Happy 80th Birthday to the GOAT (singer, rocker, husband) #NoddyHolder ❤️

“The question that needs answering is how a Labour government armed with a 174-seat majority managed to self-destruct this quickly? Why has Starmer become an object of such universal loathing?” @technopopulist has the answers. thecritic.co.uk/how-the-sout…

I mean, to be honest, a military coup doesn't sound like the worst idea right now. Obviously they'd have to carry it out with catapults and a Fiat Panda but it's only against Starmer's lot so I'd fancy their chances.

The Chagos Archipelago covers 250,000 square miles. It is not just some tiny islands. Starmer's treacherous deal gives Mauritius, which is smaller than Luxembourg, sovereignty over everything, including the fishing rights, all minerals and hydrocarbons in the seabed, which could be worth trillions. It also gives Mauritius control of the 🛫airspace above an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) the size of France in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On April 22nd this year, at China's behest, Mauritius revoked permission for the Taiwan President’s aircraft to fly through its airspace on a planned trip to Africa. All this on top of denying the Chagossian people resettlement and self-determination, the information and vetoes Mauritius will have on military operations at Diego Garcia, and the inability to station early warning and air-defense assets on the outer islands to protect against missile and drone attacks. The deal was stitched together by three long-time good friends, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Attorney General Lord Hermer, acting for the UK, and Philippe Sands acting for Mauritius. What exceedingly good fortune it was for the three old legal-eagle buddies to be able to work together on arranging to give the 250,000 square mile Chagos Archipelago, and all its mineral wealth, which could be HUGE, and control of the France-size airspace above the EEZ to Mauritius, never mind the UK taxpayer being on the hook for billions to lease back Diego Garcia.

The worrying thing is that we only spend 1.3% of GDP on the Army, Navy, and RAF, which is why the three are in such bad shape. It’s all down to accounting trickery that started with the Tories in 2010 when they brought the nuclear deterrent upgrade under the defence budget, and again with vets’ pensions in 2016. As soon as Labour came to power in 2024, they did the same by bringing GCHQ, MI5, and MI6 under the defence budget, leaving only £35 billion to be spent on the three arms of our military. It’s a disgrace by both parties.

Burnham Promised Affordable Homes. He Built Luxury Towers For Chinese Investors Before Andy Burnham stood for Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017 he was explicit about what he would do with the region's housing investment fund. He criticised public loans for city centre and luxury schemes. He promised to renegotiate the fund so it would fully focus on the long term goal of an affordable home for all. Here is what he actually did. Burnham's Greater Manchester Combined Authority lent £578 million in public money to a single developer, Daren Whitaker of Renaker. In March 2024 Burnham chaired a meeting that approved £120 million in loans to Renaker companies in the space of one minute. Out of 11,000 homes built with that public money, 503 are classed as affordable. Less than five percent. Since 2020 Whitaker's personal fortune has grown from £140 million to an estimated £698 million, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the North West. He briefly registered his residency in Monaco before switching it back to Britain. A tribunal found that GMCA failed to obtain a statement of assets and liabilities from Whitaker before lending him the money, exposing taxpayers to a risk the tribunal described as potentially wiping out the public funds. Whitaker also received a £40 million dividend payout despite restrictions in the original loan agreement. The GMCA would not say whether it knew about or approved those payments. The terms of the loans remain secret. A Court of Appeal hearing on £140 million of those loans is scheduled for June 9. Nine days before the Makerfield by-election. The China dimension is where the story connects to something considerably larger. The taxpayer backed developments were actively marketed to Chinese buy to let investors through Hong Kong estate agents. A marketing event was held in Hong Kong just weeks before the GMCA approved a £69 million loan for the Contour development. Hundreds of flats in taxpayer backed skyscrapers have been sold to Asian investors according to Telegraph analysis of Companies House filings. Angela Rayner, then Deputy Prime Minister, was simultaneously telling the Telegraph that it was a real frustration that international investors could buy up houses before local people get a look in. Her government's mayor in Manchester was lending public money to a developer marketing those same homes to Chinese buy to let investors in Hong Kong. Labour was pledging a stamp duty surcharge on overseas landlords while its most prominent northern mayor was facilitating exactly the investment it claimed to oppose. For Makerfield voters the question is direct. The constituency sits within a region where 18,000 people have no permanent address and one in 61 Manchester residents is homeless. The man asking them to send him to Westminster promised in 2017 to focus public money on affordable homes for all. He then lent £578 million to a developer who built luxury towers now owned by Chinese landlords, extracted dividend payments despite loan restrictions, and left taxpayers exposed without conducting adequate financial checks. For Britain as a whole the question is broader. The pattern of accommodating Chinese financial interests runs from the super embassy in London to the spy trial collapse to Mandelson's undisclosed relationship with China's finance minister. The Renaker story adds a further dimension. Public money, lent without adequate due diligence, flowing into luxury developments marketed directly to Chinese investors, by the mayor now seeking to become Prime Minister. The Court of Appeal will hear the case on June 9. The voters of Makerfield deliver their verdict on June 18. Both deserve an honest answer. "Burnham's Greater Manchester Combined Authority lent £578 million in public money to a single developer, Daren Whitaker of Renaker."

