On the other hand…

I’m not sure it reflects all that well on Mason that the most aggressive interview he’s managed with a politician in quite some time is in defence of his own journalism. It’s also a fairly extraordinary attack to make in response to a fairly mild critique. Not sure his judgment on the money here.

I generally rate Chris Mason but it would make things easier for all if Robbie Gibb - Brexiter & Theresa May’s director of comms at Number 10 - were not still a non-executive director of the BBC. Everything he touches turns to shit. Including, at the moment, a lot of the Beeb’s political journalism.

Putting all this together, @lgilbert.co find the following. It's not that Farage is (just) exaggerating/overstating - he is simply lying about migrants, jobs, wages and benefits. Media should be very clear about this. www.laurenpolicy.com/p/are-recent...

as for wages, we see reasonably rapid wage growth among recent arrivals (as migrants progress, and low-earning students return home). Nothing here at all to back up Farage's claims

As well as the fantasy £234 bn, journalists should also be clear Farage's claims most new migrants don't work, and those who do are on low wages, are entirely false. In fact, 1.8 million recent migrants are on payrolls (others will be self employed). migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

‘What a lovely tribute that was…’ @mrjamesob.bsky.social reacts to Donald Trump saying he ‘hates his opponent’ at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk.

Brrr!

Having mispronounced Azerbaijan & mistaken Armenia for Albania last time he mentioned this conflict, Trump has now settled on a formulation of words he is much happier with. And after all, what’s 4000 miles between friends? As the expression goes…

‘Law & order’ latest.

So sad to see John Stapleton has passed away. He was extremely kind to Lucy & me as we found our feet in broadcasting after moving from print, as he had done years before. Such fond memories of dinners with him & his late wife Lynn, including one quite surreal evening I might talk about tomorrow…

This is why I'm never on the radio at weekends.

Happy Birthday to broadcasting legend Pete Murray, who turned 100 yesterday. His last proper gig was on LBC, wrapping up just before I arrived. Not many of our presenters ever overtake the station's FM frequency, 97.3. In fact, he may well be the only one ever to do so.

In other words, 94% of those killed in Gaza since March 25 were civilians - up from 83% in the first 1.5 years of this genocidal war. Another symptom of stage 2 of the Gaza Genocide under Trump: fewer casualties so far, but targeting almost entirely civilians. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

A really lovely interview with a remarkable young man.

Splitter!

Since this is Trump, the boss referred to here must be Putin.

I don't think you should be allowed to take credit for ending a war if you don't know the names of the countries involved in it.

Nazis ban comedians shock.. NYT, 4 Feb 1939

Farage did not become Trump's interlocutor; the White House did not torpedo the UK-EU deal; MAGA's dystopian view of Britain did not poison the well. The UK-US relationship has survived better than some feared - or hoped - a year ago. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Russia and other adversaries have pounced on the assassination of Charlie Kirk as an opportunity to spread propaganda aimed at aggravating U.S. political divisions, according to researchers.

It's a peculiar enthusiaism, I admit, but this is a great morning for fans of right-wing media contortions. The desperation to find negatives in an obviously successful trip is a joy to behold. Even for those of us deeply discomfited by the whole event.

Disappointed that this BBC news piece about Trump not wanting Mayor Sadiq Khan at the State Banquet doesn't once mention Khan's race or religion. If you leave out that Khan is a brown Muslim man, you gloss over why he's targeted by Trump. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Good grief.

Today, Trump claimed not to know who Peter Mandleson is. An obvious & egregious lie but one which highlights why the regime is so keen to silence anyone telling the truth. On the current trajectory, he will soon be able to claim that he's never heard of Melania without any pushback at all.

I would love to be part of the conversation on MSNBC related to the Kimmel story and it's chilling effects on first amendment, but unfortunately I was terminated by MSNBC for stating that "hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which lead to hateful actions".

Every pundit who took at face value the idea that the Right sincerely cares about free speech, or ideological diversity, or in fact has any principles at all, should be wearing a dunce cap and writing a lengthy mea culpa right now. Not for our catharsis but for public awareness at least

It’s happening. No free speech in the land of the free. tinyurl.com/4rrn2mkx

Umm...What's going on here then? find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/1661...

Trump Spends Entire U.K. Trip Trying To Figure Out Where He Knows Prince Andrew From

After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

The last political column I was allowed to write in the @washingtonpost.com was a criticism of Obama. His people took issue with my piece, but we were respectful. Now he is tweeting in support of me. This is how free political speech and respect for debate *actually works*. Or used to work.

The split in Your Party has broken into the open. Jeremy Corbyn urges supporters not to donate to the link promoted by Zarah Sultana. Sultana responds calling it a "sexist boys club."

Kimmel outsed, as Trump claims another late night scalp. Mine earlier today with @mrjamesob.bsky.social for @lbc.co.uk. 🎧: audioboom.com/posts/877880...

Bit strange to hear the Today programme interviewing the CEO of Newsmax like he's a public intellectual, then interviewing a Labour minister like he's a war criminal

This is a massive, history making abuse of your power. It will define your legacy and one day you will come to regret punishing free speech and trying to destroy democracy.

Abso-bloody-lutely.

TERRORISM EXPERT HERE: He cannot designate an idea as a terrorist group. There is no org called ANTIFA. There is no leadership or funding path or no membership. Also there is no terrorism law in America. Ask Luigi. He wants to call anyone a terrorist. That’s Fascism. #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles

“(RFK JR.) failed to even give you a courtesy call?” Ex CDC Director Dr. Monarez says HHS Secretary RFK Jr. didn’t even give her a courtesy call after the CDC was shot up by a guy who blamed the COVID vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal

The Kimmel video: "The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Blimey. They kept that quiet.

I’m beginning to think they lied about liking free speech…

To be fair I doubt that anyone has had this much fun on LBC, ever.

Been a while since I had this much fun in the studio. Apart from during Mystery Hour, of course. Not sure they made this cut but there at least two occasions when I nearly lost it completely.

"[Johannes] Kepler, as court mathematician to the Holy Roman Emperor, had to cast horoscopes and draw conclusions. At the beginning of his career, he was fortunate enough to predict a cold winter, peasant uprisings and war with the Turks, which did more for his reputation than all his later work".

Mini-scoop: After resisting pressure to strip Elon Musk of his fellowship for months, the Royal Society is meeting on 1 October to discuss his removal – following his decision to address Tommy Robinson's far-right rally on Saturday. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-r...

James O'Brien: Royal commentator...

About to appear on The Media Show on Radio 4…

See me live on tour! I’m going to Leicester, Northampton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Taunton, Southend-on-sea, Cambridge, Southampton, Leeds, Liverpool, Guildford and Brighton. www.livenation.co.uk/matt-green-t...

'Donald Trump is an inconsistent, unreliable, vicious bully.' @mrjamesob.bsky.social is not looking forward to the President's state visit, but 'what can you do' when he's one of the 'most powerful people in the world'.