Man Utd

Avanti train to London, no spare seats, loads of people standing in all carriages, shop not working and the bins are overflowing with rubbish. Quality service. #nationalisethetrains

Not sure Labour members will appreciate being told, “history will not forgive us if we do not use every ounce of our energy to fight Reform,” when they’ve been waiting despairingly all summer for No10 to do exactly that 🤷🏻‍♀️ www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Is it a surprise that voters question what Starmer really believes in when he says <picture 1> in the evening after having said <picture 2> in the morning?

When you do MRP, what happens to the don't knows? I've asked YouGov on X-Twitter what the don't knows were, but I'm not holding my breath for an answer yougov.co.uk/politics/art...?

Starmer says past governments have been "squeamish" talking about immigration. Bullshit. Starmer isn't bravely breaking a taboo. He's blaming vulnerable people & deflecting attention from the super rich who hoard power & wealth. Want something better? join.greenparty.org.uk

What retirement is like this morning! #nature #standstill

Saw this at a matinee performance at the Everyman in #Liverpool yesterday with an audience largely made up of teenage school kids (GCSE text?) who were all cheering at the end. Brilliant version that was funny, moving, and wonderfully acted. #LivEveryPlay everymanplayhouse.com/event/romeo-...

This thread from @danielsohege.bsky.social covers in detail why Starmer's leadership is a failure in both policy and political terms. Whilst the next election may be sometime away, Labour needs new leadership to fulfil the promise of real change.

Millions spent on Trump visit. Red carpets, Royals in coronets and golden dining services too. And all he offers in return are petulant racist insults about our capital city and our mayor. What a singular lack of decorum, grace, and courtesy. Fuck him and his damp hands and his nicotine yellow wig

Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...

1/ Very interesting seeing support for Ed Davey’s (accurate) criticism given the prior discourse on Bluesky recently arguing that Reform should be opposed purely morally versus in terms of whether their policies “work”.

This really reflects how technocratic neoliberal logic has captured the centre of political spectrum. The argument against it is not moral or ethical, it's on cost and feasibility grounds. It's the logic of managing the numbers is what gets you elected.

WTF is wrong with @teamlabouruk.bsky.social? This isn't a question of sums, it is one of morality. You don't fight facists on their own terms.

Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain. They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city. Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.

Remember DOGE, Reform’s Department of Government Efficiency Launched with fanfare, gone within months. Meanwhile, their mayor Andrea Jenkyns wants £147k to reply to emails. Efficiency, Reform-style.

To follow up on this apparent virality, I think it's worth getting our head around the reality that Britain seems to be a country deeply angry about the sectors in which it has comparative advantage: universities, finance, creative industries. Aye, 'ampstead wasn't good enough for you?

Fungi Friday. From my walk this morning. #fungi #nature #photography #photographersofbluesky

'by my estimates, if we count consistently over time, then the current level of out-of-work claims is NOT any kind of record; it’s similar to 2014/15 levels, and noticeably lower than 2013.' Great piece by @benbgeiger.bsky.social inequalities.substack.com/p/real-out-o...

Defend Our Juries - Exposing the corruption of democracy chuffed.org/project/1430...

It is with heavy heart (and, unfortunately, deep affection) that I must reshare a snippet from the 1980s masterpiece “Yes, Prime Minister”, in relation to Russia’s drone attack on a NATO ally.

Fine, fine, I'll get it started

How come Shit Men™️ get so much airtime (up to & including *while they are on trial for being shit*) to spout their self-aggrandising bullshit. Wallace, Mandelson, Linehan all over today's timelines, defending the indefensible and doing the "Woe is Me, I'm the Victim Here" act. Heartily sick of it

Dear USA Deploying troops against civilians will not go well. Yours Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Impressive! When concerns and misconceptions about health are addressed head on, we can bridge divides. We need more conversations like this.

Unfashionable, but I always liked them, and still do. RIP Rick Davies #Supertramp youtu.be/wQLFv-kfZHU?...

Red admiral catching the sun on a rose bush early this morning. #photography #photographersofbluesky #nature #butterflies

That should be on BBC and Sky News this evening but I won't hold my breath.

Why do we have to go to the USA for Farage to be properly questioned?

Just a shame that the journalists of the BBC and Sky don't point this out when he appears on their shows.

It's just so very tiring. But it looks like it needs to be said again and again.

Isn't he solution to this to get rid of transfer fees, give players employment contracts with the option to resign (and clubs to sack them) with, let's say, half a season notice? #premierleague #football #transfers www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Via Ronald S. on FB.

Punchy Lib Dem source quote about Kemi Badenoch's supposed offer from Stamford, as detailed in this excellent story by colleague @jessicaelgot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

YES! Thank you... Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". - seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951.

As noted elsewhere in this thread, Isaac from Crystal Clean Windows York Limited came over and cleaned the restaurants windows for free and helped remove the graffiti. That's patriotism! Trying to make your community better. Reaching out and helping others.

People’s homes are being stormed by far-right groups. The govt. Is saying nothing about how violence like this will not be tolerated. Where is Starmer’s “law and order” now? They’ve no control and we are moments away from someone being killed. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Detailed and convincing case, if one was needed, for why pandering to the hard right won't win you votes courtesy of @mariosrichards.bsky.social

This will not work because the UK is an island and has lost the ability to cooperate with France whence the boats came, because of Brexit. Asylum seekers have to be housed in hotels because they’re prevented from working and earning their own money. 1/2

The latest polling from @moreincommonuk.bsky.social showed a sharp INCREASE in support for the UK staying in the European Convention on Human Rights. Read the research👇 🔗 www.moreincommon.org.uk/latest-insig... #ECHR #SilentMajority

It is in fact wild that the actual experts on migration, i.e. service providers, caseworkers, advisors and migrants themselves, are the only people who Downing St is ignoring on migration. Everyone else has a Legitimate Concern, except those Legitimately Concerned.

@stephenkb.bsky.social (via @gilesyb.bsky.social) in the FT is dead on: "The present Labour government wants to fight and win a fear campaign against Farage — but proposes to do this without ever setting out what we should be afraid of. I doubt that is going to work, quite frankly."

"Bluntly, if the government cannot make the point that it is a bad idea to give money to the Taliban, it is far from clear to me when a better opportunity to attack Farage is going to present itself."- on.ft.com/3HKB1zO via @stephenkb.bsky.social

Excellent thread from @james-bg.bsky.social on Labour's energy predicament.

Historically accurate

Problem is @sianushka.bsky.social it seems from here that none of the interviewers on the news channels are remotely interested in asking such questions. As in the US, the UK media is failing to even mumble truth to power.

Plus he will only need <25% of the vote in one election. He doesn't need anything like Trump's level of popularity, and doesn't need to worry about mid-terms.

FFS - ignoring them doesn’t make them go away. And the vacuum is filled by ever more angry bile. Farage needs to be challenged at every step - the snake oil salesman who promised leaving the EU would “give us back control” (that went well) now promising that leaving the ECHR will do the same…