Reposted by Alf King
Sunday book review: Our Wild Pennines by John Birch
Publisher: Stainmoor Wild Press
Review: markavery.info/2026/10/11/s...
"superb photographs"
"high production values"
"a gorgeous book"
#heather #grouse #red #black #curlew #seo #henharrier @yorkshiredales.org.uk @northpennines.bsky.social
![I gave Posh George second chance
Nigel Farage says the convicted criminal’s undeclared donations to the Reform leader were not a matter of public interest and he believes in ‘Christian forgiveness’
Extract:
Cottrell, 32, an aristocrat who was convicted of fraud in the US, secretly bankrolled Farage and made undisclosed donations to Reform.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened an investigation into Cottrell’s support, which was paused after Farage resigned and called a by-election in his constituency of Clacton in Essex.
The Reform leader made reference to the Insight report in his resignation speech, calling it an “establishment hit job”, but did not mention Cottrell.
He broke his silence on the man known as Posh George yesterday, defending their relationship in an interview with Triggernometry, a self-described antiwoke podcast. He said Cottrell had paid for his accommodation and social media, but added that his “help” was “not a matter of public interest.” Farage claimed the support was “irrelevant” and “literally no one’s business” as he “wasn’t in politics” at that time.
Farage, who was the honorary president of Reform before becoming an MP, said: “From 2021 to the 3rd of June 2024 [when he announced he would run in Clacton], I was a broadcaster, I was someone that appeared on celebrity TV programmes, I was somebody that promoted some financial market products ... I was an influencer ... so the fact that George did me a favour with those things is not a matter of public interest or record.”
Insight revealed this month that Cottrell paid for Farage’s back office, private security, staff, transport and accommodation in the year before the election. He also hired and paid a team of three to reinvent Farage’s social media presence, producing content on immigration, human rights
law and political correctness, as well as inviting people to vote for Reform.
None of this was declared, in an apparent breach of parliamentary activities.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:c4xtyto7nrklhfkroyrsce2w/bafkreifc7klbe3zxlqio7b7qvptdfdwcxu4umneuajkxvca4ro4p3oevf4)
