Ding dong, the rich have left...

I'm feeling something like hope?

Good lord, it’s hard to know where to start - but what a weekend it was.

The end of 14 years of Tory rule! The removal of an inhumane government - including laughing boy, above - and the installation of a largely state-school educated cabinet in their place! The culling of the Rwanda plan and the reopening of negotiations with junior doctors! I’ll take it all thanks!

Apparently I’m not the only one high on Britain’s supply this week. There’s a feeling in the air, isn’t there? An end of school mood that seems to be crossing all ages. Kids set loose, Wimbledon on the tele, Lewis Hamilton back on the podium at the British Grand Prix. Forget things can only get better - squint and you could almost believe we’d gone back to the headier times of 1997!

Of course, it’s not all marvellous. I know I’m not the only one remaining cautious about our new government - from Gaza to trans rights, there’s a lot still to prove - and I definitely don’t like what the Reform vote share tells us.

However, in the spirit of optimism, I’m going to take this opportunity to sign out on a high for summer. I’d planned on doing an election deep dive before bowing out briefly for the holiday work/parenting/travel juggle, but the start of the school break snuck up on me and frankly, we’re all a little demob happy in our house.

I’ll be back in August, when life returns to normal. Until then, rest assured, all payments have been paused and subscriptions will pick up where they left off ONLY when my writing does too. Have a fabulous summer, whatever it promises for you. I’ll see you, hopefully still bathed in hope and happiness, next month.

xxx