Friday, August 21, 2026
Has racism and sexism become normalised in the UK?
Phillipson told the Guardians Politics Weekly Podcast that she was increasingly worried about how commonplace misogyny and racism had become, fuelled by online interactions and statements by politicians she said would not have been acceptable a few years ago.
They add that she accused senior MPs from Reform and the Conservatives of having made racist statements in recent years, and accused the police of not taking violence against women and girls seriously enough, saying:
“I worry that we are at kind of a ground zero in terms of attitudes around violence against women and girls. Things that not very long ago felt totally unacceptable are becoming normal. I think we’re seeing that in terms of attitudes towards women, and I think we see that in terms of attitudes around racism.
She accused the shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, and Reform’s economic spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, of having made racist statements in recent years.
Earlier this year, Timothy called Muslims praying in Trafalgar Square an “act of domination”, while Jenrick came under fire in October after the Guardian revealed he had complained he “didn’t see another white face” on a trip to an area of Birmingham.
“We’ve had pretty despicable things that the likes of Robert Jenrick have said in the past on his visit to Birmingham,” she said. “We had Nick Timothy, who said some appalling things about Muslim prayer.
“Apparently I’m calling him names when I say that’s racist. I think it is fundamentally racist because I don’t think he would say that about any other group.”
Some might argue that this is just a Labour politician engaging in the usual name-calling, but in my view Phillipson is right about the way some politicians are weaponising racism and sexism and, in doing so fuelling those attitudes elsewhere.
However, it doesn't help that Phillipson's own government is feeding those right wing tropes with official posters telling asylum seekers not to rape and spelling out that child abuse is a serious crime when there is no evidence violence against women and girls is higher amongst migrants and people seeking asylum than among the general population.
Judging by some of the social media responses to those posters they have succeeded in stirring up more of the prejudices the Minister is condemning in others.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Tory fantasy on net zero
They were commenting on plans by the shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho to ditch net zero, insisting that the UK “should focus all our attention on making electricity cheap, and then let consumer choice be king”:
A report commissioned by the Conservatives, written by Tory-leaning think tank Onward and advisory firm Transira Energy, suggested focusing on cheap power could save families £540 a year from their energy bills.
But green campaigners have said the proposal is “completely out of touch with the public, its own voters, and economic reality”, while others branded the claims a “myth” that would require a “mathematical miracle”.
“After thousands of deaths from extreme heat this summer, this announcement shows the Conservative Party is completely out of touch with the public, its own voters, and economic reality,” Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Danny Gross said.
“Clean power is the route to cheap, secure energy, not a barrier to it. Home-grown wind and solar energy are cheaper and less exposed to global price shocks than gas. The Conservative plan would just leave the UK more exposed to volatile fossil fuel markets in the future.
“Anyone who thinks doubling down on new North Sea oil and gas projects will bring down energy bills is living in fantasy land. The only way to cut our energy costs is to reduce our reliance on expensive oil and gas.”
Greenpeace branded the proposals a “myth”, which flies “in the face of all the real-world evidence, both on climate and economics”.
“It is a myth that gas is cheaper than renewables,” Angharad Hopkinson, political campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said.
“One big gas price spike from a war or other major disruption costs Britain more than the entire net zero project.
“We saw the economic risk of dependence on fossil fuels when the wars in Ukraine and Iran sent energy bills skyrocketing. When a political party that receives lots of fossil fuel money says you should switch from the cheapest electricity sources to the most expensive, exercise caution.
“When they claim huge overall savings, best wait until some independent experts have a look before you start celebrating the mathematical miracle.”
Campaigners are right that the Tories are living in a self-imposed fantasy land. Relying on fossil fuels leaves us open to price hikes, and undermines our security.
It is most probably too late to stop or reverse the climate change we are experiecning at present, but taking the path proposed by the Tories will undoubtedly contribute to wrosening it.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Reform civil war?
The paper says that Tim Montgomerie criticised Mr Farage after he refused to attend the Clacton by-election count on Friday. They add that he also hit out at combative frontbencher Zia Yusuf, suggesting people "cannot behave like a child" in politics and lifting the lid on internal rows:
Mr Montgomerie has previously been critical over the way Mr Farage has responded to questions about an undeclared £5million 'gift' from crypto billonare Christopher Harborne.
It is understood the Reform hierarchy got fed up with Mr Montgomerie's criticisms. and decided enough was enough Last week the political commentator, who founded the ConservativeHome website before switching allegiances to Reform, hit out at Mr Farage's no-show in Clacton and questioned his ability to keep Mr Yusuf under control.
Instead of attending the result declaration after his ill-thought-out by-election, the Reform leader opted to spend the night celebrating at a 'Farage Fest' with supporters. He claimed he had been warned of a plot to disrupt proceedings, but police say no candidates were advised to stay away.
On Friday Mr Montgomerie suggested that Mr Farage has spent too much time wallowing in self pity. He wrote on X: "This recently far too dominant aggrieved tone is still with us. It's not good.
"You don't skip your own victory count without a much better explanation. Anger from politicians can work but only if it's on behalf of others - not yourself. He's distracting from his victory. Puzzling."
He has been heavily-critical of Mr Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman. Speaking on a Spectator podcast, Mr Montgomerie said; "There are a lot of people who are not on speaking terms with Zia, and it's nearly always Zia who initiates this. And it has to end. You cannot behave like a child in politics."
Mr Montgomerie also suggested Mr Yusuf is not a team player. It comes days after Mr Yusuf sparked fury by branding former Defence Secretary and ex-soldier Sir Ben Wallace a "traitor" and called for him to be prosecuted over his role in Afghans coming to Britain.
