@brendansimm

Memo to Kemi B. Copy Peel, Baldwin, Macmillan, Thatcher and drop old Tory thinking activenews.co.uk/message-to-k...

Farewell Dave Oakman family butchers in Catford delivering meat, sausages with far more taste than bigger stores. Loss of local food shops in U.K. compared to EU where support and loyalty to local butchers etc is a norm just part of New England shaped since 2000

Will voter obsession with “immigration” go down as migrant numbers fall asks @samfreedman.bsky.social Alas No. I became active in Labour politics 1970 in Bham. Top issue then thanks to Enoch Powell, then Mrs T with “swamped”. After end of communism European migrants. Brexit vote won on migration

On Today Nick Robinson asks Mohammed el Erian why workers don’t benefit from proclaimed AI increases on wealth. The great savant offers vague answers but neither can use word “unions” - the only mechanism under all forms of capitalism allowing workers to negotiate fair shares @paulnovak.bsky.social

I worry that while all wring hands over young NEETs not in work there’s generalised waffle about vocational taining but no effective pressure on bosses to train next generation of workers via apprenticeships www.theglobalist.com/britains-new... @rachelblakemp.bsky.social @joedromey.bsky.social

hello @mariatomasik.bsky.social is there a link to the list of government leaders attending EU West Balkans summit mentioned in your news release? Thanks Dr Denis Macshane former U.K. minister for West Balkans 1997-2001, author of book “Why Kosovo Still Matters”

Reform’s Andrea Jenkyns storms out of meeting after discussion of Henry Nowak murder. Farage Cult loyalists very snowflake discussing role of social media in whipping up hate, social tension

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2609246.... Quelle surprise

When Cameron announced 2013 the Brexit referendum I wrote book. With most of press , BBC Today,QT, every Tory leader since Hague attacking the EU there was no chance of a populist plebiscite winning @pollytoynbee.bsky.social @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social @maxstern.bsky.social

In European countries most railway employees including urban transport are in one union. London may be paralysed today because 2 transport unions are defending union status that does not help the workers. Sad

Happy Birthday @nickcohen.bsky.social keep at ‘em

On BBC1 @drrosena.bsky.social really good. Hilarious Jeremy Hunt whose party invented triple lock and who twice cut NIC contributions as cheesy bribe before 2024 costing £24bn in lost revenue now keen on cutting old folks’ support

Nigel Farage whining in MoS whining he’s not been on Desert Island Discs. Poor diddums

In @thetablet.bsky.social superb Jimmy Burns preview of Leo’s trip to Spain @brendanwalsh.bsky.social

I wrote this in January repeating my view that U.K. should look at Switzerland (a bit) for model to reconnect but not rejoin EU encompass-europe.com/comment/time... good to see Economist picking up idea @zannymb.economist.com also pushed by @stellacreasy.bsky.social Chair @labour4europe.bsky.social

Curious. Without giving a reason @twitter has banned me. Putin barred me from entering Russia last year so honoured Musk is following suit.

Spent yesterday canvassing in Makerfield. Sorry to report that no one mentioned Tony Blair @tommctague.bsky.social

Been canvassing in Ashfield today. The chilling effect of Reform vote growing because too many bien pensants refuse to discuss impact of volume and velocity of arrivals on working class communities as politics rather than moralising may have unwelcome ballot box outcomes. @timjudah.bsky.social

Fine essay on Disraeli by @tommctague.bsky.social in NS. Not sure connection with present state of Britain. Dizzy had no policy for Britain just a glorious one man Dictionary of Quotations- his own. He was Trumpist in his showy imperialism w all serious reforms undertaken by Gladstone

Corbynesque (though sans Jezza’s courtesy and moralism) French far left leader jean-Luc Mélenchon on 14% far ahead of the half dozen French wannabe left candidates. So he could get into 2nd round French President election spring 2027. He will lose to far right racist Le Pen.

Edward Heath was the last prime minister to have assumed office via a general election and to be voted out of office via a general election. I stood in Oct 1974 GE. It was era when populists like Enoch Powell or Rupert Murdoch had more influence than Ministers and IRA or Scargill dictated politics

After Boriswave - arrival of 1 mn African + Asian migrants invited in by Tories to replace European workers after Brexit now it’s Trump energy penalty as every family pays £200 more for bills after Trump-Netanyahu failed war on Iran. Our rightist leaders really treat their citizens w contempt

Brexit is now part of European political campaigning as symbol of chaos! In Switzerland they have a compromise relationship with EU we might copy but Farage-Johnson-DTel/Mail model? Nein Danke! Non Merci!

