This week 725,043 visitors visited 802,538 times viewing 872,434 pages. The most read and shared stories in order of popularity were:
You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…
Dissent continues in the new Observer newsroom, now owned by James Harding’s Tortoise. Insiders regularly get in touch to slam the editorial leadership, as Guido has recounted…
A source points out recent comments by Harding at the Edinburgh TV Festival a few weeks back: “Political interference – and the perception of a political presence looming over the BBC – is a problem, one that we’ve got too accustomed to. And it looks likely to get worse. We need to get on with putting the country’s most important editorial and creative organisation beyond the reach of politicians now.” Tortoise hacks grumble that there’s an irony in that, as there are a group of interests who have some reach in their own back yard. Corporates…
While this is no problem for most mainstream publications (they conventionally advertise and take free-market editorial lines), lefty Tortoise is often highly critical of pro-market and Conservative figures. Nevertheless, the site boasts: “The Tortoise Business Roundtable is an invitation-only membership network where we get together with leaders in business, government and society to advance the responsible business agenda: how to meet the demands of growth and prosperity, people and planet. Breakfast roundtables are held every other Wednesday, and associated events convened throughout the year.”
Another paid-for option is displayed:
“Our Responsible Business Forums aim to create places for private, thoughtful, high-level engagement which consider arguments on the future of industries critical to our shared prosperity. There are four Forums, covering different sectors – Energy, AI, Investment and Corporate Governance. Through the Forums we convene a powerful multi-sector community of original thinkers from across business, investment, academia and civil society.”
Observer hacks are grinding their gears over the close business relations of their new masters. To be fair to Tortoise, the money’s got to come from somewhere…
Nicola Sturgeon has told Emily Maitlis that Farage would win if an election was held now. She says this is Starmer’s fault. A rare occasion on which Guido and Wee Krankie agree…
In a last laugh at her own failing housing brief Angela Rayner’s new Hove flat is a freehold. No faith in those leasehold reforms then…
Land Registry documents confirm the flat comes with a share of the freehold managed by a Resident Management Company and distributed to flat owners. Rayner bought it in May and just weeks later told the Housing Select Committee that pushing ahead with leasehold reform is “fraught with legality” and added: “Don’t act in haste and then repent at leisure – you’ll only cause more problems.” On the day Parliament broke for summer recess, the government quietly confirmed that reforms to make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their freeholds – part of a package pushed through by Gove in the last government – have been kicked into the long grass, pending a judicial review by the pro-leasehold blob under the ECHR, which could drag on for years. Rayner insulated herself from that one – provided she can keep the flat…
Mrs Thatcher did say that “there is no prouder word in our history than ‘freeholder’.” Right to Buy and now this – Rayner proving herself a keen Thatcherite. In personal life if not in policy…
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.”