2025 was a year of constitutional crisis for the British state. 2026 will be even moreso abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/2025-was-a... <- by me

It’s fascinating that no one in the mainstream commentariat seems to have noticed the potential that by June of 2026, three devolved parliaments and their First Ministers, will have as a key manifesto pledge, the ending of the U.K.

Happy Xmas (Britain is over)

2025 was a year of constitutional crisis for the British state. 2026 will be even moreso abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/2025-was-a... <- by me

The democratic paucity of the Westminster system means MPs have almost no say over trade policy, leaving it to be shaped almost entirely by big business - including the world’s oil giants. open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

URL for those wanting to dig more into it blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...

A fundamental lack of democracy in the formation of trade policy in Britain lets oil companies sue governments across the world if they take action on climate change, according to a new report. Crucial work from investigative journalist @adamramsay.bsky.social

An extraordinary YouGov poll in Wales. The future won’t be like the past.

Corporate capture of British trade policy is undermining climate action all over the world. Thanks to @thecanaryuk.bsky.social for interviewing me about my investigation into the Department for Business and Trade: youtu.be/HLRqOvWv4yQ?...

Interesting to map how the suicide lobby works. 1. The use of international trade treaties, with Britain as a key node, means governments can be sued for shutting down fossil fuel production substack.com/inbox/post/1... a useful research article from @adamramsay.bsky.social

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

You know full well that if a presenter of a BBC program claimed that they'd been forced out for their anti-trans opinions then Keir Starmer and several other ministers would have takes printed on front pages about it the next day. But @robinince.bsky.social will not get that treatment.

This was so interesting that I burnt my dinner while reading it, but it's so important that I don't even mind. Many thanks for a fascinating read!

The democratic paucity of the Westminster system means MPs have almost no say over trade policy, leaving it to be shaped almost entirely by big business - including the world’s oil giants. open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

Around the world, fossil fuel companies are using British trade treaties to protect their climate-killing assets. And MPs have very little power to scrutinise the department pushing these deals. A deep diving into corporate capture of British trade policy. By me: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

15 years ago, @robinince.bsky.social spent his Sunday braving a rail replacement bus so he could fulfil his commitment to me to speak to a room full of @peopleandplanet.bsky.social. He made us laugh and cry and inspired us, then went home again. He’s always been a goodun, screw the Beeb for this.

“Often enough, that many countries water down their climate action because they can’t afford to be sued, leading the Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz to call ISDSs “legal terrorism”….” #climatecrimes #ffagenda

Very important article from Adam. Please read and share!

Yes to all this - great piece looking at UK trade policy. It's a vital area of our politics which has little MP oversight. That makes it uniquely vulnerable to corporate capture by some of the most irresponsible and polluting countries out there.

‘Britain’s trade department is more accountable to the big businesses driving the climate crisis than it is to the MPs we elect’ Brilliant piece by @adamramsay.bsky.social on the colonial nature of our trade policy and the scandal of ISDS! substack.com/home/post/p-...

Around the world, fossil fuel companies are using British trade treaties to protect their climate-killing assets. And MPs have very little power to scrutinise the department pushing these deals. A deep diving into corporate capture of British trade policy. By me: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

I've signed a deal with Scotland Street Press to publish my children's book "my dad brought beavers back" in the summer! If you're interested in bidding to illustrate it, please contact them here: www.scotlandstreetpress.com/journal/call...

A Labour government passed the Equality Act. A Labour government was in power when the Supreme Court interpreted it to not mean what ministers at the time were clear it was intended to mean. The Labour government response should have been to legislate to fix it. Not doing so was a cowardly betrayal.

“The UK hasn’t benefited from this at all, but we’re having to pay all this extra money. More money spent on drugs means less money spent on ambulances, doctors, nurses.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/b...

Fiction version / real life version

I was just handed this leaflet at the bus stop about my local MP. I think it’s fair to say that Gaza continues to be a problem for Labour.

The budget tomorrow will reveal how little power MPs really have: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw... - by me

The budget tomorrow will reveal how little power MPs really have: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw... - by me

Geological metaphors are overused in both political and sporting journalism, but it turns out Scotland’s victory over Denmark this week was *literally* a seismic event: www.thenational.scot/sport/256423...

This means @greenparty.org.uk membership is now treble what it was in the run up to last year’s general election.

the right to trial by your peers is a cornerstone of our justice system, isnt it? So how can our courts minister say that wanting that, is “gaming the system”? www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...

Globally, armed forces are estimated to produce 5.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Significantly more than flying. But we don’t even count them. And wars are proliferating. www.climatechangenews.com/2025/11/18/c...

The problem isn’t just Shabana Mahmood. It’s the whole department she represents. open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

The Home Secretary's announcements are just the latest example of a quarter of a millennium of authoritarian attacks from the goverment's Home Department. It's time to Abolish the Home Office: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

The Home Secretary's announcements are just the latest example of a quarter of a millennium of authoritarian attacks from the goverment's Home Department. It's time to Abolish the Home Office: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

Not just useful! This by @adamramsay.bsky.social is also a short, lucid history of British politics since the 1970s

Useful article by @adamramsay.bsky.social on the Green's turn to the left (something that's been going on for much longer than a lot of the coverage and media talk of "entyrism" would suggest):

This piece by @adamramsay.bsky.social is well worth a read on the long history of the Green parties in the UK, their complex mix of ideological components, and relationship to socialism novaramedia.com/2025/11/13/t...

A reminder… open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

- @zackpolanski.bsky.social and his success are the expression of changes to the Green Party won through years of organising: t.co/kC13YOJQo7 - a history, by me.

Dan Hind on democratising the BBC: 'An institution that began life as a private company and became a chartered corporation must now become a public service cooperative.'

"As is traditional, the current scandal is not being driven by public indignation or concern… If you want to kick off a scandal at the BBC you still really need to own a newspaper, or a television channel." Dan Hind: abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/abolish-th...

The great Geoffrey Bindman has died. Rest in Strength. www.google.com/url?q=https:...

just opening up the new Epstein docs at random:

"As is traditional, the current scandal is not being driven by public indignation or concern… If you want to kick off a scandal at the BBC you still really need to own a newspaper, or a television channel." Dan Hind: abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/abolish-th...

Abolish the BBC? The ever-brilliant Dan Hind on the crisis at the national broadcaster: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

Abolish the BBC? The ever-brilliant Dan Hind on the crisis at the national broadcaster: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...

Exactly this. BBC reporting on US politics is generally much better than its reporting on UK politics.

There is a lot to say about the BBC crisis, but as to Trump’s motivations, it’s worth noting that it is now the most trusted news brand in the US, after the Weather Channel.