One of the daftest things I read on line is the assertion that “you can’t rewrite history” This, of course, is nonsense, history is rewritten all the time, that is how history works. Each generation writes it’s own history, attitudes change, new facts emerge, documents are found in the archives, things are dug up from … Read more
Living in the Lie There is a moment in the decay of a democracy when truth stops mattering — not because people can’t tell what is true, but because they no longer care. We have passed that point. A growing number of our fellow citizens do not merely believe false things; they want the rest … Read more
The usual suspects on-line and in the old media are getting themselves worked up that families with a Polygamous marriage are getting an increase in benefits. This is typical of the hysteria from the Daily Express The not so hidden subtext is that these are Muslim families, and as such should not be allowed to … Read more
The Conservatives are in permanent decline, unable to arrest their slide in the polls. They haven’t managed to poll beyond third place since April, and defections to Reform UK are now dangerously frequent. Danny Kruger became the first shadow cabinet minister to jump ship last week. Few think Kemi Badenoch will still be in place … Read more
Fake content and far-right radicalisation online are reshaping our politics and society. We live in an age of unreality, where everything is fake — except the hate. The internet has rewired how we think, argue and even feel. The exponential rise of online porn alone suggests future historians might call this the golden age of … Read more
Reform UK’s First “Victory” in Durham? Not Quite. Reform UK now control Durham County Council, following the most recent round of local elections. They replaced a lacklustre Conservative-Lib Dem coalition — hardly a high bar to clear. Many of the wards that swung to Reform were Labour strongholds until 2015. Reform have already claimed their … Read more
Do We Really Spend £1 Billion a Week on Benefits for Foreigners? No. Last weekend, The Telegraph ran an eye-catching headline: Cue a flurry of shares from Reform UK supporters and the usual angry right-wingers on social media. Unsurprisingly, most hadn’t read the article—just the headline. The piece itself was behind a paywall, which didn’t … Read more
How a Lie Takes Hold Last week, Britain finally signed a trade deal with India. That’s a good thing. A new US:UK trade deal too, and if rumours are true, a new UK-EU trade deal might be on the horizon next week too. This UK-India trade deal has been years in the making. The major … Read more
When Is Research Not Really Research? When is a survey not a survey? When it’s designed for PR, not science. This blog isn’t meant to offend—rather, it highlights how journalistic standards have collapsed and how this fuels the spread of disinformation. A Viral Story That Wasn’t True Recently, someone shared a shocking claim with me: … Read more
The Digital Trap: How Misinformation Targets People Like Us Writing this blog, I’m making some assumptions about my readers—primarily graduates, middle class, aged between 45 and 65, and self-identifying as well-educated. I hope what I’m about to say doesn’t upset too many of you. Hate, distrust, and disinformation designed to create political divisions have proliferated … Read more