So there you have it folks: one of Britain's biggest telecomms firms says they don't have a single telephone. Does anyone believe them? Another example of modern contemptuous capitalism, where firms do all they can to avoid talking to customers.

Can I remind Labour ministers & MPs blaming "14 years of Tory austerity" for our woes, that Labour chancellor Alistair Darling began austerity after 2008 financial crisis? In March 2010 he warned of deeper cuts than Thatcher's over next two parliaments:

Tonight's non-league delight is Farnborough v Torquay United in National League South.

Its time to have another community Fan Art event where you make the art, and the community votes their favorite! The top 5 art pieces will be receiving the rewards! RULES: - Anything Hero Siege related - No NSFW - No AI (we will filter these out) - Post progress pictures, at

With the death of Dick Cheney, rhe oldest of the six surviving US vice presidents is Joe Biden (born 1942).

Also, can anyone tell me if, among the 10s of 1000s of Chinese students at UK universities, are there any Uyghurs at all - or Tibetans, or Falun Gong followers?

Guardian/BBC story about Sheffield Hallam University dropping work on the Uyghurs under pressure from the Chinese govt is very worrying, but not surprising. The SHU VC should come out today & explain what happened. SHU governors have moral duty to get to bottom of it asap,

QUIZ TIME: Which Conservative cabinet minister was brother of a Labour cabinet minister, and father-in-law of a US Supreme Court judge?

I presume, David, that you'll be submitting a hefty bill to the Palace for your PR advice and influence?

Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) is welcomed to Israel by a government minister. I’m banned. I’m a British Jew and a member of the Board of Deputies. Israel needs to ask itself: who are its allies, and what message does this send?

I would never advise anyone in a million years to book anything through https://t.co/onpPmFiwPE. Contemptuous capitalism at its very worst.

So https://t.co/onpPmFiwPE are using AI to deal with customer service problems. What more could one want in a crisis, where you find your booking's a fraud; it's cold & dark, the kids are screaming; & then salvation, when you get through to an AI bot?

Cocking and Thomas are close friends. And coincidentally represent Bromsgrove (Thomas) & Broxbourne (Cocking), consecutive constituencies in the alohabetical list of Commons seats.

So for a few months in 2005 Caroline was a Conservative MEP while her husband Robert was a Labour MP, a rare (albeit brief) example of a split parliamentarian couple.

The Jacksons were very much a political couple. Both were officers of the Oxford Union, briefly sat on Oxford City Council together, and while Caroline was an MEP, 1984-2009, Robert was Conservative MP, 1983-2005, til he switched to Labour in final few months in Commons.

Sad news. Caroline Jackson, who was a Conservative MEP from 1984 to 2009, has died at the age of 78. Sympathies to her husband Robert Jackson, who preceeded her as an MEP.

The sudden unexplained departure of Charlie Redmayne as CEO of HarperCollins UK earlier this month seems very odd. He had done well. Was it connected to edits in Andrew Lownie's book on Prince Andrew? Did the Murdochs come under pressure? Please DM me if you know anything.

The sudden unexplained departure of Charlie Redmayne as CEO of HarperCollins UK earlier this month seems very odd. He had done well. Was it connected to edits in Andrew Lownie's book on Prince Andrew? Did the Murdochs come under pressure? Please DM me if you know anything.

George Orwell classics get new lease of life in Welsh

Lord Dick Taverne, who died yesterday, was one of just four survivors from the 1959-64 Parliament, having been elected at the Lincoln by-election in March 1962. The others are Stratton Mills (1959); Bill Rodgers (by-elec, April 1962); & Pat Duffy (by-elec, March 1963).

Lord Dick Taverne, who has died at the age of 97, was librarian of the Oxford Union in Trinity Term 1950, and the living former officer who'd served longest ago.

'He's got to stick around in Caerphilly, go and congratulate the winner and come out with a bit of humility.' Michael Crick says Nigel Farage should avoid 'going back to London and talking to no one'.