Josiah Mortimer
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josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Josiah Mortimer
@josiahmortimer.bsky.social
50K followers 3.6K following 25K posts
Chief Reporter at UK political outlet Byline Times. I write the 'On the Ground' column in our print edition. Covering democracy, campaigning, and Britain's media.

'Fake news w*nker' - Tommy Robinson

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josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Does Michael Prescott look a bit pleased when the chair of the Commons culture committee says that the BBC "now faces a $1bn lawsuit from the President of one of our closest allies"?
Former BBC ethics board member Michael Prescott, possibly with a mild smirk
November 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Lib Dem MP Luke Taylor in last week's debate on social media:

Elon Musk's recent London speech represented "a foreign billionaire, armed with his global megaphone, fanning the flames of division and calling for the overthrow of our democratically elected Government."

"We call that treason here."
Twitter must do far more to tackle the surge of hate speech that we see on our phones and tablets every single day. Since Musk took control of the company in 2022, Twitter has rolled back on safeguards designed Toggle showing location ofColumn 195WHto prevent misinformation and dangerous rhetoric. The same Elon Musk suggested that America should liberate the people of Britain and overthrow our democratically elected Government. Incidentally, the US customs and border protection guidelines for allowing non-citizens to enter the USA state that if an immigration officer knows or believes that someone would be entering the country to attempt to overthrow the US Government, they are inadmissible. If we applied that reasoning to Mr Musk’s next trip to our country, I wonder whether he might have complaints about his treatment. There is free speech, but not without consequences. This is a foreign billionaire, armed with his global megaphone, fanning the flames of division and calling for the overthrow of our democratically elected Government. We call that treason here. We cannot allow tech oligarchs to set the rules for British society. Instead of allowing the world’s richest man to decide what toxic content floods national conversation, the Government must wake up and intervene. We Liberal Democrats call on the Minister to properly equip Ofcom to enforce tough regulations to clamp down on the spread of misinformation online. Online safety cannot rest solely on the shoulders of individual users, as algorithms push controversial content for views and shares. Legislation must be tightened to hold social media platforms accountable for the dangerous rhetoric they allow to thrive.
November 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Lib Dem MP Luke Taylor on calls from Reform & Rupert Lowe to not lock people up for social media posts (except people calling for *them* to be hurt, it seems):

Lowe "has earned over £40k from Twitter since his election" - he is "incentivised" to defend people’s right to incite hate for clicks.
In the case of Lucy Connolly, her post inciting violence against a hotel full of people, as riots raged throughout the country, was seen by more than 300,000 people in the three and a half hours before it was deleted. That is roughly the same number as the combined daily circulation of The Daily Telegraph and The Times newspapers. I cannot agree with treating social media differently from incendiary violence elsewhere. There were 9,000 followers and it was viewed more than 300,000 times in three and a half hours. We cannot keep pretending that what happens online stays online. The digital world is now shaping how people think, speak and act, and the consequences are now impossible to ignore. The very power that social media holds is exactly why so many people wield it with such vigour. Let us not forget that it is a nice little earner for some, too. The hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Rupert Lowe) has earned over £40,000 from Twitter since his election, showing the huge potential of the site, and potentially why he is incentivised to defend so enthusiastically people’s right to say inflammatory and shocking things to drive engagement, clicks and views. The online world has become a place where hate speech—or, as the petition puts it, “opinion…speech”—is allowed to spread like wildfire. Too often, social media platforms shrug their shoulders and walk away from the responsibility of monitoring it or, worse, they actively encourage disinformation. Twitter is the most obvious offender. I am told that, for those who still do, scrolling through Twitter feeds feels like stepping into the wild west. Abusive comments and dangerous posts are left to fester without consequence. A factual error is twisted and retold as the gospel truth before anyone has had time to draw breath. Communities are put at risk by conspiracies that proliferate like a virus.
November 24, 2025 at 1:30 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Labour MP Richard Quigley on Reform's free speech hypocrisy:

