David Soward

I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer

Many of us not on Covid wards remember those apparently carefree early weeks of March with horror and disbelief: we could see other countries (notably Italy) taking strong measures, while our fatuous PM told us to wash our hands and sing happy birthday.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

“Did Nathan Gill ever say anything you disagree with in return for his bribes from a Kremlin stooge?”

“Did you, in your roles as his boss, friend, mentor & party leader, ever question his full-throated support for an enemy of the UK and if not, why not?”

You can have those for nothing, lads.

Russia's ambassador to the UK, Yakovenko, boasted about Brexit to another diplomat:
“We have crushed the British to the ground. They are on their knees and will not rise for a very long time”
Today, Farage’s close ally, leader of Reform in Wales, was sentenced to 10yrs for taking bribes from Russia.

This research is important because it corroborates what we already knew - that when comparing the UK to peer economies, it has had a big slowdown since 2016. It does so with firm-level data and finds more EU-connected firms have sizeable shortfalls in productivity and investment compared to less.

‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10

Remembering the hit of fear as Italians I respect immensely told me in early March that "you must lock down ASAP". While the British government said these were "populist – non-science based – measures that aren't any use" and "they're who not to follow".
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

It's as if Vance thinks that for some unaccountable reason they started fighting, rather than that Russia invaded Ukraine.

We should probably be talking more about this - 270k people left the UK last year seeking a better life elsewhere. It’s probably not the taxes but more the quality of life and general sense of decline.

B&W photo of two hospital staff in PPE hugging

Tomorrow is a hugely important day.

At 4pm, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will publish its report into the UK’s pandemic decision-making & political governance.

I dearly hope our political leaders & decision-makers will listen, learn &, above all, act on the findings.

Because there will be a next time.

The BBC must stop attacking trans people | Good Law Project The right wing accusations of ‘pro-trans’ bias are back to front. It’s time for the BBC to live up to its duty to be impartial on trans issues

Give this a look if you agree. Does need a U.K. postcode, sadly.

goodlawproject.org/campaign/the...

Not the first to make this point. But there is a tyrant in charge of another country who is accused of being heavily linked to a paedophile sex ring - and supposed ‘patriots’ in this country are passionately willing him to take down our national broadcaster. Madness.

Interesting to see so many great British patriots right now begging an American president to bankrupt one of Britain’s last remaining truly national institutions.

Has Trump completely undermined the FBI?

Casey Burgat explains how staff at the FBI and the DOJ no longer trust the leadership of Trump and his cronies.

Full discussion here 👉 linktr.ee/americanfric...
#donaldtrump #trump #FBI

Former USAID Official: Tens of Thousands Have Died Since Trump Shuttered Agency “We had the cure for death from malnutrition, and we took it away,” said Dr. Atul Gawande.

Former USAID official Dr. Atul Gawande says tens of thousands have died since Trump shut down the agency: “We had the cure for death from malnutrition, and we took it away”.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Prescott himself doctored Trump quote in his anti-BBC report A report alleging Panorama broadcast misleading Trump quotes contains misleading quotes itself

The remarkable story we discussed this morning. (No paywall but do consider subscribing.) www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...

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 four-word message the BBC should send Trump about his $1bn lawsuit The corporation must show it will not be cowed, unlike American broadcast media, and call the president’s bluff

The BBC can retrieve something from this mess (and show US broadcasters what a spine is) by sending Donald Trump a four letter response: “See you in court!” www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...

"This week the woke right took to saying that people who are black aren't properly British" complains Danny Finkelstein.

No, Danny, Douglas Murray, who you patronised, promoted and admired, has been saying *exactly this* for over a decade.

archive.ph/2025.11.12-0...

the BBC should apologise with a montage of all the times Trump showed support for 6 Jan and they should get the person who does the end of World Cup montage to do it

Lots of stuff here that you won't read in most of the legacy media which seems completely uninterested in the backgrounds, associations and possible motivations of those behind the BBC crisis.

Why was the BBC having its homework marked by a lobbyist who hasn't worked as a journalist for 20 years?

Remarkable poll

Ominous. America so publicly abandoning defence of the rules-based order would clearly have implications beyond Ukraine

That renowned and respected lover of truth and journalistic integrity.... THE KREMLIN.... has stepped up to defend Trump in his battle against the BBC.

SO that's Farage, Netanyahu, Putin, and Boris Johnson...

This kind of thing, btw, is one of the reasons I think it's right to use the (admittedly ugly) word 'Brexitism': there are multiple recurring threads linking Brexit to post-Brexit politics/ culture wars. So many things which aren't about Brexit per se are in/directly connected to it. 3/3

Very interesting piece, including the extract below which has the ring of truth

BBC board member with Tory links ‘led charge’ in systemic bias claims, say insiders Sources say Robbie Gibb amplified criticisms of Trump, Gaza and trans rights coverage, and had ‘a lot of oxygen in the room’

It’s astonishing that a man who was director of communications for a political party & who helped set up a right wing propaganda TV channel should have ever been placed on the board of a supposedly impartial & independent broadcasting service.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

A study earlier this month found that America’s more fragmented media landscape — particularly the takeoff of cable news — accounts for fully one third of the increase in cultural conflict in the US since the year 2000.

Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.

Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?

Who’d have guessed it? The main BBC board member resisting a simple apology and reinforcing the right wing attack on the BBC from within, was a Tory government appointee and founder of GB TV. If you want impartiality, Gibb has to go. Nick Robinson on X:

3/3 Whether it turns out to be victory in one battle or of the culture war as a whole depends on the government’s resolve. Nandy faces a struggle that will be pivotal for democracy in this country and significant for the wider world. Will she allow the BBC to become a far right propaganda platform?