In a public response on social media, Mr Montgomerie wrote: "This isn't acceptable from Zia. I don't agree with Ben Wallace on this issue but Zia's language and attitude towards any opponent is inappropriate and counter-productive.
"Opponents are opponents... they aren't enemies... or 'moron's. One of the biggest question marks over Nigel Farage's leadership is whether he brings Zia under control.
"ZY is a man of huge talents but too much of his social media output is intemperate and reinforces Reform's number one problem: our negative tactical voting challenge."
Montgomerie has also been open in his criticism of Farage accepting a £5m gift, telling the BBC in July that: “People do not normally get a £5 million gift, we get a box of chocolates or a bottle of champagne, that’s the sort of gift most people get." And he went on: “I think he has to find better answers to these questions so far, and he will do, because the parliamentary process is now underway and he will have to be open”.
Things are clearly not rosy within Reform UK. Are Tim Montgomerie's views representative of others within the party? Is Farage losing his grip on his own organisation?
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
The climate change dilemma facing Burnham
They are referring to the decision by the prime minister over whether to approve the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gasfield after consultations on both projects closed:
Industry sources have told The Times they believe Burnham will approve Jackdaw but may resist calls to go ahead with Rosebank because of opposition from MPs.
Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, said on Monday the government had never intended to “turn the taps off” in the North Sea. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “It’s never been our position to turn the taps off entirely and immediately, but it’s obviously also not our position to drill every drop.”
Burnham has told President Trump that he wants to be “pragmatic” over North Sea oil and gas and on Friday he said speeding up extraction could help Britain to meet net zero faster. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We won’t be able to stop using oil and gas for some time, that’s just a fact.
“The question is whether we can accelerate use of it so that we pay for the transition and one thing helps the other … whether that extraction can be the bridge to the clean energy future we need and bring it forward. It’s about a pragmatic approach to both of those.”
If he goes ahead with either project he will face opposition from some backbenchers. Cat Eccles, the Labour MP for Stourbridge, said on Monday that Britain should expand renewables, the electricity grid and energy storage rather than approve further drilling.
However, she admitted the term “net zero” had become politically poisonous. She told Today: “I think that the term itself, net zero, has become toxic, and we shouldn’t just place arbitrary targets on things for the sake of it.”
Eccles said that when she spoke to Burnham on Friday as he visited her constituency, which has been affected by wildfires, he was in “listening mode” and “wasn’t saying anything one way or the other” about the decisions.
There are of course many environment groups arguing that both of these applications need to be refused if we are serious about switching away from carbon-based energy to achieve our net zero targets.
On the other hand Burnham has to balance considerations such as energy security and the claim that Rosebank and Jackdaw could support 3,500 jobs at the peak of construction and 880 people would be employed over the lifetime of production.
This could be the first real test of Burnham's premiership.
Monday, August 17, 2026
Could water companies put up prices to pay for drought?
The suggestion is that suppliers would be permitted to factor “water scarcity” into bills as part of efforts to reduce consumption under Ofwat’s plans, which are being likened to surge pricing – the practice where private hire firms raise taxi fares at times of higher demand:
The proposals come just a few days after the prime minster, Andy Burnham, said he was angry with water companies and accused them of treating their customers like a “blank cheque” after more than a dozen firms were given the green light to raise water bills even higher.
It emerged last Thursday that five companies – Southern Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent, Wessex Water and South East Water – would be allowed to raise bills more than originally planned before the end of the decade to allow for billions of pounds of extra spending on repairs and infrastructure.
The surge pricing proposals, first reported by the Sunday Telegraph, come after the 30 July conclusion of Ofwat’s consultation on changing the rules relating to wholesale charging, with the regulator due to share its final decision shortly.
Public anger over the behaviour of water companies has soared in recent years as bills have continued to climb even while sewage has flowed into the nation’s waterways and firms have increased bosses’ pay and handed out millions of pounds in dividends to shareholders.
During an exceptionally hot and dry summer, leading to almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales being declared officially in drought, suppliers have also come under fire for failing to save water lost through leaky pipes, which campaigners say far outstrips the amount that could be saved through a nationwide hosepipe ban.
An Ofwat spokesperson said: “The efficient use of water is in the best interests of everyone, including businesses. The options we are progressing would support greater consideration of water scarcity and efficiency by water companies when setting their charges, and encourage more tariff innovation.”
Several water companies have been carrying out charging trials over the past few years aimed at making bills more affordable and, potentially, reducing demand.
South West Water, which supplies water to about 1.8 million customers across south-west England, including Cornwall and Devon, is trialling a “rising block tariff”, where about 500 household customers are charged a cheaper rate for using a lower amount (or “block”) of water and progressively higher prices for higher consumption.
The company said 90% of its customers would see lower bills on this trial, according to its assessments.
Anglian Water, which supplies 7 million customers across the east of England, the UK’s driest region, and South West Water are also trialling charging customers more for water used in the summer than in the winter months.
The Guardian understands there are no government plans for nationwide surge pricing for water bills.
Water companies in England and Wales have paid out an estimated £72 billion to £78 billion in total dividends since privatisation in 1989, averaging roughly £1.4 billion to £2 billion per year.
With most of our waterways swimming in sewage and with millions of litres of water lost due to leaks every year, there is no doubt that there is a need to invest in infrastructure, but while millions of pounds are siphoned off and paid as dividends to shareholders instead of being reinvested in fixing pipes and building new resevoirs, the idea that companies can put up prices to fix their issues would be anathema to consumers.
