David Osland
@davidosland.bsky.social
Forty-year veteran of British leftwing politics. Not the opinions of any publication for which I write.
Now we can all see how appeasement happened
January 5, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Now we can all see how appeasement happened
I remember when British lefties thought US presidents couldn't get worse than Reagan. Then we got Bush. Now we have Trump.
January 4, 2026 at 11:27 AM
I remember when British lefties thought US presidents couldn't get worse than Reagan. Then we got Bush. Now we have Trump.
'Neither Washington nor Moscow' used to be a well-known far left slogan. And it remains entirely valid today.
January 3, 2026 at 3:29 PM
'Neither Washington nor Moscow' used to be a well-known far left slogan. And it remains entirely valid today.
Trump is the last person on earth who can credibly 'uphold democratic legitimacy'
January 3, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Trump is the last person on earth who can credibly 'uphold democratic legitimacy'
OK, so Britain might have 354,000 homeless, 1.8m unemployed and 3.8m hungry kids. But on the upside, the FTSE-100 index hit an all-time high this morning.
January 2, 2026 at 2:41 PM
OK, so Britain might have 354,000 homeless, 1.8m unemployed and 3.8m hungry kids. But on the upside, the FTSE-100 index hit an all-time high this morning.
Shocked to see that Nadine Dorries has been denied a peerage in the New Year's Honours list. Again.
January 1, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Shocked to see that Nadine Dorries has been denied a peerage in the New Year's Honours list. Again.
2025 will surpass 2024 as the deadliest and most violent year for children in conflict since UN monitoring began
December 30, 2025 at 3:39 PM
2025 will surpass 2024 as the deadliest and most violent year for children in conflict since UN monitoring began
The Tories are very concerned about ancient Tweets from a UK national Egyptian democracy activist. But happy to dish out a knighthood to billionaire Mohamed Mansour - a minister during the Mubarak dictatorship - after he gave them a £5m donation.
December 29, 2025 at 3:07 PM
The Tories are very concerned about ancient Tweets from a UK national Egyptian democracy activist. But happy to dish out a knighthood to billionaire Mohamed Mansour - a minister during the Mubarak dictatorship - after he gave them a £5m donation.
More than 340 people became billionaires in 2025, roughly one per day and the most ever in a single year. And nine million people died from hunger.
December 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
More than 340 people became billionaires in 2025, roughly one per day and the most ever in a single year. And nine million people died from hunger.
They say the monarchy a tourist attraction. So is Legoland, and it doesn't get an annual £90m subsidy from the taxpayer.
December 24, 2025 at 4:37 PM
They say the monarchy a tourist attraction. So is Legoland, and it doesn't get an annual £90m subsidy from the taxpayer.
The monarchy is not 'a symbol of national unity'. It's a symbol of Britain's deeply entrenched class divisions.
December 24, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The monarchy is not 'a symbol of national unity'. It's a symbol of Britain's deeply entrenched class divisions.
Frankly, if the worst the rich have got to complain about is VAT on public school fees and a ban on fox hunting, they're doing pretty bloody well
December 21, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Frankly, if the worst the rich have got to complain about is VAT on public school fees and a ban on fox hunting, they're doing pretty bloody well
First they make NHS dentistry unavailable. Then they attack working class people for having bad teeth.
December 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
First they make NHS dentistry unavailable. Then they attack working class people for having bad teeth.
If the BBC gave Nigel Farage his own weekly television and a £400,000 a year salary, he'd probably stop attacking them
December 19, 2025 at 5:39 PM
If the BBC gave Nigel Farage his own weekly television and a £400,000 a year salary, he'd probably stop attacking them
Michelle Mone's company PPE Medpro has been wound up without repaying the £122m it owes for ripping off the NHS. But luckily, she gets to keep the private jet and the superyacht.
December 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Michelle Mone's company PPE Medpro has been wound up without repaying the £122m it owes for ripping off the NHS. But luckily, she gets to keep the private jet and the superyacht.
If the Daily Mail backs Reform UK at the next election, it will be the first time it hasn't supported the Conservative Party since it came out in favour of the British Union of Fascists
December 14, 2025 at 1:09 PM
If the Daily Mail backs Reform UK at the next election, it will be the first time it hasn't supported the Conservative Party since it came out in favour of the British Union of Fascists
Lord Rothermere's wife has donated £50,000 to Reform UK. I wonder which party the Daily Mail will endorse at the next election.
December 14, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Lord Rothermere's wife has donated £50,000 to Reform UK. I wonder which party the Daily Mail will endorse at the next election.
Rupert Lowe is right to point out that large parts of London are no-go areas. For anyone earning less than £150,000 a year, that is.
December 14, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Rupert Lowe is right to point out that large parts of London are no-go areas. For anyone earning less than £150,000 a year, that is.
Since Starmer became leader, Labour's membership has seen a departure every seven minutes. Management at Euston station should ask him how he does it.
December 14, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Since Starmer became leader, Labour's membership has seen a departure every seven minutes. Management at Euston station should ask him how he does it.
An hour's hard graft has to worth a poxy £15 and anybody who says different is a dirty rotten so and so. That's the end of that particular debate, really.
December 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
An hour's hard graft has to worth a poxy £15 and anybody who says different is a dirty rotten so and so. That's the end of that particular debate, really.
£5 for a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, £8 for a jar of Nescafe, £12 for a bottle of olive oil. And then Badenoch says the minimum wage shouldn't go up this year.
December 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM
£5 for a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, £8 for a jar of Nescafe, £12 for a bottle of olive oil. And then Badenoch says the minimum wage shouldn't go up this year.
Not only should the minimum wage be increased, but it should be increased again. And then increased some more.
December 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Not only should the minimum wage be increased, but it should be increased again. And then increased some more.
Kemi Badenoch is right to remind us that the last Tory government created wealth. It's just that all of it went to the 1%, while everybody else experienced the longest period of falling living standards in 200 years.
December 9, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Kemi Badenoch is right to remind us that the last Tory government created wealth. It's just that all of it went to the 1%, while everybody else experienced the longest period of falling living standards in 200 years.
I've just learned that Tory anti-immigration hardliner Robert Jenrick has an immigrant wife. But it's OK, she's white.
December 6, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I've just learned that Tory anti-immigration hardliner Robert Jenrick has an immigrant wife. But it's OK, she's white.
The only meaningful definition of 'making working pay' is increasing the minimum wage. Cutting benefits is just cutting benefits.
December 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The only meaningful definition of 'making working pay' is increasing the minimum wage. Cutting benefits is just cutting benefits.