Among the many public sector honours liberally dished out in the New Year’s list, one David Clarkson picked up an MBE for “services to telecommunications”. Who dat…
The career regulator, who has been climbing the ladder at Ofcom HQ since 1999, currently serves as ‘Interim Group Director for Networks and Communications’. Prior, Clarkson was responsible for competition policy for broadband connectivity. After almost a decade of Ofcom’s regulatory oversight, the then Government declared “market failure” in the sector…
The Ofcom big cheese’s gong comes fresh off the back of a series of high-profile failures for the regulator catalogued by Guido. This site revealed how the regulator has continued to provide a broadcasting license to a Russian network praised by Putin for “shaping the global information agenda”. Back in December, Ofcom was also forced to apologise after one of their “online safety supervision principals” made light of regulating non-consensual pornographic material – leading to criticism that the organisation “didn’t understand their role” and had a “broader cultural problem”. Ya think…
In November, a parliamentary report went even further – condemning Ofcom for creating a “two-tier impartiality system” in media regulation. All while the regulator consistently attempts to hobble insurgent broadcasters such as GB News…
With Ofcom set to inherit sweeping new online policing powers in 2025, the future of media and telecoms regulation under Labour does not bode well. New year, same blob…
Both candidates running to become the new Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain are linked to The Muslim Vote, according to a deep dive from SW1 think tank Policy Exchange. The in-depth report finds that Wajid Akhter and Muhammad Adrees are ‘both linked’ to the campaign, which successfully organised votes in the election often against sitting Labour MPs. The campaign helped four pro-Palestine independents into Parliament…
As for the record of both individuals, the report finds:
“As this note reveals, Akhter, the likely frontrunner, has expressed views which appear ominous for the integration of Muslims into Britain. For his part, Adrees has strongly supported the dictatorial regime in Iran.”
Starmer’s Downing Street has so far maintained the Tory policy of non-engagement with the MCB. Last year it was reported that Labour was trying to set up a new group to sideline the MCB, known as the Muslim Leadership Council. Starmer’s Labour faces a serious challenge from growing support for the Pro-Palestine independents…
The Independent – which insiders complain has now totally irrevocably gone into a “kind of loony tin-foil-hatted propaganda mode” – ran a bizarre front page splash this weekend: ‘five years on, the true cost of Brexit’. The dodgy stats fell apart in moments as X erupted in pushback against the flimsy remain put-up job…
Economist Julian Jessop weighed in to debunk the wild claims:
Just a few example…
1⃣ the ‘divorce settlement’ is money that the UK would have had to pay anyway had we remained in the EU, so not a ‘cost’ of Brexit (and it is turning out to be less than expected anyway)
2⃣ the correct takeaway from the LSE study (and a point they made…
— Julian Jessop (@julianHjessop) January 5, 2025
Jessop also suggested he had been selectively quoted in the piece: “FYI, I’m quoted here on the upfront costs of #Brexit, though not (of course) on the longer-term benefits! This is just an incoherent jumble of #badbrexittakes which have already been debunked many times before, by myself and others“. A common Independent tactic, leading to a cringe fest for those involved…
And for further quotes to pad out the weak story the reporters turned to… none other than arch-remainer in chief, Lord Heseltine. The pro-Remain rant concluded with more space-filling ballast from none other than Stella Creasy – chair of Labour Movement for Europe, which campaigns for the UK to rejoin the EU. You couldn’t make it up, unless you’re working for The Independent…
Tulip Siddiq is on the brink. Last month, Guido was first to reveal the Bangladeshi government’s corruption probe into her family. A series of revelations about UK property links continues to pile on the pressure…
Guido is told by multiple Labour insiders that Starmer’s personal relationship with Siddiq and her family is particularly strong. They are neighbouring MPs. Siddiq endorsed Starmer for selection as a Labour candidate. Their families regularly socialise and have holidayed together. Is that why Starmer is making huge internal efforts to stand by his embattled anti-corruption minister?
