BOATWATCH #31

The week began with a lull, which ended in spectacular fashion on Wednesday.  An armada of 15 small boats were picked up and 1,075 colonists brought ashore by RNLI and Border Farce taxis.  This was the fourth time this year that over a thousand were imported in a single day, but the all time record remains the 1,305 brought in on 3 September 2022.

2025 remains on course to best 2022 as the all time record for small boat arrivals, and the numbers have actually increased since Starmer announced his ridiculous 'one in, one out' policy.  The total number of illegals returned to France since the first deportation three weeks ago currently stands at an absurd 26, while more than five thousand newcomers arrived in the same period.  And don't forget that for every boat migrant sent back to France, they send us another migrant in return!

We must be mad, literally mad.

Total = 1,843 (an increase of 525 on previous week)

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 09.10.25

Seven by-elections were held this week, including a Wednesday contest that was easily held by the Lib Dems.  The following day the Lib Dems held again, this time in Somerset, and also took a seat from the Conservatives in neighbouring Devon.

This week was a good test of how the Tory party conference had played out to the electorate, with three seats being defended - one each in the north of England, south of England and Midlands.  They lost all three.  Furthermore, their vote share was down in all seven seats, including double digit drops in four of them.  In all three losses they slumped to third place.

Reform took two of the Tory seats, while they held in Northamptonshire.  If you recall, Reform were struggling to hold seats following the local elections, but they have now held their last four defences.

Labour's only defence was a seat in Lancashire, in which the outgoing councillor had resigned from the party last year before continuing as an independent.  Labour failed to retake the seat, losing out to residents' group Our West Lancashire and being pushed into third by Reform.

Widcombe & Lydcombe, Bath and North East Somerset Council

LDm: 769 (44.4%) -11.8%

Grn: 267 (15.4%) +0.6%

Lab: 212 (12.2%) +4.7%

Ref: 206 (11.9%) New

Con: 149 (8.6%) -12.8%

Ind: 83 (4.8%) New

Ind: 45 (2.6%) New

LDm HOLD

Lloyds & Corby Village, North Northamptonshire Council

Ref: 754 (38.5%) +2.1%

Lab: 635 (32.4%) -11.8%

Grn: 371 (18.9%) +9.7%

LDm: 113 (5.8%) +1.5%

Con: 86 (4.4%) -1.5%

Ref HOLD

Skelton East, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Ref: 839 (65.3%) New

Lab: 247 (19.2%) -10.7%

Con: 179 (13.9%) -29.4%

LDm: 19 (1.5%) -1.5%

Ref GAIN from Con

Kenn Valley, Teignbridge District Council

LDm: 1,116 (50.4%) +11.0%

Ref: 512 (23.1%) New

Con: 212 (9.6%) -19.0%

Ind: 181 (8.2%) New

Grn: 122 (5.5%) -13.9%

Lab: 59 (2.7%) -9.9%

Ind: 12 (0.5%) New

LDm GAIN from Con

Aughton & Holborn, West Lancashire Borough Council

Ind: 704 (35.5%) +10.4%

Ref: 478 (24.1%) +18.6%

Lab: 385 (19.4%) -21.3%

Con: 295 (14.9%) -8.7%

Grn: 78 (3.9%) -1.1%

LDm: 42 (2.1%) New

Ind GAIN from Lab

Bretforton & Offenham, Wychavon District Council

Ref: 357 (43.5%) New

Grn: 213 (25.9%) New

Con: 165 (20.1%) -35.4%

Lab: 33 (4.0%) -25.9%

LDm: 31 (3.8%) -10.8%

Ind: 12 (1.5%) New

Ind: 10 (1.2%) New

Ref GAIN from Con

Yateley West, Hart District Council

(held on Wednesday)

LDm: 1,101 (54.7%) -5.9%

Ref: 562 (27.9%) New

Con: 348 (17.3%) -8.2%

LDm HOLD

WOKE WEDNESDAY #45

If you've followed English football for the last few decades you will of course be familiar with the name of Gary Neville.  A rock solid right-back, Neville was part of the ultra successful Manchester United team of Alex Ferguson, and he also represented the England national team an impressive 85 times.  After retiring from the field of play in 2011, Neville has invested heavily in property, while also maintaining his football interest by becoming a TV pundit and purchasing Salford City Football Club alongside some of his ex-Manchester United team mates.  He also tried - and failed - at club management.

