JWexTheSpa
@jwsidders.bsky.social
South West England via the Midlands but made in NW5.
Spurs, Spain and social democracy. I like a hike.
Spurs, Spain and social democracy. I like a hike.
Pinned
JWexTheSpa
@jwsidders.bsky.social
· Dec 15
Apologies to all those I follow and missed - I couldn’t work out how to do it properly. Please add names and links. The key here is it’s people who post mostly in English - not Spanish - about Spain and Spain-related stuff.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Trump's White House & fawning hacks here don't really care about the 0.001% that the BBC gets wrong. They care about all the stuff it gets right.
November 11, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Trump's White House & fawning hacks here don't really care about the 0.001% that the BBC gets wrong. They care about all the stuff it gets right.
The far-right always owned Farage and co, it has now fully captured the Tories and their media. It has done so to wage war against openness, tolerance, common decency and equality. The government is blind to the seriousness of the threat the UK faces from enemies within and without. It is not alone.
I have to admit I have been guilty of this too. I was so desperate for the Tories to lose in 2024 I spent no time at all thinking about what it would mean for Labour to win. I did think stuff could just be managed post-election. I now know how wrong I was.
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
The far-right always owned Farage and co, it has now fully captured the Tories and their media. It has done so to wage war against openness, tolerance, common decency and equality. The government is blind to the seriousness of the threat the UK faces from enemies within and without. It is not alone.
I have to admit I have been guilty of this too. I was so desperate for the Tories to lose in 2024 I spent no time at all thinking about what it would mean for Labour to win. I did think stuff could just be managed post-election. I now know how wrong I was.
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
November 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I have to admit I have been guilty of this too. I was so desperate for the Tories to lose in 2024 I spent no time at all thinking about what it would mean for Labour to win. I did think stuff could just be managed post-election. I now know how wrong I was.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Another case of Reform saying one thing then doing the other:
A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”
By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...
A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”
By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Reform Council To Double Tax On Second Homes Despite Nigel Farage Calling The Idea 'Madness'
A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madne...
www.politicshome.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Another case of Reform saying one thing then doing the other:
A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”
By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...
A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”
By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Possibly not but you know the Lib Dems do, hence why Davey has been straight out of the gate.
The BBC farrago has the potential to do real damage to the government by showcasing the fear of offending the right that has already driven so much of its natural base away. Surely there is someone somewhere inside the upper echelons of the Labour party who understands this.
November 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Possibly not but you know the Lib Dems do, hence why Davey has been straight out of the gate.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
If a self-identifying “left of centre” government with a parliamentary majority of more than a hundred seats won’t defend a vital public service institution you really have to ask why it’s in government at all.
The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:08 AM
If a self-identifying “left of centre” government with a parliamentary majority of more than a hundred seats won’t defend a vital public service institution you really have to ask why it’s in government at all.
The BBC farrago has the potential to do real damage to the government by showcasing the fear of offending the right that has already driven so much of its natural base away. Surely there is someone somewhere inside the upper echelons of the Labour party who understands this.
November 11, 2025 at 9:15 AM
The BBC farrago has the potential to do real damage to the government by showcasing the fear of offending the right that has already driven so much of its natural base away. Surely there is someone somewhere inside the upper echelons of the Labour party who understands this.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Show me a liberal and I'll show you a doormat
November 11, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Show me a liberal and I'll show you a doormat
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
A brilliant example of what Lewis Goodall talks about when he argues why right-wing radicals keep winning. They don't play by the rules and simply don't care. Whereas the institutions they want to destroy do even when said rules are contorted to absurdity and are blatantly being used against them.
The founder of Newsmax was just on the Today programme pontificating about bias. Boy, the BBC loves to submit itself to flagellation.
November 11, 2025 at 8:45 AM
A brilliant example of what Lewis Goodall talks about when he argues why right-wing radicals keep winning. They don't play by the rules and simply don't care. Whereas the institutions they want to destroy do even when said rules are contorted to absurdity and are blatantly being used against them.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
I suspect the pushback will only come once all is lost.
