THE ISLAMAPHOBE & BLAKEMAN: As Nassau County Executive, Republican Bruce Blakeman has welcomed Muslim residents with open arms.

He’s eaten at their Ramadan Iftar dinners, appointed the first Muslim chaplain to the county’s police force and talked about the value of Muslims as Nassau County county residents and Americans.

But as he tries to win a statewide race for governor, Blakeman is now aligning himself with a leader of the anti-Muslim faction of the national GOP — and he’s not responding to questions about it.

On Friday night, Blakeman will appear with Rep. Andy Ogles — the Tennessee Republican who has led the effort in Washington to “denaturalize” and “deport” Mayor Zohran Mamdani — at the Metropolitan Republican Club’s annual gala.

“Muslims don’t belong in American society,” Ogles has said. He’s also called Mamdani “Little Muhammad” and claimed that “denaturalizations and deportations are the only way to save the Big Apple.”

Blakeman’s team declined to comment on Ogles’ past statements or the gubernatorial candidate’s upcoming appearance with the House member.

Blakeman will deliver the gala’s keynote speech, and Ogles will be honored with the club’s Ronald Reagan Award for the Advancement of Individual Liberty. Also on the list of featured attendees are former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Council Member Vickie Paladino and former Nassau County Bridge Authority Commissioner and pro-Israel influencer Emily Austin. Tickets start at $321.

The event’s host, the Metropolitan Republican Club, is often seen as the more mainstream counterpart to the city’s far-right New York Young Republican Club. The statewide New York State Young Republicans disbanded last year after POLITICO uncovered a trove of racist, homophobic and antisemitic chats involving members of the organization and other Young Republican groups around the country.

Ogles spoke at the New York Young Republican Club’s gala in December, where he said “naturalized illegal immigrants are polluting our politics” and “the new right must have courage to deport them,” a reference to his call for Mamdani’s deportation.

Husein Yatabarry, executive director of the Muslim Community Network, told Playbook remarks like Ogles’ can have a “huge impact” on the state’s roughly 1.7 million Muslim residents as they consider whether to engage in state politics.

“It’s sad to see that a lot of politicians are leaning into xenophobia and Islamaphobia and not looking at Muslims as part of their community’s fabric, but looking at Muslims as a way to get the most rude and heinous people behind you as a candidate,” Yatabarry said.

Ogles, who wrote a letter to the Department of Justice in October asking for Mamdani to be denaturalized, did not respond to a request for comment. He faces his own political battle this year, as a Democratic mayor has found fundraising success while hoping to topple Ogles in his deep-red district. Federal authorities are also reportedly investigating Ogles for potential campaign finance violations.

On the campaign trail, Blakeman often touts his strong electoral performances in purple Nassau County when speaking of his electability statewide. He easily won reelection last year in what was otherwise a bleak year for Republicans in New York.

But his Friday night appearance won’t be the first time he’ll find himself alongside figures from the extreme corners of the GOP. Blakeman was the keynote speaker at an event honoring John Eastman, an attorney who was disbarred in California last week for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. When Blakeman’s running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, spoke at a Buffalo-area political club led by a man who called Mamdani “vermin,” the Nassau County executive didn’t seem to mind.

“Mayor Mamdani is a disgrace,” Blakeman said in a statement at the time. “He is anti-American, antisemitic, and anti-Cop.” — Jason Beeferman

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

PAC IT UP: House Democrats’ biggest super PAC touted its “largest early investment” in the organization’s history, with a notable omission — New York.

House Majority PAC’s announcement earlier today of an initial $272 million spend on advertisements includes zilch in the notoriously expensive New York City media market, where Democrats are protecting Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen on Long Island and attempting to flip Rep. Mike Lawler’s seat just north of the city in NY-17.

Democrats, fear not. Money is on the way, according to HMP.

“Today’s initial reservations prioritize markets where rates increase significantly and there will be more reservations to come,” the super PAC’s communications director CJ Warnke said in a statement. “HMP plans to invest heavily to flip districts like NJ-07 and NY-17.” (The NYC media market covers Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey’s 7th District as well.)

