Brilliant response!

As an atheist in Liverpool Cathedral, listening to beautiful music and poetry, one thought struck me: Jesus was a refugee. Matthew 2 tells of Joseph and Mary fleeing with him to Egypt. Remember this at Christmas—and reflect on today’s right-wing rhetoric that presently leaches into our lives.

The horror in Bondi should shock us all. Violence grows from lies spread by those who claim some lives matter less. Reject killers—and the voices that feed them. Call out evil, but don’t blame those who simply look or live differently. Fascism thrives on division. Stand united against hate.

This piece was inspired by a friend’s grief — a father’s love defines a son, and his absence redefines him. kirkeytalk.com/the-tunnel-w...

Weight loss is a huge challenge; so why are people ashamed of success and then criticised when there's an easier option with drugs like Monjaro? | Ian Kirke

COYP!

COYP! #nottscounty #efl2 #notts

Romance of the FA Cup? Try flogging that fairy tale to Weston-super-Mare. All that hope, expectation, excitement-gone quicker than you can say “magic of the cup.” Grimsby Town away: as romantic as a Travelodge with a broken kettle or a candlelit dinner at Greggs. #FACup #NonLeague #WestonSuperMare

Supporting a racist who idolises Putin doesn’t make you part of the solution; it makes you complicit in the problem.

Here's the whole interview. youtu.be/DMlj-Tn2_BA?...

From wooden relics that belonged in the Crimean War to extendable batons that turned every arrest into slapstick theatre—this is policing told with grit, absurdity, and a grin. Chaos, comedy, and flashes of brilliance kirkeytalk.com/the-baton-of... #PoliceMemoir #Satire #TrueStories

On the one hand, anything to distract from reports of his increasingly well-documented, lifelong racism. On the other, if he's told some donors this (& the FT will have sourced this properly) you can be sure that he'd've told others the polar opposite if he thought that's what they wanted to hear.

The three phases of supporting Notts: Merriment, madness and misery. COYP!

“Speaking outside his chateau in France…” I kid you not. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We’re almost at 1,000 views! The feedback has been incredible, and we’re so grateful for your support. If you haven’t watched yet, now’s the time—help us spread the truth and make an impact. youtu.be/z3fYMH6gb8I?...

“Thick as a Brick” by Jethro Tull feels like the anthem for a chunk of today’s British electorate. An outed racist, boss of a convicted Russian asset, architect of the biggest political con in our history now leads a limited company that’s ahead in the polls. What on earth happened to Great Britain?

Go @shelaghfogarty.bsky.social !

The beautiful thing about TWENTY of his classmates saying Farage was a huge racist at school, means that he'll lose any libel case he tries. Civil cases are won on "balance of probability". i.e. You just have to prove that it's more likely than not. And it's already 20 to 1!

Forget me not: unravelling the mystery of poor memory Forgetfulness is a frustrating trait, but delving deeper into the complexities of memory dispels many myths around failure to remember | Ian Kirke @iankirke.bsky.social

Farage can now be easily boxed in to a corner where his only ‘defence’ becomes: “Yes I spouted Kremlin propaganda & Putin worship but, unlike Nathan Gill, I didn’t need bribes to do it.” It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.

Waiting for the axe to drop on Gill insulates the government from any Faragist crap about being unfairly targeted. Although he’ll probably try it anyway. I don’t think this story is over.

“Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom”

Asylum myths debunked: 1. Irregular entry? Legal 2. “Proper channels”? Impossible 3. Claim after arrival? Correct 4. Waiting=legal 5. Appeals=safeguard 6. “First safe country”? Not law 7. Cost flips when work allowed 8. Benefits? Not a pull factor Truth matters Lives matter #Refugees #FactsOverFear

Forgetfulness is a frustrating trait, but delving deeper into the complexities of memory dispels many myths around failure to remembe | Ian Kirke

Having Johnson & Cummings in Downing Street when Covid struck was, just like Brexit, an entirely avoidable disaster caused largely by utterly appalling journalism. And now exactly the same clowns, arses & bigots with bylines are rolling out the red carpet for Farage. www.thetimes.com/article/1b15...

