iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Josiah Mortimer

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 14h

“Between 05:00 and 06:00 UTC on 28 February, large volumes of money flowed into Polymarket bets predicting imminent US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The strikes began at 06:15 UTC, just 15 minutes after that trading window ended.” ✍️ Iain Overton, Pan Jie

bylinetimes.com

Why Did Polymarket Trading Surge an Hour Before the Iran War Started?

There was a major spike in Polymarket bets predicting the Iran War, an hour before Trump's strikes began, new analysis finds

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 13h

There are now 120 compliant plug-in solar kits being sold in Britain. Really good news for competition and prices coming down. Only a matter of time before solar panels are being sold in the Lidl/Aldi aisles of dreams... (via www.pluginsolarregister.co.uk)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15h

£30k is a lot on social media ads for a by-election they'll be lucky to keep their deposit in

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15h

"Today, selling a £1m house & moving to a £400,000 flat won’t change your children’s IHT bill. The estate is the same size. Under the [Tory] proposal...the £600,000 you released is fully subject to IHT." "Your house move cost your heirs £240,000. People [will] respond to an incentive this large."

taxpolicy.org.uk

Tory IHT cut could cost £11bn - almost twice the advertised price

Our modelling suggests Badenoch’s inheritance tax cut could cost £7.7bn-£10.9bn a year and shift £60bn-£110bn from savings and investments into housing.

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15h

Politico: Restore Britain is pledging to deport “foreign tramps who ruin our city” in their by-election ads. Are "British tramps", by contast, beloved to Lowe's party?

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15h

Politico Influence: "Rupert Lowe’s [Restore] party has spent around £30,000 on Meta ads positioning itself as a “genuine patriotic alternative” to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in Holborn & St Pancras, despite admitting it stands no chance of winning. Must have plenty of cash to splash around...

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 18h

The Greens would "limit ownership of the press to 20% maximum for any one company and require divestment for companies with larger market shares” bylinetimes.com/2026/10/08/g...

bylinetimes.com

Green Party Would Force Daily Mail Owner to Sell Up Papers

Zack Polanski's party also backs plans to force media companies to operate under a licence granted by a regulator

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 18h

The Green Party overhauled its policies on the UK’s media at its conference last weekend, in a largely ignored move towards a radically-toughened stance on the press bylinetimes.com/2026/10/08/g...

bylinetimes.com

Green Party Would Force Daily Mail Owner to Sell Up Papers

Zack Polanski's party also backs plans to force media companies to operate under a licence granted by a regulator

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

(or rather, of those present at the vote - 10 - there was a Green majority - 6. 6/12 places are Green held ordinarily)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Indeed, but the planning committee has a Green Party majority, and all six voted to reject the solar project

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The minority Green Party administration on Stroud District Council "refused the planning application in December 2025. It rejected the project, Wheatenhurst Solar Farm, on the grounds of negative visual impact," traffic management and other points, but it has now been overruled

solarpowerportal.co.uk

PACE wins appeal for 49.5MW solar plant

Clean energy developer Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) has secured planning permission for a 49.5MW solar plant in Gloucestershire following an appeal.

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

There we have it. Reform officially ditches its pledge - or rather, its 2024 "contract" with voters - to back proportional representation. A clear breach of contract... Via Politico:

In other Reform news: Second-in-command Richard Tice finally admitted that now the voting system Farage has long railed against could help him win a general election, the party no longer wants to scrap it. Farage used to want first-past-the-post replaced with a form of proportional representation.

Here’s the line: “In order to rescue the country from the gravity of the chaos that we face, actually a proper majority is needed from a right of center, conviction-led Reform government,” Tice told Times Radio this morning. Asked whether that meant Reform no longer wants electoral reform, he said: “Yes, because the crisis is so great.”

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

This does however solidify my theory that Reform are simply planning to spend *all* the crypto billionaire cash before the Electoral Commission and police even put their shoes on

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Hats off to the Eye (as ever), for flagging the Conservative hypocrisy over our conference ban

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

They mainly like the big pictures of Hitler on the covers, I think

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The civil liberties group Defend Our Juries has formally accepted an invitation to meet with the Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, over the proscription of Palestine Action Miliband issued the invitation during an encounter with members of Defend Our Juries at Pizza Express in Liverpool (Labour conf)

Miliband sitting down in a Pizza Express, with a protester confronting him

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The investigation into a far-right bookshop continues, and their troglodyte defenders are out in force Re my beak, I find it helps me sniff out wrongdoing

Screenshot of a post by an account called "noticer" (@ano_noticer), replying to @oldspeak_books and @josiahmortimer. The post reads: "Look at the beak on that feller". Attached is a close-up selfie of me

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Reposted by Josiah Mortimer

Mic Wright @brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

NEW | A corrective to the obituaries… HERE LIES JEFFREY ARCHER The death of one of Britain’s most infamous liars brings back memories of Monica Coghlan. brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/here-lies-...

brokenbottleboy.substack.com

Here lies Jeffrey Archer

The death of one of Britain’s most infamous liars brings back memories of Monica Coghlan.

