Brexit Fundraising - Brillo In Trouble

Some broadcast media presenters and pundits are wary of speaking too freely outside the studio, and especially on social media platforms like Twitter. Not so Andrew Neil, still fronting the BBC’s Daily Politics and This Week, still overseeing the Spectator magazine for the Barclay brothers, and still passing adverse comment on anything that might make the various referendum Leave campaigns look other than pure as the driven snow.

And it is this candour, especially Neil’s constant carping at the Observer’s Carole Cadwalladr, which has caused the finger of suspicion to move in his general direction once again. Zelo Street regulars will recall how she unearthed a passage from Arron Banks’ book The Bad Boys Of Brexit (actually written by mercenary hack Isabel Oakeshott) where Banksy recalled an invitation to the private dining society the Addison Club.

Banks had told “Andrew Neil’s asked me to speak at an event for the Addison Club, his very elite private dining society, on 3 November. He seems to have forgotten our Twitter spat. He’s emailed saying he thinks I’ll ‘find a few in our membership sympathetic to your case and even a few with chequebooks’”. Hold that thought for a few paragraphs.

Neil has of late taken a highly sceptical view of what Ms Cadwalladr has unearthed, as I told previously. This week has been no different: “Except nothing new of substance was revealed. As a journalist I’d love for Russian collusion/financing to be revealed because it would such a wonderful feat of investigative journalism. I must await the facts. You don’t have to”. Chris Wylie took a dim view of Neil’s sitting-and-waiting idea.

“The job of journalists is to ask questions and find facts, not sit and ‘await’ them. But here's some while you wait. Fact: LeaveEU donors met w Russian embassy about Brexit. Fact: LeaveEU donor took one of the diamond deals. Fact: LeaveEU donor emailled Russian embassy FBI docs”. This stung The Great Man into action, well, sort of.

“Fact one proves nothing Fact two as yet proves nothing Fact three - interesting. Pray tell more”. More had already been told. But he wasn’t finished. “So when you lecture me on journalism being about asking questions - thanks for that, I’ve only been doing it for over 45 years - and I ask you a question about fact 3, you go all silent”. Patronising, much?

And an appeal to authority, just to be on the safe side. But, as Ms Cadwalladr had to remind him once more apropos those facts, “Well, I keep responding to it, Andrew. And you keep ignoring it … Ok, look, I'll post it AGAIN”. Then she hit him with another.

“Just spotted that @lordashcroft is a founding member of your super-secret Addison club. You know, the one you told @arron_banks was ‘sympathetic’ to his cause. Why not question him? He knows all about this non-Brexit-Russia story”. All of a sudden, Banksy’s story, along with the previous account that told of “a dinner at the Addison Club … Founding members Michael Spicer … Lord Ashcroft and … Lorna Tilbian” fell into place.

Did Banks meet Ashcroft via the Addison Club? And, more to the point, as Neil is on record talking about “a few in our membership sympathetic to your case and even a few with chequebooks”, did a BBC presenter assist in soliciting donations to the Leave campaign?

Just how elastic are those conflict of interest rules, BBC people? More on this later.

Nigel Farage - Oh What A Giveaway

Former UKIP Oberscheissenführer Nigel “Thirsty” Farage made a brief appearance on the BBC’s Daily Politics the other day to set the record straight on suggestions that he had been in possession of private polling information saying Leave had won the EU referendum, but had gone out and conceded to Remain, as a means of helping his pals in the City to make a killing when the result became known and Sterling tanked.

Squeaky embarrassing slip finger up the bum time

Farage’s appearance seemed to pass without incident. No-one called him out for his explanation. But one astute observer picked up on the small but perfectly formed gaffe that should have had the press pack circling. Let’s look at what he said.