Now Guido can reveal Starmer himself went on a trip to visit the now ousted dictator of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, while he was a backbencher. Indeed, one of his first notable actions after being elected was to visit Hasina in Bangladesh. The trip, which was valued at £1,200, was funded by Labour Friends of Bangladesh – a group strongly associated with Tulip Siddiq. Starmer’s Register of Interests reveals the 7-day trip in February 2016 was ‘to meet political leaders and Bangladeshis with connections in my constituency…’
Bangladeshi press reports show Starmer met “Pesident Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and other dignitaries” while in the country. It wouldn’t be the last time…
Starmer went on to meet Hasina again in London once he had become Leader of the Opposition. On September 17th 2022 he had a one-on-one meeting with Hasina in the refined surroundings of Claridges hotel. Reports in the Bangladeshi media suggested Starmer had not raised human rights issues with the then sitting dictator, the aunt of his constituency neighbour. Surely Mr Rules would have raised those issues…
Starmer issued his own statement at the time: “It was a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina MP again during her visit to London alongside other world leaders to pay her respects to the Late Queen. We discussed many topics including Bangladesh’s partnership and cooperation with the UK in a range of areas from trade to climate action. Under a Labour government, we will continue to strengthen our ties with international allies like Bangladesh.” Starmer’s personal proximity and entanglement with Tulip Siddiq and her dictator aunt is becoming a major issue in Labour today. Let’s hope he wasn’t involved in any of Siddiq’s financial dealings…
Starmer is kicking off 2025 with a big speech on how Labour will improve the NHS after visiting a health care facility in the southeast with Wes Streeting. Nothing like starting the New Year with yet another reset of plans…
He’s set to unveil plans for 450,000 extra tests and checks at diagnostic centres running 12 hours a day, seven days a week, 17 new surgical hubs are promised by June, alongside the much-touted NHS app revamp. He’ll also be facing hacks for the first time this year. Expect questions on Musk, grooming gangs, and Tulip Siddiq…
Starmer says he welcomes “a new agreement…with the private sector” to deliver more beds and treatment to reduce waiting lists as better care should trump ideology. He defended his record on grooming gangs, and slammed those “spreading lies and misinformation” following Musk’s online attacks. He doesn’t directly rule out taking legal action against Musk over his tweets about Jess Phillips…
UPDATE: Starmer hits out at Musk with a scripted answer in reply to Beth Rigby’s question:
“Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they’re not interested in victims. They’re interested in themselves. Those who were cheerleading Tommy Robinson aren’t interested in justice. They’re supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case. These are people who are trying to get some kind of vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”
“And those attacking Jess Phillips, who I’m proud to call a colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims. Jess Phillips has done a thousand times more than they’ve even dreamt about, when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse, throughout her entire career.”
“And so just as I took on the criminal justice system and the institutions when I was chief prosecutor, I’m prepared to call out this for what it is. We’ve seen this playbook many times, Whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it.”
“Now Jess Phillips does not need me or anybody else to speak on her behalf. But when the poison of the far right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book a line has been crossed.”
“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have. But that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies. Not on those who are so desperate for attention that they’re prepared to debase themselves and their country. So this government will get on with the job of protecting victims, including child sexual abuse, mandatory reporting, accelerating the processes.”
“But what I won’t tolerate is this discussion and debate based on lies without calling it out. What I won’t tolerate is politicians jumping on the bandwagon simply to get attention. When those politicians sat in government for 14 long years tweeting, talking, but not doing anything about Now, so desperate for attention that they’re amplifying what the far right is saying. So that’s what I say about Jess Phillips.”
The weekend has been bruising for embattled Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq:
Siddiq is also currently renting a £2.1 million East Finchley home from an executive member of the Awami League UK branch. Downing Street is officially supporting Siddiq, while one off-record briefing to the FT says her position is increasingly difficult to support. Meanwhile, multiple Labour insiders get in touch to point out Tulip’s particularly close proximity to Starmer himself. They are neighbouring MPs. In 2014, when Starmer first raised becoming a Labour candidate, Siddiq supported him. Labour sources say their families regularly socialise and have holidayed together. He chose to make her Labour’s anti-corruption minister…
After Guido was first to reveal details of the Bangladeshi Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation into Siddiq, the expectation among some in SW1 was that her position would become untenable were the FCDO to be asked to actively co-operate. That appears closer than many think…
Bangladesh’s new central bank governor Ahsan Mansur has claimed that Hasina’s regime diverted at least £13 billion overseas specifically from the banking system. Transparency International cites Awami League figures’ extensive UK property portfolios as a key example of “unexplained wealth” appearing abroad. On that front Bangladesh has already engaged with UK officials in its efforts to investigate corruption. They say the UK government has been “very helpful” and has “offered lots of technical support.” In addition Mansur has said Bangladesh will “seek help from the UK government to the extent these assets can be recovered.” The UK is already co-operating on investigations into corruption claims against Siddiq’s aunt…
As Guido revealed on Friday the ACC has involved other Bangladeshi government departments in its investigation into Hasina and Siddiq. For British officials to refuse to help with any further investigation into Hasina’s family in the UK would be a significant change from recently-established precedent…
UPDATE: Siddiq is no longer going to China with Reeves’ Treasury delegation, while Starmer says she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus.
UPDATE II: Starmer’s spokesman says Siddiq’s referral to the adviser on ministerial standards is a “fact-finding exercise to determine if an investigation is needed.”
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”