Reform UK and Farage now have an Elon Musk problem. The reach of Farage’s posts on X has fallen below that of Tommy Robinson due to Musk manipulating the X algorithm. Will those who platformed Farage now believe that Advance UK reflects the public mood? Statistics in this thread…
In July 2023, a year before the last GE, I explained exactly why Labour looked set to be a one-term disaster. Everything I've seen from them since they came to power has only cemented that assessment. (I hadn't expected them to SPRINT towards Reform. That surprised me.) medium.com/@edwinhaywar...
A Turning Point The post-American world is being created in front of our eyes, in real time, rapidly Substack by @snellarthur.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...
Why don’t they just get on with it then. They don’t even need to ask, either…
www.thenational.scot/news/2543204...
NEW: Keir Starmer has said he hangs the English flag in his home and 'always sits front of a Union Jack' He told the BBC: 'I'm very encouraging of flags. I think they're patriotic and a great symbol of our nation.'
The case brought by South Africa v. Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is “arguably the strongest case of genocide that has ever come before the Court.” www.populismstudies.org/professor-sc...
Internet Law: A critical appraisal It’s kind of a critical overview of the whole of internet law. Submission deadline 30th September - I have a month for the editing. I think I can do it. I hate missing deadlines.
Congratulations. What’s the working title?
Almost finished the first draft. 118,000 out of 120,000 words. #Writing #AcademicLife
Putin's aide Ushakov: Now everyone is talking about a trilateral meeting, about a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. But as far as I know, there was no agreement between Putin and Trump specifically on this.
That used to be the case here too, people definitely mocked the flag shagging when the Tories started doing it, but then this lot joined in on it to distinguish themselves from the Corbyn faction and the fever around the flag has been getting more and more embarrassingly intense ever since
As a friend put it, “tricolours are for sports and Provo funerals”
This. Flags were a naff American thing until very recently. It was one of the things we used to mock them about.
Oh no mate, this would be fucking weird if it’d come from any Tory leader before Johnson. From Labour it’s mindbending.
I feel like it's hard to get across to my English pals that if the Taoiseach **made a point of insisting to the press** that they put Irish flags all over their house, and made sure to 'always' sit by one in their office, then they would immediately, and forever, be tainted as a massive weird freak.
😢😢😢😢😢
Our local shop run by Muslims got smashed up last week window broken, stock thrown on the floor and stamped on. Absolutely revolting behavior that no one can justify. We need to support Muslims and call out this behavior when we see it because complacency gets us nowhere
We have known this was coming. Muslim persecution. What are we doing about it?
◻️ 😼 The man now wishing to be known as JD Vance on his Cotswold 'hols' met with Farage among other Far Right loons including our very own Dr. James Orr. Orr appears to be the if Trump pops clogs next president's eminence gris & head the 'intellectual' wing of Christian Nationalists International.
FFS Keir. Grow a spine. The people you are trying to appease will never vote for you so this is all a waste of time and political capital.
It is insane to me that the richest man in the world is using his global megaphone to call for millions of British people to be rounded up and deported (including my family) and somehow this isn’t even news.
Gareth Southgate can do this. Why can't Starmer?
This is the zebra leading to our very multi-national primary school in West London. Can't imagine how kids and parents going to feel crossing this on their first day back this week but it seems not enough politicians care (PS am going to try to do something about it)
All conspiracy/hopeful thinking aside, this desire to spend time out of the limelight is completely out of character for Trump. Something is off.
Where's Vance?
In that list I just spotted FGS Global, which rang a bell. Wiki tells me it was founded by Roland Rudd of People's Vote fame (or should that be 'infamous'). I never did understand what happened to that campaign. Seems there was a boardroom coup (led by?) Rudd, at possibly crucial moment for Remain.
www.parallelparliament.co.uk/mp/rachel-re...
Both main Parties have had their time. They've become too Westminster privilege, not enough people. Some gave me a link yesterday to Reeves' "donations". An eye opener and she's by no means alone. Politicians do not work for us, the people.
This just makes me sad. This government has the opportunity to change the discourse of hate. Keep hoping they'll find their moral compass and change direction...
I'm afraid that this is what happens when your advisers are Blue Labour.
Encourage people to bring that Keir Starmer declaration as a poster to EVERY SINGLE public speech he makes. I can only think that he has terrible advisors but he has stepped into the sewage himself.
5 years ago. bsky.app/profile/snig...
So true.
And sadness. It’s a tussle between the two.