National Democratic groups are working from a much smaller electoral map in New York after flipping four seats two years ago. Last cycle, HMP’s initial reserve included $16 million in New York City and $5 million in markets further upstate.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Leadership Fund — the House GOP’s main super PAC — on Thursday also released its initial advertising reservations, which the group similarly described as its “largest ever.” That $153 million investment includes $18.6 million in New York City. CLF also said it is putting money into Albany ($2.1 million), Binghamton ($1.8 million) and Syracuse ($658,000), markets that cover Democratic Rep. Josh Riley’s district — another seat that Republicans have their eye on.

Last cycle, CLF’s initial reservation included $20 million in New York City and $8 million in markets elsewhere in the state.

“House Majority PAC isn’t even spending one dollar to defend vulnerable Dem members Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, Josh Riley & [New Jersey Rep.] Nellie Pou,” CLF spokesperson Lydia Hall said in a statement. “They’ve given up on these incumbents while funding other offensive fantasies across the country.” — Madison Fernandez

From the Capitol

SCHRÖDINGER’S CANNABIS: New York’s beleaguered medical cannabis program can breathe a sigh of relief today after the Trump administration rescheduled medical cannabis through an executive order. Overnight, they went from dealing in a Schedule I, federally illegal substance to one that has a pathway to federal regulation under Schedule III.

What does this do for New York’s medical cannabis producers? First off, they will no longer be subject to an onerous federal tax code that barred them from taking typical business deductions like employee salaries. And starting next week, they’ll be able to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration — a dramatic shift for an industry that was viewed by the federal government as illegal drug traffickers.

The cannabis industry in New York and beyond is cheering the move as normalizing medical use of the substance. While the order doesn’t immediately change the status of the state’s adult-use market, where anyone at least 21 years old can legally shop, it does signal that the administration will likely take steps to do so this summer.

Beyond that is where things get a little murky. “There are a lot more questions coming out of this order than there are answers,” said Katie Neer, a cannabis regulatory lawyer who represents the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association.

It could make it easier for the cannabis industry to access financial services, though that remains to be seen. And it could draw more capital to New York’s medical cannabis operators, where there are 10 licensees that are not yet operational. It could also enable New York’s medical cannabis operators, who are under one of the strictest programs in the nation, to export their products.

“It creates a market across the world for New York’s pharmaceutical [cannabis] products … to be exported internationally,” said Adam Goers, senior vice president of corporate affairs for New York medical cannabis operator Columbia Care. In terms of interstate commerce? “We’ll see how that plays out.”

New York’s medical cannabis program launched in January 2016 with 10 licensed operators. Eight of those are still operational, and the state issued licenses to 11 new medical operators more recently.

For now, even as they welcome the federal shift, cannabis companies will be tasked with figuring out the confusing legal complexities moving forward. Some of New York’s medical marijuana businesses also sell products in the adult-use market, which creates a quandary when it comes to figuring out their taxes, and more.

“It’s Schrödinger’s cannabis, right?” said Mike Feldman, general counsel of Nabis, a cannabis distributor in New York. “It is sitting in a warehouse, and it is both Schedule I and Schedule III at the same time.” — Mona Zhang

TRAIN TROUBLES — A dispute between Amtrak and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority threatens the full rollout of new Acela trains, Amtrak said in a lawsuit that represents the latest transit dispute between President Donald Trump’s and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administrations.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, asks a judge to order Metro-North to give Amtrak access to the tracks, POLITICO Pro reports.

Amtrak said Metro-North is blocking its ability to test new trains because of a dispute between the two railways over liability for damage to an overhead power line that Metro-North blames on one of Amtrak’s NextGen Acela trains.

In a statement, MTA suggested Amtrak is trying to distract from another ongoing dispute where MTA says Amtrak is holding up expansion of commuter service to Penn Station.

In the lawsuit, Amtrak reveals an issue with its new Acela trains tangling with MTA infrastructure near a bridge in Westport, Connecticut during previous tests. Similar infrastructure problems — involving the interaction between overhead power lines and a train pole that draws energy from them — caused massive delays for commuters in New Jersey two summers ago. The Garden State and Amtrak were able to work through their issues; this lawsuit against New York suggests a broken relationship between Amtrak and Empire State officials. — Ry Rivard

IN OTHER NEWS

— BILLIONAIRE BLUES: Citadel CEO Ken Griffin suggested the hedge fund might halt its planned New York City expansion after Mamdani filmed a video at his Manhattan penthouse to announce a new tax on second-homes worth over $5 million. (The Wall Street Journal)

— DELAY NOW, PAY LATER: Mamdani’s team presented Hochul’s administration with a plan to delay pension fund payments in an effort to save at least $1 billion as New York City faces a multibillion-dollar budget gap. (The New York Times)

— ZONE OF INTEREST: Unions are meeting with Mamdani’s administration to push for a veto of the buffer zone bill, which keeps protesters away from schools and educational facilities, as the mayor’s decision deadline nears. (THE CITY)

Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.

