Stephen Bush

Overly optimistic assumptions that inflation will always be the public finances’ friend are mistaken

‘Stranger Things’ is back for its final season, weaving fantasy set not in the future but in a past that its young fans never knew

Labour lacks plan to reform public services or to broaden who benefits from them

Home secretary’s framing of failures is partly low politics, but also a result of ministers’ poor approach to race relations

Corporation fails to learn from criticism, while politicians have consciously reduced its scope for quality journalism

Drive to professionalise landlords benefits first-time buyers but tenants suffer in the short term

Productivity downgrade by public finance watchdog creates a big problem for Rachel Reeves

Plus, Lucy Powell’s unsurprising win and a worrying, mistaken prison release

Result shows how Reform’s polarising nature may also be its weakness

Proposing such a radical bill with little public support is a gift to Nigel Farage