“The Pound had rallied significantly before the Brexit vote. After the polls closed at 10PM, I said I wasn’t sure about the result and genuinely I wasn’t. The Pound didn’t move on what I said. When the Pound did move was when YouGov came out and said their exit poll showed it was 52-48 that Remain had won. The Pound rallied a little bit after that and then, once the Sunderland result came out, the Pound fell like a stone”.

He even had an explanation for that. “Because all the short-term speculators were long on the Pound. So the idea that I was part of some extraordinary conspiracy trying to prop up the value of the Pound, so what we could sell it short, and that all the hedge funds cleaned up, when actually most of them lost money, the whole thing is just too fantastical for anyone to believe”. Got that? Now let’s pick out the bones.

For starters, Farage is not making sense when he says the Pound “did move” on the YouGov exit poll, then says it was only “a little bit”. But that is only a taster.

The intricacies of hedge fund management are explained to the uninitiated

Also, his being genuinely unsure is interesting - two books on the referendum both say he was given private polling information suggesting Leave had won before 2200 hours.

No, the glaring giveaway comes later as Mr Thirsty tells “trying to prop up the value of the Pound, so what we could sell it short”. So what WE could sell it short. And there is more.

The very next comment, “and that all the hedge funds cleaned up, when actually most of them lost money” is Farage demanding that everyone look over there. What happened to most of the hedge funds is irrelevant to what he was, or was not, up to.

In any case, as the Guardian has reported, “Sources told Bloomberg that they believed Brexit to have generated ‘one of the most profitable single days in the history of their industry.’ Odey Asset Management, run by the Conservative party donor and leave supporter Crispin Odey, is reported to have made $300m from Brexit”.

Crispin Odey was one of the largest donors to the Leave campaign, giving just under £900,000 to the cause. Nigel Farage has talked about “trying to prop up the value of the Pound, so what WE could sell it short”. And our free and fearless press missed it.

All of which is most convenient for Mr Thirsty. I’ll just leave that one there.

Fawkes Teaboy Buzzes Off

Those who look in regularly on Zelo Street will need no introduction to Alex “Billy Liar” Wickham, teaboy to the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines at the Guido Fawkes blog. His ability to talk well, but lie badly, has been honed over a career to which no glory, and indeed no commendation, can be attached. He has taken smears and dishonesty to a new low. And in the messed-up nature of today’s media class, that earns him a promotion.

Milk, no sugar, hold the smears

No, I kid you not: Wickham is leaving the empire of The Great Guido to join BuzzFeed News, a move which, once again showing how the media establishment rewards liars and smear artistes, has seen the supposedly reputable Sebastian Payne of the FT enthusing “Super congratulations to [Alex Wickham] who is joining @BuzzFeedUKPol as senior political corrospondent [sic]. Great hire, great journalist, great person”.

Wickham is not, and never will be, a journalist. Nor will he ever be a “great person”, unless the competition is restricted to those of similarly absent principle. And what BuzzFeed are buying in to is a track record which would put any real journalist to shame.

That track record includes the Brooks Newmark sting, where Wickham gave the game away by shooting his mouth off about the story before even the two Sunday Mirror staffers whose name appeared on the article’s by-line. Zelo Street was proved right when Steve Hewlett named Wickham on BBC Newsnight.

The Fawkes rabble had been targeting Tory MPs, probably out of spite against them. They hawked their “story”, such as it was, to the Sun on Sunday and Mail on Sunday, both of which declined to get involved. The Sunday Mirror spent months living it down; it seems The Great Guido had misled the Mirror people, who should have seen him coming.

Wickham then used his alleged journalistic skills - no, don’t laugh - to procure a ticket via EventBrite for a Hacked Off lobby event at the House of Commons. He was rumbled and confronted over his real-time smears and dishonesty. He left the event early, and covered his tracks the only way he knows how - by lying about it.

Then it was on to the 2016 London Mayoral election campaign, where Wickham lied about Sadiq Khan, joining in the attempts to smear the Labour challenger as some kind of Islamic extremist. His claims on who Khan “shared a platform with” were typical.

