Author: Miles Donavan

‘I don’t know, I haven’t sat in the negotiations but a completely different mind-set is needed.’ Reform UK leader Nigel Farage appeared clueless after his policy pledges were grilled in more detail on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, admitting he just ‘did not know’. In what was an excruciating interview for Farage, the arch-Brexiteer’s car crash interview went viral online, summing up all that is wrong with populist politics, slogans instead of solutions, which fall apart under the slightest bit of scrutiny. Farage was asked by Kuenssberg how much his proposals would cost to part nationalise the water…

Yet another cynical attempt by a right-wing tabloid to turn a brand it has a grudge against into fodder for a culture war tirade. I used to own a pink car, a limited-edition Nissan Micra convertible, one of only 100 produced to support breast cancer awareness. I loved it. It got people talking. But never once did I see it as “woke,” “politicised,” or part of some manufactured culture war. This week, pink cars made the headlines, with the Sun taking aim at Jaguar for what it bizarrely dubbed a “woke pink rebrand.” According to the Murdoch tabloid, Jaguar triggered “outrage” in…

The Daily Mail, Britain’s most notorious right-wing newspaper, is now the most-engaged news brand on TikTok in America. Every now and then, a news item forces a double take, and this one certainly qualifies. The Daily Mail, Britain’s most notorious right-wing newspaper, is now the most-engaged news brand on TikTok in America. According to Chaotic Era, an independent newsletter covering politics and media in the digital age written by Kyle Tharp, the 120-year-old publication has cracked the code for Gen Z engagement. The Mail’s main TikTok account now boasts over 23.2 million followers, gaining more than 10 million in the past nine months alone, with its posts racking up more than…

Britain is one of the most unequal countries in the OECD. The richest 10 percent of households hold 43 percent of all the country’s wealth, while the poorest half own just 9 percent. A new survey shows Brits overwhelmingly support a wealth tax on the ultra-rich. According to recently-released YouGov polling, two-thirds of UK voters support a 2 percent tax on individuals with wealth over £10 million. Experts estimate such a levy could generate around £11 billion annually. Support for the policy spans the political spectrum. 88 percent of Labour voters are in favour, alongside 83 percent of Liberal Democrats, 61 percent of…

Project Esther is Heritage’s latest ideological weapon. Framed as an effort to combat antisemitism, it aims to criminalise pro-Palestinian activism and equates criticism of Israel with support for terrorism. For decades, the Heritage Foundation has been one of the most influential right-wing think-tanks in the United States, shaping Republican policy since the Reagan era. But its influence now stretches far beyond America’s borders. From gutting climate policy to criminalising dissent, Heritage’s authoritarian agenda is leaving its mark on UK politics, its fingerprints increasingly visible in policy debates and alliances across the British right. With the return of a pliable and easily swayed Donald Trump,…

“It is time to deliver both better pay and pay modernisation for nursing staff.” Nurses in England are earning up to £8,000 less than they would have if pay had kept pace with inflation, according to new analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The report confirms there’s been a 20 percent real-terms pay cut for Band 5 nurses, typically newly qualified staff, whose earnings have stagnated since 2010, despite growing workloads and responsibilities. These nurses, often stuck on the same band for their entire careers, have faced a series of below-inflation pay rises, leading to a cumulative loss…

“Each was precious. Each was innocent. Many died horrific, painful deaths. There were so many of them. They must not be forgotten.” On July 16, activists gathered outside the Welsh government building to read aloud the names of 20,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The remembrance act, titled “Know Their Names: Action Not Words,” was a solemn tribute to young lives cut short by the violence. The event was organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Cymru and Parents and Teachers for Palestine, who aim to draw public and political attention to the human cost of the…

‘These are matters for the chief whip, but there’s always routes back for people.’ Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell has indicated that four of the Labour MPs Keir Starmer suspended this week could have the whip reinstated at some point. Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchcliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell were four of the MPs suspended this week pending a party investigation into “persistent breaches of party discipline”.  Three other MPs – Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammad Yasin – had their trade envoy roles removed. The seven MPs all voted against the government’s welfare cuts on Wednesday…

The latest incident is part of a long list of Reform councillors elected in May who are no longer part of the party. Reform UK and its elected representatives continue to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with the party losing yet another councillor. Ed Hill, who was elected to Devon County Council in May has been expelled for publishing a letter about free school meals in the name of all Reform Devon councillors without their consent. The letter had been sent to Devon’s MPs and media outlets, asking them to support automatic enrolment for free school meals.…

It begins with B Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, has revealed what he thinks is the best line of attack on Nigel Farage. It seems fairly obvious, but the answer to stopping Farage’s rise, he says, is attacking him on Brexit. While Keir Starmer avoids criticising Brexit, Campbell noted that during his visit to the UK last week, French president Emmanuel Macron didn’t hold back. Macron said that record numbers of small boat crossings showed Brexit had not delivered tighter border controls, and that the British people had been “sold a lie”. On his and Rory Stewart’s podcast,…