SEO triumph

We now have an idea of how high the bar has been set for an "exclusive" by the BBC's first Media Editor, Amol Rajan - a three-minute plug on the Ten O'Clock BBC1 Bulletin for a new website, Westmonster, funded by Aaron Banks, and edited by Michael Heaver.

EXCLUSIVE: @Arron_banks + @Michael_Heaver launch anti-Establishment website 'Westmonster'. Full story @BBCNews at 10 https://t.co/z2FZwDpBLq

— amol rajan (@amolrajan) January 18, 2017

The site is hosted on GoDaddy.com, where the "Ultimate" wesbite hosting package is currently on special offer at £6.49 a month. Who knows how many thousands Aaron is paying for Michael's editorial efforts - or, indeed to first guest contributor, Nigel Farage ?

Mr Heaver has bought backlinks to an old website called Westmonster, launched in 2007, edited by Sadie Smith, which closed in 2008.

He's a former chair of the UKIP youth wing, Young Independence, served on Nigel Farage's press team until December, and likes Brylcreem, Chelsea FC, dance, trance and meditation. He went to Coleridge Community College, Cambridge, which he's described as ‘one of the country’s worst state schools’ at the time; was made Head Boy, picked up two GCSEs, and went on to do A Levels at the selective Hills Road Sixth Form College. With two As and a B, he went on to the University of East Anglia, wait for it, to study  European Politics.

His career has been promoted by the BBC before; he was selected as a "Young Panellist" at the age of 18 for "Question Time".