s a cow who would later say “XYZ PM is so weak they had to rely on our votes”. She’s also spent months trying to decapitate Starmer. Wouldn’t touch her with a bargepole - I warned Tories not to either. And look where they are now. ⚰️

Now everyone does and can we watch our language, please, even as an ex-MP.

Squeaky Burnham time: it’s too close for comfort for Labour in Makerfield The man who would be PM appears to have a lead in byelection polls, but does he have what it takes to hold onto it, asks @CeriThomas01 bit.ly/4g3rqD1

First thing to say is we have 2 very decent & capable people in the defence brief - I’m fond of both of them and knew James when he was young, very impressive he was too. BUT I loathe every single aspect of how Tories plan to fund defence. The demonising of anyone on benefits, proposing deeper foreign aid cuts instead of opposing Labour’s ones. The moral compass has gone. And voters don’t like it, they’ve deserted. James backed Remain and Hunt, he needs to reconnect with that bit of him not go along with Kemi’s Reform/Restore antics.

Famous last words but the TA are representing us well. 🇬🇧