It has been wonderful having Brian and Clem here, and we also managed to enjoy a family dinner at a lovely pub-restaurant. It’s always fascinating to watch Clem, the qualified and loving aunt, manage Tom and Jimmy.
She balances discipline with learning so that they have a great time, enjoying books and crayons, without disrupting the enjoyment of other diners.
Clem also visited an educational institution in Portsmouth for work and was deeply impressed.
The school works closely with major local employers, like BAE Systems, ensuring that young people receive a well-rounded education and are prepared for the workforce.
It reminded me of something Digby Jones once said to me when he was Director General of the CBI: over half of young people looking for their first job can’t read or write properly.
Alastair Stewart laments IT problems and mourns the tragic death of F1 legend Eddie Jordan in this week's Living With Dementia diary
| GB NEWSHis Lordship and his lovely wife, Pauline, have stayed in touch since my diagnosis, reaching out from the Channel Islands. The Portsmouth school directly addresses this issue, emphasising discipline, good manners, and a strict no-swearing policy.
Clem told me the school is part of the Baker-Deering Group, which was founded and is led by a former Thatcher-era Education Secretary I knew well. Their office was in the same Millbank building as the TV stations'
Westminster studios, so I often ran into them.
Robert Halfon, a former Schools Minister and friend of ours, is the Chairman of the Board.
Clem even gave evidence to the Education Select Committee, which Robert chaired, on the topics of deprivation and schooling. They’ve stayed close ever since.
This educational enterprise is a perfect example of how the private sector can be innovative and sometimes deliver even better results than the state. The values of
Deering, Baker, and Halfon keep it focused on what’s best for the students and their families.
On the political stage, there have been more defections from the Conservatives to Reform UK, most notably
Danny Kruger is one of the brightest minds of his generation. He has more of a career ahead of him than behind, unlike some earlier defectors.
Danny declared that the Conservative Party is "dead". Maria Caulfield also left the Tories, and Reform is slowly gathering a team that can answer not only the "what" but also the "how" if they win a general election.
The State visit of President Trump dominated the news. He spoke eloquently about the deep bonds between our two nations, our remarkable economic history, and the academic strength of British universities.
He also praised our spirit of innovation, which helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. With billions in U.S. investment flowing into the UK, there’s potential for another industrial revolution, this time powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Peter Mandelson, as usual, tried to spoil the occasion, but Trump famously responded by saying he didn’t know him. This, of course, would have stung the "Prince of Darkness" deeply.
Sir Keir Starmer performed well during the visit, but the real stars were President Trump and our Royal Family.
The broadcasters need to rediscover the beauty of our language and stop focusing solely on pomp and pageantry. The BBC became tediously repetitive, while GB News was much more engaging.