LINDA BURROWS

Reform’s Durham Council PRAISED Independent review says impressive progress Will the political activist @cathynewman report this on @SkyNews Oh no, she only wants to dig dirt, she’s not a real journalist thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2…

Why the two 'main' parties are back - but the populist realignment might not be over My latest polling and analysis in the Mail on Sunday @DailyMail dailymail.com/debate/article…

Tesla’s robot for $25,000 cleaned the whole house in 2 hours Imagine coming home to a spotless place. Floors cleaned, dust wiped, everything in its place. No cleaners, no expensive services, no days off, no complaints. Let's do the math. A house cleaner charges 50 an hour, or $30,000 a year. The projected price for Tesla Optimus is around $25,000. Buy it once, and it pays for itself in less than a year. After that, it just works 24/7. Today it's a cool demo. Tomorrow it's the end of an entire industry. Soon, a robot cleaner will be as normal as owning a washing machine. 💀

Great news for British food producers. The UK and EU have agreed a draft deal to scrap most post-Brexit checks on food and animal products. Our food exports to the EU have fallen by around a third since 2019. This deal will help win that trade back. It should be the model for cutting more trade barriers, with the EU, our biggest partner, and with our other allies. Trade creates prosperity for all.

From the Strictly Education episode on Diversity is not our Strength! Humza Yousaf (was First Minister for Scotland) talking about how white people in positions of power in Scotland is problematic. youtu.be/KrizvhRospk?is=K74C…

Five more everyday fixes for you, Andy: 1. Red ends on Sellotape so we can find them. 2. Biscuits that survive being dunked. 3. Fitted sheets with THIS WAY UP printed on them. 4. Bins that put themselves out. 5. A smoke alarm that recognises toast. Britain rebuilt. You’re welcome.

FYI, talking about Brexit yesterday, Angela Rayner claimed that... “The evidence is really clear in terms of 20% down in exports to the EU, 16,000 businesses no longer exporting to the EU, it has been the red tape on the EU deal we got, has been damaging to the economy”. But if this is indeed the evidence, it really is not clear! Let's unpick it... 🧵

As somebody who voted Remain in the Brexit referendum, I’d be happy to have the debate again if it were even vaguely honest. The truth about the European Union is that being part of the single market obviously brings considerable benefits. But the EU is much more than a single market. It’s a political project committed to ever-closer union, one that progressively strips nation states of their sovereignty. And you either believe in sovereign nation states or you don’t. I voted Remain because the EU’s progressivism chimed with my worldview at the time. But world events, not least the pandemic and the authorities’ response to it, have opened my eyes and shifted my political outlook. And those waving the flag for the EU today should ask themselves a simple question: would they still be so enthusiastic about membership if the EU evolved into something they profoundly disliked? Because that’s the crux of the matter. You either want to live in a country where your vote matters, where there’s a direct line between the ballot box and the laws of the land, or you’re happy to sacrifice that democratic accountability to a bureaucratic, supranational body that takes powers away, slice by slice. Why do you think the European Union has its own flag, anthem and currency? Its architects have long envisaged a political union that goes far beyond economic cooperation, potentially culminating in a federal United States of Europe. And look what’s happening in the actual United States. A country increasingly divided into two bitterly opposed political camps, united under one flag but profoundly divided over values, identity and the direction of their country. There’s even been serious talk of civil unrest as political polarisation deepens. Do we really want to replicate that on a continent of countries with different languages, histories, cultures and political traditions? Why not focus instead on making the United Kingdom sovereign, strong and resilient? A country that cooperates with its neighbours, trades freely with the world and negotiates agreements without surrendering democratic control over its own affairs. Why is that such a controversial ambition? Why has the perfectly reasonable desire for democratic self-government become something that so many supposedly progressive people regard with suspicion, even contempt?

When scepticism turned into awe. Susan showed them all!👏👏👏👏👏

I used to be a Conservative voter until 2019… I’ll never vote for them again. The party lied to us so badly, it should have been criminal. Never again, please don’t buy this Kemi rhetoric. They are basically Lib Dem’s with a tough talking leader.

As I was saying. This is full on 1970’s style National Front rhetoric.

Another lying politician

🚨 NEW: Andy Burnham has just spoken to Donald Trump No 10: "The Prime Minister congratulated the President on the latest US employment figures and noted the positive signs of growth within the UK's own economy. The Prime Minister said the government was building more positivity about the UK and that he was making progress, but with more still to do. "On Ukraine, the two leaders agreed on the need to continue working towards a ceasefire that prevented more loss of life. The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's support for Ukraine and for recent US-led peace negotiations. "On the Middle East, the Prime Minister set out the UK's commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the Two-State Solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon"

This is the Britain I want us to build: government providing the foundations, local leaders providing the plan, and businesses providing the investment, jobs and opportunities. All working towards that same goal: good growth in every postcode. thetimes.com/uk/politics/art…

Farage rattled after his conference rocked by another funding scandal. Dumping two of his close officials as Reform UK faces the possibility of a widening police investigation. It's been a tense affair, Farage defensive & his keynote speech interrupted four times. He's now more unpopular than Burnham & Badenoch, Such a difference from 12 months ago

We disrupted Farage's keynote speech at Reform Party Conference! Reform work for billionaires - not for us.

Pass it on👍👍

Remember when the tax-free allowance was £12,500? That was in 2019. Today, it’s £12,570…just £70 higher. If it had simply kept up with inflation, it would be around £17,000 today. Meanwhile, food, rent, energy, fuel and everyday bills have all risen sharply. They can say they’ve “not raised taxes.” But they haven’t needed to. Freeze the threshold while wages and prices rise, and inflation quietly pushes more of your income into the tax system every year.