If he was about to be convicted of an offence under the Terrorism Act, I doubt that they would keep him travel.

Anyway, he’s obviously not a terrorist. Do you ever see him holding a sign?

If politicians are of any use at all, it is to know this kind of thing. And a politician who does not know has no business voting on anything where it is relevant (which is basically everything).

Why is he an idiot? He isn’t insisting that these children go to an all-welsh school. He’s saying that it’s ridiculous to pay private-school fees for the sole purpose of avoiding 2 hours of Welsh a week.

Of course, the soldiers from Wales probably don’t need this. It’s aimed at the ones who have been sent there together with their families, from somewhere else in the UK. I wonder how many of those are officers.

Except love their daughter unconditionally.

Please don’t stop signing petitions though. It takes little effort and forces them to justify their unpopular policies in Parliament (admittedly usually to a very empty chamber).

It isn’t only a question of political astuteness though. It’s obvious that it won’t work. Only an idiot would think that someone who is prepared to risk their life crossing the channel in a small boat is going to be put off by a digital ID.

I don’t think I want to even consider that he might be dismantling our freedom to appease the far right in the hope that they won’t notice that it hasn’t done anything. I don’t think you call that a lack of political astuteness. That would be rank stupidity.

Hanlon’s Razor, sure, but I don’t buy it. He isn’t stupid.

Just like the Online Safety Act, it isn’t going to do much for its stated purpose, but it’s going to be very effective for helping the government find and stop people organising protests.

So Larry Ellison instead of Peter Thiel. Another foreign billionaire who totally has our interests at heart.

The government is not inactive. It’s working hard on banning protest organisations, expanding the surveillance state and selling your medical data.

The article is illustrated with a photo of a protest of the kind that will not be allowed*.

• the kind that are allowed are the kind where far-right thugs assault policemen.

Yvette Cooper and Jonathan Reynolds previously ruled this out, and it’s obvious that it will do nothing to prevent immigrants from working illegally. Not to mention that the fact that we don’t allow successful asylum claimants to work is repugnant.

So the question is: who leant on him? Who is it that really wants this? Is Palantir going to get the contract, by any chance?

Perhaps he will send Rachel “First Green Chancellor” Reeves in his stead.