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Pro-Palestine students have hit back at elite universities that paid a military intelligence firm hundreds of thousands of pounds to spy on them. The angry students blasted the unis for undermining their right to free speech — and their right to organise against Israeli genocide.

A joint Al Jazeera/Liberty Investigates report published on 21 April exposed 12 universities for having students spied on. Horus Security made a small fortune by spying on Palestine solidarity activists and anti-genocide academics.

Horus CEO Jonathon Whiteley served in the British Army’s Intelligence Corps. Tim Collins, a major Horus shareholder, is an ex-special forces colonel. Collins is also a founding signatory of the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a hard-right ‘thinktank’. You can read the full details in our piece from 21 April here.

Now students from University College London (UCL) — an elite university targeted by the spy operation — have hit back. UCL Action for Palestine told the Canary they had been subject to an “egregious violation”:

We have completely lost trust in our university. This is an egregious violation of UCL’s duty of care to its students, and it infringes not only on our right to protest but also further exposes UCL as an institution that cares more about the well-being of its ties to an apartheid regime than about its own students.

The group even slammed UCL’s marketing schtick about creating “change-makers”:

While UCL supposedly nurtures “change-makers”, enacting “change” at UCL is actively surveilled and discouraged. Perhaps this is by design. After all, UCL was founded on the principles of Jeremy Bentham – designer of the panopticon.

They also said their commitment to opposing Israeli genocide was, if anything, stronger because of UCL’s assault on their rights:

We know that it is our moral obligation to stand against genocide and this will not deter us. If anything, this shows that our movement is working, that they are scared of us, and that we should carry on steadfast.

Universities spying on their students ‘is beyond chilling’

The Canary asked London School of Economics (LSE) Students for Justice For Palestine (SJP) group how they felt about having their democratic rights infringed upon by their university:

Universities should be championing the freedoms of expression and assembly. They should be protecting their students at all costs. They could have engaged meaningfully with the simple demand of a global student movement – to do their small bit in preventing a genocide.

Instead, they hired a private firm led by ex-military intelligence officers to spy and gather data on their own students? It is beyond chilling.

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We asked if the revelations made them afraid to be politically active in the future. LSE SJP said it was “deeply concerning” that universities would “spy on their students”:

but student organisers won’t be intimidated. The encampments showed us that. Students have, and always will be, at the forefront of radical demands for social and political change.

But added that the universities and their “privately hired spies” had underestimated:

how seriously student encampments across the country took matters of security. It was rooted in care, community and collective safety.

Adding:

Universities on the other hand, no doubt informed by some of this spying, suspended and disciplined their students, leveraged the full force [of the] law against them in court cases and evictions, and even called the police onto campuses.

They have a lot to answer for.

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The operation used online artificial intelligence (AI) espionage methods and has netted the firm at least £440,000 ($594,000) since 2022. As we reported, the universities involved generally tried to argue that their spy operations were a matter of safety and security. But it seems that the groups they targeted aren’t buying that explanation.

Featured image via the Canary

By Joe Glenton

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Scarborough residents will gather tomorrow, 24 April 2026, in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a drilling company from installing a fracking rig in a picturesque area of North Yorkshire. They will be fighting an industry that has been given access to government ministers almost a hundred times since the 2024 general election.

Councillors will decide the planning application for the drilling rig in Burniston, a village on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, tomorrow.

The firm, Europa Oil and Gas, has been trying to install the rig since 2024 and accused of trying to bypass emissions limits set by the council. Despite this and the opposition of residents, North Yorkshire Council has recommended the planning committee to approve it.

Residents will lobby councillors outside Scarborough Town Hall ahead of the planning meeting, from midday tomorrow.