Good Today this morning presented by 2 women Katya Adler and Emma Burnett who had the cojones to read out the disgusting words used by Farage man in Makerfield about Carol Voderman's nether parts. Doubt if BBC men would have used exact words Farage man used. BBC news site avoids Reform man’s words

On R4 Amazing disgusting Twitter comments by Farage candidate in Makerfield about women including Carol Vordeman. Poor Danny Kruger spluttering pathetically as he defends this pig on behalf Crypto Nige Most of extra civil servants hired to do work done in Brussels pre-Brexit

Bill Winters runs Standard Chartered bank and describes workers as “lower value human capital” - BBC. In case you wondered how our rich and powerful think about their fellow citizens

According to BBC R4 Sunday sound very much like Iran has won as Trump realises the extent to which he was conned by Netanyahu. Iran can now charge fees to open Strait of Hormuz. No getting rid of nukes. Keep supporting Hezbollah. BBC News faithfully reports White House line

On Today Guy Standing omits key factor in the precariat economy namely the complete lack of worker representation save on a few niche areas in capitalist economy. (Plenty in protected public services) A deunionised economy without even works councils will never prosper @zannymb.economist.com

On Today Katya Adler and Anna Foster slightly miss point. Whitehall bureaucrats speak to Brussels bureaucrats but other than frequent flyer Nick Torfaen very few elected politicians - Ministers, MPs, Council leaders in our monolingual monocultural political world travel regularly and talk 2 Europe

As usual excellent @patrickmaguire.bsky.social on by election. Guess it went to bed for scandal dropped on Reform plumber having a faiblesse for British Nazis. Green guy has gone. Does Nigel still stand by his blackshirt chap in Makerfield? @robertshrimsley.bsky.social

Both Polanski and Farage are contaminating politics as the Green candidate in Makerfield resigns after being revealed as anti-Semite but Farage still sticking to his man despite endless revelations of his pro fascist inclinations

Admirer of Métro political reporter @craigmunro.net sharp short columns but as paoer publishes front page exposé of far right racist Farage candidate links to neo Nazis Munro writes this loud mouth extremist has “a decent CV”. Perleeze @andyburnham.bsky.social @deboraharthurs.bsky.social

On @franceinfo Israël ambassador to France strongly condemns Itamar Ben-Gvir, the 1940s inspired “National Security” minister for strutting with Star of David flag around elderly pro Pal protesters - 11 from France - tied up and forced to prostrate themselves before Ben-Gvir. Any Brits detained?

Farage Dug deep into far right racist world to come up with his man to be MP in Makerfield @rachelblakemp.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/05/20/r...

Admirer of @lewisgoodall.com but don’t think he was present at W Streeting’s speech which did not call for instant rejoin. Rather he called for a “special relationship “ w EU maybe along Swiss lines. He said “one day, one day” rejoin might be possible. Big qualifiers. Btw EU is 27 economies not one

Makerfield Reform candidate’s fascist links exposed after X account suspended www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/20... Oh dear. Keeps happening to Nigel. His choice of Reform flag bearers turn out very smelly

Greens face dilemma on whether to help Farage by standing in Makerfield and splitting progressive vote. When U.K. moved to PR in European Parliament elections it was beginning of rise of Farage as PR ensured his lies not challenged. PR has helped racist far right all over EU @andyburnham.bsky.social

Wonderful More or Less on R4 demolishes claim by Tory Annuziata Rees-Mogg that 44% of sex crimes in Dorset committed by asylum seekers. Research shows just one conviction of refugee for sex crime. Won’t make any difference as sex and migrants well known far right obsession @timharford.ft.com

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch calls some government decision she dislikes “insane”. The is hyperbole inflation used in saloon bars not by someone who wants to be PM. She doesn’t understand in English less is more. Why no one listens to her as local elections showed @steverichards.bsky.social

Nick Thomas-Symonds, minister for Europe, is working to lower some of the barriers that harm UK economy. That’s useful, but not yet a game-changer. Economists differ but even if the current talks all go well, we shall end up undoing only one-tenth of the damage done by Brexit, possibly less 1/2

Not much interest in Kemi getting into bed with Farage as she won’t put up a candidate in Makerfield to help far right to win @pippacrerar.bsky.social @gabrielpogrund.bsky.social @mrjamesob.bsky.social

Just listened again to @wesstreeting.bsky.social speech on FB. He did not call for immediate EU return. He urged a “special relationship” w Europe. Who objects to that outside Farage’s editors on DTel/Mail? He said return was possible “one day, one day” i.e. Greek Kalends @andyburnham.bsky.social

Wonderful Hackney Half Marathon (I ran it 2018) with 27,000 runners, each with friends, family, workmates raising £loads for charity. Brown, black, white, every bit of our great country and many from Europe taking part in contrast to the Farage-Yaxley-Lennon hate-fest yesterday

On @lbc.co.uk now interview on U.K. hosting Olympics in North England in 2040s spearheaded by @lisanandymp.bsky.social Given difficulties Brexit Britain puts in way of Europeans coming to U.K. hope we’re back in EU by then @wesstreeting.bsky.social @richardcorbett.bsky.social

I was at @wesstreeting.bsky.social speech yesterday at Progress. He broke free from Starmer 2022 oxymoron “Make Brexit Work” mantra but made clear that there can be no question of immediate rejoin. This lost on broadcast news this morning. But with 63% saying Brexit bad for U.K. he speaks for them

All good luck to ellieormsby.bsky.social taking over as Leader of Labour Group on Westminster City Council. Please try and bring party back to life.

Burnham would be the first PM to have gone to Cambridge since Baldwin and the first to have read English as an undergraduate

2 points 4 Katya Adler, Justin Webb 1) U.K. has granted freedom of movement to nearly 1 mn Africans, Asians to come here to do work done by Catholic Europeans 2) 1950-90 Cons pro Europe Labour anti. But some Labour MPs made case for EC. Every Tory MP backs Farage line on EU. Why this obedience?

Bravo @johndenham.bsky.social He just spoke on WATO for I’m sure many of us with much good sense of what happens next