If you are reading this, the inaugural issue, it is because you, at some point, decided to support Northstar Politics on our first few steps into the world. First of all, thanks a million; second of all, you will receive the ITK weekly at no extra cost; third of all, thanks a billion, you are an absolute star ⭐️.

The ITK will be a weekly briefing that keeps you politically fluent and…IN THE KNOW. In one sitting (and/or standing), we will give you the stories, context, arguments, and talking points that we think define the week in politics. Of course, this won’t be dry and dreary; think of us more as that cool teacher who seems a bit unorthodox but when you listen to what they are saying, you realise they are the realest thing since unsliced bread 🤙

Last thing before we dive in, we are not medieval lords. Please leave us feedback, DM us, respond at the end, did you love it? Did you hate it? Did you translate it to Urdu and then use agentic AI to subdivide it into flashcard conversation points, building out an UrduStar Politics bot? 🤖

Let us know!

Last week, Andy Burnham made noises that he would block the extension of Palantir contracts with the NHS. The US data-processing firm is highly controversial owing to its alleged predatory information practices and utilisation in unethical conflicts and systems globally. The rumours that Burnham would oppose Palantir partnership were allowed to foment, strengthening the air of expected change around Burnham’s leadership bid. This week, however, his allies briefed that he in fact has not made any commitment to axing the seven-year £330m contract awarded to the firm in 2023.

Earlier this year, London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, blocked the procurement of Palantir in the Met Police Force, to much praise from residents, arguing it was not aligned with the will of Londoners. Since then, the UK Chief of Palantir, Louis Mosley, grandson of Oswald Mosley, has been doing the media rounds wingeing that this is unfair and if we don’t give him government contracts, Londonistan will devolve into a real-life depiction of how the US right-wing perceives it!

Let’s take a step back here: the frequent media storms around Palantir and the increasingly widespread knowledge of the company are symptomatic of a positive trend. The average Brit is becoming more aware of the non-electoral political decisions and systems being pushed and pulled every day, and also through comms or more tangible means, working out ways to express their will. On Mr Burnham, this does appear to be classic crude cross-briefing, trying to hit different audiences, develop residual fondness, all the while never committing to anything. It seems the toxic relationship between British electorate and the leader will continue…

Takeaway: He’s definitely more aware of public sentiment than his Labour predecessors, but if he doesn’t follow through we shouldn’t be surprised. Looks like he’s packing his team with the same Starmerites…

Some of the small-time competitors to Northstar Politics are doing deals. Sky, which is owned by Comcast (major shareholder: Blackrock), is purchasing ITV’s broadcasting and streaming business in a deal worth up to £1.6bn, creating the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. The deal includes ITV’s free-to-air channels and ITVX, but not ITV Studios, which remains a standalone listed production company.

This centralisation of media infrastructure is driven by a media environment in which it is almost impossible to be competitive on a medium level without being part of a behemoth transnational conglomerate. There will be consolidation, job losses, and more British media, and political media, being under US corporate ownership, but hey, at least ITV shareholders will get a £950m payout.

We are not clairvoyants here at Northstar Politics, but would anyone be surprised if this helps shift the UK media landscape to further promote elite wealth and corporate interests, yankification, and anti-competitive media landscapes? Let’s wait and see.

In all fairness, maybe Nigel Farage is just a good bloke. After the recent revelations a that he was gifted £5m by crypto investor Christopher Harborne and did not declare it, a new undeclared gift has come to light. Farage accepted staff, security, and accommodation from George Cottrell, a crypto entrepreneur and long-time ally previously convicted of wire fraud in the US. Much like the Harbourne case, the dispute centres on whether these gifts were truly personal or whether they were linked to Farage as a political entity. Surely not.

As pressure ramped up on Nigel, in the past day we have seen him hold a press conference in which he commits to resign as MP triggering a by-election in Clacton. He frames this as a test of his legitimacy and people vs establishment but in fact it is cynical strategy and hollow populism. In fact, the other main parties have boycotted, so it looks like a straight shoot-out between Farage and Count Binface!

Farage, who sells himself as an anti-establishment (Dulwich College-educated) outsider, seems to really be inside all the right rooms to have such great “friends”. From our perspective there seems to be a few things working in unison as Reform rise and rise. An increasingly authoritarian information environment, a media class seemingly captured by the same corporate interests that promote Farage, platforming him to an absurd degree, and an unwillingness to hold Farage to account where other politicians would have had their careers ended for similar behaviour. Wait. No. Surely there isn’t a link between our three headline stories!

Donald Trump rang the FIFA Chairman, Gianni Infantino, to have a red card given to a US player, Folarin Balogun, rescinded, so he could play in the next game. We are putting words in sequence that could not be imagined a decade ago. The Associated Press reports that this phone call took place and in fact it has been rescinded. The state of this World Cup is increasingly degrading in terms of integrity and also continually shows up the hollow morality of all the institutions that were hand-wringing about the Qatar hosting in 2022.

