John Woodcock. Co-chair of APPG on Defending Democracy. Political violence, disruption and counter extremism. Crossbench peer, Ex-Barrow MP and No10 spokesman.
Barrow and Furness
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Launching my report this morning. Undue Influence: the Iranian Regime’s Abuse of the UK Charity System. Download it here ⬇️
powerfulstreet.com/Undue_Inf…
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‘It’s vital that they set a direction that is actually going to turn things around.’
Lord Walney believes Andy Burnham looks comfortable in the role he could step into as Prime Minister, but that he needs a strong plan to get to grips with the challenges Britain faces.
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‘The flip-flop from one thing to another, and he did struggle to communicate.’
Lord Walney reacts to Keir Starmer breaking his silence on his resignation, saying he recognises the victory he won after Jeremy Corbyn, but that people didn’t know what he stood for.
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Blairite :)
Makerfield MP Andy Burnham is being tipped to appoint two senior Blairite figures to the House of Lords – amid growing speculation that Ed Balls could soon join David Miliband on the red benches
🔴 Exclusive from @cazjwheeler & @kitty_donaldson
Read more: inews.co.uk/news/politics/ur…
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To be clear, @kitty_donaldson absolutely knows her Blairites from her Brownites from back in the day… yes God help the 12-year-old who tweeted the above :)
Our social media team getting a history lesson in the morning on Blairite v Brownite… Gawd help ‘em😉
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Lord Walney retweeted
Our social media team getting a history lesson in the morning on Blairite v Brownite… Gawd help ‘em😉
Makerfield MP Andy Burnham is being tipped to appoint two senior Blairite figures to the House of Lords – amid growing speculation that Ed Balls could soon join David Miliband on the red benches
🔴 Exclusive from @cazjwheeler & @kitty_donaldson
Read more: inews.co.uk/news/politics/ur…
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There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:7
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Lord Walney retweeted
Important point @JournoStephen makes is all devolution has done is create gold plated opportunities for our activist class. For every Richard Leese you have 10 Ross Greers & Maggie Chapmans all getting away with far more than anyone at Westminster because they lack their scrutiny
There is so little substance to Andy Burnham that it seems almost churlish to attack the one area where he amounts to more than ambition, sentiment and unfathomable vanity, but his big policy idea happens to be one with which I have some familiarity.
In his speech this week at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, the soon-to-be prime minister pledged 'new opportunities to extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland' and the devolution of employment support to mayors in England.
He complained about government departments opposing 'our legitimate requests to improve our places by devolving a fraction of the power and resources they hold', and warned them: 'The days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over, for good'.
✍️ Stephen Daisley
Article | spectator.com/article/devolu… | @JournoStephen
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Deeply concerning and needs a full explanation. Bill Kirkup has an outstanding pedigree in seeking to improve maternity services. His report into the failings that led to avoidable neo-natal deaths in Morecambe bay did not lead to the system-wide change promised
Bill Kirkup tells the BBC that criticism of “normal birth” being pushed by maternity services was removed from Amos report just 8 days before publication.
This is unbelievable. Kirkup says Amos was listening to the “wrong voices” on this issue.
He told the BBC that "a significant number of people" had signed off a version of the report that included criticism of normal birth but that eight days before its publication, "it disappeared."
Given the evidence, Kirkup felt he had to resign. "We ought to acknowledge that this is a problem, and that it's got patient safety implications for mothers and babies," he said.
"I think it needs daylight shining on it and then we can have a proper conversation about why this sometimes happens and how we make sure that it doesn't keep on happening."
Kirkup said he wouldn't discuss how the changes had occurred but that "I think she [Baroness Amos] has listened to the wrong voices on this particular issue."
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Lord Walney retweeted
Ken Loach joins campaign to save cinema.
He supported the Workers Revolutionary Party, the Socialist Workers Party, George Galloway’s Respect, TUSC, Julian Asange, and Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party which he defended against claims of anti-Jewish racism.
Given the success of all these campaigns, we can presumably expect the bulldozers to move in by Friday.
