Optimist. Father. Ex jockey, lawyer, Hexham MP & Minister. Brain tumour survivor and campaigner. Now consulting, chairing and charity work.
- Tweets 21,721
- Following 2,210
- Followers 25,320
- Likes 27,039
Visit #Northumberland ⬇️
🌄 Take in this view
Taken by one of our rangers while carrying out repairs on the Pennine Way path.
Photo taken from Hazely Law near Alwinton.
2
1
7
876
Listen and enjoy ⬇️
One of the great @HouseofCommons speeches and v v funny
My favourite Parliamentarian question - The "President of Europe" Speech (sometime during the Brown years)
7
1,392
Guy Opperman retweeted
The Tory Shadow Chancellor, @griffitha, has more private sector experience than the entire Labour Cabinet….combined.
Wild.
143
652
2,677
431,177
This is a great campaign⬇️
Very clear that summer and Saturday jobs are increasingly hard to get
My Shadow Cabinet had more business experience before they turned 18 than Andy Burnham’s front bench does today.
Why won’t Labour lift burdensome restrictions that are killing summer jobs?
Conservatives have a plan to save the summer job… then every young person can be more qualified than the Burnham Cabinet.
1
7
2,837
6 years since we lost the twins.
Went to see them with Zola, and Marina, who is now 2.
We never forget the past …but onwards and upwards 🙏
15
5
414
26,211
Genuinely surprised at this⬇️
12 years experience of being in government teaches you that
1. Government knows that each separate department has literally 10s of problems
2. Ministers / PMs job ultimately is to find solutions & then sell them to Parliament & the wider country 1/
Yvette Cooper being quite rude about Keir Starmer's governing style in interview with George Osborne, on his podcast
7
1
25
29,489
It is fair to say ministers talk about problems all the time with officials, colleagues, think tanks, voters etc
The test of government is can you fix these problems both in theory and then in practice.
A successful example is @michaelgove reform of education 2010-2014. 2/
8
1,855
Guy Opperman retweeted
From today a CDC master trust can pay a wage in retirement. henrytapper.com/2026/08/03/f… A decade in the making CDC workplace pensions are here. They should provide a retirement wage for millions
1
3
1
321
“This life is not a rehearsal.” ⬇️🙏
@mattforde optimism is infectious ✅
If you have not seen his show live do so!
2
1,770
Guy Opperman retweeted
So devolution means getting people's taxes to spend but not being allowed to give it back to them 🤷♂️
Last time I spoke to the PM, devolution was about whitehall not dictating what areas can or can’t do.
Doesn’t sound much like devolution to me? Just an excuse for a tax grab
Cabinet Office minister Lou Haigh says Tory and Reform mayors will not be able to use new freedoms to hand tax rebates to local people and businesses. Devolution only goes so far…
20
124
499
100,179
To replace the v capable @hilarybennmp with Chris was a clear error. Not a great start on a key issue in Northern Ireland.
NI Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant has avoided answering a question on if he believes in a united Ireland.
Speaking to the press today, he said: "I believe lots of things," before saying that he was 'deliberately avoiding' the question.
Read more: tinyurl.com/2f9nb3cs
15
23
180
66,091
Thank you #Scotland … took Kit on his first father / son trip away as a 4th birthday present: a lot of beach, ice cream and a warm welcome 1/
4
2
42
2,928
Being around a 4 year old to whom the world is a place of wonder is a very special thing. #onwards
1
7
359
Got the chance to play @RoyalDornochGC - if you know you know - justifiably famous, worth the journey and a beautiful beast of a course ⛳️ on the coast
1
4
176
This was a @Conservatives policy, introduced by @RishiSunak … and then cancelled by Labour after the 2024 general election. I should know - I was the Buses Minister pre 2024 GE.
For too long, people have said that cheaper transport isn't an option.
I don't accept that.
l've done it before and now I'm doing it again: a £2 cap on bus fares for millions across the country.
3
11
2,561