https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/08/hs2-announced-transport-project-were-just-examples-says-minister

So are you calling the prime minister Pinocchio 🤥

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/fury-government-u-turns-fairytale-27848664?int_source=nba

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/rishi-sunak-lay-spending-trap-labour-expensive-long-term-policy-plans-2663515

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-rishi-sunak-prime-minister-scotland-police-b1111440.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-66852723.amp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66839314

I have always believed what the Mayor has said in this article is the real truth behind all the repeated negative press given to Ulez but I am sure there will be plenty of ‘Sadiq’ haters who have rarely even seen a non compliant car that will continue to rant their bias or say “the Guardian would say that”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/03/sadiq-khan-ulez-motorists-conservative-party

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-wants-to-make-it-easier-for-europeans-to-live-work-travel-in-other-member-states/

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/idling-drivers-could-face-higher-fines-under-new-government-crackdown

But now I see at least one of the councils who fought Sadiq Khan regarding Ulez gives out fines to car owners for polluting through idling their vehicles - Bexley you are hypocrites

Bet the other four do the same . Maybe a freedom of information request!

Do the general public notice as the media do such a great cover up going on about just one subject for months . This is the best piece of journalism I’ve seen in months it made me smile whilst being angry that they are getting away with it

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/31/rishi-sunak-excels-summer-job-making-tories-look-unelectable

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2023/aug/12/britannia-rues-her-polluted-air-and-water-cartoon

https://news.sky.com/story/theresa-villiers-mp-failed-to-declare-she-owned-shell-shares-worth-70-000-while-working-as-environment-secretary-12937653

District Attorney Fani Willis has revealed that her investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results is complete - giving her strongest hint yet that a criminal indictment may be imminent.

“We’ve been working for two and half years. We’re ready to go.”

DA Willis said that some people will be unhappy with the outcome of the probe...
I think that the sheriff is doing something smart in making sure that the courthouse stays safe."

Can Trump and his supporters hope to try and fake an election result with impunity?

Will they revert to mob violence?

Baroness Owen of Alderly Edge!

https://news.sky.com/story/michael-gove-calls-for-relaxation-of-net-zero-measures-and-warns-against-treating-environment-as-religious-crusade-12925829?authId=1*wfo7hq*_a*WUVxVWVpSFAweWM5cWVDUTZIVXRfaGRJQWk3Wmw4Szk3RmhZcGl3akhPVlU2VlZ0dU5DeldTY3FfY2t0c05ULQ..

https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/finally-the-trump-case-weve-been-waiting-for

The Saudi leader's money matters more than his morals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khashoggi

When someone thinks it ok to threaten a politicians children

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-66129926

Perhaps he has memory problems

https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-hits-out-at-bone-headed-ulez-despite-setting-up-the-scheme-while-he-was-london-mayor-12916924

From the BBC site, 'Lord Patten, who was party chairman under John Major, rejected claims the Privileges Committee's report on Johnson was "anti-democratic".
"Of course it's not," he told the BBC. "What he means is it's criticised him... he should stop whining about it and get on with what he's plainly going to do best, which is going around making dishevelled speeches and making lots of money from them."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65752422.amp

https://news.sky.com/story/four-mps-claimed-driving-fines-on-expenses-and-now-have-to-pay-the-money-back-12891419

I’ve been listening to Alistaire Campbell and Rory Stewart’s weekly podcast. It’s called The Rest is Politics and its very interesting and informative. They have also been doing a series called Leaders interviewing people like Hilary Clinton, David Miliband, Tony Blair (sorry Alan F) and Gerry Adams. I found them all very good. Recommend a listen.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/16/asylum-seekers-to-lose-basic-housing-protections-in-move-to-cut-hotel-use

Andrew Bridgen got totally stitched up by woke civil servants spreading fake stories that he was comparing the Covid vaccine propaganda to the holocaust.
He didn't make the comparison, he said it was the biggest worldwide scandal since the holocaust. That is different.
This is a nice letter he got recently
https://twitter.com/ABridgen/status/1653710056473370624?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rishi-sunak-koru-kids-wife-budget-b2321580.html?amp

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/26/a-failed-revolt-and-an-embarrassing-display-the-week-that-saw-boris-johnsons-downfall I had forgotten all about Simply Red, but I feel Mick Hucknall was speaking for many in the quote here. I suppose it's too much to hope that Johnson might find enough humility and morals to stay out of politics and just get on with his other lucrative activities.

