The takeaway IMO is aggro centrism is an astonishing disaster. Not only does it not work - it delivers little for the public, doesn’t address core problems and disillusions the public against democracy itself - but it actively aids the far right and prepares the way for fascism.

My ten cents worth on ten years of fuckery with Robbie Gibb from my time as editor of Channel 4 News to trying to get BBC News (UK) to broadcast our film on Gaza, through No 10, Brexit and Israel the self appointed defender of impartiality, who has utterly destroyed it.

"We have become the destination of choice in Europe" - Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. That is clearly untrue, as a matter of fact. Regulated broadcasters ought to clarify the fact when reporting it. Applications up in UK, down in Germany & France, and up in Italy and Spain.

The Home Office confirms that its plans for forced returns will include families with children. If they refuse to leave then "we will escalate to an enforced return"

This question and the non-answer makes it crystal clear that this appalling policy has not been thought through. Is it a product of #McSweeney’s hallucinating #AI focus groups? #RefugeesWelcome

Who briefed it to the sun then? And why does the official document say "assets" will be seized?

Asked about Tommy Robinson supporting her plans Shabana Mahmood replies that "Tommy Robinson doesn't even think I'm actually English, so he will certainly not be supporting anything I've got to say." But he is supporting what she's got to say. That was the point of the question

using the racism you face as a shield to push forward far right reforms that will bring yet more pain and suffering to the vulnerable and more division to the country is fucking deplorable. a new low from Shabana Mahmood MP

Labour peer Lord Dubs: "To use children as a weapon, as the home secretary is doing, is I think a shabby thing. I’m lost for words, frankly." huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-p…

Not much more to say about Labour. They have a huge majority. Instead of really trying to improve people's lives and convince people they're worth voting for, they're putting their efforts into the same old model of blaming some of the most vulnerable people for your problems.

Quiet Piggy

The #JustLookAtThePHDOnThatChick pics have been the best response to the far right #ModernConservative wankers, and I use wanker in every sense of the term, who were seeking to shout these smart young women down.

… Which is why fourteen historians who specialise in this stuff came together to write this: hurstpublishers.com/book/the-truth…

This is explosive stuff. Evidence that Jeffrey Epstein not only ran a child sex trafficking operation for powerful men, he also seems to have advised & supported Farage’s far right political projects in Europe and the UK, including Brexit, via Steve Bannon.

It’ll be interesting to see what attention the supposedly leftist BBC gives the two stories about Nigel Farage this week: The Guardian’s new evidence of his racist & antisemitic bullying and Byline Times’ revelation of his political links with Epstein. bylinetimes.com/2025/11/19/din…

MoJ plan to remove right to trial by jury for thousands of cases in controversial overhaul - would be a catastrophic mistake that I and many others won’t support. theguardian.com/law/2025/nov/2…

We're attracted to simple big stories to explain complicate problems. In Scotland the idea of the energy transition is a key example. When oil and gas workplaces close down and workers lose their jobs we're told it's down to the transition. Except usually it isn't. Here's why🧵

Quite the datapoint Alexander Clarkson  washingtonpost.com/national-secur….

Your periodic reminder that Keir Starmer boasted about sharing #Trump’s values #idiocy

Cryptocurrency backed by Farage donor is used for Russian war effort, investigators say theguardian.com/politics/2025/…