Richard at UKverified
@ukverified.bsky.social
I don't claim the past was better but progress isn't what it used to be with inequality, poverty and political disillusionment on the rise.
Interests: Politics, news and current affairs.
Interests: Politics, news and current affairs.
"Almost every PM since Tony Blair has employed their version of McSweeney. Alastair Campbell destroyed Blair’s reputation for integrity. David Cameron hired Murdoch henchman Andy Coulson with... consequences. Nick Timothy all but lost Theresa May the 2017 election."
bylinetimes.com/2026/02/08/t...
bylinetimes.com/2026/02/08/t...
The End of Morgan McSweeney: Peter Oborne on Keir Starmer's Departing Chief of Staff
As McSweeney resigns, we re-publish Peter Oborne’s exclusive Byline Times reporting on how Keir Starmer's chief strategist drove Labour towards defeat by the far-right
bylinetimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:31 PM
"Almost every PM since Tony Blair has employed their version of McSweeney. Alastair Campbell destroyed Blair’s reputation for integrity. David Cameron hired Murdoch henchman Andy Coulson with... consequences. Nick Timothy all but lost Theresa May the 2017 election."
bylinetimes.com/2026/02/08/t...
bylinetimes.com/2026/02/08/t...
Lord Peter Mandelson a small 'window' into the previously hidden world of the wealthy, politics and finance. Operated by politicians who have been bought and paid for to do the bidding of billionaires.
jonathancook.substack.com/p/starmer-is...
jonathancook.substack.com/p/starmer-is...
Starmer is toast. But the dark forces that brought him to power are as strong as ever
The political and media classes that once venerated Mandelson and are now cutting him adrift are the same ones that spent five years destroying Corbyn
jonathancook.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Lord Peter Mandelson a small 'window' into the previously hidden world of the wealthy, politics and finance. Operated by politicians who have been bought and paid for to do the bidding of billionaires.
jonathancook.substack.com/p/starmer-is...
jonathancook.substack.com/p/starmer-is...
The abuse of power: Until funding of politicians and political parties by the wealthy and business is radically overhauled then politics will continue to advance the interests of the few not the many.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Mandelson revelations show need for tougher UK constraints to resist rule of the rich | Heather Stewart
Labour must protect democracy and learn lessons from Jeffrey Epstein’s efforts to influence government policy
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The abuse of power: Until funding of politicians and political parties by the wealthy and business is radically overhauled then politics will continue to advance the interests of the few not the many.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
There is something rotten in the state of America and it is the President, Donald Trump.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump's war on history
As America's 250th anniversary approaches, the president wants to control the country's future by bulldozing its past.
www.motherjones.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:38 PM
There is something rotten in the state of America and it is the President, Donald Trump.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Washington, D.C. 26/02/2025 Keir Starmer at a reception for Peter Mandelson.
"You can sense that there's a new leader. He's a true one-off, a pioneer in business and in politics. Many people love him. Others love to hate him. But to us, he's just Peter."
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/epst...
"You can sense that there's a new leader. He's a true one-off, a pioneer in business and in politics. Many people love him. Others love to hate him. But to us, he's just Peter."
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/epst...
Epstein files: Mandelson scandal indicts the entire British establishment
New revelations shed light on a deeply corrupt system of government that functions in the interests of criminal elites
www.middleeasteye.net
February 4, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Washington, D.C. 26/02/2025 Keir Starmer at a reception for Peter Mandelson.
"You can sense that there's a new leader. He's a true one-off, a pioneer in business and in politics. Many people love him. Others love to hate him. But to us, he's just Peter."
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/epst...
"You can sense that there's a new leader. He's a true one-off, a pioneer in business and in politics. Many people love him. Others love to hate him. But to us, he's just Peter."
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/epst...
Keir Starmer's judgement is being called into question over his "canny choice" in appointing Peter Mandelson as the UK's Washington Ambassador.
unherd.com/newsroom/pet...
unherd.com/newsroom/pet...
