Morning! Baa-ram-ewe
Writer and humanitarian. Optimistic realist. When you sleep you wake up eventually. Politics, philosophy, humanism, books, photography, history, football, post-punk. And cats of course.
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Morning! Baa-ram-ewe
Labour had 9.7 million voters in July 2024. 2 million (20%) now don't know, but haven't chosen a rival. These prefer Lab & centre-left to right 2.6 million to centre/left (27%) 900k Labour to LD (9%) 800k Labour to Green (8%) 900k across others (9%) 800k Lab 2024 to Reform (8%) A sliver to Cons
Starmer should do this👇🏼to Farage on a daily basis.. such sweet justice to see Farage justifiably savaged for once, forced to take it
... and at the @privateeyenews.bsky.social printers it would seem
Well, @georgemonbiot.bsky.social has summarised this very well. #GreenParty www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
From the latest edition of Private Eye. It's a shame the government is unable to communicate this (or any) message.
🔴 The twisted logic of how NATO is to blame for Russia's starting wars. 🔴 Think of it this way: you live next-door to a violent psychopath who has attacked you & all of your neighbors. 🔴 Then, you decide to reinforce your doors 🚪 and windows 🪟 🔵 YOU ARE the aggressor.
What is that bird? Canary?
This. All of this. If you listen to one thing today 👏👏👏 @adambienkov.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social @lbc.co.uk @theguardian.com @mehdirhasan.bsky.social
This ⬇️
✍️ From black bins to green gains: how Leeds transforms waste Leeds’ recycling and energy recovery facility turns black bin waste into electricity, heat and even roads – cutting landfill for good By Dr Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social
Finally. It had to be said by someone in a position to give it credibility. Bravo Sanchez www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s... #Europe #Ukraine #Gaza #Timetostepup
'This country needs migrants' Zack Polanski, the new leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, speaks to #BBCBreakfast about his views on immigration
We have one of the lowest asylum claim rates in Europe. And yet all they talk about is ‘pull factors’. There are no pull factors which is why we have ONE OF THE LOWEST claim rates in Europe. They’ll say ‘owt as long as it’s tied to lowering migration & the media will lap it up.
Morning!
I enjoyed this. And what an infectious laugh. ❤️ "Reporter left speechless after witnessing Japan's new $70 million Maglev train in action at 310 mph"
People seeking asylum already carry Application Registration Cards (ARC) cards, for starters. Digital id requires you to have access to digital tech, and, despite the rantings of some right wingers, asylum seekers aren't issued with mobile phones or iPads, so many would be unable to access one. 1/
What did the Romans ever do for us? Made me walk along the Old Cam, a Roman road in Wensleydale today.
Gorgeous glass gaming pieces from the Late British Iron Age. This unique set of 24 coloured glass domes with a flattened base and spiral decoration may have been used for a game similar to ludo some 2,000 years ago. British Museum 📷 by me #Archaeology
Asylum protests vs the local park run. @lgeraghty23.bsky.social runs the numbers for the Big Issue www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
Green leader Zack Polanski: "When we look what this Government has been doing - whether it's the benefit cuts, the genocide in Gaza, my message to Labour is very clear. We are not here to be difficult. We are not here to be concerned by you. We're here to replace you."
The Green Party election results show serious contenders for uniting the left. Zack Polanski is obviously a superstar. Rachel Millward seems a professional operator and a traditional green candidate for those who preferred Ellie/Adrian. Mothin will help sweep up the Gaza and anti-fascist vote.
The similar visual reference points - trees, birds, roses, implied a model of political cooperation in which party politics was focused on better, esp. 'greener', outcomes for UK. Brexit flushed this cooperation down the toilet, allowing Reform to link political identity to national identity.
Won't riot about Water Companies, cost £16bn a year Won't riot about Banks, steal £82bn a year. Won't riot about Supermarkets, take £20bn a year, 4x in 3 years. Won't riot about Energy Companies, stealing £130bn a year. Will riot about Asylum Seekers, cost less than £3bn a year.
“They are not defenders of women – they exploit violence against women to fuel hate and division,” ‘Bout right, that. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Morning! There’s always hope if you focus on it
I do sometimes wonder if there is a certain kind of person that takes refuge in despair because it absolves them from having to do anything. No, you do in fact have to help maintain the social norm against racism in the UK! That is your moral duty as a British citizen! Giving up on that is immoral!
How does she sleep at night? Spineless hypocrisy
The body of evidence showing that when centrist parties adopt the priorities and talking points of the far right, they torpedo themselves is vast and powerful. Yet Keir Starmer's Labour Party seems determined to ignore it. A few examples in 🧵: theconversation.com/how-should-l...
