Elon Musk has owned Twitter for a matter of days, and already he’s causing meltdowns. Today he confirmed the site will revamp its ‘blue tick’ verification process – the badges of honour awarded to ‘notable’ authentic accounts – amid reports the site may charge up to £17 per month for the scheme. Even though the precise details haven’t yet been confirmed, it’s inevitably led to an amusing backlash from the ego-obsessed Twitterati…

Priyamvada Gopal, the hard-left academic who was uninvited from giving a Home Office lecture over her “racist views“, is somehow claiming her blue tick was “a matter of physical safety” and it is “actually not funny”:

The blue tick protected many of us from lethal impersonation and fake news. It was a matter of physical safety for me. This is actually not funny.

— Priyamvada Gopal © (@PriyamvadaGopal) October 31, 2022

Meanwhile Chris Bryant – a man who has tweeted over 82,000 times – is busy shouting into the wind saying he’s “not sure” if he has a blue tick, never asked for one, doesn’t care if he has one or not, and personally warned Musk he “certainly” won’t pay for one. Sure.

Dear Mr Musk, I never sought a blue tick, I’m not sure whether I have one and I don’t care if you remove it (if I have it). I’m certainly not paying for your validation.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) October 31, 2022

Expect to see more of this sort of thing in the coming weeks. Guido looks forward to the first MP claiming their blue badge on expenses. It’s bound to happen soon…

Elon Musk confirmed he’d finally taken over Twitter at 4.49am GMT, with the tweet “The bird is freed.” The move brings to an end the process that first began in April this year and saw him seemingly back out of the attempted takeover before finally agreeing to buy it for the originally proposed sum of $44 billion. A very early Christmas present…

Musk was filmed arriving at Twitter HQ yesterday, the sh*tpost-loving billionaire turning up with a bathroom sink in reference to the ‘let that sink in’ meme.

Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022

Already he’s sacked a number of top executives, including legal chief Vijaya Gadde, whose team was responsible for the decision to ban Donald Trump’s account after the Capitol riot.

Guido notes Musk has voiced support to a Twitter user’s request for creator monetisation in return for regular content on the platform.

Absolutely

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

Could have major implications for what content advertisers choose to push out through the platform…

Today is the tenth annual #PositiveTwitterDay, the day when we all try to be a bit nicer on the sometimes hellish social media platform. Guido and co-conspirators will be trying to engage even more civilly than normal today with everyone on Twitter…

Maybe today

• Try to have a conversation, not a shouting match, with someone with whom you don’t agree. Caps lock off.
• Tweet about somebody on the other side of a big debate – but whose views and perspective you have learnt something from, because of how they engage.
• Share a positive experience of using Twitter – how people rallied around to support you personally, or how it helped you spread the word about something that really mattered.
• Or just join in the discussion and show your support with the #PositiveTwitterDay hashtag.

Social media, or at least UK political Twitter, is a little less angry than it was during Corbyn era or in the period between the referendum and Brexit. Use Positive Twitter Day to spark a broader conversation – on Twitter and elsewhere – about how we, as users, can shape the norms that we want on social media. Help spread a bit of civility in these polarised times. Twitter can be a place for the exchange of information rather than the abuse of political opponents. To tweet your support just click this link #PositiveTwitterDay

UPDATE: Guido’s editor appeared on GB News this morning to explain the reasoning behind the annual celebration.