Can not describe my rage
Stop Britain being *Faraged* Help refugees, deport him to his fascist friends in USA. His poisonous, racist Brexit lies broke Britain's economy, now he's trying to remove human rights. Government & MSM do your jobs and publicise the truth about this dangerous spiv. Ffs. Britain is better than this
##refugeeswelcome #stampoutracism #racistreform #fascistfarage
I want to take Israel away from the Jewish people. Just look how they've behaved the whole time they've had it. They obviously can't be trusted with it.
I urge the government to publish its risk assessments immediately, acknowledge our international obligation to prevent genocide, and take every step to prevent further harm. I will continue to hold them to account until our obligations are met and human lives protected.
Meaningful prevention requires robust measures: full arms embargo, sanctions on military and political leaders, suspension of trade agreements, ban on settlement goods. Half measures won’t suffice when lives are on the line.
We cannot wait for courts to reach a legal determination before we act. In June I pressed the govt to clarify whether it has conducted any risk assessment of genocide in Gaza. The Minister deflected. I pressed for a clear yes or no and still received no straight answer.
The evidence is clear: starvation as a method of warfare, destruction of homes and infrastructure, forced displacement, dehumanising rhetoric. If these factors do not trigger our obligation under the Convention to prevent genocide taking place, what does?
Good to see Ed Davey calling for the govt to publish the legal advice it has received on breaches of international law in the Israel-Gaza war this morning. I led a debate on this topic in June, and I repeat the calls I made then.🧵
"A politician who uses her voice clearly and loudly for the oppressed, weak and voiceless Principled not careering Thank you" via Margaret Batty
Labour are also REALLY shit at comms. Things like this are getting totally eclipsed by the flag nonsense and the phoney ECHR debate.
Labour could have made the case for a humane immigration system that treats refugees with dignity and respect. Instead, they have fanned the flames of racism and emboldened the far-right. My piece for @tribunemagazine www.tribunemag.co.uk/2025/09/labour-is-paving-the-path-to-fascism
Brexit - the gateway drug to a dangerous obsession with immigration - next come deportation schemes, #Farageriots, increasing authoritarianism, overt racism from politicians and media, cruelty as policy, leaving the ECHR… On and on. Relentless, ruinous failure. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
If you ever get too worried, just remember that Scotland is still ‘normal’, so you aren’t stuck in crazy land with no options. Last week I walked to the shops in Glasgow and there was people everywhere using all sorts of languages and the health service is better. Try not to worry too much. 👍
Please
Definitely go there... @europeanpowell.bsky.social
Have you read @europeanpowell.bsky.social latest update on 200 bids for AI sites. Please don't give up on pursuing this subject. Your voice is needed. My LibDem MP tried to pursue a couple of points on my behalf, but without success. We need to raise awareness. My following here is limited.
But they also had freeports/SEZs foisted on them by Sunak which were readily taken up by Starmer. @europeanpowell.bsky.social has been trying to get this message across in threads and substack for years. Another topic carefully avoided by MSM - why ? There's also a petition for gov transparency.
I’m guessing it might be connected to FreePorts Ports and SEZs Otto, apparently we should look at what European Powell has written on the subject. Personally, I’m too terrified to go there atm.
Remember all that "let's go WTO" nonsense? It's just that reheated.
And were they to somehow manage it they'd move on to leaving the European Council too. Then what? NATO? The UN? Earth?
Where has this ludicrous ECHR "debate" even come from. I've never once met an ordinary member of the public who's said to me, "Do you know what? We REALLY need to leave the ECHR." It's just a new right wing talking point because every other shit idea they've foisted on us has run out of steam.
According to my internet search, the instigator appears to have been Theresa May whilst she was Home Sec 2010 to 2016. Was this the same time as her 'GO HOME' vans, I wonder? How long have we been rewarding failure with promotion? (Probably forever and I've been too naive to notice??)
Such a bizarre pledge from the Tories - which ironically, makes it clear that oil and gas will run out, unlike...the sun, wind and tides. A policy that appeals primarily to potential donors, and those who work in the sector who don't want a just transition www.thenational.scot/news/2542953...
2,000? Still documenting, and I've got a load more. But, you know, well done to Yorkshire Bylines @yorkshirebylines.co.uk as well. #14,861: If you're a Brit living in some parts of Europe, mail from Britland doesn't get through. The UK banks workaround: they send it via Sweden *and* Germany.
