But they seemed like such nice, patriotic, community-minded chaps. (Except the ones currently facing murder, child abuse & assault charges, obviously.)

Oxford Clarion@oxfordclarion.bsky.social · yesterday

Leaders of flag-raising group Raise the Colours Oxfordshire placed trackers on highway workers’ cars to find out their home addresses, the High Court has heard. RTC then attempted to intimidate the highway staff into no longer removing flags by repeating their addresses to them.

Do you find that getting around your patch of Brum is too difficult and unsafe? ⁠We want a Birmingham where walking, cycling, wheeling and public transport are the first choices for getting around. Get behind the movement for better streets today.

Support us – Better Streets for Birmingham

Our mission Better Streets for Birmingham wants safer streets and more transport choice for everyday trips. To do this, we need to make changes to our streets, improve enforcement, and reconsider how we move around Birmingham. We help residents to unde...

betterstreetsforbirmingham.org

Seriously, viewer discretion is definitely advised on this latest one from Durham Police. The top comments are that it's the sort of thing that should be compulsory viewing in schools for 17 & 17 year olds, and I'm inclined to agree. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYut...

"It was always going to happen." | Charlie's driving killed Abbie. It was her 18th birthday.

YouTube video by Durham Constabulary

youtube.com

I've lifted the paywall on this, but if you can pay to subscribe (from £4 a month), it helps me do more stories like this!

Laura Laker@lauralaker.bsky.social · yesterday

“It’s perverse that people who want to walk and cycle are penalised because the motor traffic is too polluting". National Highways closes cycling and walking routes beside heavily polluted roads lauralaker.substack.com/p/national-h...

A 65-year old cyclist has died after a road traffic collision on Iffley Road at 11pm yesterday. A 21-year old man has been arrested on suspicion of death causing dangerous driving. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage of a grey Volkswagen Golf.

We have just passed the 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the ROAD SAFETY EMERGENCY. Over that period all casualties from road collisions HAVE NOT MEANINGFULLY CHANGED staying at around 3,000 per year! We are meeting on Friday the 4th of September to honour those affected and call for meaningful improvements.

The High Court also heard RTC leader Ben Cullen had threatened physical violence to a resident removing flags, boasting that he was a “violent criminal” who had served 15 years in prison. Full report in today’s Clarion: oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-...

The Clarion, 4 August 2026

We're doing a rain dance. You? While we wait for some sorely needed water, here is some news, not all of it cheerful. Including less than savoury details about Raise the Colours; celebrating Oxford Ci...

oxfordclarion.uk

One highways manager told the High Court she had been placed on medication after becoming “fearful of being followed home, tracked and exposed on social media”. Highways staff now wear unbranded PPE, work in unbranded vehicles, wear face coverings to hide their identity, and do not travel alone.

Leaders of flag-raising group Raise the Colours Oxfordshire placed trackers on highway workers’ cars to find out their home addresses, the High Court has heard. RTC then attempted to intimidate the highway staff into no longer removing flags by repeating their addresses to them.

“It’s perverse that people who want to walk and cycle are penalised because the motor traffic is too polluting". National Highways closes cycling and walking routes beside heavily polluted roads lauralaker.substack.com/p/national-h...

National Highways closes walking and cycling routes beside heavily polluted roads

Roads body accused of 'perversely penalising' walkers and cyclists for motor traffic pollution

lauralaker.substack.com

If women wore smart glasses, they'd be banned. (soigomaa/x) Think about it. If millions of women wore smart glasses, recording men's behaviour, conversations, comments, their driving & bar chats ... can you imagine the panic? Trust me, smart glasses would be regulated before you can say 'Meta'.

Far right thug who marched as "defender of women" battered his own mum Alan Miller took to streets on march to "Protect Our Women and Kids". We can now reveal that he was convicted of assaulting his own mum at her home www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/far-rig...

Far right thug who marched as "defender of women" battered his own mum

Alan Miller took to streets on march to "Protect Our Women and Kids". We can now reveal that he was convicted of assaulting his own mum at her home

dailyrecord.co.uk

Yes I acknowledge it makes sense in context but “I need my car to meet criminals” is now my favourite basis for an attempted exceptional hardship plea. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

When did it become a thing to go into a toolstation/screwfix with a list of things you want and ask if they have them? e.g. I need an o-ring, it's not quite 32mm but it's close. Lots of other things on the list not exactly clear what's required.

End exceptional hardship loopholes: Approx 1 in 5 defendants who hit 12 points keep their licence via “exceptional” hardship. 20% isn’t exceptional — it’s routine. Some have gone on to kill in later crashes. This loophole doesn’t protect the public. It doesn’t support victims.Time to close it.

