The Labour government are making cuts, not making policy. It’s a rerun of the Coalition’s “shrinking the state”. What didn’t work in 2010 won’t work now.

This will come as a shock to Oxbridge PPEs and members of the political class: neoliberalism is an ideology not a description of reality.

Here are some culinarily rules of thumb:

• Use more garlic than suggested
• Use a little more chilli
• Add less salt. You can always adjust
• Bayleaves sweeten cooked tomatoes better than sugar
• Bengali 5 spice (panch phoran) helps with brassicas
• Herbes de Provence fix all white bean dishes.

It is clear that criminal and far-right influencer Stephen Yaxley-Lennon either enjoys the protection of the British state or a rogue group of police and security services officers who presumably endorse his politics.

The eagle-eyed among you have reminded me that this is a photo of Trantor, not Poplar, on the way to the Seer Church, and several other exterior scenes - (Foundation, Season 1, Episode 1).

I was asked today why I don’t want to use WhatsApp.

“The chairman of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar stated that Facebook played a ‘determining role’ in the Rohingya genocide”.

Why would you use Meta’s products?

Okay: middle-aged, middle-brow warning.

Here are some stationery opinions. I wanted to start with fountain pens and pencils only, but some ball pens crept in. There are other great writing technologies. This is not that list.

• Good European fountain pen: Lamy 2000.
• Good Japanese fountain pen: Pilot Capless SE.

Generally, Japanese nibs are finer that European nibs.

• Good every day carry (EDC) fountain pen: Kaweco Lilliput. Consider a premium nib.
• Good EDC ball pen: Fisher Bullet Space Pen. The titanium nitride pen is the best.

If you are after mechanical pencils:

• Good European drafting pencil: rOtring 800.
• Good Japanese drafting pencil: OHTO Super ProMecha.
• Essential clutch pencil: Staedtler Mars Technico 780.

PS, don’t leave home without:

• BIC 4 colours multipen. I like the 4C 3 + 1 HB (3 colours and 1 pencil) - but you have choices.

For a moment there I thought I had run out of shichimi togarashi

I’m an impatient cook, particularly when I’m hungry. But you can never beat the mise en place.

Marks & Spencer, if you must put made in Britain Union Jack stickers on your aubergines, use ones that don’t leave unremovable glue residue behind

I spotted something curious in the world of planning. It’s as if there is one unregistered company, Banks Solutions, trading via a Gmail address, that provides the independent programme officer for, like, every single local plan examination in the south of England.

Good grief! Nationalise these companies already.

www.theguardian.com/environme…

Wet afternoon in Poplar

Mammals aren’t built for flight, unless you’re a bat. And do I look like a bat? It’s not easy wearing the wings. They are longer than you probably imagined, and major unwieldy. One time I crashed I broke my collar bone, and trashed the wing-pack too. Now when I try to fly, I try over water.

It’s disappointing to see a Labour chancellor regurgitate “regulations bad”.

Reeves says rules and red tape are ‘boot on the neck’ of business

I’m sure ministers will be queuing up to get their generously subsidised meals from cafeterias relieved of those pesky food standards regulations. And I have no doubt multinational corporations are lobbying hard for the removal of the thicket of intellectual property regulation they use to avoid tax.

Hot evening on the Dock:

• Kidding myself. I’m not running 1 metre over the water let alone 50.
• Fuck me!
• I crashed into the Dock, maybe 3 metres out: did I paddle there? No, I ran!

The wing-pack is heavy and hurts my shouders but I am running. I’m running on the water. Fuck me! I’m screen gliding.

Here’s a tip: if you have a packaged salad meal, throw the dressing away.

Just dropped a Duralex glass on a concrete floor…. And it bounced. Totally unscathed. These are amazing bits of kit.

You just have to take a look at the absolute state of Canning Town Station to know that no one “important” at the GLA takes public transport to City Hall.

I bought some Fiio Snowsky Anytime Bluetooth ANC headphones from Advanced MP3 Players. They are nothing transformative, but are a very nicely designed headset that sounds a lot better than the £28 list price. If you are looking for a stylish, faff-free commuter headset, give them a listen.

Bought me some Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights. Very nice. I’ve set them as dim as I can so as not to disturb the local pigeons.

This tree is an interloper in the reeds