James Hanson

RIP Sir Patrick Stewart. His velvet voice matched only by his remarkable versatility. Here he is in one of my favourite episodes of Frasier…

Remember… the only reason this is a story is because Farage himself chose to raise it. Bonkers.

Labour should be renamed the Welfare Party.

This is exactly the kind of nonsense the Budget should have taken an axe to.

When was the last time Reform UK had a good week? This one started with a half-empty press conference during which Farage turned on his own staff, now it’s ended with a farcical row over an alleged physical altercation with a female Lib Dem MP. No wonder they’ve now slipped to third in the polls.

To use a football phrase… Farage’s “head’s gone”. Why on earth did he think his excuse for missing the Budget would fly? The most generous interpretation of events is that he felt intimidated by a female Lib Dem MP, which makes him look pathetic. The most ungenerous is that he shoved a female MP during the King’s Speech, which makes him look like a bully. And remember - the only reason we’re talking about this, is because HE brought it up! Farage is a gifted politician but he’s made a litany of disastrous choices in 2026.

The “Rachel from Accounts” nickname was coined because Reeves exaggerated her credentials on her CV. It had nothing to do with her sex.

Why does every Budget come and go without a Chancellor mentioning the elephant in the room… We have the longest and most complicated tax code in the world. The only people who benefit from this are tax lawyers and accountants. A short, simple set of tax rules incentives investment AND reduces tax avoidance at the same time. And yet it never seems to occur to any Chancellor to reform it. #Budget

This #PMQs shows exactly why Burnham is mad to entertain rejoining the EU. It feels like 2018 all over again - a time no-one wants to go back to. A second referendum would be twice as toxic as 2016 because it would be infused with the settling of old scores.

To quote Dame Edna: “If you can’t laugh at yourself, you might be missing out on the joke of a lifetime”.

Yet another poll with Reform in third. On current trajectories, it won’t be long until they’re averaging in the teens. Given how miserable Farage looked at his half empty press conference yesterday, I remain convinced he’s likely to quit as leader by next summer.

I always remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying how Ravel Morrison was the most naturally talented player he ever worked with at Man Utd… Yet his career was an abject failure because of his bad attitude and laziness. Kane is in no way the most naturally talented striker England has ever produced. But he is our greatest thanks almost entirely to his impeccable work ethic and mental fortitude. What a role model.