In which the UK's self-proclaimed Prime Minister in waiting announces his intention to force the RNLI to conduct criminal investigations on people drowning at sea before actually pulling them out of the water. 'Let them all drown' is the motto. Just let that sink in.

Sarah Murphy@13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 4d ago

This should be the moment people finally realise that Farage has turned them into fascists. If you’re choosing this dangerous inhumanity over the rescue work of the RNLI, you’ve lost your minds to racism and hatred.

Very sad...

eliko thalia@museinrevolt.bsky.social · 6d ago

just learned this today

This whole thread is well worth reading and sharing onwards. Thanks to Richard Haviland for forwarding it.

Fionna O’Leary@fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 7d ago

A personal story about that phrase “young men of fighting age” applied to asylum seekers. As many of you know I took in a young Ukrainian woman under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. As part of that process, soon after she arrived we were visited by the local authority rep and a Fire Brigade rep.

And these people have the barefaced cheek to talk about the UK being 'invaded' while they get to lead their balaclaved fascist militias through city centres?

Jane@localnotail.bsky.social · 2w ago

Daniel Thomas / Danny Tommo has today marched his private army of blackshorts to Daily Mail HQ to demand a new house for his mum within 48 hrs, after they doorstepped her for a feature on him. Apparently he plans to blockade them + cry at them until they do Bet those lads are glad of the balaclavas

Reform could not give out seats in the Lords because their donors are almost entirely from outside the UK. The donors would not be eligible to take their seats. This is pseudo-democracy, and not one word of questioning the very existence or functioning of the upper House, which is far more important

Anti-Reform@antireform.bsky.social · 3w ago

I suspect Farage won't be in a position to hand out any peerages from the Old Bailey or jail "... Figures published YESTERDAY show Reform received £5.3 million in donations in the latest quarter. £4 MILLION came from ONE man, crypto ..." via Truth Against Hate www.facebook.com/TruthAgainst...

This is a female protestor being physically manhandled by conference participants at the Reform UK Rally, ahem, conference, in Birmingham yesterday, while Farage mocks her. On the day when his party and he himself were exposed as law breakers, he presides over the actions of the fascist mob.

Dave Vetter@davidrvetter.bsky.social · 3w ago

Content warning: Multiple men violently assault a female protester at Reform's conference at the Birmingham NEC, to the visible delight of Nigel Farage.

Richard is citing here an earlier post from Andrew Sparrow, which said "Reform UK says it would declare 'national emergency' on day one in power, not letting judges or officials 'get in our way'". Precisely. Any parallels to Germany in 1933 are, of course, entirely coincidental.

Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 3w ago

Political party declares its intention to use democratic process to bring an end to democracy. I wish I could be 100% certain that it could never work.

A powerful statement here. I am not sure I am 100% in agreement with all that is said, but, as one other person remarked, plenty people in Ireland are talking about Andy Burnham's recent dismissal of a border poll. But then Irish opinion never really counted for much in the UK...

Irish Unity@irishunity.bsky.social · 3w ago

thespectaclemag.substack.com/p/andy-burnh...

An important message about humans in opposition to AI here... it sounds like there is some hope for us carbon-based lifeforms after all! (Provided we are prepared to put our faith in our own bodies, that is.) Thanks to Alec Mackinnon for posting this.

Natalie Bennett@nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 4w ago

Powerful and important letter about artificial so-called intelligence from Sheila Hayman from Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, in the FT today

Tee hee... childish, I know, but I kind of liked it.

Edwin Simonis@edwin085.eurosky.social · last mo.

One man’s fight against his name.

I do find it rather amusing that Farage's knowledge of naval matters extends to sticking huge maritime mammals on the top of Royal Navy boats. No wonder the vessels are too high!!

Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Reform UKs plan to use the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats in the Channel brilliantly taken apart by ... er ... Nigel Farage

This is what we are dealing with today. And we are seeing the fruits of the pronouncements of Musk, Tommy Robinson and all the other vile racists today in places like Glasgow Green on Saturday. It comes down to the local level. Everywhere. So it needs to be combatted everywhere.

John Maguire@johnmaguire.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Calling on the Irish government and state agencies to immediately close their X accounts. Continued use of a fascist agitator's social media site is both incompatible with democratic values and immoral.

If these allegations are true, this is a very serious incident indeed. No European country should be allowing the diplomats of the USA to arbitrarily determine who is or is not a security threat on the soil of the host country.

Ketan Joshi@ketanjoshi.co · 3mo ago

Two Belgian journalists asked a Q of the US ambassador at an event they were invited to, and were immediately expelled because the ambassador told police they were an "active threat" Could've ended up with the journalists being badly hurt europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/the-us-...

Excellent news that Colin Bramwell's Scots translations of Fernando Pessoa have won the Oxford Weidenfeld translation prize for this year. 'Fower Pessoas' was a wonderful read: I recommend it heartily. @billykayscot.bsky.social. www.carcanet.co.uk/978180017464...

Fower Pessoas

Shortlisted for the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize 2026 A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2025 Shortlisted for the Scots Book O' the Year Awa...

carcanet.co.uk

Worth bearing in mind in view of the events in Belfast overnight (and all the pop-up protests elsewhere around the UK organised by chancers like Tommy Robinson). Outrage can be selective at times.

Bremain in Spain@bremaininspain.com · 4mo ago

Imagine if every time a white person committed a crime, you and you children lived in fear because rioters would target and terrorise your community.

Indeed...

