I’m in the New Statesman with @morganj0nes.bsky.social reporting on the remnants of the UK’s XL bully movement Read about vigilante actions against animal abuse, support for Tommy Robinson and the general vibe of a hen party. www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...

“I’m not very political”, one woman in a Marshall and Millions shirt told us. “Apart from the Tommy marches”. @bengartside.bsky.social and I dip into the world of pro-dog activists for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social: www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...

I’ve written a feature on the collapse of Labour’s soft power council and what it means for the latest edition of The House magazine: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Here’s our story about the failure of the Soft Power Council, from last week’s House magazine. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Launched with fanfare but sinking without trace, the Soft Power Council appears to be a lesson in how the UK fails to leverage its cultural, sporting and educational assets 🏅 https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/less-18-months-old-socalled-soft-power-council-drifting-towards-oblivion-fail

I’ve got a piece in this edition on Labour, lobbying and lewd texts. Available not online!

I’ve written a feature on the collapse of Labour’s soft power council and what it means for the latest edition of The House magazine: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Unlikely social media star Hiroshi Suzuki, Japan’s ambassador to the UK, talks his love of the UK and travels with his stuffed toy 🧸 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

In the US, data centres and tech are providing a huge political schism. For the latest magazine I profiled whether the split will come to the UK, and those on either side of the divide www.politicshome.com/news/article...

For this week’s magazine I interviewed Hiroshi Suzuki, the social media sensation and diplomat extraordinaire. We talk ale, philosophy and fighter jets. Read more here: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The continuous ‘Wes Streeting definitely has the numbers don’t worry about his numbers’ briefings are making me ask a lot questions already answered by the briefing

Cathy Newman repeatedly asking Miatta Fahnbulleh if she’s co-ordinating with Wes Streeting…erm

Why has Nigel Farage zeroed in on potholes? And are they really “the perfect symbol of broken Britain?”🛻 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

For the latest edition of The House magazine, I’ve written about potholes, freezing cycles and Paolo Maldini. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Making a mental note of every commentator entertaining Al Carns as a serious potential leadership candidate

Agree with this. Iirc, this is the third (?) straight year where the MoD has urgently had to search for in-year budget cuts despite an overall increasing budget.

Pretty astonishing detail in today's feature on Patrick Radden Keefe's new book. thefence.substack.com/p/off-the-fe...

Ed is one of the most interesting and creative people in journalism, and is full of ideas about how to reinvigorate reporting as traditional forms of distribution die. Can’t wait to see what he gets up to! www.youtube.com/embed/FrPOuB...

"What the Greens were saying about redistribution of wealth, improvement of public services – that’s basically Labour Party stuff" Labour MP and ex-goalkeeper Brian Leishman talks to @bengartside.bsky.social about playing snooker with Stephen Flynn and his party being "miles off" where it should be

New: I spent the morning with Brian Leishman, the former pro golfer, academy football player and firebrand Labour MP. We talk about life as a rebel, playing snooker with Stephen Flynn and how Zack Polanski is winning with "[basic] Labour Party stuff". www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Back at work after a lovely couple weeks in Japan. Any tips/coffee requests/intros give me a shout!

Staying in a Buddhist monastery in Japan and a bunch of American high schoolers are watching TikTok’s on full volume at breakfast. Incredible stuff

Exc: Inside the MoD’s battle over Britishness - Any firm deemed British if they have a UK postcode - MoD’s new Office for Small Business Growth (OfSBG) is a target for ire - Govt scrapped final meeting after backlash - OfSBG’s boss quits after only 90 days www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Exc: Inside the MoD’s battle over Britishness - Any firm deemed British if they have a UK postcode - MoD’s new Office for Small Business Growth (OfSBG) is a target for ire - Govt scrapped final meeting after backlash - OfSBG’s boss quits after only 90 days www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Delighted to announce I'm one of the PINF's Tenacious Journalists cohort. Honoured to have been selected alongside such great colleagues, I can't wait to get started on some really interesting investigations! www.publicinterestnews.org.uk/blog/announc...

