Increasingly confused and frustrated. Left leaning liberal in hope of a real socialist government
Joined July 2017
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Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Question for the Electoral Commission
- there is a byelection happening in 3 weeks
- should a candidate be platformed by a news Channel in this way
- will GB News offer the same time slot to all 33 other candidates in Clacton
- are rules just ignored because it's Farage (again)
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Update: The Met is now investigating Reform UK itself, and two people have been interviewed under caution.
Everything reported on Reform's finances this week has involved agencies assessing, referring or reviewing money. This is different. Gabriel Pogrund is reporting that the Metropolitan Police is conducting a criminal investigation into at least £500,000 in donations from George Cottrell's mother, Fiona Cottrell, to Reform UK before the last election, and that two people have been interviewed under caution over allegedly "disguising" the source of the funds or making false statements about them. That's not a review. That's the formal step police take once they've identified potential suspects in a criminal offence.
Fiona Cottrell has already surfaced repeatedly in reporting on Reform's finances. The Sunday Times found she'd become one of the party's largest individual donors, giving £750,000 to Reform UK directly, despite describing herself in 2023 legal documents as a "retired stylist." Separately, she gave £1 million in June 2024 to Britain Means Business, Richard Tice's think tank, which then passed £500,000 to Reform UK that same month. The Met's new investigation, into "at least £500,000... before last election," lines up closely with that same transfer.
The specific allegation matters. Interviewing people about "disguising" a donation's source or making false statements about it points toward offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act, the law that governs routing money through an intermediary to obscure where it actually came from. A think tank sitting between a donor and a party is exactly the kind of structure that provision exists to catch if used that way.
This is now the fourth separate law enforcement thread running across Reform's senior figures simultaneously: the NCA on Christopher Harborne's £5m gift to Farage personally, the NCA on Tice's £80,000 loan from Cottrell, the Met on Robert Jenrick's foreign-sourced leadership campaign donation, and now the Met on the party's own donation intake, with actual named or nameable individuals being questioned as suspects.
The distinction is worth being precise about. Everything else this week has been about individuals' personal finances. This is about how money entered Reform UK as a political party, under active criminal investigation, with people already being interviewed under caution rather than simply having their transactions flagged.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Sky to pay £1.6bn for ITV's broadcast and streaming division news.sky.com/story/sky-to-pa…
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
In ten days time with your help we can cap how much money anyone can personally give to a political cause and any chance millionaires can buy our politics. If you agree share this and ask your MP to co sign the amendment. It’s time we made sure it’s democracy not donations that define our future.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
🚩🚩🚩 Sunday Times: Farage’s path back to power was quietly funded by George Cottrell, a 32-year-old former US prison inmate and crypto operator.
Benefits allegedly included social media staff, bodyguards, and use of a London house near Buckingham Palace.
🧵 1/2
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
You’re weekend reminder Nigel Farage wants to
- leave the ECHR
- repeal the Equality Act
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions”
PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT
Nigel Farage and Reform UK want to
- leave the European Convention on Human Rights which protects our right to protest, our right to privacy, our right to fair trials and so much more
- repeal the Equality Act - a key piece of legislation that prevents against discrimination in Britain
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts and Legalize "fire and rehire" tactics
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions” that allow landlords to remove tenants without giving a reason and introduces new duties over health hazards
and to sell all this to the country Farage offers nothing in return but grievance and division. PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT.
That anyone could be supporting Farage and Reform with these policies must surely be a damning indictment of UK media in failing to explain all this to the public
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
I've decided to leave this platform and my Department will too.
A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.
It isn't healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don’t want to support it.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
They tell us what goes up must come down. That is the law of gravity.
In Britain we live under a different law: the law of the rigged market.
The Iran war panic is over. Oil has surrendered almost its entire war premium and is trading within a couple of dollars of where it was before the first bomb fell. Yet petrol is still 20p a litre dearer, diesel 30p, and this morning, the first of July, your energy bill went up ANOTHER 13%. That's 13.5 million households now in fuel poverty. A record £4.79 billion owed to energy suppliers.
The watchdog admits margins are "persistently high" and costs don't explain it. Its answer? An app, so you can compare the rigging.
And the government? It profits. Half of every litre goes to the Treasury, and VAT rises automatically with every price hike. The house always wins.
Crisis arrives. Prices shoot up. Companies pocket the panic. Ministers perform outrage. The public pays.
This is not a free market. It is managed extraction. Read the full piece: 👇
labourheartlands.com/the-law…
#energyprices #EnergyRipOff
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
🚨 One of the biggest myths about Brexit is that economists “can’t agree” on whether it damaged the UK economy.
In the FT debate, Delphine Strauss explains they measure it by comparing the UK’s performance with similar economies and by comparing firms more exposed to EU trade with those less exposed.
Whichever method is used, the picture is consistent:
• GDP per capita lower than it otherwise would have been.
• Business investment hit even harder.
• Productivity weakened.
• The UK’s share of goods exports fell sharply.
The debate is about the size of the impact—not the direction.
That’s an important distinction.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
I have never claimed welfare. Ever. But I don’t begrudge paying tax to help those less fortunate.
The billionaires are coming for the Equality Act, ECHR and welfare including pensions. Be warned. You will be poorer with less rights.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Reform are panicking about people pointing out that they want to replace the NHS. So please don't share this clip of Nigel Farage saying he'd rather healthcare was done through insurance companies.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
You’re daily reminder Nigel Farage wants to
- leave the ECHR
- repeal the Equality Act
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions”
PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT
Nigel Farage and Reform UK want to
- leave the European Convention on Human Rights which protects our right to protest, our right to privacy, our right to fair trials and so much more
- repeal the Equality Act - a key piece of legislation that prevents against discrimination in Britain
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts and Legalize "fire and rehire" tactics
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions” that allow landlords to remove tenants without giving a reason and introduces new duties over health hazards
and to sell all this to the country Farage offers nothing in return but grievance and division. PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT.
