David Osland
@davidosland.bsky.social
Forty-year veteran of British leftwing politics. Not the opinions of any publication for which I write.
To be fair to Nigel Farage, Reform UK has always insisted that the European parliament is corrupt. And now the party has finally provided indisputable proof.
November 21, 2025 at 1:29 PM
To be fair to Nigel Farage, Reform UK has always insisted that the European parliament is corrupt. And now the party has finally provided indisputable proof.
A Labour leadership contest between Starmer and Streeting would be meaningless. Party members deserve a genuine choice of direction.
November 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
A Labour leadership contest between Starmer and Streeting would be meaningless. Party members deserve a genuine choice of direction.
Britain's utility, water and rail privatisation provide proof that only one outcome is possible when you put your cats in charge of a jug of cream
November 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Britain's utility, water and rail privatisation provide proof that only one outcome is possible when you put your cats in charge of a jug of cream
Highlighting the surging inequaility between the super-rich and everybody else isn't 'exploiting divisions'. It's simply pointing the divisions out.
November 20, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Highlighting the surging inequaility between the super-rich and everybody else isn't 'exploiting divisions'. It's simply pointing the divisions out.
Robin Hood robbed from the rich to give to the poor, despite an exodus of barons to the Middle East. So obviously it can be done.
November 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Robin Hood robbed from the rich to give to the poor, despite an exodus of barons to the Middle East. So obviously it can be done.
The more Labour moves to the right, the lower it sinks in the polls. Surely it can't be long before its election-winning genius strategists put two and two together?
November 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
The more Labour moves to the right, the lower it sinks in the polls. Surely it can't be long before its election-winning genius strategists put two and two together?
Or to put Camilla Tominey's point another way, 99.7% of millionaires haven't left Britain
November 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Or to put Camilla Tominey's point another way, 99.7% of millionaires haven't left Britain
The number of millionaires in Britain is growing ten times faster than the number of millionaires leaving the country. Not that you'd know that from commentators propagating the 'wealth flight' myth.
November 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The number of millionaires in Britain is growing ten times faster than the number of millionaires leaving the country. Not that you'd know that from commentators propagating the 'wealth flight' myth.
When a Labour government sees the approval of Tommy Robinson as more important that the approval of the Labour Party membership, things are probably going wrong
November 17, 2025 at 6:11 PM
When a Labour government sees the approval of Tommy Robinson as more important that the approval of the Labour Party membership, things are probably going wrong
Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad has £55m in a London bank account. Syrians asylum seekers arriving in Britain with a few gold bangles could soon have them confiscated.
November 17, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad has £55m in a London bank account. Syrians asylum seekers arriving in Britain with a few gold bangles could soon have them confiscated.
How is it even possible to contrive a housing crisis in a country with a million empty homes?
November 16, 2025 at 11:48 AM
How is it even possible to contrive a housing crisis in a country with a million empty homes?
If Shabana Mahmood wants to talk about what's 'tearing Britain apart', let's start with billionaire tax evasion, the cost of living crisis, overflowing prisons, sewage spilling into rivers and streets full of people sleeping rough
November 16, 2025 at 11:43 AM
If Shabana Mahmood wants to talk about what's 'tearing Britain apart', let's start with billionaire tax evasion, the cost of living crisis, overflowing prisons, sewage spilling into rivers and streets full of people sleeping rough
I'll tell you who's 'holding Britain to ransom'. It's 156 billionaires, not 77,000 resident doctors.
November 14, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I'll tell you who's 'holding Britain to ransom'. It's 156 billionaires, not 77,000 resident doctors.
Plumbers are worth £90 an hour, corporate lawyers are billed at £1000 an hour. Resident doctors deserve £22.
November 14, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Plumbers are worth £90 an hour, corporate lawyers are billed at £1000 an hour. Resident doctors deserve £22.
Universal Credit allows bosses to get away with paying wages that are too low to live on. Don't stigmatise the millions of hard-working people who depend on it as 'lazy'.
November 12, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Universal Credit allows bosses to get away with paying wages that are too low to live on. Don't stigmatise the millions of hard-working people who depend on it as 'lazy'.
Nigel Farage will probably use his 39th appearance on Question Time to complain about the BBC's leftwing bias
November 11, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Nigel Farage will probably use his 39th appearance on Question Time to complain about the BBC's leftwing bias
Rightwingers are not 'forced to pay for the BBC'. But lefties really are forced to pay for nuclear weapons, religious schools and the royal family.
November 11, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Rightwingers are not 'forced to pay for the BBC'. But lefties really are forced to pay for nuclear weapons, religious schools and the royal family.
The man with the job of enforcing impartiality at the BBC is former head of comms to a rightwing Tory prime minister. Let's leave it there, OK?
November 11, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The man with the job of enforcing impartiality at the BBC is former head of comms to a rightwing Tory prime minister. Let's leave it there, OK?
Is Donald Trump seriously trying to claim he didn't urge an insurrection to overturn the democratic outcome of the 2020 US presidential election? OK, let's test that one in court.
November 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Is Donald Trump seriously trying to claim he didn't urge an insurrection to overturn the democratic outcome of the 2020 US presidential election? OK, let's test that one in court.
The Murdoch press is complaining about BBC bias. That's the very definition of foolish bravado.
November 9, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The Murdoch press is complaining about BBC bias. That's the very definition of foolish bravado.
Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, without even a second thought for the net negative fiscal impact after numerous barons relocated to Dubai
November 9, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, without even a second thought for the net negative fiscal impact after numerous barons relocated to Dubai
The best way to honour those who fought in world war two would be to rebuild the NHS and the welfare state they voted in huge numbers to bring about
November 9, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The best way to honour those who fought in world war two would be to rebuild the NHS and the welfare state they voted in huge numbers to bring about
'There's an argument the minimum wage is too high for younger workers' says Nigel Farage. There's also an argument that the minimum wage should be at least £20 an hour for everybody.
November 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
'There's an argument the minimum wage is too high for younger workers' says Nigel Farage. There's also an argument that the minimum wage should be at least £20 an hour for everybody.
In a country that imposes a de facto 9% tax on graduates earning the average wage, the case against a 2% tax on multimillionaires looks remarkably weak
November 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In a country that imposes a de facto 9% tax on graduates earning the average wage, the case against a 2% tax on multimillionaires looks remarkably weak
So Yaxley-Lennon is not guilty of terrorism offences but grannies holding Palestine Action placards are. Go figure.
November 4, 2025 at 1:46 PM
So Yaxley-Lennon is not guilty of terrorism offences but grannies holding Palestine Action placards are. Go figure.