A very good piece in Prospect by @arusbridger.bsky.social about what the BBC should do about Donald Trump's lawsuit and how a polite, but blunt and American version of Private Eye's Arkle v Pressdram response would be appropriate www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...

Farage is asked about another two of his MEPs, who made the same pro-Russia statements that Nathan Gill has now pled guilty to being bribed to make. "Opinions are opinions." Farage's defence seems to be that they arrived at those views independently and it has nowt to do with him. Hmm. 🤔 ~AA

Farage: epic grifter

I have a very bad feeling about this...

Really, Reform UK? THIS is what you're going with? That this man, who served as an MEP next to Nigel Farage for years and was made leader of your party in Wales by current deputy, Richard Tice, is just "one of tens of thousands of people Nigel meets on an annual basis"?~AA

Ricky Hatton’s fights were more than sporting occasions - they were joyous and exciting, fitting his all-action style and the suspense of wondering if his fragile skin would last He was a very skilled boxer with one of the most vicious body punchers I’ve ever seen, and is one of Britain’s best

Though some hours have passed since the awful news of Ricky Hatton’s death, I can’t believe that one of the most exciting fighters I’ve ever had the privilege of watching has died I hope he is at peace and my thoughts are with his friends and family at this time💔 www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing...

Just had the interesting experience of going through the process of verifying my age for @bsky.app, following an emailed link to do a facial scan, which estimated my age I’m not sure how mature-looking teenagers will fare or how the program deals with people in their 20s or 30s with youthful faces🧐

The process of receiving a phone call from a resident about an overgrown tree to hearing from them again after substantial work had been done to it was quicker than expected and very rewarding, knowing it’s been life changing for that couple www.facebook.com/share/p/1CPL...

The fact that Putin thinks the meeting with Trump was “very useful” and a way to discuss ending the “Ukrainian crisis“ shows how the discussion was on Putin’s terms and will have emboldened the Russian war criminal - Trump was naive to be manipulated by the dictator www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2...

I know you are fan of Substack, @mrjamesob.bsky.social, so I highly recommend @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social's, including today's post on how the criminal justice system has come very close to collapsing in the last couple of years

If you're in any doubt about the mess this government inherited, this blog post by @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social clearly explains the desperate state of the criminal justice system and how it was on the verge of collapse during the general election campaign open.substack.com/pub/rozenber...

Nigel Farage says he is “very pleased” to be joined by Ann Coulter, who has previously described immigration as “white genocide” and said European settlers to America “should have killed more Indians”, saying she “has written and said many interesting things” which have "come true".

85% of Gaza is on the brink of death due to starvation. Israel could let aid in at any moment. And some people (like these men tried to do with me on Friday) are still trying to justify this atrocity. There is no justification. This could stop at any moment. End the blockade now.

I always thought the best punishment for this crime would be for them to do many hours of community service, specifically relating to trees and nature 1/2

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso can't have any complaints about that red card – it was a reckless and dangerous act that could've led to a serious injury Steve Borthwick will need a new winger for his tour squad to Argentina and the USA; Adam Radwan should be the next man up #ENGVFRA

Blimey, Chris Philp is unnecessarily shouty and abrasive in his first #PMQs @mrjamesob.bsky.social wondered if he would be better or worse than Kemi Badenoch at PMQs - I think they are both terrible at this

Congratulations to @bathrugby.bsky.social on winning the 2024/2025 #Premiership and commiserations to @leicestertigers.bsky.social on a brilliant, 3 try losing effort I really feel for Ben Youngs and Dan Cole to end their careers this way, especially Cole, who didn’t deserve that yellow card #rugby

Your analysis of Trump’s response to the demonstration in LA and a need to scapegoat is very similar to this exchange in The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard @mrjamesob.bsky.social

Given how unpopular Starmer is this is quite a reflection on Farage and Badenoch.

A very clear explanation of how Parliament, the CPS, and the defendant herself gave a judge no other option but to sentence Lucy Connolly to 31 months in prison, so thank you @davidallengreen.bsky.social for this blog post and the article in Prospect (www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...)

