Ready for the press conference, boss?

Can't wait. The banks made eye-watering profits reporters lap it up.

They might be more interested in nationwide.

Nationwide, why?

They're sharing their profits with over four million of their members.

What? Now I don't feel ready. I just feel sweaty. Powder me!

Do I have to?

This year, we're giving £100 to every eligible member through our fairer share payment.

Nationwide. A good way to bank. Terms and conditions apply. Visit nationwide.com.uk. Qualifying current

account and savings or mortgage required on 31st of March 2025. It's four minutes after 10. And this is not a

conversation about what you want. I think it's important to make that clear. Not just to you, but to me as well.

It's not a question of what you're also. Be very careful of what you wish for. Johnny's up early

this morning. I never thought I'd say this, James, but I'm actually dreading the ultimate demise of

the Tory party, but only because I see what the replacement looks like. Open racism, far right hate, zero checks and balances.

The trajectory, of course, paved by the said Tory party.

That's a sort of timely reminder of being careful what you wish for.

But there are a couple of things going on at the moment that make it a moment in which I think it is pertinent to wonder whether or not they are facing an existential crisis.

I don't remember the last time it happened.

It looked for a while like the SDP were going to do terminal damage to the Labour Party, not least because three of the biggest

Labour beasts were in the original Gang of Four that set the party up.

I mean, popular legend has it that the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina

changed the electoral calculus completely because the sugar rush of patriotic fervor that it delivered

...