Farage "welcomed the imprisonment of an individual who used social media to threaten his life, but readily platformed during his party conference a woman who said "...set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care"
I find it genuinely astounding that parties such as Reform UK, and many in today’s Conservative party, espouse the importance of personal responsibility and accountability, yet are fundamentally unable to stomach Toggle showing location ofColumn 190WHit when individuals on their side of the political argument are held accountable for their words. My personal position —and, I think, that of many of my Labour colleagues—is clear: hate speech is hate speech; words have consequences. No matter whether someone passionately disagrees with someone else politically, if they use social media to call for the death of or harm to another, they should be held accountable by any means the law deems fit. Regretfully, I do not believe that the same clarity exists on the Opposition Benches. It has been astonishing to watch some Members tie themselves in knots—on one hand decrying Britain under Labour as a return to Soviet-style communism, while on the other hand demanding the removal of the Oxford Union president-elect for comments made in a private group chat, not on social media. It seems that, for the right wing, free speech is not a two-way street: it is Schrödinger’s version of free speech. Nowhere has the hypocrisy and knot tying been clearer than in the case of the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), who rightly disavowed, and welcomed the imprisonment of, an individual who used social media to threaten his life, but readily platformed during his party conference a woman who said: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care...If that makes me racist, so be it”. I am genuinely intrigued as to whether free speech is deemed acceptable only if it is used to threaten the lives of refugees and not the Reform party leader.
November 24, 2025 at 1:22 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
New analysis by non-profit climate group Possible today:

Private jet passengers typically pay less than 1% of the cost of their flights in taxes, compared to 26%-54% paid by economy passengers on standard flights

Loopholes mean private jetters often pay little or no APD, nor fuel duty on kerosene.
Climate charity Possible today released new research on the UK’s private jet sector, revealing that some of the wealthiest travellers in the country pay only a fraction of the rate of tax paid by ordinary passengers — despite taking the most polluting flights. The analysis shows that around 100,000 private jet flights depart UK airports annually, yet many incur minimal or even zero air passenger duty (APD), due to outdated thresholds and loopholes in the tax system. Even after the government’s planned increases to higher-rate APD next year, private jet passengers will still pay only £142 for a short-haul flight or £1,141 for long-haul - a negligible proportion of what can be tens of thousands of pounds per hour spent on chartering private aircraft. The report is calling for a fairer rate of APD, set at 30 times the current rate, levied on all private flights, as well as fuel duty to be imposed on private jet kerosene set at 10 times the rate the motorist pays at the pump. Taken together, this will create a tax rate which is comparable to what an economy passenger pays as a proportion of their ticket cost. This involves introducing a fair APD rate for Domestic and Band A journeys (flights to all destinations less than 2,000 miles from London) for private jet flights of £2,520, an APD of £19,410 for Band B journeys, and £20,190 for Band C journeys. On a flight from London to Geneva (Band A), that would bring the cost of a private jet journey from about £4,500 per passenger (assuming a £9k flight cost shared between two passengers) to £10,061 per passenger. 25% of the ticket cost would be APD, and 30.2% would be fuel duty, giving a total tax rate of 55.3%. By comparison, a lowest-cost economy flight on the same route costs £27, of which 56% is reduced-rate APD (no fuel duty is paid). On a flight from London Luton to Dubai (Band B), the cost of a private jet journey would rise from around £35,000 per passenger (£70k flight cost shared between two passengers) to …
November 24, 2025 at 12:56 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Activists from Climate Resistance staged a protest outside HM Treasury this AM, calling for a 'wealth tax' on the super-rich.

They think the budget will "push ordinary people into deeper hardship while protecting Britain’s billionaire class."
Protesters block the Treasury doors, with banner saying 'climate resistance / abolish billionaires'
November 24, 2025 at 12:42 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
NEW: Nigel Farage shakes hands with Adam Johnson, well-known 6 January rioter, at a Republican Party fundraiser in Florida, this March - as unearthed by @nafeez.bsky.social for @bylinetimes.bsky.social today
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/24/n...
Nigel Farage shakes hands with Adam Johnson, well-known 6 January rioter, at a Republican Party fundraiser in Florida, March 2025, in front of US flag and 'Florida GOP' backdrop
November 24, 2025 at 12:06 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Wow. Just saw that far-right MP Rupert Lowe welcomed convicted criminal Lucy Connolly, who called for people to set fire to hotels housing immigrants, to Parliament last Mon.

Lowe (formerly of Reform UK) praised her "courage"

Connolly, of course, pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred last year.
Rupert Lowe (Great Yarmouth) (Ind) Sharethis specific contribution It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I am grateful to the Petitions Committee for granting time for this extremely important debate, following our successful petition. Most importantly, I thank the more than 190,000 British people who signed the petition that we initiated, which calls for an end to the creeping use of prison as a punishment for what people say online. We would not be here today without their support, which is a credit to the petitions system, one of the better-functioning arms of Parliament. I welcome Lucy Connolly and her husband, who are here today. She is one of the many ordinary citizens who has been swept up in the chaotic and inconsistent enforcement of our online speech laws. Her courage in speaking openly about her experience has helped to expose a growing problem: namely that the British state is now more willing to imprison somebody for a social media post than for a rape. That is not justice, that is not proportionate and that is certainly not the mark of a free country.
November 24, 2025 at 10:40 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
The Met Police appearing to arrest a mannequin today at the 'Lift the Ban' protest outside the Ministry of Justice...