If it was about smarter political operators and not Reform UK, it would be tempting to interpret a promise to remove something that doesn't exist as a canny way of guaranteeing success in the future (no DEI officers in Lincolnshire or low traffic zones in their councils) @mrjamesob.bsky.social

I hope this is the start of a new era in British politics, one in which the government can be honest with the public about Brexit, acknowledging that it was always going to be economically damaging, and say that steps are being taken to ameliorate that financial harm

One remarkable thing which shows how far we have come. There will be a vote in parliament on the agrifoods deal with the EU. Once, that would have been the top line of every news story. Starmer is first PM in more than a decade who doesn't have to worry about that vote at all.

Call me Andrea Dworkin, but I just think it’s corrosive that there are quite so many references to sexual acts in the British right’s response to this deal.

I hope the exit polls are accurate and Mr Dan is duly elected as the next president of Romania

The opinions of Nick Ferrari on this morning’s #LauraK about how the government seeking to use a pragmatic approach to improve the lives of UK citizens and the British economy is typical of a historical revisionism about the question put to the public in 2016 1/4

The latest blog post by @barristersecret.bsky.social to debunk the absurd claims by some right wing commentators about EDI policies and the membership of the Inns of Court is beautifully written with a blend of humour and statistical analysis thesecretbarrister.com/2025/05/18/n...

Although I haven’t seen the story about the number of EDI officers in Lincolnshire councils who Andrea Jenkyns wants to sack, I’m guessing there aren’t any @mrjamesob.bsky.social

Many congratulations to Julian Edelman on being voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame to join Tom Brady and acknowledged as one of the franchise’s finest players 1/2 www.patriots.com/news/julian-...

I don't know if you have time to touch on some of @iandunt.bsky.social's excellent analysis of last night and what it means or, rather, what it doesn't @mrjamesob.bsky.social, but it is well worth reading iandunt.substack.com/p/election-r...

As I understand it, Keir Starmer's record on prosecuting 'grooming gangs' and changing the CPS so such action took place more frequently is extremely good, whereas the last government did very little to swiftly establish an inquiry and act on its recommendations www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Well, that 10 minutes of using the victims of child abuse as a political football was all rather distasteful and regrettable #pmqs @mrjamesob.bsky.social

1/12 Tony Blair Institute have released a report which is getting a lot of coverage in UK today It says the drive for net zero emissions is flawed and some media outlets have gone to town However it’s a bit odd By odd, I mean there’s a lot of bollocks in it and shouldn't be taken seriously 🧵🧵

There is no other word for illegally deporting a toddler with cancer apart from evil. Not just Trump and Stephen Miller but every single person involved in doing it from start to finish.

With the #patriots selecting Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby after previously drafting a kicker, it's almost as if Bill Belicheck has taken over the last few rounds of this year's NFL Draft

I understand wanting score political points with the Supreme Court ruling (and I am not underestimating its significance), but surely there are more important things to use all six of your #PMQs questions on than that, such as the economy, US tariffs, environment, Ukraine…

Millicent Fawcett was not a suffragette, as reported in your news bulletins; she was a suffragist #r4today

This should be thoroughly investigated by the SEC, which should demand an investigation into what has taken place on its watch

Art of the deal!

A thoughtful and troubling piece about how the United States currently has a president without any functioning checks on his powers, an unpredictable man who can therefore govern in an arbitrary and capricious manner

🚨 Kemi Badenoch doubles down, accusing Labour MPs of “promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament.” Expect a Conservative backlash to this stance. Could become a significant row

A typically fine blog post here by @adambienkov.bsky.social about Kemi Badenoch's shameful betrayal of two British MPs and why it is typical of the fake patriotism she has previously displayed www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/kemi-baden...

Two of Kemi Badenoch’s Parliamentary colleagues (one a Quaker) were deported from Israel, where they were travelling as part of a delegation with charities to see conditions in the West Bank, and she bizarrely sides with Israel because of what some other MPs have said news.sky.com/video/share-...

“The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom, the country is going to boom” – Donald Trump

I sincerely hope this clown car administration does not jeopardise the safety of people in the security services or the future of the Five Eyes alliance www.spiegel.de/internationa...

If Pete Hegseth doesn't want to be accused of rank hypocrisy, all he has to do is resign

One of Britain’s finest actors, @davidharewood.bsky.social tells @mrjamesob.bsky.social about finding late fame, becoming RADA’s first black president, and the brutal challenges he faced to get there on ‘Full Disclosure’. Listen in full: www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/epi...