Gemmill

As of this morning I think they still had about 190 candidates left to select with about a week to go.

The last two sentences. The BBC rewriting the rules of leader debates so that Farage can get on the show.

Howay lads, get it together.

Well he didn't win last time, did he?

His base don't need convincing to vote for him. It's the undecideds, and I'd guess a good part of the reason they're undecided is cos they're waiting to see the outcome of Trump's trials. I doubt they were waiting in the hope he'd be convicted so that they could vote for him. I think this definitely hurts him. There are still enough Americans that don't want a convicted felon running the country, I reckon.

Newsnight getting a Republican on to call the trial a sham and talk about the weaponisation of the US justice system. Completely unchallenged by Kirsty Wark.

Trump must have taken a big step to a heart attack or stroke here today.

Good news for Starmer. Abbott now the number 2 item on BBC.

Think it's gonna be guilty on all 34 counts.

Jury has asked for half an hour to fill in forms or something, but they've reached a verdict.

VERDICT INCOMING!

More uh-oh

But aye they absolutely should have killed this one way or the other by now. They clearly wanted her out but I think they might be stuck with her now cos of some Billy big bollocks who couldn't resist briefing to the times.

Well Starmer is saying the decision will be made next week, but today Rayner has done multiple interviews saying of course she should be able to stand if she wants to. Not clear whether she's preparing the pitch for them to announce she's standing, or if she's picking a fight with Starmer.

It sounds like they had been working for a while to do this set piece where they gave her back the whip and she would announce her retirement, get a load of positive tributes and then go to the Lords. But the day she was given the whip back, some dickhead briefs the times to say "she's got the whip back but we're barring her from standing". From which point, all bets are off. Abbott is full of hell and says she's standing and Starmer seems paralysed and unable to say one way or another if she's standing. And the press that has previously treated Abbott like shit is now treating her like Mother Theresa and how could Labour do this to her.

Aye, he's done. Anyone can join the Labour Party, doesn't mean they're a parliamentary candidate.

Aye that's true as well. If you stay and fight your seat, you get extra cash. This is just a bloke sticking the boot in to the Tories which I fully welcome. Labour could do with a narrative change atm.

He's standing down. I don't think this is an attempt to become a candidate for Labour.

I'm not having that like. Trump represents the end of democracy in America if he gets re-elected. He nearly managed it last time, and this time he'll ensure that he dismantles any and all checks and balances so that he can finish the job. He's already corrupted the judiciary and the entire GOP, that part is done going in this time. You might not like Biden's policies, but he doesn't have designs on being a dictator.

Another defection.

Bloke tells him his mam died during the pandemic and he can't fucking help but mention that he was the Chancellor who gave everyone furlough.

Interesting that Labour are saying little to nowt about the Truss / Lotus Eaters thing. I don't think they want to bounce Sunak into taking any action against her cos she's more valuable to them as a millstone round his neck. I cannot remotely fathom how she's set to retain her seat though. Some parts of this country are fully backwards.