Fracking in Scarborough

The firm plans to use a ‘proppant squeeze’ extraction method — considered a form of fracking. The method creates the same risk of earthquakes and other environmental damage as any other form of fracking. University of Edinburgh Professor Stuart Haszeldine said his research on fracking-related tremors indicated that earthquakes from any fracking method are “equally large and equally unpredictable”.

Frack Free Coastal Communities’ Professor Chris Garforth said:

Councillors have a clear choice: reject this reckless scheme – or ignore the voices of the more than 1,600 objectors who refuse to let our community become a testing ground for the serious risks to health, homes, environment and climate that fracking brings.

The determination of council officers to push through a dangerous scheme opposed by local people is reminiscent of Liverpool council’s sabotaging of its own legal case to allow the building a huge storage depot in south Liverpool. That depot is right next to a highly explosive chemical processing plant, also opposed by residents and pushed through by the council, similar to one that caused one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in human history. Both are in the heart of the community, only metres from a school.

Featured image via Facebook

By Skwawkbox

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Local elections are coming in thick and fast, with just two weeks remaining in this highly polarised contest. We spoke to Grace Lewis from Coventry, who was elected as a Labour councillor in 2024 before leaving the party. Citing the party’s support for genocide and its clear intention to impose even more harm to communities through a continuation of the Tories austerity policies, Lewis does not remotely regret giving up on the Labour Party.

Now, determined to change the way local politics are done, Lewis leads an inspiring, people-powered campaign, drawing support from local donations and the help of dedicated volunteers. After initially hoping to stand officially for Your Party, Lewis has since received endorsement from YP as an Independent.

with the national CEC election complete, my local election campaign continues

i need all the help possible to help me beat Labour + Reform and put socialist policies on the agenda. so i’m appealing for any donations as I don’t have billionaire backershttps://t.co/cXKvmVoIY7

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— Cllr Grace Lewis (she/her) (@Grace_Lewis18) March 3, 2026

Grace Lewis: ‘There’s not really been any support for Labour’

We spoke to Grace to hear how her local campaign is going:

Yeah, it’s going okay. We’re in the final two weeks of the campaign. All the round one leaflets are out. Postal votes have now dropped. Some of the supportive postal voters have got direct mail now.

In Coventry, we’re running 22 candidates under a socialist banner. We have all 54 seats up this May, across 18 wards. Some people are running under TUSC, Your Party or like myself, as an independent backed by YP.

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Your Party MP Zarah Sultana helped with the launch, and we have been mobilising towards campaigning. We’ve been door knocking with her, especially in my ward.

We asked Lewis if she has committed to the Vote Palestine ’26 pledge, championed by the Palestinian Youth Movement:

Yes, I think all the committee candidates should be. As an elected councillor, I have already signed the councillors’ pledge, and that will carry forward.

So, how are you finding it on the doors? Are people quite receptive? How are people feeling about Labour and Reform UK?

Yeah, so I was elected under Labour two years ago. There’s another Labour councillor and there was also a Conservative councillor who defected for Reform at a similar time to my defecting from Labour. So, it’s quite interesting because you have the fully polarised spectrum on offer.

There’s quite a lot of support for Reform, most of it as a result of misinformation in the media as opposed to anything else. A lot of narratives around stopping the boats. So, I’m having persuasive conversations on the doorstep around how you have more in common with somebody coming over on a small boat than you do with Farage and linking it to Trump. People don’t seem to like Trump, even if they love Farage.

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In terms of Labour, it’s been one of the best-selling points to be running as an independent. Some of my campaigners tell me that as soon as they say, ‘she was elected for Labour two years ago’, faces on the door drop. And then as soon as you say, ‘oh, she left because of all the stuff that was going wrong’, they are engaged again in the conversation.

There’s not really been any support for Labour. But you never know how people are going to vote on the day, especially when they have three votes.

BOOT THE BAILIFFS – on Tuesday we tried to speak to Coventry City Council about the cruelty and waste of their use of private bailiffs in Cov, but they refused to speak to us. @Grace_Lewis18 however met with us and has pledged support for our campaign DIGNITY NOT DEBT! pic.twitter.com/ui0BtqNssW

— ACORN Coventry (@AcornCoventry) March 28, 2026

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‘They just can’t trust Farage’

Are people more or less receptive to progressive politics on the doors:

I’ve had about five leaflets through the post from Reform, all sent from the regional office of Central HQ. That’s obviously something that I, as an independent, won’t be able to match.