The English film-maker joins Hollywood stars supporting Valerio Carocci, who wants to stop the Metropolitan becoming a shopping centre thetimes.com/world/europe/ar…
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There has been a ‘culture of coverup’ in NHS maternity services, admits Health Secretary
channel4.com/news/there-has-…
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Lord Walney retweeted
I want the Defence Investment Plan to be a success. And I thank the MOD officials who've worked so hard over many months on it. I welcome the extra funding and focus the Treasury has ceded over the last couple of weeks. (1/6)
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Oh this is really sad news, David was a lovely man
Very sad to hear that the great David Hencke has died.
A brave reporter who never shied away from holding power account - cash for questions and the Peter Mandelson loan scandal were just two of his many history-defining scoops.
He was also a lovely man: generous to colleagues coming up through the ranks and kind to his many friends at the Guardian, across Westminster and beyond.
theguardian.com/media/2026/j…
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For months, I have called for the UK government to make more information about this attack public, including in the Chamber just last week, so the British people can see we are already in a conflict with Russia...... (1/2)
New: Russian hackers were behind a cyberattack last year that crippled Jaguar Land Rover that cost billions in damages and harmed the British economy, investigators have concluded.
nytimes.com/2026/06/26/world…
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Not all 🥧s and gravy - yay
politico.eu/article/old-mate…
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Object to her style, point out she was part of the problem in office, but Kemi Badenoch’s words at PMQs will sting because they have the ring of truth.
Unless Andy Burnham learns the right lessons on Labour’s failure under Sir Keir, he will hand Nigel Farage the keys to No10.
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Lord Walney retweeted
There is one big reason why a Burnham premiership is doomed, just as a Starmer premiership is doomed - Labour still haven't come to terms with the financial crisis. In particular, they're still relying on the economics of 'one weird trick'. Quick thread. (1/?)
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Lord Walney retweeted
Lovely appreciation of a remarkable woman. Delighted that Daphne Park also gets a mention. Both her and Meta were much better spooks than the M type stereotype or Moneypenny-types usually found in exuberant fiction. We shall not see their like again @chrismullinexmp
Today we say goodbye to the wonderful Meta Ramsay. Here is a longer version of the obituary I wrote for the Times earlier this month. Some great Labour and Mi6 stories here, she led a truly incredible life: powerfulstreet.com/meta-rams…
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Today we say goodbye to the wonderful Meta Ramsay. Here is a longer version of the obituary I wrote for the Times earlier this month. Some great Labour and Mi6 stories here, she led a truly incredible life: powerfulstreet.com/meta-rams…
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Lord Walney retweeted
EXCL: As Keir Starmer struggles to keep his crown, another leadership battle is raging. Away from the media spotlight, there is a struggle for the future of the Green party between its various official ‘Special Interest Groups’ and its leader, Zack Polanski.
On one side, Polanski and his officials are at least trying to appear to be dealing with allegations of anti-Semitism and extremism within the party. On the other, a powerful affiliate group, the Global Majority Greens (GMG), is accusing its leader of creating a ‘hierarchy of racism’, with allegations of anti-Semitism taken more seriously than other complaints.
Polanski, it claims, has failed to be truly anti-racist because he has not backed the ethnic-minority Greens who have been suspended over alleged anti-Jewish rhetoric. Most extraordinarily of all, it believes the Greens – yes, the Greens – are too pro-Zionist.
Crucially, the group is formally backed by Mothin Ali, who serves both as deputy leader of the party and GMG treasurer. Ali has endorsed official reports compiled by the GMG accusing Polanski of a litany of crimes against racial justice. In private WhatsApp groups, documents and Zoom calls leaked to The Spectator, Ali’s disdain for his boss’s conduct is plain.
Included in the leaks is a scathing draft GMG report that will be presented at the Green party AGM later this month. It accuses Polanski and his team of ‘performing anti-racism’ without putting it into practice. The report, which covers the first year of Polanski’s leadership, condemns a ‘serious governance problem inseparable from institutional racism’. Specifically, it criticises the party for suspending members accused of anti-Semitism – even though in most cases the evidence of anti-Semitism is clear-cut.
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