Cuppers

This was the Starling murmuration, on Sinker's Fields, at Whixall yesterday. It was one of the most spectacular natural spectacles I have ever seen and is a must watch.

‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, i...

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Having one more go at this, and then giving up:

If a senior figure in a business or political party faced serious allegations of sexual misconduct — and it then emerged that wealthy insiders had provided £12m specifically...

Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.

A photo featuring Nigel Farage standing in the doorway of a white and maroon private CitationJet on an airfield. He is wearing a blue suit, patterned tie, and sunglasses, gesturing with one hand while holding a bag in the other. A man in a high-visibility yellow vest stands behind him. The bottom left corner credits "The National Newspaper."

The enemy of working people doesn't arrive in a small boat, they arrive by private jet.

The Green Party has shared a a video interview with 5 Pillars. It features the leader, Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader Mothin Ali and Gorton & Denton candidate Hannah Spencer

"5 Pillars" runs a Podcast called "Blood Brothers", which has hosted some of Britain's most notorious neo-Nazis & far right activists, like Nick Griffin (BNP), Mark Collett (Patriotic Alternative) & Jayda Fransen (ex-Britain First), to rant about Jews.
Now the Greens are cosying up to them.

These two women are suing Andrew Tate, alleging he raped them. Here they visit the social media companies that created Tate. Please share.

*one voice altered to disguise identity

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the UK and Europe should come "closer together - on security, on economy or on defending our democracies". Now that it is clear that Europe is willing to work constructively with us, the UK must take action soon.

Has the government delivered 13,000 additional neighbourhood police? – Full Fact Labour has committed to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood police as part of its Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

Last month the government published the first figures showing progress towards its pledge to increase the number of neighbourhood police by 13,000.

Our newest Government Tracker page is now rating this commitment as “appears on track”.

This shocking illegal M25 waste site has kept on growing - despite an Environment Agency investigation The "absolutely heartbreaking" landfill looks unrecognisable from what it once was. It could soon spill into the River Roding, London's third biggest river.

This is shocking. Our rivers are already under immense pressure, and this rubbish dump sits just metres from the River Roding. Regulators and local councils must act immediately to safeguard this precious river. news.sky.com/story/this-s...

People sometimes praise Farage for taking lots of questions from the press.
That seems irrelevant when he regularly responds to reasonable questions in insulting and Trump-like terms, often attacking individual journalists and their outlets. Collectively, the lobby shouldn’t stand for it.

Ratcliffe says immigrants cost too much, while Ineos lobbies for state funding Billionaire’s business has in recent years claimed UK and EU support for refineries and chemicals plants worth about €800m

The Guardian's Jillian Ambrose unpicks the many tens of millions in state support that Jim Ratcliffe's businesses have accepted, after the billionaire railed against people on benefits (and claimed Britain was being "colonised" by immigrants while himself having moved to tax-free Monaco).

The Olympics are allowing oil and gas companies to sponsor the Games – even as fossil fuels threaten the future of winter sports. Add your name and urge them to end fossil fuel sponsorship for good

This video of police in #Sydney laying into a protestor - opposing the visit of the President of #Israel - is getting a lot of attention, as he has his hands up before being assaulted multiple times by New South Wales police. #Australia

When was the last time the BBC’s political correspondent Chris Mason reported any government policies or interventions?

Reform is set to issue England’s largest council tax rise in Worcestershire. A rare display of efficiency by the party, breaking their election promises ahead of schedule

Government to write of 90% of councils' SEND deficits Local authorities will get a grant to cover all but 10% of deficits accrued by the end of 2025-26

Breaking: The government has pledged write off 90 per cent of councils’ historic SEND deficits – estimated to be worth £5 billion

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/government-to-write-off-90-of-councils-send-deficits/

YouGov has a poll out saying 82% think the media is untrustworthy. As you're a believer in polls don't you think this poll might be something you and your fellow journalists should reflect on and maybe read the replies to your post. They're mostly very critical of the media.

I'm no fan of Starmer, but have you really just suggested this isn't a media issue whilst saying 'because look.....ratings'. How do you think most of the public formulate their opinion?
I mean, if you want to defend an industry that's been on a sugar rush since covid, at least put some effort in.

Did you see all the “Countryside is too white”, “countryside is racist” hoo ha last week?

If you were anywhere near RW media or the hell site, you can’t have missed it!

Want to know where it all came from? Why there were over 30 “news” pieces about it in just 4 days?

Let’s take a look!👀

🧵1/29

Which radio programme is it? So we can have a listen.

Wrongs and rights: the real Keir Starmer

It’s wrong to say Keir Starmer isn’t interested in policy.

Contrary to so much supposedly informed political commentary, he’s a revolutionary at heart who wants to embed for at least a generation social democratic government, for the betterment of all. /1.

Yesterday Israel approved measures for the further annexation of the West Bank. Inc making it easier for illegal settlers to buy land. All counter to the Olso accords. Smotrich said “we will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian State”. But we know where there is occupation there is resistance?

‘You escape, or you die’: African men say Russia duped them into fighting in Ukraine | CNN Six months ago, Anne Ndarua’s only son went to Russia on the promise of a job as an electrical engineer. She says he was forced into military training and she no longer knows if he’s alive.

Reports that Russian is luring African men to fight against Ukraine, and are sent to the frontline with little training. This is racism, soldier slavery yet happening before our eyes. “You escape or you die”

www.cnn.com/2026/02/04/a...

UK productivity grew more in the last year than in the previous seven combined Gregory Thwaites on a genuinely surprising number, and what it means for the Bank of England

Good news about the British economy?!

UK productivity – how much the economy produces per hour worked – grew more in the past year than in the previous seven years combined.

In our latest Substack, Research Director @gthwaites.bsky.social takes a closer look 📈

BBC News presenter asking Chris Mason whether McSweeney going means the heat is off Keir Starmer and Mason gave a waffling answer which ended with ‘I think the key question now is whether or not McSweeney’s departure means the heat is now off Starmer’

Reform-run Kent council accused of fabricating £40m net zero savings Disclosures show figures cited by authority’s leader rested on unfunded ideas listed briefly in budget papers

NEW: Reform UK’s flagship council, Kent, has been accused of telling a “blatant lie” after its claim of nearly £40m in savings on net zero were found to be based on hypothetical projects for which there was no documentation.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

also, when you undermine the rule of law, it's much easier to steal

"Labour MPs have looked into the abyss, and the abyss has looked back and said “you remember that the HMRC investigation into Angela Rayner is still ongoing, right?”

And I'm not talking about references to Farage in emails that don't implicate him in anything, I'm talking about things like Reform's treasurer and close Farage associate Nick Candy being shown by the files to have also been a close associate of Epstein and Maxwell over decades. No sackings there.