Sandra Mitchell

Executive Producer @TimesRadio Drive; Part of @thetimes family; Co-Founder of @the2ndsource ; All views are mine.

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Count Binface could be the "political equivalent of Boaty McBoatface," says Jacob Rees-Mogg as explains that there is a "slim risk" that Nigel Farage could lose the Clacton by-election.

"The British voter doesn't like being taken for granted and has a great sense of humour."
Find a full list of candidates for the Clacton by-election here:
https://t.co/BHUVbT3yfE

@cathynewman

[Sandra Mitchell @glabsandra]

NEW: @Jacob_Rees_Mogg has told @cathynewman if Ann Widdecombe's death was politically motivated "this country was no longer safe". He added, "this is just unbelievable that somebody could possibly have attacked Ann and killed her. I mean it is deeply shocking." @TimesRadio

[Fraser Nelson @FraserNelson]

Richard Tice on Reform’s £500,000 donor:-

“My family have known the Cottrell family and the broader Hesketh family for 50 years, a very successful aristocratic family.”

“This is about the establishment trying to kill off a disruptive political party”

[Aubrey Allegretti @breeallegretti]

Breaking: Andy Burnham gets 322 nominations for the leadership from Labour MPs.

[Gabriel Pogrund @Gabriel_Pogrund]

EXCLUSIVE

The Metropolitan Police is conducting a criminal investigation into at least £500,000 in donations from George Cottrell's mother to Reform UK before last election.

Two people interviewed under caution about "disguising" source or making false statements about funds.

[Sandra Mitchell @glabsandra]

"Qui est Count Binface"

[euronews en français @euronewsfr]

Alors que la course au poste de Premier ministre semble jouée d’avance, le suspense oppose Nigel Farage à un comique viral. Une blague de trop pour les Britanniques et leur sens de l’humour ?
➡️ https://t.co/bYV27zOa8J

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Farage is using the people of Clacton as props in his “great egotistical political drama”, but Count Binface is holding him up to ridicule, says Fraser Nelson.

“I think this is quite an appropriate response: mockery.”

@FraserNelson | #TimesRadio

[Sandra Mitchell @glabsandra]

Considering Robert Jenrick is currently presenting a show on LBC, who's going to ask him about the Met investigation into his finances?

[Steven Swinford @Steven_Swinford]

Exclusive:

Pakistan is expected to refuse to take back the Rochdale grooming gang leader despite plans to change the law so he can be deported

On Monday Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, is expected to announce changes to the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed

Ahmed, 73, was released from prison last week after serving 14 years of a 22 year sentence for 30 child rape offences

A loophole in the Immigration Act means that he cannot be returned to Pakistan, despite the fact he has been stripped of his citizenship. The act exempts people from deportation if they came to the UK before 1973 and have lived in the UK for at least five years

Mahmood is expected to confirm that officials have found a way to close the loophole without putting the right to remain of Commonwealth citizens at risk, including Windrush migrants from the Caribbean

However, Whitehall sources confirmed that despite the change in the law they did not expect Pakistan to accept Ahmed. It is demanding the extradition of two political dissidents from the UK in exchange for accepting the return of Ahmed

A senior government source said that Britain would not extradite any of the political dissidents, leaving discussions at an effective stalemate

https://t.co/Qf2atPCWdm

[Gabriel Pogrund @Gabriel_Pogrund]

EXCL: George Cottrell went for drinks with Tommy Robinson and other far-right activists shortly after his release from prison

Cottrell later appeared backstage at rally organised by Robinson and spent the summer partying with the former EDL leader’s team

https://t.co/pPzxVqSY9J

[Pippa Crerar @PippaCrerar]

NEW: The Met Police has launched an investigation into a £40,000 donation to Robert Jenrick’s campaign to become Tory leader in 2024 after a referral from the elections watchdog @theipaper reveals.

This follows a story by our @rowenamason in April that police were assessing claims it came from an overseas donor, following a referral from elections watchdog.

[Fraser Nelson @FraserNelson]

Farage wanted to take on the establishment. It looks like he'll end up with Count Binface.

My thoughts on his by-election gamble:-

https://t.co/pLBeCuPNiX

[Jack Elsom @JackElsom]

Fellow Westminster hack trying to get a Count Binface interview: "Why is he being so precious - he's a f***ing bin."

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Ben Taylor, Sunday Times editor, explains what Reform's reaction to the weekend's revelations reveals about how they view "proper scrutiny".

“They’ve become quite used to the popularity and the acclaim ... But if you scratch the surface, they don't like it."

[Gabriel Pogrund @Gabriel_Pogrund]

BREAKING🚨

The Telegraph reports George Cottrell's mother made a ***£1m*** payment to Richard Tice's company, half of which was donated to Reform

And that George Cottrell loaned £80K to Tice

We approached Fiona Cottrell about the above before our piece - she wouldn't comment

[Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot]

BREAKING - Labour will not stand a candidate in Clacton by-election, NEC confirms

Tories, Restore, Lib Dems also won’t stand against Nigel Farage.

Has the stunt backfired?

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Following Nigel Farage's resignation, Times Radio's Terry Stiastny examines what the Clacton by-election could mean for Reform UK and the wider political landscape.

"We are going to have the summer of a by-election in Clacton."

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Farage is a "grifter" and the Greens will fight him in Clacton, says the deputy leader of the Greens Mothin Ali.

He also adds that Farage is talking about people versus the establishment but "he is the very epitome of the establishment."

@MothinAli

[Times Radio @TimesRadio]

Nigel Farage will win the Clacton by-election "handsomely" and will send "shockwaves through the establishment", Lee Anderson tells John Pienaar.

The Reform UK chairman also predicts Farage will win more than 50 per cent of the vote.

@JPonpolitics | @LeeAndersonMP_

[Sandra Mitchell @glabsandra]

NEW: Lee Anderson has told @JPonpolitics Nigel Farage will win over 50% of the vote in Clacton. @TimesRadio