Leigh A Barrett

Member of the Free Speech Union. Protected under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.

[Paul Embery @PaulEmbery]

Yes, she did believe that. And the truth is that, until about 12 years ago, it was also the general view of most people in society (and still happens to be the view of the established church in this country today). Disagree with it, by all means. But to present it as some kind of extremist opinion is plainly ridiculous.

[Cillian @CilComLFC]

LGBT activist Peter Tatchell, who publicly celebrated the brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe earlier today, once argued that a 9-year-old boy can consent to sex with adult men.

These are the voices we are up against. History will not look kindly on him.

[Robert Jenrick @RobertJenrick]

Ann was a woman of unshakeable convictions, rooted in her faith and expressed in her unique way, with common sense.

She was unafraid to be unfashionable, in fact she embraced it. She was willing to walk the lonely path, which is the essential characteristic of politicians of real stature.

She was a tremendous public speaker, who put the low wattage MPs of today to shame. She could be devastating in her criticism - who can forget her put down to Michael Howard. But also very kind and generous - as she was to me as a young MP, although she did ask if I was here on work experience when first elected!

She had a wicked sense of humour and was more than capable of poking fun at herself - who can forget her irreverent performances on Strictly.

Ann was a character and the sort that only England could produce. She was in many ways, the voice of Middle England.

She was a conservative, in the true sense of the word. She joined Reform, believed in its mission to put the country on a better path and campaigned for us until her final days.

The way she died is shocking. I still can’t quite believe it.

May she rest in eternal peace.

[Andrew Gold @AndrewGold_ok]

Devastated to hear that Ann Widdecombe has been murdered. When she came on Heretics, she was an absolute delight. So warm, funny and charismatic. She even charmed one team member who was not a fan. She had that ability.

Here she is talking in a very Ann Widdecombe way about her own mortality.

[Maggie Oliver @MaggieOliverUK]

Just when will our political leaders actually begin to lead?
When will they become proactive and not reactive?
Act before they hit a brick wall…..

As I have said in numerous interviews over recent days, this should have been addressed back in 2012 when Ahmed was sentenced for systemic, horrific child rape and the judge ordered deportation on his release.

The previous government (and let’s be honest the Director of Public Prosecutions at the time @Keir_Starmer !!) should have addressed this 50 year old outdated law back then, not wait 14 years until AFTER his release!!

Now the battles with Pakistan start. These should have been resolved in the 14 years this prolific child rapist was in prison. No wonder public trust in our politicians is totally gone! It’s like ‘the lunatics are running the asylum’ as they say….. now they must stand firm.

On a positive note though, this shows that people power can force change. That by continuing to shout for justice, to expose the truth, the pressure mounts. I’ve seen this repeatedly over the past 15 years as first I, and since 2019, we, at The Maggie Oliver Foundation, have been sharing stories of the failures, horrors, neglect from those we support as widely as possible, through media, social media, drama, many documentaries and podcasts.

These public outcries we’ve led have forced The Baird Review, The Augusta Review, The Rochdale Review, apologies to Rochdale victims, reopening of multiple investigations, national exposure and formal recognition that ‘Amber’ was always a victim and not the perpetrator she was treated as - the list goes on! But every one of these ‘wins’ has taken years of battling an establishment that repeatedly fails in its duty to protect or act. Why? I honestly still don’t know why! I guess the unavoidable truth is that they simply don’t want to! They’d rather bring in emergency legislation to keep pubs open than address our country’s failing justice system.

The sad thing is that it shouldn’t have taken this long to change this antiquated law, we shouldn’t have to fight every step of the way to force the governments to do what should have been done years ago. The fights are many, the changes needed are huge, but now we are a growing army calling for, DEMANDING, change.

Let’s see where this goes, but for me it’s too little far far too late, but it clearly shows that where there is a will, they CAN find a way. The problem is that more often than not, the will just isn’t there - unless of course it’s someone writing ‘naughty words’ on social media, then there’s no delay in arrest, imprisonment and excessive sentences just to try to frighten people into remaining silent….. but the public/victims/survivors are finally finding their voices, and I don’t think they will go ’back in their boxes’ now. The people are demanding change and justice. The real fight is just beginning….but it’s one we MUST win!

Fury as Pakistan refusal to take back sick rapist sparks calls to end £114m aid from UK https://t.co/sastelrmHz

[Dov Forman @DovForman]

82 years ago today, my great-grandmother, Lily Ebert, arrived at the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Within hours, her mother, youngest brother and youngest sister had been murdered in the gas chambers. More than 100 members of her extended family were murdered that day. They have no graves. No final resting place. Their ashes were scattered across the fields of Auschwitz.

She survived the unimaginable.

For the next 80 years, she dedicated her life to ensuring the world would never forget what happened there.

Although she passed away in October 2024, her legacy continues to grow.

This morning, our family welcomed her second great-great-grandchild into the world. Lily only had the chance to meet her first.

Hitler lost. The Nazis failed. Lily won.

And the Jewish people are still here.

[The Free Speech Union @SpeechUnion]

In a Lords debate this afternoon, Lord Young of Acton argued that if we want to restore public confidence in judges and the judiciary, we have to stop asking those applying for Silk and judicial appointments to affirm their commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Watch General Secretary of the Free Speech Union Lord Young below 👇

[Jan Jekielek @JanJekielek]

Matt Ridley just revealed something about Covid that most scientists missed.

And it provides perhaps the strongest evidence yet that this virus was not natural.