I am truly gobsmacked - just seven weeks in office, during which she crashed the economy, and she gets to elevate her chums to the House of Lords. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/24/liz-truss-requests-peerages-for-some-of-her-closest-tory-supporters

https://news.met.police.uk/news/former-officer-jailed-for-possession-of-extreme-pornography-463814

What doesn’t make sense to me in the various reports in the media is how did he ever become a policeman

He was only a trainee when this occurred and is said to be fragile with mental health problems

If it’s even true

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/plan-to-end-free-prescriptions-for-6065-year-olds-scrapped-reports-b1067847.html#comments-area

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMY5x2Yhe/

How far can Boris be allowed to go

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-knighthood-stanley-tories-honours-b2295088.html?amp

He’ll be giving his baby an MBE next 😂

new laptop

https://www.gbnews.uk/politics/liz-truss-still-supported-by-50-mps-as-uk-economy-could-see-trussonomics-comeback/436787

Now that Deputy First Minister has ruled himself out, who is the new favourite?
The Scottish people have no clue. In a poll the favourite on 69% was a Don T Know, next was Swinney on 7%.
https://news.stv.tv/politics/john-swinney-rules-himself-out-of-snp-leadership-contest-as-sturgeons-successor-to-be-announced-march-27
Will this mean the collapse of the Nationalists and Labour taking back Scotland at the next election?

. . . says a serving government minister. For heavens sake, couldn't we have someone who is sane, right and competent as our prime minister? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64523277

Podcasts

Does anyone listen to the Ukrainecast that has been posting since 24th February 2022.

Some awful real life stories of children being taken away into Russia, torture chambers, bodies found in unmarked graves and who is helping Russia.

A lot of these stories are not reported elsewhere and are not reaching the majority of the public .

The EEC was created as a trading partnership, good idea.

However, EU politicians, with very little experience of business, have used their power to make a political alliance, which is not the original intention.
Bureaucracy is not good governance.

The more senior place a politician achieves, the less the contact with real life and accountability. The UK's senior politicians have their manifest faults, but we can vote them out...which does not apply to the EU Commission.

Recent examples of the wastage within the EU, is the MEP's turning up to sign in for a days wages [£295] just like our UK peers...but we can work to rid ourselves of the House Of Lords - not the EU Commission.

The UK has regulators, but these are often controlled by the very people they're investigating. Nonetheless we have a reasonable standard of press reporting, and the truth will out.

Meanwhile in Brussels..

"Police seizures of suitcases stuffed full of cash are usually the result of crackdowns on crime gangs or drug lords. This time, though, the brick-like wads of €50 notes were found not by the vice squad, but by detectives investigating allegations of corruption in the European Parliament.

Brussels has been gripped this week by stories of an international bribery ring said to involve Qatar, Morocco and influential EU figures. Colossal sums of money have been found in the homes of some of the alleged recipients: €600,000 in bank notes at the home of an Italian politician, €150,000 tucked into the luxury luggage of a Greek socialist MEP, and hundreds of thousands more in the possession of her father. 

In all, more than €1.5 million (£1.3m) has been seized in raids on 19 locations in the Belgian capital and in Italy, some of which were in the Parliament itself.

The investigation centres on claims that Qatar tried to buy influence in order to help secure an “open skies” deal that would give its airlines unfettered access to EU markets and airspace. It is, without question, the biggest bribery scandal in the history of the European Union’s institutions, and it could well get much worse, with reports that up to 60 MEPs could be dragged into it. "

Do you want to be governed by the EU or the UK?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/07/conservatives-remove-whip-from-mp-julian-knight-after-complaint-to-met

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/14/rishi-sunak-prime-minister-britain-cuts-culture-war

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/11/gavin-williamson-dark-arts-whips-office-over It’s very depressing that someone so vile can get so far.

I refuse to refer to him as 'Sir Gavin' - the man is a toe-rag.

I hope this link works. I despair. Why do people vote for such people? https://twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1583747902685356032?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/09/johnson-was-slow-poisoning-arsenic-for-tories-liz-truss-is-instant-cyanide How long will she last?

You couldn’t make it up…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/kwasi-kwarteng-accused-attending-budget-28132933

Not forthcoming from Liz Truss on local radio https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/29/liz-truss-local-radio-bbc-uk-economy-pound

Yorkshire Bylines has been maintaining a list of the upsides to Brexit, and the downsides, all cross-referenced to source articles. Currently their list is standing at 22 'up-sides' and 754 'down-sides'. They are continuing to add to the list, so if you are looking for something specific, this could be a good place to start.

https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/regular-features/the-davis-downside-dossier/

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/14/kwasi-kwarteng-sacking-tom-scholar-marks-shift-away-from-impartial-advice?