Journalist up north. Founder of @millmediauk. Slide into my DMs or via Signal (joshih.88).
Manchester, England
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I’ve been writing about Andy Burnham in Manchester for a while. We’ve had a few run-ins but I think he has qualities that many people don’t appreciate and weaknesses that spell trouble.
I wrote this for @ManchesterMill - I hope it’s insightful and fair.
manchestermill.co.uk/stop-lo…
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood and borders minister Anna Turley have both declined to back a return to freedom of movement, which is seen as the inevitable outcome of Andy Burnham’s Brexit push
Mahmood tells @SamCoatesSky she won’t repeat her views on free movement in public, stressing: “What I am keen on is abiding by our manifesto… I have views are a matter of public record and you're an enterprising journalist Sam, you can go and read and have trawl through what I think”
And now Turley, asked by @SophyRidgeSky if she wants to see the return of free movement, says: “My priority is sorting out the system we’ve got… We’ve been very clear in manifesto we won’t be having free movement in this country.” Asked to take part in the conversation about Brexit proposed by Burnham, Turley declines, saying: “We’ve got plenty of time before the next election”
This reads pretty clearly as the Home Office being unenthusiastic about Burnham’s desire to reopen the Brexit debate, which will require the restoration of free movement if it’s to be a serious move closer to the EU
Bloomberg reported on Saturday that there is serious consternation among senior cabinet ministers about the Brexit strategy
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
It's time, dear readers, to do the Christmas Market debate again.
Do you love them? Do you wish they were even earlier in the year? Does the sight of not one, but two ferris wheels fill you with unbridled rage?
Let us know in today's weekly briefing..
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As part of his Everyday Fixes please can Burnham ban Reach PLC websites
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has written for the Manchester Evening News on why trusted local journalism is vital to holding governments to account and tackling misinformation as part of Journalism Matters week manchestereveningnews.co.uk/…
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Excl: The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into The House of St Barnabas-in-Soho, which was set to become the London branch of The Explorers Club of New York, amid a falling out between directors and a standoff over the building the-londoner.co.uk/house-of-…
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This was what greeted me when I went down to 1 Greek Street (a.k.a the House of Charity, or the House of St Barnabas) yesterday.
I was trying to establish who the security holding the building were working for. They wouldn't tell me. 🧵
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
The Explorers Club of New York, which counts Jeff Bezos and Buzz Aldrin among its members, was looking for a London home. The House of St Barnabas in Soho was available. It seemed like a perfect plan.
Our weekend read details how it all unravelled.
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
A couple of weeks ago I took a weekly Mill Media full team call and thought to myself what an unbelievably talented team we have. (1/4)
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Completely disagree. Found this quite moving. I think it shows how much the moment meant to him.
I find it bizarre how Labour politicians seem to struggle to contain their emotions in the House of Commons.
Last year, we saw Rachel Reeves crying.
Now, Andy Burnham appears visibly emotional during John Healey’s Budget.
Each to their own, but personally, I want stoic politicians who remain composed under pressure, not politicians on the verge of tears over an economic statement.
A little more composure wouldn't go amiss.
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
It's like I wrote yesterday. This is not sustainable. And Ministers know it's not sustainable. Which is why they must be planning for a snap election. You can't seriously govern like this.
6am: Healey tells BBC he will bring down benefits bill before election
8:20: Treasury dispute the story
1pm: No10 disown it saying they have never set a target
2pm: PM says cuts as soon as possible
4pm: Healey says Labour won't bring bill down this Parliament
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"A target on its back"
Is Manchester's success turning other cities against us?
One of the many themes discussed at The Mill's first Future of GM Summit on Tuesday
manchestermill.co.uk/bev-cra…
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
Some personal reflections prompted by the thought provoking culture panel session at The Mill’s Future of Manchester Summit this week.
simondonohue.substack.com/p/…
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
Budget finished and straight out of the traps, one senior Labour MP texts: "That's the end of 40 years of neoliberalism?"
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The absence of any kind of radical
Burnhamite programme in the budget is only surprising if you believed he had one. As I wrote months ago, that’s not who Burnham is. He’s a connection politician not a conviction politician. By their budgets shall ye know them and now we know.
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
John Healey will face immense pressure over the next year after committing to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 without saying how he will pay for it
It is a huge ***unfunded pledge*** - the IFS has previously said it's equivalent to £10billion a year in spending cuts or tax rises
The OBR suggests it could lead to swingeing cuts to unprotected departments. That or big tax rises
Whichever way you cut it announcing the target without saying how you will pay for it will only increase questions
If the situation deteriorates further in the Middle East it will only become more challenging...
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
Amazing: journalist does journalism to discover something, and because everyone is so used to people living by press release, they literally can't believe the journalist found it out on their own.
holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2026/…
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
Here's the real story of this Budget, the can being kicked down the road. This Labour government is apparently planning spending cuts on most areas of public service spending of 2.6% per year between 2028-29 and 2031-32.
Pull the other one. It's got bells on.
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Joshi Herrmann retweeted
NEW
On the basis of the numbers the Chancellor just read out in the House, the UK is set to borrow MORE in each of the next five years than previously planned
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