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Lee Hurst: And yet I am pretty certain no management heads…

And yet I am pretty certain no management heads will roll over this and it will be two tier business as usual. In my opinion every officer in the police from above Inspector in the whole country should be made redundant and every Inspector have their conduct investigated for bias. Only the neutral ones should be retained. It needs a thorough clear out. Jobs and promotion should be based on merit alone and any divisive, sectarian internal organisations abolished.

Deborah Haynes: A chronic delay in the release…

A chronic delay in the release by Sir Keir Starmer's government of a major plan to invest in defence has harmed the military and left the country less safe, a group of MPs has warned. In a scathing report, the Public Accounts Committee said the absence of the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has undermined the UK's credibility among its allies and risks "squandering the opportunities provided by advances in technology, hindering the government's attempts to modernise the armed forces". Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committee chair, criticised what he called "bureaucratic drift" and said excuses by those responsible for delivering the blueprint "to the effect of 'taking the time to get the details right' simply do not cut it". He said: "Whatever the content of the DIP when it eventually does appear, the damage from its absence has been done - to the nation's credibility, to its safety, to its armed forces, and to certainty within its entire defence industrial base." Full story ⬇️

Liz Webster: Voters see Brexit as a “big disappointment”…

🚨 Voters see Brexit as a “big disappointment” and “not worth it” resulting in a rise in support for rejoining the EU. The decision to leave the EU has “not withstood the test of time” and is blamed for making immigration and the economy worse, says Professor Sir John Curtice. Prof Curtice says: “The 2016 referendum has failed to resolve the debate about whether Britain should be inside or outside the EU. The country now finds itself outside an institution of which a modest majority at least would like to be a member. “For the time being at least, a significant body of voters have decided that being outside the EU is not worth it.”

Alex Wickham: NEW: Bloomberg Saturday read…

NEW: Bloomberg Saturday read — Andy Burnham’s campaign is increasingly confident he’s going to win Makerfield. They believe he’s edged ahead of Reform this week in part due to what they see as Nigel Farage mishandling the Henry Nowak case and Robert Kenyon’s poor public performances. — It means the conversation has turned to what happens next, actively encouraged by Burnham who is now in the extraordinary position of making national policy announcements despite previously saying he was focused on the by-election. Labour MPs are split: some (his supporters) want a Burnham coronation and others think there should be a full leadership election. — Allies of Keir Starmer are defiant and insist he will fight any contest. One says they don’t believe Starmer will simply give up because he strongly believes in his mandate. Another says polling shows Starmer still has support among Labour members. Crucially, they say he would see it as a dereliction of duty to agree a handover to someone with no clear plan for power, whose policies are unknown and haven’t been put to a vote. — Still, Burnham supporters say they hope Starmer and Wes Streeting see their man is the only viable successor. They say they’ll lobby the cabinet to tell Starmer not to force a contest and to agree an orderly handover. They argue there doesn’t need to be a full leadership election. Their preference is for a coronation, either immediately or with an agreed handover date. — One option suggested by some Burnham supporters is that Starmer stays in post for a few more months to manage ongoing crises from Iran to Ukraine and the NATO summit in July. That would give Burnham time to formulate a plan for government ahead of an agreed handover later in the year. (The risk is this looks like an admission he doesn’t have a plan.) — Other Labour MPs are adamant there has to be a proper contest. Wes Streeting tells Bloomberg he will not allow a coronation. Burnham allies think he doesn’t have the numbers and in any case can be bought off with a cabinet job. Still, one MP warns that failing to scrutinise Burnham in a contest risks a repeat of Gordon Brown’s unopposed takeover from Tony Blair in which they say his ideas weren’t tested, only storing up problems for later. — Officially Burnham says these conversations are premature, stressing he isn’t complacent or taking anything for granted. That said, he really is having his cake and eating it, claiming to be focusing on local issues and refusing to engage on some of the harder national policy questions then openly opining on others when it suits him, especially in the last 24 hours. It isn’t going down well with some in the Labour Party. — Labour officials think Farage overcompensated with his rhetoric this week because he’s worried about Restore. Reform officials insist Farage is in tune with voters despite what Westminster thinks, and to expect more of the same in the weeks and months ahead. Both Labour and Reform officials still say the by-election is close. Story with @Joe_Mayes >>>

Alex Wickham: Breaking: Keir Starmer accuses JD Vance…

Breaking: Keir Starmer accuses JD Vance of interfering in British democracy and attempting to stir up unrest on British streets This is the strongest condemnation yet by Starmer of the Trump administration Number 10 says: “In recent days we have seen people trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets. “The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes. “Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country.”
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