This is a very interesting new paper in Nature about the role that feed algorithms on X play in influencing political attitudes. No paywall: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

It is worth recalling that the position of U.K. Ambassador to the US was not vacant at the time the Prime Minister chose to appoint Peter Mandelson to the role. A highly competent and respected woman was replaced.

Not many papers get two films - The Post, and All The President's Men - sad for the staff and readers of #WashingtonPost Sad for good journalism. Oddly enough, both films at the same black heart of US government. What do we get, Melania. #jeffbezos yer an arse, and will be remembered as such.

New Epstein emails show Peter Mandelson secretly advising JPMorgan’s CEO on how to fight Labour’s 2009 bankers’ bonus tax - even suggesting he “mildly threaten” the Chancellor. Mandelson was Business Secretary at the time. A year later, he was seeking work with JPM.

Once again, extraordinary things happening on the social media of the German foreign ministry www.instagram.com/reel/DUGW47K...

Tell me again how this BBC editorialising is just my cognitive bias... This isn't a quote from anywhere. It's just the BBC's description of this disgraced, divisive politician.

Not going to end well is it.

The people of Gorton & Denton deserve much better than an opportunist extremist using their community as a platform for his own career. HOPE not hate will be actively campaigning to make sure Matthew Goodwin does not get elected.

Excellent on the howling unsuitability of Matt Goodwin to be a Manchester MP… or indeed an MP anywhere at all. But that’s Reform for you. Frothing racists and needy inadequates demanding support from a voting public that doesn’t deserve any of their shit. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Happy Australia Day to all our mates Down Under. This old '£10 Pom' poster reminded me of the Chic Murray joke, when he saw the poster in the Post Office. Chic, to the women beside him in the queue: 'Australia for £10?'. "It's a lovely idea, but where would you keep it?"

You know who”stayed a little back” in VIetnam? DJT.

“No one man can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” -Edward R. Murrow

10. It’s time to recognise how deeply weird this is, reserve our votes for people who give us what we want, and stop subscribing to media outlets that lie on behalf of oligarchs. More on this subject, with facts and figures, in my most recent column: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Such a disgraceful comment from the President who clearly has such limited military knowledge. The death of my family member in Afghanistan tore our family apart. To hear these words yesterday was a further insult. A full immediate apology is needed.

Where are the poppy patriots? Why are they completely silent on this grotesque insult to our armed forces and specifically the 2,000 UK service and civilian personnel who were injured and the 457 who died in Afghanistan?

Accurate

457 UK armed forces personnel died in Afghanistan during the 20-year deployment. This is a fucking hideous thing to say. Even by his non-existent standards.

There are some events that pass into Glasgow folklore. Back in 1989, the Toledo cinema genuinely did advertise the enticing triple-bill of 'Big', 'Frantic', 'Shag' - not something you usually get in Muirend! Pic: Graeme Thomson

Starmer maybe rightly doesn’t take bait each time but he needs an outrider - a semi-licensed “off message” attack dog - to make Haw-Haw Farage pay for sucking up to the guy who denigrates British war dead.

We interrupt today’s unhinged news about the current U. S. President’s ridiculous performance on the world stage with a photo of this sweet boy who just got a fluff n buff. @dogs.bsky.social

A president who threatens allies is not a partner, he is a risk. Tariffs batter supply chains, wages and investment, and Trump will aim them at any democracy that resists. Britain should deepen European cooperation, not bet on Washington’s mood swings.

This was posted by @mambarlife.bsky.social in the Other Place and it’s too good not to share it.

Watching GB News or reading the Telegraph you realise there is a slice of right-wing opinion that would happily betray this country.

11th January 2026 Vs 18th January 2026

Called it. To reiterate: In May 2022, Rosindell was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of position of trust, and misconduct in public office. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It’s a real shame that Nigel Farage is too unwell to do interviews the morning after Donald Trump threatens us with sanctions. Here he is with “the bravest man he ever met”. He campaigned to make Trump President, and has spent the last year enjoying all the chaos he has caused.

When people talk about reasons to leave X, the fact that the owner is a mass murderer doesn't get mentioned enough. The Grok porn stuff is foul. The naked white nationalism is foul. This is worse.

U.S. billionaires got an astounding $1.5 TRILLION richer in the first year of Trump's second term. Remember — this is happening as they get even more tax cuts in exchange for the social safety net being cut for everyone else. "New Golden Age" for who?

Tonight's turret meeting will be pretty awkward

The Government staying on X is pathetic: Ministers need to show some moral backbone inews.co.uk/opinion/the-...

🧵A political/media guide to the "truth" about net-zero 1) Add up costs to install & run a net-zero energy system 2) Pretend fossil-fuelled alternatives wld be free 3) Do say "eco zealots are bankrupting us" 4) Don't say "free cars if we scrap net-zero" cos it sounds ridiculous 5) That's it! 1/10

Well this all looks fine

And this:

Just thought I'd post this:

Those are my principles, if you don't like them I have others

Amazingly, Zahawi only got round to deleting the below after the press conference announcing his defection to Reform.

Ffs. These people are without shame. All grunting around in the trough demanding peerages and then sulking off to Reform: home from home for corrupt Tory millionaires who’ve already had one long go at screwing us over and think they deserve another shot. They can all go to hell.

Ah. Shameless self-interest every time. He’ll fit right in.

Nadhim Zahawi ‘begged’ for Tory peerage weeks before defection... They all want to smash the establishment *right after* they stop advancing within it. ~AA

If UK news shows are going to give Nigel Farage a platform to spout this absolute boll**** about Brexit & the vaccine rollout (unchallenged) I’ll happily come back every week to correct it. We cannot allow him & others to rewrite history. youtu.be/vL7_mwSNMvc?...

Incredible

❤️‍🔥Tory sources confirm that Nadhim Zahawi made approaches to senior members of Kemi Badenoch's team about getting a peerage just weeks before defecting to Reform UK - but was turned down.

No Kemi, Trump threatening to invade a NATO ally is not a "second order issue." It’s a direct challenge to Britain’s security and the future of NATO.

This is also what Yvette Cooper, when she was UK Home Secretary, said about #PalestineAction. If you knew the secret stuff I know, you'd agree with me that they're terrorists. It's the cheapest and basest way for a politician to malign someone, and a clear sign of a flailing, undemocratic state.