😳

A brilliant read for anyone still in any doubt about the impact of Brexit - and how we’re still not facing it head on.

Ten years on from the referendum, Brexit didn’t settle Britain’s biggest argument, it made it louder. My essay for @theleaduk.bsky.social on how Brexit’s broken promises built the conditions for Farage’s comeback, and why nobody’s blaming Brexit for any of it open.substack.com/pub/theleadu...

And right on the back of a heatwave that felt like living inside Beelzebub’s own arsehole, it now appears I am going down with a summer cold. Fucking. Glorious.

Really good. But the broader point is not just Reform, it's that our democracies suffer if women are abused, marginalised and threatened out of public discourse. It's up to all of us, incl. men, to make the space safe.

"Vorderman went well beyond just criticising Reform and their candidate - she did the worst thing you can do to an insecure group of men. She made them look small."

In all the Burnham win noise Carol Vorderman’s name has hardly appeared Reform defended their vile candidate’s gross post about her so she read it on @mrjamesob.bsky.social then literally posted it to voters forcing it into the light @carolvorders.bsky.social you were magnificent. Thank you 👏👏👏👏👏

Comments like this will be instantly blocked. This the first and only warning.

Excellent read, as ever, from @bearlypolitics.co.uk @carolvorders.bsky.social exposed the misogyny of Reform… a ‘party’ who want you to believe that the safety of ‘are women’ is at the forefront of their anti immigration stance & yet they continue to sexualise them & treat them with contempt.

"She documents, asks awkward questions and refuses to let them slink away under the usual damp tarpaulin of “banter”, “plain speaking” and “common sense” that so often gets rolled out to try and cover up weapons-grade misogyny." I wish some of the "journalists" at the BBC would do the same.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has a massive problem with women, and @carolvorders.bsky.social helped expose exactly how deep it runs. No wonder they’re furious - she made them look small, cowardly and contemptuous.

“Our societies are not built to withstand what’s coming, and by any rational thinking, all countries should be uniting in a last ditch battle to save the world.”

He can fuck straight off.

But 1976!

2021 - 1,634 2022 - 2,985 2023 - 2,295 2024 - 1,311 2025 - 1,504 These numbers are heat related deaths as reported by the UKHSA. We are seeing significant excess mortality from poor preparedness for the increasing heat we’re seeing each summer. The trend in the above, however, is fascinating.

It was inevitable, wasn't it🙄 Of course the Telegraph would run with something like this👇 So let's remove some of the rose-tinted spectacles and also look at some of that data comparing 1976 with modern heat waves Because the 1976 nostalgia porn is wearing a bit thin at this stage 🧵1/23

I have never experienced a publication fighting THIS hard against reality. The sneering, patronising bullshit that they choose to publish should embarrass them - the problem being, after so many years of sliding down into tabloid status, they have zero shame left. None.

I’ve now take to just walking aimlessly around the small Sainsbury’s close to my house so I don’t die of the heat. How is everyone else doing? 33 degrees in my home study, btw.

Me! ✋

It is 21:30 and it’s still 29 degrees. This is not normal.

It’s far too hot, far too early, and it’s only getting worse. Thankfully, Jerry on Twitter is on hand to explain that 1976 was hotter, his nan wore a bikini for three months straight, he inhaled fifteen ice lollies and everything was fine. Jerry is, unfortunately, also talking out of his bum.

🎯 an essay that describes the UK's malady for the last 40y and is spot-on, imo. Time to address the root causes, or Burnham's term will likely end exactly the same as Starmer's. Take care of inequality, diversify the economy, take responsibility instead of blaming immigrants, the EU etc

Absolutely on the ball, as ever. Sometimes, it seems, we need an "outsider" - looking in - to point out the bleedin' obvious.

Really good analysis. And hoping Burnham will realise he should not shy away from the difficult conversation that needs to take place in Westminster. He even doesn’t have to be the one with all the answers. As long as he gets the right people around the table. But to be honest, I’m not optimistic.

The best commentary on why we are where we are that I've read in some time. Echoes of conversations in my house that we've had for years.

