RIP Sir Garry Sobers. The Guardian notes he will always be associated with Glamorgan, for hitting six sixes from one over in Swansea www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

Andy Burnham could be about to make a big mistake on his first days in office, by caving in to Trump's repeated demands for the UK to approve new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. Join our allies @fossilfreeldn.bsky.social to protest tomorrow (Sat) 11am. Andy, don't burn 'em!

The ballot papers are going out, vital to spread the word on Sharon Graham's opposition to climate change action. Only 10% turnout last time, so Unite members (including me) who want more climate action can remove her from office.

The third reading of the Representation of the People Bill has been moved to September. This gives Andy Burnham time to address the elephant in the room: our broken voting system. More than 180 MPs are calling for electoral reform to be part of the Bill. The new PM must listen.

Will add it's much easier to not start there or shift when you're just starting up than move all your subscribers later. Advice here!

Reminder! There are alternatives to Substack! Which do not have its ethical problems! (My newsletter is on Ghost, which is fabulous, and Buttondown is among the others I've heard praised.) Thread--

That and the launch codes, obvs.

Just 10 billionaires have already poured over $600 MILLION into this year's midterms. In the entire 2008 presidential cycle, the last election before Citizens United, total billionaire spending was $16 million. If you're wondering what the real threat to "election integrity" is, it's Big Money.

🚨 A crisis is building 🚨 Drought (made worse by El Nino), conflict, Ebola and rising food prices are converging in the Greater Horn of Africa, raising fears of a major humanitarian crisis. theconversation.com/africas-grea...

LUCID Trump's Obsession With Undoing His 2020 Defeat Every authoritarian leader has a central obsession that comes to occupy propaganda and policy. Trump's is fixing the system so he never loses aqain Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social July 15, 2026 open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

Andy Burnham’s ‘Manchesterism’, a degrowth perspective Tomorrow, Andy Burnham will become the next UK Prime Minister.  He has set out his vision for his premiership, under the title 'Manchesterism'.  Much ink has already been spilled in scrutinising it.  Our sister site, Steady State Manchester,…

We have forgotten how to read the living world. How to understand soil, seeds, fungi, bodies, communities and economies as part of one interdependent web. These eight thinkers offer a way back. re-generation.cc/en/longread/... #NatureWriting

After Zia Yusuf accuses critics of endangering Reform politicians with violent language, he is read a list of quotes where he called Reform's opponents "lunatics who deserve extinction", "sick arsonists" and "traitors" who will face a "reckoning". He says these are in "a totally different category"

🚨 The government agreed an NHS drug price hike with Trump's administration, and neither the public nor MPs have had a say in it. This deal could force the NHS to pay BILLIONS more for medicines, pushing other services to breaking point. Watch, share, and tag your MP 👇🏽

In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave, Toronto is now breathing the worst air in the world. These wildfires have also caused air quality alerts across Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and smoke is forecast to move to New York, Washington and the East coast later this week.

If recent heatwaves are the symptom, then climate change is the illness, and net zero is the medicine. With some very honourable exceptions, some parts of the media appear not to be joining up these dots. eciu.net/media/press-...

"We've got to stop normalising this idea that it's normal to try and avoid contributing to public services and infrastructure if you can massively afford to do that." Did you catch our member Julia on @garyseconomics.bsky.social documentary?

At a press conference on Thursday, the head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said the threat from extreme-right wing terrorism was rising and had been a key driver of the decision to raise the national terror threat level from substantial to “severe” in May

This weekend we remembered the thousands of victims killed in the Srebrenica Genocide 31 years ago. We stand united against the hatred and intolerance which led to their massacre. #RememberingSrebrenica

With the current heatwave forecast to continue until the start of the summer holidays in England, teachers may be questioning how they can protect and prepare their pupils for an uncertain future. A book I've co-authored on "Teaching the Climate Emergency in Primary Schools" may be helpful 👇🏽

Looks like a wealth tax is an ace with the Great British public - as Brighty Buoy found out at Wimbledon. Do you support a 2% tax on wealth over £10m?

Patriotic Millionaires founder Rebecca Gowland urges our leaders to listen to the millionaires who want a wealth tax.

I don't think I've ever seen a group of people take a joke quite as badly to heart as this lot have this week

Congratulations to Mid Suffolk and East Suffolk councils on being nominated for the Planning for Nature Recovery Award. Two of just five councils shortlisted nationwide. Both are Green-led, as is Forest of Dean. That is not a coincidence.

