Sad to see LibDems jump on the prison panic bandwagon. "We know some prisoners must be released earlier, but not them, or them, or him, or her, or them, etc..." is an infinite loop that destroys public trust. Also potentially dangerous, as it throttles arrest/prosecution/sentencing at the other end.

BBC kid gloves out again for an interview with Badenoch (would-be PM) on the Today programme. Compare and contrast with the aggression demonstrated towards Alex Davies-Jones (junior minister) yesterday.

"What an outrageous tweet! This is the tweet of someone unfit to sit in Parliament. A pointless talentless grifting nonentity! Absolutely clueless"

It needs to be said again and again that in 14 years in power the Tories created just 500 prison places. The current mess is wholly of their making.

Sarah Pochin is a national disgrace. She ought to be made to go to France and publicly apologise.

I'm absolutely furious that facts and information like this are allowed on social media while every Reform MP is working so hard to spread misinformation and lies and stir up our gullible supporters who will believe any old bollocks.

It's officially Yorkshire Day! Greetings to all natives and citizens of God's Own County! And for any lesser mortals, here's a map, to help you get your bearings... 👍

Quick quick, our stupid readers may notice that we're wrong about Reform storming to victory for Manchester mayor. Turns out that Labour wins by a huge margin. Get someone from entertainment to write some bollocks about Africans trying to invade the country. Hate don't think.

Just back from morning walk. For the first time in weeks it was good to get back into the warmth of the house!

The front page of the Daily Telegraph, standing up for the real victims in modern Britain.

Liz, as always, managing to get on the wrong side of everything.

Today we remember Bill Oddie, our former Patron and President, whose lifelong dedication to protecting animals and wildlife inspired so many ♥️

Harrison: “I just want to thank the cast, the writers, the Agricultural Story Editor, and most importantly, all of our listeners, who have borne the brunt of these storylines.” #TheArchers

Why does the BBC keep repeating that Burnham has ruled out an early general election, as if that’s somehow unusual? The fact of the matter is that it’s entirely routine for a PM coming into office part way through a Parliament NOT to call an early GE.

Long overdue for The Spectator's Islamophobia to come under the microscope. Excellent piece from Peter Oborne here doing just that. It is now, he writes, just "an upmarket version of GB News" (same owner, of course)

Exposed: The Rabidly Islamophobic Magazine at the Heart of the British Establishment

For almost 200 years, 'The Spectator' stood for civilised, bravely heretical discourse. But a new report reveals how it now spews out anti-Muslim hatred week after week to its upmarket audience

open.substack.com

Ludicrous that Premier League football teams go abroad for pre-season friendlies. Leeds United v Wrexham in Florida! So much for football going green.

You see this frontpage and do genuinely wonder what on earth the conversation must have been between the senior editors when they were laying it out...

The constant lies in the media about councils wasting money on useless things like diversity officers have permeated too many brains.

Reform Party UK Exposed@reformexposed.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hahahahahahhaha: Reform UK’s flagship Kent County Council waste-cutting Department for Local Government Efficiency ‘shelved’

This is, by my count, every type of funny. From Badenoch’s epic absurdity to Shapps’s huge embarrassment. And everything in between. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Grant Shapps blocked from standing again for the Conservatives

Kemi Badenoch tells the BBC she leads a "new party full of new people" as ex-MP is rejected as a candidate.

bbc.co.uk

🇬🇧 "The capital’s homicide rate has fallen to the lowest level in recorded history on a per capita basis. It’s now lower than that in Berlin, Brussels, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Paris – and every US state." London is not lawless. It is a myth used to sow fear about multiculturalism and diversity.

If you’ve heard that London is dystopian and dangerous – read this. It just isn’t | Sadiq Khan

Britain’s capital has faced social media, press and political attacks designed to make residents and tourists feel unsaf

theguardian.com

How can this have been 55 years ago? And it still unfailingly brings a tear to my eye.

Carole King@carolekingofficial.bsky.social · 2w ago

Repost from @sound_odyssey3 • James Taylor & Carole King — You’ve Got a Friend BBC In Concert · 1971 "Pure comfort in song form. Written by Carole King and shared here with James Taylor, You’ve Got a Friend feels less like a performance and more like a promise. (Cont'd in comments)

James Lovelock is one of the greatest climate scientists that ever lived. We're about find out how on point his statements from over 18 years ago were.

Haigh pleaded guilty over a £500 issue and got a conditional discharge 13 yrs ago. Is this a new thing the right wing media are now interested in? What about people who served US jail time for fraud, made millions supplying dodgy PPE or 'carelessly, not deliberately' forgot to pay £5m in tax, etc?

Only Trump could start a war and then seek revenge for the deaths of members of his own forces. That’s a recipe for an endless war.

Trying to imagine the Fox News coverage if a Democratic President spent the entire weekend shoving himself into team photos for the World Cup while American soldiers were being killed overseas.

I think after this Britain should give the Falklands to Spain, as a treat

Is it usual for the national anthem of the host nation to be played / sung before a World Cup Final? Or is it just in Trump’s USA?

I imagine I’m not alone in having watched all the really tedious England matches at the World Cup and having missed the only two worth watching - Mexico because it was in the middle of the night and France because, well, why would you? Proper football returns soon.

Farage and Reform are plagued by dreadful coincidences. It’s such rotten luck for poor Nige. Why do these things keep happening to such a…..

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 3w ago

The convicted criminal who funded Nigel Farage opened an account with an obscure overseas payments company days before it was used to channel an “unexplained” £500,000 donation to Reform UK

Very much hoping Spain win the World Cup and then use their White House approved freedom of speech to say just what their country thinks of Trump.