A gentle reminder that Reform UK is not a democratic political party. It is a private company owned 53% by Nigel Farage & 33% by Richard Tice. It has no real members; it has no democratic policy-making processes. It is an unaccountable entity & play thing of two rich men. Via @FT
Gerry Hassan
84.5K posts
Writer commentator academic. Hon Prof of Social Change; Books Editor @BellaCaledonia; Editor, 'Britain Needs Change: The Politics of Hope & Labour's Challenge'.
Joined November 2010
- "First terrorist attack since Lee Rigby" being repeated too many times in media. Remember Jo Cox. #WestminsterAttack pic.x.com/HNsNPLYKWV
- What a terrible take on Zelenskyy & Trump by @BBCsarahsmith implying that Zelenskyy is somehow to blame for making Trump angry & that he should have eaten "humble pie." What a truly dire take from the #BBC & what is meant to be one of their leading correspondents.
- #BBC Fiona Bruce intro & editorial at start of #bbcqt in Fort William: "Tonight Question Time for the first time since the SNP came off the rails in such spectacular fashion." Impossible to imagine Bruce or any BBC journo describe the UK Tories in such a manner. @bbcquestiontime
- Theresa May speech: 1. Given P45 2. Cough stops speech 3. F falls off 4. Boris told to stand 5. Nobody remembers what she said #CPC17
- Keir Starmer has now suspended eleven Labour MPs. That is more than any other Labour Prime Minister in history. Tony Blair in ten years as PM did not suspend a single Labour MP; Starmer has suspended eleven MPs in one year.
- Normal service on #TrevorPhillips & #BBCLauraK. Days after Plaid Cymru won the #Caerphilly by-election there is no room for Plaid on either programme. But Trevor Phillips has room for the losing party: Farage's Reform & Zia Yusuf. Ever get the feeling you are being cheated?
- Not a SINGLE question to Boris Johnson from any journalist on Jennifer Arcuri, having an affair & the misuse of £126,000 of public monies: our money being misappropriated to further his affair.
- Fiona Bruce introducing the panel on #bbcqt fails to mention that Emily Sheffield is the sister of Samantha Cameron & that her brother-in-law is David Cameron. Rather germane & central to who she is but strangely not worthy of Bruce mentioning. Below: Fiona & Emily pre-broadcast.
- This is the banner that got the anti-royal protester arrested at the time of the royal proclamation in Edinburgh. One member of the public shouted as police moved in: "“Let her go, it’s free speech.”
- Slovakia has 5.4 million population. The same as Scotland. Football like politics & life is not just demographics. Denmark has 5 million; Croatia 4 million; Iceland 400,000. Football success requires investment, infrastructure & good governance: which Scotland lacks. #EURo2024
- Extreme right-winger Melanie Phillips on #bbcqt on Israel-Palestine conflict dismisses Israel killing 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza as "collective punishment". Well done Stephen Flynn for challenging her deranged rants.
- Tragic to hear Keir Starmer say that immigration is turning the UK into "an island of strangers." What a narrow, nasty, pessimistic view of the people of the UK. People who have made the UK their home from around the world include my friends & neighbours & are not strangers.
- Prince Andrew really has no shame. But that has to be said for the entire UK Royal Family & King Charles.