Taking water companies back into public ownership must be a prerequisite to sorting out their problems. At least then we could be certain that all their money is going to the right place.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Labour government needs to give universities a break
The paper says that the sector’s leaders have called on the government to rethink the levy on international student fees imposed under Keir Starmer, as a former universities minister warned there was a risk of a university “going under” because of the financial crisis:
While UK sixth-formers enjoyed improved A-level results, and a record 194,800 English 18-year-olds were accepted by their first choice of university, vice-chancellors who spoke to the Guardian said it would not be enough to stave off further erosion in staff numbers and courses.
Figures published by the Home Office show student visa applications to the end of July fell 11% compared with the previous year. With summer visa applications coming before the start of the academic year in autumn, the gloomy figures mean many UK universities will experience significant losses if the trend continues, with some fearing international enrolments dropping by 30%.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the vice-chancellor of King’s College London, said the fall in international student numbers was “in line with the pessimistic expectations” and may also reflect a drop in postgraduate applications earlier this year.
Kapur said: “The critical thing is what this cycle will entail, which does not become clear till about October. The simple rubric is that every five international students impact one university job. And these falling numbers will invariably impact the financial health and staff complement of universities.
The paper quotes Libby Hackett, the chief executive of the Russell Group, who argues that recent analysis shows that the decline in international students means the UK has lost out on a net economic benefit of nearly £3bn, while Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of the Universities UK group of vice-chancellors, said the student visa figures “should be a wake-up call” for policymakers:
“There are plenty of people in government who understand the pressure on the sector, they understand how important universities are for local economies and for domestic students, and they are watching this with concern,” Stern said. “I hope those people are knocking on the door of the [Department for Education] and the Home Office, and saying that they can do one thing tomorrow that will help universities, and that is to quietly drop the idea of taxing international student fees.
“I understand the political pressure around immigration, and the UK university sector has to be a good, responsive partner with government in making sure the system works the way it should. But if the government was seeking to reduce overseas student numbers, I think they have overcorrected. What we need is stability and a bit of help to recover our competitive position internationally.”
The government needs to get a grip on this issue. At present their immigration controls are causing a funding crisis in higher education, there needs to be a policy adjustment and quick.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Yet another mock castle
Wikipedia, describes the Castle as a Grade II*-listed building situated on a hill overlooking Swansea Bay, adjacent to the Clyne valley, near Blackpill, Swansea.
They say it was originally built in 1791 by a wealthy landowner, passed into the hands of the Vivian family and saw many eminent guests, thought to include Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill and King Edward VIII. William Graham Vivian planted the landscaped gardens in the 1860s. It was acquired by Swansea University in the 1950s, for student accommodation:
The University built two accommodation blocks, and, later, a women's hall (Neuadd Martin), with exceptionally fine sea views, on the hill behind the castle. The two halls, which were linked by external steps, shared some functions.
The City of Swansea acquired the mature park of the Castle, now called Clyne Gardens (Gerddi Clun), which has views over the bay. The historic landscape area of Clyne Castle is a Registered Historic Park.
In 2003, the university decided to sell the halls and to build more accommodation on the main university campus instead. The current use of the refurbished castle is as a block of one- and two-bedroom apartments. The grounds are protected by wrought iron gates and residents have use of the lawned gardens.
The student accommodation blocks and the women's hall were demolished and were replaced in 2006 by new housing.
Labels: lochist
Friday, August 14, 2026
Another Reform UK misdemeanor
The Independent reports that a Reform councillor has been suspended after resurfaced social media posts appeared to show him calling for the Commons speaker to be hanged.
The paper says that in response to a post about then Commons speaker John Bercow, an account linked to Kirklees councillor David Rowan wrote on social media in October 2019: “Hang the Dwarf”.
They add that in another post, which has not yet been deleted, the account also made homophobic comments, having said he doesn’t believe “gays should have kids full stop”:
Another post from Mr Rowan’s account also called for Westminster to be turned into a Wetherspoons, writing: “Think we should get our pick forks and whippets and demolish London.”
Mr Rowan, who was elected in May, also appeared to show support for far-right campaigner Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, writing: “Thommy Robinson I salute you for caring.”
The Independent has approached Mr Rowan for comment.
Mr Rowan’s suspension comes weeks after a Reform councillor was charged with posting a grossly offensive message on social media. Glenn Gibbins, of Sunderland City Council, allegedly made the post, which referenced the Nigerian community, in 2024.
So much for Reform vetting their candidates.
The paper says that in response to a post about then Commons speaker John Bercow, an account linked to Kirklees councillor David Rowan wrote on social media in October 2019: “Hang the Dwarf”.
They add that in another post, which has not yet been deleted, the account also made homophobic comments, having said he doesn’t believe “gays should have kids full stop”:
Another post from Mr Rowan’s account also called for Westminster to be turned into a Wetherspoons, writing: “Think we should get our pick forks and whippets and demolish London.”
Mr Rowan, who was elected in May, also appeared to show support for far-right campaigner Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, writing: “Thommy Robinson I salute you for caring.”
The Independent has approached Mr Rowan for comment.
Mr Rowan’s suspension comes weeks after a Reform councillor was charged with posting a grossly offensive message on social media. Glenn Gibbins, of Sunderland City Council, allegedly made the post, which referenced the Nigerian community, in 2024.
So much for Reform vetting their candidates.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Has a convicted fraudster moved into Reform UK party HQ?
The paper says that Geostrategy International Unlimited, set up by George Cottrell last year, has changed its registered company address from the address of a company formation provider in the City of London to Millbank Tower where Reform UK has its offices.
This is despite the fact that Reform UK say George Cottrell has no role in the party and that he paid for Farage’s private security, staff, transport and accommodation in a purely personal capacity:
The company’s website also updated its address to Millbank Tower on its “Contact” page, alongside an address in Delaware. The website says the company provides opinion polling, “market intelligence and competitor research” and “brand positioning and demographic analysis” among its services.