I hope Andy Burnham reads this and takes note. This is exactly where we are and why and if he doesn’t do something about it that is sustainable and makes ordinary people’s lives better we society in the UK is heading for disaster. It’s already on the cusp.

This is really really really worth reading...

We have now gone from six prime ministers in ten years to seven - so roughly a new one every 18 months. This cycle won’t stop until we actually fix the fundamental issues that have been plaguing this country since at least the 1980s.

What do Andy Burnham, Boris Johnson and Brexit all have in common? Quite a lot, actually. They’re all attempts to solve the same underlying problem. The trouble is that Britain has spent forty years arguing about the treatment while largely ignoring the diagnosis.

In about 30 seconds there will be a contingent of columnists taking out their keyboards and furiously penning opinion pieces about how this was an act of intolerance, all without acknowledging that Katie Hopkins (1)

I truly struggle to understand how Reform UK just fail at these big by elections. First with Matt “Tax Those Single Women” Goodwin, now with Robert “I’m a sexist” Kenyon. I just honestly can’t figure out why they’re losing this badly. I suppose we’ll never know…

Serious call for help! I have a map that belonged to Major Henry Smalley. The last descendent we know of is John Smalley, Henry's grandson, who was born in 1945. I would like to track him, or his descendants down, so I can return the map to them. Can you help? Or at least repost? John may have moved

While I do appreciate a good dataset, I'm not 100% convinced that "enjoy" is quite the word I would use for a spreadsheet. The best I can come up with is "use" to accurately express my feelings.

With by-election fever gripping the nation, here's my exclusive rundown of the Makerfield contenders: www.thenewworld.co.uk/henry-morris...

A year ago, thousands of people trusted me enough to pay for a newsletter. I don’t think they realised they were also helping me survive the most difficult year of my life. This is a massive thank you to each and every one of you.

Ah, that’s what Mango Mussolini meant with “draining the swamp” - except it’s of his own doing and incompetence, on the back of massive taxpayer funds wasted. Truly apt for our time.

It really is almost as though Brexit never could live up to the lofty expectations set by known liars and charlatans. Yet, people are still doubling down. I’m at the point now where the Afrikaans saying “as jy dom is moet jy sukkel” (if you’re dumb you’ll have to struggle) is now a universal

Fucking said it. 😂

This is a picture of Carlos the Hotel Cat as I’ve had a few people ask. And sadly my wish to pack him up and bring him home is merely wistful thinking. I think he would be too sad in England. 🐻🐈‍⬛

A short dispatch from Spain on the current state of the immigration debate and the people who would love to see it explode. Back fully tomorrow. I now have some cats to pack.

*pending approval from tech giants and the President of the United States.

Just me, making plans to bring the hotel cats back from Spain since we’ve become friends over the past week. This is normal, correct?

One of my pet peeves is that Canada - particularly #Lethbridge city and the #Alberta Govt still use X, as a means to advertise, it’s a terrible way to represent yourself, unless they appreciate child pornography, I guess.

Couldn’t remember word for parasol and tried to explain to my husband that “we need a sand hat because it’s insanely sunny today.” I would say holiday is going well.

I wonder if this will apply to everyone who recently led a pogrom against immigrants in Belfast where houses and vehicles were set on fire in the most recent Farage Riots. That would be sensible, right?

Just the Telegraph saying all the vile, rancid bits out loud.

It speaks volumes about our politicians that not only have they not banned Twitter, the vast majority still post there, and many (looking at you @mark-carney.bsky.social ) actually post more there than they do here.

X is awash in CSAM and ought to be banned even under vastly more speech-friendly US law. The fact that countries without those speech protections have done jack shit is exactly why I’m suspicious those weaker protections do anything useful whatsoever when a powerful or popular person is involved.

If you’re still angry and filled with “pure cold rage” about immigration when looking at the current immigration trends, then it really does seem that it was just bog standard racism all along, doesn’t it?

It turned into something very dark once Musk took over. Literally from a little Blue bird chatting, to X, and what do we associate with X in internet lingo ? X-rated, so yes ban, restrictions whatever we left. bsky.app/profile/bear...