Colm Murphy@colmpm.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I have to say, listening to the Today programme dedicate an entire (context free) section about whether migrants are more likely to be convicted criminals *the morning after* hundreds of non-migrants of my own ethnicity committed a pogrom is blood boiling.

'Predictive policing'? This sounds suspiciously like racial profiling to me. And Starmer is still wanting to pass huge sections of the UK public sector over to Palantir? (Palantir, which is owned by arch-right winger Peter Thiel, remember...)

Oliver@oliver48.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Palantir's Thiel appoints Objection to silence all criticism Expect lawsuits costing $billions Then zero media mention of * Palantir-Mossad links * Palantir software used on Gaza & Iran schools * Thiel + paedo Jeffrey Epstein closeness as it wins umpteen UK NHS/Defence etc contracts Info PEye

Yes, well said, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.

Raider@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Thank you for your courage to publicly address abusive language.

I'm honestly not having a go at Plaid Cymru politically (and there probably is an issue there about rail funding in Wales), but why have they located their party at the very northern tip of the Scottish mainland? Should they not be out canvassing in Wales?

Plaid Cymru@plaidcymru.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Labour are denying Wales our fair share of rail funding 😤 A Plaid Cymru government won't stand by and let Westminster underfund us - we'll stand up for Wales and push for full rail devolution to better connect our communities. Vote Plaid Cymru on 7 May. ❤️🗳️

Brilliant!!

Caio Almendra@caioalmendra.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Baby, wake up, new Iran Lego AI video just dropped

This is a very powerful read about the present international crisis. Jonathan Cook has good qualifications to comment in depth on the whole Israel/Iran/Gaza/Lebanon/USA imbroglio that threatens to engulf us all.

@loopylaura.bsky.social · 7mo ago

"It is all designed to echo fantasies about engineering a new Middle East that Israel and its ideological agents in Washington ... have been peddling for more than a quarter of a century, since before the futile invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq."

An interesting and provocative piece here. Is the author overstating the case? I honestly don't know, but it is worth hearing the pushback against Starmer's pseudo-statesmanlike posturing in Munich. He certainly didn't go there as a disciple of Chamberlain. I think we can say that much at least.

Oliver@oliver48.bsky.social · 7mo ago

"Britain’s War Economy: £73bn for Defence, 7.3 Million on Waiting Lists" Keir Starmer 'preaches war at a conference bankrolled by defence contractors & attended by the very people who profit from escalation ..." (and whose lobbyists fund Labour) labourheartlands.com/gaslighting-... #SocialistSunday

Well worth reading on current events in Iran. I have no idea how the big demonstration in Berlin at the weekend went. I am afraid I have seen absolutely no news coverage of it, but there has to be a third way between the present disastrous regime and the US-led re-imposition of the old monarchy.

Yorkshire Bylines@yorkshirebylines.co.uk · 7mo ago

Iran uprising 2026: The beginning of the end for the regime | The Iranian people’s continued organised protests in the face of brutal opposition demonstrates a desire for real regime change | Laila Jazayeri

Indeed... and scroll down below the comment here by James to see what this is specifically referring to (the latest pronouncements from UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, if you need to know in advance).

James@arisenjames.bsky.social · 8mo ago

As I staggered out of the rubble of my home, scanning the pockmarked landscape, which had been ruined by the machinations of the wars of foreign men, I had only one thought; we need free taxis.

Wow. This is powerful. Please pass this on widely.

Marina Purkiss@marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Me: “What about the fact that Trump was found guilty in a civil court for sexual abuse…was that not enough for you to withdraw your support?” Now listen to the response from Andrea Jenkyns of the Reform Party…

Personally I am against the slogan 'Globalise the intifada', whatever Tactchell may say about the meaning of the word in Arabic. The problem is what it has come to mean for many in English, on both sides of this dispute. But the words 'Non-vioient resistance' seem transparent to me in their meaning?

The Scales ⚖️@shakethescales.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Now Starmer requires the arrest of people calling for explicitly non-violent protest. Tatchell's placard read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

See the comment below from Richard Haviland (@rfhaviland.bsky.social). I reproduce Lord Frost's actual comments in a screenshot here.

Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 8mo ago

‘Accommodate ourselves to US realpolitik’. What Frost means is ‘take the side of the baddies because then the baddies will look after us’.

These are the thoughts of Shabana Mahmood, currently Home Secretary in the UK. Bringing in nineteenth-century moral philosophers sounds very positive... but then look at the detail of what she is proposing: essentially predicting who will be deemed as criminals before the event.

Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera@pantibliss.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Holding up the Panopticon as a *goal* is fucking terrifying and completely unhinged. My mouth fell open reading that

It's always worth knowing the historical context around events in countries which we only tend to hear about in negative terms... and not least when we are talking about legacies of imperial hubris.

The Scales ⚖️@shakethescales.bsky.social · 9mo ago

In 1979, the Iranian people rose up to depose the brutal Pahlavi dynasty, a monarchy (who the US seek to restore) which had run the country since being installed by the British in 1925. They were headed by a simple soldier, Reza Khan, who wanted to declare a Republic. The British refused permission.

Indeed... for those of us who try to engage our brains to conduct a bit of critical reading of journalistic language, this barely requires further commentary. Sadly, there are many who are probably fooled by this type of doublespeak from the BBC and other media outlets.

The Scales ⚖️@shakethescales.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Two headlines on the BBC website: 1. Iran protesters defy crackdown as videos show violent clashes 2. Thousands march and dozens arrested in Minneapolis protests against ICE The two most pertinent editorial word choices here are 'crackdown' and 'arrested.' See how this works?