A new British intelligence agency chief was just announced. Major General Matthew Jones will be Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI). Jones will start the role when he is promoted to Lieutenant General in summer 2026. He will run the revamped Military Intelligence Services (MIS). MIS was announced in December 2015.

The BBC reported in December 2025:

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will unify all of its intelligence services under a single organisation, as part of its strategy to combat “escalating threats” from adversaries of the UK.

That command now belongs to Jones. Jones is an officer in the British Army’s Intelligence Corps. His bio describes a long career in imperialism:

His operational service has included deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the wider Middle East. He currently serves as Director Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, overseeing intelligence collection, capabilities, training, and counter-intelligence.

MIS will work with other agencies:

including GCHQ, MI5 and SIS. Most notably to provide intelligence products for policy makers in the Ministry of Defence and UK Government.

At least one sycophantic right-wing newspaper got a little excited about the appointment…

Tories giddy over cool new spy man

Military intelligence is distinct in some ways from civilian-run intelligence agencies. Military intelligence personnel are not ‘spies’ or ‘spooks’ in the commonly held ‘James Bond’ sense. Their role is to gather, analyse, and collate information relevant to military operations.

If you want to know the nature of a military intelligence soldier look no further than Labour MP and Intelligence Corps veteran Mike Tapp of dog cutlery fame. Grim.

This seems to have been lost on some journalists. The Telegraph giddily described Jones as a “spymaster” known for being “ferociously intelligent”.

The slightly more measured Labour defence secretary John Healey said:

Will MIS and the new defence counter-intelligence unit be subject to FOI?

We got a typically nebulous response:

Counter-intelligence role

The MOD announcement in December said MIS would cover areas like biometrics, chemical weapons, critical national infrastructure, counter proliferation, UK export controls, medical and biosecurity and more.

Pretty broad then…

MIS will also work with open source, human and geospatial intelligence and counter-intelligence around both state and non-state groups. This focuses:

on the understanding of terrorism, espionage, sabotage, subversion and organised crime threats and vectors, and contests the operating space through proactive and reactive counter-intelligence activities. It entails collection of information, analysis and investigation of both state and non-state actors’ intelligence methods, capabilities and activities.

Whether the UK needs a new ‘spy’ chief or not, it is getting one as the military tries to reorganise its intelligence gathering capabilities. There is no sense of the cost of the new reforms and few hints at how accountable it will be to the public. Business as usual then.

Featured image via the Canary

Soft left New Statesman digital editor Oli Dugmore was a guest on BBC Question Time on 5 February 2026. And he had a scathing verdict on the normalisation of paedophilia at the top of the Labour Party.

Oli Dugmore on BBCQT

Oli Dugmore said that he generally doesn’t like to dismiss people according to the worst thing they’ve ever done – but wouldn’t want to be friends with, let alone work with, someone who rapes children. But he said that view is “fringe” among senior Labour figures. Instead, they look at Epstein fanboy Peter Mandelson and think “that’s our man in Washington”:

He was also clear that Starmer knew all along about Mandelson’s closeness to serial child-rapist and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer didn’t need the security services to tell him, because a quick Google search revealed plenty.

Of course he knew.

Featured image via the Canary

A jury decided on 4 February to acquit anti-genocide protesters. But because establishment mouthpieces like Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch have a problem with people protesting against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, they have chimed in. And many believe they’re in contempt of court as a result.

The decision was a “huge victory” for people opposing genocide. But it was also a clear critique of the government’s highly controversial and wasteful political decision to proscribe non-violent direct-action group Palestine Action.

The establishment’s anger was clear, though. It had done all it could to influence proceedings and moved to attack jury trials. But its efforts to stop fairness prevailing failed.

Entirely reasonable that there’s so much fury that a jury of 12 ordinary people, having heard all the evidence, has reached a verdict that does not accord with the directions of the judge, Starmer’s government and the billionaire-owned media.

Who do these people think they are?

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— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) February 5, 2026

Kemi Badenoch chimes in

In this context, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch gave her thoughts. Despite not having been in court, not seeing all the evidence the jurors saw, and no court finding an activist guilty of injuring a police officer, she repeated a dangerous smear relating to the ongoing legal case:

Nothing to see here, just the leader of the opposition committing contempt of court live on national television.