And it will come in the form of handwringing and regret from those in power who did nothing to stop all this.
And it will come in the form of handwringing and regret from those in power who did nothing to stop all this.
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 AM
I suspect the pushback will only come once all is lost.
And it will come in the form of handwringing and regret from those in power who did nothing to stop all this.
And it will come in the form of handwringing and regret from those in power who did nothing to stop all this.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
I think, as an American who studied the speech to assess whether it constituted unlawful incitement, the BBC edit was poor journalistic form, but it did not convey something substantively different than reality. My thing? The apology doesn’t convey to me that the BBC gets Trump isn’t a fair broker.
The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:53 AM
I think, as an American who studied the speech to assess whether it constituted unlawful incitement, the BBC edit was poor journalistic form, but it did not convey something substantively different than reality. My thing? The apology doesn’t convey to me that the BBC gets Trump isn’t a fair broker.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
On the BBC: the government could turn the crisis into an opportunity, completely reconfiguring the BBC Board on the ground of its manifest failure to provide effective governance.
It won't though. The Culture Secretary isn't up to it, and nor is the PM.
It won't though. The Culture Secretary isn't up to it, and nor is the PM.
November 11, 2025 at 9:03 AM
On the BBC: the government could turn the crisis into an opportunity, completely reconfiguring the BBC Board on the ground of its manifest failure to provide effective governance.
It won't though. The Culture Secretary isn't up to it, and nor is the PM.
It won't though. The Culture Secretary isn't up to it, and nor is the PM.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
If that case is winnable, and there is good reason to believe it is, the BBC should fight it.
With his threat of a $1bn lawsuit against BBC, Trump’s assault on the media goes global
With his threat of a $1bn lawsuit against BBC, Trump’s assault on the media goes global
US president’s latest media target comes from across the pond as he continues to scrutinize coverage he does not like
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
If that case is winnable, and there is good reason to believe it is, the BBC should fight it.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Oh look. There really are "no go areas" in England.
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
NHS staff who visit patients at home say St George’s flags can mean ‘no-go zones’
Black and Asian staff left feeling ‘deliberately intimidated’, according to chief executive of one NHS trust
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Oh look. There really are "no go areas" in England.
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
The BBC is in crisis in the same way that GB News would be if you put Owen Jones on the board armed with a veto and plenty of coffee.
November 11, 2025 at 7:48 AM
The BBC is in crisis in the same way that GB News would be if you put Owen Jones on the board armed with a veto and plenty of coffee.
When the right takes power in 2029 and takes us out of the ECHR, ends net zero, seizes direct control of Ofcom and the Electoral Commission, politicises the judiciary and so on, a lot of people who claim to be well-informed will be surprised. Fools, all of them.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
When the right takes power in 2029 and takes us out of the ECHR, ends net zero, seizes direct control of Ofcom and the Electoral Commission, politicises the judiciary and so on, a lot of people who claim to be well-informed will be surprised. Fools, all of them.
The right understands power. They see it as a tool and are not afraid to use it. They are greatly aided by their opponents who, on both sides of the Atlantic, are clueless.
Senators voted 60 to 40 in favour of the agreement, delivering another jolt to US politics less than a week after key governors’ races on.ft.com/4r0uTVV
November 11, 2025 at 8:11 AM
The right understands power. They see it as a tool and are not afraid to use it. They are greatly aided by their opponents who, on both sides of the Atlantic, are clueless.
Starmer or even Nandy saying something like this would be an electrifying moment. No need to mention Trump, just attack the anti-British UK right. But it won’t happen. Another huge, wasted opportunity for Labour to show some leadership and rally the majority in the UK.
