Really pleased @ediramaal has become the first Albanian PM to be invited on an official visit to the UK. A big man with a big agenda. A three term election winner who despite all ๐ฆ๐ฑ challenges has modernised his country in a way few could have imagined when he began. Of course crime and the boats issue on the agenda but there is so much else that makes up a strong ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฑ relationship now and into the future. And though no doubt some Tories will think his voluble support for New Labour as a guide and inspiration to his politics and policies was a dig at them, it was as much a reminder to Labour leaders since New Labour though thankfully @keirstarmer has corrected the imbalance in recent years.
So LINK IN BIO for new @restispolitics q and a covering all sorts of stuff. But meanwhile a surreal highlight from last nightโs sold out Palladium live show as @rorystewartuk channels his comedic hero Cheeky Chappy Max Miller. As for the blue MM joke he told โฆ too early to reveal!! Little did I know when we started out that we would be playing packed theatres and Rory would be dancing like this!! There was lots of serious politics too though. And whereas on Tuesday to audience vote on whether Johnson was honest or dishonest was 1-2899 last night it was 0-2900. Great to see @rahimamahmut with her son and hear the wonderful ovation for her when I pointed her out. Check out latest LEADING to know why.
Of all the recent polls this is the one Labour should take most heart from. It shows that the deranged right wing papers, despite their relentless campaign of peerage-and-knighthood-hunting bullshit, is rejected. It shows too that if you campaign to urge people to believe their own eyes and ears and not the rubbish fed by much of our media, you can win through.
As promised earlier, here is the article written by a @telegraph hack by the name of Johnson, June 23 (Brexit day!) 1998, covering my appearance at a packed Parliamentary committee hearing, and concluding that New Labour days were numbered. We left office 12 years later. Given events at a packed Parliamentary committee today, the final line is especially satisfying.
In addition to doing @restispolitics live last night at the Palladium we recorded a new episode of the main podcast which is out now LINK IN BIO or wherever you get your podcasts. As always when face to face the tech problems were eased and we got through loads and loads. ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ at a crossroads with a new First Minister within days. The love in between ๐จ๐ณ and ๐ท๐บ and what it means for the ๐. The deal between ๐ฎ๐ท and ๐ธ๐ฆ. Chaos in ๐ฎ๐ฑ and strikes and strife in ๐ซ๐ท. ๐ฎ๐ถ 20 years on. The Braverman right wing press trip to ๐ท๐ผ and @rorystewartuk visit to ๐น๐ท to help refugees from ๐ธ๐พ โฆ all this and more but thatโs enough flags for now! Enjoy