Your new ‘sites to bookmark’ to get political news!
A realisation has come into being the last few weeks – how about you? We are all so obsessed about trying to change politics. It seems to be clear now that what we need to do more is to change our consumption of media.
Most people in people in England are either centre-right or centre-left or left or nothing-at-all! But most of our media is owned by a few right-wing billionaires. Who seem to be pulling the strings as to what gets investigated or written about, and to whom.
Innocent voters in Clacton-on-Sea don’t find out about policies to take away their disability benefits, until two days after they have re-elected their MP. With promises to make it more difficult to get PIP (it’s very difficult to get anyway). And to stop PIP fraud (the rate for PIP is virtually zero).
So here it is – your friendly alternative guide to finding alternative news!
Although it’s good sometimes to turn off the news – for political junkies out there, here are good places with really good writers/presenters to get your politicals news-shots, without false lies or cruel bias.
Bookmark one or more of these, and turn off the mainstream channels. If more people did this, the truths would hopefully filter into the minds of those who think that some politicians and media pundits have their best interests at heart. People fleeing from their burning homes don’t care about sparkling wine.
Good YouTube political pundits
Maximilian Robespierre (not his real name, he’s Irish!) has over 250,000 followers on YouTube, and presents regular 5 to 10 minute videos, giving his take on what’s happening in politics today. He is not party political (he is awaiting judgement on Andy Burnham).
But what he is? Compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful and always sure to bring up his take on the stories that the right-wing press are ignoring. His followers love leaving comments. And it is quite uplifting.
If you watch Robert Jenrick and Richard Tice talk about their proposed plans and want to stick your head in the oven – read the comments of this fantastic online news source. And you’ll realise that people are for the most part – kind-hearted and horrified at what is going on in politics today.
Max recently made a video on the death of Jason Arday. Of course he had to be held accountable. But after Jason resigned, the press continued to ‘hound him to his death’. Often by a magazine once edited by Boris Johnson, likely guilty of telling more lies than anyone else in political history. The hypocrisy.
Thomas Harries – now here’s a lovely young man! He’s a newbie but already gaining followers, for his humorous yet passionate look at political events. He really is fantastic.
He recently phoned up Laila Cunningham on LBC to ask why Farage had not attended his own count (when a letter sent to a councillor a few days before proved that Farage Fest was planned all along). He got cut off!
Recently Thomas made another video on the proposed slashing of benefits for disabled and vulnerable people. He has paraplegic celebral palsy, so he knows what he’s talking about. Again read the supportive comments, to realise just what a kind inclusive country we are.
A Different Bias – this is a friendly Mancunian ex-teacher who now gives his knowledgeable and often deadpan humorous comments on the state of affairs today. He goes into detail and is worth watching.
Listening to the radio?
James O’Brien – this popular radio presenter on LBC likes to give monologues on the political scene, and his callers are as interesting as him. Give this a listen when you’re cooking or gardening – he’s on 10am to 1pm weekdays.
Ben Kentish – also on LBC if you’re a night owl (10pm to 1am weeknights), he also gives his political guests a real grilling. Doing his job which is what journalists are supposed to do. Yet remains friendly, polite and entertaining.
Good ‘state of the nation’ Substacks
Neil Kingsnorth (on Substack) runs a social enterprise and orchard with his wife, and now (with a history of working for The Orchard Project and Friends of the Earth) is soon to publish his first book. For now, enjoy his articles online.
Like Chris Packham below, he has a huge scientific knowledge of ‘how nature works’ and his posts focus on localism and keeping nature and money in local economies. Not economic growth and big money culture:
I look sideways, towards community. I look towards cooperatives, community buy-outs, citizens assemblies, small independent businesses, community transport, community supported agriculture and more. Where dormant power resides.
He’s also an excellent writer (not surprising, considering he’s the brother of Paul Kingsnorth, of whom some have called England’s greatest living writer!)