Nigel Farage just took a question from a 'journalist' at his press conference, who turned out to be his former chief adviser Raheem Kassam, who asks him why the media are being so unfair to him

"[Byline] revealed that Cottrell entered corporate finance under a false Swiss identity, hired by the same City network that produced Reform UK’s own treasurer, Mehrtash A’zami. "Byline Times has since confirmed that this identity was stolen from a real person – Cottrell’s old school friend."

Nigel Farage Funder George Cottrell's Accountant Co-Invested With Russia-Linked Indicted Cocaine Trafficker

The accountancy firm that administers George Cottrell’s Montenegro company, has invested in a property development with the alleged ringleader of the country’s largest money laundering cartel

bylinetimes.com

Carole Cadwalldr: George Cottrell through his lawyer at Carter Ruck - the same lawyer who also acts for Nigel Farage - flatly denies the claim & any relationship with Abramovich’s son. Three separate sources say otherwise & @bylinetimes.bsky.social has another.

Carole Cadwalladr@carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 4d ago

NEW: The Abramovich connection. How convicted money launderer George Cottrell - & close aide to Nigel Farage - ‘signed documents’ for one of Putin’s closest allies. My latest for @thenerve.news 1/ www.thenerve.news/p/george-cot...

Support every small business racists are boycotting! "Just popped into Cherry Reds in Birmingham for a light lunch The infamous cafe bar the right whinge auditors targeted for not being able to get a coffee due to their rancid r*cist political beliefs Say no to serving r*cists!" via Expose Racism

😳 RFK Jr's epic CNN crashout 😳 Dana Bash pressed RFK Jr on Trump's culpability for mishandling covid and the misinformation he pushes about vaccines, and the segment wound down with him getting mad and barking at her like a rabid dog Here's the full thing:

😳 RFK Jr's epic CNN crashout 😳

YouTube video by Aaron Rupar

youtube.com

Who knew what, and when? Survivor accounts of trafficking in the #Harrods case are shocking. We publish the first part today of a 2-part piece listing the individuals and institutions who knew and did nothing. If #AndyBurnham becomes PM will he finally see justice done? @nooneaboveorg.bsky.social

The state knew about Mohamed Al Fayed – it chose to look away

Who knew what when?

sussexbylines.co.uk

I feel incredibly strongly that if a government agency tells you something - about your immigration status, or your taxes, or whatever! - that turns out to be wrong because they made a mistake, and that mistake benefited you, that’s very much a ‘sucks to be the government’ problem.

the3million@the3million.bsky.social · 3d ago

Monique Hawkins, acting chief executive of the3million, said the impact of the Home Office’s retrospective review was devastating for many. "People applied to the EU settlement scheme in good faith...by building their lives in the UK and putting down roots." www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

NEW: The Abramovich connection. How convicted money launderer George Cottrell - & close aide to Nigel Farage - ‘signed documents’ for one of Putin’s closest allies. My latest for @thenerve.news 1/ www.thenerve.news/p/george-cot...

Farage, George Cottrell and Putin’s friend Abramovich

Source reveals convicted money launderer and Reform leader’s close ally worked as a young man for the now-sanctioned oligarch after becoming friends with his son. Report by Carole Cadwalladr

thenerve.news

It was always unlawful, under the Highways Act 1980. But I don't suppose Suella would know that, being a lawyer, MP and former Attorney General.

Nigel Farage secretly agreed to return as Reform's leader months before the 2024 general election, according to a Sunday Times investigation, an agreement that directly contradicts his own account of when he decided to come back.

Its great to see this new webpage from DfT that maps casualty stats over the last 5 years in communities. It has filters such as age, speed limit, local authority and you can drill down into every crash. See

Now apply to water, electricity, etc. It was ever thus. How did folk not see it?

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 5d ago

Neoliberalism in a nutshell. UEFA on FIFA's proposal: “The moment external investors acquire ownership interests ... football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. ... Every decision is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.”

Does the “reputational damage” include Amnesty sacking Joanne for skiving off on her duties when working for the charity back in the late 1980s, as she was too busy writing her shitty wizard books than documenting human rights issues in Francophone Africa?

Holl🌞@willows-song.bsky.social · 5d ago

This is why you dont try to compromise or concede anything to these horrors

Traffic Scotland are doing AI camera surveys to see how endemic phone usage at the wheel is and no seatbelts is. They estimated 169k not wearing seat belts daily and very low sounding 28k using handheld devices. I suspect the reality will be at least double for the phone usage.

While I'm watching a driver using his mobile phone one lane away from me I suddenly realise the driver in the lane next to me is holding a mobile phone and the screen is lit. Two filmed simultaneously and reported. I've had a few that were within seconds but this is a first for simultaneous.