Not to get too high and falooting about this but in many ways this World Cup has helped unmask the true nature of a lot of soft power institutions to people. For surely we can only see the present iteration of FIFA as an informal US-led Bretton-Woods instrument of authority. Time for a “hydration” break.

Northstar Note: Call it poetic justice or divine fate, but we must collectively thank Belgium for humbling the USA 4-1. Can’t buy skill!

Devolution describes the spreading of power and resources to more local governance bodies and, therefore, people. Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester and presumptive next Prime Minister, has made a big part of his brand and pitch for leadership his advocacy for increased devolved powers. In his speech last week, he outlined devolution of core powers to the rest of England from London, including the headline-grabbing “Number 10 in the North.”

On the one hand, people who support devolved powers will claim it provides more focused, accountable, and proper governance. Those in charge of allocating resources and administering projects are more informed and in touch with the areas they govern. Moreover there is greater accountability to local people and also to the success of governance, as the ability to raise tax revenue, say, will be tied to your ability to improve the incomes of local business and people.

On the other, some say it increases administrative friction and therefore waste, creating a complex, overlapping beast of bureaucracy. There is also the inequality argument that those areas with already wealthier populations will naturally be more capable and perpetuate this inequality without now any centralised system to redistribute and equalise.

One thing is for certain in our opinion, devolution of power without resources is nothing but paperwork. We can hope that devolution will empower the voice of the everyday person in political decision-making. However, we fear if it takes place in an environment of elite wealth hoarding and immiseration of the many, it will be another pen-pishing platitude powerless to provide a better politics.

Spotlighting stories beyond the imperial core

Saleem al-Ashqar, a 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper for Khadamat Khan Younis, was shot and killed by Israeli forces while reportedly searching for cooking gas near Khan Younis. He had been married for five months and was expecting his first child.

The Palestinian Football Association says more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes have been killed since October 2023, including hundreds of footballers. FIFA, that great moral custodian of the beautiful game when it feels like it, has still not suspended Israel.

This is the same FIFA that moved quickly against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The point here is not that football can solve war. It is that international sport loves the language of universal values until those values require touching actual power. Then suddenly, the VAR check takes several years…

Iran has begun funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader killed earlier this year during the US-Israel war on Iran. The ceremonies are expected to run through Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, with crowds, state choreography, grief, revenge chants and all the heavy symbolism of a regime trying to show it is wounded but not weak.

The Hormuz Letter circulated an Iranian claim that Marco Rubio told US embassies to pressure countries not to attend, warning that participation would be treated as unfriendly. Even a funeral is now a diplomatic battlefield, with a surprising delegation appearance from Saudi Arabia. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had this to say on his flight home from the Met Gala of Mourning:

"The Strait of Hormuz has become a weapon no weaker than a nuclear weapon for Iran."

Russia hit Kyiv with another major overnight missile and drone attack just before NATO leaders gathered in Ankara. Reuters reported at least 11 killed and dozens injured, with residential buildings badly damaged. Ukraine said Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including ballistic and hypersonic weapons, exposing the continuing shortage of Patriot interceptors.

The timing is the message. As NATO prepares to discuss burden-sharing, defence spending and Ukraine’s future, Russia is reminding everyone that the war is not waiting politely for summit communiques. Zelenskyy is asking for stronger air defence decisions, not just warm words and family photos. If this year has taught us anything about geopolitical negotiations, it is that often countries shoot first, and see who has the stronger hand, if any hands, after.

A brief explainer on a concept, term or interesting corner of our world

NATO was set up to be the world’s most powerful group chat to gossip about the USSR, with nuclear weapons.

Founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a political and military alliance between North America and Europe, built around the core idea of collective defence. If one NATO member is attacked, the others treat it as an attack on all of them. This is Article 5, the famous clause everyone mentions whenever Russia, Turkey, Ukraine or Trump enters the sentence. It has only been used once: after 9/11.

But Article 5 is not quite an automatic “everyone instantly goes to war” button. Each country decides what help it thinks is necessary, which could mean troops, weapons, intelligence, sanctions, logistics, or other support.

Trump is testing the bargain. For decades, Europe relied on US military power while spending less on defence. Now Washington is demanding Europeans up their contributions or risk having the US protection umbrella removed.

Some links to beat the brain rot.

A brilliant piece of writing from Muna on the willful ignorance of the football community as to how they facilitate and promote the sins of many players and the systems from which they benefit.

Yussef Dayes returns with another travel album, vlog, experience, soundscape, experience. Whether you sit down to watch or allow it to accompany you throughout the day, I cannot recommend enough!

A nice vid from Unlearning Economics exploring the application of a wealth tax and why debates around speed might be misleading.