More than half of candidates in England’s 2026 local and mayoral elections say harassment or intimidation was a problem, with women, ethnic minority and disabled candidates hit harder. The Electoral Commission warns the abuse is changing how people campaign. Truth Vs Hate examines the line between fierce democratic criticism and intimidation, the online outrage economy and what happens when fear starts deciding who feels able to stand for office.

Piddington residents have spent weeks peacefully opposing plans for a 1,250-person asylum site near their Oxfordshire village. Now Patriot Platform, the masked anti-migrant network behind disruption in Dover and Portsmouth, says thousands could descend on the area. Truth Vs Hate asks what happens when a local democratic dispute is hijacked by outsiders whose power depends on confrontation.

Masked anti-immigration protesters blocked roads serving the Port of Dover as online networks amplified the spectacle. Truth Vs Hate examines the masks, the disruption and the contradiction of a law and order movement obstructing ordinary travellers, while asking how migration panic is turned into clicks, mobilisation and political power, who benefits from keeping Britain angry, and where legitimate protest crosses into intimidation.

A resurfaced PinkNews story about Posie Parker and Pedro Pascal shows how genuine footage can be turned into culture-war ammunition when context disappears. We checked what the clip showed, what the wider evidence showed, and what the viral claim left out. A genuine video can still mislead when the framing around it removes the context. That is the problem at the centre of a resurfaced claim about Pedro Pascal and his Fantastic Four co-star Vanessa Kirby..

Wes Streeting says the volume of homophobic abuse since becoming Britain’s first openly gay Defence Secretary has been extraordinary. Yet his appointment was also treated as almost unremarkable. Progress and backlash are happening at the same time. Britain can move forward and backwards at the same time. Wes Streeting becoming the country’s first openly gay Defence Secretary is a striking example. In one sense, his appointment passed with remarkably little.

Every day, social media feeds are flooded with pages claiming to represent the voice of ordinary Britons. They use AI-generated images, controversial political narratives, and emotionally charged content designed to provoke outrage and keep people engaged. Yet many of these accounts are operated from outside the UK, profiting from every comment, share, and argument they create. Every day, pages presenting themselves as the voice of ordinary Britons publish.

A fake council letter in Bexley used official-looking language to warn residents about supposed asylum seekers and tell women, pet owners and households to take precautions. Bexley Council says it did not send it. A document delivered in Bexley looked like the sort of notice a council might send to residents. It used official-sounding language and claimed asylum seekers were being moved into local housing. It then warned women and girls about clothing.

Is Raise the Colours losing momentum? As crowds appear smaller, perhaps people are beginning to question whether grassroots movements can sustain themselves once the novelty fades. When donations, merchandise and memberships become part of the model, where does activism end and business begin? Raise the Colours appeared to arrive everywhere at once. Flags, street activity and viral social-media posts turned a local campaign into something presented as a.