Killing Eve Sherwood Ashes to Ashes (ok, it was a spin off, from the masterpiece that was Life on Mars. One of the great TV series). This Life +10 (only a one off but it was an abomination. This Life remains my all time favourite British TV series).

This is exactly what the recent Trump-BBC 'scandal' was designed to achieve. The BBC is now self-censoring criticisms of Trump in the name of "impartiality"

Terrific piece from the fearless @suzannemoore.bsky.social about the latest iteration of state sponsored child abuse. www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/c79daa5...

The greatest sporting contest is almost upon us. We haven't won a single Test in Oz since the great 2010/11 series. Going for 3-2 to England. Not sure I even believe this. England just don't do draws anymore. Expecting another classic series. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...

Typically excellent from Janan Ganesh. Forget the politics, the opening paragraph is my favourite bit: www.ft.com/content/68ee...

A grown up speaks. In a party full of some of the worst gender ideologues in British politics. How can any elected representative say, with a straight face, that listening to an opposing view makes them feel 'unsafe' at work? Wretched party.

Completely predictable. But a terrible idea. Series 6 was mediocre at best. At times it was farcical. Series 1-5 superb. And that's when it should have ended. BBC News - Line of Duty to return for seventh series, BBC confirms - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Without exception "you've/we've/I've got this" is the most cringeworthy newism.

Increasingly likely that "all pain, no gain" will be the title of the post-mortem of this government.

Adam isn’t speculating here: it’s what Reeves did last time (alongside a hefty employers’ NI hike) and it *didn’t* go down well. It also didn’t raise enough to protect against shocks, hence more rises being needed now. This is total, dismal, political failure.

Thanks to months of pitch rolling, the Labour government has now effectively told anyone paying attention that income tax rises are necessary, but they’re not going to do them because they’re politically weak. Let’s see how that plays!

This govt's ability to promise one thing and piss some people off, then u-turn and promise something else and piss some other people off, whilst the first pissed off group still remain pissed off, thereby succeeding in pissing off everyone, has been a feature of Starmer's govt since day 1.

Two very good and quite different pieces on the BBC's latest own goals: 1. From @ianleslie.bsky.social www.ian-leslie.com/p/the-bbcs-f...

Great idea. Now start banning Airbnbs. Not all, but impose a strict limit.

Because this is Bluesky, very little commentary on the BBC's disgraceful capitulation to Transactivism over the past decade. Senior figures either too afraid, or too cowardly to stand up to the post-modernist censorious bullies. This is a far greater scandal than the Trump editing nonsense.

Most of these suggestions are barking: "More points for scoring more than 2 goals!!" "Penalising 0-0 draws!" The only one worth listening to is Stephen Warnock's:

Children. But they're right on one thing. There's no longer any point in trying to debate with them (not that they ever did debate). TRAs are flat earthers. They're post-modernist, post-truth, religious zealots. And they'll keep on losing in the courts. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

There should be a tax on ridiculously bloated road boats registered in urban areas, because (a) they cause obvious problems in such areas (b) they are bad for the environment (c) they are dangerous for children (d) they are awful, and driving them should be expensive and socially stigmatised.

Male entitlement writ large. Male violence is definitely the way to persuade us all that these men should have access to women's services, provisions & sports.

No, the government are just being cowards and failing to ensure organisations comply with *existing law.* Where the hell was the impact assessment when women and girls' facilities were sacrificed in favour of 'gender neutral' ones? Any 'liberals' speak up???

Annoyed to see #celebritytraitors sticking with the new rule change they added to series 3, where at the last roundtable the person voted out won't reveal if they're a traitor or a faithful. It slightly spoiled the end of S3. An unnecessary change.

It's been said a thousand times, but train travel in this country is the most miserable fucking experience and it's getting worse.

A good use of state power for this government *right now* would be get utterly mediaeval with Chansiri and find a way to strip him of ownership.

Yep. I believe immigration should be significantly reduced but what the Tories/Reform are proposing is extremely concerning. We're weeks away from 'white immigrants only' proposals.