We have just started a Meet Up group for flight-free travellers. The idea is to have casual get-togethers at various times at various points around the UK, to swap stories about flight-free travel. First meet up London 30th July! www.meetup.com/london-viaje...

Britain has no cap on political donations. None. @stellacreasy.bsky.social has proposed capping them at £100,000. MPs - and everyone else - should back it when the Elections Bill returns to Parliament next week. New by me on Democracy for Sale: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-to-sto...

And there it is… www.desmog.com/2026/04/30/r...

Proud to be a paid up member ✊🏼 this is what the country needs 🙌🏽

STOP the use of #herbicides in your #garden with our tips on #organic alternatives. And please sign & share our #GrowersAgainstGlyphosate #petition to stop #glyphosate use! 📢 Sign at gardenorganic.org.uk/glyphosate-campaign & find out more at gardenorganic.org.uk/pesticides

If anyone would like to know more about the causes of the wildfires in Spain, my documentary Fires and Fascism is available to watch online for a donation: fires-and-fascism.co.uk#watch-online @paulkirby.bsky.social

Hustings at the Clacton by election.

Days after resigning as an MP due the furore over his gifts from crypto investors, Farage is due to speak at a crypto-backed conference. Seriously.

The Mail on Burnham becoming PM without a general election vs. when Tories do it: 🤯

In 2013 the UK Gov guidance on setting 20mph encouraged doing so on main roads. As progressive authorities across UK did so, it has built the evidence that 20mph main roads with previous higher speeds and pedestrian interactions record greater speed reductions and 25% casualty reductions. #20splenty

⚽️ Bring it home, England – with a new debt justice law! ⚽️ A HUGE 90% of debt contracts between lower-income countries and private lenders are overseen by UK law. The UK knows how to change the call. Tell the government to give unjust debt the red card debtjustice.org.uk/redcard #tackleunjustdebt

Developing countries spend more repaying foreign debt than on education, UN reveals www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

This is just too funny. Daily Mail poll at 77% Voting for Count Binface with Farage trailing way behind. Feel free to take part. 🤣 www.dailymail.com/news/article...

Climate change is already hitting UK seabirds. Storms are washing exhausted puffins and razorbills ashore+ cuckoos are missing peak caterpillar season entirely. RSPB experts warn some species could decline 70 -80% by 2050 without action. https://youtu.be/Lh5yjCotPug #RSPB #ClimateChange #birds

Just days after hundreds of people protests against a £13bn data centre & energy storage plan in the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, the government has said it will scrap mandatory public consultation for such major infrastructure projects. thedeveloper.live/reportage/go...

🚨 Five Cheshire East shops have been served with closure orders following a joint operation targeting anti-social behaviour and illegal trading activity. The operation was carried out by @CheshirePolice with support from Cheshire East Council's Trading Standards team.

Nigel Farage £5 million 'gift' from a cryptocurrency billionaire was reported to the National Crime Agency by bankers who were concerned it was money laundering. The whistleblowers alerted the NCA as they were "not satisfied they could trace the ultimate origin of the funds."

Left: Nigel Farage, "Over the last two years I've really enjoyed the job of being an MP" Right: Nigel Farage has missed 63% of Commons Votes

Campaigning in Greater Manchester today and just running through some life lessons...

FACTCHECK: A guide to manufacturing headlines, by the Times 1) highlight upfront costs of an “eco” home (EV, heat pump, solar) 2) pretend that petrol cars and gas boilers are free (yes really) 3) count upfront “eco” costs twice, for good measure 4) that’s it!

The European mole (Talpa europaea) has a toxin in its saliva which paralyses earthworms, their favourite food. The moles can then store the paralysed earthworms in special 'larder' chambers within their burrows, where they are kept alive and fresh until later consumption! #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪🪱

We are appalled to hear National Highways are seeking to remove measures to reduce and monitor the air pollution impact of the Lower Thames Crossing project on Epping Forest! Please object to the National Highways consultation before 28th July transportactionnetwork.org.uk/national-hig...

NEW: Before cryptobillionaire Christopher Harborne gave £5m to @nigel_farage, he gave £1m to Boris Johnson. For what?? Today @thenerve.news news reveals new evidence that tracks Harborne's investments in defence firm QinetiQ...to key defence announcements from Boris Johnson. 1/

Just to remind ourselves, here are our initial @bylinetimes.bsky.social's investigations into Cottrell's role in helping Farage become a true 'Man of the Paypal' er.... checks notes... 7 years ago

🧵I’d rather spend my weekends doing something else than post about Nigel Farage’s murky finances, but his behaviour poses such a threat to our democratic norms that I wanted to flag a number of points in the public interest.