A spokesman for Reform said the party did not share an office space with Cottrell, saying the tower was a “huge building” with “plenty of office free space to rent”. A representative of Millbank Tower said Geostrategy did not have an office space in the building.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence that Cottrell now shares an address with Farage's party, however his relationship with Farage remains controversial and aspects of it may well be the subject of a Standards Commissioner inquiry if Farage is re-elected today.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
The targeting of journalists is a real threat to democracy
The paper says that the News Media Association (NMA), which represents regional and national media, has raised concerns after Banks appeared to admit over the weekend to hiring private investigators to spy on a Sunday Times journalist.
They quote New Statesman who have said that Banks instructed Precision Risk and Intelligence, a private investigations company he once owned, to examine Gabriel Pogrund, the editor of the Sunday Times’ Insight investigations team.
This has led to fears that other journalists examining the funding of Reform and Nigel Farage, including those at the Guardian, could have been targeted:
When asked over the weekend whether he had commissioned investigators to surveil reporters at the Guardian, Banks, a Reform UK member and former mayoral candidate, said he was “not really interested in the Guardian” but declined to comment further.
The Guardian, along with the Sunday Times, has broken a series of stories in recent months revealing how cash has been given to Reform and Farage personally from donors and wealthy benefactors.
Theo Bamber, the chief executive of the NMA, said aggressive attempts to deter journalistic inquiry were at risk of becoming normalised.
He said: “Using private investigators to try to deter journalists from making legitimate inquiries about public figures is an attack on our democracy. Sadly, intimidation and abuse of local and national journalists is increasingly used as a weapon to limit scrutiny and deflect attention away from matters of public interest. This must not become normalised.
“Ministers must wake up to this threat to our democracy and do much more to protect the independent journalism which underpins our democratic way of life.”
The paper adds that when asked directly by the New Statesman whether he had paid investigators to look into Pogrund, Banks responded: “When you live by the sword, you die by the sword”:
Jemimah Steinfeld, the chief executive of Index on Censorship, said Banks should be open and transparent about the extent of his surveillance of journalists.
She said: “I really, really hope that it’s not happening to other journalists. But my fear is that it will be, because Gabriel is not the only one who’s asking the right questions about Reform.
“These tactics are often used to just stop the questions, to stop accountability, and that can have hugely detrimental effects on our democratic structure.”
As Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson says: “Hiring private investigators to target journalists who are simply doing their jobs is a desperate attempt to dodge accountability.
“Anyone who uses or condones these tactics demonstrates complete contempt for a free press and should have no business in British public life.”
And apparently, Banks, who helped run the pro-Brexit campaign group Leave.EU, has form, having been reported to have previously hired what he described as “ex-MI5 and SAS” operatives to surveil political opponents in the run-up to the EU referendum.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
When Fiction intrudes on real life
Metro News reports that Harry Potter fans have proven there’s clearly power in numbers, as their joint outrage forced the diversion of a multi-million-pound energy project.
The paper says that plans for a £430million Greenlink interconnector to carry solar and wind power to Ireland from the UK sparked fury from die-hard fans of JK Rowling’s books and their movie adaptations, who objected to the pipeline coming ashore at Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, which has famously become a mecca for Potterheads, as it’s where Dobby died and was buried:
The beloved house elf’s final scenes came in the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with fans immortalising the character by leaving illustrated pebbles and socks to mark his resting place.
So, upon learning of the pipeline plans and the apparent disruption they would cause to the beach’s dunes where Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe on-screen) buried the creature, Potter fanatics took action.
The result was ‘hundreds’ of phone calls to then-project director Simon Ludlam and his team following Ludlam’s interview on BBC Wales about the development, where he revealed permission had been secured from local authorities and landowners.
Speaking on the Energy Revolution podcast, Ludlam, who was at the helm from 2017 to 2019 and whose firm, Etchea Energy, advised, recalled how concerned and furious fans feared the cable going ‘straight through Dobby’s grave’.
The backlash became so intense that it led to him rerouting the interconnector away from the beach, keeping the grave intact.
‘My colleague, Tom, who works in permitting, said, “Simon, we’re going to have to respond to these calls”,’ Ludlam said.
‘And I said, “Well, Tom, I’m super busy.” And he goes, “No, no, we really have to respond to this”.’
When told of the anger, his initial reaction was: ‘Dobby? Who’s Dobby?’
His co-worker then insisted it was a ‘very, very serious matter’.
‘So we got back with the planners and discussed exactly how to reroute the cable so we wouldn’t go any more into Dobby’s grave.’
With the issue eventually resolved, the Greenlink interconnector opened last April.
At 190km (118 miles) long, the 500 MW high-voltage direct current runs a power cable between County Wexford in Ireland and Pembrokeshire in Wales.
It has the power for 380,000 homes.
This isn’t the first time that Dobby’s grave has found itself under threat.
In 2022, National Trust Cymru floated the idea of removing it after launching a survey about looking after the landscape.
Two of its questions focused on the Dobby memorial, asking respondents whether it should be removed or transferred.
It was decided eight months later that the tribute could stay, but the Trust issued a reminder to tourists visiting the popular spot, urging them not to leave socks, which are a reference to how, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry fooled Dobby’s then-master, Lucius Malfoy, into handing one, which freed him from enslavement.
Well, at least the developer listened to public opinion.
