In answer to a PQ from Tory Mike Wood, the government has revealed that Starmer furnished his Downing Street flat with items purchased from Amazon, Argos, Ikea, Next, Dunelm, John Lewis, Melody Maison, bed manufacturer Sleep Style, bespoke furnisher Crafty Creations, premium provider Danetti, and Instyle Direct, which provides “premium furnishing solutions in London for overseas investors, landlords, property developers, and homeowners.” Quite the range…
| Furnishing | Cost |
|---|---|
| Wardrobe | £272.50 |
| Glass console table | £99.99 |
| Sofa ×3 (£1,480 each) | £4,440.00 |
| Dining table 160×88 | £415.83 |
| Side table | £950.00 |
| Ottoman | £249.17 |
| TV unit | £1,395.00 |
| Coffee table | £41.66 |
| Armchair | £750.00 |
| Dressing table | £290.83 |
| Console table | £140.83 |
| Stool | £58.33 |
| Bed | £482.50 |
| Mirror | £41.67 |
| Bedside table ×4 (£40.84 each) | £163.36 |
| Sofa table | £54.17 |
| Kitchen chairs ×6 | £990.00 |
| Bench | £125.00 |
| Dressing table | £107.50 |
| Bed | £561.67 |
| Drawers | £65.83 |
| Floor lamp | £29.17 |
| Bed | £1,400.00 |
| Ottoman | £363.33 |
| Mirror | £91.66 |
| Desk | £133.33 |
| Wardrobe | £210.00 |
| Bookcase | £29.17 |
| Drawers | £82.50 |
| Dining table | £791.67 |
| Desk chair | £112.50 |
| Dining chairs ×10 | £354.15 |
| Bench | £149.17 |
| Furnishing total | £18,447.95 |
| Refurbishment | Cost |
|---|---|
| Internal painting works | £9,164.00 |
| Storage throughout | £2,803.00 |
| Shower screen | £1,630.26 |
| Blinds | £721.94 |
| Refurbishment total | £14,319.20 |
| Grand total | £32,767.15 |
A new technical document from Ofcom has introduced the ability for the BBC to mark its own homework. All while it can go about hammering GB News…
Buried in its 11 May consultation response on assessing changes to the BBC’s public services, the internet/broadcast regulator has reserved the right to skip a full competition assessment of BBC changes if it judges it lacks the resources to do one:
“There may be times where, in line with our administrative priorities, we will need to consider whether we have the resources needed to conduct a competition assessment.”
Ofcom’s headcount has grown from 1,483 to 1,608 full-time equivalents between 2023-24 and 2024-25. On the very same day as publishing the document, Ofcom found the bandwidth to reopen a GB News investigation it had already cleared over a re-run of a Bev Turner – Trump interview aired twelve hours later on a different show. If Ofcom spent less time bowing to anti-GB News activists maybe it could find the time to scrutinise the BBC…
Lord Michael Grade, recently-departed Ofcom chairman, said anti-GB News critics are “embarrassed by the fact that there is a news organisation that has a different news agenda to them, that speaks to the agenda of the majority – if you look at the polls, a large swathe of the voting population, who have no voice on the BBC. Immigration, Brexit, these are all issues that don’t get the weight on the BBC, or haven’t been able to, that GB News will give, so what’s the problem?” Quite…
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Co-conspirators can listen here to Pensions minister Torsten Bell’s bizarre short speech to attendees of the Social Market Foundation think tank’s drinks do in London last night, just after the second tranche of Mandelson Files came out. Also in attendance, local government minister Alison McGovern…
There was a bizarre segment in which Bell lectured the audience on how “why did you get into politics” is a useless question and one “only your mum should care about.” He went on to say: “The question they should ask you is: what have you read recently?” Bell self-effacingly patted himself on the back for “thinking and reading into sad, dark middle age”…
He then forced the audience to clap: “Everyone’s got back in the essay writing business, can we all just give that a round of applause.” Oh boy…
Bell ended with some jokes to lukewarm laughter:
“Writing will also help you answer the big questions and that is important across parties…
If you’re in Reform you’re trying to the big question: how do you spend £5 million?
If you’re in the Greens… why does Zack keep lying?
And if you’re in the Labour Party? How do you turn on disappearing messages?”
Read Torsten’s candid and personal messages with Peter Mandelson below:
Continue reading “LISTEN: Minister Torsten Bell Jokes About the Mandelson Files at Private Event”
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”
