The truth: we need migration. The problem: too many politicians are terrified to say it. Why? They're led by a) toxicity of the charlatans & b) wealthy media organisations who demand these useful distractions rather than us talking about inequality. Reject it. Draw the line.

After Charlie Kirk's shooting, X's Grok and Google's AI Overviews spread false claims. Varsha Bansal explores how misinformation is laundered by AI during breaking news, and the challenges of moderating and regulating AI systems. www.techpolicy.press/what-does-it...

.@SadiqKhan responds to Farage’s deportation plan “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.”

Kicking off our #LDConf programme with a packed room, looking at inclusive curriculum & assessment reform in partnership with @aqaeducation.bsky.social. Ellie Harris (@thedifferenceed.bsky.social), David Laws, Phil Sayles, @schwitzer.bsky.social & @munirawilson.bsky.social on the panel.

29,000 planning approvals for new homes in England last year. Must build 300,000 to hit target of 1.5m by 2029. UK lacks capacity: World's biggest importer of bricks 30%-40% cement imported Shortage of labour, materials No govt addresses long-term issues, all make populist promises.

Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing. Consequence of policies of successive govts, real cut in university income, hard to recruit foreign students. Science subjects cut as they require heavy investment. Skills shortages will deepen.

Check out the first instalment as part of my wider investigation exposing the influence of MAGA race science into the heart of British politics. This hypernormalisation of anti-Black racism is happening under our nose.

For one lifelong enthusiast, a visit to the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway was about steam, stories – and nine new books. Prof Richard Murphy tells us more.

September 18, 2025

London muddles through on international recruitment. Rural hospitals and coastal towns crumble. Brexit didn’t just break the NHS — it deepened its inequalities. The Bear writes.

Britain’s care system is running on unpaid labour — and most of it falls on women. Read the report by @jrf-uk.bsky.social's @abbyabhaya.bsky.social here: www.ippr.org/articles/who...

Since I'm seeing a flood of folk cancelling various subscriptions right now - it's also maybe a great time to divert a bit of that money towards publications & independent voices doing great work? The longest continuously published magazine in the US is a good pick: www.scientificamerican.com 1/

Psychologically healthy people rarely show racism. They don’t need to boost their identity by demeaning others. Dr Steve Taylor writes. From #TheConversation -- thanks!

A grim reminder: these people will never be satisfied. There’s no point at which they will say “we’ve won, let’s enjoy life.” They will always be looking for someone else to punish, to revile, to dehumanize. They’re empty without that.

My latest in @thebulwark.com about the battlefield of information, and why we’re losing.

A truly pathetic story. GOP Senators, who know that Trump and Vance are protecting Putin and hurting Ukraine, complain about it anonymously. They are members of Congress for god's sake. Schedule a vote if you want. They are as bad as Trump and protecting Putin as much. thehill.com/homenews/sen...

UK govts appease corporations and the super-rich, people navigate crumbling social infrastructure. Hard to see GP/Dentist Shortage of social housing. Sewage in rivers. Sky-high energy prices 6.25m in England await 7.4m hospital appointments. Unchecked profiteering. Must abandon neoliberalism.

If you can 'reprogramme' AI, which clearly you can, then *no one should be using it as a trusted source of information*, especially not educators.

The last stand against William and his invading Norman forces came from the fens. East Anglia proved difficult to gain, thanks to the guerrilla warfare conducted by Hereward the Wake and his Ely rebels. Sarah Patey tells us more

Let’s get this straight, once and for all: Homophobia is not an opinion. Transphobia is not an opinion. Xenophobia is not an opinion. Misogyny is not an opinion. Racism is not an opinion. It’s hatred. — Are we all clear on this?

I know I'll take flak for this, but the principle - if not the execution - is sound. Modular reactors can enable the decarbonisation of parts of the economy that are otherwise hard to reach. But tying their development to the US? That's less sound. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Brexit wasn’t abstract, writes The Bear. It stripped out the NHS’s stabilisers – staff, medicines, safety nets – and left us running on fumes. The cost isn’t just GDP points. It’s lives.

News! At 4.30pm today, MPs will debate the Save Our Children's Rights petition calling on the Government to retain the legal right to assessment and support in education for children with Special Educational Needs. This matters

Foreign billionaires don’t get to incite violence against Britain. We cannot stay silent. 1/5 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Musk is inciting violence on London's streets.Tommy Robinson is financed by US tech bros. These are all very direct attempts to destabilise the British state. Starmer needs to stand up to this. A government that doesn't defend its country's values against these blatant attacks is not doing its job.

Sky News says police are "overwhelmed by the numbers". Met coped perfectly well with 2x as many at the pro-Gaza rally, 5x as many at the anti-Brexit march, and 15x as many at London Pride. They're not overwhelmed by the numbers. They're overwhelmed by the ratio of violent thugs in those numbers.

