Lewis Goodall has spoken out after providing some radical tax ideas on LBC yesterday. The presenter – always thirsty for robust debate – was aghast at the “strength of feeling” with regard to his proposal to tax inheritances at 98-100%. Guido is glad Goodall is feeling refreshed after his recent trip to Las Vegas…
Something of which Lewis may not be aware is that among a cocktail of soul-destroying economic policies, even the Soviet Union did not for any extended period levy a 100% inheritance tax. If you’re going to suggest something even more radical on a proudly property-owning nation you should be ready for a robust response…
Goodall complained today:
“Wealth begets wealth and wealth and wealth and more of the economy is dedicated to wealth and the extension of that wealth rather than income and the workers people without wealth cannot catch up. It’s perfectly fine if you have a different point of view and I can understand that. What I cannot understand I must say is the I would say certainly the invective and the strength of feeling.”
Something for Lewis to discuss in great detail with fellow presenter Jon Sopel on the next News Agents podcast episode. Goodall’s co-hosts might not be inclined to agree…
The New Statesman editor’s role is a plum prize for ambitious, savvy, and of course, “progressive and liberal” hacks. After 16 years at the helm, Jason Cowley announced he’ll step down this month, remaining with the paper as a columnist and essayist. As promised, Guido gives you a list of the runners and riders:
Notably, none of these runners and riders is currently in-house, and all under the age of 42. A youthful lineup for injecting some energy into the New Statesman’s 111-year-old veins…
Elon Musk is doing a great job winding up Britain’s hard left by maintaining freedom of speech on X, formerly Twitter. It hasn’t escaped the notice of some of the platform’s pub bores…
Here’s tin-foil hat merchant and Byline Media supremo Peter Jukes comparing the platform to Nazi occupied Paris. Twitter is as bad as Nazi occupied Paris, of course it is Peter…
I think of Musk’s horrific version of Twitter a bit like Paris under Nazi occupation. Are you going to give up the city and community you were part of? Some of course suck up and collaborate. Others understandably flee. But some stay, and wait and work for liberation
— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) August 6, 2024
Times Radio‘s Calum Macdonald lamented that the un-policed “town square is burning“. He may be community noted for this one…
“The town square is burning. There is no policing of Elon Musk’s town square.”@CalumAM reflects on the current state of social media and the UK riots.
📻https://t.co/lf4mH306Vw | #TimesRadio pic.twitter.com/V0VrOj8Ivb
— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) August 7, 2024
Trust the metropolitan elitist Lewis Goodall to have a stab at the platform. Not like he’s got it wrong before…
“If Musk created X now, the way it is, would we in the media use it? No! we wouldn’t touch it a barge pole.”
Are unmediated platforms like X beyond redemption – and should we stop using it?@lewis_goodall | @jonsopel pic.twitter.com/LJZQa97TPl
— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) August 6, 2024
Meanwhile leftie lawyer Jessica Simor, supposedly a human rights advocate, is urging Keir Starmer to literally ban Twitter in the UK with a ‘one line bill’ in Parliament:
Pass a short Bill closing Twitter down in the U.K. @Keir_Starmer? There is more than enough reason to do so. One of the richest men in the world is using his platform to cause serious harm – putting lives & communities at risk. @YvetteCooperMP @lisanandy
— Jessica Simor KC (@JMPSimor) August 6, 2024
She has repeatedly advocated for the site to be closed down, which would bring the UK into line with authoritarian states which block the site like China, Iran and North Korea. Would the one line bill be 140 characters or less?
Yesterday was a tough today for the hardline centrist hacks who rushed to Huw Edwards’ defence after allegations he paid a child for indecent images surfaced. As the Metropolitan Police confirmed BBC presenter Huw Edwards was charged with three accounts of making explicit photos, the lefty pundits look rather silly for slamming The Sun for surfacing the scandal and running to Huw’s defence. Guido has browsed through the archives of these supposed ‘hommes serieux’ who will be more than a little red-faced…
The questions for The Sun just got bigger still.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) July 12, 2023
Former Editor of The Sun, David Yelland rushed to attack the paper, posting this a few hours after Huw’s wife named him as the presenter embroiled in scandal:
I wish @thehuwedwards well. The Sun inflicted terror on Huw despite no evidence of any criminal offence. This is no longer a BBC crisis, it is a crisis for the paper. Huw’s privacy must now be respected. Social media also needs speedy reform.
— David Yelland (@davidyelland) July 12, 2023
Emily Maitlis also blasted the “distasteful” BBC coverage of further allegations coming to light, questioning on The News Agents whether journalism had gone “too far” while “this poor man was in hospital, and that was absolutely appalling, and yet obviously there will be journalists here saying “but that doesn’t stop us doing our work”. Let’s not forget that the child’s mother initially approached the BBC to report the disturbing situation and she was met with silence…
Meanwhile, Jon Sopel was quick to wish Huw well:
This is an awful and shocking episode, where there was no criminality, but perhaps a complicated private life. That doesn’t feel very private now. I hope that will give some cause to reflect. They really need to. I wish @thehuwedwards well. pic.twitter.com/H3rN3bhE1U
— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) July 12, 2023
Last but not least, Corbynite luvvie Owen Jones posted a moving defence that hasn’t aged well:
The Sun is a disgusting rag and they have to pay for what they’ve done to Huw Edwards.
They tried to destroy someone’s life with false claims of illegality involving a minor.
We know now there was no criminality, and The Sun have driven a vulnerable man into medical care.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) July 12, 2023
They’re not leaping to his aid anymore…
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.”