You never have to admit you were wrong, never have to say you're sorry, never have to apologise, never have to show shame or doubt or contrition. Your ridiculous views on Bismarck and Nasa and project governance will help you fail upwards. That's Britain! 🇬🇧 (2/2) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Britain's problems in one capsule. If you pay to go to a posh private school and Oxford and do History and marry into wealth you can say anything, do anything, smash anything, fail anywhere. And people will still lap up what you say and nod like donkeys. (1/2) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Disgraceful decision. No Maccabi Tel Aviv fans allowed at Villa match - www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

How about the police do their job and arrest the troublemakers/anti-Semites?

Two weeks after Heaton Park and we're already in "yeah but antisemitism is actually declining" territory.

The UAE is an authoritarian autocracy, a petro-state with no income tax for citizens, to bribe them for the lack of democratic voice or free speech It is 85% migrant, a segregated society with a ban on integration in principle and practice, few rights, equal opportunities, nor voice for incomers

All these people really want is to pay no taxes and be treated with floor scraping deference. Everything else is just bullshit in pursuit of that goal.

Aka, the Left is reaping what it's sowed over the past decade. Cancel culture harms everyone eventually.

"If this is how the Left rediscovers free speech as a universal principle, it’s been an expensive lesson, but a necessary one."

It's not easy being Jewish. Antisemitism comes from all directions: the far left, the far right, the Islamists, but it's the attacks from the 'respectable' middle class that grate the most. The liberals. The progressives. The 'moderates.' Who stand firm with every minority bar one.

"I hear again and again that the Israelis – the Jews – had it coming. Knowing allusions to Jewish influence, Jewish power. Stereotypes of Jewish cruelty." Written before today's attack on a Manchester synagogue. It's the kind of piece I never thought I'd write. www.newstatesman.com/internationa...

You don’t actually have to both sides this. The Jewish community in the UK is not the Israeli government. You can just condemn the murder of two British Jews killed in their place of worship and you don’t have to say a single other thing.

Shock horror.

If Farage takes over as PM & the NHS inevitably collapses, he'll have a ready audience prepared to believe that lefty doctors, statisticians & academics are lying about the crisis in order to undermine his glorious regime. He's rolling the pitch.

Populism always makes things worse for people - the economy, social cohesion, culture, all wither under its weight. It's a prerequisite for dictators to undermine the authority of the institutions like academia, science & the courts, that track this decline & communicate it to the public.

I don't think he's a coward, he knows exactly what he's doing & is doing it for a reason. It's straight from the denialist playbook, creating a "controversy" where there is consensus. Tobacco, climate change, vaccines & evolution were given the same treatment. bsky.app/profile/padr...

Women took Thalidomide from 1957 until 1961, when it was taken off the market. Paracetamol has been in safe use for over 70 years. It's a perfect example of how populists undermine trust in institutions: it's a bullshit false equivalence, but only an expert would be able to rebut it live on air.

I think the key problem here is a continuing assumption, in traditional media, that when the White House speaks on a major topic, this is a big news story. That model can't cope with a president with no regard for truth, who's in constant broadcast mode, & who veers around from one day to another.

Why is this the main story on the BBC website? It shouldn't even be on its front page. Kimmel is a comedian that very few people in Britain would ever have heard of. In fact, just stop with the daily coverage of America full stop. To hell with them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

My magnum opus - a unified field theory of why the post-literate society spells disaster for civilisation as we know it jmarriott.substack.com/p/the-dawn-o...

Wonderful piece on James's favourite topic. Deserves to be widely read (or condensed into a 30 secs video).

Let's be honest. Very very few people on the Left or Right actually believe in genuine free speech. That goes for the public too. Most people say they do but in reality they'll happily censor opinions/people they dislike.

The article of course also said as clearly as it can be said: “Kirk’s killing is abhorrent and must be condemned on its own terms – as Democrats, in their masses, are doing.”

Wrote this on Charlie Kirk last week, and I stand by it. Full article: inews.co.uk/opinion/char...

Not every person at the Robinson march was a racist; immigration levels are far too high and have been for 20 years. But sometimes you need to stop pissing around and tell it how it is. They don't all have 'legitimate' concerns. Some people really are just racist.