Gov is shutdown. Let’s see who picks it up this time 🤣

The richest man on earth owns X. The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok. The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post. See the problem here?

Excellent thread here from @danneidle.bsky.social re Mone/Barrowman and the PPE Medpro doppelgänger. 👇

I'm sceptical as to the accuracy of some stuff written in Wikipedia, but *if* the info on federal shutdowns is close to accurate, I have to write that Elmo's efforts in DOGE seem to be lame. ~803,000 employees. 😲 Presumably the majority are in #ICE. 🤷‍♂️ Is ICE still active during the shutdown? 🤔…1/

The trouble is that atm, we never/seldom discover reality because of Labour's useless communications and tendency for lobby journalists to present the 'facts' with their bias built in. Labour should televise daily lobby briefing (like KKKaroline Leave-it's gig) so UK public get the comm's 1st hand.

As beautifully illustrated in #thehack , there will be significant efforts by The Media, to discredit #thehack. I saw "Boring and badly acted" comments after episode one. Interestingly, they appeared about halfway through. I looked because I thought it was fantastic.

Very convenient for the #Trump regime… it can make up even more economic data during the government shutdown, the third such shutdown during Trump's tenures – first & second periods of office.

A peerage can only be removed by an act of parliament. The last time that happened was in 1917. Our House of Lords is completely unfit for purpose, and the likes of "Lady Mone" can keep her position for life without consequences.

Heard it in a meeting last week and have to say had the same reaction. But then again... following the EU's contract earlier this year... makes just as much sense as any other trade deal

Today, a company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone was told it must repay the government £122m for breaching a contract for medical gowns during the Covid pandemic. Read our special report online on some of the other fat cats who made a mint during covid. ➡️ www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/spe...

Reform losing their shit over being told their policies are racist, so maybe they are too. What are you then? Cos ‘legitimate concerns’ don’t stretch to violent threats against immigrants, mass deportations or demanding British people be white. You’re whiny racists. Don’t blame us for your shame.

Yeah, makes sense this account would block me. Literally never had any interaction with it.

On Sep 30, the US repeated its objection to the current draft in the @wto.org fisheries subsidies talks known as Fish 2. It did not say what its objections are, but the US is understood to be seeking an outright ban on distant-sea fishing. 1/2 UPDATED tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/a...

“That Brexit has made control of immigration more difficult, damaged our economy and weakened opportunities for future generations should make people think twice before putting Brexit's chief proponent in charge of running the country” Times letters: a lonely oasis of sanity in the far right storm.

Wes Streeting has claimed the NHS is on it’s last thread but why is he pulling it But punching down on the most productive part of the NHS with 1.4m appts a day & 20% more delivered than 2019 Refusing to listen to GPs that have delivered, instead calling them laggards & behind the times

Ugh This man This paper. Using the same rhetoric as Trump’s lot, jumping on the Kirk bandwagon to claim victimhood and cancel free speech if it criticises him. Farage incites riots on our streets, then acts all ‘poor me’ when his ugly racist ideas are called out. No one should pander to this shit.

Arghh! Run for your lives.

Well I hope the possible prediction by @henryriley1.bsky.social given during his piece with @mrjamesob.bsky.social is wrong. To paraphrase: we just heard (Wes Streeting) possibly the next prime minister say… Oh, I hope not.😬

Trump’s shutdown brinkmanship, GOP lies on shootings, ICE and National Guard chaos & more. Watch the MeidasTouch Podcast live at 8p ET/5p PT!

Meiselas: One question I have is why do we even have a funding issue? If Trump brought in $17 trillion, why is there even an issue with funding? If we brought in $17 trillion, shouldn’t Trump just be making it rain on everybody and there’s so much money to go—oh, wait a minute.

Meiselas: Ask yourself: Why did Trump not allow the press to be there in the White House during his meeting w Dem leaders? Why, if he claims he brought in $17 trillion, are we even facing a crisis at all about the shutdown? Why did MAGA Mike Johnson and Republicans cancel work Monday and Tuesday?

