What does Lisa Nandy believe her job is, and why is she actually in politics?

"pope should stay out of politics." brother you need to stay out of a size medium

Hegseth: "A note to the media. I just can't help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling despite historic & important success of this effort. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what side some of you are on. It's incredibly unpatriotic"

Not filled with good feelings by the reactions to this. I am not shocked there are scams in the asylum system. Does anybody think the system is working well? Is well resourced? Is producing satisfactory decisions? Or is not defraudable?

It's perfectly reasonable to challenge ministers on N Sea oil & gas as a response to the energy shock. But this is the exclusive framing for EVERY interview on this topic. No minister or opposition leader is ever asked if they'll "max out" wind/solar. It's always framed as fossil fuels v inaction

It’s official: the UK is rejoining Erasmus! 👏🇪🇺

Fucking hell, though.

BBC News is going very hard on its investigation into advisers who help people ‘fake’ asylum claims, focusing especially on people who falsely claim to be gay. But it doesn’t say what percentage of claims are made on the basis of sexuality. As of 2023 — the last available figures — it was 3%.

The bell of Liverpool Town Hall chimes 97 times for each of the Liverpool fans unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough Disaster, 37-years-ago today

News I'm hearing from across universities is disastrous. The sector has been falling apart for months, but the process is now continuously speeding up. Outside a small handful of institutions, HE as we've known it has basically zero future. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

JD Vance just said: “Stopping funding for Ukraine is one of the things I’m proudest we’ve done in this administration.” What a disgusting statement. I was just in Kharkiv and saw the damage that Russian missiles and drones inflict. If Ukraine received more US interceptors, it could save more lives.

@mrjamesob.bsky.social This post deserves a wide audience. Thanks Seth.

Many people are saying that JD is quite ignorant about the history of religion in Europe and the Middle East but that overlooks his expertise on the ottomans.

The *top two* stories on the BBC site, plus a 3rd further down, are now about the claims of scammers which the BBC presents as evidence of the asylum process being “systematically exploited” - whilst also admitting they don’t know how widespread the issue is. Practically a Reform mouthpiece now.

And Obama was president for twice as long.

Putin's Puppets.

It take weapons grade arrogance to invent popesplaining.

Through languages, we can build connections, discover new cultures, and develop life-long friendships. United in diversity, our differences are our strength 💛

EXPOSED: How Viktor Orbán Bankrolled the Network Around Reform UK As Hungary’s Prime Minister suffers a historic electoral defeat, Byline Times maps out how his government’s funding arm channelled hundreds of thousands of pounds into organisations at the heart of Britain’s hard right.

Its important to understand that the radical right is a coalition of overlapping networks Those who investigate these networks keep finding the same faces My latest⬇️

I know this is me still mourning a long dead world but it does feel remarkable that, not that long ago, British papers on the right would have run editorials and columns arguing that Hungary showed that only a solid, reliable centre-right party could defeat dangerous populists, but now? [crickets]

@iandunt.bsky.social @dorianlynskey.bsky.social

Really important story from @wired.com: The Christian Nationalists who want to destroy the American secular state are now making their presence felt www.wired.com/story/govern...

Remember when Trump threatened to wipe out a whole civilization? And then backed out of that and talked about forming a deal with Iran? And then dropped that and went to a UFC fight as negotiations fell apart? And then unveiled a triumphal arch and a photo of himself as Jesus? That was this week.

If only Trump hadn’t had bone spurs…..

Not the onion.

If evangelicals think Pope Leo is too”woke” just wait until they hear about this fellow called Jesus.

Even if Magyar is no liberal, this is why it is still a huge defeat for illiberalism. For it shows that a powerful illiberal political machine and methodology can be defeated.

Populism is a fundamentally dishonest form of politics, that attracts fundamentally dishonest people. It is a tissue of lies that validates the darkest prejudices, and covers up the most blatant greed and corruption. It generates wealth for the few, and suffering for the many.

Happy birthday to the Peak District National Park, designated #otd 13 April 1951. Originally 555 square miles of moor and valley, the 'great north roof of England.' It would never have happened but for one woman... 1/4

A great moment to remember why Scruton's FT column came to an abrupt end.

Trump is going to break with Rome and become formally head of his own church.

The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world.

Victor Orbán’s removal sends a timely signal. Corrupt kleptocratic Christian nationalism was on the ballot in Hungary today — just as it will be on the ballots that Americans will cast in November. It was repudiated abroad — may it be repudiated here in November (and beyond).

The result is huge. Vast in its consequences. Orban was the inspiration to all those who came after him. He served as Putin's puppet, undermining Europe from within and Ukraine from without. He funded a vast network of fascists around the world. It's all vulnerable now, or falling apart entirely.

This was an ideological victory. Péter Magyar is no liberal, but he is pro-European. Voters utterly rejected Orban's relentless campaign of hatred against Ukraine and Brussels.

All the worst cunts in the world - from journalism to politics, the Kermlin to the White House - are suffering tonight.

Including many British right-wingers who danced to the Kremlin's tune having heard it played by Orban's orchestra.

Hungary 2026 general election constituency map versus 2022 map must be among the most dramatic shifts of any geographic-constituency based electoral system in a single electoral cycle. (There are also top up seats)

People will be closely studying how Hungary's opposition pulled off their win in such a pro-incumbent system. Important to note that the theme was corruption. Democrats need to get much better at calling out Trump's corruption.

The world is just memes now x

Orban is not conceding because he's honourable. He's conceding because his defeat is so comprehensive even he can't pretend he won.

@quietriotpod.bsky.social @pimlicat.bsky.social @sturdyalex.bsky.social

one immediate dramatic consequence of the Hungarian result: Magyar has promised to repair relations with the EU and unblock a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine

Octavia E. Butler, 1998:

walking from my election party to the Tisza rally and we heard crowds cheering in the distance as Orban officially conceded 🥰

oh god oh fuck I took the metro to the Tisza rally and all these kids POURED OUT of the train at the stop and started running up the escalators chanting, and briefly held hands with the older people leaving the rally and going down on the escalator, and I think I may actually just cry

Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.