My piece in today’s @timesredbox about “Operation Red Meat, @10DowningStreet’s attempt to get back on the front foot & why this isn’t risk-free. Like in Fight Club, the first rule of Operation Red Meat should be: don’t talk about Operation Red Meat

Sunday Morning w/@adamboultonTABB from 10: 🔴@YvetteCooperMP 🔵@griffitha 📈@AndyBurnhamGM 🛬Ruby McGregor-Smith ⚫️@elerianm ⚫️@M_Sumption 📊@SultanofLondon 🇬🇧🇪🇺Ivan Rogers & @jvdalmeida 🗞️@siennamarla @PSCommissioner ⏮️Peter Taylor 💧@IanKingSky 🎦 Parliament on TV +more!

You’ll get a refund in 5-7 days & you’ll need to order your gift again! (Birthday is next week). @Selfridges if you’ve sent a customer the wrong item, it’s surely on you to rectify & make sure they get the right item, why should the customer have to order and pay up again? Awful.

Appalling lack of customer service from @Selfridges. Bought a birthday gift through Click & Collect, got home to discover it wasn’t the gift I’d ordered, went back to return & get the gift I’d ordered & paid for, person at the counter smirked & said they sent the wrong item 1/2

Looking forward to reviewing #TomorrowsPapersToday on @TimesRadio with @carolewalkercw soon

Today is International Day of the Girl Child. 1120 days since Taliban banned girls from school. Afghanistan is the ONLY country in the world that bans girls education. While millions of girls are denied their basic human right to learn, what meaning does this day truly hold?

Will somebody think of the Special Advisers? Around 150 SpAds + MANY staffers will have lost their jobs Over five years, I have spoken to 200 former SpAds and what they do post Government This is a summary of the best advice, options and a few resources Thread 🧵 /1

On the last full day of campaigning, I’ll be popping up on @SkyNews from 1330 today to look back at the main campaign strategies and discuss what we could see play out over the coming days.

📢 Coming up on #PoliticsHub with @AliFortescue… 🔴 @GwynneMP 🔴 @PhilipDaviesUK 🔴 @DavidGauke 🔴 @JohnRentoul 🔴 @SultanofLondon ⏰ 7pm 📱  https://t.co/ZsJh8HEea5 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube

Catch me on @SkyNews shortly on the Conservative manifesto launch with @SultanofLondon

This format means lots of demands to “level with people” and “rule things in or out”. Falling into the trap of the off-the-cuff thinking can be an advisor’s worst nightmare, but for the viewer and voter, how someone reacts in the moment can be illuminating 8/8 @Edelman_EGA

Think about the viewer at home experience, not just the people in the room. Body language, looking and sounding like you are doing the top job, and befriending the main camera are vital 7/8

There should also be zingers a-plenty. The sharp ripostes designed to get noticed, delivered early on to ignite the next day’s press and have a lifespan throughout the campaign and beyond 6/8

All sides need their players to look and sound like they come from “Planet Normal”. Not just paying lip-service, the principals need to show that they get people’s everyday concerns, understand their lives and what makes them tick 5/8

Real-world examples and empathy are your friends, and they are needed in spades to connect emotionally with viewers 4/8

Taking the time to role-play, anticipate your opponents' weak spots, and come up with zingers is crucial 3/8

A particularly time and resource intense format, debates require participants – and their support teams – to expect the unexpected 2/8

Ahead of the TV debate tonight between Rishi Sunak & Keir Starmer, bringing back a piece I wrote for @thetimes Red Box on how to prepare for them, drawing from experiences prepping senior Ministers to do just that. The fundamentals remain constant🧵1/8 https://t.co/9jjjZGpk3e

Looking forward to joining @richardquest on @cnni @questCNN shortly to discuss political developments in the UK and analyse the rationale and impact of Prime Minister @RishiSunak calling a July General Election @Edelman_EGA

Following the Prime Minister @RishiSunak announcing a snap July election, I’ll be on @BBCNews shortly analysing the rationale for going now, the challenges that lie ahead and what we can expect from the main campaigns @Edelman_EGA

Shortly popping up on @BBCNews with @bbclaurak to analyse the local and Mayoral results as they start rolling in and discuss what this means for the wider UK political picture going forward #LocalElections2024