Samir Jeraj
@sajeraj.bsky.social
Reporter and author. Writing on policy for The New Statesman. Commissioning editor for Hyphen. Senior Fellow John Schofield Trust. Swimmer with locs
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Lunch with the FT this week is a proper scoop: our editor in chief Roula Khalaf with Richard Moore, outgoing head of MI6. Yes they have wine and talk about spies on.ft.com/43pMdJQ
Former MI6 chief Richard Moore: Britain must regain the ‘power of example’
[FREE TO READ] The outgoing head of the Secret Intelligence Service on the rise of China, why Putin is not interested in talks — and how screen spies aren’t always far from the truth
on.ft.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Lunch with the FT this week is a proper scoop: our editor in chief Roula Khalaf with Richard Moore, outgoing head of MI6. Yes they have wine and talk about spies on.ft.com/43pMdJQ
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
‘Where's our protection?’
Cabbies voice their concerns about new, ‘driverless’ taxis coming to London next year.
Samir Jeraj has more👇🏽
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/10/driverless-cars-london-waymo-taxi-minicab-drivers-protest/
Cabbies voice their concerns about new, ‘driverless’ taxis coming to London next year.
Samir Jeraj has more👇🏽
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/10/driverless-cars-london-waymo-taxi-minicab-drivers-protest/
Driverless cars ‘could gut London taxi and minicab industry’
Cabbies, 42% of whom are Asian or Asian British, say they need protection as US firm Waymo plans London rollout of driverless taxis
hyphenonline.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:30 AM
‘Where's our protection?’
Cabbies voice their concerns about new, ‘driverless’ taxis coming to London next year.
Samir Jeraj has more👇🏽
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/10/driverless-cars-london-waymo-taxi-minicab-drivers-protest/
Cabbies voice their concerns about new, ‘driverless’ taxis coming to London next year.
Samir Jeraj has more👇🏽
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/10/driverless-cars-london-waymo-taxi-minicab-drivers-protest/
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Met the former editor of the York Evening Press last night, who said in the mid-90s he had 85 people working directly for him, including nine staff photographers. All that to serve a city and surrounding area of about 200k people. Local news was wilddddd.
November 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Met the former editor of the York Evening Press last night, who said in the mid-90s he had 85 people working directly for him, including nine staff photographers. All that to serve a city and surrounding area of about 200k people. Local news was wilddddd.
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
manchestermill.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 8:18 AM
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Lowering the voting age to 16 will enfranchise an estimated 156,000 young Muslims — that’s more than 10% of new voters.
What impact could this have on the next general election?
Samir Jeraj explains ⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/votes-at-16-young-muslims-156000-birmingham-bradford/
What impact could this have on the next general election?
Samir Jeraj explains ⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/votes-at-16-young-muslims-156000-birmingham-bradford/
Votes at 16 will enfranchise 156,000 young Muslims - Hyphen
Analysis of 2021 census data also finds young Muslim voters could have biggest impact in Birmingham, Bradford and east London
hyphenonline.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Lowering the voting age to 16 will enfranchise an estimated 156,000 young Muslims — that’s more than 10% of new voters.
What impact could this have on the next general election?
Samir Jeraj explains ⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/votes-at-16-young-muslims-156000-birmingham-bradford/
What impact could this have on the next general election?
Samir Jeraj explains ⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/votes-at-16-young-muslims-156000-birmingham-bradford/
156,000 Young British Muslims will be enfranchised by the lower voting age of 16 at the next election. That’s just under 11%, largely concentrated in seats Labour needs to hold in Birmingham, Bradford and east London.
My story for @hyphenonline.com
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/v...
My story for @hyphenonline.com
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/v...
Votes at 16 will enfranchise 156,000 young Muslims - Hyphen
Analysis of 2021 census data also finds young Muslim voters could have biggest impact in Birmingham, Bradford and east London
hyphenonline.com
October 30, 2025 at 9:51 AM
156,000 Young British Muslims will be enfranchised by the lower voting age of 16 at the next election. That’s just under 11%, largely concentrated in seats Labour needs to hold in Birmingham, Bradford and east London.
My story for @hyphenonline.com
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/v...
My story for @hyphenonline.com
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/29/v...
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Reeves let out a home in a selective licensing area (all rented properties in that area must be licensed) without a licence. Blames letting agent (depending on contract, she may have a point), but an up to £30,000 civil penalty & a potential rent repayment order.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
October 29, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Reeves let out a home in a selective licensing area (all rented properties in that area must be licensed) without a licence. Blames letting agent (depending on contract, she may have a point), but an up to £30,000 civil penalty & a potential rent repayment order.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Why are more people dying homeless?
Why are more people dying homeless?
More social housing and changes to policy and practice could save lives
www.newstatesman.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Why are more people dying homeless?