Protesters have been (again) holding cardboard signs saying “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” www.instagram.com/reel/DRR94x6...
A female mannequin, possibly attached to a protester, being led away by Met Police officers
November 20, 2025 at 3:49 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
The new edition of @bylinetimes.bsky.social is now live, to buy/read: 'The Carousel of Scapegoats'

Do support independent journalism if you can
subscribe.bylinetimes.com/editions/80/

You can also now access single articles by chipping in a small amount e.g subscribe.bylinetimes.com/edition/80/o...
Byline Times December edition - The Carousel of Scapegoats - How Modern Politics Became a Blame Game. Trump and Farage in front of a carousel with media outlets named on the top, looking for groups to blame. And (scape)goats underneath as the 'horses' being taken for a ride.
November 20, 2025 at 10:07 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
The UK government is being sued by a billionaire Russian oligarch in a secret corporate court.

The Govt has confirmed its a respondent in two active Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) cases, including one from Russian billionaire oligarch Mikhail Maratovich Fridman (h/t Global Justice Now)
Question Martin Rhodes Labour Glasgow North Commons To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who the parties are in the two active Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases against the UK. Answer Chris Bryant Labour Rhondda and Ogmore Commons Answered on 18 November 2025 The Government is a respondent in two active arbitrations, (1) Woodhouse Investment Pte Ltd and West Cumbria Mining (Holdings) Limited and; (2) Mr Mikhail Maratovich Fridman. The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.
November 19, 2025 at 1:54 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Archaeologists working at the Palace of Westminster have just revealed evidence of human activity dating back nearly 6,000 years - over a millennium older than the earliest earthworks at Stonehenge.

The discovery includes more than 60 struck flint flakes likely dating back around 4300 BC.
Evidence of prehistoric flint tool-making dating to approximately 4300 BC.
November 19, 2025 at 1:48 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
There is so much messed up about this front page Express story today.

There's no suggestion or evidence ANY alcohol or drugs was consumed. This is literally just people dancing.

And buried in the piece: "The footage is believed to have been filmed just before Labour took power in July last year."
Daily Express: "It's raving mad" front page - exclusive: "Anger as asylum seekers filmed partying at former RAF base"
November 19, 2025 at 11:44 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Should be quite a spicy media committee hearing in the Commons next Monday on the BBC...

Featuring e.g...

Michael Prescott - of the Trump dossier

Samir Shah, Chair of the BBC

And Robbie Gibb, controversial non-exec director and member of the BBC Editorial Guidelines & Standards Committee
Witnesses Panel 1 at 3.30pm: Caroline Daniel, former external editorial advisor, BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee Michael Prescott, former external editorial advisor, BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee Panel 2 at 4.30pm: Dr Samir Shah, Chair, BBC, and Chair, BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee Sir Robbie Gibb, non-executive director, BBC, and member of the BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee Caroline Thomson, non-executive director, BBC, and member of the BBC Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee
November 19, 2025 at 11:26 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Attorney General Lord Hermer defended Keir Starmer at an event of progressive lawyers tonight.

Here's some of what he had to say. Not particularly cheered on by the audience, it must be said...

"He instinctively understands what it feels like for millions of people to feel disempowered."
Andy's already touched on Hillsborough. Keir spent his professional life before coming into politics as a human rights and civil liberties lawyer, including representing, time after time, often pro bono, victims of atrocities. He instinctively understands what it feels like for millions of people to feel disempowered, and he feels what it is like for victims to have to take on the state. What he also understands is that you can't change the relationship between individuals and the state by rhetoric alone, and that is why, if anybody hasn't read the Hillsborough Bill, I urge you to read it. It is a fundamental realignment of the relationship between government and those we are privileged to serve in every aspect of public life. It is going to impose a duty of candour. It is a fundamental rewriting of our relations. That is our privilege as government to use law for change.
November 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
The Government has sent out a warning about foreign interference and alleged espionage - including by Chinese spies attempting to recruit on LinkedIn.