Peter Mandelson is a canny choice for US ambassador
In many ways, Peter Mandelson is far from the obvious choice to be US ambassador. His job over the next four years will be to get as close as possible to one of the most populist, macho and American a...
unherd.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Keir Starmer's judgement is being called into question over his "canny choice" in appointing Peter Mandelson as the UK's Washington Ambassador.
unherd.com/newsroom/pet...
unherd.com/newsroom/pet...
Senior executives in Formula 1, football and American football maintained their links with Jeffrey Epstein even after his conviction for a sex offence.
Were they concerned about being out of the loop if they broke off contact or were they trapped in his web?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Were they concerned about being out of the loop if they broke off contact or were they trapped in his web?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Epstein files: Football, F1, and NFL bosses kept links after sex conviction
Senior figures in sport maintained personal contact with Jeffrey Epstein, while others were discussed regarding potential deals.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Senior executives in Formula 1, football and American football maintained their links with Jeffrey Epstein even after his conviction for a sex offence.
Were they concerned about being out of the loop if they broke off contact or were they trapped in his web?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Were they concerned about being out of the loop if they broke off contact or were they trapped in his web?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Bye, bye the post WW2 semblance of a rules based order and hello to the expansionism of the 1930s.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump’s coup in Venezuela didn’t just break the rules – it showed there aren’t any. We’ll all regret that | Nesrine Malik
It’s not just the triumphalism in the White House. Leaders loth to oppose this gangsterism must think how that looks to Putin, Xi and in the UAE, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Bye, bye the post WW2 semblance of a rules based order and hello to the expansionism of the 1930s.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Donald Trump's stance on drugs. What's he smoking?
January 5, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Donald Trump's stance on drugs. What's he smoking?
The Donroe Doctrine: Donald Trump's uncompleted vision. Will he complete it in 2026?
January 4, 2026 at 6:24 PM
The Donroe Doctrine: Donald Trump's uncompleted vision. Will he complete it in 2026?
Two sources of sustainable energy, one above and another below but lower than we have gone before. But this time we cannot drill our way to unlocking the energy potential that exists.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/unlim...
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/unlim...
Unlimited energy: reaching for the heat beneath our feet
Deep below us, is a vast untapped source of sustainable energy waiting to be released. Slowly, we are finding ways to tap into it
eastangliabylines.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Two sources of sustainable energy, one above and another below but lower than we have gone before. But this time we cannot drill our way to unlocking the energy potential that exists.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/unlim...
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/unlim...
When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire?
The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip reports that Israeli forces have committed 875 violations over 74 days of the ceasefire, killing 411 Palestinians and injuring 1,112 as they also arrested 45 people.
December 23, 2025 at 10:32 PM
When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire?
Reposted by Richard at UKverified
Goodness me, these judicial comments are astonishingly damming of the Campaign Against Antisemitism. news.sky.com/story/regina...
Reginald D Hunter: Summons against comic by Campaign Against Antisemitism quashed for seeking to have him 'cancelled'
The judge said the CAA "misled" him over comments Hunter made to Heidi Bachram on X, and failed to inform him of a previous compliance probe.
news.sky.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Goodness me, these judicial comments are astonishingly damming of the Campaign Against Antisemitism. news.sky.com/story/regina...
Project 2025 and the Media: The Heritage Foundation could not have hoped for more from the Trump Administration.
www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
How Project 2025 kneecapped the US press.
The Heritage Foundation’s road map for a conservative presidency proposed sweeping media reforms. Trump carried out most of them—and he has three years left.
www.cjr.org
December 23, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Project 2025 and the Media: The Heritage Foundation could not have hoped for more from the Trump Administration.
www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
When Greenland becomes the 51st State of the Union will it be renamed Trumpland?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Trump says US needs Greenland after naming special envoy
Denmark warns Washington to respect its sovereignty, while Greenland says it will decide its own future.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
When Greenland becomes the 51st State of the Union will it be renamed Trumpland?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
City and Guilds: How Privatisation benefits the few, the executives and shareholders as sadly, the benefits fail to trickle down.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Bosses at City & Guilds handed million-pound bonuses after training firm is privatised
Exclusive: Executives at body that trained chef Jamie Oliver awarded pay rises and bonuses after sale to private firm – as hundreds of jobs may be offshored
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
City and Guilds: How Privatisation benefits the few, the executives and shareholders as sadly, the benefits fail to trickle down.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
The Trump family cashing in on dad being President.