"…and Magda Goebbels made a great strudel.”

Lives of the super rich Tankers used to transport water to fill private lakes. Normal people face shortages due to droughts. The same class opposes wealth taxes and higher wages for workers. They have friends in high places.

Please don't do this in pursuit of 'the science of learning' or whatever reason people are suddenly doing it. It's really not good for children's posture for a start. Let alone its impact on enjoyment and how people's eyes normally work when they're reading!

Labour MP Clive Lewis says PM not up to the job, as Mandelson backlash grows. He said the thought of Reform UK leading in the polls "terrifies me, it terrifies my constituents and it terrifies a lot of people in this country... we don't have the luxury of carrying on this way". Via BBC News

Carney: The system of global trade anchored on the United States.. is over. Our old relationship of steadily deepening integration with the United States is over. The 80 year period when the United States embraced the mantle of economic leadership… is over.

The fallout of Trump's policies is becoming clear. But it's the lessons we in UK must learn that is so important says Prof Richard Murphy... Do listen 👇 to his short explanation

Why the reshuffle alone won’t change the UK govt’s fortunes. It needs to junk neoliberal policies, never-ending austerity; directly invest in infrastructure and redistribute income and wealth. Must improve purchasing power of the bottom 50% to energize economy.

Approximately 16k schools all have to access the baseline assessment online at the same time. If you’ve ever tried to log in on results day, I’m sure you can guess how it’s going. Assessments are taking over an hour per child in some cases, in their first weeks of school. When they should be getting

When I work with teachers on behaviour we talk about how many expectations it is realistic to expect young people to remember, especially at the start of the year. I have a joke that the optimists say 3 and the pessimists say 1. Nobody ever says 10. 🧵⬇️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

September 11, 2025

Worth noticing that Ukraine defended itself far better than NATO and against a much more extensive Russian attack at the same time. If we want to be safe we have to help and learn from the Ukrainians.

Why oh why do schools make rods for their own backs over this stuff? Obviously elsewhere on social media it'll be 'school has rules, more as we get it' but really there's a difference between high expectations and clarity, and creating environments that are impossible for some learners to manage. 😔

It's interesting how people who talk most about 'cognitive load' seem to have a blank spot when it comes to behaviour. Expecting new year 7s and learners with SEND to focus on long lists of rules while settling in is too much load, surely!? And that's before you even get to the slant stuff. 😒

A massive, dangerous and disgusting scandal, of which far too few people are yet aware. At @fightingdirty.bsky.social we'll keep pushing to stop it. Congrats to @rachelsalvidge.bsky.social for continuing to shine the light: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The hidden financial crisis of climate change youtu.be/1usIQvFvwYg?... The truth is stark: companies are hiding the real cost of the net-zero transition. Without honest accounting, capital is misallocated, pensions are at risk, and businesses will fail. Sustainable cost accounting is the solution.

It’s now been a day and a half since Russia launched a premeditated military attack on Poland, ostensibly an ally of the USA. And so far this is the only reaction of the US president. And some people still think the US will defend Europe from Russia…

🔴Reform UK Accused of ‘Betraying Residents’ for Benefit of Fossil Fuel Donors as More Net Zero Targets Scrapped Nigel Farage’s party is scrapping green initiatives across the country after taking millions of pounds in donations from oil and gas interests bylinetimes.com/2025/09/11/r...

When will Europeans understand that Trump is actively trying to weaken them, and using NATO to make Europeans act against their own interests? He has basically turned NATO into a stalking horse to help Russia, and Europeans are helping him.

Do your mental health a favor and turn this on for today. You really don't want to watch this. It is awful.

Relatedly: this short video is going to make your day better, I promise you. vimeo.com/6428069?fl=p...

Just sent out this free post. Russia attacked Poland last night--and the NATO response indicates institutional and national failure. They were clearly not prepared, cannot even call the Russian attack an attack, and do not understand their real security concerns. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Dependence on food banks is the new norm in the UK. In a rich country 14m people, including 3.8m children, food insecure. One in six households went hungry last year. Result of low wages/benefits, unchecked profiteering, govt indifference. 1% have more wealth than 70% of the population combined.

High energy prices leave 1m UK households behind on bills. Energy debts doubled in 12 yrs. 6.1m households in fuel poverty. 128,000 people die in fuel poverty. Energy companies made £514bn operating profit since 2020. Can't build economy on poverty and death. End profiteering. Nationalise.

Reform UK think-tank plans Trump-style constitutional changes. DICTATORSHIP. Weaken the authority of judiciary, civil service. Farage to issue Trump-like orders. Emasculated parliament, obedient judiciary, goodbye democracy, farewell the NHS , hello fascism. Legacy for future? archive.ph/49xWE