🎯 Davey is spot on. "We can have criticism of the BBC, but within that, we need to recognise how valuable an institution it is [and how] precious to our country. And that's one of the reasons why people like President Trump and Nigel Farage, want to undermine the BBC." 👏🏽~AA
November 11, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Starmer or even Nandy saying something like this would be an electrifying moment. No need to mention Trump, just attack the anti-British UK right. But it won’t happen. Another huge, wasted opportunity for Labour to show some leadership and rally the majority in the UK.
Labour and the left more generally - in the UK and beyond - have absolutely no understanding of how to wield power. The right does. So, most of the time, the right wins. Now, the right wants to ensure it never loses again. It’s truly bizarre how little this is understood.
I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
BBC faces ‘existential’ threat after exit of top executives
Broadcaster’s deepest crisis in recent history comes amid fresh questions over its future role in British society
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Labour and the left more generally - in the UK and beyond - have absolutely no understanding of how to wield power. The right does. So, most of the time, the right wins. Now, the right wants to ensure it never loses again. It’s truly bizarre how little this is understood.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
I fear we are seeing in the UK what has become abundantly clear in the US: for all their power and privilege, elites and institutions are absolute cowards in the face of right-wing authoritarianism. Weak, weak, weak, as Tony Blair once said
November 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I fear we are seeing in the UK what has become abundantly clear in the US: for all their power and privilege, elites and institutions are absolute cowards in the face of right-wing authoritarianism. Weak, weak, weak, as Tony Blair once said
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Trump and his cronies have the BBC in their sights. Leaders can’t stay silent while one of our great institutions is attacked.
We must defend its independence, end political appointments, and remove Robbie Gibb from the Board.
We must defend its independence, end political appointments, and remove Robbie Gibb from the Board.
November 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Trump and his cronies have the BBC in their sights. Leaders can’t stay silent while one of our great institutions is attacked.
We must defend its independence, end political appointments, and remove Robbie Gibb from the Board.
We must defend its independence, end political appointments, and remove Robbie Gibb from the Board.
If I was a UK politician I would not want to be associated with this headline. There is a real danger that hubris - always the right’s Achilles heal - could backfire on Reform, the Tories and their media mates. Here’s hoping.
November 11, 2025 at 7:38 AM
If I was a UK politician I would not want to be associated with this headline. There is a real danger that hubris - always the right’s Achilles heal - could backfire on Reform, the Tories and their media mates. Here’s hoping.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Joshua refers to the BBC having a “choice between saying sorry and paying $1 billion”. There is also the option of doing neither and defending any claim, wherever it’s brought
Will President Trump sue the BBC for $1 billion? As the US president no doubt intended, it’s a figure that appears in almost every front-page newspaper headline today.
rozenberg.substack.com/p/will-trump...
rozenberg.substack.com/p/will-trump...
Will Trump sue?
Not if the BBC makes sufficient amends this week
rozenberg.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Joshua refers to the BBC having a “choice between saying sorry and paying $1 billion”. There is also the option of doing neither and defending any claim, wherever it’s brought
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
“Anyone who thinks this is about a 12-second clip on a Panorama more than a year ago that not a single viewer complained about is not reading the proper story,” said one. “What’s going on here is much more about macro politics.”
www.theguardian.com/media/ng-int...
www.theguardian.com/media/ng-int...
‘Make no mistake – this was a coup’: the extraordinary downfall of the BBC’s top bosses
The whirlwind that started when Deborah Turness came under attack at a board meeting is part of a wider political story, some say
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:01 AM
“Anyone who thinks this is about a 12-second clip on a Panorama more than a year ago that not a single viewer complained about is not reading the proper story,” said one. “What’s going on here is much more about macro politics.”
www.theguardian.com/media/ng-int...
www.theguardian.com/media/ng-int...
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Important to be clear here that the proposed homes wouldn't mean demolishing the 18th century garden - it's just that they might possibly be visible from it. What appallingly selfish behaviour.
November 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Important to be clear here that the proposed homes wouldn't mean demolishing the 18th century garden - it's just that they might possibly be visible from it. What appallingly selfish behaviour.