Monday, August 10, 2026
Reform figures in Wales linked to far-right social media networks
The news website says that their investigation examined the online activity of senior Reform figures in Wales, including their interactions with prominent extremist groups and individuals, finding that a significant number of Reform Members of the Senedd followed Facebook groups that shared racist content:
The investigation also found that some official Welsh Reform branch accounts, a Reform councillor in north Wales, and a caseworker for a senior Reform politician were following or engaging with accounts that shared such material.
Reform UK Wales deputy leader Helen Jenner is among a number of senior party figures found to be following the Swansea-based anti-migrant group Voice of Wales on Facebook.
The group is also followed by Senedd Members Iain McIntosh, Gareth Thomas, Laura Anne Jones, Joe Martin, and Catherine Cullen.
Reform’s official Blaenau Gwent Caerphilly and Rhymney branch Facebook account, the Swansea West and Gower Reform branch and the Alyn, Deeside and Wrexham branch are also following the account.
Voice of Wales has faced widespread public condemnation and platform bans for promoting racism, hate speech, and divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Its founders Dan Morgan and Stan Robinson are supporters and associates of Tommy Robinson and have been described by anti-extremism organisations as far-right activists.
Morgan is a convicted fraudster who received a suspended prison sentence in 2023 for his role in a call centre fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable people.
In recent weeks, he was removed from a Lush cosmetics store in Swansea after entering the premises and challenging two young staff members over posters displayed in the window that stated: “Migrants are blamed to distract you”.
Voice of Wales’ YouTube channel was removed in 2021 after it repeatedly violated the platform’s policies regarding hate speech and abusive content.
The group’s Facebook account is now one of its most active platforms for daily engagement.
A senior Reform party official previously told Nation.Cymru that Reform figures in Wales had been advised against engaging with Voice of Wales or any individuals associated with founder of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson.
However, our investigation found evidence that the warning was not being heeded.
Martin Roberts, the caseworker for Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr MS Jason O’Connell, has regularly interacted with Voice of Wales through his official Facebook account as Reform’s Merthyr and Pontypridd campaign coordinator.
Mr Roberts was Reform UK’s fourth-placed candidate in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr at the recent Welsh election, but failed to secure a seat in the Senedd.
This week, he liked several posts published by Voice of Wales, including comments targeting Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood.
One such comment described the former party leader as a “crackhead”.
Mr Roberts also liked a Voice of Wales video which featured convicted fraudster Dan Morgan calling for the “reversing of Islamification” and the reintroduction of the death penalty.
The same video was liked by Reform Flintshire county councillor, Kristian Salkeld.
Reform UK’s official Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Facebook account has also interacted with Voice of Wales, adding a thumbs up emoji to a post which referred to several Plaid Cymru Mss as “the goon squad” and Leanne Wood as a “has been”.
Martin Roberts also added a laughing emoji to this post.
Sir Fynwy Torfaen MS Laura Anne Jones added a thumbs up emoji to a post by Voice of Wales claiming that unless British voters woke up, it would be “too late” for the UK.
The former Welsh Conservative also liked a post by the hate group which referred to the Green Party as “goblins”.
Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd MS Iain McIntosh has also engaged with Voice of Wales online, liking a post which claimed that under Leanne Wood’s advise, Plaid Cymru would “destroy Wales”.
The article contains many, many more examples, providing strong evidence of the direction of travel Reform UK are embarked on in Wales.
Sunday, August 09, 2026
Clacton ad infinitum
The news site adds that the list for the Clacton parliamentary by-election, which was prompted by the resignation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, is 90cm (3ft) long:
When people unfold the paper, they will find it is longer than most adults' arms.
Tendring District Council chief executive Ian Davidson - who is the acting returning officer for the by-election in the Essex constituency - said organising the vote had been "manic".
People have already started returning postal votes to town hall and most registered voters will go to polling stations on 13 August.
Davidson said: "We've logistically been looking at the size of the ballot paper, how we fold it to get it into the envelope so we can send it out to our postal voters [and] how we manage the polling stations."
Davidson said his teams are having to make changes to the way they usually carry out elections.
The ballots are "going to be sometimes longer than the table so we're having to do double tables and we're going to have to sort them in batches before we can verify them or even count them."
Paul Whiteley, professor of government at the University of Essex, said the previous record for the number of candidates standing for a seat in the House of Commons was the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in East Yorkshire in July 2008.
"David Davis resigned his seat and stood again as a protest over the issue of civil liberties," explained Whiteley.
"There were 26 candidates."
Prior to that, the previous record was the Newbury by-election in Berkshire in 1993, which featured 19 candidates.
Farage resigned as MP for Clacton on 7 July, following increased scrutiny over his finances and a parliamentary investigation, but the Reform leader is standing again.
Among the candidates on the ballot are 20 independents - also a record for a single election.
It is likely of course that Farage will win this by-election comfortably, though there will be a strong showing from Count Binface.
Inevitably, the standards inquiry into the Reform UK leader will then restart with the possibility of a recall petition and a second by-election.
I wonder how many candidates will stand in that one.
I wonder how many candidates will stand in that one.
Saturday, August 08, 2026
From copperworks to distillery
The remains of this complex, originally developed by Vivian and Sons, consists of a core Grade II listed building and additional Grade II listed structures on a 12 acres (4.9 ha) site. As Wikipedia relates the history of this site is over 200 years old:
The Hafod works was founded in 1810 by the Cornishman himself John Vivian. During the 19th century, this was the largest copper works in the world, employing over 1,000 people. The rival Morfa works was established in 1835 by Williams, Foster and Co., and the two adjacent sites combined in 1924 under Yorkshire Imperial Metals.
Swansea was core to the global copper industry, and by 1823 10,000 of Swansea's 15,000 residents were supported by the copper industry. By 1883 there were 124 works including 12 copper works in the Lower Swansea Valley. But as raw geological resources had waned in South Wales, it became more economic to produce copper elsewhere. In 1971 the Lower Swansea Valley Project had started to transform the most derelict industrial landscape in Britain, resulting in the closure of the rolling mills in 1980.
