The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, is highly critical of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon in an insightful interview by @chedwardes (what Cooper says when probed on the legality of America’s attacks on Iran is among many striking remarks). This on Lebanon won’t make the government’s relationship with Israel any less fractious. “How does she feel when she hears Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich talk about razing the southern suburbs of Beirut, ‘like Khan Younis’ (which was flattened in Gaza). She says ‘that sort of language is shocking and unacceptable. And it’s worth remembering that it was this Labour government which sanctioned Smotrich alongside fellow minister [Itamar] Ben-Gvir for inciting violence. We must avoid this war expanding into Lebanon. That will see more civilians killed and families displaced.’ She says Hezbollah must cease attacks on Israel and addresses Netanyahu saying, ‘Israel must not expand this war to Lebanon.’” theguardian.com/politics/202…

Keir Starmer to @chedwardes: “You asked me questions that I’ve never asked myself,” he says... “That may seem funny, [but] part of being Keir” – he sometimes talks about himself in the third person – “is just ploughing on. Knowing what I’m doing, knowing where I’ve got to go, without allowing myself time to stop and have a discussion with myself. I’ve just got this thing about keeping going.” theguardian.com/politics/art…