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

He's lifting the ban on public ownership, not quite the same but it opens the door (and allows them to talk about nationalising failed firms etc)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I got dozens of press releases from Govt & Labour under KS on water, & I don't believe a single one of them condemned privatisation per se There is a logic to that, if you're not going to nationalise them. It's just a fact Claire, respectfully (they did condemn water bosses, lack of regulation etc)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Agree with this. I imagine the money for CCS and hydrogen would go a lot further providing much greater support for heat pumps & solar/battery systems for the poorest households. No new infrastructure needed at all. cheapcleanenergy.substack.com/p/how-to-cut...

cheapcleanenergy.substack.com

How to cut bills, part #1: cut the fat

Time to cut Hydrogen and CCS subsidies

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

(I don't post there anymore and deleted all my tweets long ago, so they are all shouting at an empty shell)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Getting some fan mail from a far-right bookshop over on the hellsite (and their supporters, oh joy) Comes after I had the cheek to put allegations of...questionable content to them before publishing

Screenshot of a post on X by Oldspeak Bookshop (@oldspeak_books) reading: "Oh no. @josiahmortimer thinks I'm going to be sitting at home worried that he's spending his time writing about me. @BylineTimes". Attached is an image of an email thread with the subject line "Re: Right of reply - story this week". At the top, Josiah Mortimer of Byline Times replies: "Thanks, will pop that in the story, and your kind tribute on X. Very best, J". Beneath it is the message he is responding to, sent from info@oldspeakbookshop.co.uk on Mon, 5 Oct 2026 at 12:57: "Haven't you got anything better to do?" Below that is Mortimer's original email, sent 05 October 2026 at 12:54, which begins: "Dear Ms May, I am a reporter at Byline Times. I am writing an article about Oldspeak Bookshop and I a…" before the text is cut off.

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Reposted by Josiah Mortimer

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The utter shamelessness of Kemi Badenoch boasting at Conservative party conference about 'defending press freedom' and berating Reform for banning critical journalists from their conference, just days after banning Byline Times journalists from her own

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Angela Eagle: "Rising bills, poorer services and sewage pumped into our rivers, all the while water bosses got paid millions of pounds in bonuses - that is the legacy of privatisation." (Cabinet ministers would not have said this under Keir Starmer)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Dame Angela Eagle MP, Labour's Environment Secretary, on Kemi Badenoch claiming water privatisation has been a "success": "Kemi Badenoch is living in an alternate reality. How anybody can look at the Tory record on water and call it a success is baffling."

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Relevant re. this piece: One thing never mentioned about the pensions triple lock is there is no other equivalent in the welfare system There is no *single* lock for Local Housing Allowance or the benefit cap (they don't ever have to rise). And child benefit, JSA, ESA, etc only get an annual review

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Personally I think online voting in the age of AI hacking and foreign interference is probably unwise. Plenty of democracies get high turnout without it

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Writing in the report, crossbench peer Baroness Polly Neate, former CEO of Shelter, says compulsory voting “would give Burnham the political cover and popular support to deliver” the pension changes he announced in his speech bylinetimes.com/2026/10/06/a...

bylinetimes.com

Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans

Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Fairness Foundation: “If you are poor, you’re less likely to vote and less likely to be the focus of politicians’ concerns. “That’s why any major review of our electoral system cannot be limited to discussions around systems and processes, but must be about the importance of who votes.”

bylinetimes.com

Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans

Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

“If we simply change how voters cast their ballot instead of who casts their ballot, we risk failing to maximise the possible gains for a fairer society,” Professor Andrew Blick said bylinetimes.com/2026/10/06/a...

bylinetimes.com

Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans

Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Andy Burnham should use his National Commission on Electoral Reform to launch a conversation on making voting compulsory, experts have suggested The Prime Minister announced the commission – which is set to endorse a new voting system for Westminster – in his Labour conference speech in Liverpool

bylinetimes.com

Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans

Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

🔴 Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well bylinetimes.com/2026/10/06/a...

bylinetimes.com

Andy Burnham Urged to Put Compulsory Voting at Heart of His Electoral Reform Plans

Democracy campaigners say changing how Britain votes will not be enough unless the Prime Minister also changes who votes as well

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

YouGov: "This is the first statistically significant lead for any party in our tracker in three months" (Reform held that title previously ofc)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

There's been a clear up-tick in Labour support in the latest YouGov tracker. Burnham's party now has a five point lead over Reform UK Labour are up three points since last week to their highest level recorded by YouGov since January 2025.

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Reposted by Josiah Mortimer

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

📌 ICYMI — Conservative Plan to Scrap Solar Rules for New Homes Would Lock Millions Into Gas Use — @josiahmortimer.bsky.social Pledge to abolish the Future Homes Standard is branded 'a plan for poor housing and high bills' by fuel poverty campaigners, as the solar sector urges the party to think…

bylinetimes.com

Conservative Plan to Scrap Solar Rules for New Homes Would Lock Millions Into Gas Use

Pledge to abolish the Future Homes Standard is branded 'a plan for poor housing and high bills' by fuel poverty campaigners, as the solar sector urges the party to think again

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Reposted by Josiah Mortimer

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

bylinetimes.com

Conservative Plan to Scrap Solar Rules for New Homes Would Lock Millions Into Gas Use

Pledge to abolish the Future Homes Standard is branded 'a plan for poor housing and high bills' by fuel poverty campaigners, as the solar sector urges the party to think again

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Politico use US style guides, don't shoot the messenger

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

These people aren't even very good at being racist, which is just about the only thing they do. A glimmer of the delightful stuff verified accounts churn out on X.

Screenshot of a post on X from a verified account, GreatBritisher (@GreatBritisher), replying to @BylineTimes, posted 42 minutes before capture. The post reads: "I have some questions for this Jew. Where do I get in touch @BylineTimes". Attached is a head-and-shoulders portrait of me in glasses with William Morris curtains behind

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Oh and "Would-be [Tory] candidates must sign a "memorandum of understanding" backing ECHR withdrawal" and scrapping Net Zero targets. I'm sure Lib Dems will come flooding back!

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Politico: "CCHQ is working to a strategy aimed at appealing to the center, then hoovering up right-wing support to kill off Reform...The plan centers first on winning back middle class Lib Dem & Labour voters" They're starting that by...pledging to abolish Natural England and the Environment Agency

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