The advisory points politicos to....this website. But don't worry, you can find some of the info on LinkedIn.
NPSA Site Under Maintenance The NPSA website is currently under maintenance. We will be back live shortly, thank you for your patience. In the interim, please visit our LinkedIn page or YouTube channel for other information.
November 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Here are some potential bidders for the Telegraph, via Press Gazette. It matters as the Tele shapes Britain's public discourse (grimly so).

I would guess Tele staff would like Paul Marshall as an owner, given he's been prepared to sink tons of cash into loss-making GB News (as a political project).
GB News investor and Spectator owner Sir Paul Marshall could resurrect his bid. The Telegraph would fit well with a media empire which also includes the website Unherd. Lord Saatchi and Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild could resurrect their previous £350m bid for the title. New York Sun owner Dovid Efune was reportedly backed by a variety of investors for his bid to buy Telegraph. David Montgomery and Chelsea football club owner Todd Boehly could revive their joint bid for the Telegraph (first reported in March this year). News Corp could pay a premium for the Telegraph as it would give it dominance in the UK broadsheet newspaper market and pave the way for expansion in the US alongside existing right-leaning titles Fox News and the New York Post. Daily Mail-owning DMGT could revive its bid for the Telegraph. It already collaborates with the Telegraph on ad sales. Former Telegraph editor Will Lewis previously expressed an interest in buying the Telegraph only to instead become CEO of the Washington Post in November 2024.
November 17, 2025 at 7:57 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
It's by no means perfect or big enough but GB Energy is already doing quite cool stuff. Ed Miliband is not the enemy in Govt.
Communities across England will benefit from more money for their local NHS services, as Great British Energy’s solar rollout continues to cut energy bills for public services.  As part of an expanded scheme to fund solar panels for NHS sites, military sites and schools, 34 NHS trusts across England, including 10 already in programme, will receive funding from Great British Energy and government for new solar panels. These NHS trusts will install the panels at around 70 more sites, from hospitals to mental health facilities. In total, the scheme will see around 260 NHS sites benefitting. Estimated energy bill savings over the panels’ lifetime could reach up to £65 million for the trusts from this additional spend. The scheme covers more than a third of NHS trusts in England, helping them to power health services with clean, homegrown energy, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid. 
November 17, 2025 at 3:16 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
So, Mike Graham was fired by Talk for failing to comply with an internal racism inquiry.

Here's what they happily allow on their platform. Not much between Graham's comments and many of these anti-migrant ideologues, arguably...

Via @stopfundinghate.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 2:13 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Lots of university strikes happening at the moment (from the UCU union) over the funding crisis and cuts in the sector. Via StrikeMap:
University of Nottingham Over 650 jobs already gone, 200 more threatened Demanding guarantee of no compulsory redundancies through 2026 Strike dates: 17-21 Nov, 24-25 Nov, 1-5 Dec, 8-12 Dec University of Sheffield £5 million in savings targeted through redundancies Cuts in five academic areas and professional services Strike dates: 17, 18, 19, 21 Nov; 24-27 Nov; 1, 2, 4, 5 Dec; 9-12 Dec Sheffield Hallam University Over 670 job losses since 2024 Up to 80 more planned Management refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies Strike dates: 17-20 Nov; 1-5 Dec Lancaster University Plans to axe one in four staff Over 400 jobs at risk (200+ academic posts) by July 2026 Already working to rule Strike dates: 27-28 November University of the Highlands and Islands £2 million in job cuts, 16 posts at risk Compulsory redundancies imposed Also action short of strike (working to contract, refusing voluntary duties) Strike dates: 17-18 November
November 17, 2025 at 12:13 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
MoU Operations - the company that has most of Your Party's money - is transferring £200,000 (of the £800,000 or so) to Your Party, presumably this week.