This accusation lead to no conviction after a jury were given the full context. Nobody was “attacked viciously” or has “[gotten] away with it”.

The case is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/I5mmlMS0bg

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— Defend Our Juries (@DefendOurJuries) February 5, 2026

Kemi Badenoch has expressed very pro-Israel views and maintained close ties with the Conservative Friends of Israel lobby group.

Tory Chris Philp, who is also close to the Israel lobby, added his dodgy take too:

Coming from the same man which met with Elbit Systems when he was a minister

The meeting in April 2023 was to discuss Palestine Action, and involved the police, a representative of the CPS and arms manufacturers.

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Isn’t the judiciary supposed to be free from political influence? https://t.co/7WozMKNBw8

— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) February 5, 2026

Five defendants admitted to destroying weapons and equipment of Israeli arms dealer Elbit Systems, which has been profiting from Israel’s genocide. And the jury accepted that they had acted according to their conscience.

After over 500 days in jail. https://t.co/NWkMnzsGcd

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) February 4, 2026

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The government uses remand to imprison those it knows it can’t convict. https://t.co/Br4qimBi64

— Ghassan Abu Sitta (@GhassanAbuSitt1) February 4, 2026

This has left the proscription case against Palestine Action in tatters.

It is only a matter of time before the ban will be lifted.

— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) February 5, 2026

BREAKING: Jury unwilling to find guilty 6 Palestine Action activists

Today’s judgments are hugely important.

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The unwillingness of the jury to find Palestine Action activists guilty further highlights how disproportionate the decision to proscribe the organization was.… pic.twitter.com/GHQEEBLsD3

— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) February 4, 2026

Establishment whine because justice prevailed

The police, meanwhile, also complained:

Police apparently attempting to undermine judicial process…

Officers gave a very questionable account of an incident that had already been sensationalised in the press. A jury didn’t convict, because they weren’t convinced.

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The jury saw all of the evidence.
These lot did not. https://t.co/37MhX5GJK0

— Defend Our Juries (@DefendOurJuries) February 5, 2026

The serious injuries lie https://t.co/BaZR9bzbaU pic.twitter.com/4tf6CkDipW

— Dr Iain Darcy 🍉 🇮🇪 💚 (@doctoriaindarcy) February 5, 2026

As the Canary has reported:

video evidence proved that police and security guards lied about pretty much everything that happened. And the accusers were not even able to come up with convincing lies even though the police left the Israeli arms-maker in charge of the video evidence for a whole year.

Although the government attempt to portray the Palestine Action activists as violent criminals, this body-cam footage, shown to the jury during the first Filton 24 trial, shows an Elbit security guard attacking two defendants with a sledgehammer. pic.twitter.com/pY2FWctcfp

— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 4, 2026

Some of the security guards were said to be ex-special forces. Not sure if this is some weird British imperial throwback or what. I can’t think of any possible legitimate use for such a weapon.

Absolutely unhinged violence. pic.twitter.com/mtV2Y3vVyO

— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 5, 2026

The right-wing Board of Deputies, which critics call “a principal player in the UK Israel Lobby“, was also upset about justice prevailing. And people responded by calling out its bullshit:

I am concerned that you don’t appear to understand the separation of powers, the right to fair trial, the right to a jury, and somehow believe the government should interfere with the courts if the criminal justice system doesn’t come up with a result you like.

— CrémantCommunarde #ChoosePeace 💚🕊️ (@0Calamity) February 4, 2026

Another petulant tweet in contempt of court

You know how criminal prosecutions work – they need to prove guilt *beyond reasonable doubt*

The jury heard the evidence and made their decision #filton24 are not “terrorists”https://t.co/Le8UxaYSKq…

— Do you condemn Israeli genocide in Gaza?🇵🇸#MMT (@sussexblogger) February 6, 2026

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Many more political prisoners are awaiting trial for non-violent direct-action against genocide. And the pro-Israel Labour government has sought to keep them behind bars for far longer than the normal pre-trial detention limit, by treating them as ‘terrorists’.

