Stephen Ward
@scharlieward.bsky.social
Gay, leftie, rejoiniac, husband and dad living in West Norfolk, UK.
Reposted by Stephen Ward
How the BBC & ITV give disproportionate coverage to Farage & Reform: hard evidence from a serious study. BBC & ITV now give Reform more coverage than the Conservatives, more than the Lib Dems & nine times the Greens. Superb research from Stephen Cushion.
www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/broadca...
www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/broadca...
December 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM
How the BBC & ITV give disproportionate coverage to Farage & Reform: hard evidence from a serious study. BBC & ITV now give Reform more coverage than the Conservatives, more than the Lib Dems & nine times the Greens. Superb research from Stephen Cushion.
www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/broadca...
www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/broadca...
Hilarious/depressing satire!
Labour MP says only way to unite UK over immigration is by leaning into Reform narrative.
December 13, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Hilarious/depressing satire!
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
Reposted by Stephen Ward
This is so perfect. No one have any doubts at this point about what Elon Musk really represents.
December 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is so perfect. No one have any doubts at this point about what Elon Musk really represents.
Reposted by Stephen Ward
This is how Chris Mason, like a child filled with wonder, described "the choreography and theatre that surrounds a Budget" in Feb 2024, when a male Tory Chancellor was in post.
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
December 2, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is how Chris Mason, like a child filled with wonder, described "the choreography and theatre that surrounds a Budget" in Feb 2024, when a male Tory Chancellor was in post.
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Once again, an illustration that the political debate on migration in the UK is completely detached from reality
November 27, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Once again, an illustration that the political debate on migration in the UK is completely detached from reality
Reposted by Stephen Ward
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny
Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment
bylinetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Reposted by Stephen Ward
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
November 19, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
Reposted by Stephen Ward
🇪🇺 "Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the UK has become no more open to trade"
⬇️ "Goods trade is now lower, as a share of GDP, than it was in 2019."
✈️ Trade barriers in goods are particularly harmful to regional equality and development .
https://getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
⬇️ "Goods trade is now lower, as a share of GDP, than it was in 2019."
✈️ Trade barriers in goods are particularly harmful to regional equality and development .
https://getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
Getting Britain out of the hole
A plan for the UK economy
getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
November 17, 2025 at 7:15 PM
🇪🇺 "Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the UK has become no more open to trade"
⬇️ "Goods trade is now lower, as a share of GDP, than it was in 2019."
✈️ Trade barriers in goods are particularly harmful to regional equality and development .
https://getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
⬇️ "Goods trade is now lower, as a share of GDP, than it was in 2019."
✈️ Trade barriers in goods are particularly harmful to regional equality and development .
https://getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
Reposted by Stephen Ward
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.
Reposted by Stephen Ward
You know that time that a major British news organisation mistakenly sought out a random dude who happened to share a name with a former New York mayor in order to go after a left wing New York mayoral candidate? Did anyone resign?
November 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
You know that time that a major British news organisation mistakenly sought out a random dude who happened to share a name with a former New York mayor in order to go after a left wing New York mayoral candidate? Did anyone resign?
Reposted by Stephen Ward
While going through the proofs for "The British General Election of 2024" (out very soon!) I came across this - Paul Johnson of the IFS's verdict on Labour's manifesto last year. Labour's current attempts to claim the need to break their tax pledges was impossible to forsee don't stack up
November 10, 2025 at 8:28 AM
While going through the proofs for "The British General Election of 2024" (out very soon!) I came across this - Paul Johnson of the IFS's verdict on Labour's manifesto last year. Labour's current attempts to claim the need to break their tax pledges was impossible to forsee don't stack up
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Which one is more English?
November 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Which one is more English?
Reposted by Stephen Ward
1. This is a thread on freedom, and how easy it is to lose.
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
November 7, 2025 at 6:35 AM
1. This is a thread on freedom, and how easy it is to lose.
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Reposted by Stephen Ward
The UAE where hugging in public can get you arrested, where human rights barely exist, where foreign workers are routinely abused, where critics of the regime routinely disappear, where an Indian nanny was shot by firing squad in March & where marital rape is not a criminal offence but being gay is.