Neoliberal nihilism is a cracking term. It is indeed self defeating and will inevitably bring itself down under its own weight of greed, exploitation & debt. What I still strive for is whatever we can do to sustain our shared biosphere and its natural systems long enough to outlast its destruction.
A superb ending to a superb first season. It goes in directions that I never saw coming, and I found myself better-informed and more curious about things that I didn't expect as well. A truly unique and intellectually nourishing pod series. Honestly, give it a listen
It's not just a matter of coming between refugees and their children, it's refusing to admit that the family of a refugee escaping persecution and given leave to remain in this country are not also suffering persecution. #r4today
Windrush Scandal 2.0 - The Europeans ICE-like behaviour. Disgusting.
You’re right! Forgot Benitez and Sosa they were so long ago 😂
Despite the lack of planning and clear damage to the Glasner and Parish relationship, getting 3 players in and keeping our captain is a pretty good window. Plus Nketiah, Doucoure and Riad still to return. Keep the faith 🦅 #cpfc
Best deal of the season so far. In Parish & Glasner we trust 😉 🦅 #cpfc
ORNBOMB !!!! Glasner wins.
Well? 🦅 #cpfc
The Government is doing its best at the moment to imply it has no problem with the ethnonationalism now rearing its ugly head. And I don't understand why. 1/5
Starmer could have said: Vandalism isn't patriotism; daubing red crosses on Chinese takeaways and writing racist graffiti isn't patriotism; perfomatively sitting in front of a flag or tying one to a mosque isn't patriotism; Patriotism is about making this country safe, happy productive for all.
Joe Bugner has died. He was a refugee from Hungary after his country was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1956. Bloody refugee coming over here and becoming one of this country's greatest boxers.
is it only asylum seekers our Labour Prime Minister would object to living next to or would the sentiment apply to black and brown people in general? if merely the former, would he like to explain how he knows people he sees, say, in the street, actually are asylum seekers and not citizens?
The heather is out
I wish journalists/ academics would avoid using the phrase "stop the boats" when what they mean is "stop people risking their lives in the English Channel. Like "fake news" it's a phrase imported from a political slogan, and therefore carries various and inconsistent levels of prejudice/ assumption
“In April 2025, Starmer was instrumental in continuing Palantir’s capture of crucial digital infrastructure in UK public institutions, he oversaw Coventry City Council’s signing of a £500,000 deal with Palantir for a "strategic AI platform"”
A @reformparty_uk Cllr has resigned after calling his neighbour, a Black British family the N-word, threatening to unleash the EDL on them, saying there’d be in “Black body bags.” This isn’t one man’s disgrace. It is a glimpse into the ugly soul of Reform UK.
This is utterly heartbreaking. People like Rylan, the media and many politicians need to stop the hate and lies! This is the lady who was racially abused by the old couple at the weekend.
Yvette Copper as HASC chair has said numerous times on the record how important family reunification is. How she has children and it’s what every family would want. The mind boggles at how much of a coward she is now.
Today Nick Ferrari asked if treaties like the ECHR & the Refugee Convention that were drawn up in the wake of WWII are still relevant to modern Britain. I said the context of racial hatred towards Muslim immigrants now echoes the hatred of Jewish immigrants in the 20th century. We need these laws.
Ministers need to quote this every time they are asked the question. What happened to the cracked record technique. No-one uses it anymore
Obvs need to see detail but first reaction is: This won’t reduce asylum claims because deterrents don’t work. It will cause unnecessary suffering - both via family separation & risk to safety of those left behind. & it won’t be “popular” because people do actually care about refugees.
It’s for career and power, not conviction and values. It’s cowardice and a generational inability to adapt to the kind of leadership we need.
Morning! Met this beauty yesterday.
Well, so far the stories Labour's told me, a voter, over the last couple of years is: that if I don't like the party I should fuck off; that being opposed to genocide makes me a terrorist; and that because I'm trans I'm not a full human being with human rights.
Turning up the racism dial to impress people who hate you and are itching to burn down the auditorium
Again - the reason that the Good Friday Agreement locks in the ECHR is that the UK had repeatedly been held accountable by the European Court of Human Rights for human rights breaches during the Troubles - while national courts had failed to do so, even upholding miscarriages of justice
I wouldn’t have thought many Labour MPs came into politics to strip the rights of torture survivors to be reunited with the spouses & children. They need to take a long hard look in the mirror & ask whether Starmer, Cooper & Reeves are really the leadership their careers should be remembered with.
This is dreamland for fans like me who’ve seen the team struggle in lower divisions. Enjoy this rollercoaster while it lasts. We should be thankful for Parish as a lot of other clubs are badly run. Amazing scoreline tonight! 🦅 #cpfc
You can’t beat walking in’t #yorkshiredales in the sun and rain, sandwich with a view, pint along the way 👌
YES! Thank you... Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". - seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951.
