Dr David Bull

There are people who put a lot of effort into their home for Halloween and there is this guy.

I was hoping to be able to announce this in my own time – but the media rumour mill is swirling, I'm being contacted by various reporters and others, and I don't like denying the truth, so ... I wrote my first "Economic Agenda" column in The Sunday Telegraph 27 years ago, under the editorship of Dominic Lawson – filling-in occasionally during the late-1990s, before being given my own weekly slot from 2003. Since then, while I've been heavily involved in television, and am perhaps better known as a broadcaster, penning "Economic Agenda" for The Sunday Telegraph each week has been the backbone of my journalistic life. On Thursday, the @Telegraph rang to tell me my column is being scrapped. I was asked, and have agreed, to write "Economic Agenda" until the end of November, as per my contract. After that, my Sunday Telegraph column will be no more. Why this decision has been made, and whether or not my columns were any good, is for others to judge. All I will say is that, as the first person in my family to attend university, sustaining a weekly column in a leading national newspaper for a quarter of a century has been a source of enormous pride for myself and my family. Lots of people have been asking me about the future of "Planet Normal" - the hugely-popular Telegraph podcast which I co-created and co-present with the brilliant @AllisonPearson "Planet Normal" has, over the last 330 weekly episodes, also become a major part of my professional life and my broader identity. With Allison reportedly leaving the Telegraph as well, there is a lot of speculation about whether or not the podcast will continue to impart "news and views from beyond the bubble" with our usual blend of sharp analysis, humour and occasional outrage ! Well, I am delighted to confirm that Co-Pilot Pearson and myself are deeply committed to our joint podcast – and, above all, to our beloved listeners. We will, as and when notice periods allow, continue our voyages through space every Thursday – perhaps to "Planet Normal", or maybe to another part of the solar system – so we can "gaze down each week at the madness of Planet Earth", as we have done since the Spring of 2020. So citizens of Planet Normal, stand ready ! The "rocket-of-right-thinking", the "flying refuge of reasoned views", will soon be launched once again 🚀🪐👨‍🏭👱‍♀️🎙️📺 I poured my heart and soul into "Economic Agenda" and "Planet Normal". The Telegraph's decision to scrap them is obviously a huge personal blow. But I will always be grateful for the opportunities the paper has given me. Above all, I would like to thank the illustrious list of successive Telegraph business editors I've worked with since the late-1990s, many of whom have become and remain good friends - including @Peston @RobertsDan @larmitstead @neilbenet @benjaminmarlow @cg_williams @kamalahmednews @MarkKleinmanSky @jamesrquinn (sorry if I've forgotten anyone, it's been a long time!) On Friday, even though I almost always write my column from elsewhere, and despite being extremely disappointed by the paper's decision, I decided to go into the Telegraph and write today's column sitting in the newsroom. I am glad I did - as being at the heart of the paper at such a difficult time allowed for lots of conversations, with everyone from junior production staff to senior reporters and executives, which reminded me that journalism, despite being an industry at the whim of seemingly endless and often brutal commercial and technological upheaval, is not only hugely important to our country, but full of talented, decent people. See picture below, having just filed my piece, as I was heading out the door ...

🚨 WATCH: John Healey accidentally says the Energy Secretary "opposed" the Jackdaw gas field "Errr... approved" #Budget

🤦‍♂️ James Murray is doing the media rounds for the government this morning and, as usual, it’s a complete disaster. He’s asked about the government’s advice for people to stock up for an emergency, and what he himself has stocked up on. Naga: “So what does your backup look like? Tell me what you’ve stockpiled for three days’ worth?” Water? Tinned food? Batteries? A torch? Candles? Toilet roll? A first aid kit? Nope. None of these. He said… lots of coffee. 🤦‍♂️ Naga: “Surely it is up to the government, isn’t it? If you’re going to stockpile, coffee’s not good enough — you can’t live on coffee!” Murray: “There’s some examples on the government website.” Naga: “But you haven’t followed it?” Murray: “I’m not gonna pretend that I’ve followed all that advice myself yet.” This is a government minister sent out to tell people what to do in an emergency. He’s such an embarrassment. God help us with a true national emergency with people like him running the show!

Well done @lambeth_council the replies to this show how brilliantly this completely insane video has gone down.

Membership on the up since ITV gate !!!

Huge congratulations from everyone at Reform UK to Richard Tice and Isabel Oakeshott on their marriage yesterday. 🍾

🚨 BREAKING: Birmingham Reform UK councillor was sent suspected asbestos package in the post. • Dr Charlie Latchford, the Reform UK councillor for Longbridge and West Heath, reported receiving a package containing suspected asbestos on Thursday. • He said the material was deliberately packaged in a way that would cause maximum exposure to whoever opened it. • Police and fire crews attended the scene, after which Latchford was stripped, isolated outside and his road was quarantined. • The councillor stated that the package will be traced and that no political or personal disagreement justifies putting someone’s health or life at risk. • West Midlands Police treated the incident under Operation Ford and an ambulance was arranged.

The @ITV hit piece on Reform has fallen apart within hours. Tory plants.