Matthew Keane

PP has done an electoral deal with Vox in advance of the Spanish general election. It’s the first time in Europe a supposedly traditional party of the right has pacted with the far-right in this way. PP/Vox is essentially one party now - and Vox is in the driving seat.

The Ballon D'Or is meaningless - and I'm overjoyed Harry won, all those years Spurs fans supported him and defended him against the rubbish he took from those who said he couldn't play. One of the very best in my lifetime, the most wholehearted, genuine player I've ever seen at WHL. Love that man

Pro-Europeans really need to get their act together if they're going to sieze the opportunity which is being presented here. Press and broadcasters reverting right back to their previous position from 2016, with zero update.

Lula's comeback in Brazil will make the Spanish right even more nervous about next month's GE than it is already. Expect Sánchez to mention it a lot - with plenty of references to how Milei supports PP/Vox just as he supported Bolsonaro.

In one day, two politicians - Bolsonaro in Brazil and Vucic in Serbia - with ties to Trump have lost surprise elections thanks to high turnout. The rise of the international far-right is not inevitable.

Obrigado, povo brasileiro! 📸 Ricardo Stuckert

Turning out to vote is a far more revolutionary act than smashing up the streets ever can be. In fact the latter feeds the authoritarian vultures. I hope European democracies can give young people something worth voting for in the next few months as Lula has done for Brazilians.

Right Wing leaders defeated at the polls: 🇨🇦 Pierre Poilievre: Apr 28, 2025 🇦🇺 Peter Dutton: May 3, 2025 🇭🇺 Viktor Orbán: Apr 12, 2026 10/25/2026 🇷🇸 Aleksandar Vučić 🇧🇷 Flávio Bolsonaro Next Up: 🇮🇱 Benjamin Netanyahu: 10/27/2026 🇺🇸 Donald Trump 11/03/2026 All Gas. No Brakes.

Tell you what's really good for recovering from anxiety and depression, financial instability.

A month ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe lectured the Prime Minister, telling him he should run Britain in the same way he runs Manchester United

One of the great political achievements of the 21st century, delivered by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes

Great to see on the front of the Mail, Telegraph, Express, Sun.* 'The no. of young people admitted to London hospitals after knife attacks is down 55% since Sadiq Khan launched a Violence Reduction Unit, with London falling faster than the rest of England.' *Joke www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/y...

The most important chart in the UK PMI this morning is on job growth. The first increase in jobs in over two years, and the employment balance reconverging with output growth, show the drag from payroll tax hikes finally fading.

Still ageing like milk

There is something deeply wrong with allowing a sociopath from South Africa to kill thousands of kids in Africa and Ukraine just because he has a lot of money.

Tom Skerritt, Emmy-winning actor with roles in ‘Picket Fences,’ ‘Alien’ and ‘Top Gun,’ dies at 93

Some good news (from the National Crime Survey, h/t frasernelson.substack.com/p/lawless-br...)

Thank you to everyone who joined me and London Assembly Members for People’s Question Time Islington last night. Hearing directly from Londoners is so important, and I’m grateful to everyone who came along to share the issues that matter to them and their communities.

Trans rights have taken huge steps forward in the last 20 years whenever and wherever Democrats are voted into power. I don’t know how to explain to Americans that the Democratic Party and Labour Party are absolutely nothing alike.

Final NYT/Siena poll is D+11

I’ve written about why BBC Three’s TV closure is the least of the BBC’s problems. Younger viewers are abandoning the BBC altogether. worthwatching.substack.com/p/rip-bbc-th...

Right wing activist group, Turning Point UK…Whilst the BBC do their 3rd or 4th (lost count) investigation into immigration, Al Jazeera are exposing the true nature of these groups #WATO #bbcpm

60 years ago this morning, Aberfan lost a generation of schoolchildren

Apt that the culpability of politicians over the 43000 Covid deaths is hardly mentioned on the front pages on the 60th anniversary of #Aberfan. Hancock and Johnson are the 2020s equivalent of the NCB.

Tbh even the Tom Harris of the 2010s was largely a dick, but something about getting a Telegraph column really just brings out the worst in people

The Tom Harris I knew in the 2010s would be as baffled by the Tom Harris of 2026 as I am.

Husband of attacked Australian MP says she had to have both legs amputated This is just horrific. Our world is fucked.

i miss when Biden had that dog that would bite everyone

The transmission of anti-Somali racism from the US to U.K. is one of the big tells about the British right. Their hatred of Sagal Abdi-Wali was second hand and pathetic.

On this day from the Telegraph 4 years ago (with thanks to Francis Wheen) Truss resigned three hours later. I love the way the Telegraph blames "moderate Tories" rather than her clinically insane economic policy which - lest we forget - the Conservative press backed to the hilt

I do wonder how much the BBC could save on some of the salaries it pays its senior news presenters - and how much it would lose if it got rid of them. I suspect that in many cases you could get far better journalists at a much lower price.

apple.news/AdmCj06elQCi... Hancock more than anyone should stand trial.

Weird how the economy and public services tend to improve under a Labour government but the Tories still manage to portray themselves as the party of the economy…..despite trashing it repeatedly.

On November 3rd, you can Vote on Faster Government. Visit vote.nyc to find where to vote and what's on your ballot.

The key thing is that Enoch Powell was _wrong_ and we should never stop saying it.

Things like that cracking down on aggressive parking charges or people playing loud music on a train are just… good steps. The real mystery is why no government has taken these steps before.

People will mock this as small beer politics but predatory behaviour by parking companies has been a major source of frustration and financial cost for millions, and for many years.

The fact that the Tory crooks got away scot free with the various cons and fiddles to enrich their mates during COVID (VIP lane anyone?) is bad enough, but the dereliction of duty re the most vulnerable is unforgivable. Obviously we're all so traumatised by the pandemic, there'll be no reckoning

Perhaps early but: to those parts of the right who threw their lot in with national populists: You could get the left wing in power in UK, Australia, US Congress and France The centre right was the most successful route to power in democracy’s history. You threw it away to follow to Matt Goodwin.

Watching the ITV undercover thing about Reform. Incredible piece of work. Worth the license fee for this alone. Oh, hang on.