BREAKING: The Senedd has given its consent to Westminster's assisted dying bill. If the Senedd had blocked it, there would have been a constitutional headache for those backing the bill. Several MSs raised concerns, but were defeated.

A former Reform UK Kent county councillor has been jailed for 12 months after admitting subjecting his wife to years of controlling and coercive behaviour. He was suspended by Reform UK shortly after winning the Cliftonville ward in May

Seven KCC councillors have formed a new Restore Britain group at County Hall, giving a national hard-right project a foothold in Kent. We unpack who’s moved, why Reform fractured, and what Restore’s first real test has looked like.

I bet he's sweating now

🚨 We're Hiring! 🚨 We're excited to announce we're expanding our clinical team. We're looking for two dedicated and motivated nurses who'll help provide clear and practical support to people to help them make informed decisions about the end of their life.

I regularly think about Steve Ballmer talking about how his wealth is up 10x from holding onto Microsoft stock which he doesn’t sell to avoid taxes. So his wealth just sits there growing and he donates his dividends/interest which is now up to $1B a year. Life changing wealth just sitting there.

It's even more annoying if you're at Ashford "International"

"no assumption should be made that it has infringed consumer law”. 🤔 www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Petition: Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament petition.parliament.uk/petitions/75...

When I say I won’t read your Substack this is what I mean:

Hate-filled fake videos about London are everywhere. We've obtained a recording of a TikToker confessing to secretly filming Londoners in their homes for clicks. He says it's not political. He just wants to make money from far-right anger. Read what he says: www.londoncentric.media/p/london-tik...

But why is he standing like this, is he literally being "down with the kids"?

An important piece that looks not just at the Shirehall, Shrewsbury but at the wider problem of values of heritage and it's futute reuse. Well worth 5 minutes of your time

There “just weren’t big cuts to make, because services had already been hacked away for years and years”. So Reform in Kent are either incredibly naive, or liars. www.ft.com/content/fc3c...

Stop this www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

We are deeply saddened by the death of Nathaniel Dye MBE. A tireless campaigner for assisted dying who, even in his final weeks, fought for the right of others to have choice at the end of life. His courage, compassion and legacy will live on in every step toward law change.

Really interesting analysis in the Observer this morning of the number and nature of amendments to the assisted dying bill and whether it counts as filibustering. On Friday they discussed the effect of AI for an hour… before that amendment was withdrawn. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

There's a lot of buzz about Christian revival among young adults in the UK & US. Perceptions of revival are fueled by results from opt-in online surveys. However, these surveys may be misleading. Surveys from random samples of the population don't show any clear evidence of revival. My new post:

"Hans, are we on the board of peace?"

A national disgrace in the making

Nine years ago a Twitter user was sending poetry to Sadiq Khan about London’s many cultural identities. A decade on, Reform UK’s mayoral candidate doesn’t dispute it was her old account - so what’s changed? Our profile of Laila Cunningham: www.londoncentric.media/p/laila-cunn...

It will not surprise you to learn that Toby Youngs 'Free Speech Union' has obtained a High Court injunction banning the publication of a list of its donors open.substack.com/pub/democrac...

Very helpful table from @andymasley.bsky.social comparing water use of different digital activities helping contextualise the popular concern about the water impact of using ChatGPT andymasley.substack.com/p/individual...

I have been waiting for @hannahritchie.bsky.social to run the numbers on this question: What’s the impact of artificial intelligence on energy demand? www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/ai-energy-...

You'd think this guy would have got a Knighthood

I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.

I see Wes Streeting is no longer described as Health Secretary, his role is "potential leadership contender"

Here it is, my big #EastEnders catch-up thread for people who only see it when they go home for Christmas with the family. Allow me to get you all caught up on the goings-on in Albert Square in its most explosive week of the year! KEEP THIS BY YOUR SIDE AT ALL TIMES.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today I shall go shopping for the 15 things I forgot during my last 3 shopping trips

What sort of shameless headline-seeking shyster would do a poll like this...? www.thetimes.com/article/8653...

As he celebrates his 100th Birthday this very day, can we all take a moment to acknowledge that time when Dick Van Dyke won the internet internet. Forever.

The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party. Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar

Who else might you describe as "woke liberarti"?

You've got to respect Robin's integrity here but it's a sad loss for the BBC

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

"Hello. My name is Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor. You killed my mother. Prepare to die."

NEW: In a joint letter, senior peers including 3 former cabinet secretaries and 3 former Lords speakers have warned peers not to use procedural manoeuvres to thwart the assisted dying bill. With 1,100+ amendments tabled, they warn the reputation of Parliament is on the line.

"Ever since the 2024 riots, it appears that Musk presents a danger to public order and national security in the UK"

The PM has a Substack now

It's happened again

Good work be @hopenothate.org.uk exposing the racism in Reform

Why does Tucker Carlson hate Britain? His garish fantasies about our country are starting to infect our own conservative movement By @JonnElledge.bsky.social

I met with Dignity in Dying campaigners for the anniversary of the Assisted Dying Bill’s 2nd reading in Parliament. I’m proud of the strong local campaign in Bath demanding this much needed law, with 83% of residents supporting it. We must now ensure it continues to progress through the Lords.

The guy's literally got one leg, but that's apparently one too many for the DWP to consider him disabled www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-fi...

You can be on the side of Rowling, Putin and Trump, or you can be on the side of, you know, normal cool people. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

It's funny how opponents of assisted dying are all like "no, don't listen to celebrities. We must listen to these experts who disagree with them". Until, that is, a celebrity agrees with their position. 🤔

Juries are not perfect. Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials. But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having. They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.

'The elected chamber has approved assisted dying and it has the support of most voters. It will be disgraceful if it fails to become law because it is “talked out” by a clique of unelected peers.' 👏👏

The trouble with Lords observer.co.uk/news/columni...