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Britain’s security service MI5 and foreign intelligence service MI6 are “failing to keep pace” with threats to national security and not cooperating properly, redacted parts of a damning internal Home Office report warn.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
MI5 and MI6 fail to co-operate, redacted Home Office report found
An inquiry that prompted Shabana Mahmood to say department is ‘not fit for purpose’ also warned GCHQ and security services were failing to keep pace with threats
www.thetimes.com
October 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Britain’s security service MI5 and foreign intelligence service MI6 are “failing to keep pace” with threats to national security and not cooperating properly, redacted parts of a damning internal Home Office report warn.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
We need special coffee bins
TIL: if you need to pour away excess coffee on the go, you’re not allowed to pour it into the sewer. Instead, you’re supposed to pour it into a bin???
I feel Thames Water should have been asked to comment.
Woman fined £150 for pouring coffee down drain www.bbc.com/news/article...
Woman fined £150 for pouring coffee down drain www.bbc.com/news/article...
October 23, 2025 at 6:52 AM
We need special coffee bins
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
I do hope that if they do choose to become immigrants in another country they plan to fully assimilate, abandon any home culture, become fluent in the new language, make no claim on state services or pensions, and fulfil all the other demands they make of people choosing to live here.
This is the usual sulky-baby nonsense but what a delicious treat it would be if the mad authoritarian racists just… left
October 22, 2025 at 11:41 AM
I do hope that if they do choose to become immigrants in another country they plan to fully assimilate, abandon any home culture, become fluent in the new language, make no claim on state services or pensions, and fulfil all the other demands they make of people choosing to live here.
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
again I return to the v senior political journalist who once very happily told me me that he'd never spoken to a clerk in all his years in the lobby
I still think of it often because boasting about your lack of curiosity is just......such a weird thing to do
I still think of it often because boasting about your lack of curiosity is just......such a weird thing to do
Good thread on how a big part of the problem of British politics is big media figures with no real interest in being across the details.
Peston tells Lam that she said something that he "genuinely didn't understand". "But who are these people who came legally who should leave?"
This does not look like faux naivety.
He should know the answer!
She misleads in her answer to him.
So he gives a misleading summary of her policy on air.
This does not look like faux naivety.
He should know the answer!
She misleads in her answer to him.
So he gives a misleading summary of her policy on air.
October 21, 2025 at 7:53 AM
again I return to the v senior political journalist who once very happily told me me that he'd never spoken to a clerk in all his years in the lobby
I still think of it often because boasting about your lack of curiosity is just......such a weird thing to do
I still think of it often because boasting about your lack of curiosity is just......such a weird thing to do
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
You've gotta read quite a long way through this before you reach the bit where the Greens are polling level with Reform among British Indians www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Support for Reform UK increasing among British Indians, poll shows
Exclusive: Survey finds 13% of British Indians back Nigel Farage’s party compared with only 4% at last election
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 10:59 PM
You've gotta read quite a long way through this before you reach the bit where the Greens are polling level with Reform among British Indians www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Excellent investigation into use of S21 by Labour councils even as the government is on the brink of scrapping them: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Labour’s housing hypocrisy: councils serve almost 200 families with no-fault eviction notices
Exclusive: firms run by five of the party’s councils have used legal loophole to serve section 21 notices
www.theguardian.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Excellent investigation into use of S21 by Labour councils even as the government is on the brink of scrapping them: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Exclusive: FCDO staff recommended ministers endorse trip by UK trade envoy Ian Austin to Israel, a week after David Lammy announced suspension of trade talks.
But source claims bureaucratic dysfunction meant ministers and political advisers never received official submission or endorsed the trip.
But source claims bureaucratic dysfunction meant ministers and political advisers never received official submission or endorsed the trip.
Revealed: UK Foreign Office staff pushed for Israel trip despite suspension of trade talks
Exclusive: Peer meet Israeli officials and business leaders on visit that had no support from ministers
www.theguardian.com
October 18, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Exclusive: FCDO staff recommended ministers endorse trip by UK trade envoy Ian Austin to Israel, a week after David Lammy announced suspension of trade talks.
But source claims bureaucratic dysfunction meant ministers and political advisers never received official submission or endorsed the trip.
But source claims bureaucratic dysfunction meant ministers and political advisers never received official submission or endorsed the trip.
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
“Ever since that [act], both the main parties constantly associated the two: that we can’t progress race equality without then also controlling how many immigrants we have in this country"
Fascinating piece in Inside Housing today from @sajeraj.bsky.social
www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/60-y...
Fascinating piece in Inside Housing today from @sajeraj.bsky.social
www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/60-y...
60 years on: the story of the Race Relations Act 1965
This Black History Month, Inside Housing looks back at the Race Relations Act to consider the legacy of the first anti-racism law in England.
www.insidehousing.co.uk
October 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
“Ever since that [act], both the main parties constantly associated the two: that we can’t progress race equality without then also controlling how many immigrants we have in this country"
Fascinating piece in Inside Housing today from @sajeraj.bsky.social
www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/60-y...
