In politics always best to dare rather than dissimulate and compromise - as long as you’re doing it on the right issue. Europe is just such an issue . Perceptive piece from Tom Baldwin

Britishness in a nutshell.

When the story of the 2024 - 29(?) Parliament is told one of the strangest chapters will be the refusal to close down foreign donations to British political parties.

On 4 December 1791, The Observer published its first newspaper. Our journey continues 234 years later with the launch of our digital edition. Last week we transformed the oldest Sunday newspaper in the UK into a seven-day operation across our website, app, and print, giving

It’s an incredible national conversation. Everyone knows that Brexit is a drag anchor on our trade and growth, but a politician who dares to acknowledge the truth becomes hounded by our right wing press. Lammy breaks ranks on Brexit

Yes, Danny - and rejoining the single market would be an election winning strategy. The open question is whether Labour has the conviction and chutzpah to go for it. They just might… Logical step for Labour is to reverse Brexit https://t.co/BQrfJFnROL

A very messy run up to the budget but I think the Chancellor deserves huge credit for more than doubling the fiscal headroom thereby reducing the chances of another difficult budget next year.

Important thread from Torsten Bell. Worth a read.

Inside the budget: from sweary rants to swervy U-turns, my piece for @ObserverUK on how a defining moment became a battle for political survival

The policies to deliver higher growth stare us in the face. Best of all they are eminently feasible. Labour should simply do them, and at scale with conviction. The budget missed the opportunity.

Central London’s ongoing traffic mayhem and the disregard for vehicular mobility deserves more discussion. Combination of chaotic road closures, road excavations and compressed road space is creating 2 hour journey times to cross central London. A drag on growth and well-being.

'The nonsense talk of an impending IMF bailout is exposed for what it always was: bonkers rightwing scaremongering' Read @williamnhutton on the budget https://t.co/xa5JJd5r3R

The sting in the tail is the imperative to cap the growth of welfare spending, especially on health and personal disabilities, to obviate the need for year 2 and 3 freeze on income tax thresholds. Labour backbenchers, if they want to hold their seats,will be compelled to agree.

Forget those damaging self-defeating leaks - a tamer and better budget than expected and one the Labour Party will get behind. She has bought her and the PM some time.

And I will be completing the series today!

Help with cost of living will make tax smorgasboard easier to swallow 💷 @williamnhutton https://t.co/KbBtXVbUz3

China wants neither war nor global economic dominance argues Prof Rana Mitter. But it is in managed illiberal competition with the US - and winning. Important podcast .

Michael Prescott's leaked BBC memo precipitated two senior resignations. Yet it was riddled with serious errors, omissions and distortions. Irfan Chowdhury and I set out the questions MPs need to ask Prescott when they grill him in the Commons on Monday; https://t.co/4Xi87HQGdr

It’s been a crap, self-harming Budget process exposing deep flaws all round - but the final result may be better-crafted than the political and media consensus expects. Help with cost of living will make tax smorgasboard easier to swallow | The Observer

China and the US understand their rivalry very well - and are not going to war any time soon. The trouble, argues the US’s top China watcher, is that China is winning S9 Ep8: US and China: behind the rhetoric with Rana Mitter - The We Society | Podfollow