Reform UK's former leader in Wales has admitted taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia while being a Member of the European Parliament.

💥 This week’s must read article from Talat Yaqoob FRSE - what we must do, right now, to build a vibrant, powerful movement for + change👇🏾 @talatyaqoob.bsky.social

The free speech activist who built a list of professors he worked to get fired for their speech must be celebrated for his support of free speech, and anyone who quotes his speech accurately in context will be fired and/or face state punishment by the champions of free speech, do I have that right?

Really, Labour? More inhumane policy, more demonisation based only on pandering to Reform. This closes a last remaining safe route- and the majority of whom are women and children from Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan. This is shameful.

May they all be at peace now. Mariam was like a daughter to us. We spoke most days, laughing, crying, imagining what it would be like when we met and shared food and were able to hug each other. She knew the dangers and continued anyway so we could see the truth. Her son has lost his mother

He spoke: "As if the geysers of anger had spurted out of the ground unbidden and not as a result of politicians tampering with the fire hydrants." My @heraldscotland.bsky.social column on the asylum hotel protests. www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Absolute joy and privilege to chair a further two discussion at the Edinburgh Book Festival. The first with Ece Temelkuran, journalist and author of “How to Lose a Country” and “Together” on the rise of fascism and how we fight it. She was brilliant, unapologetic, and wise. Please read her books!

Far right groups are threatening to burn down hotels full of refugees at events attended by senior politicians, while people of colour live in fear after being falsely labelled as paedophiles How mainstream politicians and media organisations are allowing a violent far right movement to spread

Absolute privilege to chair this session at @edbookfest.bsky.social with Palestinian journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Alnaouq - read his book and more about the project “We Are Not Numbers” wearenotnumbers.org

I’m sharing a Palestinian account every day and today is Mouni. Mouni is a pregnant mother of three, Mahmoud, 10, Areij, 4 and Shahd, 2. Her husband Mohammed and her lost their home and have been living in tents- she is struggling to feed her kids and also have enough nutrients for her pregnancy.

Police Scotland may have breached people’s human rights with arrests at pro-Palestine demonstrations, the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has warned Read more: www.thenational.scot/news/2...

New report by me, Rhianna, @talatyaqoob.bsky.social and @engenderscot.bsky.social‬ on women’s political journeys in Scotland and their experiences of becoming and being a candidate. It's not a pretty picture... www.engender.org.uk/news/blog/en...

I’ve written for @heraldscotland.bsky.social on Gaza, and the cowardice of so-called world leaders who use statehood as a negotiation tool with the oppressor… www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

👩‍🎓 | Leading equality and social justice campaigner Talat Yaqoob has vowed to keep pushing for a fairer society, after she was awarded an honorary doctorate by #EdNapier. Read more ➡️ orlo.uk/Xwcfg #ENUGrads | #MustBeNapier

An arms company asked a Scottish university to monitor students and "act as a deterrent" against any protests they might face on campus. The university said: "Not a problem." Exclusive from @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2530867...

An unexpected but gratefully received honour from @edinburghnapier.bsky.social - it’s a privilege to work on advancing equality, and at time when there is a global pushback against these efforts, it’s on all of us, including institutions, to fight even harder. www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/new...

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MPs will vote on proscribing Palestine Action, alongside violent, far-rights group MMC whose leader has charges for acts of mass violence in US. These two groups are not equivalent to one another, yet MPs will have to vote on the list in full. This is a manipulation of parliamentary process.

Anti-progress, anti-systems change, anti-DEI is not just something happening elsewhere - it’s here too. This week’s deeply disappointing proof: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

🔴‘Traditional Gender Norms Are the Exact Opposite’ of What UK Economy Needs, New Report Finds A gender equality study shows that gender inequality is worsening financial hardship in deprived regions bylinetimes.com/2025/06/23/g...

“The Tinker Experiments should not have happened…on behalf of Scotland, we are sorry.” -- John Swinney, First Minister Read MRR's first reaction to the Scottish Government's statement and apology today: makingrightsreal.org.uk/scotlands-fi...

🚨BREAKING: We’re deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups. This is the latest in a succession of measures taken by the UK government to clamp down on protest in the UK.

Thanks to everyone who came to the @passthemic.bsky.social national gathering - an amazing, powerful day. Which is desperately needed in the current political and social landscape.

Ramatu Umar Bako, shares her journey growing up as a third culture kid across four continents. From feeling disconnected from her Nigerian roots to finding belonging in Scotland, she explores how multiculturalism shaped her identity, values and deep commitment to building inclusive communities.

