I’ve spent a few weeks asking people if Britain is prepared for war, among other doom scenarios. The short answer is no and the condensed reason for why that happened is that we spent the last forty years stripping off and selling the most resilient systems in the country for parts.

Almost a million young people in Britain are 'Neets' — not in education, employment or training. Now new ways to lever young people into employment must be found.

But what does it feel like to be caught up in an 'economic catastrophe'? ft.trib.al/oRxTy0U

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Saturday October 31 ft.trib.al/WR46KQO

NEW EPISODE! 🔊

After Amis LIVE, with @jackaldane, Kevin Power, @Leon_C_C and @Will___lloyd.

What of #MartinAmis’s legacy will survive the 21st Century?

🔗👇

Outstanding and at times oddly moving @patrickkmaguire review of the "garlicky" new Lizz Truss book
thetimes.com/culture/books/…

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Thursday October 29 ft.trib.al/npbxWln

what a job title

Lmao

“Finally, after Liz Truss, an actual mini budget” ✍️ @Will___lloyd

A sketch of John Healey's small, quiet, itsy-bitsy, minimal, little, local, head down, don't-scare-the-horses, modest, steady-as-she-goes, kick the can down the road, actual mini budget

ft.com/content/e34efd…

Sorry I forgot that this was also a "do no harm" budget.

Finally, after Liz Truss, an actual mini-Budget ft.trib.al/BbWZgqe

In the Financial Times on the weekend talking about my new book 'Are You With Me Now?' out on 5 November ft.com/content/9743b8…

OBR chart on real household disposable income growth over the decades. Just wow

Big story here from @RobWaugh74: scores of Harry & Meghan 'stories' are being manufactured by online casino sites, citing 'sources' such as psychics and lip-readers. @Betfair admits "there is no connection between Betfair and Harry and Meghan".

pressgazette.co.uk/news/more-than…

Last month, I went up to Maine to have dinner with Tucker Carlson. Carlson had turned on Trump several months prior over Trump’s decision to launch a war with Iran, which Carlson saw as a betrayal of everything Trump stood for, and he believed it was the result of Trump succumbing to Israeli pressure. Criticism of the war and of the U.S. relationship with Israel has become a theme of Carlson’s popular podcasts this year, and I had watched it get under the skin of the president and the GOP, as they head nervously into a midterm election that they could lose because of the ripple effects of this war. I wanted to hear more about Carlson’s evolution—as he has criticized Israel and Trump, the controversial right wing commentator has also increasingly become a de facto defender of the Palestinians—and I wanted to know how he fits into America’s dynamic political landscape. Read the full piece here in FT’s weekend magazine:
ft.com/content/98417e…

France is in revolt. But the real storm is yet to come ft.trib.al/h7GPI3K

Author Hanif Kureishi: ‘The urge to write came back strongly’ ft.trib.al/20o2tds

More people say they have heard of Rupert Lowe than John Healey – @YouGov yougov.com/en-gb/ratings/…

I went to Cloth Cornhill, formerly Simpson’s Tavern, and... wish I liked it more. Oh well!

spectator.com/article/i-want…

Interesting finding from this focus group of Labour swing voters in Sheffield.

FT Exclusive: A new agreement could allow Kyiv to obtain weapons, ammunition and military equipment faster and more cheaply via Nato’s centralised procurement agency ft.trib.al/kq8M9Fc