Leon Black

It's that odd time, a few weeks after setting up a new social media account, when I ponder whether to post political rants, stupid jokes or thoughts around decarbonisation of infrastructure.

I wish we could bottle Badenoch's inexplicably massive self confidence and give it working class kids from Teesside who really do possess skills and ability but don't realise it.

I long for the days when it was either "5p on fags and 2p on beer" or "10p on cigars and 10p on wine" depending on who was in office.

Whenever I read Justin Webb I remember the BBC stopped someone from hosting a podcast that was basically “I like heat pumps - they’re just neat!” because it was too political for a presenter

I've previously been paralysed from the waist down, had a lumbar puncture and been shot. All of which currently seem preferable to the gastroscopy I've got later today.

Evergreen message from the Financial Times to its readers www.ft.com/content/88c8...

Much like when I explain to my students how my PhD supervisor bought everyone in the group a Zip Disk. We got one each because the strap line was 100MB - all the memory you will ever need.

Not a single news outlet has reviewed its coverage of Jason Arday, for accuracy or proportionality. Zero attempt to conduct any inquiry into the media’s role in his death. Instead, the industry has moved into self-congratulatory mode. This isn’t just tone deaf, it betrays a systemic failure

Stop what you are doing and look at this lovely story. A photography student in the 80s took pictures of punks and mods on the street in Preston. He’s now tracked them down and photographed them again. The pictures and stories are really ❤️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Aww

Went to a weight loss meeting. A motivational speaker called Carol told us to listen to our bodies. I do Carol and that's why I'm here, mine keeps telling me cake and crisps.

There's always a @dril.bsky.social tweet

🐢💨

I get that the media is slow to catch up with things. I'm in the media, I am slow to catch up with things. But the week Reform's crowd looks like this, the BBC chooses _this week_ to go live to Farage's endless remarks on the budget; makes absolutely no sense

Left: President Trump insults Norway calling it a sh*thouse country Right: Visit Norway, the tourism board, trolls President Trump, displaying some of their best toilets on their Instagram 😅

In the last few weeks i've been bombarded with emails from people who have minor tech support problems. ChatGPT is telling them to email me, writing their emails, and compiling "evidence packets" after convincing them they have stumbled on a major story: www.404media.co/chatgpt-keep...

The true insanity levels involved are signalled by the ‘imperial units’ garbage. Just grow up, Bob.

I always love it when people get up on their high horse about this, because I do know lots of people who were Tories for decades and are now Reform and let me tell you, getting to know them is a highly instructive and helpful experience with many useful lessons. Give me a minute here.

BBC News just interrupted its coverage to go, live, to Nigel Farage - a man with no contitutional standing in our setup - responding to the budget - a document which nobody has seen yet. WHY

The British syndrome, summarised: 78% of us say our high streets are important to us. But only 28% of us actually use their local high street even once a week – and only 53% of people said they used theirs *once a month*. We won't use it, and we won't lose it.

"Suicidal provocation of Russia while our armed forces are at their most woeful state since WW2". Mate, the Russian army is currently pulling T-55's out of storage and losing ~1,800 men a day in foot and motorcycle assaults that achieve nothing. This is "poke the bear" nonsense.

You would think that a Professor Emeritus in history wouldn't repeat the nonsense that Britain was the first country to ban slavery. #R4Today

How about just pay fucking tax.

So how did Lula come from behind to defeat Bolsonaro? In short, turnout. Bolsonaro's vote share barely moved. But Lula banked millions of votes from those who didn't vote in the first round & won eliminated candidates' votes. A remarkable mobilisation. Second round turnout is usually below first.

some of the hysteria here seems to ignore the fact that this is *optional*? if it looks like it will damage local tourism, mayors can just... not do it! they can change their minds!

Would you like to see the wrongest review of music reviews ever courtesy of Mark Frith in Smash Hits?

Still ageing like milk

Hey, isn’t it weird that no mainstream media outlet has really engaged meaningfully with the revelation that centre right groups with close political links were not that far away from conducting a mass public execution and they’re neither remorseful or even slightly regretful of it. Anyway

Jenrick gets ever more absurd. H/t @lukemcgee.bsky.social

This is a non story. The police chief cites actual figures. Farage challenges actual figures. Farage has no basis for doing this. Why did the BBC run this?

is this good

Remembering Steve Cropper on his birthday - one of the greatest guitarists ever. This clip is taken from a short French documentary, filmed in 1969 at the Stax and Fame studios. Watch it in full at youtu.be/ste1KIwjbLE

Chaos in Washington The new Private Eye is out now.

When did the BBC description of Tommy Robinson change from ‘far right activist’ to ‘political activist’? Because that’s how he’s described on Radio 4 now

Sigh. Last line of this story "As a proportion of the economy, debt was ​lower than a year earlier, the ONS said."

What mask?

“The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.” — Hannah Arendt

Between 2021 and 2025, around 2 million cyclists passed the floating bus stops on Leith Street, Edinburgh, and around 5 million bus passengers boarded or alighted here. No injuries have been recorded. Over the same period, drivers injured around 600 Edinburgh pedestrians, killing 16.

🔴 The Media ‘Manufactured’ Millionaire Exodus From UK, Campaigners Tell IPSO in Open Letter Eleven campaign groups write to the official regulator demanding an investigation, saying eight newspapers misrepresented a discredited study in their reporting bylinetimes.com/2026/10/20/t...

I keep getting announcements from various universities about how they have some new initiative focused on how to have what they all are calling “difficult conversations”. Initially I was like hey sign me up, I am famous for my awkward conversations, but it turns out that’s not what they have in mind

24/7 Mumford and F*****g Sons.

This week, the lads ask whether Britain might see riots like the ones in France. Hosts and guests talk at length about the terrors of immigration, and it doesn’t occur to any of them that Britain has in fact seen years of sustained rioting, arson and fighting with police by the far right.