Richard Bates
@discript.com
Publisher – fiction and non-fiction. Friend to writers. Dementia carer. Cyclist. Activist. Cat parent. Liberal Democrat 🔶 politician elected to Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council.
#SociaMedia is unaccountable. That’s the issue. “It is the thing you do for the person you love. If you love someone – and I loved my dad from my heart – then he needs justice. He needs a public apology. There has to be accountability.” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
What could Meta’s US settlement mean around the world – and what now for other claims against firm?
Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the Netherlands
theguardian.com
#SocialMedia: “this week’s settlement addresses only the safety of children, despite the copious evidence of danger to adults, whether in the form of addiction or exposure to toxic misinformation.” Thankfully we can use other platforms, like Bluesky, that do not sell targeted advertising.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · yesterdayAn $18bn settlement – and Zuckerberg barely blinked. The tech titans must be stripped of their power, and soon | Jonathan Freedland
A Shoreham cycle lane saw 30,000 trips and served five schools before West Sussex County Council removed it. We challenged the decision in court with support from the Cyclists’ Defence Fund. The council admitted it acted unlawfully and agreed to pay £25,000 towards legal costs.
“We need politicians to explain – and to keep explaining – why the unrestricted use of cars in urban centres is damaging to the local economy as well as to the environment, to people’s health and to the overall feel of a place,” says @christianwolmar.bsky.social Putting my hand up 👋
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2d agoDear culture-war motorists, look to the future. We'll all be driving at 20mph soon | Christian Wolmar
‘The idea of a “pathocracy”, a democracy of normal people taken over by psychopaths, was conceived by an obscure Polish psychologist, Andrew Lobaczewski, who had lived under both the Nazis and then Soviet-era communists.’ Such regimes are finite, as the current pathocracy/kakistocracy will be.
Lomelindi12@lomelindi12.bsky.social · 3d ago“..the population over which a dark personality presides is huge: some..will remain steadfast in calling it a lie & fall out with the first lot; others will try to adjust their own reality to make the lie true; while others will become inured to the new normal – that we just all lie now.”
Saw this two nights ago and the writing was powerful and still going through my mind. Performances were remarkably fresh, after three weeks into the run. Kane decided life is pointless; clearly hers was not, as this revival (not the first) to full houses attests. 🎁 giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Cleansed theatre review — tenderness but no catharsis in Sarah Kane’s brutal play
This new production at London’s Almeida Theatre sheds a light on human cruelty — and is an ordeal to watch
giftarticle.ft.com
Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Environmental protection and sustainable development must go hand-in-hand and water recycling projects, combined with new reservoirs, will be critical to securing future water supplies effectivity.” But will the EA enforce? www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Forever chemicals’ surge during pilot of Thames Water plan to combat drought
Exclusive: utility company wants to draw off tens of millions of litres of water a day from Thames and replace it with treated effluent
theguardian.com
“I see strength in all sorts of places in the LGBT community and people living normal, dull, suburban lives. It’s ordinary now being gay in Britain, which is brilliant.” Homophobia, like misogyny, xenophobia and racism, is prejudice. Prejudice never dies, it just mutates.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3d agoWes Streeting describes ‘unbelievable volume’ of homophobic abuse since becoming defence secretary
"Instead of silencing residents and handing mayors a blank cheque, the government should be empowering local councils with the resources to deliver genuinely affordable homes alongside the infrastructure to support them," said @gideonamos.bsky.social #PlanningReform www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Mayors to get powers to overrule local councils on planning decisions
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the change was "essential" for helping mayors "effectively deliver new homes".
bbc.co.uk
This is for everyone who uses any meta product, as a stark warning of its potential for harm. We must all be careful how we use social media. (Gift link) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Meta to pay up to $16.7bn to settle children’s social media harm case
Meta to pay up to $16.7bn to settle children’s social media harm case
Case relating to alleged failures of child protection was getting under way in California
giftarticle.ft.com
“The water industry has been failing people for too long. We’ve seen rising bills while the number of serious pollution incidents are off the scale. We’ve got to do more.” @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Burnham mulls insolvency law shake-up to help bring utilities under public control
Exclusive: Rules on special administration seen as potential ‘roadblock’ to reshaping how UK’s essential services are run
theguardian.com
In all the trips we made to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, I wonder if this travel writer was in the same room. Certainly we read his writing: perhaps we overheard his conversation? www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
Marc Dubin obituary
Other lives: Travel writer specialising in Greece, Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean
theguardian.com
“Ulez has slashed air pollution and improved air quality across London, and research published by Imperial College London earlier this year showed that this is already saving lives.” Well done, Mayor @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social, for cleaning up London’s polluted air.
