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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 32m

Iain Duncan Smith, September 2023: ... the problem lies in the mess we have got into over whether we define China as a threat or not? If it is a threat, why do we not call it that, take the action that is necessary to deal with it on that basis, and sanction some people?

#bbcpm

Security Update - Hansard - UK Parliament

Hansard record of the item : 'Security Update' on Monday 11 September 2023.

hansard.parliament.uk

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 40m

On what date do we expect the government planning decision on the Chinese "super-embassy" in London?

#bbcpm

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Reposted by Ed Wilson

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 42m

Please let the Chinese spying witness statements be published in time for me to do a close reading of them for my @prospectmagazine.co.uk #WeeklyConstitutional post on Friday morning.

Please, legal blogging gods.

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 43m

Which government gave this witness statement to the CPS?

#bbcpm

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 44m

"The more one knows about this case, the more confusing it becomes."

emptycity.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

When the charges were made in the China spying case, the evidential test was met. Now it is not.

#bbcpm

Trying to make sense of the nonsensical decision to drop the Chinese spying prosecutions

How the positions of neither the CPS nor the government stand up to scrutiny

emptycity.substack.com

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 48m

Girl, 10, commended in wildlife photography awards

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#bbcpm

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 55m

ASA Ruling on Assured Food Standards t/a Red Tractor
www.asa.org.uk/rulings/assu...

Red Tractor’s response to ASA ruling
redtractor.org.uk/news/red-tra...

#bbcpm

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 1h

Hegseth has narrow shoulders, but he looks ready to go for your ankles.

#bbcpm

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Reposted by Ed Wilson

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 6h

“By 2028, Marshall boasted, “we will be left with two dominant news channels: the BBC representing the centre left, and GB News representing the centre right”. Marshall and the other backers of GB News don’t need to do anything other than wait to be guaranteed a breakthrough – and they know it.”

Paul Marshall, the man who owns the right

The multimillionaire controls a network of news channels, publications and think tanks that the left could only dream of. If Reform or the Tories win the next election, he will become the country’s mo...

www.thenewworld.co.uk

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 2h

The Commons investigations of MPs' outside interests, "second jobs" and media employment seem to have ground to a halt.

First two links

committees.parliament.uk/committee/73...

committees.parliament.uk/work/8800/ou...

#wato #bbcpm

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · Sep 6

Email sent last night to today @ bbc . co . uk

#r4today

Text of an email

Subject: Moving on from Angela Rayner

Now the latest chapter of the Angela Rayner saga is complete and the cabinet is reshuffled, I'm reminded that former Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell has been the chair of the Commons Modernisation Committee, which has been considering the rules on MPs' outside interests, "second jobs" and media employment.
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/736/modernisation-committee/news/205025/modernisation-committee-chair-comments-on-new-mps-outside-interests-inquiry/

The Commons Standards Committee has been running an inquiry on the subject.
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8800/outside-employment-and-interests/

Someone who's bound to have an interest in the results of this work is Nigel Farage, currently estimated to be the top outside earner in the Commons, with his GB News earnings up there with some of the top BBC news names, and his tax bill reduced by the use of a personal service company.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/05/nigel-farage-uses-private-company-to-pay-less-tax-on-gb-news-earnings

Incidentally, and topically, Mr Farage also has interesting property arrangements, with his constituency home owned in the name of his girlfriend and two properties owned by one of his companies. Though of course he is not currently subject to the Ministerial Code.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/23/nigel-farage-clacton-home-bought-girlfriend-property

Ed Wilson

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Reposted by Ed Wilson

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 2h

Almost like we founded the entire country on opposing this exact sentence.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

Bessent: "No kings equals no paychecks"

130 1.8K 7.2K

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 3h

"the latest research found 84% of frequent GB News viewers believe new migration has increased. That fell to 71% of ITV frequent viewers, 62% for BBC viewers and 51% of the Channel 4 audience."

Michael Savage @michaelsavage.bsky.social · 3h

NEW: Net migration almost halved last year. But 84% of regular GB News viewers believe it went up.

More importantly, new research revealing this also suggests the public opposes politicians presenting shows - contradicting Ofcom.

Lisa Nandy now taking note:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/o...

GB News viewers more likely to wrongly believe net migration to UK rising, study finds

Research also finds majority of people are against letting politicians front current affairs programmes

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ed Wilson

Roy Dickinson @rjohndickinson.bsky.social · 4h

Deputy heads will roll.

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Reposted by Ed Wilson

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 4h

Some discussion in replies about cock-up vs conspiracy explanations.

So, fwiw, here is how I approach this as a law and policy commentator looking at law and policy messes.

And I have looked at many.

1.

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

One of Mark Elliott's pieces on the China spying case

publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/10/13/c...

#wato

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

Isn't that the CPS's job?

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

I don't know anybody who knows. You seemed to suggest an opinion.

#wato

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 5h

"The more one knows about this case, the more confusing it becomes."

emptycity.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

When the charges were made in the China spying case, the evidential test was met. Now it is not.

#politicslive #wato

Trying to make sense of the nonsensical decision to drop the Chinese spying prosecutions

How the positions of neither the CPS nor the government stand up to scrutiny

emptycity.substack.com

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

Vet bills are high!

BBC News programmes will do very little to find out why.

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

Why do you think the case collapsed?

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

englishassociation.ac.uk/why-choose-e...

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

Stand back!

Since the "Trump 20 points" are the basis for all this stuff, what negotiations are going on TODAY to try to make sense of them and move forward?

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

Is Kerem Shalom the only border crossing currently open?

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

"In 2022, the Tower Hamlets council voted unanimously to reject plans for a new Chinese embassy which would have been on the site of the former Royal Mint site. In October 2024, Angela Rayner 'called in' the planning application to allow for ministers to decide..."

#wato

Embassy of China, London - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 4h

A victim in the making?

#wato

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 5h

Starmer supported the conviction of the man who threatened Farage and then...

#wato

David @zero-4.bsky.social · 5h

Starmer regarding Reform’s former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill: “The member for Clacton & his deputy worked alongside someone who took money to spread Putin’s propaganda. They have serious questions to answer about what they knew”

#PMQs #PoliticsLive

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