Brett Callacher

This whole Streeting vs Starmer story is such a Westminster bubble inanity from a bored media class that has gotten addicted to toppling governments and abdicated any responsibility for what they're actually meant to be doing in a healthy society

'It's entirely misleading to selectively edit Trump quotes like Panorama did.'

A selection of fury from Labour MPs, ministers and advisors - “This is batshit crazy” “they are f-ing deluded” “did we watch the Tories and think, let’s have a bit of that?” “why are you slagging off your main rival and then putting him on the morning round to show everyone how much better he is”

Robbie Gibb was appointed to the BBC Board by Boris Johnson, was an editorial advisor for GB News, and worked as Theresa May's Director of Comms.

He is not impartial or neutral. The government should remove him from the Board immediately to protect the BBC's independence.

The truth about impartiality at the BBC And the hysteria of the current "crisis"

The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.

New piece from me.

open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...

UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’ Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2

Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...

"Vladimir, look into my eyes not around the eyes and denuclearise."

He's going to 'make the case for markets' despite screwing up Britain's place in a very large one, and putting up trade barriers.

Teaching unions in England tell government they are 'extremely concerned' proposed pay award not properly funded, @richada.bsky.social reports - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

The report, by the House of Lords’ UK Engagement with Space Committee, discloses that half of Britain’s satellites are now dependent on Musk’s company.

COMMENT The joke's over: Farage plays it straight in bid to be PM Nick Robinson Extract: I t is the surest sign - although blink, and you just might have missed it. The man who can hardly start a sentence without adding a gag, or a grin, or a chortle, gave a speech about his approach to the economy in which he barely produced any. Nigel is trying to get serious. What that tells me is that Mr Farage really does want power: He senses it is within his grasp. He smells it and, most importantly of all, he wants it. Badly. The leader of Reform UK declared that "above all we will be responsible and realistic". In so doing he seemed to admit that the policies he ran on at the last election were something of a joke. No one remotely serious believed they remotely serious because, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies said, the sums in Reform UK's manifesto did "not add up". Back then - scarcely more than a year ago - Farage said you could have pretty much everything you wanted from a government whilst actually paying less for it - much less. Taxes would be cut, and cut big time. It was going to be happy hour all day long. Every day. All year: Yet now what he wants us to hear is very different. Now the man who really does want to be our next prime minister is saying, in eftect: I'm awfully sorry, but we can't cut your taxes until we get our nationa! debt back under control. Trust me, he's saying, I can be the straight man as well as the funny guy. . . . . Now he does have to show us all that he knows how to turn his words into reality, just as his lieutenants who are running councils up and down the land are discovering. We know Farage really does want to be our next prime minister. It is time we all took that prospect seriously, and stopped treating him as a come turn or a pantomime villain in the national soap opera. Serious times deserve serious answers. Let's see if Farage can provide them.

Once again, this isn’t journalism. It’s stroking the ego of a politician who’s done great national harm.
WhyTF should we take Farage seriously? Just because he wants power? Even more reason for ruthless scrutiny.
His track record is racist and ruinous. Any serious journalist would say so.
(iPaper)

Honestly TELL THE STORY. Won’t someone just tell the fucking story of how Brexit created this economic hardship, how a Muslim immigrant just saved the lives of those commuters on that train, won’t someone in politics or even media just connect the fucking dots and TELL THE STORY. IT’S RIGHT THERE

England curriculum should focus less on exams and more on life skills, finds review Experts say pupils should spend less time in exam halls and more time on activities like life skills, sport and work experience

if the curriculm review does nothing else, binning the fronted adverbials nonsense in Year 6 (if you know you know) means it was worth it frankly www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Opposing NATO expansion is a nonsensical policy. If countries want to join it, they can. Nobody's twisting their arms. Not sure what "non-militarised" security involves

Always fascinating watching people underestimate the size of London vs other UK ciries.

On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool.

If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.

This man is clearly deranged

Between this and the Louvre prosecutor describing the suspects’ statements as “minimalist” while bragging that they had worked on the case over a weekend it’s an absolutely incredible week for Frenchness

She’s right. She *deliberately* hacked into Harriet Harman’s website, whereas Rachel Reeves is accused of obtaining a license late by accident. I assume that’s what she means, given Badenoch is widely known for her thoughtfulness and her self-awareness.

BBC, Sky, all UK media - you NEED to do better.

This isn’t “balance”.

Iterations of this meme keeps doing the rounds for a reason - it’s because the press keep doing this!

Stop it!

9/9

Farage: epic grifter

Delicious irony that he should mistrust magnets but be quite proud of his MRI results 😂

Posted this on Wednesday and it slightly took off.

Then @richholman.com replied to say he'd actually made a version of what I was suggesting.

So I wrote the story up for the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

‘Enforced veganism’: Ofcom lets GB News flout accuracy rules, say climate campaigners Exclusive: Regulator has received 1,221 complaints about UK broadcasters since 2020 but found no breaches of its code

“The problem is that Ofcom is now allowing some TV and radio stations to flout the rules and on an issue like climate change the stakes could not be higher.”

Ofcom is letting GB News off the hook for climate misinformation:
https://bit.ly/4o6RGNI

Here’s the original clip of Ronald Reagan from April 25, 1987, where he delivered a complete and total rebuke against tariffs. Trump's calling Reagan’s words here “FAKE” and “fraudulent.” They’re 100% real. And the original clip is actually far worse for Trump, as much is left out of the ad:

YouTube video by BBC Archive 1973: The LAST DAYS of PORTER | Scene Around Six | Archivist Picks | BBC Archive

@mrjamesob.bsky.social
Re: mystery hour Guinness question

This is a BBC archive of the last pub in Belfast to use two barrels to pour a pint of plain (Guinness was done similarly). It is an amazing video, it is an incredible mix of poetry, sadness and nostalgia.
youtu.be/ZKDwwVR5fd4?...

A policy *supported by a smaller % of the population* than it would seek to deport!

Poll showing that ReformUK has a 20 point lead among voters who believe they would be sent to Hell (if it exists) when they die

Fascinated by the philosophical and theological implications of this

Firstly, please - if you can - support this crowdfunder.

The lawyers @leigh-day.bsky.social, MPs & @the-citizens.bsky.social have spent years on this.

This if finally chance to get the truth. And it couldn't be more urgent or more timely 🙏

3/
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/expose-the...

Thank you to @mrjamesob.bsky.social for having me on, one of the v few people in the UK press to follow this story during what is now a decade of media apathy &/or complicity