Photo of page from the book Pagans with suggested further reading on alternative histories

Really enjoyed Pagans by @jamesbluecat.bsky.social. A crime novel set in a present day England where the Battle of Hastings never happened and the UK is all Saxons, Celts and Picts. This was the further reading guide, so I knew it was going to be good fun. (Back in the USSA is a terrific read.)

Great fun. I’m thinking about renaming my car Roadfucker. Lot to be said for Saxon marketing

Undercover police officer exposed by his own blunder, spycops inquiry hears Officer said he held himself responsible for accidentally phoning activist while in secret special branch meeting

“Many of his surveillance reports… consisted of information taken from campaigns’ websites. Wellings said one of the reasons he joined the [undercover police] was the significant amount of overtime that he claimed.” Crème de La creme policing with the #spycops www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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

“Police and MI5 subjected a BBC journalist to a “long and consistent campaign of unlawful interference” by obtaining communications data from his mobile phone.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Labour minister falsely linked journalists to ‘pro-Kremlin’ network in emails to GCHQ Exclusive: Josh Simons pressed intelligence officials to investigate reporters, in emails described as ‘McCarthyite smear’

This stinks www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

MoJ orders deletion of UK’s largest court reporting archive Courtsdesk, which supports the media in monitoring records, is an important tool for journalists and the move raises concerns over open justice

The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.

This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.

www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...

Yesterday we were in Bristol, UK at the Annual General Meeting of Imperial Brands, one of the world's largest tobacco companies.

We put a number of questions to the board about the company’s activities.

TCRG co-directors @robbranston.bsky.social and Dr. @allengallagher.bsky.social explain more.

Snapped Ankles. At some point I guess they’d take off the ghillie suits otherwise it could get a bit awkward.

The UK’s high streets have reached a tipping point – and Reform will reap the benefits | John Harris When even Poundland and charity shops are closing, we’re near a point of no return. But there is hope, says Guardian columnist John Harris

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Gerry Gable (1937-2026) | Searchlight Gerry Gable It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that Searchlight's founder, Gerry Gable, has died at the age of 88. He had been in ...

It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that Searchlight’s founder, Gerry Gable, has died at the age of 88. He had been in frail health for some time, but a recent hospital admission proved too much and he died peacefully last night.

You can read more here:

Spycops sent thousands of surveillance reports to MI5, inquiry documents reveal Security Service was able to compile detailed files on members of legitimate protest groups infiltrated by undercover police officers

Thousands of surveillance reports compiled by undercover #spycops on political campaigners were routinely passed to MI5, documents obtained by an inquiry have revealed. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Tony, we have a problem New disclosures from the National Archives reveal how ministers and officials struggled with the freedom of information system when it came into force in 2005.

Martin Rosenbaum on new National Archive releases about the implentdtiok of the FOI Act. open.substack.com/pub/rosenbau...

The polluter pays principle, big oil pays the politicians and the politicians oppose net zero.

Constructing impartiality in a polarised news environment: An analysis of BBC Question Time contributors 2014-2024 - Matt Walsh, 2025 Televised panel discussions are an increasingly used form of journalism, providing cheap content without expensive newsgathering. In recent years, panel constru...

Final publication of the year: I examined 10 years of panellists on BBC Question Time. Some interesting findings - thread below:
(1/6)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Paddington can drive?!?

Revealed: how big businesses are rolling back public support for Pride Guardian analysis of 20 major companies in UK and US shows mentions of Pride on social media have fallen substantially in past two years

I wonder if a similar survey of local govt would find the same? In Wiltshire, an alliance of Tory and Reform cllrs managed to neuter a motion expressing support for LGBTQ+ residents www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Undercover officer admits deceiving woman into five-year relationship Mark Jenner strung along activist who wanted to have children with him in an ‘extremely cruel’ way to infiltrate leftwing circles, Spycops inquiry told

“Jenner was given a commendation by his superiors for his covert work.” #spycops www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Police spied on group set up to expose wrongdoing in Met, inquiry hears The HCDA, which sought to expose police corruption and violence, was secretly monitored for a decade

#spycops inquiry: monitor the police? Expect to be infiltrated www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Having given evidence to the public inquiry earlier this week, & in anticipation of hearing from Mark Jenner himself next week, ‘Alison’ will be discussing all things #spycops with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 later today around 1pm-ish.

‘My God, what a story it would make’: film-maker Kevin Brownlow on It Happened Here and Winstanley Brownlow is best known for restoring silent movies, but in conjunction with Andrew Mollo, he made two features, in 1964 and 1975, that look astonishingly prescient today

I haven’t seen ‘Winstanley’ but ‘It Happened Here’ is an astonishing film. Great article here on its co-directors www.theguardian.com/film/2025/de...

Packed session on podcasting at #GIJC2025 and a brilliant session. The power of audio stories to cut through different ages, languages and cultures. Plenty of ideas for @tcrg Deadly Industry podcast

Launch of UK Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 - Tobacco Tactics A new report led by members of the Tobacco Control Research Group examines the extent to which UK policy making is protected against the vested interests of the tobacco industry, based on evidence cap...

Japan Tobacco International’s name was quietly removed from the Museum’s website last week - the same day that a new report by @tcrgbath.bsky.social highlighted how the deal formed part of JTI’s wider influence & lobbying strategy. www.tobaccotactics.org/news/launch-...

British Museum drops tobacco sponsor after claims of WHO breach Money from Japan Tobacco International could have put institution at odds with agreement to not promote tobacco products

BREAKING: The British Museum’s controversial partnership with tobacco manufacturer JTI is OVER!
www.thetimes.com/uk/media/art...
- Yet this wasn’t the Museum finally making an ethical choice; instead the sponsorship was ended after an intervention by the Department of Health.

What AI doesn’t know: we could be creating a global ‘knowledge collapse’ | Deepak Varuvel Dennison The long read: As GenAI becomes the primary way to find information, local and traditional wisdom is being lost. And we are only beginning to realise what we’re missing

“Are we capable of moving towards this technological future while authentically engaging with the knowledge systems we’ve dismissed, with genuine curiosity beyond tokenism?” Are we moving to a collapse in local knowledge thru GenAI? www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...

Taxing tobacco is a win-win for health services under pressure. So why aren’t governments demanding more? | Mary Assunta The latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index shows how companies are succeeding in influencing governments to ensure taxes remain flat or stubbornly low

As the latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index launches, Mary Assunta on how properly taxing tobacco is a win-win for health services www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Been planning away for #GIJC25 - lots to look forward to. And plenty of people to connect with.

Brilliant to see the #TobaccoSlaveFilm getting aired and discussed. Thanks to our friends at the Globale Mittlehessen festival for providing this opportunity. @tcrgbath.bsky.social

Forget petty bribes, ‘state capture’ is corruption so deep it is shaping the rules of democracy itself | Kenneth Mohammed Beating the dangerous influence of private interests on governments requires independent judges, journalists and a courageous civil society

“State capture – a form of corruption so deeply embedded that it shapes the rules of democracy itself.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

The European Ombudsman "has opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission acted secretively in its dealings with industry before launching a series of business-friendly initiatives".

The Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory
www.politico.eu/article/ombu...

Gambling does not cause any ‘social ills’, lobbyist tells incredulous MPs Head of UK’s Betting and Gaming Council was asked to repeat claim as she spoke against increasing taxes on sector in November budget

...righto.