Ben Stanford

New Brighton 10km race this morning. Tough slog that.

Even current law students struggle to grasp the difference. It's so difficult to shake off the gross simplifications and misunderstandings being spread amongst the media, politicians and other commentators.

Screenshot of an Express article; it says: Robert Jenrick lists 30 'activist judges' he vows to axe in war on UK's open border In a bold move, Robert Jenrick is set to unveil a controversial plan targeting what he calls 'activist' judges, at the Conservative Party conference.

I say this with the bluntness it requires: they will get people murdered if this continues. This is not just populism anymore either: it’s completely unhinged and a deliberate choice that does endanger lives. I am not saying this lightly at all.

Events: Call for Papers – The Future of Constitutional Reform in the United Kingdom Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 May 2026, University of Manchester, United Kingdom The public law team at the University of Manchester Law Department, in collaboration with the UK Constitutional Law A…

Interesting and timely conference for UK constitutional law folk - ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/10/03/e...

Water bills: millions of households in England could face even bigger rises CMA poised to give verdict after appeal by five firms for permission to increase bills higher than allowed by Ofwat

Of all the failures and disasters of privatisation of basic state infrastructure and essential services over the decades, this has to be right up there with the railways.
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...

Merseyrail claiming a "Good Service" on the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines. That's an absolute fib. An afternoon of chaos. @merseytravel.bsky.social

Firm linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone breached £122m PPE contract, judge rules A company linked to Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone breached a government contract of nearly £122m to supply surgical gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Court has ruled.

This so obviously had a stink to it from the very start, all those years ago...
news.sky.com/story/firm-l...

This should really be a given, especially for a Government pledging to clean up politics and remedy some of the worst behaviour of the past Governments. It's also one of those things that isn't necessarily a problem today, but it certainly could be under a future authoritarian Government.

Morning madness. Sisters reunited.

Constitutional Values, Identities and Rights: Realisation and Protection in Codified and Uncodified Constitutions This book discusses the way in which the constitutions are shaped by, and shape, the values and identities inherent in them and how those values and identities may be realised as fundamental rights an...

Big hat tip to @drjohnnymac.bsky.social for organising the conference that led to this as well as for putting this edited collection together! I contributed a chapter on culture wars and constitutional identity.
www.routledge.com/Constitution...

I think I'm going for a new record for how many times in a single day I need to complete multifactor authentication to open the same damn apps. No option to "remember me" or save an access. Such an incredible waste of time.

UK students get chance to study in Europe from January 2027 under new Erasmus deal The EU is pushing for a rapid agreement for Britain to rejoin the student exchange scheme

Good. Withdrawing from Erasmus was one of the most backward, self-sabotaging and counterproductive decisions made post-2016, apart from Brexit in general of course.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...

💯 @bylinetimes.bsky.social

A new UK prisoner voting case and the first since some have been allowed to vote post-Hirst. A convicted rapist having his right to vote restricted in the 2019 election was not disproportionate.

Judgment - hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-24...

Press Release - hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press?i=....

Public Office (Accountability) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament Current version of Public Office (Accountability) Bill with latest news, sponsors, and progress through Houses

Missed this last week. The Public Office (Accountability) Bill now laid before Parliament - otherwise dubbed the "Hillsborough Law". Introducing a legal duty of candour on public officials and bodies, making misleading the public a criminal offence.

bills.parliament.uk/bills/4019

With the usual media obsession and fawning over Reform you would barely be aware that the third biggest party with 72 MPs was currently having their annual conference.

Reform are now coming after people with permanent residency. It'll be citizens next. No one is safe from authoritarian governments.

Conor Gearty obituary A skilled and persuasive human rights lawyer who fought for civil liberties in the face of over-reaching anti-terror law

Conor Gearty obituary - The Guardian

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/sep...

US talk show hosts react to Jimmy Kimmel cancellation - as Trump issues threat After Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for comments he made about Charlie Kirk, his fellow late-night hosts have rallied around him - with some pointed barbs towards Donald Trump.

The free speech patriots once again confirming that the only free speech that matters is their own. Yawn.
news.sky.com/story/kimmel...

Eat this, Elon:
2024 London Mayoral Election
Count Binface: 24,260
Britain First: 20,519

First day of the semester. First train cancellation of the semester. Business as usual for Merseyrail.

We probably have three/three and a half years until the next general election so any defections now are clearly not about MPs saving their own skin.

This is moving in exactly the wrong direction! Education & meaningful activity in prison is crucial to reducing violence and improving outcomes

Politics latest: 'The Conservative Party is over': MP defects to Reform UK Shadow minister Danny Kruger has defected from the Conservatives to Reform, declaring that his former party is "over". Nigel Farage said Mr Kruger will head up Reform's efforts to prepare for governme...

As much as the collapse of the Tory Party brings some joy, Reform are looking increasingly unstoppable. news.sky.com/story/politi...

Politics latest: 'The Conservative Party is over': MP defects to Reform UK Shadow minister Danny Kruger has defected from the Conservatives to Reform, declaring that his former party is "over". Nigel Farage said Mr Kruger will head up Reform's efforts to prepare for governme...

If momentum picks up and more defections take place, I bet we'll see more calls for defections to lead to automatic recall.
news.sky.com/story/politi...

Genoa 🇮🇹 An indulgent few days. 25,000 steps. 25,000 calories.

Is the Ministerial Code now worth something again?

Very disappointing!

Sanctioned six times by the Kremlin, banned from both Reform and Conservative Party Conferences… what better time to support @bylinetimes.bsky.social by subscribing to our monthly newspaper

👉 subscribe.bylinetimes.com/editions/

Kemi Badenoch's 'Free Speech' Conservatives Ban Byline Times From Party Conference The ban on covering the party's annual gathering came despite Badenoch's repeated commitment to "fight" for free speech and a free press

Staggering levels of hypocrisy from the free speech warriors on the right wing these days.
bylinetimes.com/2025/09/04/k...