Bad news I think that Hilary Benn is leaving Northern Ireland. NI is in a mess at the moment (no budget etc); Benn got to know it well in opposition and built good relations with the Irish government.

I see Farage has made someone else's murder all about him as expected. What an utter piece of shit .

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there an inherent problem with a politician hoping to be the next PM shilling for a gold bullion company? As I understand it, gold tends to do well when the economy is in the toilet and PM Farage would want the economy to do well no?

● Farage received £91,200 from a gold bullion company for four hours of work in January 2025. ● That's just £146 less than his MP salary for a whole year. ● And people wonder why he's never in Clacton. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keira sure knows how to moan #thearchers

Quite something to be a major politician who not only forgets to vote, but doesn't even bother putting himself on the electoral roll.

Londoners, there is a webpage for you to see where your nearest "cool spaces" are when the extreme heat hits - places with water, air-conditioning & shade. Have a look and spread the word, especially to those who may need this but might not think to look for it: apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/

A shirtless white man, in the street with a knife in his hand, having attacked and wounded five people, allegedly shouting anti-Muslim slogans is the sixth story on the BBC UK news page. There is absolutely no doubt at all this would be the lead story if attacker and intended victims were reversed.

An properly interesting reflection on the Keir Starmer premiership that might have been, but wasn't – from @francisbeckett.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/thenewwo...

Exc: First Government department quits Twitter over racism and violence concerns Richard Hermer sent a directive to staff last week saying the Attorney General's Office would be coming off the platform observer.co.uk/news/politic...

🚨🚨 Nigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Politico: The Times "has added a note to its story that claimed Ed Miliband had been “ghosting” Starmer as relations between the pair frayed." "The correction said a call at the center of the story was 'rescheduled by mutual agreement' because [Miliband] was on bereavement leave" after his mum died

Nightmare for a friend of mine in London. Please share.

Tfw you’re standing having a pint outside William Shakespeare’s house and the morris dancers show up before the England match and London feels alright.

Excellent sheep vocal work #thearchers

Any last hold-outs who still think the BBC News website operation is not actiuvely producing anti-Labour clickbait? On the left the framing. On the right what actually happened. Basically some council-level idiot tried to influence the internal party ***candidate selection***.

Jessica is right. This is just about the most sickening case I’ve ever heard of.

I’m with the French guy on this. #wato

Really important that this story gets out there. Classic Kremlin disinfomation and smear campaign and lots of people even on this site fell for it. inews.co.uk/news/starmer...

If you have been using X over the last year, you are likely to have seen claims that rent boys were behind the arson attacks on Keir Starmer's former homes and car We charted how the *completely false* conspiracy theory spread from far right 'patriots' and conspiracists inews.co.uk/news/starmer...

This is a huge story. www.ft.com/content/dd79...

The Badenoch item on #deadringers is spot on 😂

Very good statement

Sarah definitely echoing the Tory narrative. #wato

🔴 Reform Councillor Who Slammed Angela Rayner on Tax Owed HMRC Over £250,000 Through Failed Firms EXCLUSIVE: Wigan Reform councillor David Bowker railed against the former Deputy Prime Minister, whilst repeatedly leaving taxpayers out of pocket himself bylinetimes.com/2026/06/09/r...

One is allowed to disrespect Farage, you toxic numpty. #wato

Has anyone bothered to look into whether this ‘affordable’ private school is objectively any better than the state school? #thearchers

It has now been 10 weeks and three days since Nigel Farage last turned up to vote in the House of Commons

It's all kicking off in Canterbury.

Least of issues I know but this "veteran" campaign strategy really winds me up. Kenyon isn't a veteran and was never mobilised. He was in the British Army Reserve. People like my father meanwhile fought in actual wars - and though my dad also served as a councillor he'd never ever mention it.

Interesting that the idea of another EU referendum is regularly discussed on broascast media as something that would cause division and thus a bad idea. But plans to deport literally millions of people are discussed as administrative questions.

Remember if you ever consider doing a fraud, don’t buy amusingly naff stuff with the money, it sticks in the memory. Embezzle £10m and shove it in crypto? Cheat HMRC out of a few million through phoenixing? People will soon forget! Buy an overpriced wine coaster and a gaming headset? You’re stuffed.

Four years since the Elizabeth line opened. Transformative.

Absolutely spectacular, no notes.

Ah - Susan Hall. Never makes sense 🙄 #wato

Absolutely loved ‘Quartet in Autumn’ adapted from Barbara Pym’s novel at @arcolatheatre.bsky.social Funny, sad and beautifully cast. Do see it if you can.

FT Exclusive: Nigel Farage’s claim that he paid for a £1.4mn house with his fee from a reality TV show has been challenged by corporate accounts that appear to show that the income remained on his company’s balance sheet after the property purchase. ft.trib.al/dtJOxC3

KITTENS ON THE PICCADILLY LINE

The government isn't forcing churches and community centres and town halls across the country to fly the Ukrainian flag. People are doing it themselves because we see a battle and we know which side we are on. There are lots of ways in which Reform is wildly out of touch with Britain.

Robert Jenrick's wife was warned that his campaign had accepted an unlawful donation of almost £40,000 from a convicted American fraudster, according to the Times. Police are investigating allegations that Jenrick's campaign illegally funneled the money to his campaign via a UK-based company

Oh what a tangled web they weave... Farage now admits he bought the Clacton house, having told everyone last year that his partner Laure Ferrari bought the house.

crucial context: Peter Mandelson was sacked from the first New Labour government for having a £373,000 *loan* (not a gift) from a Labour colleague (Geoffrey Robinson) to buy a house

..says man who wouldn't hold a by-election when he changed parties.

This is Joshua Kim, a migrant from South Korea who said "I am especially troubled by the influx of migrants into the UK". When he was elected to the Senedd for Reform he wasn't even there, because he never expected to win. Let's see if he lasts the week...

We've uncovered how a content creator in Pakistan was earning money from viral videos that stir up hate in the UK – while lining the pockets of Big Tech – all without properly understanding English.

Narrator: the Conservative party fell to 4th place in England and Wales, and fifth place in Scotland

One London election vignette: now the Tories have retaken Westminster council, they will take legal action to try and stop the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Good news for those who like fumes, road danger and a gradually declining flagship shopping street.

It is important to note how staggeringly bad it is for a first-term opposition to not even be making miniscule gains. Until now, there's basically always been the rebound effect, because the previous opposition overshoots right before a change in govt, leaving easy gains. Not anymore, apparently.

Reform has done well nationally but flopped in London. They only won Havering (which is basically Essex) and lost all their other targets heavily.