Wonderful news! The fight back begins! Abortion is not a crime and we are human beings not incubators 🥳 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

We're over halfway through Refugee Festival Scotland 2025! Celebrations are in full swing and there's plenty going on across the country! ✨ Take a look at some of the highlights for this Wednesday 18 June: ow.ly/Yerl50WaCPH #RefugeeFestScot

Hungry and desperate people are being killed in #Gaza while trying to get food for their families. The aid distribution system that is safe and works at scale, one operated by the UN including UNRWA, must be reinstated.

A huge loss to Scotland, Prof. Palmer was an intellectual powerhouse and exceptional advocate on anti-racism and the need for honest recognition of Scotland’s role in slavery. www.scotsman.com/education/si...

“UNRWA teams are not a target. Impunity opens the door to more atrocities. We call for independent investigations into our colleague Kamal’s killing and all other UNRWA staff killed.” – UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini Full statement: www.unrwa.org/newsroom/off...

I beg you - don’t ignore the warning signs that abortion access is under threat on our shores. For the sake of the 250,000 women who have one every year here ask your MP to sign our cross party amendment and vote for it. ONLY NC17 for the policing bill will guarantee their human right 1/2

No donations for the past few days. Account constantly marked as spam or deleted. Please donate and/or share. @mommunism.bsky.social @talatyaqoob.bsky.social

This is what happens when discourse becomes detached from evidence, deliberation, and accountability. Instead of engaging with real issues, politicians compete in a theatre of outrage. The student isn’t a person here, they’re a prop in a narrative war.

On BBC Scotland shortly to talk through stories this week through an ethics and society lens- on assisted dying bill, immigration white paper and more.

Solidarity march on 77th anniversary of the Nakba

On BBC Drivetime today talking about immigration policies and deeply harmful rhetoric announced by UK Gov; whether I look at it through an equalities lens, an economic lens or a labour market lens - these will be ineffective and damaging policies. The wrong political choices are being made.

There is suffering everywhere you look, says mother of emaciated baby girl trapped in Gaza

Every aspect which is so far being publicised, a standard tactic by politicians prior to formerly launching anything, of Labour's immigration white paper continues to demonstrate this government's lack of knowledge about immigration in general, and knee jerk policies. 1/ www.bbc.com/news/article...

Im sharing a Palestinian account every day and today is Omar. Omar owned a sewing factory before this. It and his home have been destroyed. He’s raising for his children Hanadi, 27, Rula, 25, Mohammed, 23, Salim, 20, Abdel, 17, Majed, 15, Najwa, 4 and Yahya, 1 as well as his mother in a wheelchair.

“"There would be something deeply perverse about celebrating the defeat of the extreme right on the battlefield on VE Day while ignoring the fact that much of the West is currently voting for its ideological descendants at the ballot box." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Words of concern are meaningless without action. The UK Government must end its complicity, and urgently: ⚠️ Suspend all arms transfers to Israel ⚠️ Hold all perpetrators accountable and end Israel’s impunity ⚠️ Take all steps to bring an end to Israel’s occupation 3/3

Sunday papers review at BBC Scotland; discussion Reform’s wind (and why becoming Reform-lite is not the answer), child poverty and strikes in Scotland and VE Day

Writing in Scotsman with @jena.ng This week’s wins for Reform will cause some in our political system to want to capitulate even further in the wrong direction- we cannot afford this, it harms us all; we need anti-poverty, anti-racist and compassionate decision-making and we need it now.

New figures reveal 80,000 children in Scotland are living in very deep poverty — the highest level in a generation. Story by @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2511535...

The Supreme Court took several opportunities during their quite careful and considered ruling to stress its limits, and that it was only considering quite narrow issues. The EHRC appears to have disregarded those cautions entirely.

The term #intersectionality has moved from academic discourse to more mainstream circles, but is now in danger of being emptied of its significance @talatyaqoob.bsky.social for @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social 👇

Reading through the Supreme Court judgement now. Relying on the "ordinary meaning of words" is an excellent way to ensure laws consistently discriminate against the marginalised, vulnerable and minority groups of a society. Naming is power.

This is, and has always been, rooted in an idea that people should fit into certain boxes. Obviously sex isn't binary. In fact intersex individuals make up a higher proportion of the global population, 1.7%, than trans and non-binary, 1%. 5/ www.ohchr.org/en/sexual-or....

Days before the #Sudan conflict 2-year mark, described as “the most devastating humanitarian crisis in the world”, dozens were killed in Zamzam camp. The international community must not allow perpetrators of violations of #IHL to operate with impunity. plan-international.org/news/2025/04...

As the conflict in Sudan enters its third year, leaders gathering in London this week should urgently work to protect civilians and guarantee safe, unfettered aid provision.