Welcome to the War on Christmas.

Who's "we" and which "people" does he speak of? I'm delighted to live in a city where people can choose to believe what they like and demonstrate it when they please just so long as they aren't intimidating anyone... which is apparently all Mr Farage can ever muster

In September 2025, Trafalgar Square, 15,000 fascists travelled to London to ‘attempt[] dominance over our capital city and our culture’, throwing Sieg Heils, making verbal and physical threats, attacking us (and even the Met), throwing cans at us for hours. Did Farage condemn this mass violence?

I worship at the only church on Trafalgar Square and worked there as a verger for 3 and a half years. We never had (and currently don’t have) any objection to religious events of any other faiths on our doorstep

The Passion of Jesus, Trafalgar Square, on Good Friday 2026, expected to attract up to 20,000 people londonist.com/london/theat...

Dangled our weary feet in the fountains at Trafalgar Square.

'Primrose Hill' by John Duffin johnduffin.co.uk

As Trump’s war spins out of control, here is a piece from me on why the only way to understand the U.S. is to see it as a corrupt and capricious dictatorship

That's funny, I could have sworn he said something about not needing Royal Navy vessels because the war was already won. You broke it Don, you fix it.

I've not read the reports about restoring parliament well enough - is there lead in the water pipes?

As was the case with Survation and YouGov, when pressed on what actions the UK should/should have taken, the positions which Badenoch, Farage and seemingly many of the papers have taken is a deeply unpopular one. I struggle to see how their positions get any better as this war drags out.

That’s gratitude for you…

BBC going with bitter sarcasm for their main headline this morning. "Huge fire engulfs Kuwait City tower as Trump accuses Starmer of seeking to 'join wars after we've already won'"

Tucker Carlson: The rabble and the rabble rouser Piece from me on how liars like Carlson aren’t frightening. They are just cheap little men you can find wherever you look. What is truly terrifying are the millions who demand to be lied to and will destroy anyone who tries to tell them the truth

Zelensky holds some cards after all.

The USA has asked Ukraine for weapons to defend against Iranian drones. Zelensky told them to negotiate as they don't have any cards.

Looks like Zelensky is holding a high card.

If Donald asks Zelensky for anti drone systems, he better wear a suit, ask nicely and say thank you.

Think also the British public have a better read on Trump because they don't have to rationalise a take through "But we can't openly admit he's mad".

I don’t disagree, but also: a lot of ink is being spilled to try and ‘explain’ the Labour position, as if scepticism about Trump’s ‘plan’ for Iran is an unusual or hard to fathom conclusion.

After four days of hesitating, the president of France has joined the prime minister of Spain in saying that the 🇺🇸🇮🇱 attack on Iran is a violation of international law. But they are still the only 2 EU leaders to have done so. Will others join?

“Many senior U.S. officials remain skeptical that the U.S. and Israeli military operation against the Islamic Republic will lead to a regime change”: www.reuters.com/world/middle...

“We haven’t passed peak Trump: We are not even close” Podcast and piece on the enduring strength of the US right

Reform foreign policy manifesto seems to be “whatever Trump does”

Looking back 20 years, it almost seems quaint how George W Bush, Tony Blair and others expended so much political capital trying things like UN Security Council resolutions, votes in Congress/Parliament and getting public opinion on side before military action… and they got so much stick for that

There’s an irony that had Labour selected Burnham for this by-election he probably would have won. They blocked him for fear he could replace Starmer. But that decision has surely only strengthened Burnham’s position and weakened the PM more drastically.

Hearing Susan Hall camp surprisingly confident about Gorton and Denton.

'London Rain' by Diana Croft dianacroftart.com

'The Dome of St Paul's' by Glynn Thomas glynnthomas.com

Wednesday sees the anniversary of the death of Sir Christopher Wren. This week's theme therefore is all about his greatest creation, St Paul's Cathedral. -------- 'Ludgate, Evening' (1887) by John O'Connor

“The idea of AI as an existential menace to humanity is not simply overblown, it also hides the real threat AI poses… the result of actions not of machines but of humans.” My @theobserveruk.bsky.social column: observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

I've been working on this for ages in various countries: the story of the intelligence buildup to Putin's 2022 invasion. How did the US and Britain find out so much, and why were Europe and Ukraine sceptical. It's a long one: www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

New data shows #Brexit has lowered UK GDP by 6-8% in 10 years. Investment down 18%, employment down 4%. It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term. "Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but...

AI is the Brexit of tech.

If the Brexit years really were behind us, Reform would no longer be a threat, there’d be no talk of leaving the ECHR, no Brexit peerages or whining about ‘Brexit betrayal’. Instead, there’d be accountability and an electoral price to pay for the damage done. A ruthless reality check. No prisoners.

Please explain to me why when 86% of Labour voters want to rejoin, Labour says no we won't.

The finished (I think!) piece: Prussia Cove, Cornwall: oil and pigment sticks on panel, 60 x 80cm #oilpainting #seascape #prussiacove #cornwall

“Farage and the Tory right will destroy the UK” Interview with historian James Hawes on how English extremism is inciting Scottish and Welsh nationalism and bringing the reunification of Ireland ever nearer.

Feel I must bring to your collective attention this cat Mrs O saw on the tube.

I had a wide-ranging and tough-minded interview with Ben Cohen of the Banter in Washington on the fate of Keir Starmer after the Epstein crisis nickcohen.substack.com/p/live-with-...

A migrant speaks.

'Gordon's Wine Bar - Villiers Street WC2' by John Duffin www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk/artists/399-...

Lisa Nandy is going to be a fascinating case study of someone who had the ambition and opportunity to be leader of their party and just fucked it.

Good but read Lisa Nandy's earlier response and weep. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Good evening! This week's theme is London Illustrated. ----- 'St Paul's Cathedral and the slums' (from 'London: A Pilgrimage', 1872) by Gustav Doré

'The Monument and Billingsgate' (from 'Looking Round London', c.1938) by Helen Carstairs

A handful of people shouted, and that was at the announcement they were skipping Nessun Dorma, not during the performance. The audience applauded the stand-in very loudly.

#Vibrance #CityOfLondon

Drama at the opera tonight. During Turandot at Covent Garden, Roberto Alagna, playing Calaf, took ill and couldn’t come out for Act III. So, Richard Hetherington, ROH’s head of music, but not a trained opera singer, gamely stepped in, to sing from the side. 1/