Kemi the Conqueror - The Bayeux tapestry was already having a massive cultural moment (see last month’s newsletter for more). So it was only natural that the Tories cashed in on the Bayeux craze with their ‘Birmingham Tapestry’ unveiled at the Conservative Conference. The piece took aim at pretty much everyone, from Keir Starmer to Robert Jenrick and Nicola Sturgeon, but a particularly clever detail woven in by the CCHQ team was to put key talking points right next to depictions of several high-profile journalists. Naturally, when political hacks reshared their own likenesses on social media, they helped to spread these messages to all corners of their audiences, too.
Praise the Lord - Even the most hardened AI sceptics had to acknowledge how effective the technology can be when Baroness Campbell of Surbiton delivered a speech in the House of Lords using an AI recreation of her voice. Baroness Campbell, a dedicated champion for disability rights, has spinal muscular atrophy which has compromised her speech. Using specialist voice technology developed by ElevenLabs, an AI voice that replicates the tone, rhythm, and pitch of her speech patterns was created, allowing her to contribute to the debate. All in all, a powerful and moving reminder of the transformative impact of technology.
Ballon d’Oh - Eagle-eyed viewers on the Ballon d’Or website ahead of this week’s ceremony thought they had spotted an early release declaring the winner of the coveted men’s trophy. However, instead of just one victor, the organisers accidentally published articles announcing three different winners. Confusion ensued and a hastily written mea culpa was sent to the press. Whilst a useful reminder to prepare for all outcomes, do make sure only one ever sees the light of day. (And many congratulations to Harry Kane, the eventual winner.)
What’s in a name? - Few were enthusiastic about Reform’s chances in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, including, it appeared, Reform. The party, apparently eschewing the use of a proof reader, sent out election leaflets which called the party ‘Refrom UK’. Despite the blunder, Reform candidate Pete Newman managed to receive more than the 5% vote share required to get his £500 election deposit back. We expect *Reform* will use that money to reformulate their copy editing process (and yes, we have meticulously checked our own copy for this bit of the newsletter).
This month, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey survived an unexpected challenge to his leadership, which came despite his delivery of the best election result in the party’s history in 2024.
Triggered by the resignation of Treasury Spokesperson Charlie Maynard, Lib Dem MPs gathered in Brighton amid speculation the party could be heading for a leadership contest on the south shore.
In the end, reports say the eventual meeting of Lib Dem MPs was an even “damper squib” than expected and Davey remained in post. But the episode exposed a broader debate about what the party should stand for and whether the party should pursue a bolder political strategy.
Why does this matter?
While it may not initially seem like a leadership crisis for the third biggest party in Westminster is of importance, it should still set off some alarm bells. Thirty per cent of them, to be precise. According to the Lib Dem’s election committee chair, that percentage is the likelihood of Burnham calling a snap election before Christmas.
And with Reform dropping in the polls and Labour projected to secure a slim four seat majority if an election were held today, the possibility of a future hung parliament cannot be ruled out. In that scenario, the Lib Dems could once again find themselves kingmakers.
A snap election would also play to the strengths of an experienced leader like Davey. As a cabinet minister under David Cameron, a professional economist, an MP of nearly 30 years, and a deeply committed carer to his son, Davey has political mettle. He just needs to harness it. If Davey can articulate a more coherent message to voters, the prize could be huge, even if the party were to drop seats.
Indeed, if the future does play out this way, Davey would become only the second person to serve in both Labour and Tory cabinets since the Second World War - which, think what you may of Davey, would be quite the achievement.
Steve Rosenberg is the BBC’s Russia editor, and one of the few journalists from Western outlets that has been able to remain in Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A Russian speaker, Rosenberg has made a home in Moscow, marrying a Russian citizen and even teaching at a state university for a period of time. With so many other journalists reporting on Russia from outside the country, Rosenberg’s physical presence inside the country and his language skills deeply informs his reporting. However, he regularly takes this a step further, through his YouTube channel series Reading Russia.
So, why is this so interesting?
Rosenberg uses the series to highlight how the Russian press has covered the key global and political stories. He shows excerpts from Russian newspapers which he then translates, highlighting the phrases, contexts, and sentiments behind the reporting. It exposes the almost complete control of the Russian state over the country’s information economy.
For example, Rosenberg’s coverage of how the Russian press reported the recent diesel deal between Russia and the USA was an illuminating insight into how Russians view Donald Trump, suggesting that he had ‘used and dumped’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Hosting the show on YouTube alongside his BBC coverage allows Rosenberg to reach viewers that would be unlikely to watch broadcast news or read his written reports. As the mainstream media struggles to compete with streaming platforms, Rosenberg is steps ahead, using YouTube to complement his existing reporting and building a trusted, individual brand in the process, something his new boss Matt Brittin surely appreciates.