Harry Eccles is a registered nurse practitioner, who is passionate about us working together to change the world. He runs an interesting Substack account that covers healthcare, politics, the planet and social change.
Farage said he didn’t want to go to the count, as he didn’t want to be humiliated by ‘nobodies’. Those being his fellow candidates, local Clacton council workers and his own local activists. Nice.
So far the right wing press have slated Hannah Spencer MP for being too working class, not working class enough, too rich, too poor, having nice hair, having 3 year old hair, being a plumber, not being a plumber, being married, not being married… Anything else lads?
Byline Times has its own Substack account, in addition to the online and print newspaper. It says ‘the government’s role is not to tell people what to think. It is to ensure everyone has fair access to the best available evidence, with which to think for themselves’. Great stuff!
The journalism the papers won’t print, free to your inbox. We will follow the story wherever it goes, without fear or favour. No PR company, advertiser or press baron can influence the stories we choose to cover. Our integrity comes from our editorial independence. Byline Times
Richard Murphy is an Irish/English writer and a good one too. He focuses mostly on developing a fair and sustainable economy. And he could win anyone over, his writing is so good..
We need unreasonable people. Our biggest problems, whether political, economical or environmental, all need real change. Quietly going along with failing systems won’t deliver it. We need people to question what others call normal. We need the courage to believe the world could be different.
I think that journalists are asking politicians the wrong question. They should be asking every MP ‘What are your priors?’ Instead they ask ‘How are you going to pay for it?’ That’s the wrong question. Because a person’s priors shape what they believe government can do.
Chris Packham is clever. He understands science and is an experienced communicator. It is therefore quite difficult to dismiss him as an ignorant environmental protester who does not understand the issues about which he is talking. (on why the media attack Chris Packham)
Chris jokes to George Monbiot that it’s a last-stand situation, ‘I’ll see you on the hill, make sure you bring your wellies, it’s bound to be raining’. He says a growing number of people are waking up to the ‘fight to save life on Earth’.
What’s the point of MPs if they simply channel corporate demands? Industrial chicken factories are killing some of our most beautiful rivers. They generate more dung than the surounding fields can absorb. The surplus washes downhill into the nearest stream. George Monbiot
Special mention to Feargal Sharkey!
Irish Feargal Sharkey appears to only be on X at present. A former pop star, he now lives in England and is a fierce, outspoken and intelligent campaigner on cleaning up our rivers. One interviewer said he had never met a more articulate or educated voice on the subject.
Britain’s only desalination plant remains idles during drought. Built at a cost of £250 million to Thames Water customers. And it doesn’t work.
Just you wait until this drought breaks and that inevitable deluge of rain that comes. And with it millions of tons of sh*t getting dumped into our rivers and onto our beaches.
If you’re young (!), know that Feargal was singing about the seas before you were born. Listen to his old band’s song Julie Ocean.
More hopeful writing from the USA
John Fugelsang is a Substack writer to make you feel hopeful over the pond. In a country (the USA) where the vice-president professess to be a Catholic (?), John’s own parents were a nun and Franciscan brother (they fell madly in love and were pen pals for 10 years before marrying). So he knows his religion and Bible, better than some bigoted people who preach it.
He writes that rather than make ‘disabled and poor people pay’, Jesus Christ (the real one, not the made-up one in right-wing politics) is good for people, planet and even the economy.
If your church is not telling you to love your enemies (but telling you who your enemies are), you’re not really in a church.
Jesus never called poor people lazy, was never even slightly anti-gay. He was a long-haired, community-organising, authority-questioning, brown-skinned, Palestinian, unarmed homeless Jew. But only if you believe what’s actually in the Bible.
Here’s an excerpt from his latest Substack post:
Donald Trump’s private criminal defense attorney, the one who met Ghislaine Maxwell in prison and promptly moved her to a substantially nicer prison even though she’s a child rapist and all, is about to become America’s Top Cop.
Which means he’s still Trump’s criminal defense attorney, but now you’ll be paying his salary.