Another day, another utterly shameful cruelty against refugees announced. Recognised refugees - so people granted the long term right to stay in the UK because they have escaped real danger - will face new barriers to reuniting with spouses & children safely in the UK #r4todat
Breaking: refusing the war with Iran mailchi.mp/refuser/resi...
Good night 🌙
I didn’t know it but now I need a baby donkey 😂💗
Beautiful
Summer ☀️
For god’s sake someone remind the bbc.
They went back to ask whether immigration was the government’s number one priority.
GMB on ITV?
Ministers need to quote this every time they are asked the question. What happened to the cracked record technique. No-one uses it anymore
I turn on my TV and a TV presenter is asking a Govt minister why they are talking about rolling out free childcare when the big issue is asylum hotels. This is objectively insane.
Leaving the ECHR isn’t about sovereignty. It’s about scrapping the safeguards that stop governments abusing power. The Bear explains why that should scare us all.
I originally intended this to be a preliminary sketch for a larger piece. But after living with it for a few days I actually like it as is - scrappiness and everything #watercolor #watercolorsketch #watercolorpainting #watercolorcityscape #cityscape
Urban walls, sidewalks, and even utility meters are the unlikely canvases behind this clever collection of genius street art. From an illusion of a zebra being striped to a sidewalk creature with a real rock for a head, these eight works turn... 👇
Genius Art (10 Photos):
IT’S ALL NATIVE LAND!
💯 and the rest of the cabinet should, perhaps, be holding up the mirror.
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.
I’ll be speaking at a big health tech conference in a couple of weeks, and my talk is about - you guessed it - NHS privatisation. It’s so important that these tech founders and start ups understand what politicians are doing. Will report back with how it goes 👍🚨💙
I read this headline and just wanted to add "a genocide is being forged in front of our very eyes" and this new dictator is, apparently, the only one who can stop it.
“Human rights aren’t baubles handed down by ministers — they’re guarantees.” The Bear demolishes the myths around the ECHR, and asks why Labour are so quiet while the far right set the agenda.
Of course I remember when at 16 Harvard offered me a scholarship to study genetics, despite having no Biology O level But I had to turn them down because MIT offered me a scholarship to study artificial intelligence Way back in 1985
I waited hours for this cloud to come near the lake #lightning strike reflection.
Then Mr Andreou says the time isn't right, because, you know, somebody might veto it. Well, yeah, that's right. You apply. You might get through. You might not. That's the process that everyone else goes through. (the UK is powerful with a huge diplomatic corps. It's well able for this) 6
Then he says the UK can't do this unilaterally Correct. It can apply. Or it can announce it wants that as a goal. Or it could even ask about a single-market relationship like third-pillar EEA. Or it can continue as now with Farage setting the agenda and Britons not being European citizens. 5
Firstly, Mr Andreou says the UK hasn't been asked to by Europe. Well, yes. As @philsbodydouble.bsky.social points out, if you want Europe's opinion, you apply. (I would be confident the answer wouldn't be no) 4
So should the UK move quickly like he asks? Mr Andreou is more equivocal. Apparently we shouldn't criticise (Labour, others) for wanting to move slowly in fighting populism. (NB UKG has *no* plans to move to Europe's institutions) And the "why" as to the UK's apparent lack of expedition? 3
(Note, Mr Draghi was not at all taking about Euro-UK relations) It's urgent in the UK too. The best ways to fight populist-fascism in the UK would be to reinforce human rights; distance the UK from anti-European actors; back 🇪🇺in🇺🇦; and drop the redlines and apply to our institutions 2
I hesitate to right this, but these are in response to my post that Europe is not responsible for negotiation delays, and it is best to correct the message. Mr Draghi is right, Europe must move quicker on existential issues. We have been too passive in the face of internal+external threats 🧵
Our North American correspondent has set out quite plainly what is occurring in the USA... .... and what happens when the foundation stones that protect you from your own government are failing..
Let’s hope so, we’re entitled to know where our food is from so we can decide whether or not to buy it. We import far too much produce which could and should be grown here.
If a product description has no country of origin but is packed somewhere treat as dodgy. Supermarkets also think we don't read country of origin when using home deliveries!
Very true, I buy British wherever possible
Maybe this will increase pressure on supermarkets to make sure place of origin is more prominent as well. I often have to lift up the loose veg basket to find out.
The immorality of it aside, don’t we grow fantastic potatoes and carrots here? When you see their tv ads with Tom Kerridge extolling British farmers it’s sickening that they’re importing produce from genocidal cvnts in Israel.
Aibo - Zonny 