That, though, was a mere taster for his attacks later on Kensington’s Labour MP Emma Dent Coad, who he directly called a racist, on the basis of, well, not enough evidence to stand up his claim. But the right-leaning press, especially that run out of the Baby Shard bunker, which which the Fawkes blog has a close relationship, lapped it up.

And an endorsement of anti-Semitism, too. Stay classy, BuzzFeed

And Wickham’s grating hypocrisy on anti-Semitism is well-known: he’s been all too ready to lay into anything he can pin on the Labour Party, yet he was equally happy to embrace former Fawkes sketch writer Simon Carr, who authored two viciously anti-Semitic attacks on then Labour leader Ed Miliband. So he’s a hypocrite as well as a liar.

That is how messed up the media establishment has become, when that kind of track record brings not merely acceptance, but career advancement. Not a good look, people.

Arron Banks Tennis Expertise ISN’T

Probably needing a break from the incessant barrage of questions about just how he came by all those millions that were committed to the various Leave campaigns, alleged multi-millionaire Arron Banks has decided to turn his attention to tennis, as Wimbledon fortnight is once again upon us. Sadly, his knowledge of the sport is not even up to the amateur level of his commitment to the human race.

Tennis expert? Don't even think about it

Arron who?

Banksy showed the world the paucity of his knowledge by deciding to pick an argument with, of all tennis people, Martina Navratilova, who just happens to have won nine women’s singles finals at the All England Club, along with every other Grand Slam singles title, and several more at doubles. It is not an exaggeration to say she knows her way around the court. Which Banksy promptly managed to get himself laughed out of.

Banks’ fateful intervention came after Ms Navratilova checked out the latest from the Observer’s Carole Cadwalladr on The Great Man’s activities and concluded “This is getting interesting”. Banksy wasn’t going to let that one go.

“Unlike your tennis style” he sniped back. Had Banks ever seen Ms Navratilova in action on the court? Probably not. And he wasn’t going anywhere with that attitude.

“How sweet of you. My tennis style is a lot of things, but boring? I don’t think so:)” she replied, at which point Banksy decided he would go schmoozing. Badly.

“I’m at Wimbledon for the men’s semi finals , happy to discuss @carolecadwalla mad conspiracies over a glass of pyms!” Hark at the Kirk St Moritz of Catbrain. He might have sounded credible if he’d managed to spell properly.

Instead, it was Ms Navratilova who had to do the spelling for him, as well as telling him where he got off. “I have no idea who you are and to get me to actually meet with you after insulting me-no , I don’t think so. And it’s Pimm’s BTW ,not Pyms….enjoy the tennis, hope it won’t be boring;)” The spirit of Dan Maskell says “Oh my word!”

In the meantime, Banks’ clumsy idiocy was becoming a spectator sport in its own right, the gallery including Tom Peck of the Independent, who observed “Arron Banks there, in real life, actually critiquing 18 time grand slam [singles title] winner Martina Navratilova over her ‘tennis style.’” And Ms Cadwalladr was also on the case.

“Arron Banks is now mansplaining tennis....to Martina Navratilova” she noted, making sure that the book of her skewering him and Wiggy will feature their unintentional hilarity.

He's the Wimbledon top seedy!

Meanwhile, Banks blundered on, showing the world just how much he really knows about tennis. “I prefer Anna Kournikova , that Russian blonde bird , she is gorgeous with a wonderful serve and volley”. Yes, the only reason he takes any interest in the women’s game is to have a casual letch and prove he’s just a dirty old man.

Pity the obligatory raincoat will look a bit obvious at Wimbers, mind. What a clown.

Eddie Mair To LBC - But WHO GOES?

[Update at end of post]

The media news of the weekend was that the Bête Noir of London’s formerly very occasional Mayor Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was to leave the Beeb: “Presenter Eddie Mair is to leave the BBC after more than 30 years, the corporation has said … The 52-year-old, who has been a presenter on Radio 4's PM programme since 1998, will host his last show on 17 August”. And with that he was gone. But where?

