'It was like a case study in how the state shouldn't work.' @benkentish.bsky.social shares his family's personal experience of social care earlier this year.
Ben Kentish
@benkentish.bsky.social
Presenter @LBC “Late Nights with Ben Kentish”, 10pm-1am Monday to Thursday
Really interested in what you think needs more attention from the media - topics that are being missed, issues you think deserve more coverage etc. We try hard to cover the important topics on my LBC show but inevitably there will be things we’re missing, so let me know.
"I'd love to play their calls to Rachel Reeves." Do callers Elliot and Kieran illustrate the implicit unfairness of the student loan system? @benkentish.bsky.social thinks so.
Opinion | For much of the last century, Britain was the dominant power in the Middle East. As the last few days have made clear, it is now almost entirely irrelevant 🖋 @benkentish.bsky.social Read more: trib.al/kODbut4
Caller Simon would quite like to move to France. But when a 'scrounger' on a small boat does it, he takes issue. 'So are you just jealous?' @benkentish.bsky.social asks.
But the wild slanders against all asylum seekers had nothing to do with people trying to burn down their hotels, apparently
Anyone (legit) selling any Coldplay tickets for this weekend?
Given that Jeremy Hunt is at it again, my recent column on politicians pontificating about mental health diagnoses from a position of complete ignorance. Read here: inews.co.uk/opinion/no-j...
No, Jeremy Hunt, anxiety and depression isn't 'overdiagnosed'
For years it felt like we were making big strides forward. Now, we are going backwards
inews.co.uk
❌ Cost of living crisis ❌ NHS ❌ Youth unemployment ✅ Migration @benkentish.bsky.social challenges Lord Blunkett’s assertion that, of all the issues, migration must be Keir Starmer’s ‘top priority’.
‘Do we need to stop the boats? Of course.’ ‘Is shredding human rights laws worthwhile? Of course it isn’t.’ @benkentish.bsky.social says current migration discourse is ‘bordering on collective hysteria’.
“Trump ended 6 wars.” “Name 2.” “Russia Russia Russia… fake news….” A+ exchange on British 🇬🇧 radio
"There's no evidence for that is there?" "That's not true. There is real concern out there." Is the Lucy Connolly case an example of 'two-tier justice'? @benkentish.bsky.social debates Richard Holden.
"I'm not going to answer your stupid childish questions." Seb Gorka demands @benkentish.bsky.social 'grow up' after asking about Trump's promise to end the war in Ukraine 'on his first day'.
Inheritance tax only affects the wealthiest 4.6% and is paid on wealth being transferred to people who haven’t themselves earned it.
LBC@lbc.co.uk · 12mo ago'Can we at least agree that inheritance tax is on unearned wealth?' '...no, we can't.' @benkentish.bsky.social tries repeatedly to explain how inheritance tax works, but caller John isn't having any of it.
'Can we at least agree that inheritance tax is on unearned wealth?' '...no, we can't.' @benkentish.bsky.social tries repeatedly to explain how inheritance tax works, but caller John isn't having any of it.
Bluesky was a really refreshing place for a while - much friendlier and with people more open to discussion rather than abuse. It’s a real shame that people like this have quickly made it barely any better than X.
“Don’t you think it’s a great idea?” “No.” Caller Colin thinks he’s solved the prisons crisis. @benkentish.bsky.social points out the flaws in his plans.
Saying that a country needs rules, norms and shared values to be united rather than a collection of strangers really does not make you Enoch Powell.
Six hours of live election results show done alongside @natashaclark.bsky.social! Huge thank you to the whole team for a stellar effort. The coverage continues on @lbc.co.uk
Really looking forward to hosting @lbc.co.uk election night special tonight, with @natashaclark.bsky.social guiding us through all the results and reaction. Join us 10pm to 4am for breaking news, analysis, discussion of what it all means - and of course plenty of calls. There's a lot to talk about!
Opinion | Reform UK does not have serious solutions - they often do not even have serious candidates. And yet they are increasingly seen as the best option 🖋️ @BenKentish.bsky.social
Arron Banks proves it - Reform is still a circus
For all the chaos, Reform should still not be underestimated
inews.co.uk
Had the strangest dream last night that Barnet won the league and were promoted as champions to the EFL.
On the show tonight: 🔴 How will history judge Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine? 🔵 Why has celebrating Englishness become so controversial - and should it be? 🌑 Calls for the police to clamp down on people playing loud music in public. What’s gone wrong to make this necessary?
A real pleasure to be sitting in for @mrjamesob.bsky.social this morning - join us from 10 @lbc.co.uk
Opinion | Dire predictions about their fate have not come to pass - this is what it tells us about British society 🖋 @BenKentish.bsky.social inews.co.uk/opinion/we-w...
NEW: My latest @theipaper column on why alarmist, exaggerated warnings from private schools about Labour’s VAT policy were given so much attention - and what it says about Britain. Read here👇
"You might think that private school leaders...will now be written off as the unreliable fearmongers they appear to be. Don’t bank on it. That they were given so much credence for so long shows where power and influence lies in our broken political and media world." 👏 @benkentish.bsky.social
We were warned about a catastrophe for private schools – so what actually happened?
Dire predictions about their fate have not come to pass - this is what it tells us about British society
inews.co.uk
Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours and peerages list: 18 x former Tory advisers 11 x Tory and former Tory MPs 2 x Tory councillors 1 x Tory party Chief Executive 1 x England cricketer 1 x filmmaker Gongs for your mates. A ridiculous system.
fascinating discussion on smartphone usage right now on @lbc with @benkentish.bsky.social (not just because I’ve been part of it) Should phones be banned, or should society be better trained and educated?
a person is smoking a cigarette with smoke coming out of it .
ALT: a person is smoking a cigarette with smoke coming out of it .
media.tenor.com