In recent years Neville has become increasingly outspoken on political issues, endorsing Labour - and Keir Starmer - on multiple occasions.  He appeared on stage with Starmer at the 2022 party conference and appeared alongside him again in a Labour election broadcast in 2024.

It could be argued that Gary has been inspired by his name-sake, potato crisp salesman and fellow multi millionaire ex-footballing socialist Gary Lineker.  However, while the latter deploys a smug, polished delivery of woke virtue signalling, the pound shop version comes across as eminently less so.  He was absolutely skewered during an appearance on the Beeb's Have I Got News For You, when challenged as to how his supposedly woke progressive persona seemed to give way when Qatari Arabs were offering a fat pay cheque to commentate on the controversial 2022 World Cup.

Earlier this week Neville released a video response to the Islamist attack on a synagogue in north Manchester last week.  Instead of bemoaning the divisive narrative that has been imported to the UK by both historic and ongoing mass migration, coupled with the rise of far left Palestine activism, just 18 seconds into his 'insight', he began attacking the presence of national flags placed on lamp-posts.  He then refers to 'division that's being created' and says it's 'absolutely disgusting'.  Then, in the very next sentence he goes on to specifically blame 'middle-aged white men' for this 'division'.

Just a reminder Gary - the man who carried out the attack on the synagogue was not a middle-aged white man, in fact he was not even British.

Pound Shop Lineker follows this up by proudly declaring that he 'instantly' tore down a Union flag that had appeared at one of his development sites.  More contradictions follow as he says he 'loves his country' and played for England.  Detractors have noted that when it came to the national anthem before England games, Neville tended to bow his head and not sing any lines, almost as if he was ashamed.  Well, now we know.  He really does hate this country and specifically the people who paid his exorbitant wages all those years, because if a football fan can be summed up in one demographic - it's a white middle-aged working class male.

Needless to say, the working class men of Greater Manchester have not reacted too kindly to Neville's absurd comments.  A banner was displayed at Salford City's latest match, in which the co-owner is described as 'traitor scum'.  National flags have also been placed on lamp-posts outside both his existing properties and development sites.

Oops, Gary, didn't anyone ever advise you not to bite the hand that feeds...

Last week's Labour conference meme generated 13 comments and two shares on Facebook.

TOON TUESDAY #75

Party conference season is the continuing theme this week, but we end this selection with the projected arrival of the ultimate ne'er-do-well in Gaza - as if the Palestinians haven't suffered enough already...

Dave Brown for The Independent

Ben Jennings for The Guardian

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Peter Brookes for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Dave Brown for The Independent

Andy Bunday on Instagram

Ben Jennings for The Guardian

Morten Morland for The Times

MEME MONDAY #55

It was another interesting week as Starmer's Britain continues its descent into outright tyranny...

Mon 29 Sep - 56 shares

Mon 29 Sep - 131 shares.  And yes, that is Matt Hancock standing at the
front alongside Burnham.  You see, this is how globalist NGOs like the
WEF get what they want - they buy up both parties

Mon 29 Sep - 68 shares

Tue 30 Sep - 20 shares

Tue 30 Sep - 171 shares

Tue 30 Sep - 139 shares

Tue 30 Sep - 103 shares

Wed 1 Oct - 831 shares
It was not Karl's intention, but he does accept that Starmer here
looks more like Blakey from On The Buses, as opposed to the
Austrian Painter

Wed 1 Oct - 182 shares

Thu 2 Oct - 42 shares.  This is now the default response of the establishment in
the wake of an atrocity, gaslighting the public by describing the very thing
responsible for said atrocity as 'our greatest strength'

Thu 2 Oct - 399 shares

Fri 3 Oct - 168 shares

Fri 3 Oct - 19 shares

Fri 3 Oct - 195 shares

Sat 4 Oct - 389 shares.  This received some interesting
comments, with some cheering the detention of George
Galloway. A couple of people even went as far as to say he
should be locked up, purely because they perceive him to
hold views that counter their own. Even when it was pointed
out that the politicisation of the police by the state can be
used against any opponent, they dug themselves an even
bigger hole. Sometimes we despair.

Sat 4 Oct - 80 shares

Sun 5 Oct - 413 shares.  R.I.P. Peter Lynch, the anniversary
of whom's death is later this month

Sun 5 Oct - 111 shares

Sun 5 Oct - 75 shares

Just the two Facebook Stories last week...

If you appreciate what we do you can buy us a metaphorical pint each here.  This helps fund our work and also serves as a vital morale booster.

