Ed Davey: If Keir Starmer misled parliament he must resignAfter today's revelation that Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting when being considered for appointment as ambassador to the United States, but was appointed anyway, Ed Davey issued this statement: Keir Starmer had already made a catastrophic error of judgment. Now it looks as though he has also misled parliament and lied to the British public. If that is the case, he must go. Labour came into Government on a promise to clean up politics. Instead we're seeing the same old sleaze, scandal and cover-ups as we did under the Conservatives. You can read the Guardian story that broke the ... (more) |
Three chords and the truthThe new Fabian pamphlet, Common Endeavour, has one of the sharpest lines written about populism this year. In chapter 8, Labour MP Liam Byrne borrows the old country music saying that all you need is "three chords and the truth." Populism works, he argues, because it plays three simple emotional chords: patriotism, nostalgia, and moral combat. Pride, loss, fight. Simple, repeatable, and perfectly tuned to social media algorithms that reward feeling over thought. He's right. And he's honest enough to admit that mainstream politicians have been answering with word salads while populists holler a battle cry. Reform UK doesn't win ... (more) |
All The President's Men, and the myth it sells youThe latest edition of the email newsletter for my podcast, Political Fictions, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: [IMG: Screenshot of door from Watergate Centre in All The President's Men] Perhaps the most important door in US political history, and the film used the real door. Take a listen to the podcast to find out all about it. The latest episode of Political Fictions is out, taking a look at the classic US political ... (more) |
100 things @ 100 daysHello lovely Liberal Democrats! This week, we reached 100 days since I took office as Party President – and what an honour it's been so far! I've been working with incredible members, activists, councillors, parliamentarians and staff across our party to help us to reach more people – voters, donors, volunteers, media and more – with our liberal message and to reinforce our position as the last line of defence against populism and division in our country. Below are 100 things that I've been doing since I was elected to play my part in that fight as Party president. It's ... (more) |
Reform councillor convicted of breaking lawThe Press Association reports, via Greatest Hits radio, that Reform councillor Andy Osborn is going to be an ex-councillor: A Reform UK councillor is set to be disqualified from office after being found guilty of breaking election law by publishing a damning lie about a Conservative candidate in the run-up to a local election. Andy Osborn, 74, was chairman of the North East Cambridgeshire Reform Party in April 2025 when he made Samantha Hoy a "target with anger"... District judge Nina Tempia, sitting at Westminster Magistrates' Court, dismissed Osborn's claim that his account been hacked and found him guilty of ... (more) |
Call for ban on 'abusive' lawsuits against media outlets to be in King's SpeechNation Cymru reports that MPs from across the Commons have called for "robust" legislation to tackle unscrupulous lawsuits aimed at silencing local media outlets. The news site says that the calls are part of a "day of action" aimed at highlighting the impact of strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapps) on both local newspapers and wider society: s Slapps, described by critics as "lawfare", involve the rich and powerful using defamation and privacy laws to intimidate and shut down scrutiny, threatening to tie up their targets in costly legal action. Organised by the UK Anti-Slapp Coalition, Wednesday's campaign calls for ... (more) |
Don't ring us....Our thanks to Hope Not Hate for this slide and the revelations about the history of Mike Porritt's business activities. Who is he? He's one of the Reform candidates in Whickham South and Sunniside ward of Gateshead Council. Back in 2007, Mr Porritt's car supermarket, "carshock" collapsed and he was forced into bankruptcy. Now, Mr Porritt is offering his business experience to run Gateshead (more) |
14-15 April 2016 - the press releasesScot Lib Dems comment on Nigel Farage's visit to Shetland Abysmal A&E figures show SNP need to be removed from government Scot Lib Dems comment on Nigel Farage's visit to Shetland Commenting on Nigel Farage's flying visit to Shetland, Emma Macdonald Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate said: Nigel Farage is welcome to visit Shetland the same as any tourist, but folk here will judge him on what he's actually done for our islands. Farage was on the fisheries committee in Brussels for years and barely made an appearance – then when there was a big debate on the fishing industry in ... (more) |
Jago Hazzard on the St Ives Bay LineHe sounds like a minor character from Poldark, so it's appropriate that we find Jago Hazzard away from his London stamping ground and in Cornwall. He's our guide to what it seems we must now call the storied history of the St Ives Bay Line - surprisingly storied, in fact. I stayed in St Ives when I was walking the coastal path many years ago. This was before the Tate opened in the town, but even then it was it was absolutely heaving.Yet the next morning I walked a mile out of town towards Zennor and had the clifftops to ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1504"To everyone's surprise, Orbán conceded early - before 9.30pm - and cheers erupted from all corners of Budapest's centre. One small but mighty party was organised by the centrist Momentum Movement. On the large screen was the prime minister glumly telling his supporters that it was over, and the defeat was 'painful'. In the crowds were dozens of people giving him the finger."Marie Le Conte was in Budapest when Viktor Orbán fell. Eyal Weizman on the destruction of Gaza: "Two and a half years after 7 October 2023, most of the Gaza Strip - cities, refugee camps, schools, universities, mosques, ... (more) |