Ahead of this week's elections, and before all the spin merchants get to work, here is a really good piece analysing objectively what a good, bad or indifferent night for each of the parties would look like. Thank you @dylandifford.bsky.social. dylandifford.substack.com/p/how-to-ass...

An interesting article elaborating on the way Starmer has used the attacks in Golders Green for a political purpose. Lots of interesting information and reporting that mainstream media has left out here…

This is a huge story, Met Police illegally arrest Nadine Buzzard-Quashie, illegally record her using the toilet, then they embroil Northamptonshire Police to illegally arrest her a second time, then both forces lie about it. This should be a huge story, but I saw it on regional BBC Look East news.

No idea who she is, but she absolutely nails it.

A great result for free speech, for Universities, and for trans inclusion. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Happy #EdBallsDay to all who celebrate.

Oh God, they're going to argue they have been insufficiently fashy again, aren't they? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Oh look. It's "stopped clock" day.

Wow, can @labouruk.bsky.social MP @tomhayesmp.bsky.social give any reason why he’s taking @greenparty.org.uk leaflets from properties? This is unacceptable.

This should be fatal for Lammy. Yvette Cooper and Ollie Robbins on the record to the Select Committee that the Minister was informed of the final outcome. It should probably be fatal for Cooper too, who must also have known that the House was being misled.

A thought about developments over Iran. Trump’s power comes from the fear that he can do whatever he wants to other countries and he will win. Iran has shown that Trump and America are far weaker than they believed.

"Davey has been saying for some time now that Trump is not a reliable ally for the UK. The Iran war has made the claim much more plausible." Really? So before this, the Guardian considered that it was NOT plausible to consider Trump an unreliable ally?!! www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

That can't possibly backfire badly on Labour!

Ever think the Government is being dishonest in the way it consults? The Home Office has put out a call for evidence on its attempt to get rid of independent asylum appeals. It’s very wide ranging. They’ve given just 4 weeks for responses. Including the Easter holiday. www.gov.uk/government/c...

“Entering a football match in England and Wales without a ticket will become a criminal offence under new laws that come into force before Sunday's Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley.” www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

“An MP facing an electoral threat from Reform UK said if ministers backtrack "my seat will never be Labour again". They added: "I have seen the polling and the immigration policies are popular. Some people will never vote Labour unless we get a grip." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hey, @flyingrodent.bsky.social, there's a wonderful thread here on how although Corbyn and Polanski were right about NATO, they're still wrong. bsky.app/profile/dsqu...

Another powerful report from @cassiarowland.bsky.social and the IfG, showing that the contribution of abolishing jury trials to clearing the backlogs will be negligible, and depends on very uncertain assumptions by Lammy. It may even save nothing and reduce the benefit of Leveson’s better measures.

Legal aid cuts in England have severely impacted access to justice, particularly for marginalised communities like Black and Minority Ethnic groups | Dr Elizabeth Peatfield

Yesterday evening, for the second time in a year, the Met Police raided Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrested a number of young nonviolent activists. STATEMENT: www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Well, this news feels like it deserves rather more coverage than it is getting. The drone in Cyprus that led all the Sensibles to claim this justified defensive strikes on Iran... did NOT come from Iran. www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...

"GORTON!! ... DENTON!!! ... OH JESUS CHRIST!"

Here is the story, if you want to read more. Dreadful stuff www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/la...

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Bedford CC dealing with the bigots like an absolute boss.

I thought the mooted new Cabinet Secretary’s name rang a bell, here she is easing Mosley & Palantir into the top echelons of government/NHS @coricrider.com @goodlawproject.org @justtreatment.org @zackpolanski.bsky.social @adrianramsay.bsky.social @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social @eddavey.libdems.org.uk

We have a brilliant paralympian team that gives the lie to Trump’s disgusting 🐂💩. Mind you, that chicken 💩 is the expert in avoiding the front line. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

#blueskylegal The Government has decided that it wants to seize the interest lawyers earn on their client accounts, which currently helps cover some of the costs of running their businesses that clients would otherwise have to pay. Deadline for responses 9th Feb. www.gov.uk/government/c...

Anyone know what I said to upset @davidallengreen.bsky.social that he is blocking me?

Happy Christmas Eve Eve lovely phone family. How's everyone feeling? 🤗 I know this can be a really difficult time of year for many of you. Here are some great support charities (UK) if you need them. There's never any shame in asking for help. Have a fabulous day ☕️ #HaveCourageAndBeKind ❤️

Can someone explain to me why concerns over inquests becoming a "lawyer's charter" have only emerged now that bereaved families are to get lawyers, and not when just the rich and powerful had them to sweep everything under the carpet? From the Observer.

Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower

I have a problem with this statement. If people “knew nothing”, why did they cut ties “before his crimes came to light”? Seems like an admission that many of them knew full well what was happening and did nothing, even if they wanted nothing to do with his sordid activities themselves.

Happy Solstice everyone. Here is a beautiful hymn to the solstice from one of my favourite artists, Thea Gilmore. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ai...

I'd done my own calculation that a 20% saving on 25% of cases amounted to a 5% saving overall. @cassiarowland.bsky.social has factored in that a lot of Crown Court time is not jury trials, so it is even worse than that. Such constitutional vandalism for such marginal gains is extraordinary.

Comparing MPs pay with Doctors. Isn't it amazing, austerity for everyone except Billionaires and MPs. What a coincidence.

Good morning lovely phone family. I hope you're all well. I'm full of festive spirit this year, but I've had many where that wasn't the case. If you're struggling, please remember it's ok to not be joining in. If you need support or someone to talk to, this may help (UK) 🙏 #HaveCourageAndBeKind ❤️

Oh good grief. Seriously? www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

This headline is blatantly false. It's not trans people who could be barred from services. It is anybody that the challenger believes could be trans, which inevitably will include many more cis women than trans women. (Trans men are unlikely to face any such challenge.) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

There is a small subset of pro-Starmer ultras on here who either genuinely don’t understand that budget stories *are directly briefed out by the Treasury, with permission* or pretend not to know that. And so they claim the plans never existed, haven’t changed, etc. It is maddening, and dumb as fuck.

Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round

Well this is a particularly depressing illustration of what a collapsing justice system looks like. 262 people were released from prison by mistake in 2024/25 — more than twice the previous year and almost 4.5x 2014/15 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

NEW REPORT Criminal justice is coming apart at the seams. Police, criminal courts & prisons can’t cope with the level of demand and performance keeps spiralling downwards. Early positive steps from the government won't be enough to turn things around www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Oh, this is just exquisite. www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/m...

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Maybe there's something in this Nigel Farage and Nathan Gill Russian bribes story....

Just seen @angelabarnes.bsky.social at Canterbury. A highly intelligent and thought-provoking show that also managed to be hugely entertaining. For the record, Angela, I have been with my wife for 33 years, and we are both 3 hours before people.

What has the ECHR ever done for us? Quite a lot actually, and we wrote it too.

Damn the BBC to hell. Even on their Israel-Gaza page, not a single mention of the ongoing Israeli attack on the Sumud flotilla, just a static article from last night. That's it. They have finally completely surrendered their claim to be a news organisation.

It would be ashame if this received even greater publicity because of this stupid decision by the police.