www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Latest book from Blue Poppy Publishing by author and artist @raggyrat.bsky.social

Priorities 👀 £400m support for people who can afford to drive, but nothing for people who walk, ride a bike or catch the bus? “The cost of the package, including postponing the 5p rise and the discount on red diesel duty, is expected to be around £400m.”

Wow! Well, embarrassing apology time. I didn't fill in the Devon County Council public consultation about our libraries for two reasons 1. I found the form daunting (lame excuse) 2. I just thought it would make NO DIFFERENCE. But apparently it WORKED! 😮 😊 So, well done those who DID

Working my way through formatting a book on the history of Sidmouth Manor Pavilion Theatre and got to 1987 and ... I genuinely thought, "Oh, almost up to date,", then I looked at the page count and realised I am, of course, not even halfway through. I STILL think the eighties is "present day!" 😭😂

I couldn't work with this going on outside my window either. In fact, I have spent far too long looking at this instead of doing the layout on a book about Sidmouth Manor Pavilion Theatre.

So, in the end, it turned out the "checks and balances" were just, "The president chosing to act with retraint" and in reality he can do absolutely anything he wants and the President was ALWAYS an emperor, not merely a king but a Nero, a Calligula, an Elagabalus. Fucking joke USA

That's fine. We should still contest the seat and collect data from canvassing. Fine if Labour win it, which seems likely, but if Reform win then nobody can blame the Green Party for "splitting the vote". Oh, and if they DO, then maybe they should campaign for PR

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0H2... Ideal for the younger end of YA, especially gifted readers, plus plenty of adults will love this #Fantasy #Folklore #Mythology #BookSky not too scary story with a little wholesome romance.

Water privatisation has been outright theft. Whoever is next PM must commit to ending this scandal and take our water back into public ownership. No more failed regulation. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

We support the Global Sumud Flotilla. The Israeli Navy has forcibly stopped the flotilla near Cyprus, detained 12 UK nationals, and reportedly fired upon remaining vessels. The UK government has a duty to protect its citizens and must condemn these actions and demand that aid is allowed into Gaza.

Hear hear. Not only horrified by the attack but also by the many comments I have already seen complaining that not enough Muslims died. If you said that about any other horrific attack you would be hounded off social media and quite possibly arrested. But being anti-Islam is apparently okay? 😕

Lincoln the Tesco Cat, is one of those cats who hangs around the shops all day getting attention from shoppers and has his own social media profile. Now he's got his own book, published by @bluepoppypub.bsky.social written by @raggyrat.bsky.social www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12787257...

Irish - slightly angry Moorish - windswept and covered in heather Punish - this Radish - fairly good Selfish - a fishmonger

Don't fucking look away. 😡

Which is worse, 1. an honest fascist, or 2. a liar who pretends to be a centrist but is really a fascist or a collaborator? Answer: It's 2. It's always 2. When people say, the left would sooner see the far right win than let a centrist in, they are wrong. It's the collaborator we don't want.

If you're a writer, write "I waited" without saying it. 'Oh, Godot,' I thought.

Interesting point

Would genuinely appreciate some honest polite debate about this. #BookSky

Saw this rumoured and I said I would wait until it was confirmed. It is. He can eff-off. 🙄 I now think that the Green Party should fight this tooth and nail, gloves off.

If this is the answer, what is the question. "Less than 20 seconds" How long would I last in the ring against a professional boxer?" How long was I tempted to find out what the OP was about before deciding not to waste my time, and just make a crap joke about it?

Well said. I wouldn't have known if you had not brought it up, Matthew.

Plaintive moan time. 🙂 I don't understand how some people can crowdfund paying their bills but I can't get a few more people to buy my books. My books are actually pretty good and I deserve to sell more. IMO Not going to let it get me down, just feel it (society etc.) is a bit "off".

Another string to fascism's bow: a woman has been arrested after she refused to remove a surgical face covering at the pro-Palestine protest. Both the World Health Organisation and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention advise wearing a well-fitting mask in crowds. 😷

My instinct is that we should contest it properly. Burnham is not left wing, merely to the left of Starmer or Streeting. If Labour wants to stop Reform they have to introduce Proportional Representation or else win seats on their own merit.