“Viruses jump out of animals and into people quite often.”

“But they very, very rarely prove to be highly infectious from the start.”

“They also tend to be pretty lethal.”

“What we saw this time was completely different.”

“A virus that was not very lethal… but very infectious.”

“That, to me, tells you that it must have had training on human cells and human molecules in the months, if not years, leading up to the pandemic.”

“It’s not very good at getting into bats at all, even though it’s originally a bat virus.”

“What does that tell you?”

“It tells you it hasn’t been in bats for a while.”

“It's been in another species.”

“It’s better at infecting humans than almost any other species.”

“Given that we know this lab was taking SARS-like bat coronaviruses, this very type of virus, and infecting them into human cells and humanized mice for several years before the pandemic, it’s crazy to think that this wasn’t how this happened.”

@mattwridley

[Paul Embery @PaulEmbery]

This is the downside of abandoning an overarching national culture and turning your country (and capital city) into something resembling an international airport terminal. Diversity is not our strength. It is, in many respects, our greatest challenge.

[Pat Condell @patcondell]

Last night Muslim foreigners rioted in London over a football match. Far-right thugs? Fast track justice? Remanded in custody? Full force of the law? Or is that only for the white native British?

[Patrick Christys @PatrickChristys]

Devastated to learn of the sad passing of national treasure Ann Widdecombe. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Ann countless times - she was a deeply principled, honourable & tremendously fun person. She had an unshakable faith in God, and I hope she is with Him now.

[Leigh A Barrett @LeighABarrett3]

@Glinner @andyburnham Maybe time to rethink the location of the next World Cup?

[Graham Linehan @Glinner]

Quick @andyburnham apologise to them

[Jennifer Sey @JenniferSey]

Some days I really feel like I can’t do this anymore.

Then I meet a young person like Adeleia Cross. And I’m inspired. And I keep going.

She’s why I fight.

[J Stewart @triffic_stuff_]

😡 NICK FERRARI EXPLODES LIVE ON AIR! 🔥

You rarely see the unflappable Nick Ferrari get this angry… but today he absolutely went off on caller Malik for trying to excuse the grooming gangs scandal.

Malik actually claimed the girls were “vulnerable” because of broken families, care homes, and society “throwing them out like rubbish”, basically blaming everyone except the actual predators!

Ferrari wasn’t having it. Visibly shocked, then furious, he roared:

“No Malik. No sir! NOTHING is an excuse for the behaviour those girls endured! Nothing! Whether they came from a care home or a mansion, NOTHING excuses what those men did! Don’t try and find some kind of rational. That is offensive! You’re close to a red card! That’s absolutely preposterous! These vile men who preyed on girls as young as 12, giving them drugs and vodka, THEY are to blame!”

What an unbelievable take from Malik. Nick told him straight and was having absolutely none of it. Well done, Nick! 👏

No excuses. Ever. The monsters who did this are 100% responsible. Full stop.

[Daily Mail @DailyMail]

Deadly bacteria found in major US city's water system traced to Mark Zuckerberg's $800m data center https://t.co/lywNpFmD7c

[Paul White Gold Eagle @PaulGoldEagle]

RIP Total Eclipse of the Heart

#BonnieTyler has died at the age of 75.

News of the Welsh singer's death was announced in a short statement posted on her official website, reading: "Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.

"We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy."

In May, Tyler was put a medically induced coma in a hospital in Faro, Portugal, after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery. At the time, a spokesperson for the singer said, "Bonnie has been put into an induced coma by her doctors to aid her recovery. We know that you all wish her well and ask for privacy at this difficult time, please. We will issue a further statement when we are able to."

Tyler had been set to perform at Sunshine Festival in Worcester this summer, and was also scheduled to play a number of European shows.

Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, in Skewen, Wales, Tyler is best known for her iconic '80s power ballads Total Eclipse of the Heart, which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and sold more than six million copies worldwide, Holding Out for a Hero and It's a Heartache.

Across her career, the singer earned three Grammy nominations and three BRITs nominations (twice for Best British Female Solo Artist). In 2022, she was awarded an MBE for services to music.

In a statement released at the time, the singer said, "I am truly honoured to be awarded an MBE and especially so in Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, which makes this even more special.

"This honour just goes to show that anyone from any background can become a success, and be recognised by our wonderful country, if they put their minds and efforts into what they do."

📷: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images

[Ambassador Mike Waltz @michaelgwaltz]

Communism has killed more people than any other form of government in world history.

[David Icke @davidicke]

All those in Ukraine fighting a war against Russia. All those in Russia fighting a war against Ukraine. How many would rather be at home with their loved ones and kids that they may never see again? Imagine if they both said 'fuck off' to their 'leaders' who never see a bullet fired in anger - there could be no war.
When are we going to grasp that the pawns fight wars for those sipping coffee away from the conflict that they orchestrate, and they have no power except for the power we give to them in the form of acquiescence.
Put Putin, Zelensky, Trump, Xi, the lot of them, in a room and lock the door. Let them fight each other while the rest of us get on with our lives.
What if they declared a war and no one turned up? War would be over.

[Jamie Reed Whistleblower @JamieWhistle]

I spent nearly 5 years inside of a pediatric gender center. It is with that knowledge- seeing nearly 1500 unique “trans kids” that I must respectfully disagree with @benryanwriter.

There is no “true trans” child. There are gender non-conforming children.
There are proto gay children. There is no ‘true trans’ child.