Your Party wants all of the dosh now (to organise the conference) but Sultana says it would leave her with huge liabilities as sole director...
**Date | Description | View / Download** **17 Nov 2025** Resolutions • Re: to make a transfer of £200,000 to your party uk LIMITED 12/11/2025 This document is being processed and will be available in 10 days. **06 Nov 2025** Termination of appointment of Andrew Josef Feinstein as a director on 25 October 2025 View PDF (1 page) **06 Nov 2025** Termination of appointment of Bethan Winter as a director on 25 October 2025 View PDF (1 page) **06 Nov 2025** Termination of appointment of Jamie Driscoll as a director on 28 October 2025 View PDF (1 page) **06 Nov 2025** Appointment of Ms Zarah Sultana as a director on 28 October 2025 View PDF (2 pages) **02 Apr 2025** Incorporation View PDF (21 pages)
November 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
New issue of @bylinetimes.bsky.social landing on the shelves (and in inboxes & postboxes) soon. Timely!
the December 2025 cover of Byline Times magazine. "WHAT THE PAPERS DON'T SAY" "DECEMBER 2025 £5.00" "FREE FROM FEAR OR FAVOUR" ISSN 2632-7910 Main Cover: Headline: "HOW MODERN POLITICS BECAME THE BLAME GAME" Main title: "THE CAROUSEL OF SCAPEGOATS" "SPONSORED BY" An illustration showing a carousel with various UK media outlets represented (including Daily Mail, The Telegraph, GB News, and others) Two figures in business attire positioned on either side of the carousel Contributors listed at bottom: Jasmin O'Hara Nikesh Shukla Amy Wallace Adam Bienkov Caroline Lucas Peter Oborne Anthony Barnett Otto English
November 17, 2025 at 11:17 AM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Johnson-appointee Robbie Gibb is a very significant right-wing force within the BBC, reporting in the Observer suggests today.

"If I don't get my way, I'll blow the place up."
Gibb pursues that issue with a focus that colleagues have described as “single minded” and “obsessive”. The core charge against Gibb – not only now but since he joined the board – has been that he has set out to destroy the BBC from within. “If I don’t get my way, I’ll blow the place up,” he said 18 months ago, within earshot of more than one BBC journalist. Gibb himself has said enough publicly for us to know that he sees himself as far from an enemy of the BBC; actually, a critical friend. And, to be fair, some of his opponents allow him even that. The EGSC was created to hold the BBC to the standards it sets for itself; to keep it honest. The surprise in the last two weeks has been that this obscure subcommittee has become the crime scene in the drama which has engulfed the BBC. The most boiled-down backstory to that moment is this: the committee appoints independent editorial advisers to dig into whatever topics it chooses. Robbie Gibb asked his friend Michael Prescott – political editor of the Sunday Times 20 years ago and a PR man since then – to apply for one of the advisers’ jobs. He was interviewed, by a panel, not just by Gibb, and appointed. Gibb then lobbied Tim Davie directly to appoint a researcher to add muscle to the EGSC’s investigations and for one person in particular: another close contact of Gibb’s, the former Newsnight journalist David Grossman. At this point, in the minds of his critics, Gibb had got his gang together. The story then goes that Gibb chose the areas Grossman would investigate and Prescott would advise upon. The reports which Grossman compiled were mainly fair and rounded, but all of them contained one or two hand grenades. And it was those grenades which Michael Prescott set off all at once in the so-called Prescott dossier which was eventually leaked metropolitan elite.
November 16, 2025 at 10:44 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
GB News' latest host is the campaigns director for far-right MP Rupert Lowe's 'Restore Britain'. He calls for an "ethnically homogenous Christian Britain".

This is a channel which has several people in the Lobby, and which has privileged access to No 10 as part of the broadcast 'pool'. Nuts.
WHITE NOISE Exciting times for GB News, which last month signed up young far-right activist Charlie Downes to present a new show, Radio Britannia, with political commentator Alice Grant. The gruesome twosome’s first show aired on 22 October and their second came out on 5 November. Downes will presumably be fitting in well at the broadcaster. On Elon Musk’s X, Downes – who is also the campaigns director of ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain, a pressure group obsessed with expelling foreigners from the country – can be found declaring that the “Islamophilic government is… actively siding with and covering for the enemies of the indigenous British people at every opportunity”; pronouncing that “remigration is a political and demographic necessity”; and claiming that “what is desirable is an ethnically homogenous Christian Britain”. Just the man for GB News!
November 14, 2025 at 9:48 PM
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Letter from Bectu union to the Culture Secretary on Robbie Gibb
Recent events have heightened the concerns of Bectu members about the direction of the BBC and its future. Staff are concerned about the forthcoming Charter Review amid open speculation about the future funding model. They are unsurprisingly anxious about entering this process with a vacuum of leadership and without a new Director General in place. And they are concerned about the BBC’s ability to resist partisan political pressure and uphold the integrity of its journalism. “It is vital that staff feel that both the government and the BBC board are truly committed to the future of the organisation, its mission, its independence and its values. Given this, we believe that the position of Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC board has become a distraction and is untenable. We simply do not see how staff can have faith in the BBC’s leadership while a crucial position on the board is filled by someone perceived by many staff and external commentators as sympathetic to, or actively part of, a campaign to undermine the BBC and influence its political impartiality.”
November 14, 2025 at 9:40 AM