The last political column I was allowed to write in the @washingtonpost.com was a criticism of Obama. His people took issue with my piece, but we were respectful. Now he is tweeting in support of me. This is how free political speech and respect for debate *actually works*. Or used to work.

I learned such a lot from this thread and the links within it. AI isn't the only threat to journalism today; there is also the issue that reporting predominantly by Gen X and Millennials can completely miss or misunderstand Gen Z cultural references.

Robinson had a chat with a family member about why he didn’t like Kirk’s viewpoints. Robinson admired the “Groypers,” led by Nick Fuentes, who complains that more mainstream organisations like Kirk’s Turning Point USA are not “pro-white” enough. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/september-...?

Mandelson was architect of 2nd State visit for Trump. That visit should not happen. It is sickening to confer special UK honour on Mandelson's fellow Epstein acolyte who is a dangerous autocrat, banning books, militarising police & destroying democratic freedoms.

Why hearing in noisy places gets harder with age, even with “normal” hearing This study links hidden damage in the ear's neural wiring to speech-in-noise difficulties and increased listening effort in middle-aged adults. buff.ly/m9fS8Nv

This is very interesting but also surprising and challenging. Gut feeling is that Reform is always on TV but this analysis suggests the opposite.

Another lovely story from #BrokenNews where Nonce and Ken use their journalistic wits and compassion for a plea to find Nigel. A very, very sad sack of shit that needs to come home and have his tweeds rinsed. Thanks to @larryandpaul.bsky.social

NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights. The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system. 🧵 [1/8]

These are the exact same papers that spent years cheering on the Conservative party's big new restrictions on the right to protest, the right to strike and the blacklisting from official events of anyone who publicly criticised them

Asylum protests vs the local park run. @lgeraghty23.bsky.social runs the numbers for the Big Issue www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

By juggling demand for speaking to national audiences with nurturing individuals & local parties, @zackpolanski.bsky.social can play to his many strengths & bring to life that vital yet often intangible political ingredient about which he spoke so meaningfully - hope. Me for @indyvoices.bsky.social

Anyone NOT see the trend? #ClimateCrisis.

Congratulations @zackpolanski.bsky.social, new leader of @greenparty.org.uk

It’s a pretty common newsroom practice to say that protests of a few hundred (or even a few thousand) people aren’t headline news because they happen all the time. And it’s largely true. What I can’t explain is why even Ofcom regulated TV is determined to make *these* protests news.

The Green Party leadership election is getting serious attention. That reflects how far we’ve come: four MPs, 800+ councillors — and a politics that now looks very different!

Most people seem to think that human rights are needed by other people. History shows that they will continue to believe this until it is too late - and even then, some will still support it even whilst they are being victimised.

HOPE not hate can reveal that Lee Twamley, photographed at the front of Britain First’s “March for Remigration” in Manchester this month, has served prison time for trying to smuggle Vietnamese migrants into the UK. hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/19/e...

This was great fun, but I'm so tired now!

My working day today mainly involves borrowing tables and sorting out camping stuff. If you are at Green Man do come and say hello!

Horrific. mRNA vaccines have saved millions of lives and could save millions more. “I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, a UMN expert on infectious diseases & pandemic preparations. www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-va...

Interesting inflection point. Seems to come around the time faith in mainstream politics really came undone

About a sixth of the public endorse very extreme views on making legal/settled migrants leave & then follow up on the specifics. (This overlaps with the 8% who say they support violence in protests & liked the riots, so it should be challenged, not indulged)

YouGov yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

I like to feel optimistic about the future but then people like these Reform councillors step in and undermine work that has already been done and shown to be effective. Repeating at local government level the kind of things happening in the US.

Also very striking that only c 1/10 Labour voters would consider voting Reform. Which should be significant in influencing the government’s political strategy.

It was wet, windy, tiring and fun doing a stall about public health research in Keynsham on Saturday. Every so often I am struck by how cool it is that part of my job involves painting, cutting, sticking, and talking to children about science.

MORNING ALL! Today is the 9th anniversary of the Brexit vote. How do we all think it’s gone so far?

The public expects tangible improvements in the NHS, schools and housing before the next general election, @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social / @yougov.co.uk polling shared with PolHome found www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Why is the UN destroying a Brazil rainforest? news.mongabay.com/2024/07/to-h...

So much to unpick here ... a phone without a processor ... a truly American network that is actually an MVNO on the network of a German-owned company ... the disclaimer on the press release that this really has nothing to do with the Trump family ... and then there's all that gold!

"Roughly 1 in 12 Christians in the US are at risk of deportation or live with someone who is ... More than 1 in 18 of the country’s evangelicals could be impacted by mass deportations." www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/amer...

It's good to have some positive news.

It's COUNTER conference week! @tashamc.bsky.social @sianharris.bsky.social and all our speakers have been busy putting together what we hope will be a great half day. If you are a COUNTER member and are yet to register, do join us! www.countermetrics.org/counter-conf...

It does not feel like 'equality' if people who don't appear feminine enough have to carry their birth certificate in order to go to the gym.

In the latest post from ORIGINal Thoughts, @tashamc.bsky.social and @sianharris.bsky.social of @countermetrics.bsky.social, explain how COUNTER works, what it counts, and why your editorial and publishing teams should consider it essential business intelligence. Read more: buff.ly/14pXuUD

Govt trying to tell us that the only way to tackle the housing crisis is to bulldoze over nature & local communities so developers can build build build. But what are they building - the affordable homes we need, or the ones that make them the most profit? hyphenonline.com/2025/05/19/h...

#Eurovision is tonight, and here's a hilarious fun fact about it: Israel has started a massive offensive against civilian populations in Gaza with the explicit aim of conquering the entire territory and ethnically cleansing its population, and Eurovision has aggressively refused to give a shit.

This promises to be a really interesting event in Bedminster on Tuesday evening.

More evidence of the health impacts of unclean air on children & young people. “… adolescents who lived in polluted areas during early childhood… had a risk up to a third higher of reporting worse health at age 17” UK gov is yet to set out its approach to improving air quality. More urgency pls.

Read this thread. It's fascinating. And a scary reminder of how something happening in one place affects the whole planet.

Every constituency with a Labour MP has a coalition of enough progressive voters to elect a LibDem or Green MP instead. Bearing in mind the explosion of tactical voting in 2024, Labour needs to remember that people can vote them out as well as in.

My letter to the Prime Minister. #immigration

anne widdecombe coming at labour from the left is wild af. keir starmer has gotta go.

A great piece by @carladenyer.bsky.social and an important one. My life is enriched by my many friends and colleagues who were not born in the UK. Yes, there are things that need fixing about community cohesion, and about the immigration system, but stoking the fire of tensions is not the answer.

Pope Leo XIV has a degree in mathematics from Villanova university. To get where he is he has had to demonstrate a sound knowledge of original sin, but he will be the first pope to completely grasp original cos and original tan.

I used to vote Labour every election. But time & again they've watered down what they stand for. Their lack of prioritising climate change (as well as fence sitting about Brexit) was why I joined @greenparty.org.uk 6 yrs ago. And now some in Govt want to soften their environmental ambitions further.

It is unbelievably frustrating that a politician in 2025 can believe that tackling climate change is about "saving the planet 40 years down the line"