The Conservative party Shadow Culture Secretary to speak at conference tomorrow about how to "defend press freedom", whilst her own party bans journalists whose coverage they don't like

EXCLUSIVE Reform MP Sarah Pochin asked a question about the impact second homes have on rural areas, just 48 hours before buying a £800k second home in Wales… willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/reform-mp-...

Reform UK MP buys £800k Welsh second home just days after questioning their impact

Is this a case of politicians saying ‘do as I say, not as I do’?

willhaywardwales.substack.com

From Politico. That motion is absolute fucking poison and by failing to stand up to it, the Greens have allowed that poison to seep into the party.

“How are you supposed to sleep when your whole flat is vibrating?”: Slough residents tell Brenna Spain about the unsettling noise pollution from the data centres next door www.thenerve.news/p/slough-dat...

I've been a member of the lobby for well over a decade. Not a single one of my lobby colleagues has said a word about the Conservatives banning me from their conferences, without any explanation. Contrast with the US where even Fox News stood in solidarity when Trump banned news outlets he disliked

Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives Block Byline Times From Conference After Condemning Reform for Journalist Ban

The ban comes just weeks after the Conservative leader called Reform's barring of critical journalists from their conference an "authoritarian" attack on the free press

bylinetimes.com

Reform UK Policy Documents Accidentally Sent To Island Councillors www.iwradio.co.uk/news-post/re...

Reform UK Policy Documents Accidentally Sent To Island Councillors

Internal Reform UK policy and guidance documents have been accidentally sent to independent and Conservative Isle of Wight councillors.

iwradio.co.uk

Everyday since early Sunday morning there has been a different public consensus on the truth behind what happened around RAF Fairford. It’s important not to jump to conclusions while investigations are on going, and to be vigilant about any new ‘information’ you may read online.

UK public sector bodies spent £17bn with offshore-owned private equity firms last year. The same vultures received £31bn public sector contracts. Profiteering, low wages, tax dodging, asset-stripping is their business model. Enriched by public money. How many have politicians on payroll?

£17 billion taxpayer cash went to offshore private equity last year

We need to buy British, GMB tells Labour conference

gmb.org.uk

Manchester City cheated Premier League rules, the Commission found. Did it also cheat HMRC? We've examined the decision and leaked Mancini documents. We think City likely failed to pay £12m in tax. There should be a criminal investigation. Thread:

Bury were expelled from the Football League for less than this.

Laura Phillips@lauraphillips.bsky.social · 3d ago

How should a national commission on electoral reform be designed? On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced a national commission on electoral reform. @alanrenwick.bsky.social argues that such a body should have three key features, and emphasises the care that should be taken. Read it 👇️

How should a national commission on electoral reform be designed?

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced a national commission on electoral reform. In this article originally published in the Conversation UK, Alan Renwick explains that such a body should secure public involvement, not aim for a particular result and listen to the experts. He also emphasises that any change to the electoral system should be carried out with the greatest possible care.

blogs.ucl.ac.uk

Jack Smith: "Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation ... rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 election, he engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power"

There’s not much point talking about devolution without some headroom on spending for local councils

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3d ago

Sixteen English councils spend more than 80% of core funding on social care

Mic drop moment at our event on the sidelines of #labconf26 in Liverpool, when @labourlewis.bsky.social revealed a letter from Tom Watson showing Palantir has tracked his mentioning them nearly 130 times. Is there anything Palantir doesn’t want to know about us?

Eventually, Delo pleaded guilty to wilfully failing to establish the required anti-money-laundering programme at BitMEX, but not before cashing in He made history with a £36 million donation to Reform UK – making him the party's now second-biggest donor

Ben Delo: how Reform donor created a ‘magnet for money laundering’

Britain’s record donor made his fortune from a crypto exchange that asked few questions of its customers

thebureauinvestigates.com

During an 11 day period around Christmas 2025, an estimated three million sexualised deepfakes were created mostly of women, but some of children, on Elon Musk's X

Reform UK councillor Billy Burke, Trafford Council, goes on trial for possession of an offensive weapon tomorrow.

Comment on Reddit about this: "My mum tried to send a gift card to someone at the council who had helped her quit smoking. They turned it down because she wasn't allowed to accept gifts." And yet some MPs (and the authorities) think it's totally normal and fine to do this...

Byline Times@bylinetimes.bsky.social · last wk.

📌 ICYMI — Rupert Murdoch Flew Kemi Badenoch and Her Deputy to Mediterranean for Summer Trips Worth £12,000 — @josiahmortimer.bsky.social The Conservative leader and Alex Burghart MP held "off-site meetings" with the billionaire media mogul in August

The unacceptable face of market renting

MarYubartina@maryubartina.bsky.social · 6d ago

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

Schoolchildren without smartphones penalised with higher bus fares

Schoolchildren without smartphones penalised with higher bus fares

Despite guidance keeping mobile phones out of England’s schools, cheaper travel may only be available via an app Schoolchildren who do not own smartphones face paying hundreds of pounds extra in annual bus fares as cheaper travel passes are digitised. Critics argue that by only making discounts available through an app, operators are undermining government guidance to keep mobile phones out of schools. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

Oddly enough I’ve played golf (badly) on what was Sandilands golf course outside Sutton on Sea.

Brynley Heaven@brynleyheaven.bsky.social · last wk.

Coastal rewilding in Lincs former golf course

Poverty porn

Farrukh@implausibleblog.bsky.social · last wk.

Helen Whateley, daughter of a surgeon and a physician, who attended private schools and then Oxford university, "When I was younger, I worked as a waitress, I worked as a cleaner, I did all sorts, being a receptionist, they were not my dream job, but they were a way of earning some money"

Josh Babarinde, "The Conservatives cut student grants, cut youth centres, cut access to work, live and play in Europe, now they want to cut their benefits" "They way you help young people into employment isn't by punishing them, its by investing in them" #BBCQT

The Diocese of Lancaster must urgently answer questions in ‘a prompt and detailed’ manner over plans to academise a rated Outstanding school in Preston, according to the area's local MP Maya Ellis.

Diocese of Lancaster refuses to answer questions over alleged removal of governors who oppose Corpus Christi academisation – Blog Preston

<p>The Ribble Valley MP has asked for transparency – the Diocese of Lancaster has said no. </p>

blogpreston.co.uk

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden - LD gain from Tunbridge Wells Alliance (seat not defended) LD 697 C 590 RUK 392 Grn 186 Previous results: andrewteale.me.uk/in5y Preview: andrewspreviews.substack.com/p/previewing...

Purplebricks RIP?

Dan Neidle@danneidle.bsky.social · last wk.

HMRC have filed a petition to wind up online estate agent Purplebricks. Purplebricks told me it had been lodged in error and withdrawn by HMRC, but they have not substantiated this despite repeated requests. And their accounts are three months late.

HMRC have filed a petition to wind up online estate agent Purplebricks. Purplebricks told me it had been lodged in error and withdrawn by HMRC, but they have not substantiated this despite repeated requests. And their accounts are three months late.

She voted for Trump and then he used his power over governmental agencies in a way that resulted in her daughter being murdered.  It is infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time. 

Are the Royal Family public servants or not? And if they are, then why do they have a blanket exemption on rules that others have to follow? In July I introduced a Bill to end outrageous Royal exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act. You can read it here: bills.parliament.uk/bills/4267

A section of the roof of one of the properties along the busy Ashton-on-Ribble street has fallen into the pavement and road.

Debris seen scattered across road as fire service called to Tulketh Road – Blog Preston

<p>Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has three crews on the scene in Ashton-on-Ribble</p>

blogpreston.co.uk