Rather than doing all the good things quietly and all the shitty things loudly, maybe Labour should shout about the good things it's doing and stop doing the shitty things altogether instead. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

This evening, Ed Miliband said two things to @andrewmarr.bsky.social that intrigued me. ❶ Re taxes, Rachel Reeves said that those with the broadest shoulders must bear the greatest burden. Hmm… I don't see many pensioners built like brick shit-houses. ❷ Re people shouldn't believe everything they…1/

If parties are going on about those who seek ILR, being needed to speak English to a higher standard, perhaps the powers who be could start with figures in media/public life. I've lost count of the times I've heard people say: "there's lots of… blah". 'Lots' is plural, so try saying: "there are"! 🙄

Gantry lighting?

Re Bird's Words @bigissue.com - the only way to stop the boats is to offer safe routes to claim asylum!! It's not rocket science. And it's not that many people at all. And they will contribute to society not only take!

What a mess. Not sure what to make of the in/not in manifesto stuff. It bites in all sorts of ways. But. A commitment to PR was passed at conference in 22. Many of us put a lot of time and effort getting that over the line. It should have been in the 24 manifesto. Grrr.

This for Labour too

My big problem with ALL of these stories isn't "a politician said one thing and did another". My big problem is "we designed a system that lets anybody with a fat wallet walk into an accountant's office and immediately avoid huge tax, and nobody questions it unless they're a politician".

I don't who (but could make a good guess) drew a comparison between #Trump and Starmer – claiming the latter was a lawyer, but not a leader, while #Krasnov was a leader (🤭) and not a lawyer. I wonder what the Americans would make of a similar comparison between @barackobama.bsky.social and #47? 🤔

Here's an idea for you Starmer: instead of "taking the 'fight' to RefUK", why not: • create more safe routes for asylum seekers • increase resources to process claims more expeditiously • then, work through the rest of the bloody manifesto, instead of devoting so much time reacting to Farage's BS?

Oh no!

The latest DILLIGAF survey/results from YouGov. 🙄

No doubt all the top notch journo's, like @bethrigby.bsky.social, @samcoatessky.bsky.social & @kamalimelbourne.bsky.social at @news.sky.com will be all over this series of stories like a rash. ‹/sarcasm›.

Particularly when you consider that irregular routes account for just 5% of overall migration and over 60% are found to have a valid claim when processed plus we take far less refugees than other countries. Take away hotels and small boat crossings and Reform will struggle to whip up the hate.

Glasman, McSweeney, ‘Blue Labour’ and the Thiel Effect(Peter Thiel… Jeffrey Epstein's pal): How MAGA Is Making In-Roads Into British Politics open.substack.com/pub/bylinesu... Starmer needs to clear out his close entourage… especially if McSweeney is besmirched with accepting undeclared benefits.

H/t @jeffm2018.bsky.social for this reminder 2019 The then Brexit Party voted against a resolution to strengthen measures against Russian disinformation Don’t forget it was Farage aides that were mixed up with spreading the Red Dahlia misinformation previously www.theguardian.com/world/2019/o...

It seems simple to me that what’s driving this surge in Reform support is small boats & migrant hotels. So rather than join in with all the dehumanising rhetoric & go off on tangents like ID cards & illegal workers labour should just 1/ create safe routes to claim asylum 2/ process claims quickly

I’m not against ID cards per se. But I am against them now. For this. As yet another weapon in the arsenal against immigrants. This isn’t taking the fight to Reform. It’s using immigrants as a human shield while Reform keeps punching you in the face. iandunt.substack.com/p/id-cards-a...

Far-right leader in #Wales pleads guilty to 'speak up' for Russia in the European Parliament How many others have done this across Europe - are still doing it? - without being caught red-handed? news.sky.com/story/former...

Starmer (on Digital IDs): "Admit it… I had you going there!"

Sky News looks forward to and 'reports' on the forthcoming Labour Party conference. 🙄

Nigel Farage is “endangering women’s health” by failing to condemn l claims that using paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism, Bridget Phillipson has said in an interview with the Guardian. She had used the painkiller throughout her second pregnancy. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I'm puzzled by @libdems.org.uk reported concerns over people's data for digital ID, not being in the hands of UKG. Presumably, if main objective of digital ID is to prove someone's eligibilty to work, the ID will incorporate NI Number (or similar)… which is already in the hands of the government. 🤔

And the UK appears very keen to follow your lead. 🤡 Brexit vote in 2016. 🤡 Brexit is then a barrelling moronathon that we resolutely ignore. 🤡 And now - even though their big idea is a total shitshow - the brexity British MAGA party leads in the polls. Can’t teach that slavish devotion to failure.