The former rolling mills were converted into the Landore Collection Centre, part of Swansea Museum.
At its 19th Century peak, Swansea produced 90% of all the world's copper.
Discussions to restore the site started sixteen years ago, leading to plans to re-develop the Morfa side of the site into a distillery and visitors' centre for the Penderyn brand being approved in 2019.. The project was part-funded by a £3.75m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
Other parts of the copper works have also been worked on; the Musgrave Engine House and Vivian Engine House were made safe and restoration is now underway, while the Morfa Bascule Bridge, which was built in 1909 and designated as a Scheduled Monument, is in the process of being returned to working condition.
The Vivian and Musgrave Engine Houses, built in 1860 and in about 1920 respectively, formed "an integral part of Swansea's heritage", the council added.
A council spokesperson said they had saved the buildings from "ongoing decay" several years ago, with a new river pontoon added nearby.
The Musgrave structure, which is a scheduled ancient monument, contains the rare Musgrave Engine, said by the council to be the UK’s only one of its kind to remain in its original location.
The engine's external elements would be protected with a covered shelter, with Wardell Armstrong acting as the council's consultants for the scheme.
Work is also planned to preserve two tall neighbouring chimneys.
Meanwhile, the Vivian Engine House would feature a mezzanine floor, while a new building would link the two engine houses and an outdoor terrace would be created.
These developments would, the council said, make it suitable for a range of uses, including restaurants and cafes, exhibition-style space and shops.
The council said it believed the loco shed, which was built in the 1800s, had possibly been last used around 1980.
The proposals would involve the restoration and reconstruction of the existing building, which the council said had suffered structural damage after being disused for "many years".
The restored loco shed could then have "a range of possible future uses", a council spokesperson added.
The development would also include the building of new access routes from the copperworks site, along with landscaping and the fitting of sustainable new drainage.
Nearly two years on and the council's website reports that huge progress has been made in restoring the historic laboratory building:
Contractors have spent recent months carefully repairing and enhancing the structure, with a new Welsh slate roof due to be installed next.
The project is expected to be completed this year, after which the building will be ready for fitting out by a future occupier.
The Laboratory Building once played a key role in the world-famous copperworks that helped put Swansea on the global industrial map.
The council also report on progress in restoring the bascule bridge with construction expected to start soon:
The upcoming phase is intended to complete restoration of the structure, including repairs to timber trestles, the replacement of some bridge elements, and the lifting of the historic bascule span back into place using a specialist crane operation.
Once complete, the bridge will be brought back into use as a public footpath and cycle track, helping to improve access and connectivity along the river corridor.
Labels: lochist
Friday, August 07, 2026
Climate change ushers in record-breaking July
The paper adds that England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836, with Wales having its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, while England recorded its second warmest July:
The Met Office said the “remarkable conditions” this year came amid a summer marked by multiple heat records.
The heatwaves have been made more intense and more likely by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis. The heatwave that affected western Europe at the end of June was the most severe and widespread ever.
July was the sixth consecutive month this year to have had above average mean temperatures, with only January so far experiencing mean temperatures below average.
Dr Amy Doherty, a science manager at the Met Office, said: “The combination of record-breaking dryness, exceptional warmth and unprecedented sunshine has delivered one of the most notable summer months in our historical records.”
The Environment Agency said the conditions were affecting farmers, wildlife and the amount of water available for public and business use.
Half of England and the whole of Wales were last week declared to be officially in drought. In England, 40% of the population are under a hosepipe ban.
The National Farmers’ Union has warned the punishing drought could lead to shortages of certain foods in Britain.
A series of huge wildfires, supercharged by the climate crisis, has torched large parts of Europe this summer.
Greece is battling one of the worst seasons of wildfires of the past decade and in France, thousands of evacuees were allowed to return home or to holiday accommodation on Monday after the country’s largest wildfire on record.
Rivers in Europe are facing extremely low flows. The Danube’s water flow has fallen to 1,500 cubic metres a second in Romania, less than a third of its July average.
The Met Office said on Monday England had its driest July on record, with only 6.5mm of rainfall. That is only 10% of its long-term meteorological average for the month, and less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911.
Wales has also had its driest July on record, with 9.3mm of rainfall – only 9% of its long-term meteorological average for the month.
This is a wake-up call those comparing the heatwave to 1976, and claiming that there is nothing to be worried about. Not only has this latest spell of weather been hotter than 1976, it has lasted longer and, unlike that time, is being repeated year on year.
Climate change is here to stay and it is going to make out lives very uncomfortable.
Thursday, August 06, 2026
Burnham and the devolved national governments
There are one or to missteps in the article, for example they are sceptical of Burnham's claim that “the people of Dundee and Bangor feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster”, when in fact many people in north Wales do feel equally remote from the Cardiff-based Welsh government, but they are right that the Prime Minister needs to sort out anomalies in the devolution settlement and get reluctant London-based civil servants on board.
The paper has also confused the supplementary budget that Plaid Cymru failed to pass a few weeks ago with an actual budget. Losing a vote on the latter is a far more serious affair than what transpired when Ministers couldn't get Labour to agree to the way they wanted to tweak the existing budget.
The paper is absolutely right when it says that Westminster should not claim the right to bypass the devolved administrations in empowering local authorities in Wales and Scotland, and also in saying that Burnham should ditch Keir Starmer's approach, best characterised as him warning ministers against being “overly deferential” to the Scottish and Welsh governments.