Since 2012 Guido has been promoting the idea of the last Friday in August being one day of positive exchanges on Twitter. The political Twittersphere in particular can be a horrible nasty place, what with the culture wars and political extremists generally being unpleasant. None of us are immune from negativity, Guido has been a repeat offender. Wouldn’t it be pleasantly calming if, for at least one day, we all tried to be nice and civil in our tweets? We sorely need to try again…

Last year a lot of mental health charities got involved and helped spread the message and a bit of civility in these polarised times. Twitter can be a place for the exchange of information rather than the abuse of political opponents. It is not just pay day on Friday, it is #PositiveTwitterDay. Let’s try for one day to make Twitter a positive experience for everyone…

To tweet your support just click this link: #PositiveTwitterDay

While Rishi’s social media output is beyond slick, sadly for us hacks trawling through candidates’ online presence, nothing really exists before 2015. Liz, on the other hand, has been on Twitter since before the 2010 election, a time when Twitter was much less abusive and MPs shot off typo-laden tweets without any staff oversight. A few crackers have already been doing the rounds, Guido’s gone through her back catalogue…

With her team briefing this morning that tonight’s BBC debate will be “quite possibly the biggest lobby bubble obsession I have ever come across” it appears Liz has changed her position since 2009

I think televised debates will help open up politics. Let's have them for local elections too.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) December 21, 2009

Indeed she used to be much keener getting into the BBC for interviews, as this two-part thread details

At Beeb reception trying to get in to #westminsterhour for show at 10. No-one answering phone.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 16, 2011

Have now been admitted to BBC Millbank HQ.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 16, 2011

She loved detailing her travels around the country

Stuck in field outside Diss #norwichnotin90

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) December 2, 2011

Cheshire is like the alps but flatter. Driving through Nantwich..

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) December 24, 2010

At Wayland prison. Just visiting.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) May 18, 2012

And upping her humble family roots

@boysie_the_lad was a time when my whole family was down t'mill. Nothing wrong with hard graft.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 3, 2012

@h00tings my great grandfather brought up in Wetwang. Moved family to bright lights of Driffield.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) April 29, 2012

Not all of her tweets provided a huge deal of context

mm$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) June 11, 2012

Just don’t get her started on British agriculture. Those pig market exports make more sense now…

Spent afternoon at pig farm. Pigs seem to love eating my boots...

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 8, 2010

Been checking out chickens at Swaffham Poultry Auction.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 27, 2010

Called for increased Norfolk pork exports in Richard Bacon's pig farming debate.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 23, 2011

Big pig, isn't he big? http://t.co/UwrWW6sY

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) May 25, 2012

@alstewitn this is the very rare Large Black Pig. Only about 300 in the UK. Doesn't sunburn unlike other pigs.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) May 25, 2012

As a lowly backbencher she had much more time to enjoy Britain’s culinary delights. These read best in Alan Partridge’s voice…

Lots of ribs and tories at Arbuckles.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) December 13, 2009

Just been pigging out on pork belly from Sargeant's, where the meat is slaughtered on the premises. Makes a huge difference.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) January 17, 2010

I fear I have gone too far with Chelsea buns and pizza. A dough overload.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 9, 2010

@tracey_crouch none of these are a patch on a top pork pie. The king of baked pastry goods.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 28, 2012

Being fair to Liz, despite backing Remain she was a sound Eurosceptic from the start, backing James Wharton’s EU referendum bill, rowing with Chris Bryant and slamming Lord Mandelson

Box office stuff from James Wharton today. #letthepeopledecide

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) July 5, 2013

Just been argy-bargying with Chris Bryant in pre-rec for Week in Westminster. He still maintains Britain should join euro at some point...

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) December 15, 2011

Ludicrous argument by Lord Mandelson. Says eurozone with Britain in it would have worked. Probably angling to be parachuted in technocrat.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) November 14, 2011

As Liz herself tweeted, she was just “a lad from Leeds with a lust for life”…

Guido struggled to stay enthralled with the lunchtime Conservative Home husting, truth be told. Rishi managed to hold Guido’s attention the best, not only by sounding mildly energetic through his webcam, though by all accounts the most remarked-upon moment was after a glaring spelling mistake was spotted on his background:

Guido managed to provoke Rishi into a witty response:

pic.twitter.com/YOuCwrRcvd

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 15, 2022

Rishi wasn’t the only one to bite the social media bait. Before he did a Rory and strip-off mid-debate, Tom had a rather bizarre look against his solid black sofa:

Second time in two days from Tarty Tom…