News Round-Up

• “Woman appeals against Southport tweet jail term” – The Court of Appeal has heard that Lucy Connolly, who was jailed after an online rant on the day of last year’s Southport attacks, “never” intended to incite violence, reports the BBC.
• “Tory councillor‘s wife ‘had no idea what she was admitting’ when she pleaded guilty to online rant” – A former childminder who was jailed after posting an online rant about migrants the day of the Southport massacre says that she had no idea what she was admitting to, according to the Mail.
• “Mother jailed over tweet could have sentence reduced” – A mother jailed for 31 months for a tweet she posted in the wake of the Southport murders has described how news of the massacre triggered memories of the death of her own child, reports the Telegraph.
• “‘Hopefully she’ll be home within a week’: husband of childminder jailed for race hate tweet speaks after appeal hearing” – Lucy Connolly’s husband says that he hopes his wife will return within a week, according to LBC.
• “Help Lucy Connolly rebuild her shattered life and fight two-tier justice” – Democracy 3.0 is providing the opportunity to support Lucy Connolly – a bereaved mother and devoted childminder, unfairly imprisoned over a deleted tweet, while violent offenders walk free. Help her rebuild her life and stand against Britain’s two-tier justice system.
• “Who judges the judges?” – In the Spectator, Jonathan Miller argues that the opaque and politically influenced British judicial system would benefit from some American-style transparency and accountability – perhaps even by letting voters judge the judges.
• “Ukrainian charged over Starmer firebombs” – A 21 year-old Ukrainian man has been charged in connection with a series of arson attacks targeting the Prime Minister, reports Sky News.
• “Starmer humiliated in Albania as PM contradicts migrant plan” – Keir Starmer was left red-faced as he hailed talks over Rwanda-style “return hubs” – minutes before his Albanian counterpart ruled out hosting one, says the Mail.
• “Our deluded elites are still lying to us about the mass migration disaster” – Only net zero immigration can now save Britain, writes Allister Heath in the Telegraph.
• “Starmer on migration – who is he kidding?” – Nobody believes a word of what Sir Keir Starmer said in his speech on uncontrollable migration, says Kathy Gyngell in TCW.
• “How Labour ended up taking on the Boriswave” – With the PM seemingly inaugurating a paradigm shift on immigration, the only question now is where the debate will be pushed next, writes our own Laurie Wastell in the Spectator.
• “Why Denmark’s ‘zero refugee’ policy offers a silver bullet for Starmer” – A tough approach to migration in Denmark has curbed asylum seekers – and neutered the far-Right, says Eir Nolsøe in the Telegraph.
• “Should you be arrested for reading the Spectator?” – The only thing less likely than your call being picked up by Kent Police is that they will do anything about it, says Douglas Murray in the Spectator.
• “Is there something Brexity in your attic?” – In TCW, John Ellwood satirises state overreach and cultural censorship by reimagining classic children’s books as subversively “Brexity” contraband.
• “‘Why was I blocked by Best for Britain?’” – Charlotte Gill has found herself mysteriously blocked by Best for Britain – surely nothing to do with her mention of their multi-million-pound Soros funding, right?
• “Labour ‘underestimated’ impact of VAT raid on private schools as fees surge” – Labour’s VAT policy on private schools is under fire, with critics saying they’ve “underestimated” its impact as fees have shot up by nearly a quarter this year, reports the Telegraph.
• “Reform support surges to record high” – In the Spectator, Steerpike reports that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has topped 30% in the polls – overtaking Labour and the Tories.
• “Economists have got Reform’s plan to save Britain all wrong” – Criticising sensible policies does little for the millions for whom work and risk-taking don’t pay, says Richard Tice in the Telegraph.
• “Farage is spearheading a political revolution” – A political revolution is now under way, and it looks likely to transform our politics and country, writes Matt Goodwin in TCW.
• “Labour plan to let UAE own Telegraph stake faces ‘fatal motion’ in Lords” – Labour’s plan to allow the United Arab Emirates to own 15% of the Telegraph faces a Lords rebellion, reports the Telegraph.
• “‘If you are silent on Gaza, you are complicit’” – In the Telegraph, Oliver Brown sits down with Gary Lineker to discuss his controversial outbursts, his departure from the BBC next year and his silence on the transgender debate.
• “Lineker’s apology is too little, too late” – The BBC’s best-paid presenter seems to be one of those deluded folk who persuade themselves that the broadcaster has a pro-Israel bias, writes Jake Wallis Simons in the Telegraph.
• “‘A Critique of the Apocalyptic Climate Narrative’” – On Climate Etc. Judith Curry and Harry DeAngelo provide excerpts from their new paper ‘A Critique of the Apocalyptic Climate Narrative’.
• “‘I don’t think I should be God’: Labour MP withdraws support for assisted dying” – A growing number of MPs are raising concerns about the assisted dying Bill, reveals the Telegraph.
• “The assisted suicide Bill isn’t just defective, it’s dangerous” – Labour MPs should ask themselves if they want to be remembered for normalising suicide, writes David Frost in the Telegraph.
• “Is everything for sale?” – On Substack, Dr Tom Jefferson and Prof Carl Heneghan expose the cozy relationship between MPs, fat donations and the dubious push for anti-obesity drugs.
• “‘Trans toddlers’ allowed gender treatment on NHS” – The NHS is treating nursery-age children who believe they are transgender after watering down its own guidance, reports the Telegraph.
• “The Slovakian Prime Minister is being led to scientific slaughter” – On Substack, Anandamide accuses Dr Richard Fleming of sabotaging a Slovakian vaccine study with fraud and plagiarism to discredit research on DNA contamination.
• “HHS to end COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for kids and pregnant women” – On the Focal Points Substack, Nicolas Hulscher reports that the US Health and Human Services – under RFK Jr. – is set to scrap Covid jab guidance for kids and pregnant women amid soaring death tolls, criminal probes and nationwide calls to ban mRNA vaccines.
• “Controversial doctor and new head of MAHA reveals radical plan” – Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist and MAHA’s newest leader, has revealed his plans for tackling America’s chronic disease epidemic by the time President Trump leaves office, reports the Mail.
• “Biden had many enablers but his wife Jill was the worst of all” – According to a new book, no one did more to hide Joe Biden’s decline than his wife, Jill, the First Lady, says Rob Crilly in the Telegraph. 
• “This shocking Joe Biden cover-up brings shame on the Democrats” – If Biden was as physically and mentally frail as a new book suggests, keeping him in the White House would have been madness, writes Michael Deacon in the Telegraph.
• “Outcry as Falklands War landing craft is decorated for Pride” – Falklands War veterans have hit out after a landing craft used in the conflict was wrapped in a rainbow Pride flag, reports the Sun.
• “‘This is why people aren’t donating any more’: the outcry over charity CEOs’ six-figure salaries” – Amid cut services, disbanded helplines and mass redundancies, the non-profit sector is struggling – but those in charge are still cashing in, says Melissa Twigg in the Telegraph.
• “‘It’s a stretch to say it was inciting racial hatred’” – On TalkTV, Toby explains to Julia Harley-Brewer how the Free Speech Union is paying for Lucy Connolly’s barrister, who has “a good track record in cases like this”.

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