There is, though, a lot of work to do if the new Prime Minister is to deliver on the expectations he has created outside of Engkand:
Inevitably there will be frustrations, rows and disagreements, not least over calls for the Barnett formula funding arrangements to be updated. The Scottish National party, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin will all have a powerful motive for taking credit for what goes right, and blaming Mr Burnham’s government when things go wrong. Matters in Wales are further complicated by the minority status of the Plaid government, which Welsh Labour has refused to support and which has yet to succeed in passing a budget.
But Mr Burnham’s direction of travel can be the right one for the devolved nations as well as the English regions. A confidence-building early move would be to repeal contentious powers granted by the post-Brexit United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, which allow London to distribute funds across the UK in a variety of policy areas. As the Institute for Government has suggested, Mr Burnham could instead fund the devolved governments to establish their own priorities.
Devolution, and the possibilities it could unleash, were at the heart of Mr Burnham’s rise to Britain’s highest political office. Entirely understandably, his first moves have reflected the regional backdrop to that ascent. He should also follow his instincts in the rest of the United Kingdom.
This is absolutely the right approach, and from a Welsh perspective, it should start with a new Government of Wales Act putting Welsh devolution on a par with that in Scotland.
Will Burnham accept that case, and if he does, will he be able to convince his more sceptical Secretary of State (and his Welsh Labour MPs) to go along with it? We will have to see.
Wednesday, August 05, 2026
Tories select former neo-Nazi activist for Somerset council election
The paper says that Joshua Bonehill-Paine, the creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips, is due to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district. He told the Guardian he was an executive member of the Tories’ Yeovil branch, working as an events organiser:
“The branch and indeed party are fully aware of my past. Our chairman has been a vocal advocate and has supported me since I became a member of the party. I am very grateful for the support,” he said.
Bonehill-Paine, who previously described himself as a “nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights”, re-emerged in recent years as the creator of the Crewkerne Gazette, a satirical online account that has gained a cult following.
While notably critical of Labour and Reform UK, its skits have cast the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, in a favourable light.
Rebecca Harris, the Conservative chief whip, was criticised earlier this year for reposting one video in which Badenoch and the shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, were depicted as characters in the gangster film Scarface. This was after Bonehill-Paine had been revealed as the person behind the account.
Bonehill-Paine has a conviction for assaulting a police officer and burglary of a police station, and was convicted in 2014 of malicious communications over an anti-Islam hoax that led to death threats against the owners of a pub in Leicester.
He was jailed in 2015 for more than three years after posting “vile” antisemitic material online ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally.
In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for abuse directed at the then Labour MP Luciana Berger, who is Jewish, which included posting messages to his blog calling Berger a “rodent” and an “evil money-grabber”. He was also the founder and leader of the National British Resistance, a far-right group.
He told the Guardian on Monday that his criminal convictions had been spent and that he held various Home Office counter-extremism certifications. He said he had spoken alongside MPs where he talked about his past and highlighted antisemitism faced by Britain’s Jewish community.
It's little wonder that one nation Tories are quitting the Conservative Party.
Tuesday, August 04, 2026
Public urged to help complete landmark survey of Welsh chapels
The news site says that Capeli Cymru, a new project from The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, has launched a census to map Wales’ chapels in April 2026, which aims to build the most comprehensive picture in over a century of their condition, use and future, safeguarding one of Wales’ most distinctive cultural and architectural legacies:
Previous research has identified nearly 6,500 chapel sites across Wales, but there is currently no accurate national record of how many remain active.
The Welsh Nonconformist Chapel Census has been gathering information on how many chapels remain open for worship, how they are used by communities, and the physical condition of their buildings.
It is also tracking what has happened to chapels that have closed, identifying those that have been repurposed, converted, demolished or left empty.
Members of the public, including chapel members, owners, and local residents have been invited to contribute to one of two surveys — for congregations at active chapels, and for anyone able to provide information about chapels in their area.
However, Capeli Cymru has revealed that, while responses have been received for around one in 10 known chapels, updated information is still needed for the remaining 90%.
Organisers are now asking people to help fill in the remaining gaps by submitting updated information about the thousands of chapels still marked on the project’s interactive map.
They are particularly keen to know whether buildings are still functioning as places of worship, have closed, or have been converted for other uses such as homes, cafés, community facilities or businesses.
The census builds on two landmark surveys that documented the central role of chapels in Welsh life.
The 1851 Religious Census recorded foundation dates, seating capacity and attendance, revealing the growing strength of Nonconformity during the industrial era, when chapel attendance outstripped that of the Anglican Church.
A further survey in 1905, conducted ahead of the disestablishment of the Church in Wales, found that around three-quarters of the population identified as Nonconformist.
They add that the Capeli Cymru project is funded by more than £150,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with the potential for further investment of up to £1.25 million, with the new data planned to help shape future strategies to protect Wales’ chapel heritage.
Labels: lochist
Monday, August 03, 2026
The funding fog surrounding Nigel Farage and Reform UK
The paper says that Farage negotiated the pact with Richard Tice, then the leader, in March and April 2024. George Cottrell, the convicted fraudster who had been secretly bankrolling Farage, supervised the discussions.
They add that under the terms of the deal, once Farage became leader Reform would repay or write off more than £1 million in outstanding loans it had received from Tice’s company:
The deal was first presented by Farage and Cottrell to the party’s treasurer in mid-May. Its existence undermines the Reform leader’s claim that he had no intention until June 2024 of returning to politics. Farage has used this to defend his failure to declare donations made to him in the year before he was elected as an MP, which triggered two parliamentary investigations.