Evening all

The Beeb had that one covered, too: “According to the BBC's media editor Amol Rajan, Mair is set to join talk radio station LBC”. And the Guardian confirmed this: “Eddie Mair to host new LBC show from September … PM presenter ‘eager to get started’ at London-based radio station after 30 years at BBC” as well as hinting that the reason for Mair’s departure may have been money - he was, it seems, refusing a pay cut.

But all of that was put aside as the media and politics world passed generally favourable comment on Mair’s move to LBC, with that from the station’s managing editor James Rea being typical. “Hugely excited to announce the brilliant Eddie Mair is joining @LBC. He’s an exceptional broadcaster and I’m absolutely delighted he’ll be on our great team from September”. Others in the world of punditry were equally positive.

Ian Dunt, who does a little of this kind of thing from time to time, was unequivocal. “This is a very, very smart move”. James O’Brien, an LBC fixture despite constant howls from the Europhobic fringe, was in agreement: “What a coup”. Coo, what a coup!?!

On went the praise, not least from Iain Dale, who was sure he would be presenting alongside Mair: “It's official. I'm delighted to welcome the incomparable @eddiemair to @LBC. His signing is a real statement of intent from LBC and I'm very much looking forward to working with him. I first became a fan when he was on 5Live back in the day - a truly exceptional broadcaster”. But no-one had asked the obvious question.

It was left to Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid to pitch the question many were beginning to ask: “Yes but in which slot....?! Nick, James, Shelagh & Iain all irreplaceable but I can't see Eddie doing an evening show”. There are already enough existing LBC hosts to cover the schedule. If Eddie Mair is to get a regular berth come September, someone is going to have to do less presenting - or even, whisper it quietly, go.

So who is going to be left standing when the game of LBC musical chairs comes to the stopping-the-music moment? One might not like Nick Ferrari’s politics, and I certainly don’t, but he’s not going anywhere. Likewise James O’Brien. And almost certainly likewise Iain Dale and Shelagh Fogarty. Who will give way for Mair? Who has a slot at a time in that early evening part of the schedule on weekdays?

Squeaky squeezed out finger up the bum time?

This may be a long punt, but one LBC presenter not welcoming Eddie Mair this morning has been Nigel “Thirsty” Farage, who has given the broadcaster plenty of headaches with his tendency to say things on air that are not true, or as most people call it, lying. He already does a podcast for LBC. Will that be his consolation prize?

After all, UKIP, Farage’s party, has become an irrelevance. Nige is looking more and more at the USA. It would be no surprise if LBC were to bin him. Here’s hoping.

[UPDATE 1350 hours: some 45 minutes after this post went live, Mr Thirsty finally acknowledged Eddie Mair's arrival at LBC.

"Big statement from LBC. Eddie Mair will bring listeners with him, he has many fans" was the rather terse response from The Great Man.

Note the lack of enthusiasm, or indeed congratulations. Why is that? Another case, I suspect, of "you might wish to ask that - I couldn't possibly comment"]

Katie Hopkins Contempt Of Court

It had to happen: after Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, was jailed for his second contempt of court in 18 months, someone else out there on the far right wanted a piece of the same action. And to no surprise at all, it was pro-am motormouth Katie Hopkins who stepped, perhaps unwittingly, into the breech as she decided that a mere contempt law was not going to stop her sounding off.

Viewers may still want to look away now

Hatey Katie, who is still in Israel, mainly because someone else is paying, has been keeping watch on a trial involving an incident that occurred in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace last year. The jury could not reach a verdict, and so the trial collapsed. But a retrial of the defendant has been ordered. So contempt rules still apply.

