I had my disagreements with the BBC under Tim Davie but he was a decent man doing a difficult job. To see Trump's White House claiming credit for his downfall and attacking the BBC should worry us all.

the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever

The "hard-men" of Gondor were getting their shit kicked in until they were rescued by foreigners and a girl. The Shire was doing fine until they let a fascist demagogue ("Sharkey" aka Saruman) take over, close the gates, impose a bunch of thug-enforced rules, and despoil nature for profit.

Nelson's Victory crew included a Brazilian and a Russian, 2 Indians, 2 Swiss, 2 Portuguese, 3 Danes and 3 Norwegian sailors. There were 3 Germans, 4 Italians, 6 Swedes, 7 Dutchmen, 9 West Indians and an African, as well as 21 Americans, 63 Irish, 64 Scots, 441 English.... oh, and 3 French men, too.

This is the most important story for the last few years in Birmingham. The equal pay bill is significantly lower than the estimate that put the city into bankruptcy. www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...

Free stickers suitable for flag-bearing lampposts. Send a large A4 envelope with a 1st class large stamp to me at Bragg Office, PO Box 6830 Bridport DT6 9BH and I’ll send you a sheet. #ReclaimtheFlag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet. After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵

🔴NEW🔴 Thread 🧵 @bylinetimes.bsky.social can now reveal that, during the crucial period when convicted Reform leader Nathan Gill was most active, working directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most senior ally in Ukraine, he was also one of Nigel Farage’s closest confidantes 1/12

Dan does some beautiful stuff but this is sterling work.

I’ve been frustrated to see so much of the ongoing story about asylum seekers and the protests against them covered without hearing from those seeking asylum and now being met with hostility and hatred I set out to speak to those directly affected to find out about the impact this is having 👇

So Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives, who have repeatedly pledged to fight for "free speech" and a free press have just banned me and Byline Times from attending their conference. Has never happened before under any previous leader bylinetimes.com/2025/09/04/k...

I'm a card carrying Labour member. This is not what I signed up for. "I kept the faith and I kept voting, Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand" @billybragg.bsky.social I don't know how much longer I can keep the faith.

In Q2 of this year, a record level of renewable energy capacity was given planning permission in Britain There's also a surge in battery storage planning applications as the govt plan for clean power seems to be gathering pace www.ft.com/content/926a...

And wow — beyond caution here, to a bold rejection of the emerging orthodoxies. Ed Prideaux & BBCRadio4 on the perils of our uncritical & lucrative rush to embrace psychedelics as therapy & recreation. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Trump thinks Judge Dredd is DC but everyone else knows it's 2000AD.

To cater for Bearwood's rapidly-growing tourism industry, the council have taken over the old Webb's shop and turned it into a Tourist Information Centre. Here, you can: • buy tickets to top attractions. • pick up guides to The Grand Vanyon and Global Wines Car Park. • purchase cheese.

This will forever be the most amazing email.

I wonder how many people are currently watching the Supreme Court stream trying the work out which way they are going to go on motor finance?

I really hope this turns out to be a good thing. share.google/obfNeqhu573X...

we love a story with a happy ending

Or you could just fund the criminal justice system properly. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Birmingham city centre is rammed full of blokes in faded rock t-shirts. #Sabbath

In Birmingham we have a number of 20mph roads but they switch from 20 to 30 all the time so I find myself doing 30 in a 20. I'd welcome a blanket 20mph save for major roads.

This is absolutely brilliant, insightful, gentle probing from Nick Robinson on BBC's Political Thinking. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/serie...

This is the way to stand up to these bullies! Respect ✊

@janerockhouse.bsky.social Hi Jane, disappointing that the strike continues. Is the photo attached to this article recent? It looks like Selly Oak. I thought things were better there now. www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...

The thing that worries me the most about this isn't party politics. it's that there are vulnerable young people and adults rely on the council for a little bit of help to make their lives tolerable. This absence of competence is very worrying.

Reform UK’s Sean Matthews, Leader of Lincolnshire Council on BBC, absolute car crash interview on DOGE: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... “You don’t know much, do you?” 5 mins in.

🥳 IT'S FRIDAY! 🥳 We've got that Friday feeling AND it's a bank holiday. Our bars @atticbrewcotap and @barrelstorejq are open and ready to pour you a beer.

FUSION☀️ overtakes FISSION☢️

To commemorate the iconic CHEAP PAINT sign that was lost in the fire, we've taken the letters from it and used them to create a digital font called CHEAP PAINT INSIDE! This isn't a joke! You can download it yourself to have a go with it! Link in comments!

This is a great article by @zoesqwilliams.bsky.social . I'm not a prepper but I have just recently bought a wind up radio and we have a few extra cans of food in the house. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

"Why do you 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 talk about Pakistani grooming gangs? There are 𝙩𝙚𝙣 times as many white grooming gang suspects?" @maitlis.bsky.social asks ex-Reform MP @rupertlowe.bsky.social why he won't denounce all perpetrators of grooming gangs equally.

How on earth have we got to this position? D with their life on hold and witnesses with it hanging over them for years.

Starmer trying to have a nice evening to himself and it being ruined by Donald Trump's tariff policy is the most relatable he's ever been to me

Why does Keir keep repeating "Donald". Is it a hostage situation?

Wow. 31.9% solar generation!

Well done Birmingham City Council on winning the "How not to run and industrial dispute" prize for 2025 and it's only April. Great reporting from @janerockhouse.bsky.social www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...

NEW: Read the resignation letter of three federal prosecutors who'd worked on the Eric Adams case: "Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington." static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics...

I was out for a litter pick this afternoon and found these handy drugs scales. If you are a South Birmingham dealer who lost these, DM and I can reconnect you. You might want to bring gloves to go through the bin bag though as dog owners don't always bin their poo bags.

Some personal news: the Department of Homeland Security has given me, an immigration lawyer born in Newton, Massachusetts, seven days to leave the U.S. Does anyone know if you can get Italian citizenship through great-grandparents?

Wow. This is 🔥🔥 Trump & his Cabinet should be strapped to their chairs and made to watch this on a loop. Victor Gao: “China has been here for 5000 years. Most of the time, there was no United States and we survived.” 🇨🇳 He beautifully trashes JD Vance too. (🎥 Channel 4 News)

Meanwhile during public questions at Birmingham's Full Council meeting...

My week has peaked and it's only 8:22am on Monday.

Just back from Lifford Lane tip. Super calm, no pickets, no police. @harryleach.bsky.social @janerockhouse.bsky.social

Your tariff rate is your star sign divided by the number of boys you've kissed, multiplied by one

Blimey I did not see that move coming. I don't see the union taking that lying down. @janerockhouse.bsky.social www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...

A lunchtime trip to Lifford Lane tip. A jovial atmosphere with the pickets. Lots of slow walking in front of the bin wagons leaving site. The police letting them get on with it. Chatting to the strikers there's no animosity between them and the agency staff.

Boulton, Watt and Murdoch discovering that Josiah Wedgwood has added them to the group chat.

Elbows up, Canada.