Some absolutely despise Reform, whereas others have inclinations towards their politics but say they just can’t trust Farage. Those are the people that it’s really worth spending ten minutes with rather than just the usual ‘how are you planning to vote’. That’s really where you know persuasive conversations matter the most.

I also think it’s about how we’re framing it. Something that’s quite interesting on our leaflet, socialism is mentioned very few times, if at all. Instead, we’re actually asking, ‘Why would you want your council tax going towards all these private contracts?’, ‘why would you want the library closed?’.

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Even if, more broadly, people understand anti-austerity or anti-imperialist politics.

Lewis also told us about how important it is to really offer an alternative type of politics to Reform and Labour, and is proud of her socialist credentials. Nevertheless, this can be challenging when the MSM and other parties have made socialism a dirty word in politics.

To address this, Lewis spoke of the need for safe spaces to navigate challenging issues so she can work to change minds:

That’s very much how I see my role, there’s already groups in the city like ‘Stand up to Racism’ putting leaflets out saying Reform are racist, but I don’t think it’s necessary to do that as it can alienate people where we need to be speaking to them.

Especially people who are disillusioned and don’t understand class politics in the way that we do.

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Thanks to @Grace_Lewis18 for asking this question at @coventrycc full council meeting yesterday about Coventry council's role in strike-breaking and prolonging the #BrumBinStrike.

The dismissive answer from @CCCLeader, Labour's George Duggins, confirms that the party leadership… pic.twitter.com/0yXaZ3Y82M

— Unite For A Workers' Economy (@UniteEconomy) March 25, 2026

‘£750,000 contract with Palantir’

If voters re-elect Lewis on 7 May, she will fight for her local community and challenge the exploitative neglect it has suffered:

The Council doesn’t own any council housing. They outsource their social housing, so I am committed to pushing for building council homes, for fair rent and for action against rogue landlords.

For the past decade, they’ve been trying to bring in additional licensing, but due to the number of landlords on the council there’s backlash, so it’s not been possible. Even though the evidence is clear that it would materially change renters lives and students’ lives. So that would be definitely something to introduce.

Of course, that’s not going to make much difference in isolation. I also want to see public services run for people – not for profit. We’re ending outsourcing PFI contracts, working to restore accountability in the council. There’s currently a city centre redevelopment going on and through that, it’s quite clear that they want to turn it into another Birmingham, as opposed to a city centre that’s meeting the needs of the community itself, such as offering spaces for small independent businesses and for affordable housing.

Those developers are going to make loads of money out of this and at the end, we’re going to be left with another homogenous city.

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She is also intending to get Palantir out of their local government, telling us:

Coventry Council also have a £750,000 contract with Palantir, even though they’ve been making cuts in recent years. This outsourcing and removing staff jobs at the council removes some level of responsibility. That needs to end.

In contrast to awarding huge contracts to billionaire-owned Palantir, which has been powering Israel’s genocide on Palestine, the local council has failed to invest in young people in Coventry. Lewis intends, instead, to fight for young people in her community:

There’s a massive deficit in youth opportunities. We have to ask: How do we get the youth involved? Why can’t we do things like free public transport or free school meals?

A lot of London councils have been more successful and making progress in that. Why can’t we do that in Coventry, as well? Why are we trying to downsize and close libraries rather than invest in them and in youth centres?

Kids deserve spaces to play that are safe and protected, and green spaces.

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Grace Lewis: ‘It should be up to communities.’

Telling us about how she imagines local politics could change in how its delivered, Lewis informed:

Ahead of the general election, we want to work towards local groups and members choose who they’re standing in elections and it should be up to communities. It’s definitely made my seat more difficult and more precarious as a result.

I think it’s probably worth noting that, on a local level we wouldn’t necessarily be supporting the greens unconditionally if we don’t agree with their politics, but those candidates where we would we were quite open to looking at the bigger picture. Your Party hasn’t managed to get its act together we weren’t really in a position to contest some of the seats meaningfully.

Adding:

What has really stood out to me this time around has been that our campaign is supported and funded by local people, not a party machine. We have had large donors and it’s thanks to their donations that we have the leaflets to be door knocking. Moreover, those who couldn’t come out physically have been folding and stuffing letters into envelopes, and it’s due to them that the campaign for an alternative has been possible.