So it was that the Secret Barrister told yesterday “Morning Twitter. A number of you have RT’d a video by a far-right reality TV bozo offering her opinions on a recent trial in which a jury could not reach a verdict. Criminal proceedings are ongoing. This video is an obvious contempt of court. Don’t RT under any circumstances”, followed by warning Ms Hopkins “There is to be a retrial. Criminal proceedings are live. This is a flagrant contempt of court”.

That was followed by an interesting intervention from David Banks: “Katie really ought to know this. When she was at LBC I gave them a law refresher which went over contempt and commenting on active proceedings in some detail. Strict liability of course, so what she knows or not is immaterial”. But out on the far right, all this cut no ice.

Out came the predictable excuses. “They have said just the same as she has, the jury did not come to a decision” … “Are all newspapers and media then in contempt , or are you showing bias?” [it’s got bugger all to do with “bias”] … “Just her journalistic P.O.V. how is [this] contempt of court?” Yeah, it was all about FREE SPEECH! She was allowed to have her point of view! No-one can stop you having an opinion!

Oh, and it was left-wing and unpatriotic to criticise Ms Hopkins. You think I jest? “Rubbish. We are allowed to express opinion on the outcome of a trial.. it's already been discussed in newspapers. You are a disgrace to our country with your left wing ideology and agenda”. The fingers-in-ears-I-can’t-hear-you brigade was there in support: “How is the commentary going to collapse a future trial? Even the MSM have commented on the collapsed trial”.

There was worse, as the Secret Barrister hinted later in the day. “I apologise. A number of you have been in touch to angrily tell me that your racist instincts trump my law degree and decade of criminal legal practice. I consider myself duly chastened”. And one Tweeter put the question directly: “Why are these 'Free Tommy' characters determined to collapse trials? Here, Katie, do a bit of research instead of making it all about you”.

Certainly, if Ms Hopkins gets hit with a contempt conviction, while it might boost her martyrdom status, her value to the likes of Rebel Media will go down the pan - because the authorities in the USA will bar her from entering the country. And that will mean most of her income vanishes - probably overnight.

These pretend journalists never learn. And nor do their fans.

Arron Banks Goes Dad’s Army

Still having a little difficulty convincing the world that his donations and loans to the various Leave campaigns were at his own behest, and with his own money, Arron Banks, perhaps not quite “The man who bankrolled Brexit”, has now dug himself into a hole entirely of his own creation as he tries to frighten off his pursuers. To achieve this, he has resorted to a device most memorably used in the legendary BBC comedy show Dad’s Army.

Banksy is trying to convince many of his accusers that, although their names may not be on a list, they are on a tape, and for him that is what matters. It is a tape which, when revealed to the world, will show who the real bad guys are, and he will be vindicated. The problem is that the tape, although talked about, never seems to appear, and soon will have taken on a Godot-like quality, except that the waiting has to end sometime.

Still, needs must, and so Banksy told the world “@ASPolice have passed the complaint to @ThamesVP to investigate where @IsabelOakeshott lives. The will investigate the theft of material belonging to myself and Andy. Including the efforts of journalists to offer inducements to steal recorded on tape”. Don’t they know where she lives? Whatever.

The tape, though, would reveal all: “I’m relaxed about talking to the @washingtonpost about the stolen material. The first source approached , tape recorded job offers & remuneration to steal our material. The @guardian & @Byline_Media have dealt  in stolen data and have continued to hack of recent email accounts”. It’s all on the tape.

“I’m reliably told that the source has recorded on tape , email & text the efforts to encouragement to steal the info. They also used a well known hacker to break into our emails & the details are being handed over to the police”. See? He’s got it taped.

And don’t forget, “@Byline_Media black mail [sic] of a vulnerable person  is a dirty business”. Which means what? “Blackmail of a vulnerable person over his immigration status , the lengths the ‘Remainer media’ will go to discredit Brexit. Seems @IsabelOakeshott’s attic might still yield a surprise or two !”