Fascinating piece in Inside Housing today from @sajeraj.bsky.social
www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/60-y...
My report on a work dispute in South West London where hospital porters, cleaners and caterers claim they’ve been systematically excluded from the pay and conditions they are entitled to as NHS employees: www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...
How hospital porters forced the NHS to the table
Staff of St Heliers and Epsom hospital have backed a strike and it seems they are now being heard
www.newstatesman.com
October 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM
My report on a work dispute in South West London where hospital porters, cleaners and caterers claim they’ve been systematically excluded from the pay and conditions they are entitled to as NHS employees: www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...
Discussions about “integration” rarely, if ever, talk about the rich, which I wrote about back in 2017:
www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemoc...
www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemoc...
Why does our national debate on integration ignore segregation by wealth?
A major part of what leads to segregation in society, by wealth and power, is not part of our integration debate. Why not?
www.opendemocracy.net
October 7, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Discussions about “integration” rarely, if ever, talk about the rich, which I wrote about back in 2017:
www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemoc...
www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemoc...
October 6, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
As part of Renters’ Rights Awareness Week, we’re giving away copies of acclaimed books with a housing connection! 📚🏡
Support our work and try your luck by entering our prize draw! 👇
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/rentersrig...
Support our work and try your luck by entering our prize draw! 👇
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/rentersrig...
Help us fight for a better deal for renters
When you're a renter, knowledge is power. We're giving away the latest books about housing to promote and fund our renters rights webinars
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 3:34 PM
As part of Renters’ Rights Awareness Week, we’re giving away copies of acclaimed books with a housing connection! 📚🏡
Support our work and try your luck by entering our prize draw! 👇
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/rentersrig...
Support our work and try your luck by entering our prize draw! 👇
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/rentersrig...
Everyone who’s ever worked in, reported on, or paid attention to local government
October 6, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Everyone who’s ever worked in, reported on, or paid attention to local government
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
The global journey of cloves began around 1500 BCE.
Samir Jeraj traces how colonial empires fought to control this fragrant bud.
Illustration by Maryam Adam.
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/02/cloves-spice-cultivation-cuisine-history-guide/
Samir Jeraj traces how colonial empires fought to control this fragrant bud.
Illustration by Maryam Adam.
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/02/cloves-spice-cultivation-cuisine-history-guide/
Cloves: a warming and fragrant treasure
This spice gives deep flavour, whether used whole in biryani and chai or in powdered form in everything from garam masala to HP Sauce
hyphenonline.com
October 3, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The global journey of cloves began around 1500 BCE.
Samir Jeraj traces how colonial empires fought to control this fragrant bud.
Illustration by Maryam Adam.
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/02/cloves-spice-cultivation-cuisine-history-guide/
Samir Jeraj traces how colonial empires fought to control this fragrant bud.
Illustration by Maryam Adam.
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/02/cloves-spice-cultivation-cuisine-history-guide/
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
🔴 In his first interview since leaving the role of faith minister, Wajid Khan speaks to @sajeraj.bsky.social about tackling racism, celebrating the contributions of migrants, and why the government shouldn't shelve its anti-Islamophobia work.
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/01/w...
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/01/w...
Wajid Khan says government must tackle hate against Muslims
Former faith minister said Britain needed to celebrate the contributions of migrants and warned against scrapping anti-Islamophobia work
hyphenonline.com
October 2, 2025 at 1:23 PM
🔴 In his first interview since leaving the role of faith minister, Wajid Khan speaks to @sajeraj.bsky.social about tackling racism, celebrating the contributions of migrants, and why the government shouldn't shelve its anti-Islamophobia work.
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/01/w...
hyphenonline.com/2025/10/01/w...
So what this is saying is that in order to defeat Reform Starmer needs to defect to Reform....? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
‘Reverse Midas touch’: Starmer plan prompts collapse in support for digital IDs
Net public backing for scheme has fallen to -14% after prime minister’s announcement, according to polling
www.theguardian.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:21 PM
So what this is saying is that in order to defeat Reform Starmer needs to defect to Reform....? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Samir Jeraj
Met officers suspended over alleged abuse of suspects and support for Tommy Robinson
Met officers suspended over alleged abuse of suspects and support for Tommy Robinson
BBC’s Panorama to broadcast allegations about wrongdoing at Charing Cross police station
The Metropolitan police are braced for an undercover documentary showing officers and staff allegedly being supportive of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, making anti-Muslim comments and using excessive force against suspects in custody.
The allegations, which centre on Charing Cross police station in central London, are contained in a BBC Panorama documentary airing on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Met officers suspended over alleged abuse of suspects and support for Tommy Robinson