Forget me not: unravelling the mystery of poor memory Forgetfulness is a frustrating trait, but delving deeper into the complexities of memory dispels many myths around failure to remember | Ian Kirke @iankirke.bsky.social @centralbylines.co.uk

Will it all end when everyone in Britain looks like me wearing Union shorts? Or will Farage and his cronies invent another scapegoat?

We are comfortably through but to be fair I would have been disappointed if Notts hadn’t topped this table.

Blue light capers: a nostalgic account of police life Bygone days in the police with ‘emergency’ capers are less likely to feature in the policing of today @iankirke.bsky.social @centralbylines.co.uk

The explosive new episode of Cops, Capers & Custard.: The Disappearance of Nicola Bulley: Policing the Scapegoat? Peter Faulding of SGI breaks down the Nicola Bulley case—and how expert insight was buried. This is not just a story. It’s a reckoning. youtu.be/z3fYMH6gb8I #NicolaBulley

Ever wondered what happens when a cop needs an emergency loo break, forgets his sock etiquette at a mosque, or uses sirens to chase his own wife? Spoiler: it’s not in the training manual. Tales of blue-lighting it back to dignity, decorum, and occasionally ASDA. kirkeytalk.com/blue-light-c...

Bygone days in the police with ‘emergency’ capers are less likely to feature in the policing of today | Ian Kirke

Coming soon on www.kirkeytalk.com… Confessions of a Former Fat Bloke: Why We Need to Talk About Mounjaro. Mounjaro. Miracle or moral dilemma? Some folks drop three stone and suddenly forget how to speak. I unpack the shame of success, the tribalism of transformation, & the human condition in Lycra.

It’s as easy as ABC* but Rachel Reeves took two years to get there… Social media blanket for Aussie teens. Home birth. Austerity; Brexit; Covid. tinyurl.com/4rrn2mkx

COYP!

The latest casualty of Brexit gets reported in the Daily Mail…. www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic...

If only I could be this creative with the English language. Hits the nail on the head perfectly.

Farage Lied. Brexit Failed. He conned Britain into Brexit. Now he’s using Reform to do it again. He won’t stop the boats — Brexit made the crisis worse. Most Brits want to rejoin the EU. Farage thrives on fear. Don’t fall for it twice. #RejoinEU #FarageExposed #Bregret #StopTheScapegoating

No football for me today - have to attend a family event. I’m saddened to hear that my son lost his Saturday job at Woolworths and aghast that my daughter is now an Australian citizen.

Prince Andrew deemed a threat by security services Concerns about the royal’s links to alleged Chinese spies reached highest levels of government, say sources www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family...

If the government won’t admit Brexit’s damage, an independent Royal Commission must. A calm, forensic case from former MEP Andrew Duff. ⤵️ @eastangliabylines.co.uk @andrewduffeu.bsky.social

COYP!

Canada's magnificently diverse landscapes and relatively uninhabited land highlight humanity's insignificance against the power of nature | Ian Kirke @iankirke.bsky.social

Today, I did the unthinkable—I willingly bought a pair of slippers. Not under duress or as a gift for someone else. Just… because. I’ve reached the bottom of the slippery slope haven’t I?

@iankirke.bsky.social Thank you for the exceptional article about our vast and diverse country! Next visit, please try to come to the East Coast, to the Maritimes. Lots of beaches and bears 🐻 …. I scared this critter up my tree one Spring morning coming out the front door. 😁

Shaved my bonce. Got a head massage. Felt like a peach on velvet. Turns out, beauty is in the eye of the bald bloke holding the voucher. My latest piece: Turkish Delight: A Close Shave with Beauty It’s got razors, research, and ridiculous metaphors. Read it. Feel good! kirkeytalk.com/turkish-deli...