Mark Birch

Dear Shabana, I notice today that you referred to me in your speech on immigration at the IPPR think tank. You said: “A party leader should not be on the beaches of France encouraging people to make a perilous crossing on small boats.” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised especially after the hateful Labour campaign in Gorton and Denton, but this is just the latest in a string of lies peddled by a discredited Government who intentionally fan the flames of racism and division. When I went to Calais, I was not there to encourage people to travel to the UK. I was there to see at first hand the suffering your Government and successive Governments have done in demonising migrants in a pathetic bid to pander to the base instincts of Reform and the flawed strategy of Morgan McSweeney. As you will know, if you even bothered to research my visit instead of taking Reform talking points, I was there to witness the brutality of families living in tents in freezing temperatures. I filled water tanks and picked up litter. What that visit did do is confirm my belief that if we are to smash the boat gangs and stop the boats, we need to offer safer and managed routes for migrants to come to this country. Showing compassion as a politician is not a crime. In fact, we need to see much more of it. It reminded me of a young MP who in October 2015 spent three days in Lesbos helping migrants fleeing war-torn Syria. She posted videos on X, talked about handing out water and croissants to refugees and food parcels. When she returned to the UK, she wrote a very moving piece in the New Statesman. She said “we have to work with our European partners and create new, safe, and legal routes for refugees to get to Europe. We cannot abandon them to their fate, left as prey for smugglers whilst risking death on the seas.” She said “maybe we can make ourselves feel better by saying no-one is making them get on the boats. And again, the Home Secretary is not entirely wrong when …

Dear Shabana,

Let's clear some things up around migration and remember we're talking about people's lives.

Drone fly short. Hit big ship. Bang bang block canal.

Todd @ Why are we bothering with the Strait of Hormuz when we could simply do this? Explain it to me like I'm 5. Canal RIOS 508 MOUNTAIN HARD AND BIG, WATER NO UP. MANY MANY DIG DIG.

He likely will see real extreme poverty, doubt he’ll reflect on his school fees comments though.

But she thinks she is a genius. Thoroughly unpleasant person too.

There's a lot of mean-spiritedness about people who have gone to live in Dubai. We need to help, and ensure they have secure accommodation in the UK for 91 days of the next tax year.

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Maybe email these guys?

Small white dog asleep on his back.

Tax:

Very infrequently mine will get some poo stuck. He literally just sits and doesn’t move. Whether in the park or the garden, rain or shine, day or night. Just sits there until I ‘rescue’ him with a poo bag.

Totale Night by Merchandise
33 mins
Superb.

I read it at the same age. You’re fine.

Genuinely saved my mental health aged 20. The message is so simple and clear.

Gimme your hands.

Oh no, love, you're not alone
You're watching yourself, but you're too unfair
You got your head all tangled up
But if I could only make you care
Oh no, love, you're not alone
No matter what or who you've been
No matter when or where you've seen
All the knives seem to lacerate your brain

Colors with Sean Penn. Great performance.

I’ll take a draw at this point for sure.

I hope he lives in fear for the rest of his life.

If they were trained they would follow the law, which they are breaking daily. So either they know the law and disregard it, or they haven’t been trained? Which is worse?

Looking forward to Jim Ratcliffe selling all his foreign players and only employing British players at Man United. What a hypocrite.

Goldman to Lyons: "You said in your opening statement that references to ICE as 'the Gestapo' or 'secret police' encourages threats against ICE agents. The problem is you have it backwards. People are simply making valid observations about your tactics, which are un-American and outright fascist."

Bovino literally dresses in a WWII greatcoat. Half of ICE are recruited from the proud boys. They don’t follow the rule of law and victimise American citizens without due process. Criticising these things is healthy so they don’t keep on happening.

#boro good value for that 2-0 lead in the first half. Sol Brynn kept us in it with some smart saves.

Play it. Live your best life. A wife who polices your interests is not much of a wife.

Are these values in the room with us now Sir Kier?

You Probably Couldn’t See for the Lights but You Were Staring Straight at Me

James Acaster has the measure of him.

Yep, let the trash take itself out.

Same.

A place for everything and everything in its place. Keys will be in one of 2 places.

They’ve stopped putting them up. I was removing them literally the same day they went up 👍