Mr Pecksniff's Diary

Pecksniff ponders whether Brexit’s service to Russia was treason or stupidity. * Matt Hancock’s care-home record returns to haunt him. * Reform’s Operation Vanguard manages to handcuff the public it is meant to protect.... This week's reflections on political life.

Some traditions refuse to be polished into prettiness. Molly dancing was overlooked by folk revivalists – perhaps because its working-class roots were too uncomfortable. See why it matters as Kate Viscardi explores the untamed side of folk history.

We have an announcement. Due to the current windy weather, today's Mobile Library visit to Evie, Rendall and Firth has been postponed. 💨 We will now be operating this service THIS FRIDAY (30th October) at all the usual times. Apologies for any inconvenience.

A Swiss-style relationship for Britain: “it is a workable arrangement”. Yes, it is - but will introducing the idea just make the full-fat alternative only more attractive? A stepping stone rather than a settled landing zone? Will it even have to be a stepping stone the UK ever actually lands on…?

A good analysis of the 'Swiss option', which would allow the UK privileged access to the SM, provided it abided by the rules (essential, obviously) but keep it out of the more political areas. Definitely a plausible arrangement. Well worth reading.

Good article by @nialloconghaile.bsky.social on "Swiss option". Almost gave up on this a few years back - not due to UK - but rather Swiss option was time consuming for EU. However given int developments I sense both EU & UK are coming round to this again. eastangliabylines.co.uk/news/brexit/...

This went on for the rest of the full hour, at which point the BBC apologised for having to go to the weather and urged viewers to follow continuing live coverage on iPlayer. Forty-one minutes of unfiltered, unchallenged propaganda by a far right party with 8 MPs, now third in the polls. Discuss.

Momentum is gathering ...... www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

“The case for Rejoin must be a case for Europe as our home: a continent…prepared to take on and defeat Russian imperialism, an economic union which can shelter countries from the storm of a global trade war” A team we want to belong to. Because it strengthens us all. www.arguably.uk/p/europe-is-...

Great to see on the front of the Mail, Telegraph, Express, Sun.* 'The no. of young people admitted to London hospitals after knife attacks is down 55% since Sadiq Khan launched a Violence Reduction Unit, with London falling faster than the rest of England.' *Joke www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/y...

“Russia was very keen that the Leave campaign should succeed and that Britain should leave the European Union”, he explained. “Because that would marginalise Britain as a global player and weaken Europe in general."

Pecksniff wonders just how useful Brexit’s idiots were to Russia * Lib Dems perform an abrupt handbrake turn over an early election * Reform’s Essex vigilantes discover the perils of the citizen’s arrest.

Got my vote!🇪🇺 #RejoinEU

Westminster Voting Intention: LAB: 30% (+1) RFM: 22% (-2) CON: 20% (=) GRN: 10% (+1) LDM: 9% (=) SNP: 3% (+1) Via @opiniumresearch.bsky.social, 21-23 Oct. Changes w/ 7-9 Oct.

@pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social 🎯on M Hancock - who should be in jail for malfeasance in public office ‘It took Covid to expose his complete failure. Now he was his own master, executing the petty conceits of a mediocre man on the make, then refusing to accept responsibility for his own words/actions’

@pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social - as usual, entertaining but full of well-evidenced facts. The list of RefUK's embarrassing resignations continues to expand. eastangliabylines.co.uk/opinion/peck...

It is a particularly brilliant article this week. PLEASE train up a Yorkshire Pecksniff...

Given support of Russian bots, speeches inciting actual riots, threats to kill all black & brown British citizens, links to Patriot Platform, multiple Farage references in #EpsteinFiles linked to Israel & Russia ... "Lest we forgot: Treat Reform as a terrorist organisation via The UK Against Hate

Reform UK fined for failing to declare it was publisher of campaigns material www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The youngest House of Lords peer, Baroness (Carmen) Smith of Llanfaes, is proposing a new bill to overhaul the second chamber – and abolish her own role – this Friday. It’s already ruffling feathers among the ermine-robed masses... open.substack.com/pub/bylineti...