Establishment forces are clearly panicking about the possibility of juries ruling against the interests of arms profiteers and compromised politicians. And as long as there’s a shred of justice remaining in our legal system, people like Kemi Badenoch and Chris Philp will just have to keep crying.

Featured image via the Canary

Mark Ruffalo has taken to Threads to issue a brutal takedown of Kevin O’Leary after the billionaire mocked Billie Eilish’s recent Grammy’s speech in which she condemned ICE federal agents in the US.

O’Leary appeared on Fox News slating famous people who decide to ‘get political’. However, the right-wing pundit might consider that their political decisions shape the lives of every citizen they govern, and that democracy demands people have a voice. Including celebrities.

Of course, it can’t possibly be that the super-rich old white guy has vested interests in the current hostile immigration policy in the US:

🚨 Kevin O’Leary: “Billie Eilish’s agents are going out of their minds. The first lesson for celebrities, whether you are a music star or film star, is shut your mouth and just entertain.”pic.twitter.com/hoLOHYI5WS

— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) February 4, 2026

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SO! Billionaire Kevin O’Leary tells Billie Eilish to “shut your mouth and just entertain” after she said “no one is illegal on stolen land.”

Who agrees with Billie Eilish? ✋🏽 pic.twitter.com/6zIqw9lvBL

— Lucas Sanders 👊🏽🔥🇺🇸 (@LucasSa56947288) February 4, 2026

Eilish’s speech has received widespread appreciation, with many praising the singer for stepping out of her comfort zone and speaking truth to power:

Billie Eilish saying “nobody is illegal on stolen land” and then bleeped saying “f*ck ICE” at #GRAMMYs

EXCELLENT SPEECH! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/KsoSSAQKKD

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— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) February 2, 2026

Eilish ‘controversially’ – entirely correctly – said:

No one is illegal on stolen land.

And yeah, it’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. And I just, I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting and our voices really do matter and the people matter.

And fuck ICE.

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‘Dwarfs anything you dream of doing’

Unfortunately for O’Leary, Ruffalo is another famous person who insists on ‘sticking their oar in’. The award-winning US actor regularly uses his platform to have a say about the hellscape brewing in the US. The activist actor has long been outspoken against the genocide on Gaza and the systematic oppression of Palestinian people. Much to O’Leary’s dissatisfaction, we’re sure.

Mark Ruffalo defended Eilish and slammed O’Leary for his ‘fantasy double standard’, stating:

Kevin O’Leary why don’t you STFU. It’s hilarious. You will go on any show and talk shit about any number of things and smugly expect us to listen to you, but you will dig into a real artist that dwarfs anything you dream of doing for actually saying something that resonates with 100’s of millions of people the world over.

Adding:

It’s astounding the fantasy double standard Kevin O’Leary lives in. You played yourself well in Marty Supreme.

We also wrote in January how stars at the Golden Globes wore anti-ICE badges, but there are other ways for the celebrities to show they stand by their fellow citizens, however ‘ordinary’:

It’s good to see actors at the Golden Globes wearing badges and speaking up on the red carpet. However, they might consider following Louis-Dreyfus’ example, putting their money where their mouth is, and getting out on the streets to protest.

Good work guys, now go further

Our own Antifabot reported on Eilish’s speech at the Grammy Awards, writing:

This high-profile protest has helped to shine a global spotlight on the actions of ICE, but the question remains: will this ‘ICE out’ movement in the music industry be enough to force change to federal policy?

Given the billionaire’s clear disdain for outspoken celebrities – and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Eilish’s speech – it’s clear the status quo is threatened. We hope this pushes more people to use their pedestal for social good instead of reinforcing capitalist wealth. It would be truly radical if those celebrities stepped off their pedestals and joined their fellow citizens on the ground, where the real shit happens.

Featured image via the Canary

Labour Together is part of the shady right-wing infrastructure that, along with Peter Mandelson, helped to undermine the left and boost Keir Starmer into power. And a new report reveals how Labour Together spent tens of thousands of pounds getting a dodgy company to investigate journalists looking into all this. This behaviour shows it’s not just Mandelson that should never be near government again. It’s the whole sinister machinery that put Starmer where he is today, including his right-hand man and Mandelson protege Morgan McSweeney.