December 22, 2025 at 6:52 PM
The Trump family cashing in on dad being President.
The King's Message for Christmas.
December 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The King's Message for Christmas.
"Israel would never bomb a hospital. Or maybe it would if it had some tunnels underneath. Or maybe no tunnels were needed, just the presence of some presumed Hamas fighter, or a camera... By the end, Israel had destroyed every single hospital in Gaza."
brunomacaes.substack.com/p/gaza-the-r...
brunomacaes.substack.com/p/gaza-the-r...
Gaza: The Reckoning
The debate on whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide is now closed, and has been closed for a while.
brunomacaes.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM
"Israel would never bomb a hospital. Or maybe it would if it had some tunnels underneath. Or maybe no tunnels were needed, just the presence of some presumed Hamas fighter, or a camera... By the end, Israel had destroyed every single hospital in Gaza."
brunomacaes.substack.com/p/gaza-the-r...
brunomacaes.substack.com/p/gaza-the-r...
Thought for Today: "After almost a year of Trump’s second term, I and many other people — including, very likely, you — are feeling exhausted, distraught, and sickened by what’s happened to our country and the world."
robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-tho...
robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-tho...
Sunday thought: Our political trauma
Friends,
robertreich.substack.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Thought for Today: "After almost a year of Trump’s second term, I and many other people — including, very likely, you — are feeling exhausted, distraught, and sickened by what’s happened to our country and the world."
robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-tho...
robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-tho...
The Met Police: "So can the Met be reformed? Well, if tokenism could do the job, it would have happened by now."
"It is in charge of implementing increasingly authoritarian anti-protest legislation".
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-...
"It is in charge of implementing increasingly authoritarian anti-protest legislation".
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-...
How can the Met police Gaza protests when it can't solve its own racism crisis?
The London police force has a long history of racism, sexism and bigotry - and despite years of criticism, that doesn't seem to be changing
www.middleeasteye.net
December 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The Met Police: "So can the Met be reformed? Well, if tokenism could do the job, it would have happened by now."
"It is in charge of implementing increasingly authoritarian anti-protest legislation".
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-...
"It is in charge of implementing increasingly authoritarian anti-protest legislation".
www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-...
When AI has replaced entry level jobs who will then fill the jobs in the next level up when they become vacant... further advances in AI or inexperienced entrants?
Presumably, the former process will stop at the C-suite?
fortune.com/2025/12/16/a...
Presumably, the former process will stop at the C-suite?
fortune.com/2025/12/16/a...
fortune.com
December 21, 2025 at 12:31 PM
When AI has replaced entry level jobs who will then fill the jobs in the next level up when they become vacant... further advances in AI or inexperienced entrants?
Presumably, the former process will stop at the C-suite?
fortune.com/2025/12/16/a...
Presumably, the former process will stop at the C-suite?
fortune.com/2025/12/16/a...
Another open secret is why essay cheating persists. Universities are heavily dependent on overseas student fees, while high grades boost institutional status, rankings and course demand.
However, is this good for higher education, students or wider society?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
However, is this good for higher education, students or wider society?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Essay cheating at universities an 'open secret' despite new law
An essay mill owner says he's made millions, while an ex-lecturer says he quit due to rife cheating.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 17, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Another open secret is why essay cheating persists. Universities are heavily dependent on overseas student fees, while high grades boost institutional status, rankings and course demand.
However, is this good for higher education, students or wider society?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
However, is this good for higher education, students or wider society?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"In France, the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic."
The pandemic damaged the future of a generation.
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
The pandemic damaged the future of a generation.
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
France in focus - Mental health crisis reaches new lows for French teens
In France, the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. In this edition, we met several young people suffering from mental health strug...
www.france24.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:10 PM
"In France, the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic."
The pandemic damaged the future of a generation.
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
The pandemic damaged the future of a generation.
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...