I am sure there will be no economic or structual consequences to this, in a country with a rapidly aging population and unsustainable population pyramid

Shabana Mahmood is wrong - Another cowardly attack on immigrants does not hide the incompetence of the Starmer government. Me, for the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Coverage of the refugee proposals demonstrates why we have such a broken political system. Endless focus on left-wing anger and right-wing support. Basically nothing on whether the reforms will work. They will not, which is why we'll still be here having the same debate in three years.

National Insurance Dodge UK employers pay national insurance on employee/director wages. That doesn't apply to profits (instead of wages) extracted by partners in partnerships. Billions dodged. I asked the Minister whether that policy was wrong. Watch how he dodges the question.

And this is the book – which also contains a story about a man operating on his own bladder stone. Watch this space!

We begin today with a content warning: this dispatch from history is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you wish, do please join me for the tale of the Sun King’s anal fistula and the three-hour operation performed on it without anaesthetic on this day in 1686... 🧵

Spending my lunchtime rewatching this. The moment that had me shouting at the telly is about 20 minutes 40 seconds in. Witchcraft, I tell you

So Labour is forcing huge immigration onto communities & destroying their environment. Honestly? Voting Tory would have been better than this shower. They have no moral core values news.sky.com/story/new-ho...

Our Twitter account has been locked because we posted an expose of a Councillor in Lancashire. Because we copied in Lancashire Council and said ‘are they going to act’ this has been deemed as ‘incitement’. Incitement of a council doing this job. Let’s look at what Councillor Tom Pickup did…

November flowering plant challenge - Surrey Uber patch: now up to 236 species with addition of Himalayan Balsam, Common Fumitory and this flower bed interloper Eastern Pellitory-of-the-wall, until today a plant I hadn’t heard of - distinct from P. judaica in its obvious robustness #UrbanPlants

Hi, it's me again. I'm reposting this today because a whole lot of people who saw this yesterday told me they appreciated it. Know this: I believe in you. If you need permission to have some quiet space for yourself, here it is. <3

I’m alive just feeling the urge to burrow under a rock and hibernate. Here have a sketch of dimetrodon painted with gunk I scraped off a dimetrodon coracoid. #sciart #paleoart

Day eight of the #Novemberflowerchallenge brings us up to 187 species, with a few added from the town of Deal. White Ramping-fumitory, and Water Bent at the end of the pier.

Day 9 of the #Novemberflowerchallenge. A few more species added from arable fields including Field Pansy, Cleavers (at last!) and Dogwood. Total species = 193.

We decided to count the number of species flowering locally in the month of November, and it's become a #Novemberflowerchallenge. Helped by the mild weather and varied habitats we have so far recorded 193 species in 9 days, including Meadowsweet. #wildflowerhour kingsdownkent.blogspot.com

Day eleven and we have hit 200 species of flowering plant in November, with additions including Common Broomrape (!), Blue Fleabane and Common Bird’s-Foot Trefoil. Quite overwhelmed by the numbers of species flowering this warm month.

Day 12’s visit to the seaside didn’t bring many new flowering species (now 211) but it was good to be out. Also good to bump into the great Nic Mitchell @getwild1.bluesky.social Sea Mayweed at Pegwell and Sticky Groundsel at Deal.

When in Dover….. visit @dovermuseum.bsky.social. Currently exhibiting a history of Crabble sports ground (the terraces have some great wild plants) and an immersive VR presentation that includes Anne Pratt. Must be a first.

Basil Thyme has been the most surprising flowering plant found in our #Novemberflowerchallenge. The mild month has (so far) given up 229 species while the Surrey competitor has seen more. #wildflowerhour KingsdownKent.blogspot.com

If you go to the supermarket you will find that the prices never go down That's because this handful of corporations not only supplies almost everything in the supermarket, they also own controlling shares in the supermarkets too Doesn't matter if it's New York, London or Tokyo

Whatever Trump is desperately covering up about Epstein, it’s clearly so bad that he thinks it could destroy him

Remember the recent middle-of-the-night apartment building raid where children were dragged outside naked & zip-tied in the street while black & Latino residents were _sorted by race_ and piled into separate vans while their apartments were ransacked & robbed? That raid? So it resulted in 0 arrests.