We’ve had a lot of support from people with varying levels of political engagement, who are either trying to deliver politics differently or to keep Reform out. When I stood under Labour in 2024, while the national picture was on the up, I was winning against my Conservative incumbent.

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Solidarity and Courage

Just standing with courage and solidarity can deliver positive change, as Lewis proves:

Even if I don’t win this time around, I’m glad we are getting the message out there about how politics can be done differently, to give people autonomy in the political system. They currently just feel all politicians are the same, it’s not going to matter who they vote for. They just go to work, they have caring responsibilities, they’re earning minimum wage.

So, yeah, hopefully, you know, if nothing else, sparking those conversations, whether that’s against Reform or in putting forward a viable alternative to Labour’s cuts and their ongoing support for genocide.

Asked about whether she regrets leaving Labour and what themes she is seeing from her right-wing opposition:

I definitely don’t regret leaving Labour – I think it’s the best thing I could have done. It’s time to start focusing energy elsewhere.

I’d say there’s a couple, a lot of them are aimed at misinforming people around net zero, particularly from Reform, who have talked about council tax being reduced when we know other reform councils across the country have been unable to live up to that pledge when they walk into local government and realise that there’s a crisis.

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Stuff around migration and sometimes it’s framed as ‘putting the British people first’, with racist undertones towards minorities. This area, at one point, had three Conservative councillors and now have none.

Lewis informed us that, yet again, Tories are attempting to distance from the party machine behind them and framing themselves as ‘community champions’. She points out that she has never seen them out and about in the community, making it clear that she isn’t remotely scared of the Conservative opposition.

So I would say the decline of their reputation nationally means they’re really not a contender here.

Best case scenario, they split some of the Reform vote.

We at the Canary hope Lewis is right and that the Tories sabotage Reform’s chances. After all, the far right already gains a significant advantage from MSM and right-wing parties pushing hateful, divisive politics.

It’s about time that came to bite them in the arse.

Featured image via the Canary

By Maddison Wheeldon

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The post ‘One cheap drone can shut down the global economy’ appeared first on spiked.

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Green party leader Zack Polanski has demanded a public inquiry into the Starmer Labour party’s relationship with a firm founded by British intelligence agents.

OpenDemocracy has revealed that Keir Starmer’s top business adviser ran Hakluyt until he resigned as managing partner to work at Number 10, but still receives £112,000 a year from the firm as well as his government pay. Hakluyt, a “secretive corporate intelligence firm”, worked for free for Starmer’s party before it got into government, helping Starmer connect with corporate megadonors as his broken promises saw membership revenues collapse. But it seems there’s no such thing as a free lunch — and its revenues are now soaring.

But the Hakluyt connection goes further. Sacked civil servant Olly Robbins this week exposed the government’s trampling of security protocols to install disgraced Epstein-pal Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US. But Robinson also left Hakluyt, at the beginning of 2025, to take up a top government job. Robinson became the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant.

Zack Polanski — ‘Revolving door’

Zack Polanski said that companies’ “privileged access to political and regulatory insight” damages public trust and must be investigated — and that the Greens would end the “revolving door” if in government:

This is yet another revelation raising serious questions about Labour’s cosy relationship with big business. Bringing a senior figure from an elite corporate intelligence firm into the heart of government is deeply concerning.

When companies built on privileged access to political and regulatory insight appear to benefit from close ties to those in office, it undermines public trust.

The public deserve proper answers. Labour’s relationship with Hakluyt, before and after the election, should be investigated. The revolving door between big business and Westminster is still spinning – and it’s a system a Green government would work to dismantle.

A Downing Street spokesperson claimed that:

The Cabinet Office has a thorough process on declarations of interest for special advisers to ensure any conflicts of interest are properly managed and mitigated, including through recusals where appropriate.

Yes, no doubt about as thorough as its vetting procedures for disgraced cronies wanting to become ambassadors.

Polanski has been subjected to continually-escalating smears since the Greens overtook Labour as the main political option against the far-right ‘Reform UK’. His pledge to address big business’s undue influence in the corridors of power will only push the attacks in one direction.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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The proposal to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup finals has sparked widespread controversy, following media reports linking the idea to military developments in the region since late February, against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the United States and Israel against Tehran.

