10 years ago my wife, the mum of our kids & the MP for Batley&Spen was killed by a far right extremist. At anniversaries I try to be optimistic about the future. But not this time. In the ten years since she was killed we have gone backwards & I fear our democracy is now at risk

After a tough week, tonight I came across the Shawshank Redemption on the tv. My favourite film and have watched it dozens of times. What I had forgotten is just how good it makes me feel. It’s much more than a movie, it’s an antidepressant in movie form. Thank you @StephenKing

This morning I asked myself, not for the first time, who is Nigel and I made some notes. And it does add up. Here is a man who sells himself as the ordinary bloke with a pint, the man of the people, the great outsider standing up against the establishment. And yet somehow this ordinary bloke always seems to arrive with a camera crew, a donor network, a friendly broadcaster, and now a parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire. Very normal. Very grassroots. Very “just one of the lads”. The peoples revolt, apparently, now comes with lighting, branding, fundraising dinners, professional outrage, and a small question about whether millions should have been declared properly. Everything is a betrayal when Labour does it. Everything is “nothing to see here” when Nigel does it. Housing? Blame Labour. The NHS? Blame Labour. The economy? Blame Labour. Boats? Blame Labour. A £5 million gift? Suddenly everybody must calm down and respect the process. And then came Tuesday. A young man died. A family was grieving. A country was trying to understand something horrific. And Farage stepped forward. Not with calm. Not with care. Not with responsibilty. But with his announcement of “pure cold rage”. That phrase matters. Because anger is human. Anger can be moral. Anger can demand answers, justice, accountability and truth. I understand anger. A lot of people are angry. They have every right to ask serious questions. But rage is different. Rage does not ask careful questions. Rage does not wait for investigations. Rage does not protect grieving families from becoming political props. Rage looks for a target. And that is where Farage always seems most comfertable. Not solving the pain. Not calming the country. Not asking how institutions failed and how they can be fixed. But standing beside the pain with a microphone, turning the temprature up, and calling it leadership. Warm enough to repost. Warm enough to donate. Warm enough to vote. But never calm enough to ask: “Hang on, who benefits from keeping us this angry?” That is the trick. He does not need Britain to feel hopeful. He does not even need Britain to feel informed. He needs Britain permanently one headline away from rage. Because rage is usefull. It fills rallies. It drives clicks. It turns grief into theatre. It makes slogans feel like solutions. And while everyone is shouting, nobody asks the boring questions. Where is the plan? Where is the funding? Where are the costings? Where is the responsibilty? Maybe that is who Nigel Farage is. Not the man of the people. But the man who knows exactly how to turn peoples pain into his own political stage. The Reform & Tory Sitcom continues. Same chaos. Different rosette. Anger can demand answers. Rage just sells tickets. If this speaks to you, please add your comments, repost it, and maybe follow me — not for me, but because politics needs fewer slogans and more people asking proper questions. #Farage #ReformUK

🚨 WATCH: Nigel Farage is repeatedly heckled by MPs as he calls on Keir Starmer to end "two-tier policing" Starmer: "His response has been to appeal for rage. That’s his response to a father who lost his son & asked for this not to happen... it shows exactly who he is" #PMQs

🚨🇬🇧 Farage, Lowe, and Yaxley-Lennon called for “PURE COLD RAGE” and this is what they got. I’m sick of these self-serving opportunists inciting violence on our streets. When will they be held accountable?

Ken Doherty has announced his retirement from professional snooker after 36 years on tour. Brilliant player and great ambassador for the game.

🚨It's turned violent, the scum, encouraged to turn up by @TRobinsonNewEra and incited to commit violence by @Nigel_Farage, attack police with rocks and fucking wheelie bins. #FarageRiots #FaragesRiot

Oh, please! His great grandfather might have served four years… but Kenyon did four hours every other Saturday afternoon! Quit with the jingoistic shit… only the easily led are buying it. I was in the cubs, if that counts. 🤷‍♂️

And Reform want Britain to be built on hard grift!

"Just because you’ve got a flag in your van and you scream at people in the street doesn’t make you a patriot." Chancellor Rachel Reeves tells Channel 4 News' Economics Editor Helia Ebrahimi that being a patriot is about "loving this country and treating other people with respect", after being heckled during a previous interview.

Great thanks… tens of thousands of Arsenal fans gathered together in an outpouring of wondrous love on Tuesday night, including Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and nobody cared what colour or creed anyone was.

Given the ridiculous volume of Prime Ministers that Britain’s endured in recent years, I think it should now be law that if a PM quits or is forced out during his/her term, it automatically triggers a new general election. That might concentrate their minds to do a better job.

Heartbreaking. Netanyahu is a war criminal.

Many others including my self got in when we were in our 20/30’s. Absolutely ridiculous when the real Big hitter sports have people with stellar careers get in when they are in their mid 40’s or 50’s. It should be something that is earned through decades of work and reputation. Don’t get me wrong I’m proud to be in it but it seems like a given if you have a half decent career, which it is not meant to be about that imo

No very often I agree with Piers Morgan but on this I agree with him 100%. The media would have wet themselves if Keir Starmer was the recipient of a £5 million 'gift'. It's time the Reform bullshit is called out. #bbcqt

One for you to try @markwil147 🤔

So it’s best of 13 today but if it goes 6-6 then it’s just a respotted black. How does that make 13 frames 🤷‍♂️ #seniorssnooker

British Journalists take note - this is how you question Reform Mp's. Watch and learn! This young man annihilates Robert Jenrick #bbcquestiontime

I’m enjoying the seniors. But, it hasn’t help itself this year. Dodgy table, 2 table set up, too many players and imo, no one from the top 16 should be allowed to enter. And the tables look like they’ve been purchased from the middle isle at Lidl. Sorry, needs a rethink. #snooker

Pope Leo was elected to the papacy on this day, May 8, last year. Happy anniversary to the Holy Father