Guardian Environment@environment.theguardian.com · 2w agoIntroducing Ulez was my hardest decision as mayor of London – but now we know its astonishing impact | Sadiq Khan
Privatisation gave us the #SewageScandal that keeps on polluting.
We Own It@weownit.org.uk · 2w agoSince privatisation, water companies have extracted £85 billion net out of the system. Every penny they claim to have invested has come from your bills; they’ve also racked up a debt mountain of over £60 billion at your expense. Their actions now are indefensible. We need water in public hands.
“For nearly two centuries, the west experienced steady generational progress. Each new cohort of children grew up, on average, healthier, happier, and better educated than the last. Until now.” Thankful our childhood pre-smartphone and tablet was playing #sport, learning #music, and reading #books.
Guardian US@us.theguardian.com · 2w agoJared Cooney Horvath argues that educational technology undermines how children learn and develop
Received this #SevereAlert warning 4 times last night, the first buzzing loudly while cycling across a busy trunk road. Has our UK government finally recognised the severe #ClimateEmergency? Will it amend its policies accordingly, e.g. by refusing licenses to drill fossil fuels in the North Sea?
Iris Murdoch Amongst the Artists: Newly discovered works, including the self-portrait and the surrealist landscape paintings, are on display at the University of Chichester Library until 10 December – the first ever devoted to Murdoch as an artist. #BookSky www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
Iris Murdoch artworks from secret room go on display – including self-portrait
Second world war paintings and sketches show novelist ‘engaging with her world in a new light’
theguardian.com
“Brexit means Brexit”, said an ex PM, but for “citizens of the world”, love always finds a way! 🇪🇺❤️ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I got married in the Vegas of Europe. It was the most romantic 20 minutes of my life | Jules Darmanin
Post-Brexit visa rules and faceless pen-pushers were keeping me and my partner apart. But love finds a way, writes French journalist Jules Darmanin
theguardian.com
Too many people know their voices make little difference in parliament. We need a serious, independent review of how we elect Parliament. Add your name:
Petition: Set up a National Commission on Electoral Reform to review the electoral system
I ask the Government to set up a National Commission on Electoral Reform, as advocated by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections. It should be an independent, time limited, expert led…
buff.ly
What do voters promised an America-first agenda think about all this money going to “public education” programmes in the UK instead of all the underfunded public schools at home? “The short answer is: they’re not thinking about it at all,” says Arwa Mahdawi www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Millions of US tax dollars sent to rightwing European thinktanks. Did any Trump supporters vote for that? | Arwa Mahdawi
It’s a great betrayal: poor communities neglected while multimillionaires peddle a global Maga agenda. How is that America first, asks Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi
theguardian.com
Are you reading less? I am. And I’m a publisher! www.theguardian.com/science/vide...
We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid
Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of c...
theguardian.com
Feline fun from the FT on #Caturday: "The irony with feeding a cat that isn’t yours is that animal charities have plenty of cats that need homes." #AdoptDontShop [Gift article] giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Stop feeding my cat!
Rogue feeders are creating armies of Six-Dinner Sids, prompting felines to pile on the pounds and even pushing some owners to take legal action. The claws are out
giftarticle.ft.com
If you want government to improve #Sewage infrastructure, please sign this petition. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
Petition: Ensure new sewage treatment infrastructure meets higher standards as in the EU
We urge the government to review the regulations for new sewage treatment infrastructure and introduce new legislation to ensure high international standards are met; to safeguard people’s health, bet...
petition.parliament.uk
Among the “filthiest in Europe, poisoned by sewage from polluting, profit-driven water companies and by industrial-scale agriculture, including chicken manure runoff from intensive poultry units that rear tens of millions of birds for fast-food chains and supermarkets” – @riveractionuk.bsky.social
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3w agoAll bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows
One of the favourite stories we were told as children was “Stone Soup”. Remember? Imagine that happening today: wopr.foundation/the-block
Everybody brings a little. Everybody eats.
Quincy has empty lots. Quincy has empty bowls. What if one fed the other?
wopr.foundation