Plus, Carole Cadwalladr’s name is on the list, sorry, tape: “So @carolecadwalla we have been told by @LordAshcroft & @IsabelOakeshott that Peter jukes threatened her researcher over his immigration status , offered him money and job to steal our material. They have a tape with this information on. Blackmail & theft”. There was more.

“You appear on the tape too for good measure”. Just like Private Pike. And the soggy chips. But all of Banksy’s bullying was to no avail as Ms Cadwalladr cut through the fog of deceit to nail him with another of those difficult questions. “The ‘millionaire’ who gifted upwards of £9 mil to Brexit, can’t afford to live in his own house. Old Down looks lovely, @arron_banks. Such a shame you have to hire it out for events & live in a cottage on the grounds”. Why might that be, Banksy? Multi-millionaire short of readies? Again?

Arron Banks’ tape is a pale imitation of the Dad’s Army list. He loves acting but will never be a patch on Philip Madoc. And he still finds it difficult to answer those questions about money. Like why he’s not got very much, when he’s a multi-millionaire. Allegedly.

Michael Gove IS NOT Dirty Harry

Politicians love to get their propaganda into the papers. This allows the less able and far from talented to project an image of competence, a pretence of gravitas otherwise undeserved. And politicians who are, by profession, journalists do not merely aspire to get their propaganda into the papers - they actually do it, with monotonous regularity.

One politician with a background in journalism who has used the press to project an image of ability that he does not possess is Environment Secretary Michael “Oiky” Gove, who looks and sounds no more convincing than Elmer Fudd. By no coincidence at all, he has failed to round up rascally rabbits at Education and Justice before arriving at his current berth. But the fawning press coverage is the stuff of other politicians’ dreams.

Just how fawning that coverage gets can be seen from a story first run by the Murdoch goons at the Super Soaraway Currant Bun, which told readers “A DEEP new Cabinet split has opened up over Theresa’s May new Brexit compromises - as it also emerged Michael Gove physically tore up her customs plan … The irate Environment Secretary stunned officials by ripping a document he disliked in two at a meeting this week”.

Can you hear Arnie? DON’T MESS WITH ME … ASS-HOLE!! Or was he the reincarnation of Harry Callahan, asking his Civil Servants if they felt … lucky. Well, did they, punk? And did that report contain six sheets, or only five? But enough. The Sun’s non-bullying political editor Tom Newton Dunn is taking dictation once more, recycling Gove’s propaganda as some kind of heroic derring-do, if only the Life of Brian kind.

Michael Gove is Murdoch’s man. He provides the inmates of the Baby Shard bunker with gossip - who can forget the totally untrue “QUEEN BACKS BREXIT” - and the grateful hacks provide him with a platform for his propaganda. The heroic ripping up of what must have been a very slim report is part of that propaganda.

So the story should have remained just another slice of Sun silliness. But sadly, someone at the BBC decided to treat it as real news, never a good move where the Sun is concerned. And so it came to pass that readers there were told “Environment Secretary Michael Gove physically ripped up a report on Theresa May's preferred option for a new customs partnership with the EU”. Yeah, of course he did. It was in the Sun.

Do go on. “The Sun reported Mr Gove ‘physically ripped it up to show he wasn't prepared to accept the document as a summary of their discussions’ … BBC political correspondent Matt Cole said representatives for Mr Gove had confirmed the paper's claims.” Representatives called Michael Gove. Who would have been made up at the thought that the Beeb could be so credulous as to treat his propaganda as if it were fact.

Michael Gove is not a political hero. He does not even rank as high as any in Rome. His political career has been defined by heroic spin, only for all the fawning copy to steadily unravel later - as it has done with his supposedly wonderful tenure at education, which failed to raise standards, but wasted a shed load of money.

Get a grip, BBC. And filter out this self-aggrandising drivel.

Nadine Dorries - Ship Of Bull

Brexit is proving a challenging concept for both the Government - still fighting amongst themselves as to what it all means and how they are going to negotiate with the EU - and some back-bench MPs, for whom reality has been suspended in order for them to tell the world of some new version of the political world, far away from the impending disaster.