According to the Financial Times, Paolo Zampoli, a close associate of US President Donald Trump, has put forward to FIFA the idea of granting Italy Iran’s place in the tournament — to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — should the Iranian team be unable to participate due to the security situation.

Zamboli explained, according to the same source, that he had discussed this proposal with Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, expressing his desire to see the Azzurri at the World Cup and pointing out that Italy’s illustrious record of titles gives it the technical merit to participate.

In contrast, the BBC quoted sources within FIFA as confirming that there is no intention to consider this proposal, emphasising the federation’s commitment to Infantino’s recent statements in which he confirmed that Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup remains in place, and that there is no intention to replace them.

The suggestion of Italy as a potential replacement, despite its failure to qualify following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the intercontinental play-offs, comes as the country is set to miss out on the World Cup for the third consecutive time, despite its high ranking among the non-qualifying teams.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

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In a football world increasingly shaped by corporate interests, Rayo Vallecano remain defiantly human.

A neighbourhood club that has built its identity on solidarity, resistance, and a fierce loyalty to the persecuted. Their story is not just about football; it is about Vallecas, the working‑class barrio of Madrid that shaped them, and the values their fans refuse to compromise.

Rayo Vallecano, a club built on struggle

Founded in 1924, Rayo Vallecano have always lived in the shadow of their glamorous neighbours Real Madrid and Atlético. Their stadium, the Estadio de Vallecas, sits tightly inside the streets of a district known for labour movements, anti‑fascist organising, and a deep sense of community. That identity has seeped into the club’s DNA.

Rayo’s budget has long been among the smallest in La Liga — just £5.5 million compared to Real Madrid’s £469 million, according to reporting from The Independent. Even in recent seasons, their financial reality has remained closer to a Segunda División struggler than a top‑flight mainstay. Yet the club’s fans, especially the famous ‘Bukaneros,’ have turned that scarcity into a badge of honour. Supporting Rayo is not about trophies; it is about belonging to a cause.

A fanbase that stands with the persecuted

Rayo’s supporters have long aligned themselves with people facing oppression, whether political, social, or economic. Their banners regularly reference anti-genocide, anti‑racism, anti‑fascism, LGBTQ+ rights, and solidarity with global struggles.

The fans wave the flag of Palestine at home games, they regularly produce tifo’s for the support of Palestine. The club even released a rainbow‑striped kit in support of “unsung heroes fighting homophobia,” as reported by CNN

This ethos is not performative, it is lived.

When Ukrainian striker Roman Zozulya, who had been linked to far‑right groups, was set to join the club in 2017, Rayo fans protested so fiercely that the transfer collapsed. Their stance was simple: Vallecas would not welcome anyone associated with extremist ideology. The message was clear, the persecuted are welcome; the persecutors are not.

The story that defined Rayo Vallecano, paying the rent of Doña Carmen

Nothing captures Rayo Vallecano’s soul more than the story of Carmen Martínez Ayuso, an 85‑year‑old woman who lived near the stadium. In 2014, she was evicted from the home she had lived in for 50 years after her son used it as collateral for a loan he could not repay. The images of her crying on the pavement shook Vallecas.

Rayo did not hesitate.

The club announced they would pay her rent and help her find a new home, a gesture that made headlines worldwide. Coach Paco Jémez said:

We won’t stand idly by, We are going to help this woman, not just me, but the coaching staff, the players, the club.

He added: “Within our ability, we will help this lady, so she doesn’t feel alone.”  

For a club with one of the smallest budgets in Spain, the act was extraordinary. But for Vallecas, it was natural.

Carmen herself told Marca:

A thousand times thank you, God bless them. It’s a beautiful gesture, Viva el Rayo!

Her gratitude became part of the club’s folklore — a reminder that Rayo’s greatest victories often happen far from the pitch.

Football as a form of resistance

Rayo Vallecano’s identity is inseparable from Vallecas. The fans see themselves as defenders of the barrio’s values: solidarity, dignity, and resistance. Their tifos often show support for Palestine, they reference revolution, their chants echo social justice movements, and their presence at matches feels more like a political assembly than a sporting event.