BOATWATCH #30

Ten boat migrants were reportedly returned to France last week, presenting the biggest exchange yet and thought to bring the grand total of returnees to 18.  Yes, that's eighteen.  Meanwhile, thousands continue to make the journey, undeterred by the slimmest of chances they could end up being flown back to France.

Crossings dried up as we headed into the weekend, but the UK was being battered by the wind and rain brought by Storm Amy.  The Autumn rush that traditionally precedes winter will undoubtedly pick up again once calmer seas return.

Total = 1,318 (an increase of 423 on previous week)

LAMMY HECKLED AT VIGIL

It was a hostile reception for Dave Lammy when he addressed a vigil in Manchester on Friday.  The Jewish community had gathered to remember the dead and injured from Thursday's Islamist attack on a synagogue in the north of the city.  As the host began to introduce the Deputy PM, the crowd began to heckle and then chant, ignoring the host's pleas for calm.

Many of those present were clearly angry at the government's recognition of a Palestinian state, yet another reminder of the Balkanised nature of modern Britain - where loyalties are either divided or lie elsewhere in a far off land.  As Lammy finally got to the microphone, he was jeered and ridiculed when he addressed those present as 'friends'.

Watch below.

It's not been a great week for daft Dave.  During the party conference he claimed in an interview that Nigel Farage had 'flirted with the Hitler Youth when he was younger'.  He was later forced to backtrack on the absurd suggestion, not least because Farage was born in 1964 - almost twenty years after the demise of Hitler and his youth!

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 02.10.25

Seven seats were contested on Thursday and it was very nearly a clean sweep for Reform UK.  The party gained five, held one and lost out to Labour by 63 votes in Cheshire.  The latter saw a bruising drop of almost 33 per cent in Labour's vote share.

Reform made relatively easy gains - all as newcomers - from the Tories in Essex and they also took three formerly independent seats in Kent.  They also held a seat on the Isle of Wight with a marginal increase in vote share.

The Labour vote share was down in all four seats the party contested.

Hutton South, Brentwood Borough Council

Ref: 805 (45.8%) New

Con: 544 (30.9%) -14.5%

Lab: 234 (13.3%) -14.5%

LDm: 109 (6.2%) -9.6%

Grn: 66 (3.8%) -7.2%

Ref GAIN from Con

Strawberry, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Lab: 602 (35.8%) -32.9%

Ref: 539 (32.0%) New

Ind: 231 (13.7%) New

Con: 132 (7.8%) -16.8%

LDm: 121 (7.2%) +0.5%

Grn: 58 (3.4%) New

Lab HOLD

Lake North, Isle of Wight Council

Ref: 290 (36.8%) +0.7%

Con: 249 (31.6%) +2.8%

LDm: 118 (15.0%) +4.4%

Grn: 88 (11.2%) -0.9%

Lab: 44 (5.6%) -0.2%

Ref HOLD

Harrietsham, Lenham & North Downs, Maidstone Borough Council

(3 seats)

Ref: 1,228, 1,226 & 1,153

Grn: 459, 452 & 430

Con: 342, 285 & 234

LDm: 236, 156 & 123

Hrt: 97

Ind: 74

Ind: 69

Ref GAIN from Ind (x3)

Wigan Central, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Ref: 1,301 (47.2%) New

Lab: 970 (32.9%) -15.3%

Ind: 196 (6.7%) New

Con: 151 (5.1%) -9.4%

Grn: 130 (4.4%) -2.1%

LDm: 109 (3.7%) +0.2%

Ref GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative
Lab = Labour

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

Hrt = Heritage

Ind = Independent

WOKE WEDNESDAYS #44

It's Labour conference time, but there are no sausages this year - only long drawn out attacks on Nigel Farage, Reform UK and the kind of working class people continuing to desert Labour in favour of the surging alternative.  There are also trigger warnings in place around the Liverpool venue, warning guests and delegates to obtain 'consent' before engaging in such everyday greetings as a handshake or a hug.

In another display of socialist control freakery, attendees are advised that if anyone rejects such trivial contact - 'whether through words or body language', their wishes must be respected 'immediately'.  Generally speaking, us Brits can usually read the signs without the need for written instructions.

As for 'consent', what consent does the Labour government have from the British people to impose a digital ID on every citizen, thus laying down the groundwork for a dystopian social credit system further down the line?

Last week's TDS meme generated ten comments and two shares on Facebook.