Local man thinks that in 1 week a team of 300 people could deep clean a city, remove graffiti and re-point the public buildings. The City of Birmingham already employs 325 street cleaners. It's been a sh1thole for years and it's getting worse.

Keir Starmer talking about politicising the murder of Henry Nowak and then parading his family in front of photographers at Downing Street is quite possibly one of the worst things he’s done.

Every day, ships leave this russian owned factory in Ireland straight for St Petersburg carrying thousands of tonnes of raw alumina for the war machine. There’s corruption everywhere. Locals tell me politicians are bought by oligarchs. Ireland is no longer militarily neutral.

Let me categorically Debunk this utter rot. @sainsburys. I am a poultry Breeder. The hens that lay white eggs (Amberline/White Star) DO NOT have a lower carbon footprint. Yes they eat a bit less and produce roughly the same amount of eggs as the Brown egg layers (Bovan/Lowman/ISA Brown) but they live shorter lives, are prone to dying suddenly when startled, a flighty and nervous and because they live shorter productive lives (12 -18mnths) vs brown 18/24mnths (both commercial farmed), you have to incubate more which is increased (Electricity/gas costs) and their eggs are not the same quality. I breed and keep 20 different breeds, including: ISA Brown hens and White Stars. All my hens are 100% free range, Not a single barn kept bird, I have ISA browns that are 5yrs old and still laying beautiful Brown eggs, I have not seen a White star live beyond 3yrs and certainly none have laid eggs past 18-24mnths. White stars Lay themselves to death. They are slender birds and because they dont eat a lot, it drains their personal vitality to keep up laying the eggs you want to sell because of the nonsensical lie that they are "More Carbon Neutral" You want to know about eggs, come talk to someone like me, Don't rely on some hairbrained imagination of a buyer who's trying to squeeze the profit margin for a few extra pennies at our expense and to the poor hens detriment.

The road to hell

I’ll ask you the same question. Mr Nowak made it clear that his son was not treated with the kindness extended to the murderer. Im pretty sure he did not say "whatever you do don't ask questions about 2 tier policing". Politicians are very keen on picking out certain things that Henry Nowaks father said but the above quote from him isn’t one of them. If you read it carefully he is baffled as to why his son was treated differently to his murderer. So do you think asking a question about two tier policing is a valid question?

"Murder in the roses" feels like a classic Agatha Christie.

"An LA Carol" Vote Spencer Pratt

"Pudgy hack" says NS journo.

Imperfect timing.

Anyone who's been exposed to the consequences of dementia will know that sufferers and their families need as much help as they can get NHS continuing healthcare can be a lifeline – but too many peoplein England are missing out because the system is broken. If you agree, please help by signing the petition today. Thank you. action.dementiauk.org/fix-nh…

Sometimes I’ll stick a couple of Tunnock’s Tea Cake wrappers on the bonnet of my car to trick people into thinking I’m the Emperor of Japan on a state visit.

How can you not love this scandal?

Meet and listen to some of the neutered Aegean #Cats we care for – it’s mealtime in the peaceful village of Agios Georgios on this tiny, beautiful Greek island in the Cyclades. You can help the #cats by donating now to fund vital healthcare and food. Purr! gofundme.com/f/cats-of-irakl…