“I know I promised you billions in compensation without thinking about it, but I can’t do that now - so here’s a bus pass a couple of years earlier than you would otherwise get it!” 🚌

I’ve always said being mayor of Manchester or London is a straight forward job. Brands, investors and people across the world are drawn to major UK cities (as long as you don’t do CAZs or rent controls etc). It’s a much harder job being the mayor of towns like Wigan, Bolton, Bury

And not only is Andy Burnham spending £250m a year (as a net cost to the taxpayer) for buses and usage is down 12%, but now the taxpayer takes 100% of the cost and risk and private companies get paid fortunes to run his ‘nationalised’ bus service which is worst performing in NW

𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧 🚨 48-hour ticket turnaround? No problem for our fans. Thanks for your amazing support, we'll see you there 👏

Leaked footage shows ATC paying close attention to the flight carrying the Boro team to Wembley👀✈️ Don’t worry they weren’t after the seating formation, they were just keeping a close eye on the bushes! 🌳 Can’t be too careful these days! Come on the Boro! We Shall Be 🔴⚪️

Thank you for confirming that bus usage is down 12% under Andy Burnham (despite spending £250m a year) and is the worst performing in the whole of the North West. Comparing other areas just demonstrates that other Labour Mayors are also doing a bad job on bus franchising

💪 🔴⚪️

He spends £250m a year for bus use to be down 12%

'If I cut tax on visting Alton Towers, more people will go. If I increase the tax on employing people...no, hold on...'

A League Arbitration Panel has today dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision in respect of breaches of EFL Regulations. As a result, the original sanction remains in force. Southampton’s expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs stands, alongside the four-point deduction to be applied to the Club’s 2026/27 Championship record and the reprimand in respect of all charges. In accordance with EFL Regulations, the decision of the League Arbitration Panel is final. Following the conclusion of the proceedings, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough is confirmed as taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 23 May, kicking off at 3.30pm. #EFL

💪 UTB

I know a Southampton fan who has a bit more time on his hands these days... 🤔 Where were you today @rishisunak? But in all seriousness this is bang out of order and I’m glad the @efl are looking into this. #WeShallBe

Houchen wins cabinet support for single sex space compliance rule ift.tt/opLztfZ

Here’s what’s going wrong….

As Joe says, Just the tip of the iceberg!

A great piece by @SamCoatesSky but I think that this massively understates the problem by a large margin around local councils and planning committees who regularly cost the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds a year and squander jobs, growth and the chance of a home for families

Labour market policy...

So you price young people out of the labour market with huge rises in the minimum wage and national insurance. Then you subsidise employers to employ young people. Government is brilliant. Simply brilliant.

These figures are startling. Welfare costs more than we raise in income tax. Yes that includes pensions. But the cost of paying for those who do not work, is no longer covered by taxing the labour of those who do work.