Delighted to announce I'm one of the PINF's Tenacious Journalists cohort. Honoured to have been selected alongside such great colleagues, I can't wait to get started on some really interesting investigations! www.publicinterestnews.org.uk/blog/announc...

Looking for some recommendations for non fiction books (ideally journalistic, holiday inspiration etc) to read on my travels next week. Please send over any suggestions!

I know it's easy to hate on reporters but I'm going to defend him here. I think this is a great question. Succinct, direct, gets a clear, unequivocal and interesting response from her. And I don't think the premise is unfair. Lots of athletes would say 'gold or bust'.

EXC: Lord McDonald has attempted to block Antonia Romeo from promotions three times previously. In anonymised sections of his memoir, McDonald describes Romeo as “self-promoter”, and the 2017 investigation findings as “catastrophic and damning”. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

EXC: Lord McDonald has attempted to block Antonia Romeo from promotions three times previously. In anonymised sections of his memoir, McDonald describes Romeo as “self-promoter”, and the 2017 investigation findings as “catastrophic and damning”. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

“At all levels of the civil service, there's a feeling of sheer outrage that a retired civil servant could launch an attack on an existing one..." The PM's plan to make Antonia Romeo the new Cabinet Secretary has provoked an extraordinary row among senior civil servants Ben Gartside looks at why

For @thehousemag.bsky.social I’ve profiled Greg Jackson, the Octopus boss who has quickly become one of the most influential corporate voices in Westminster. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

For @thehousemag.bsky.social I’ve profiled Greg Jackson, the Octopus boss who has quickly become one of the most influential corporate voices in Westminster. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Pleased to have worked on this documentary as a researcher. You can watch it here: www.channel4.com/programmes/p...

Delighted to be shortlisted for the 2026 Tenacious Journalist Awards, alongside some great colleagues. www.publicinterestnews.org.uk/blog/announc...

Has changing a PM’s Chief of staff/senior advisor/comms director ever had a sustained impact on their fortunes?

Nice to be reminded that it's almost a year to the day since Peter Mandelson texted me to tell me to "stop bothering" him with "ridiculous nonsense"

Police taken off the front line. Kennels operating a ‘one in, one out’ rule. Teenage volunteers quitting when faced with a dog heavier than them. Magistrates giving dogs a stay of execution, owners refusing to take them back. Welcome to XL bully death row spectator.com/article/welc...

Inside XL bully death row: - Kennels are at capacity ('one in, one out') - Soft touch magistrates are increasingly releasing dogs - Teen staff at kennels quitting over safety fears, police officers diverted away from burglaries by me, for The Spectator spectator.com/article/welc...

Inside XL bully death row: - Kennels are at capacity ('one in, one out') - Soft touch magistrates are increasingly releasing dogs - Teen staff at kennels quitting over safety fears, police officers diverted away from burglaries by me, for The Spectator spectator.com/article/welc...

‘There’s no way of finding out what’s really happening in there,’ says Aaron Rainey, an XL bully expert who advises police forces and dog owners across the UK. ✍️ Ben Gartside

Police taken off the front line. Kennels operating a ‘one in, one out’ rule. Teenage volunteers quitting when faced with a dog heavier than them. Magistrates giving dogs a stay of execution, owners refusing to take them back. Welcome to XL bully death row spectator.com/article/welc...

Some Labour MPs briefing about Labour losing a GM Mayoral by-election is funny, in so far as it would indicate the party was in such shocking health they might as well all pack up? Across 2 elections, Burnham has won 429 out of 430 wards!

Very very excited to read this!

Feels like ‘Labour Party internal battle where specifics of rules are debated for days before it ultimately turns out that just depends on who has the most votes in the room’ comes sooner and sooner every year

Incredible.

🚨 The latest edition of the House is out now! The home security and espionage edition Try a sample and subscribe: www.politicshome.com/house-magazi... - Tom Tugendhat interview - The secret world of female spies - Is Parliament under threat? - Undersea cable threat

Exc: A Met Police officer accepted a USB stick from a diplomat at the Chinese embassy amid strained relations as they did not wish to ‘culturally offend’ A Met Police spox said they did not believe the devices had been used on police systems. Read more: www.politicshome.com/news/article...