Joanna Nicolson

Former UK PM Gordon Brown is providing - voluntarily and not for the first time - information to the police about abuses of power relating to the Epstein files. As PM Brown was briefed against by people such as Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson as being ‘psychologically flawed’ ….1/

Imagine if HEALTHCARE WAS FREE in America, as it is in Greenland. Just imagine. 🇺🇸🇬🇱

We are the laughingstock of the world because of our moronic and psychotic president. Deservedly so.

Tories say they'll cut interest on student loans by restricting numbers of new students. Except they are so thick they don't know that will likely *cost* them money. Can't even read a Student Loans Company .pdf or open a spreadsheet. Why aren't they being hammered for this?

Netanyahu: “In the vision that I see before my eyes, we are creating an entire system — essentially a kind of alliance — around and within the Mediterranean, within the Middle East.
1/3

The Greens are running a classic motte-and-bailey strategy on this issue. Polanski goes out there & makes extravagantly liberal statements, but when tough questions like "where exactly is ethical cocaine coming from" arise, activists retreat to milquetoast ideas such as needle exchanges.

Very sorry to hear this Alex. Condolences to you and your family. Look after yourself and take all the time you need.

Does Nigel Farage have a problem with women? Critics link Farage’s ‘Trump-lite’ condescension to female journalists to Reform’s moves against women’s rights

A rare headline question to which the answer is: "Yes. Obviously."
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Pope Leo Will Spend July 4 Visiting Migrant Crossing Island Pope Leo has spoken out against the treatment of migrants in the United States several times over the last year.

JD Vance personally invited Pope Leo to the U.S. 250th celebration on the 4th of July. Today the Vatican announced Leo will be spending the day with migrants instead.

One other thought on this: the renters' rights act is horribly timed for Labour. Long term it will help renters a lot. But between now and May it will cause *lots* of last-chance no fault evictions from bad landlords, doing it while they still can. Just in time for the local elections.

Ambassador's warning over 'crass and offensive' envoy Andrew Diplomatic papers leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal that Andrew caused deep concern among officials within weeks of starting work.

Good to see that my father’s protests at Andrew’s disgraceful behaviour have surfaced. I remember how outraged he was at the time and he has frequently mentioned it since. Extraordinary that this oaf was allowed to remain in a high profile government post for so long

mol.im/a/15580939

Woken up to lots of unhappy messages about us keeping on this story

Sorry but if a political org - run by a now Minister - hires private intel to smear journalists then takes these baseless smears to security services, I will investigate it.

And keep investigating until accountability happens

A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans ...

This piece by @shaunwalker7.bsky.social is absolutely worth your time. A deeply researched definitive account of the road to Putin’s full scale invasion of Ukraine - how much CIA and MI6 knew and why it was so hard to convince others that it was coming.

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

The staircase safety rule costing the UK 90,000 new homes The need for a second staircase, brought in by the Conservatives after the Grenfell Tower disaster, have frustrated housebuilders, who claim it is unnecessary

Second staircases in buildings under 30m height will save one life every 6,153 years, but this requirement is reducing housebuilding, so 90,000 fewer homes built over 5 years.

Meanwhile 74 children have died from poor conditions temporary accommodation in 5 years.

www.thetimes.com/business/com...

From Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin, as clear an explanation of real democracy as you will get and, by implication, of why the nationalist right is so keen to dismantle university humanities teaching. I'd love to think Starmer could say this kind of stuff. But he just can't.

Unspeakable cruelty.

The video from Nigel Farage gives the impression that he was individually refused access.

Farage is in the Maldives.

200 miles away from the Chagos Islands which are not a
tourist destination.

Hasn't got the paperwork and wasn't on the 'aid boat' he's pointing at which is trying to establish a settlement for four people on the islands.

How is this serving Clacton? Who paid?

Removing Andrew from line of succession opens up a paradox at the heart of our constitution.

We supposedly have a hereditary monarchy.

But if it were a genuine hereditary monarchy, this chap would now be reigning: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_v...

In fact, parliament controls succession.

Insightful reporting by David Allen Green at the Financial Times on why Palantir data-analytics defence contracts with UK government should raise concern.

Another example of AI slop as the aesthetic of modern fascism: lazy, ugly, moronic

The signal and the noise How media fragmentation is changing politics and what governments need to do to adapt

New post just out:

"The signal and the noise"

How media fragmentation is changing politics and what governments need to do to adapt.

Or how do you get a message out when no one is reading papers or watching TV?

(£/free trial)

samf.substack.com/p/the-signal...

Screenshot of tweet by Conor Tomlinson calling out Goodwin

Screenshot of tweet by Conor Tomlinson calling out Goodwin

Screenshot of tweet by Conor Tomlinson calling out Goodwin

😬Not the best look for Reform’s Gorton & Denton candidate Matt Goodwin

White supremacist far right activist says

“you've appeared on our podcasts, had dinner with us, had us write for your Substack, and sought our advice on how to write your social media posts”

Tad awkward😬

A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans ...

Superb reporting.

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Starmer 2.0: could a more authentic PM revive Labour’s appeal? After surviving a coup, and with his critics chastened, No 10 insiders say a more combative PM is up for taking the fight to Reform UK

Condemning Reform, Ratcliffe and Lam's racist rhetoric is an important and very welcome shift.

But it means little unless accompanied by changes to the government's own *policies* -especially the vindictive and counterproductive earned settlement proposals.

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

In case you missed it:

This is just a really a beautifully written piece.

This is almost certainly going to get lost amid everything else happening at the moment.
But it’s a big story.

How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence Insufficient details about the US data intelligence company’s recent contract have been made public

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

How Palantir captured the UK Ministry of Defence

The creator ‘refuses to share his real name but reveals he is in his 20s and from the north-west of England. He has never been to Croydon.’

It's terrifying to think this type of video is being pumped out to people who unquestioningly think it's true. The 'creator' is inciting division and racism. Is anyone looking at their motives and funding?