May I be the 94th banana to advise Mr Starmer to refer Mr Trump to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram

This graph is just so depressing.

Two stories you may not have seen this week that would be a big deal in a normal country: 1) The ‘dossier’ detailing the BBC’s editing of the Trump speech literally edited Trump’s speech. 2) The NBER calculated that Brexit’s longer term damage to GDP was greater than originally forecast.

Thank you @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social! It’s so nice to have an ex-Guardian colleague being so vocally supportive. We desperately need more journalists, more outlets, more resource, more reporting. We’re not in competition with each other. We’re in competition with bullshit.

See also:

JFC are we at war with a country that has done absolutely nothing to us? Except that they have really vast oil reserves??

Cheats and bullies often act in a way that they believe will be plausibly deniable. Trump believed his actions in choreographing events on Jan 6th were justified and that any accusations of incitement to insurrection would be plausibly deniable.

Trump wants to destroy the BBC and Farage is egging him on. To all those who love the BBC, now is the time to speak up.

Fears for elephant seals as bird flu kills half of population in South Atlantic

Be great if Panorama do an edit on this speech 👇

Seen a few of the epstein emails now, all with different people and it's not the main issue here but is everyone illiterate

"People need to see the surveillance tapes the FBI have - that will really, start to tell the story." The 23,000 documents made public are the tip of the iceberg of Trump's relationship with Epstein, a lawyer for sex trafficking victims says www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/epst...

Ken Clarke, "Politically you can't rejoin the European Union at the moment it would cause its own nightmare, divisions and crisis" "Brexit is doing damage to our economy" "The time has come to rejoin the Customs Union and the EU Single Market would be a huge, huge advantage to us"

“Fearless journalism is what terrifies politicians, and it must not be cowed." The BBC must stand up to Trump's $1 billion lawsuit - or risk legitimising the president's false narrative of what really happened on January 6 www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-t...

Farage has dropped out of BBC film following BBC row. Good. Access journalism is client journalism. The BBC should make a film about Reform whether or not Farage chooses to ‘sit down’ with Laura Kuensberg. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Lib Dem Leader @eddavey.libdems.org.uk: "A great British institution is under attack from a foreign government. President Trump is trying to destroy our BBC... Trump has undermined press freedom in America. Now he's trying to do the same here, disgracefully egged on by the leader of Reform."

Well at least he was never political

To knit together two stories: through intimidation, litigation & extortion, Trump is clearly trying to create a media ecosystem where nobody asks him about Epstein - or indeed anything discomfiting. It is appalling to see so many UK media individuals & institutions aiding & abetting his corruption.

The Telegraph sides with Trump against the BBC and, so, the country. Private Eye sums up its feeble-minded, fawning betrayal beautifully.

So if you’re Trump, what exactly do you say to Boebert when she asks you the reason why it is so important to you to hide the Epstein files from the public? Does he bother giving an explanation, or did he just skip directly to the threats?

Settling with Trump would effectively represent a surrender of vital UK interests to blatant US bullying. So it’s not a decision to be left to a compromised BBC Board without a wider national consultation. Trump waited over a year to object. Let’s take the time we need.

And there it is. They don’t want to release the dismal inflation or jobs numbers for October and are claiming that it’s the fault of Democrats.

“MPs across the Commons are calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform: a time limited, independent process to review First Past the Post and alternatives and recommend a way forward” 🌹 @alexsobel.co.uk writing in @prospectmagazine.co.uk 🔗 www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/letter...

This is Robbie Gibb’s BBC declaration. He says he owns 100% of the Jewish Chronicle. If that is the case, where did the money come from?? What potential conflicts of interests does he have? When is he going to answer these questions? And who is going to ask them? 4/

So there’s one aspect of the BBC story that has received zero attention: Robbie Gibb’s potential financial conflict of interests. According to @arusbridger.bsky.social, he was just the bagman for the purchase of the Jewish Chronicle. 1/ www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...

