Ian Birrell
@ianbirrell.bsky.social
Foreign correspondent, columnist, campaigner, co-founder Africa Express, citizen of the world and a bit more besides…
As I wrote earlier this year....and now this government is grabbing control of SEND provision, so prepare for the worst
November 26, 2025 at 1:22 PM
As I wrote earlier this year....and now this government is grabbing control of SEND provision, so prepare for the worst
Still, at least we have fantastic public services hahaha….
November 26, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Still, at least we have fantastic public services hahaha….
It is not ‘misogyny’ to point out that Reeves has been a hopeless chancellor who misled voters repeatedly, stifled growth, mishandled the economy and has made a series of political missteps (as well as plagiarising, posting up a false CV and failing to obtain a council rental licence).
November 25, 2025 at 1:12 PM
It is not ‘misogyny’ to point out that Reeves has been a hopeless chancellor who misled voters repeatedly, stifled growth, mishandled the economy and has made a series of political missteps (as well as plagiarising, posting up a false CV and failing to obtain a council rental licence).
While no fan of Cummings, this is an interesting line in his response to the Covid inquiry about the origins cover-up
November 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
While no fan of Cummings, this is an interesting line in his response to the Covid inquiry about the origins cover-up
This ridiculous piece raises the idea of 60% of Germans being Muslim when current data suggests that only about 6% of the population at most is Muslim.
November 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM
This ridiculous piece raises the idea of 60% of Germans being Muslim when current data suggests that only about 6% of the population at most is Muslim.
It’s so grim - and a depressing sign of the times - that Reform UK bigots are putting this absurd and offensive suggestion into the public arena
November 4, 2025 at 10:56 PM
It’s so grim - and a depressing sign of the times - that Reform UK bigots are putting this absurd and offensive suggestion into the public arena
Weird how Max Hastings claims to be a hawk on Russia today given his calls to appease Putin in the initial weeks of the full-scale invasion
November 3, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Weird how Max Hastings claims to be a hawk on Russia today given his calls to appease Putin in the initial weeks of the full-scale invasion
So it looks like Trump is being played by Putin and betraying democracy yet again
October 17, 2025 at 8:46 PM
So it looks like Trump is being played by Putin and betraying democracy yet again
Fortunately the European Parliament keeps a record of Nigel Farage shamefully repeating Kremlin propaganda about Ukraine and absolving Russia of any responsibility for invading a democratic nation while saying Putin 'is on our side' in a more significant struggle
September 29, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Fortunately the European Parliament keeps a record of Nigel Farage shamefully repeating Kremlin propaganda about Ukraine and absolving Russia of any responsibility for invading a democratic nation while saying Putin 'is on our side' in a more significant struggle
If the government’s digital ID card scheme is based on Estonia, it should also impose their rule that the entire apparatus of state can only ask once for citizen’s details such as age, address, marital status etc to drive efficiency and follow their rules on data protection
September 26, 2025 at 6:39 AM
If the government’s digital ID card scheme is based on Estonia, it should also impose their rule that the entire apparatus of state can only ask once for citizen’s details such as age, address, marital status etc to drive efficiency and follow their rules on data protection
Trump’s fanboy wants to round up for deportation people granted settled leave to remain on the basis that they fail to earn what he considers to be high enough wages.
September 22, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Trump’s fanboy wants to round up for deportation people granted settled leave to remain on the basis that they fail to earn what he considers to be high enough wages.
Nigel Farage writes this in an article tonight about Charlie Kirk’s horrifying murder - just days after he was hugging and hailing a woman at his party conference who urged people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers.
September 11, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Nigel Farage writes this in an article tonight about Charlie Kirk’s horrifying murder - just days after he was hugging and hailing a woman at his party conference who urged people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers.
Fire off a racist, expletive-filled tweet urging people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers and you get cheered on the stage at Reform’s conference as a ‘political prisoner’
September 6, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Fire off a racist, expletive-filled tweet urging people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers and you get cheered on the stage at Reform’s conference as a ‘political prisoner’
Lush is a British retail success story that employs 12,000 people in 27 countries and, unusually, gives employees a voice in running the company. But this sneering buffoon thinks it should close for showing sympathy to people in Gaza enduring war crimes
September 6, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Lush is a British retail success story that employs 12,000 people in 27 countries and, unusually, gives employees a voice in running the company. But this sneering buffoon thinks it should close for showing sympathy to people in Gaza enduring war crimes
Free speech? Not with Reform UK and Nigel Farage…
September 5, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Free speech? Not with Reform UK and Nigel Farage…
Why does the British army need to outsource its training of soldiers (let alone to an Israeli defence company)?
September 3, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Why does the British army need to outsource its training of soldiers (let alone to an Israeli defence company)?
You are not a political prisoner if pleading guilty to inciting people to engage in racist violence, including setting fire to other human beings, in a media posting read 310,000 times
Do read the appeal court judgement judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…
Do read the appeal court judgement judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…
August 22, 2025 at 9:31 PM
You are not a political prisoner if pleading guilty to inciting people to engage in racist violence, including setting fire to other human beings, in a media posting read 310,000 times
Do read the appeal court judgement judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…
Do read the appeal court judgement judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…
No surprise to see this repulsive union boss who hung out with pro-Russian separatists in occupied Ukraine is seeking maximum disruption of London transport
August 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
No surprise to see this repulsive union boss who hung out with pro-Russian separatists in occupied Ukraine is seeking maximum disruption of London transport
There is no doubt this proposal for a mansion tax - imposing CGT on more expensive properties - would stop many older people moving from family homes, impacting across the market. Like so many populist ideas, it would backfire…
August 21, 2025 at 8:05 AM
There is no doubt this proposal for a mansion tax - imposing CGT on more expensive properties - would stop many older people moving from family homes, impacting across the market. Like so many populist ideas, it would backfire…
The flip-flopping Boris Johnson, supposed friend of Ukraine who backed Trump and said he’d ‘save’ the country that is being sold down the river by a Kremlin patsy in the White House…
August 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The flip-flopping Boris Johnson, supposed friend of Ukraine who backed Trump and said he’d ‘save’ the country that is being sold down the river by a Kremlin patsy in the White House…
Wow! The shadow Home Secretary does not seem to support trial by jury. This dismal politician has, astonishingly, turned into a Robert Jenrick wannabe…. even as Jenrick cosplays Farage…and Farage cosplays Trump.
August 16, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Wow! The shadow Home Secretary does not seem to support trial by jury. This dismal politician has, astonishingly, turned into a Robert Jenrick wannabe…. even as Jenrick cosplays Farage…and Farage cosplays Trump.
Robert Jenrick says he wants to ‘depoliticise’ the judiciary by… taking away appointment of judges from an independent body and handing this power back to a politician
August 16, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Robert Jenrick says he wants to ‘depoliticise’ the judiciary by… taking away appointment of judges from an independent body and handing this power back to a politician
Because Trump is attempting to sell Ukraine and its noble fight for freedom down the river in his efforts to appease Putin....
August 7, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Because Trump is attempting to sell Ukraine and its noble fight for freedom down the river in his efforts to appease Putin....
Surprised the number backing the foolishness of Brexit is so high!👇
August 3, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Surprised the number backing the foolishness of Brexit is so high!👇