Departing BBC football pundit Gary Lineker is in hot water over posting Instagram story from a pro-Palestine group, captioned: “Zionism explained in two minutes” alongside a rat emoji. Reposts of the story on X were slapped with a “hateful conduct” warning. He’s now deleted the post…
Lineker’s agent said: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.” Co-conspirators can decide for themselves…
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Lineker’s continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go” while a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said they felt “the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms.” It’s not the first time Lineker has scored an own goal over his social media posts. “I’m a better broadcaster now“…
Guido revealed earlier in the month that jet-loving Miliband flew to New Delhi on a vanity trip at a cost of £17,159 for flights alone. He’s outdone himself again..
A request fired by Guido’s FoI unit has discovered that Miliband’s vaunted trip to China to launch “formal energy and climate discussions and demonstrate global climate leadership” cost a whopping £32,844. Business class for the whole team…
China accounted for 31% of total global carbon emissions in 2023. Miliband took his three-member team and two other officials with him. They stayed at the Kerry Hotel in Beijing, a five-star establishment for which they paid £806.20 for two three-night stays. UK media has previously raised spying concerns as to the Kerry centre in Beijing’s CBD after “upgrades” were made to internet systems some years ago. Miliband’s crew spent the rest of the time at the Embassy in Beijing…
Labour backlash over Starmer’s ‘islands of strangers’ comment yesterday is showing no sign of abating. Now Labour’s Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has come out against Starmer. When asked if she agreed with the PM’s comments, Morgan said on First Minister’s Questions:
“I will not be drawn into a debate where people are using divisive language when it comes to immigration.”
Morgan joins the growing list of Labour politicians coming out against Starmer:
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on LBC “The sort of language I use is different to the language used by others. That’s not the sort of words I would use.”
- Home secretary Yvette Cooper refused to repeat the ‘island of strangers’ line this morning.
- Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Kim Johnson compared Starmer’s speech to Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech.
- Labour backbencher Olivia Blake said: “I think the use of ‘strangers’ was very problematic”.
- Labour MP Nadia Whittome said the comments were “divisive and dangerous”.
- Labour MP Sarah Owen said: “Chasing the tail of the right risks taking our country down a very dark path.”
- Labour peer Lord Blunkett “I never felt I lived in, or had a part to play in, a country of strangers. I think we need to be kind to each other, but we need a much kinder national world as well.”
Downing Street says Starmer has “changed his mind” on immigration since 2020, and doubled down on the ‘island of strangers’ line, while a YouGov poll shows that 53% of Brits agree with Starmer’s sentiment compared to 27% who disagree. Yet another issue Starmer faces anger from within his party over…
The Tory party’s embedded members’ think tank is making some changes after the thrashing at the locals. In an email fired around yesterday the voluntary director of the Conservative Policy Forum Frances Lasok says policies are so far lacking: “I know we are waiting for basic items like policy papers: thank you for your patience, and bear with us…We are working with CCHQ on the next round.” Having a flourishing policy base would help avoid communications failures…
Policy formation is subject to some changes from this week:
- Tory policy contributors will now be put into regional CPF groups to report to the Regional Ambassador who will try to strengthen “local engagement across the country.”
- Shadow Cabinet members will get teams of CPF members “with relevant expertise to support each Shadow Department.” Only works if they actually announce some policies…
- Work with the Conservative Councillors Association to “champion local policy development… these elections have made clear how crucial this will be.” Fewer councillors to work with now…
- Former North Devon MP Selaine Saxby will also be “leading a new workstream focused on the under-40s: the future Conservatives who might not be voting for us yet.” The workstream does not yet involve anyone under 40…
Latest data from Net Zero Watch blows a hole in Red Ed’s claim that electricity bills have gone through the roof mainly because of the increasing gas prices on wholesale markets. In real terms, Ofgem’s April 2025 price cap is £326 higher than the equivalent cap in 2015. Net Zero Watch argues around three-quarters of the increase is down to green policies…
The report points out that Ofgem includes carbon taxes, the capacity market and contracts for difference subsidies as part of wholesale costs. Though Net Zero Watch argues these are policy-driven costs, and has broken them down to give a clearer view of what’s really contributed to rising bills over the last ten years:
- Capacity Market subsidies – £26
- Renewables subsidies (including CfDs and ROCs) – £83
- Carbon taxes – £39
- Insulation schemes – £11
- Social schemes – £9
- Smart Meters – £20
The data also highlights network costs – for transmitting and distributing electricity – have added £23, and balancing costs have increased by £26. The report says much of this is due to a rise in so-called constraint payments: money paid to wind farms to reduce output when the grid can’t handle it, and then to gas power stations to make up the shortfall. Last year bill payers paid over £1 billion to wind warms to switch off. The report concludes: “Arguments that gas prices are to blame are incorrect.“ It ain’t cheap going green…
Read the report in full below:
Continue reading “Net Zero the Biggest Driver Behind Surging Electricity Bills”
The Tory MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Patrick Spencer has been charged with two counts of sexual assault against two seperate women, which allegedly happened at the Groucho Club in London in August 2023. Spencer was first elected in the 2024 General Election…
Spencer’s lawyers have said he “categorically denies” the two charges of sexual assault against him and “will defend the allegations robustly in court”. He’s due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 June…
UPDATE: Spencer has lost the Tory whip. A Tory spokesman says:
“The Conservative Party believes in integrity and high standards. We have taken immediate action. Patrick Spencer MP has been suspended from the Conservative Party, and the whip withdrawn, with immediate effect. The Conservative Party cannot comment further on an ongoing legal case.”
In the 2024 election, the Tories won 32.6% of the vote share in this seat and Labour came second with 23.4%. Reform came in third with 19%…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”