The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called the orange felon a Russian asset in a live televised speech. Well done, this is how you do it. 👏
It's surreal to read Keir Starmer's ten pledges from his time campaigning to be Labour leader in 2020, and to see just how far and fast he has fallen since then. It's like he gaslit our brains... (Link to Nitter archive so that you don't need to visit Musk's hellsite.) nitter.net/Keir_Starmer...
Morning!
Let that number sink in. This is how to do it when you’re fighting for the future of your democracy.
Happy weekend! From c. 3,600 years ago, here’s an ancient Egyptian bead in the form of a curled-up hedgehog! 🦔💙 Blue faience, c. 1985 -1650 BC. National Museum of Scotland www.nms.ac.uk/search-our-c... 📷 by me #Archaeology
Nearly a million people marched against Brexit. Not front page news. 50 people gather outside a hotel. National news for weeks. "Fears of mass unrest", media says.
Cat sitting for these two cuties in the Yorkshire Dales #caturday
Genius: Copies of the Nottingham Post begin appearing on lamp posts newsthump.com/2025/08/29/c... via @newsthump
... and Reform, Tories & Labour promoting racism in the UK know we're no different
Be more Zoe!
The Taliban today banned poetry.
When a photo tells a million stories
Morning! Met ‘Pepper’ in the pub yesterday. Gorgeous colours #caturday
“Too much of the Labour response has boiled down to “they are right, but let us do it instead”. This lacks the moral clarity & defence of migration and refuge that many on the left are looking for. The government should be able to muster some reason for saying this is not just impractical but wrong”
How was this allowed to happen? Not only is he an actual Councillor for Reform but he posted a series of anti Refugee, racist dog whistles on to his socials. Each and every asylum decision he made must be reviewed. What a shambles! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Apparently the #BirdOfTheDay is the beautiful Nuthatch #BirdPhotography 🪶 #UKBirds
What has the ECHR ever done for us? youtu.be/ptfmAY6M6aA?...
Well played.
![Just Stop Oil @JustStop_Oil tweets: Aug 27 So you're saying if we'd sprayed stuff white and then put a red cross on it the media would have supported us? You live and learn I guess. [Below, a roundabout in England painted with St George's flag]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ysg7hp6kgncoryoll2fz2pgk/bafkreigk4oedxcpckuvxaegjqc4atmjkfmb3guwybbialo6o5aiaq6m5jq@jpeg "Click to view full size")
There is no high or low level of immigration that will stop the stories of "them" coming over here taking from "us". You have to take on the perception directly, tell a different story. As a few previous Prime Ministers knew.
The normalisation of lying in our political culture, and BBC's failure to address it. I have read the summary judgement, judges' decision has nothing to do with ECHR. It mentions it once, to pour cold water on a Home Office argument!
If I were the number 10 or Home Office comms director, I would be inviting Rylan to see the truth about what the Home Office is doing to tackle the backlog, the truth about where these people come from & the horrors they are fleeing, clear up the misconception about them getting iPhones & ipads 1/
“The only thing that is unacceptable in these days is to do nothing at all. Every time we do the small things we can do in our families, friendship groups, communities or on the national stage, we are shaping the future that we are going to all live in.” ✊
Visited Strasbourg in June. Lovely place!
Preferred his brother from Touwin
“A progressive governing party has become so mute in the face of the radicalisation engine, so stricken with internal neurosis, that it has lost the ability to recognise extremism. It was an act of complete political and ethical surrender.” Dunt’s Scream 😱 excellent article
Change the narrative, control the narrative 👏 ⬇️
This should be headline news - the implications are horrifying …
Leaving the ECHR is the latest iteration of the "one weird trick" politics that has served us so well in recent years. It appeals because it's simple and it won't work because it's simple.
Morning! A bit of calm to start the day
Opposition to asylum seekers is being driven by a quiet bit people are now saying louder and louder as they are emboldened by media and politicians. "Abuses of human rights in other countries are not our problem and we shouldn't help." This is the line we need to fight.
This headline is inaccurate. It is people granted refugee status who will have their lives wrecked again by an idiotic, unworkable policy, pushing homelessness for refugees NOT people seeking asylum onto councils Be cruel & appease racism is the actual Govt strategy www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Phew 😮💨 🦅 #cpfc
There’s patience and there’s too slow. Horrible half. Real banana skin now 🦅 #cpfc
Repeat of 1st leg so far 🦅 #cpfc
And breathe… 🦅 #cpfc
Let's hang Farage's "ICE-style enforcement" around his neck like a concrete albatross. Let's show people what that looks like. A majority does not want this.
All those soldiers and civilians who died, murdered by fascism or fighting fascism and now....their descendants vote reform, a private company owned by fascists
