Henry Dyer

More Ministers To Be Paid Under Payroll Reforms Exclusive: The number of paid ministerial roles is to increase as part of new government reforms to be announced on Thursday.

A Whitehall scoop:

A bill is coming to increase the number of paid ministers

11 new salaries will be created to bring the payroll in line w/ the average size of a modern government

"The PM believes that ministerial office should not be reserved for those wealthy enough to fund it for themselves"

The proposal would hide details of secondees to parliamentary offices paid for by corporations and charities; where MPs hire the family members of other MPs - and also cuts off the ability for staffers to see where MPs churn through their aides, a red flag for many!

Completely mad proposal from the Commons to hide the names of MPs staff who have parliamentary passes which could prove invaluable to vested interests looking to buy access to Westminster. Staff members taking hospitality + freebies would no longer be identified.

please just admit you have played and enjoyed both "Middle-Earth: Shadow of War" and "Batman: Arkham City" and confused them, they're both good games

"in fact, Sam, the goons were alluded to by Tolkien in 'The Silmarillion' as one of the first beings created by Eru Ilúvatar, and then he reused the name for a dwarf in the Fourth Age, Glóon"

astonished to find "actually, it's Tolkien" is a verbatim quote of Badenoch talking about her "orcs and goons" line, and not a sketchwriter's invention. please could her next television pool interviewer ask her to describe the goons of Middle Earth?

The UK scandal of women handcuffed while in labour: ‘I was so shocked when the restraints weren’t removed’ Pregnant women prisoners in England are being handcuffed to prison officers – often male – during intimate vaginal examinations and long, agonising births. Will this dehumanising treatment be stopped?

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Head of Police Federation of England and Wales arrested on suspicion of corruption Mukund Krishna arrested by City of London police along with two other national board members The head of the Police Federation of England and Wales has been arrested on suspicion of corruption. Officers from the City of London police arrested Mukund Krishna and two other national board members. Continue reading...

Head of Police Federation of England and Wales arrested on suspicion of corruption

That fourth frame is particularly lovely!

But doctor - I am Wonko The Sane

Democracy in danger: why the government must restore the Electoral Commission’s full independence - Spotlight on Corruption A fully independent Electoral Commission is critical to ensuring the integrity of UK elections, and maintaining public confidence that elections are run fairly.

🎉 Really positive news coming from parliament that the government will scrap the Strategy and Policy Statement for the @electoralcommission.org.uk.
⚠️ We previously warned about the risks of keeping the statement in place in our report, Democracy in Danger 🧵 ⬇️

IPSA announces MPs salaries for 26/27 increased to £98,599 - how long until Parliament decides after all it might be worth adjusting the tax thresholds and the £100k 'tax trap'?

‘Do what you really want to do while you’re still alive’: Masayoshi Takanaka, the Japanese guitar hero surfing a second wave in his 70s Playing a surfboard-shaped axe, Takanaka was a stadium-level artist at home but little known in the west – until YouTube brought him a huge new audience

‘Do what you really want to do while you’re still alive’: Masayoshi Takanaka, the Japanese guitar hero surfing a second wave in his 70s

The Guardian’s positive action work experience is open for applications! There are (paid) schemes for disabled, BAME, and working class wannabe journalists.

Because the media needs more people like us.

Info here: workwithus.theguardian.com/entry-level-...

Labour Together ‘making clean break’ after former director resigns as minister Thinktank’s board distances itself from Josh Simons’ decision in 2023 to hire lobbying firm to investigate journalists A Labour thinkthank that helped Keir Starmer win No 10 has said it is making a “clean break” from the past after its former director, Josh Simons, resigned as a minister over a report falsely linking journalists to a “pro-Kremlin” network. The board of Labour Together distanced itself from Simons’ decision in 2023 to hire a lobbying firm to investigate Sunday Times, Guardian and independent reporters who were looking into its failure to declare more than £700,000 in donations. Continue reading...

Labour Together ‘making clean break’ after former director resigns as minister

Undercover officer allegedly used public money for romantic break in Venice Woman deceived into relationship tells spycops inquiry the trip was not to meet Italian socialists, as Carlo Soracchi claims

Undercover officer 'got free romance trip to Venice'
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Josh Simons resigns without apologising The former minister decided to stop being "a distraction" while the world watches the war in Iran.

"Simons described Pogrund’s treatment as 'a disgrace', although the letter does not include an apology. It also notably declines to praise the journalism or acknowledge the treatment of Paul Holden, the South African journalist and author of The Fraud [...]" - @pronouncedalva.bsky.social

and hats off to @petergeoghegan.bsky.social for breaking the story 3 weeks ago about Labour Together hiring APCO to investigate the journalists who had written about the thinktank and its £730k of undeclared donations used to help elect Starmer, which is where the really significant questions are.

Labour minister Josh Simons resigns after falsely linking journalists to ‘pro-Kremlin’ network Makerfield MP has been under pressure over thinktank’s commissioning of PR firm to investigate reporters

Few developments:
- In a statement this evening, Labour Together's new management describes the scope of APCO's report as "indefensible"
- Simons said he "acted too hastily" in appointing firm
- Simons's resignation letter did not address outstanding questions about earlier statements

Full details:

Labour minister Josh Simons resigns after falsely linking journalists to ‘pro-Kremlin’ network Makerfield MP has been under pressure over thinktank’s commissioning of PR firm to investigate reporters

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

JUST IN: Josh Simons quits government.

Starmer: "to avoid any ongoing distraction from delivering the Government’s mission, you have taken the difficult decision to step aside."

Laurie Magnus probe found no breach of the ministerial code.

Story to follow

pipeline from @thefence.bsky.social to guardian going strong

Can Sadiq Khan stop Asif Aziz's mass evictions? We went to the billionaire's home to get answers, as a leading homelessness charity cut ties with the landlord and tenants begged the mayor to save their homes.

The latest @londoncentric.media piece in the “largest mass eviction in London’s modern history” saga. The day started with @jim.londoncentric.media and I heading out for Omar Aziz’s mansion (once home to Schopenhauer) at 6 this morn. Read below

open.substack.com/pub/londonce...

Police and MI5 waged campaign of illegal interference against BBC journalist, tribunal told Former Northern Ireland correspondent Vincent Kearney subjected to ‘unprecedented’ surveillance, says lawyer

Had my first piece in @theguardian.com yday about the campaign of illegal interference waged by PSNI & Mi5 against former BBC journalist Vincent Kearney. Reading this paper everyday, cover to cover since I was about ten - so I'm delighted to have written for them
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Can Sadiq Khan stop Asif Aziz's mass evictions? We went to the billionaire's home to get answers, as a leading homelessness charity cut ties with the landlord and tenants begged the mayor to save their homes.

Breaking:
*Asif Aziz's mass evictions of Londoners appear to be BACK ON
*Sadiq Khan personally demands immediate response from the landlord
*Leading homelessness charity cuts ties with the Aziz family and refuses donation
*Questions over legality of paperwork
www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...

not even the greens would legalise whatever strength of copium they're huffing in no 10

"How much money did we spend to promote our candidate - the best one? Don't worry about that. Campaigning? Psh."

Gorton and Denton by-election result:

GRN: 40.7% (+27.5)
REF: 28.7% (+14.7)
LAB: 25.4% (-25.3)
CON: 1.9% (-6.0)
LDEM: 1.8% (-2.1)

Green GAIN from Labour.