Surprisingly pleasant on the cliffs of St Margaret’s Bay, with only a bit of drizzle. Added Goldenrod and Orange Mullein, bringing the #Novemberflowerchallenge total up to 218 species. Entertainment was provided by a displaying Raven.

Day 15 of the #NovemberFlowerChallenge, and a good one despite the mist. Some good chalk species added from Lydden, including a late Autumn Gentian, Basil Thyme, Dyers Greenweed and a solitary Botanists’ Thistle. And Monkey-Flower by the Dour. Now on 228 species.

🦇 November is here and for bats periods of torpor are lasting longer. Some begin hibernation, to save energy over the colder months, when insects are harder to find. They are using stored fat as fuel.

🦇 We are still receiving calls for injured and grounded bats, if you do find a bat that needs help, please contact the Bat Conservation Trust National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 or report it via our website www.kentbatgroup.org.uk or simply google "help I've found a bat" for advice

New flowering species are getting harder to find. A few more today including Smooth Hawk’s-beard and Self-heal taking the #Novemerflowerchallenge total to 120.

Tonight, the Woodcock Moon rises. 🌕 Folklore whispers of Woodcocks awaiting this moonlit night to cross the seas & arrive in huge numbers on our shores. It was believed tiny Goldcrests journeyed with them, riding on their backs! It will be our second Supermoon of the year.

A surprising 32 more species were seen in today’s round of the #Novemberflowerchallenge, on chalk grassland and Sandhills in East Kent. Devil’s-bit Scabious, Long-stalked Crane’s-bill and Common Rock-rose were the most colourful. Total is now 152, and we’re not at all competitive. Much.

The summer fragrance of Meadowsweet is incongruous in November. The search continued into the dusk, at Worth marshes.

This mild weather is certainly encouraging plant species to flower again, especially after some verge cutting. White Melilot and Meadowsweet have both bloomed again. The #Novemberflowerchallenge total is now 170 species.

Day seven of the #Novemberflowerchallenge saw us on the chalk arable fields of the East Kent prairies. 10 more species, including Common Poppy and Thyme-leaved Sandwort, bring the total up to 180.

They speak about the value of doing your best without comparing yourself to others, and the freedom that comes from recognising that another person’s success doesn’t diminish your own. We can all succeed in different ways, and there’s enough room for everyone to live well.

Sounds like ignorant cu next Tuesday.

Exactly this.

A few chalk species picked up today in the damp gloom, including Burnet Saxifrage, bringing the #Novemerflowerchallenge total to 108.

Whenever doubters tell you the super-rich can't be taxed, show them this ... 👇

Early and Common Dog-violets tucked away in an East Kent wood. No respecters of season #wildflowerhour

An arable day today, and up to 98 for November but still lagging behind. #wildflowerhour

A pale, late Nettle-leaved Bellflower, seen earlier in the week so not a November bloom #wildflowerhour

Chuffed to find these dog stinkhorns (Mutinus caninus) near Whitfield.

There are just 7 days left for you to make your voice heard in our Annual General Meeting: buff.ly/LcZhyeO Cast your vote before midnight on 31 Oct.

Narrow-leaved ragwort thriving on Walmer beach, in this case sheltered by another newcomer, holm oak. Naturalised #wildflowerhour

Holm oaks are having a bumper acorn year. There seems to be a relationship between them and fungi species on the shingle beach.

Meadowsweet having a new floral flush, after the ditch mower has passed. #wildflowerhour

Knotgrass comes in all shapes and sizes - long & straggly, and short & stumpy #wildflowerhour

"The United States is on the cusp of understanding what life is like in Saudi Arabia, Iran, & Afghanistan. (NOT an exaggeration.) This is the Christian Nationalism I begged Americans to reject last year, but the mythical price of eggs was more important."

Gary: I'm not saying that Farage or Donald Trump are racists or fascists, right, I'm not... Zack: I am. lol. 😂