Vaughan Roberts

No better time of year to contemplate the world’s incorrigible plurality, than Christmas. The haves & have nots, the spiritual & secular

Under this sits MacNeice’s agnosticism & his father’s profound faith

'more than glass between the snow & the huge roses'

#poetry
#poemoftheday
#christmas

Wow -- Russia reportedly plotted last year to plant bombs on US-bound flights (gift link) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Only 2.6% of the people picked up in Homeland Security’s latest immigration crackdown in Chicago had criminal records.
Meanwhile, 100% of the people who are currently president are convicted felons.

From the @wsj.com chief foreign correspondent

Is that £9million… Russian money?

So tell me again how Nigel Farage, who just took the largest ever political donation, from a Tory mega-donor, and another donation from the Viscountess wife of the non-dom owner of the Daily Mail, is planning to "take on the establishment"

FT Exclusive: The Reform UK leader told donors he expects a deal or merger between his party and the Conservatives ahead of the next general election, suggesting he does not believe he can sweep to power alone. on.ft.com/44xlHi0

It's not just Gaza. From the West Bank to Syria and Lebanon, Israel's onslaught continues | Nesrine Malik Broken ceasefires, bombing, ground incursions and mounting deaths: Israeli imperialism is now expanding across the region, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

The genocide in Gaza is continuing under cover of the “ceasefire”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trump dozes while Marco Rubio speaks to him directly next to him. Just insane optics.

This evening, Dr Robert Bluck (Buddhist Chaplain) gave the @durhamuniversity.bsky.social Chaplaincy Christmas Lecture on ‘Buddhism & Christianity: Rivals or Allies?’ It led to numerous thoughtful questions from those present. Picture: Dr Bluck & I - allies not rivals! @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Reeves speech did not mislead on challenges facing UK ahead of Budget, says OBR official Prof David Miles tells MPs the messaging given by the chancellor was

Oh.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Good Old Days   Pity the poor children of today, with their calendars stuffed with chocolates,   never to know the thrill of opening a small cardboard door and discovering behind it   a picture of a bell. Brian Bilston

This poem is dedicated to anyone making a start on their advent calendar today.

Really interesting review⬇️

Huge respect to the papers for finding both an 88 year old worried about the tax bill on her 6 bedroom Kensington house and a 20 year old fretting about only being able to save £12k a year tax free.
Top work all around. These are not easy case studies to find.

Lying in politics is wrong and should never be rewarded, says newspaper which pays Boris Johnson £1 million a year to be its star columnist

What do you do with unlawful orders? The critical - and topical - issue of when the military and security services can refuse to do what they are told

NEW

What do you do with unlawful orders?

The critical - and topical - issue of when the military and security services can refuse to do what they are told

By me

emptycity.substack.com/p/what-do-yo...

1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:

NEW: JD Vance’s Top Donor Suggests Pope Leo XIV is Antichrist In a leaked lecture, Peter Thiel says he’s urged Vance to ignore the pope on moral questions — and simply pray for him.

In newly leaked audio, Peter Thiel admits he urged JD Vance to ignore Pope Leo XIV on moral questions — including the ethical development of AI.

He goes even further, branding Leo “the woke American pope” and suggesting he’s a tool of the Antichrist.

Whilst Rogers was scoring twice at Elland Rd I was at the theatre watching "Dear England" - a play about Southgate's time as England manager ... spooky, or what?

My recent encounters with Van Gogh: (1) alongside Anselm Kieffer at the Kieffer – Van Gogh exhibition @royalacademyarts.bsky.social (2) and alongside John Lennon in the play "When Vincent Met John" at the Minerva Theatre. Both most enjoyable!

1/5 The attack on the BBC is an alignment of four interest groups that has been years in the making:

Trump says he will sue BBC for at least $1bn over Panorama edit The US president confirmed he intends to sue the broadcaster for at least $1bn over the Panorama edit of a 2021 speech.

Buckle up - because this now amounts to a direct and deliberate attack on our country and its cultural sovereignty. Which side our politicians take - Trump's or the BBC's - over the coming days and weeks will speak volumes about their patriotism.

Cracking, as per, from @chrisgrey.bsky.social . I particularly loved "[BBC] Radio Four’s Moral Maze (surely the most flatulently self-important and uninformative show in the entire history of broadcasting, but that’s by the way)." #DriveBy

"What is certain, and felt instinctively by almost everybody, is that things cannot go on in their present way" – The Times, May 1975

“It is difficult to imagine a previous period when such an all-pervasive hopelessness was exhibited at all levels of British life” – Professor Stephen Haseler, 1975

Excellent MODEM conference yesterday on "The Common Good in Organisations" with two fascinating keynote speakers Stephen Cherry (Dean of Chapel, King's College Cambridge) and Jo Berry CBE (founder of Building Bridges for Peace).

The Pro-Trump Bias of the 'Neutral' Sources in the Leaked BBC 'Prescott Dossier' Byline Times’ analysis of key sources in the memo about the BBC’s alleged ‘progressive bias’ shows it relied on highly partisan right-wing, Trump-aligned organisations

The story of how an editorial blunder has provided those men of moral probity and honesty, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump with the opportunity they and right wing culture war allies have long sought to undermine independent broadcasting in the UK: bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/p...

The letter the BBC could send to Trump in reply to his $1bn claim 12th November 2025 Yesterday this blog offered a close reading of the letter Trump’s lawyers had sent to the British Broadcasting Corporation. As a follow-up, this is a letter that the BBC could se…

Probably too much to ask but I'd love to see @davidallengreen.bsky.social's 'could' turn into the Beeb's 'will'!

A close look at Trump's $1 billion claim against the BBC The litigation letter is weak, but his underlying practical position is not weak

NEW

A close look at Trump's $1 billion claim against the BBC

The litigation letter is weak, but his underlying practical position is not weak

By me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/a-close-lo... (Substack)

(Non-Substack link to follow.)

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.