I do think people really need to start believing again that good things can happen - otherwise life is just one painful retreat after another.

Kuenssberg constantly disrupting Burnham's responses to her questions. Philp allowed to spout his nonsense in respectful silence.

My experience has been totally the opposite. I endured years of declining engagement levels on the other place, even before Musk turned it into a full-on hellscape. In contrast, Bluesky has been far more interactive and congenial. Oh, yeah, and a fuck of a lot less racist! bsky.app/profile/flak...

Andy Adams@flakphoto.news · 2w ago

Bluesky has got to be the quietest social network I've ever used. I don't get much engagement here, but I always find something interesting, often intellectually engaging, and occasionally something soulful. Unlearning my social media expectations might be the whole ball game.

Lisa Nandy has lots to say about Manchester City Still silent on the BBC, GB News & media ownership 🤷‍♂️

Wow I’ve never seen this photo before. The two figures from American Gothic (who turn out to be the family dentist and the artist’s sister!) www.ft.com/content/6015...

The NHS is the greatest thing this country has dreamt up and delivered, I don’t think the politicians of today would have the courage or the fortitude to create it. We must protect it at all costs from the vultures who would love nothing more than to break it up and sell it off. Anyway that’s me.

Anyway glad to say after a nervous wait, my eye is ok. I mean it will never be great after what happened previously but for now I still have some sight in it. How lucky was I to be able to go to my local hospital and get that expert analysis from brilliant experts free of charge?

It honestly makes me furious and so sad to imagine how some of these guys must feel when they see politicians, media outlets and big chunks of the public spreading such vile messaging about the contribution of immigrants to our national life. I saw that contribution today, millions see it every day

As always it just makes a total mockery of the rhetoric we increasingly see being allowed to spread around our country about the contribution of immigrants. Our NHS and social care sectors would simply fall apart without those who come here to provide these essential and expert services…

Another thing you can’t help but notice when interacting with the NHS is just how many of these brilliant professionals are of different nationalities. Today I was seen by a Doctor and a nurse from different nations and they were just brilliant….

…it’s the opposite. I was just in awe of the staff as they raced around dealing with a huge volume of patients with efficiency, professionalism & kindness. We were regularly updated with how long waits were & reasons behind this - nurses, doctors and others working in harmony to keep things running

Went to hospital today. Some who followed me on the other place might remember I had a traumatic eye injury (retinal detachment) a few years ago. I had some worrying symptoms today but thankfully all ok. It was a busy day in A&E and I ended up waiting 5 hours, but this is far from a complaint…

Bluesky will survive if people invest in the network. Repost good things. Find new people to follow. Today I found two new ones. How many did you find? Over follow a bit so that your followers can find those people. Recirculate your starter packs and update them. Recommend people.

This was hidden away on Newsnight last night, but no reference to this viewpoint in the breathless coverage this morning.

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 4w ago

Very nice to hear a sane voice from Piddington. Serious respect to this woman, who is apparently already being othered by more bigoted villagers.

Unfortunately, I know some very serious wankers and all of them are getting the most Christmassy Christmas card bought from the RNLI…where I will extol the virtues of community and our shared humanity! Choose love…

The government shlould be extremely strong on why it is wrong to intimidate & abuse RNLI members + push a clear social norm against sharing addresses for purpose to intimidate, threaten & incite, imcluding pushing police to prosecute it, quickly & publicly, and warning of a repeat

Saul Staniforth@saulstaniforth.bsky.social · last mo.

"The RNLI has announced a review of its security procedures to ensure the safety of its volunteers after anti migrant protests.. at the weekend. Some crew members had their photos and names shared on social media in posts accusing them of treason"

Please sign 'From holidaymakers enjoying the sea to migrants caught in desperate terrifying situations, you carry out vital work protecting lives. And a minority of people who are abusing you should not be able to undermine your cause. They do not speak for us' act.38degrees.org.uk/act/rnli-tha...

An open letter in support of the volunteers and staff at the RNLI

This is a disgrace. Brave RNLI volunteers being called scum for risking their lives to save others at sea is just plain wrong. So I've signed an open letter of thanks for the RNLI letting them know th...

act.38degrees.org.uk

Bill Bryson’s words seem appropriate to post right now

I think the worst part of Labour's response to the fascist mobilisation is Andy Burnham's absence. He's the most popular politician in the country, with social media reach and actual powers of persuasion, and he's saying nothing in public. He can actually be of use here but he's choosing not to

This Neo-Nazi is attempting to target RNLI volunteers. The police have to act, and the Prime Minister should be making a public statement.

Half-expecting government to announce VAT cut on balaclavas to help with cost of living.

Wild that Andrew Griffiths has used his first major interview as shadow chancellor to say there were “lots of good things” in Truss’s mini-Budget. The Tories need to disown it until voters are bored of hearing it.

This was clearly not an act of spontaneity. Dozens and dozens of men travelling down, all wearing black, all wearing masks is anything but a spontaneous protest. An infuriating response.

Thomas I-G@thomasig.bsky.social · last mo.

Stop calling far-right thugs 'protesters' ffs.

When ministers leave that vacuum, the far right gets to define both the problem and the acceptable response. Condemning violence clearly is not capitulation; it is how a government keeps the argument on its own terms.

I simply do not understand what's going on in Labour that renders its leaders incapable of finding a TV camera and speaking out against street violence. Even if you assume they agree about immigration, violence is wrong, unpopular AND against the interests of any even vaguely left wing govt.

One thing Labour really needs to get through its head is that government has huge agenda setting capability. If the prime minister or home secretary calls these people what they are that will form parts of headlines and the like. We saw this under Starmer when the correct response finally came

Tom Roberts@tpgroberts.bsky.social · last mo.

Yeah, fundamentally the government needs to have a more direct response to the far right trying to enforce their will through force.

Starmer's initial response was excellent. But when he clearly (and correctly) identified the rioters as "far right", the media and - to their eternal shame - the Tories went for him, claiming that these people had "legitimate concerns". Sadly, he backed down rather than doubling down.

I'll never forget the insanity of Osborne making the statement "repair the roof while the sun shines" & then totally ignoring an unprecedented 10+years where interest rates were at an all time low, & not bothering to do just that & borrow money to build infrastructure like reservoirs etc

And Osborne still swans about and is treated like an economic guru ☹️