In Memory of a Musical Titan: RIP Mike Westbrook (1936-2026) It was with considerable sadness that I learned of the death, a few days ago, of the great composer, bandleader, pianist and occasional horn-player Mike Westbrook, just weeks after his 90th birthda…

Very sad to hear yesterday that the great Mike Westbrook is no longer with us. Here are some words of remembrance and appreciation. geoffandrew.com/2026/04/14/i...

Orbán Ousted: Is The Tide Turning Against Far-Right Populism? Podcast Episode · The Rest Is Politics · 13 April · 13min

Quick take for @therestpolitics.bsky.social on the fall of Viktor Orban and why it is a loss for far more leaders than just the outgoing Hungarian PM

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Thousands march against far right in London in biggest ever multicultural protest More than 100 charities, campaign groups and trade unions marched in London in a show of unity against far right politics

Hundred of thousands march against far right in London in biggest ever multicultural protest
More than 100 charities, campaign groups and trade unions marched in a show of unity against far right politics

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Deportations, racism and the manosphere - behind the scenes in the US last week YouTube video by Professor Christina Pagel

Deportations, racism and the manosphere - last week in Trump's America.

youtube.com/shorts/Svv2-...

Ministers explore triggering break clause in Palantir’s NHS contract Government is under pressure to eject the controversial American company from NHS England data systems

That UK government ever considers asserting its contractual rights against a major supplier is rare and welcome.

And here, this is especially welcome.

This will not be easy but it can be done, but it is good it is being seriously considered at all.

www.ft.com/content/2d2b...

Exhausted Palestinians struggle to put lives back together as world’s gaze fixes on Iran Five months after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, airstrikes are still killing civilians, and the humanitarian situation remains dire

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

There is little left that connects Palestinians in Gaza with their previous existence. The population has been stripped of its past. Israeli airstrikes are still killing civilians, & the humanitarian situation remains dire.

Where is the world? Where is humanity?

New York City hospitals drop Palantir as controversial AI firm expands in UK The decision follows activist pressure as Palantir faces growing scrutiny over NHS and UK government deals

New York’s public hospitals dropped Palantir this week.

Is it time the NHS did the same?
www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/26/n...

Chapter by chapter take down of Matt Goodwin's latest book.

Screenshot of a tweet: Ben Graham @BenGrahamUK X.com Britain has been a Christian nation for over 1,400 years. Through wars, plagues, and countless kings, Easter has always been celebrated. Yet now, Cadbury won't even use the word 'Easter' on their eggs. When did celebrating British traditions become controversial? Above a photo of Easter Eggs

Screenshot of a tweet: ClIr Jaymey Mclvor * @McivorJaymey x.com Any chance I can get an Easter Egg please M&S? Will they ever learn It's like they do it on purpose to offend. Easter is not National Chocolate Day. Which extremists are you trying hard to not offend? @marksandspencer @GBNEWS Above images of Easter Eggs in M&S

🧵And we're off, ladies and gentlemen!

It's "they're banning the word EASTER" week.

Regular as clockwork...

So here comes a history lesson and media lesson all rolled into one thread!

PS, I can't believe there's no easter egg emoji?

This was the best I could do - 🗿🥚

🤣 I digress!

1/19

What Happened in America Last Week — Beyond the Iran Headlines YouTube video by Professor Christina Pagel

Roundup of the key US stories that received less attention, from pressure on the press to abortion policy, health research cuts, environmental rollbacks and civil rights concerns.

Subtitles available and all actions available on the newly refreshed www.trumpactiontracker.info

youtu.be/g3cl3Erx2qg

Adam Rutherford - Olaudah Equiano annual race justice lecture - Anglia Ruskin University - Cambridge - Mar 2026 The unwelcome return of scientific racism: the Olaudah Equiano annual race justice lecture

Great lecture by Adam Rutherford ( @adamrutherford.bsky.social ) on "the unwelcome return of scientific racism" yesterday at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

flic.kr/s/aHBqjCNtM9

Weds, I'll be giving the Olaudah Equiano Race Lecture as part of the Cambridge Festival, and afterwards, I'll be hotfooting it to a screening of Ex Machina for a bit of chat, and I may bring a prop...
www.festival.cam.ac.uk/events/unwel...

British politics is hooked on flashy fake numbers – and the AI investment debacle proves it | Jonathan Portes A claim that the UK is attracting billions of pounds in AI investment has been debunked. That’s no surprise when our establishment runs on dubious ‘good news’, says Jonathan Portes, a professor at Kin...

"Another example was Mahmood’s claim that if her “earned settlement” proposals are not implemented 'we will see a £10bn drain on our public finances and further strain on public services..this is a mix of the deliberately misleading and the completely wrong."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Prof Sharon Peacock in conversation with Prof Diane Coyle - Churchill College, Cambridge - Mar 2026 The Master’s Book Club: Professor Sharon Peacock in conversation with Professor Diane Coyle, author of The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters

Excellent talk at Churchill College, Cambridge last night: Professor Sharon Peacock in conversation with Professor Diane Coyle ( @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social ), author of new book The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters.

