‘A roomful of religious extremists and conservative men credibly accused of historical sexual violence found a couple of loopholes in a document written by and for white male slaveowners centuries ago’ is not, in fact, a flawless moral argument for forcing someone to give birth.

Across the country there is a wide spread of anti-Conservative activism, ranging from revitalised leftist trade unions to genteel liberal “returners”. Beyond the “let’s get rid of this lot” consensus, nobody could hold such a disparate coalition together. I conclude that an unspoken, informal pact between the opposition parties will be central to the next election, and then that a coalition is likely after it.

How Starmer and Davey handle themselves will be crucial. It will be tricky. The Conservatives will warn, loudly and repeatedly, about cynical deals followed by chaos. Admittedly, right at the moment, it’s not a very easy argument for them to make, but it will be an uneasy time for the opposition parties. The obvious, ruthless thing for a coalition to do would be to introduce electoral reform and dish Conservative England. But nobody will say this out loud – indeed, it will be denied thrice and three times thrice. And any anti-Tory deal which granted the SNP the promise of a second Scottish independence referendum in the short term would be incendiary.

So, after a brief jig of delight at what the voters of Tiverton and Wakefield have done, the hardest strategic thinking now must be on the left.
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What has really been lacking all along is a Michael Heseltine figure, in the sense of a major player prepared to stand up publicly and offer themselves to the Tories as an alternative to a seemingly tough and determined leader. It’s not about rules. It’s about momentum. This can only be done by somebody with the self-confidence, daring and philosophical grounding to say to the party: “He’s no good. You know it. I can do better. Come here. Follow me.” Does such a person exist?

Sen Cornyn says out loud what other Republicans whisper to each other. The
@GOP
wants to overturn Brown vs. Board of Education & resurrect the 1800s doctrine of “separate but equal” to re-establish racial segregation laws that inherently imply Blacks are inferior.

The new platform would call for:

Requiring Texas students “to learn about the humanity of the preborn child,” including teaching that life begins at fertilization and requiring students to listen to live ultrasounds of gestating fetuses.
Amending the Texas Constitution to remove the Legislature’s power “to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.”
Treating homosexuality as “an abnormal lifestyle choice,” language that was not included in the 2018 or 2020 party platforms.
Deeming gender identity disorder “a genuine and extremely rare mental health condition,” requiring official documents to adhere to “biological gender,” and allowing civil penalties and monetary compensation to “de-transitioners” who have received gender-affirming surgery, which the platform calls a form of medical malpractice.
Changing the U.S. Constitution to cement the number of Supreme Court justices at nine and repeal the 16th Amendment of 1913, which created the federal income tax.
Ensuring “freedom to travel” by opposing Biden’s Clean Energy Plan and “California-style, anti-driver policies,” including efforts to turn traffic lanes over for use by pedestrians, cyclists and mass transit.
Declaring “all businesses and jobs as essential and a fundamental right,” a response to COVID-19 mandates by Texas cities that required customers to wear masks and limited business hours.
Abolishing the Federal Reserve, the nation’s central bank, and guaranteeing the right to use alternatives to cash, including cryptocurrencies.