That anyone could be supporting Farage and Reform with these policies must surely be a damning indictment of UK media in failing to explain all this to the public
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
You’re daily reminder Nigel Farage wants to
- leave the ECHR
- repeal the Equality Act
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions”
PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT
Nigel Farage and Reform UK want to
- leave the European Convention on Human Rights which protects our right to protest, our right to privacy, our right to fair trials and so much more
- repeal the Equality Act - a key piece of legislation that prevents against discrimination in Britain
- Strip back workers rights
- Lift restrictions on exploitative zero-hours contracts and Legalize "fire and rehire" tactics
- repeal the Renters’ Rights Act which abolishes “no fault evictions” that allow landlords to remove tenants without giving a reason and introduces new duties over health hazards
and to sell all this to the country Farage offers nothing in return but grievance and division. PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT.
That anyone could be supporting Farage and Reform with these policies must surely be a damning indictment of UK media in failing to explain all this to the public
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Watch Nigel Farage openly say we should privatise the NHS and move to an insurance-based system instead.
He really couldn’t care less about you or your health.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
While we’re all paying higher energy bills for net zero, the Royals are quietly cashing in.
The Crown Estate (aka the King’s seabed empire) rakes in £1B+ from leasing UK waters to offshore wind farms.
Most goes to the Treasury… but a fat slice funds the Sovereign Grant, £132M this year for royal expenses.
Your taxes + wind profits = more public money for the monarchy.
Who really benefits?
#AbolishTheMonarchy #RoyalWindfall
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
24 By-Elections Last Night:
Reform UK won 5 and lost 19 and their votes plummeted in Wales.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Farage squirms as Rep. Jamie Raskin obliterates the "Putin-loving, free speech imposter, Trump sycophant".
Please share as widely as possible. The news media have a convenient habit of forgetting about Farage's service to Russia.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
Without Russia's promotion of Farage, Brexit would not have happened.
On September 16, 2014, Farage and Nathan Gill made speeches to the European Parliament parroting several of the same Russian propaganda lies.
They both called Ukraine "The Ukraine," a term which refers back to the old Slavic word for borderland, which Russia uses to deny Ukraine's nationhood.
They both used the expression "poking the Russian bear."
They both parroted the Russian lie that there had been a coup in Kyiv in 2014.
They both parroted Russian lies about NATO and EU expansion.
They both repeated the Russian claim that the real threat was Muslim extremism, a claim that Putin had very effectively used to distract Western leaders from Russian aggression and its hybrid war against the West.
Reform UK initially claimed Farage barely knew Gill. That turned out to be a blatant lie.
And a reminder that before the BBC picked up the baton, Farage was propelled to prominence by Russian TV. The Kremlin clearly thought Farage would be useful to Russia. He has doubtless more than exceeded their hopes.
Kevin Micklewright retweeted
🎭 THE DAILY PARODY
Nigel Farage loves scrutiny—until it reaches Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage’s anger in today’s interviews mattered more than the jokes (in his raspy voice and cough) about Ferraris and horses.
For years, Farage has built his political identity around asking difficult questions.
Questions about politicians.
Questions about donations.
Questions about institutions.
Questions about the establishment.
But today, BBC Radio 4, BBC Breakfast and LBC finally asked Farage sustained questions about the £5m gift he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
And suddenly, scrutiny was no longer a democratic duty.
It was an intrusion.
Farage bristled.
He said the money was a private matter.
He said he could spend it on Ferraris.
He could put it on the horses.
He could do whatever he wanted.
The gift is being investigated. Farage says it was unconditional and that he has broken no rules.
But difficult interviews reveal instincts.
When Farage is applying pressure to somebody else, every question is legitimate.
When the pressure reaches Farage, the question itself becomes offensive.
Ipsos recently placed Reform ahead of Labour.
But the same polling showed 57% dissatisfied with Farage, while only 18% regarded him as the most capable prime minister.
Normally, that might make a political party nervous.
Fortunately for Nigel, Reform is not organised like a normal political party.
Reform has only eight MPs.
Its MPs cannot use the constitutional no-confidence mechanism until the parliamentary party has more than 100 MPs.
Until then, half of Reform’s entire membership would need to write to the chairman within 60 days.
And even then, the final decision would rest with the party board.
Farage sits on the board.
He appoints three members.
He appoints the chairman, subject to board approval.
So half the membership could theoretically ask for Nigel Farage to go…
…and the Farage-controlled board would decide whether Nigel Farage should remove Nigel Farage.
At which point, I imagine the following telephone call.
📞 AN ENTIRELY IMAGINED CONVERSATION
LEE ANDERSON: Boss, I’ve got good news and bad news.
FARAGE: What’s the bad news?
LEE: Fifty-seven per cent of the public are dissatisfied with you.
FARAGE: And the good news?
LEE: They’re not on the Reform board.
FARAGE: What about the members?
LEE: Half of them would have to write to the chairman within 60 days.
FARAGE: And then?
LEE: Your board decides whether you should go.
FARAGE: My board?
LEE: Sorry. The completely independent board containing you, your appointees and the chairman you appointed.
FARAGE: Excellent. Put out a statement attacking Labour’s lack of democracy.
📞 CALL ENDS
Farage is demanding a general election because Labour changed its leader.
But inside Reform, changing Nigel Farage is designed to be almost impossible.
Accountability for Labour.
Accountability for Parliament.
Accountability for the establishment.
Just not too much accountability for Nigel. – at Woodham, South East