Images of their supporters, drums emblazoned with skulls, banners reading “Por Nuestro Rayo Revolucionario” truly reflects a fan culture that refuses to be sanitised or commercialise

Rayo Vallecano — A club that punches above its weight

Despite their financial constraints, Rayo have repeatedly survived in La Liga, often playing bold, attacking football. Their recent resurgence under coaches like Andoni Iraola has earned admiration across Spain. But even when results dip, the fans’ commitment does not.

Because for Rayo Vallecano, success is not measured in league tables. It is measured in gestures like helping Doña Carmen, in standing with the oppressed, in refusing to compromise the values of Vallecas.

The beating heart of Vallecas

Rayo Vallecano are more than a football club. They are a symbol of a community that has always fought back, against poverty, against eviction, against discrimination, against indifference. Their fans support the persecuted because they know persecution. They defend dignity because they have had to defend their own.

In an era where football often feels detached from real life, Rayo Vallecano remain gloriously, defiantly human.

Featured image via the Canary

By Faz Ali

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In a new interview, the slippery Keir Starmer avoided answering the question when asked if he has his Cabinet’s backing:

WATCH: Keir Starmer refuses to say if the Cabinet is behind him amid the Mandelson vetting scandal pic.twitter.com/MWMfmJnDGA

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 23, 2026

This would be a terrible look for any prime minister. It’s even worse for Starmer, because if he doesn’t have the backing of his Cabinet, he doesn’t have the backing of anyone:

POLL AVERAGE | Net approval of leaders:

Polanski -8
Davey -8
Badenoch -14
Farage -16
Corbyn -36
Starmer -44

Farage enjoys the highest approval figure (32%), whilst Keir Starmer has the lowest (19%). pic.twitter.com/hevSO4etMq

— Stats for Lefties (@LeftieStats) April 3, 2026

Controversy

It’s clear why Starmer lost the backing of his Cabinet. At this point, the scandals are really stacking up:

So we're being asked to believe that Starmer announced the appointment of Mandelson before the security vetting had been completed and didn't then enquire about the vetting at any point subsequently, and according to Darren Jones this means due process was followed at all times pic.twitter.com/WckCGE8rbC

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 17, 2026

Just been told by a Minister that there is serious unease in Downing Street tonight that Starmer diverted from his briefing book and went too far in telling the House at PMQs no pressure had been put on any civil servants over Mandelson. “They know that wasn’t true” they said.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) April 22, 2026

In the video above, the interviewer asks:

Are you confident the Cabinet is fully behind you?

Starmer answers (and we use the word ‘answers’ loosely here):

The Cabinet is working really hard on a huge amount of issues and what we’re delivering at the moment.

The Cabinet is always working on a huge amount of issues, because they’re the government. If they weren’t working on a huge amount of issues, that would mean something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

To be clear, the Cabinet being run off their feet is not an argument for the scandal-magnet Starmer to stay in position. The last thing ministers need is to be dealing with his neverending string of cock ups.

Starmer continued:

We’re preparing for the King’s speech and all the further measures that we’re going to need to take the country forward. And, of course, the issue we discuss at Cabinet a lot in recent weeks… is the war on two fronts, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the developing situation in Iran.

What we discuss at Cabinet is the international aspect of that, but also the domestic impact in relation to that and the measures that we need to take to ensure that we’re assessing the risks and making sure we’re protecting people in this country from those impacts.

Yet again, Starmer can’t decide if we’re involved in these wars or not.

He likes to brag that he didn’t allow Trump to drag us into the Iran fiasco when it suits him, but then he talks about facing a “war on two fronts” when he needs an excuse for not fixing problems at home.

Oh, and to be clear – we absolutely are involved in the war on Iran, no matter what the PM does / doesn’t claim.

End of the road for Starmer?

As we reported, it’s obvious why Starmer doesn’t want to say he has the backing of his Cabinet; it’s because he doesn’t:

NEW: A Cabinet Minister says they have now lost confidence in Keir Starmer and expect the Cabinet to move against him

[@theipaper]

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 22, 2026

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As one commenter noted:

“Keir Starmer refuses to say if the Cabinet is behind him amid the Mandelson vetting scandal”

Keir Starmer’s Cabinet right now: pic.twitter.com/IBEtzztMnb

— Monique Jolie #PardonAssange ☭ (@moniquejolie) April 23, 2026

We’d like to say Starmer doesn’t have long left, but never underestimate the ability of Labour ministers to dither and delay.

Featured image via X/Twitter

By Willem Moore

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