Nigel Farage has upset the old parties and the BBC with his comments from last autumn – which are suddenly emerging now – about axing race discrimination laws. And lo, Nige and Dave’s thumb-twiddling tweet doctors are having it out on Twitter. In text speak.

.@David_Cameron The people the law doesn't protect are British workers, black or white. Disturbing, though unsurprising, that u don't care.

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) March 12, 2015

Why not just ditch the whole TV debates thing completely and decide it all in 140 characters. Said no one ever.

Click to sign the #BringBackClarkson Petition

Gaia Guido has come up with an idea for a Green Party campaign poster which he is happy to share for free. Following Tony Blair’s generous recycling of £106,000 he got from various dictators to various Labour candidates in marginal constituencies, here is a poster idea for their Green Party opponents. If you like the idea and want a higher-resolution Photoshop version, do email in…  

The government have been kind enough to launch a consultation on the revisions and updates to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Essentially they want to know what you think about their plans to spy on you. Specifically, they want to hear from the public on the newly-proposed Equipment Interference Code and an updated Interception of Communications Code of Practice. In a forward to the consultation, James Brokenshire, Minister of State for Immigration and Security, assures the public that:

“In order to continue to keep us safe, the Security and Intelligence Agencies need the full range of investigatory tools at their disposal. But the public needs to know that these powers are used appropriately and are subject to stringent oversight…

There are limits on what can be said in public about this work. But it is imperative that the Government is as open as it can be about these capabilities and how they are used. The public and Parliament needs to have confidence that there is a robust statutory framework for the use of such intrusive investigative powers and that there is a strong system of safeguards in place…

The abilities to read or listen to a suspect’s communications or to interfere with his or her computer equipment are among the most important, sensitive, and closely scrutinised powers available to the state..”

You can let Mr Brokenshire know what you think by taking part in the consultation here. Or just discuss it on Whatsapp or Snapchat with someone with a foreign sounding name…

Jim Murphy has pulled out of a public appearance today, after the McAshcroft poll pointed to a total rout for the party north of the border. Guido is told that Scottish Labour hope to ‘reschedule’ a stunt that would have their leader selling copies of the Big Issue for the day. Jim will have the opportunity to do so full time at this rate…

Meanwhile, here is the party’s mature response to utter Caledonian clusterf*ck. You would never have thought they’re a bunch of former NUS chumps:

Did you see David Cameron and George Osbourne chatting at #PMQs today? #VoteSNPGetTories pic.twitter.com/5FNVs1Eorr

— Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) February 4, 2015

Yeah, retreat to that comfort zone. That will solve everything.

Last week Techno Guido reported that former defence secretary Tom King believed the reason for ISIS’s advance across Iraq and Syria was entirely down to either Snapchat or WhatsApp. After much speculation as to which teenage sexting app Lord King was referring to, he has gone on the record to confirm that he believes the speed of ISIS’s advance “was achieved on WhatsApp”. Despite King’s revelation, the House of Lords rejected his rehashed Snoopers Charter amendment. Again.

“our legislation has failed to keep pace with the rapid growth of the new technologies around the internet and the complications in the whole field of social media communication. One should recognise—it is common ground—that the extraordinary speed of ISIL’s southwards advance across Syria and into Iraq was achieved on WhatsApp, which is able to communicate with thousands of people at the same time”

Thousands of terrorists communicating together in one group chat? You’d think the security services would be pleased…