Lots of guff talked today about Jackdaw, especially by my fellow tree huggers. Jackdaw won't add to the climate crisis, it will actually lower our carbon emissions. We need more logic and less emotion guys...:)

No mention of Johnson here. BBC News long past it's best. BBC News - Government failings allowed Covid 'to spread like wildfire' in care homes, inquiry finds www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I would much prefer a law that makes parking for SUVs far more expensive than for smaller cars (as done in Paris and other French cities, for instance. See: news.sky.com/story/calls-...)

"The Brexit majority has gone for ever – rejoin now has a majority of 9m" "Millions of Brexit voters have died and the young want to get back in" Sounds like a plan #RejoinEU

Might be the endgame in UK/EU negotiations on youth mobility inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Trial of "Tommy Robinson" for alleged harassment of journalists underway www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The backlash has started. Polling shows that most of the public wants a fairer voting system. So does the Prime Minister. But there are always people in Parliament who are resistant to change. That's why we can't rest on our laurels. We must keep building a movement that's impossible to ignore.

A few months into President Donald Trump’s second term, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity: Secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it. 😳

If you were horrified by the ITV documentary about RefUK, you need to know that it's really not just "a few bad apples". It's been built in from the start. It's part of who they are & what ties them together. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov0P...

A new right-wing think tank that is demanding transparency from charities, while refusing to divulge any info about its own backers. Excellent digging by @josiahmortimer.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/10/19/m...

You may have seen reports about the campaign for charities to be more 'transparent' about who funds them. Well it turns out the mysterious new right-wing think tank behind it won't say who funds or runs them, and used fake names for the authors of the report which launched their campaign

“…A structured conversation … replaces a clash of grand visions… …with a collective effort to find the best paths forward. ..” Sounds good to me…

I mean it’s not a vetting problem, is it? It’s that it’s a racist party, run by racists, with racist policies, for the benefit of racists. The fact that it turns out to be full of racists is not a glitch

Mr Pecksniff has been surveying the week: an enticing route back towards Europe, Russians everywhere, Reform’s mounting troubles, Green turmoil – and the possible return of Liz Truss to South West Norfolk. Quite a lot to luxuriate in. @eastangliabylines.co.uk @pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social

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"Over 100 Reform councillors have left the party since the May elections. Criminal charges, allegations of racism, dubious business dealings, non-attendance, realising they actually had to do things." @pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social A tamed Reform, perhaps not quite...

Pecksniff considers today... * A citizens’ assembly route back towards Europe * Farage getting awfully cross about Russia * Liz Truss contemplating another tilt at Westminster * as well as LibDem and Green antics Read on... ⤵️ @pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social

The excitement down at the Muckrakers Arms is all too much... * Ed Davey blows a raspberry at Trump * Yet another Reform councillor provides entertainment * Liz Truss eyes South West Norfolk * And there's plan to put citizens at the heart of the EU debate

The excitement down at the Muckrakers Arms is all too much... * Ed Davey blows a raspberry at Trump * Yet another Reform councillor provides entertainment * Liz Truss eyes South West Norfolk * And there's plan to put citizens at the heart of the EU debate

Customs union? Single market? Both? Full EU membership? Hard Brexit? Status quo? Peter Thurlow asks whether reducing the UK's relationship with Europe to another binary referendum makes any sense.

Sarah Pochin on the Reform Party leadership: "They are so chauvinistic... they just exclude you if you are a woman."

A strong argument for citizens’ assemblies discussing our future EU relationship… In Ireland, assemblies: “helped inform public debate before the referendums, so the country talked to itself before it voted, and the result is remembered for its maturity rather than its bitterness.”

Democracy In Danger: #Brexit wasn't the start or the end of Putin's election meddling... Latest @bylinetimes.bsky.social pod @peterjukes.bsky.social @goldbergradio.bsky.social Listen: pod.fo/e/6ab1ad Watch: youtu.be/M8hVq-skssI?...

The Great Fen is a vast fenland landscape between Peterborough and Huntingdon, containing two National Nature Reserves. A great place to commune with nature, enjoy the outdoors and learn about the important Peatland Progress project.