That simply should not have happened then I said the other day that the whole thing needs shutting down and starting again. Culture Sec saying she can't do anything is just baloney. She can if she wants to and most of Parl would back her I suspect

According to the Guardian, Gibb was instrumental in having Prescott appointed as an independent advisor to the Editorial guidelines and standards committee, which Gibb sat on. Johnson had previously appointed Prescott as an interviewer for the head of Ofcom in an attempt to shoe in Paul Dacre.

I'm not sure if others have noticed this, but interesting that one of the Prescott criticisms of the BBC is based on those of the 'History Reclaimed' group, which is also associated with the 'Restore Trust' group's attacks on & so far unsuccessful attempts to take control of the National Trust. 1/3

Wait till he hears about the Electoral College..

Flood the zone!

Dirty Donald

After Democrats released emails showing that Jeffrey Epstein discussed his relationship with President Trump, Republicans on the Oversight Committee released 20,000 additional documents. Follow live updates. nyti.ms/47Ufvl5

At worst it was sloppy journalism weaponised by those who would destroy the BBC… but in context it wasn’t a huge error. I believe it was an attempt in good faith to show that Trump’s words incited a violent mob to attack the Capitol. Is that not the core mission of the BBC, telling the truth?

EU/UK filings show Hanover represents Oracle, Apple, Meta & Paramount — with six-figure payments for lobbying on AI, data, competition & comms. Major conflict for a supposed “independent” BBC adviser. 2/12

🧵On our revelations today about the BBC Coup and the Prescott Dossier. The leaked ‘BBC Bias’ memo Trump used to attack the BBC was authored by Michael Prescott — a Hanover lobbyist paid by US tech/media giants tied to Trump. Full story: bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b... 1/12

Congratulations and good luck, Josh.

One way of telling the political story of the last ten years is of three wasted overall majorities. A substantive majority in the Commons for a full term is the greatest prize the UK constitution can bestow on a PM, and three times in a row, it has been wasted by those prize-winners.

“As Palantir has expanded its influence over the UK public sector, critics have pointed to the company’s more morally ambiguous work as evidence that it is unsuitable as a government partner,” writes Mark Wilding from @libertyhq.bsky.social Investigates.

In 2015 Cameron won an overall majority, and it was thrown away by May in 2017 because of Brexit. In 2019 Johnson won a thumping majority, and yet he was out of office less than three years later. In 2024 Starmer won a thumping majority and seems to have no idea what to do with it. >

They could have started to build a political framework, a constitution, that would enable a strong coalition that had the genuine support of the majority of voters. A democratic system which delivers all the power on barely 30% of the vote is doomed to failure.

Lib Dems are calling for a 5% VAT cut in hospitality to support the industry and make “small joys” more affordable www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

@lewisgoodall.com @carolecadwalla.bsky.social @arusbridger.bsky.social @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social @thenerve.news @bylinetimes.bsky.social All these voices, independently, explaining how elements of the right and far right are colluding to promulgate fear and division.

It’s reassuring to know there are many voices who have deep inside knowledge of the political /media ecosystem and are brave enough to speak out against dangerously repressive and well organised elements on the right.

The BBC belongs to Britain, not Trump, Farage or their cheerleaders at GB News. Keir Starmer needs to stand up to Trump and defend our BBC, to keep it strong and truly independent.

I propose a “Fair Comment” defence and contend #BBC licence payers have no case to answer.

The #BBC licence payers should stand up to Trump. As a licence payer for 50yrs I feel I have invested in Panorama. I appreciate the enormous benefit to understanding it has given to BBC viewers over very many years.

Do the BBC know? Sorry - niche Limey shite I know - but The Orange Turd can’t get his payout if Auntie told the truth

The #BBC licence payers should stand up to Trump. As a licence payer for 50yrs I feel I have invested in Panorama. I appreciate the enormous benefit to understanding it has given to BBC viewers over very many years.