And no back-bench MP is further away that Mid Bedfordshire’s representative (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries, whose grasp of real world issues is as fragile as ever. She does know that a British company has won a contract to supply warships to the Australian Navy. She just doesn’t understand how that relates to the EU - or, indeed, doesn’t.

The fragrant Nadine had already exhibited a worrying lack of real-world awareness before the ship question hove into view, her ignorance showing as she snapped “Thanks to a previous chancellor, we are investing multiple wasted £millions in HS2 and yet, every inch of our rail and tube infrastructure in the SE, even if trains were running on time, can barely cope with the number of users which is consistently rising”. No it isn’t.

Even last year, the Guardian was telling readers “The number of rail passenger journeys in Britain fell in spring this year, after two decades of virtually constant growth since privatisation”. Last January, the BBC reported “the number of travellers using London's transport system is decreasing”. Ms Dorries wasn’t interested in that. But she did know all about period poverty. “We can’t help with this until we leave the EU”. Total crap.

The detachment from reality was then taken into the Aussie ship story. “Wow. Well done @GavinWilliamson What a massive boost for Britain”. Gavin Williamson had nothing to do with it. And it wasn’t a boost of any kind for Britain. The ships will be built in Australia to an existing design. Which We The People paid for. But she wasn’t done yet.

“This is the #Brexit moment. The closer we get to leaving the EU the more opportunities will come our way from around the world. This is what the other EU countries fear and oppose so strongly. We aren’t a socialist country, the world can do business with us”. The world isn’t doing very much business with us. No, she wasn’t listening.

“We have not won a contract like this in over a decade. Time to embrace trade with the Commonwealth countries which the EU has for so long prevented us from doing”. Being in the EU does not prevent us from deals like this. We’re still in the EU. And being in the EU doesn’t stop Germany (for instance) doing more business with India than the UK.

No, the fragrant Nadine was not for confronting reality. Instead, it was “To all on my timeline informing me that we are in the EU, I have news. We are leaving, the whole world knows it and that is why they can agree to do business with us. We are building ships at the same time as we cut loose from the biggest sinking economic ship of all, the EU”.

Totally untrue. We are still in the EU, and indeed the two other bidders for the Australian contract were from other EU member states. And we aren’t building the ships.

Yet they allowed her to become an MP. Be afraid, voters. Be very afraid.

Top Six - July 1

So what’s hot, and what’s not, in the past week’s blogging? Here are the six most popular posts on Zelo Street for the past seven days, counting down in reverse order, because, well, I have cooking prep to do later. So there.

6 Mike Stock - He Should Be So Lucky Pushing far-right views without attracting adverse comment? No you don’t, Mikey boy.

5 Farage Brexit Sterling Fiddle EXPOSED Mr Thirsty had told the media that Leave would lose the referendum, when he knew otherwise. Meanwhile his pals made around $300 million betting the Pound would fall. Er, hello?

4 Arron Banks Insurance Empire ISN’T His business was losing money hand over fist, and had been for years. So where did all the Brexit bankrolling come from?

3 Tommy Robinson Fans WRONG On Terror Attack Claiming that three teenagers killed by a drunk driver were victims of a terrorist attack is wrong. Even with Stephen Yaxlay Lennon’s support.

2 Lee Hurst IS NOT FUNNY The has-been’s “stalker” jibe at the Observer’s Carole Cadwalladr, in defence of Arron Banks, who had been given a Police harassment warning over his pursuit of a woman 15 years his junior who wasn’t interested, predictable came back to bite him.

1 UKIP Welcomes Nazi Paedophile The Kippers have allowed has-been man-baby Milo Yiannopoulos to join their ranks. Barrel scraped, bedrock reached.

And that’s the end of another blogtastic week, blog pickers. Not ‘arf!