November 3, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The UAE where hugging in public can get you arrested, where human rights barely exist, where foreign workers are routinely abused, where critics of the regime routinely disappear, where an Indian nanny was shot by firing squad in March & where marital rape is not a criminal offence but being gay is.
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
November 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
Reposted by Stephen Ward
I knew Gill and Farage and the rest of the UKIP crew in the European Parliament
They were crooks and shysters to a man
They repeated Putin talking points and appeared on Russia Today
UKIP then and Reform now are both a threat to our democracy
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
They were crooks and shysters to a man
They repeated Putin talking points and appeared on Russia Today
UKIP then and Reform now are both a threat to our democracy
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
Reform UK, the Russian spy and rolls of Kremlin cash: the inside story of Nathan Gill
How did a former Mormon bishop end up pleading guilty to taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia in the European parliament?
www.theguardian.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:20 AM
I knew Gill and Farage and the rest of the UKIP crew in the European Parliament
They were crooks and shysters to a man
They repeated Putin talking points and appeared on Russia Today
UKIP then and Reform now are both a threat to our democracy
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
They were crooks and shysters to a man
They repeated Putin talking points and appeared on Russia Today
UKIP then and Reform now are both a threat to our democracy
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Reluctant to give Question Time any time - save for this:
Man with stubble, "Small boats arrivals are 37,000. There are over 4 million kids in child poverty. And 4.5 million who can't get a dentist appointment" #BBCQT
"We spend 90% of the media discourse on the 37,000. How much more could we achieve if we put that effort into the 4.5 million?"
"We spend 90% of the media discourse on the 37,000. How much more could we achieve if we put that effort into the 4.5 million?"
October 30, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reluctant to give Question Time any time - save for this:
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Kemi Badenoch is absolutely right about this.
At the time she hacked Harriet Harman's emails it was an offence carrying a prison sentence of up to five years
At the time she hacked Harriet Harman's emails it was an offence carrying a prison sentence of up to five years
October 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Kemi Badenoch is absolutely right about this.
At the time she hacked Harriet Harman's emails it was an offence carrying a prison sentence of up to five years
At the time she hacked Harriet Harman's emails it was an offence carrying a prison sentence of up to five years
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Farage is asked about another two of his MEPs, who made the same pro-Russia statements that Nathan Gill has now pled guilty to being bribed to make.
"Opinions are opinions."
Farage's defence seems to be that they arrived at those views independently and it has nowt to do with him.
Hmm. 🤔 ~AA
"Opinions are opinions."
Farage's defence seems to be that they arrived at those views independently and it has nowt to do with him.
Hmm. 🤔 ~AA
October 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Farage is asked about another two of his MEPs, who made the same pro-Russia statements that Nathan Gill has now pled guilty to being bribed to make.
"Opinions are opinions."
Farage's defence seems to be that they arrived at those views independently and it has nowt to do with him.
Hmm. 🤔 ~AA
"Opinions are opinions."
Farage's defence seems to be that they arrived at those views independently and it has nowt to do with him.
Hmm. 🤔 ~AA
Reposted by Stephen Ward
Beth Rigby: "Keir Starmer has changed his top team more than I've had hot dinners."
In two years before Starmer we had 3 PMs, 4 Chancellors, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 5 Home Secretaries, 5 Education Secretaries, 5 Cabinet Secretaries, etc. - total 221 ministerial departures.
Maybe Beth is on a diet.
In two years before Starmer we had 3 PMs, 4 Chancellors, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 5 Home Secretaries, 5 Education Secretaries, 5 Cabinet Secretaries, etc. - total 221 ministerial departures.
Maybe Beth is on a diet.
October 25, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Beth Rigby: "Keir Starmer has changed his top team more than I've had hot dinners."
In two years before Starmer we had 3 PMs, 4 Chancellors, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 5 Home Secretaries, 5 Education Secretaries, 5 Cabinet Secretaries, etc. - total 221 ministerial departures.
Maybe Beth is on a diet.
In two years before Starmer we had 3 PMs, 4 Chancellors, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 5 Home Secretaries, 5 Education Secretaries, 5 Cabinet Secretaries, etc. - total 221 ministerial departures.
Maybe Beth is on a diet.