Charlie Alford

Why did Special Branch keep files on a socialist politician?

Post author:PHIL MILLER
Post published:20 August 2026
Post last modified:20 August 2026

When Dave Nellist entered parliament in 1983 as the Labour MP for Coventry South East, he became one of Westminster’s best-known socialists. He was seen as a workers’ MP on a worker’s wage, donating more than half his salary to left-wing causes. But within a few years, he was embroiled in a bitter political dispute inside the Labour Party that ultimately led to his suspension and expulsion. He was associated with the Marxist newspaper Militant and his support for the mass campaign of non-payment of the poll tax. Now, more than 40 years later, one question remains unanswered: what did Britain’s…

Undercover Policing Inquiry reveals BAE Systems offered money to Special Branch to spy on anti arms trade campaigners

Post author:The Canary
Post published:13 July 2026
Post last modified:14 July 2026

Evidence in the Undercover Policing Inquiry recently revealed that BAE Systems, the UK’s largest arms company, offered the Metropolitan police money to spy on anti arms trade campaigners. This followed the 1996 Seeds of Hope Ploughshares action which caused £1.4m worth of damage to Hawk aircraft. Four women were acquitted of criminal damage charges on the basis they were preventing a greater crime by taking action to stop BAE Systems exporting the aircraft to Indonesia for use in war crimes against people in East Timor. The information emerged during the questioning of former detective chief inspector Dell on 1 July 2026.…

UK ‘special operations’ soldier died at base Iran attacked in March

Post author:Joe Glenton
Post published:4 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

The UK military has named the soldier killed in Erbil, Iraq. An American soldier also died in what the allied nations say was a “training accident”. Lance Corporal James Freeman was a member of the Royal Anglian regiment. Iranian drones hit the base in March 2026. Freeman was a member of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment. The battalion is part of the new army Special Operations Brigade. The British Army website describes the unit as: the fighting formation of the Land Special Operations Force (LSOF) and is equipped with Robotics and Autonomous Systems. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) posted on…

Question Time assembles panel of AI industry stooges for tonight’s special episode

Post author:Alex/Rose Cocker
Post published:28 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

BBC’s Question Time is at it again — this time, the show has put together a homogeneously pro-AI panel for tonight’s special on the environmentally ruinous technology. Green leader Zack Polanski went so far as to speculate that the entire episode was bought and paid for by the AI lobby. Likewise, journalist Caroline Cadwalladr characterised the show as laundering AI’s image in a similar manner to its performance with Nigel Farage. Long-time readers will already be familiar with the Canary’s distaste for the national broadcaster’s flagship panel show. Question Time has previously faced allegations of blocking pro-Palestine audience members, mis-labelling panelists to massage right-wing…

Senedd candidate in Nazi salute photo row now Reform special adviser

Post author:Alex/Rose Cocker
Post published:27 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Reform Senedd candidate Corey Edwards, who stepped down from the election after a photo emerged of him doing a Nazi salute, is now, apparently, the special adviser for the far-right party’s Welsh leader. Mere hours after Reform announced him as a candidate for Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan, a photo of Edwards performing a Nazi salute (complete with a finger in place of a Hitler-style moustache) came to light. The picture was reportedly taken more than six years ago. Edwards ‘apologised’ publicly but also tried to play it down as a joke. He even attempted a feeble swipe at anti-Zionist protests. My…

Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City after 10 special years

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:26 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Pep Guardiola’s final match at the Etihad felt like a punctuation mark rather than a spectacle. He chose a day that honoured staff, academy graduates, and long‑serving players rather than chasing one last headline. The tone was controlled, personal and unmistakably Guardiola: detail‑driven, human‑centred and low on theatrics. The farewell City fielded an experimental side and the result mattered less than the people on the pitch. That selection underlined a simple point: Guardiola treated the club as a project of stewardship, not a stage for self‑promotion. The final day was about the club’s story and the people who helped write it.…