“Dark shit” from the Labour right machine thanks to Morgan McSweeney

Journalists Khadija Sharife and Peter Geoghegan have reported that Labour Together paid APCO Worldwide “at least £30,000” in 2023 to dig dirt on reporters who were uncovering Labour Together’s actions. In the past, APCO has worked with companies like Israeli arms dealer Elbit and big tobacco firms.

To win the Labour leadership campaign in 2020, Keir Starmer’s team hid where he’d been getting his support from. In particular, his backers in Morgan McSweeney’s Labour Together had concealed donations to the value of £730,000 from 2017 to 2020.

Labour Together wanted to defeat the left via “soft branding that made them seem warm and cuddly“. So funding from pro-Israel millionaires would not have been a good look. And when journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke revealed in 2023 the funding Labour Together hadn’t declared, the shady group clearly panicked.

Now under Josh Simons (who is currently a minister), Labour Together got APCO to look at potential “leverage” they could exert over “significant persons of interest”, from Pogrund and Yorke to other journalists (including Declassified and ex-Canary reporter John McEvoy). They clearly hoped to discredit this reporting.

A political think tank hiring private investigators to target journalists and their sources. Why? Because unlike those in our profession who enjoy cosying up to power, they chose to report the facts. This should be treated as a scandal.

— Taj Ali (@Taj_Ali1) February 5, 2026

While sources insist Morgan McSweeney didn’t make the call, it appears he “was aware of it”. None of the relevant parties responsible wanted to respond on record. But even former Labour Together member Jon Cruddas said:

This is dark shit.

And that wasn’t the only time Labour Together did this either. Around the same time, it also hired investigators to look at Paul Holden – author of The Fraud – and Andrew Feinstein (who slashed Starmer’s vote count in 2024).

“Deeply sinister”

Upon discovering that Labour Together had gone after him over his journalistic work, John McEvoy told the Canary:

The news that Labour Together, the brainchild of Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, was paying a PR firm to investigate journalists including myself is deeply sinister. Even more so that McSweeney was reportedly aware of this operation.

This is a man who owes his political career to the disgraced Peter Mandelson, friend of the world’s most notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He represents the rot at the heart of the Labour Party, and should be nowhere near power.

Starmer apparently still has “full confidence” in McSweeney, despite the latter pushing for Mandelson’s ongoing involvement despite his close friendship to Epstein. Starmer would have been nothing in Labour, of course, without McSweeney’s shady operation.

I have just learned that Labour Together, the think tank run by Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, paid a PR firm £30,000 to secretly investigate me alongside other journalists.

Deeply sinister news. McSweeney should be nowhere near power.https://t.co/pM1Fmuk22E pic.twitter.com/wsSKBHcliI

— John McEvoy (@jmcevoy_2) February 5, 2026

Labour Together, Starmer, McSweeney, and Mandelson: “the rot at the heart of the Labour Party”

Labour Together has funded countless right-wing politicians, as have numerous millionaires backing the organisation or sharing its aims. This includes figures right at the top of the Labour Party, from Starmer to Rachel Reeves, Shabana Mahmood to David Lammy, and Yvette Cooper to John Healey.

One Labour Together donor, pro-Israel lobbyist Trevor Chinn, has been a key funder of efforts to empower Starmer and his ilk. And Chinn has managed to advocate inside the government for Israel’s genocidal regime as a result.

There is also significant overlap between politicians getting money both the Labour Friends of Israel lobby group and either Chinn or Labour Together.

We strongly recommend you remember the names of everyone with links to this operation. Because it is nothing short of a scandal. And until this stops and there’s full transparency, the little democracy we have in the UK will continue to be severely compromised.

Thanks to Paul Holden’s ‘The Fraud’, the Labour Right’s vehicle Labour Together is in the spotlight again. Here’s the core of its funding network constructed from Electoral Commission data. Donors blue, ‘donees’ red. pic.twitter.com/R3FD4beZ35

— Tom Mills (@ta_mills) October 30, 2025

Featured image via the Canary