David Walliams (Williams, formally) was a director of the Reform treasurer's foundation until February this year, leaving shortly before it was dissolved
Josiah Mortimer
@josiahmortimer.bsky.social
wrld.org
Chief Reporter at UK political outlet Byline Times. I cover democracy, campaigning, and Britain's media.
Followers can reply to posts (ask to DM me). Open to news tips.
'Fake news w*nker' - Tommy Robinson.
Followers can reply to posts (ask to DM me). Open to news tips.
'Fake news w*nker' - Tommy Robinson.
Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice MP previously said to ITV accusations about Gibbons constituted “smearing and sneering against all of us”. Gibbons has just been convicted for malicious communication relating to a racist post www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk
Suspended Sunderland Reform councillor guilty over Facebook post
I really feel this is one of those decisions we'll look back on in 20-odd years and think: "wow, that was incredibly dumb and self-defeating", as what's left of our car industry tries and fails to switch to fully-EV at the last possible moment www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com
Labour expected to cut EV targets for UK’s car industry despite MPs’ protests
This is shocking. "The injunction was supposed to prevent harassment [of Brand], but it went well beyond that. It prohibits Ms Berki from telling anyone what she says happened to her – not journalists, not friends, not family, and not even the police." taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/11/07/r...
taxpolicy.org.uk
Russell Brand’s secret injunction: the order that silenced his accuser
A story I've been working on for a while... Exclusive: A Byline Times investigation raises serious questions about who is ultimately funding Parliament’s main pro-Israel group and whether it breaks rules on foreign political interference bylinetimes.com/2026/11/05/t...
bylinetimes.com
The Funder of Parliament’s Pro-Israel Group Was Reimbursed With Cash Sent From Israel Via Gibraltar
50 new trees on Oxford Street by spring. I know it's only tiny news in the grand scheme of things, but we need all the glimmers of light we can get www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk
Oxford Street pedestrianisation: How is it working one week in?
🔴 A Construction Firm That Gave Reform UK £100,000 Has Collapsed Owing Taxpayers More Than £400,000 Exclusive: FK Building made the donation months before going into liquidation, with experts saying the gift could now face clawback efforts
bylinetimes.com
A Construction Firm That Gave Reform UK £100,000 Has Collapsed Owing Taxpayers More Than £400,000
Nigel Farage saying he skipped the Budget because (effectively) he was worried Lib Dem MPs would beat him up might be the most pathetic-sounding thing he's ever said. More importantly, it's also very funny.
While it's good that DHSC spotted this, I think we can be pretty sure this is happening on a local level with far less scrutiny and screening. There is no verification process (from what I can tell) for responding to consultations in my council area www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com
AI bots flooded 2023 UK government consultation on disposable vapes ban
The cuts being made at the BBC are unforgivable. They are putting it into a death spiral. The weaker it gets, the less people will want to support it. And yes, this is an issue for the Government, which likes to pretend it's not their problem. It is.
www.theguardian.com
BBC News to axe education editor role in cost-cutting move
Politico: The BBC reports that "Jack Ross, the former Tory activist who appeared to offer to “broker” the hiring of contract killers, previously worked for CCHQ undertaking social media work until earlier this year. A party spokesperson said his membership has been suspended"
And much of Oxford Street is going car-free from tomorrow! I don't even live in London anymore but I'm genuinely excited about this. If it works well, it could be one of Khan's big legacies. People have been talking about doing this for literal decades, and now it's happening.
The Electoral Commission has fined Reform UK and Britain First. Britain First for "failure to deliver its 2024 statement of accounts by the statutory deadline" Reform UK for "failure to comply with imprint requirements". The Reform fine was increased after they missed the payment deadline.
This will be a game changer if it's confirmed. Upfront costs are the biggest barrier to people getting solar (the article says the loans will cover PV) Our household has saved nearly £500 from May to October since having solar installed. It's the most effective bill reduction measure out there.
🔴 Former Ofcom Standards Chief Condemns Watchdog’s ‘Two Tier’ Approach to GB News Former regulator calls for a clampdown as Andy Burnham’s Government tells Byline Times that ministers are now ‘exploring what action to take’ about MPs like Nigel Farage double-jobbing as presenters on GB News
"An investigation uncovered more than 130 official suppliers in the UK willing to sell cloned number plates" This is such a clear example of where the UK is good at creating laws, and often terrible at enforcing them. Laws are pointless if they're not implemented and *seen* to be implemented.
Badenoch tells PMQs "all of the gas" from Jackdaw "goes into the British grid". This is misleading - the grid is connected to Europe, so once gas goes into the "British grid" it's often sold abroad And anyway, it would only produce 2-6% of UK gas output at peak. Bald men fighting over a dirty comb.
"London Stadium has generated more than one million kWh of clean energy since the installation of the rooftop solar panels in July 2025. The output they have generated are enough electricity to match the power demand of more than 350 family homes." www.energylivenews.com/2026/10/13/l....
Cool how long we have been doing offshore wind in the UK. We're genuinely very good at it. "Barrow Offshore Wind Farm is celebrating 20 years of generating renewable, home-grown electricity for the UK...two decades of operation that have helped demonstrate the long-term potential of offshore wind."
A bleak question I'd be keen to hear from UK lawyers about. Will the US' public execution - if it goes ahead - be blocked in the UK, under the Online Safety Act (unless the platforms showing it have age verification)? Or some other law? Or is this situation so mad/unique that we don't know?