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With M.D.: "Labour, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives have gone hard on manifesto plans to reinvest in primary care, focusing on prevention and early diagnosis, and shifting care closer to home and away from expensive hospitals. But the government has spectacularly failed to deliver the extra 6,000 GPs promised in the 2019 manifesto. There has been a 20 percent real-terms cut in funding per patient for GP practices over the past eight years, with 7 percent fewer ‘whole time equivalent' GPs…"
With Bio-Waste Spreader: "Objections are flooding in to King's Lynn and West Norfolk district council from residents about a planning application to build two mega farms between Methwold and Feltwell, to house 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs. But should such applications be down to local planning authorities, or is there a need for a national policy to outlaw such inappropriate ‘farms' in Britain's countryside?…"
With Dr B Ching: "‘Blyth is unlikely to get its trains before the 2024 election,' the Eye predicted in December 2019 (Eye 1512) as it lamented the dithering and bureaucracy surrounding rail schemes. After the sensational Blyth Valley election result heralded sweeping Tory ‘red wall' gains in 2019, the new train service (using new stations on an existing freight railway) would have symbolised ‘levelling up'…"
With Remote Controller: "Viewers of The Leader Interviews: Rishi Sunak – Tonight must have felt bemused that the PM chose to destroy his reputation and any slim electoral victory chances by ducking the D-Day 80 events in France to record this. Of the 24-minute running time, barely half featured Sunak talking to Paul Brand, the rest filled with analysis from Gove, Balls and Bush (journalists Katie and Stephen, rather than politicians Ed and Dubya)…"
With Old Sparky: "The wordy Tory manifesto has three full pages of densely packed energy policies, some wonkish in the extreme: ‘We will implement the recommendations of the Winser review.' Does one reader in a million know what that means? (It's about electricity networks. Ed.) Most policies are familiar from existing government programmes, but there are surprises, notably a promised year-on-year reduction in the green levies on energy bills…"
With Lunchtime O'Boulez: "What appears to be a long-simmering battle for supremacy between clergy and musicians has erupted at Aberdeen Cathedral, where bishop Anne Dyer faces a disciplinary tribunal for ‘unbecoming conduct' after a row with her cathedral organist. Arising from changes to the worship structure – which the organist, Chris Cromar, interpreted as undermining the cathedral's musical life – it got nasty when Dyer tried to ban Cromar from the building…"
With Slicker: "Ever keener to boost its City cred, Labour has joined the Tory campaign to encourage fast-fashion phenomenon Shein to list its shares on the London stock market – all part of the Starmer/Reeves pro-growth, pro-wealth creation election ticket. But Labour would do well to remember the reputed Chinese proverb: be careful what you wish for…"
Letter from New Delhi
From Our Own Correspondent: "In one parallel universe, Narendra Modi announces himself as the face of history, looking ahead to a third five-year term as India's prime minister – a feat unprecedented in modern times, and just as he had forecast. Back in the real world, his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of a majority when our parliamentary election results were announced…"