Absolutely appalling, but, ALSO, it is appalling that in other seats a party may win by a huge majority and thus those extra votes are ignored. Either way, FPTP is a terrible system of democracy and the Green Party would replace it with a fairer system of proportional representation.

Don't be fooled. He's not tired. If I suggested another walk he would be away like a shot and racing around again just the same as he already did But I have to be on the radio with John Acres on BBC Radio Devon in a minute, and then to work.

😂 Wait, what? Why not the Conservatives? I mean, I am a Green Party member, but this seems a bit ... Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

A tragedy in eight lines. 😟

I can't believe Starmer lied! /s

Well hopefully next time you'll all know to vote Green 💚

Tearing up Article 8 of ECHR for some has serious potential repercussions for not just those seeking asylum. We have already seen former and current heads of the Equality and Human Rights Committee claims trans and non-binary individuals don't have a right to privacy guaranteed under Article 8.

Looking at those pledges, I would have voted for that and more. In fact I did; I voted Green Party! 💚 I joined over a decade ago and have not voted for anyone else since. Why not join me and an increasing number of others and join.greenparty.org.uk

Slightly increase a band Bismuth Zeppelin

Can I just ask, #r4today, as you seem to be very keen to talk about and investigate Polanski’s council tax issue, why not the same feverish scrutiny over the far more troubling and glaringly corrupt £5M bribe Farage took from that crypto billionaire, Harborne? We can hear your strings being pulled.

Starmer is utterly evil and so are all the likely candidates to replace him.

Every time I hear someone ask what writers are supposed to do instead of starting a Substack, all I can think is, my god, literally anything else. Go create something! Start a blog with your friends! Make weird stuff! Let some of it fail/succeed unexpectedly! It's 2026—you've got dozens of options!

It is now possible to review The Feathered Tree on Goodreads www.goodreads.com/book/show/25... It will be out in hardback on June 30 and in paperback and ebook on July 31 If you would like an ARC I have a handful of physical ARCs left. Preferably UK reivewers because of cost of shipping.

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, won a BAFTA award last night. The BBC refused to show it but Channel 4 aired it anyway. There's still some real journalists out there, actually challenging power and showing the terrible war crimes they try to hide.

Will be on BBC Radio Devon this morning for John Acres Listmakers. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Listen on Sounds 🛎️ or on DAB or on FM in Devon and hear me probably make a fool of myself. 🤡

Remember when one of Wesley's junior Ministers led us to believe Palantir couldn't access identifiable patient data? Turns out that wasn't true.

Utterly appalling and yet not even really that surprising when you think about it.

Just adorable! 🐤🐥

I heard that Zach Polanski once didn't bother to take his tray back after eating at IKEA.

Exactly

DnD session went well on Friday.🧵 The party lvl 1 had a series of side quests. 1. Find mushrooms for the best soup in the world 2. Find a lost black and white sheepdog 3. Get ice from the mountains for a cold store in the village 4. Help someone to "invent" bungee jumping by finding elastic rope

New Cross Gate (Lewisham) Council Election Results GRN: 49.9% (+36.0) LAB: 34.5% (-32.7) CON: 5.3% (-2.4) RFM: 4.6% (+4.6) LDM: 4.1% (-3.2) OTH: 1.6% (-2.3) Green GAIN from Labour (X2) Changes w/ 2022.

The wins don't stop... 28 Greens elected in Lambeth to become the largest party 💚

🥳 HUGE RESULT IN NEWHAM 🥳 Congratulations to Newham Greens on electing 16 Green councillors, gaining 14 from Labour 💚

🎉 12 Green wins in Camden! 💚 Huge congratulations to Camden Green Party on electing the most Greens ever on to the council!

🤯 MASSIVE GAINS IN ISLINGTON 📈 Congratulations to Islington Green Party on increasing Green representation on the council from 3 to 19 seats! 💚