On Saturday, Reform sources acknowledged the existence of the deal but insisted it had been drafted for if, not when, Farage became leader. Asked why he would have signed such an agreement if he had no intention of returning as leader, they said it kept his options open. They said Farage had assumed he would focus his energies on campaigning for Donald Trump in that year’s US presidential election.
Farage has claimed repeatedly that he did not need to declare a £5 million gift from the cryptobillionaire Christopher Harborne or in-kind benefits from Cottrell, as he was a media personality at the time. MPs must declare any benefit in any way connected to their “political activities” received in the 12 months before their election.
He told the Triggernometry podcast last month: “At that period of my life, from 2021 to the third of June 2024, I was a broadcaster, I was someone that appeared on celebrity TV programmes, I was somebody that promoted some financial market products, but I was an influencer, I wasn’t in politics.”
Mehrtash A’Zami, the party treasurer at the time, said: “I was told about the agreement before the election was called. It commenced when Nigel came back. The essence was the schedule of repayments. I was told to implement it and acted to fulfil it in line with my responsibilities.”
As the paper points out the disclosures also raise more questions about Reform UK’s compliance with electoral law. They add that the party is already at the centre of a Metropolitan Police investigation into whether the source of its donations was disguised.
This latest informaton also fills in some details about the chain of events leading to Farage resuming his party's leadership and standing for election, as well as the complicated web of donations assocaiated with that, though as yet the actual source of those funds is still unclear.
Sunday, August 02, 2026
Westminister needs to tackle its drinking culture
The paper says that drinking is commonplace and some MPs have had their stomachs pumped after consuming so much alcohol that they ended up in hospital, one disclosed:
The IAS report also found that:
* 42% of the MPs interviewed had been offered an alcoholic drink at a work meeting or event on a weekly basis during the previous six months; 13% said that occurred daily.
* 22% had concerns about a colleague’s drinking.
Parliament’s long and unusual working hours, the loneliness many MPs experience being away from home, the pressures of the job and socialising in order to advance their careers can all act as catalysts for drinking.
The report added: “The availability of alcohol was seen to encourage unhealthy behaviour in general, from affecting colleagues’ sleep and stress levels to potentially normalising high-risk drinking, with one MP referring to colleagues having had their stomachs pumped in hospital and going back into Westminster the following day.”
Some MPs said the findings should prompt Westminster to rethink its attitude to alcohol. The Labour MP Cat Smith said: “We wouldn’t accept a surgeon operating after a drink or a driver getting behind the wheel – so why should we accept legislators voting on the laws of the land after one?
“If we’re serious about being a professional workplace, we have to ask hard questions about practices like late night votes that sit alongside on-tap bars.”
Beccy Cooper, who was a public health consultant before entering parliament as a Labour MP in 2024, said the report was a wake-up call. In a foreword to the report, she suggested that parliament should draw up its first formal workplace policy on alcohol.
She added: “Two findings stood out to me. Almost one in 10 respondents reported a negative experience because of someone else’s drinking at work and 70% either didn’t know, or weren’t sure, how to raise a concern about a colleague’s drinking.
“That combination – real, measurable harm and no clear route to address it – is exactly the kind of gap we need to address.”
This is no way to run a country. Alcohol would not be available in any other workplace during working hours, so how can the position in Parliament be justified? It is a culture that needs to be urgently tackled.
Saturday, August 01, 2026
Historic toll house up for sale
The news site says that the Gate House in Llannon, near Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, was the former money collecting building for the tolls, but was later turned into a two-bedroom detached cottage.
Like others in Carmarthenshire, it was a target during the Rebecca Riots, a series of protests against conditions in the rural areas of Wales between 1839 and 1843 led by men with blackened faces disguised as women:
The property was built in the 19th Century by the Three Commotts Turnpike Trust, a prominent toll road operator in Carmarthenshire.
Along with many others in the country, the toll house was constructed to collect money for the upkeep of local roads, and became the target of the Rebecca protest movement.
Properties like this one were targeted across the country due to severe agricultural depression, poor harvests and poverty.
Hard-pressed farmers and labourers would darken their faces and dress in traditional women's clothes of the time to attack various toll gates in protest against "unreasonable" charges.
They went by the name of Merched Beca, which translates from Welsh as Rebecca's Daughters.
The riots were mainly confined to the old counties of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, with only one incident in north Wales.
The riots ceased prior to 1844 due to several factors, including increased troop levels, a desire by the protestors to avoid violence, and the appearance of criminal groups using the guise of the biblical character Rebecca for their own purposes.
In 1844 an Act of Parliament to consolidate and amend the laws relating to turnpike trusts in Wales, external was passed.
The property is being sold online by Paul Fosh Auctions and has a guide price of £69,000.
The property was built in the 19th Century by the Three Commotts Turnpike Trust, a prominent toll road operator in Carmarthenshire.
Along with many others in the country, the toll house was constructed to collect money for the upkeep of local roads, and became the target of the Rebecca protest movement.
Properties like this one were targeted across the country due to severe agricultural depression, poor harvests and poverty.
Hard-pressed farmers and labourers would darken their faces and dress in traditional women's clothes of the time to attack various toll gates in protest against "unreasonable" charges.
They went by the name of Merched Beca, which translates from Welsh as Rebecca's Daughters.
The riots were mainly confined to the old counties of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, with only one incident in north Wales.
The riots ceased prior to 1844 due to several factors, including increased troop levels, a desire by the protestors to avoid violence, and the appearance of criminal groups using the guise of the biblical character Rebecca for their own purposes.
In 1844 an Act of Parliament to consolidate and amend the laws relating to turnpike trusts in Wales, external was passed.
The property is being sold online by Paul Fosh Auctions and has a guide price of £69,000.
Labels: lochist