No country has welcomed me, moved me, excited me more than Iran.
How, therefore, to react to the bombing?
Joy that Khamenei is finally gone. But a Trump-Netanyahu co-authorship is a terrible story.
Sending love to Iranian friends.

An influential organization in Hollywood is trying to smear ’The Voice of Hind Rajab’ ahead of the Oscars.

@premthakker.bsky.social explains the effort to stop the film from winning Best International Feature Film & how the group has ties to the Israeli government.

Read: zeteo.com/p/voice-of-h...

Timeline to US attacks on Iran Flurries of threats, then attacks, then attacks on oversight and independent evidence

Have written a quick post on the timeline leading to today's attacks...

A key thing to notice is how Trump et al tried to suppress dissent and independent evidence after last summer's strikes. Expect the same again now.

open.substack.com/pub/christin...

The Iranian regime is objectively hideous. It murders & incarcerates innocent people, threatens & attacks sovereign neighbours, routinely breaks international law, outlaws dissent & crushes free speech.
Can you see the problem with *Donald Trump & Benjamin Netanyahu* leading the attack on them?

Book your ticket – The Master’s Book Club – Churchill College, University of Cambridge The Master’s Book Club – Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Thu 12 Mar 2026 - Join us to hear from Churchill College Fellow Prof. Dame Diane Coyle in conversation with the Master of Churchill...

If you're in Cambrudge and free on 12th March, I'm talking about my book at Churchill College - free but tix needed: www.tickettailor.com/events/churc...

These people are poison. They will unleash racist thugs on the streets of this country and call it security. They will subjugate us to the US and call it patriotism. They must be stopped. There is no more important task in politics.

Where is the social internet taking us? Report: An emerging crisis for the giant social platforms - toxic and polarised online environments, but enormous potential to transform our world in positive ways.

We did some work on this for the day job - www.bbc.co.uk/rd/articles/...

How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence Insufficient details about the US data intelligence company’s recent contract have been made public

And for the weekend Financial Times I put my public procurement hat on to set out - from a close reading of public domain documents - why the Palantir contracts with MoD are so concerning.

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

I have no particular knowledge nor interest in Palantir, but as a public procurement lawyer looking closely at the public domain documents about the MoD-Palantir contracts, there is something concerning going on.

Two successive high value tenders without advertisements or competition?

Really?

Matt Goodwin and the end of England How one man's career explains our public life.

Matt Goodwin and the end of England: How one man's career explains our public life iandunt.substack.com/p/matt-goodw...

Iran in Crisis: Charlie Gammell on the protests Podcast Episode · Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell · 14/01/2026 · 46m

🚨🚨IRAN EPISODE 🚨🚨
I spoke to Iran expert Charlie Gammell about the latest protests and where it's all going. Recorded yesterday, Charlie had fascinating insights on the Islamic Republic, its likely intentions, and the response from protesters. Have a listen!
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Just the good, friendly, morale-boosting kind of racism.

This is exactly what the recent Trump-BBC 'scandal' was designed to achieve. The BBC is now self-censoring criticisms of Trump in the name of "impartiality"

The Myth of Europe's Open Borders The continent has built a big, invisible wall. But this approach comes with enormous economic and moral risks, writes Jonathan Portes.

"Over the past decade, the continent has built a big, largely invisible fortress—one that carries enormous economic and moral risks. "

Me in Time on European migration policy

time.com/7328851/euro...

Public concern about immigration remains unusually high and has not yet caught up with the reality of falling immigration. However, by the 2029 general election there will have been several years of low net migration. A sharp fall in immigration could impact Reform UK, who are currently leading opinion polls, especially if asylum seeker numbers also fall. However, a fall in net migration of 300,000 a year would increase the deficit by about £2o billion. The government are already having to make unpopular tax rises and spending cuts in the upcoming budget, but would have to make more if the deficit increases. A fall in international student numbers will put further pressure on universities that are struggling financially, especially the 22 universities expected to lose their sponsor license.

Reducing immigration will not necessarily increase the number of jobs available for British people as some employers are responding to tightening immigration rules by increasing outsourcing. Some job vacancies will become harder to fill, particularly in care homes. This will be even worse if a lot of people emigrate because they do not want to wait 10 years for ILR. Conclusion Net migration will fall very sharply in future years as a result of immigration restrictions brought in by both the current and the previous government. Furthermore, emigration will continue to increase, particularly of people with graduate visas. Any political benefit the government may gain from this fall in immigration could be jeopardised by the economic damage that it causes.

Hey, look where years of scapegoating immigrants and devising punitive immigration policies gets you…
Further into debt, collapsing universities, tax rises and spending cuts.
Prejudice and govt dishonesty have high price tags.
Slow hand clap to all those responsible.

Chris is right. Some of these (eg charging for medical appts) aren't cost cuts, but cost shifts. As I wrote here, there are no magic money trees: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/no-magic-m...