This might not be the place to ask, but does anyone here have any experience of trying to get spousal OCI appointments in London? (This is a personal request, not a journalistic one)
James Moules
@jamesmoules.bsky.social
Journalist • Local Democracy Reporter covering Surrey • Bylines in The i Paper, PoliticsHome, Foreign Policy, Byline Times, Telegraph, Big Issue, New Statesman & more • Moules rhymes with roles, not rules • DM for email/WhatsApp/Signal • Views own etc.
There’s more or less no plausible (stable) coalition that would emerge from this result, unless a British “Grand Coalition” (LAB + CON) were on the table - and few would say that’s a likelihood at present.
Election Maps UK@electionmaps.uk · 9h agoMRP Poll | Labour 81 Seats Short: LAB: 245 (+138) | 26% RFM: 174 (-112) | 23% CON: 99 (+19) | 21% LDM: 67 (-17) | 11% SNP: 25 (-8) | 2% PLC: 8 (-2) | 1% GRN: 7 (-13) | 10% Via @convergent-opinion.bsky.social, 25-30 Jul. Changes w/ 15 Jun MRP.
🚨 NEW: The Greater Manchester Mayoral election has gone to the second round after none of the candidates reached over 50% of the votes Labour's Bev Craig and Reform UK's Sian Astley are the two candidates left
A proposal that will no doubt be watched with acute interest in areas currently seeking their own mayoral strategic authorities.
John Rentoul@rentouljohn.bsky.social · 5d agoAh. It’s here ifs.org.uk/articles/gov...
Nearly 15 years have now passed since Staines changed its name to Staines-upon-Thames - partially in response to negative associations with the character. www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-...
Petition calls for Ali G statue in Staines to 'embrace attention with humour'
Ali G is back in the headlines in Staines
getsurrey.co.uk
Budget on 28th October, says John Healey on his socials
IMO one of the main reasons The Dark Knight works far better than either of the other two Nolan Batman films is it actually feels like it’s set in a real city.
BeijingPalmer@beijingpalmer.bsky.social · last wk.the Nolan Batman films are, in order, 1. entirely mediocre 2. excellent. 3. trash.
NEW: Artificial intelligence tools are being deployed across Surrey’s largest health trusts, with some investing tens of thousands of pounds into the burgeoning tech. My latest for @surreylive.bsky.social here: www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-...
Surrey NHS trusts spending tens of thousands on AI healthcare tools, data shows
AI is being deployed across some of Surrey’s largest health trusts
getsurrey.co.uk
A Surrey councillor has called for a “rethink” of oil extraction practices in the south of England after research suggested a possible link between drilling and a series of minor earthquakes in the county. My latest for @surreylive.bsky.social here: www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-...
Call for 'rethink' on oil extraction in Surrey after earthquake fears
Planning permission is currently being sought to resume drilling at Horse Hill
getsurrey.co.uk
BREAKING: President Zelenskyy has fired embattled commander in chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, naming Mykhailo Drapatyi as his replacement
King Charles III is about to welcome the fourth Prime Minister of his reign, which is not yet four years old.
A bunch of official looking blokes discuss aeroplane manoeuvres for an hour and a half.
Dr Strangelove War Room
Alt: Dr Strangelove War Room
static.klipy.com
Mic Wright@brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 3w agoA bloke gets a train home to deal with some family issues. OR Some French people have an eventful day and night.
Surrey County Council’s leader says he expects Andy Burnham to “turbocharge” initiatives that could see the county get its own elected mayor. www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-...
Andy Burnham 'expected to turbocharge' devolution with new mayor for Surrey
Councillor Tim Oliver expressed his hope reforms will go further, leading to the creation of an overarching elected mayor for all of Surrey
getsurrey.co.uk
Guildford's MP @zoefranklinld.bsky.social has repeated calls for a third railway station to be built in the town, saying public transport infrastructure "must be delivered" alongside new house building. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Guildford MP calls for town's third railway station
Zöe Franklin urges the government to revive plans for a Guildford West train station in Park Barn.
bbc.co.uk
I managed to survive wearing full-length jeans in 40+ degrees heat in both India and China, so yes, I might be in the 17% here..
YouGov@yougov.co.uk · 4w agoWhat are Britons' personal policies on wearing shorts? Even when it's not hot: 22% Only when it's hot: 57% I will never wear shorts: 17% yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...
Two years ago today, Keir Starmer entered Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister. But just 24 months after a landslide election victory, he’s preparing to hand over to his successor in a matter of weeks.
How can Andy Burnham succeed on foreign policy? After Starmer’s warning, good moment to read this from @benjudah.bsky.social for @arguablymag.bsky.social. www.arguably.uk/p/andy-burnh...
Andy Burnham’s foreign challenge
The next prime minister has defining choices to make on the US, China and Europe
arguably.uk
Godstone businesses are pleading for additional business rate relief after a major sinkhole rendered the village’s main road closed for more than a year. www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-...
Godstone businesses plead for tax relief as sinkhole repairs near completion
The road is finally expected to reopen in the coming weeks
getsurrey.co.uk
I don’t want to be that guy, but the Battle of the Gullet so *obviously* should have been episode 9 of HOTD S2, and it’s still a little puzzling to me that they shortened the seasons like this.
Not even close in the end. Burnham and his allies now have their case for him being the man to take on Farage.
Election Maps UK@electionmaps.uk · 2mo ago🚨 | Makerfield Parliamentary By-Election Result: 🌹 LAB: 54.8% (+9.6) ➡️ RFM: 34.5% (+2.7) ⬛ RES: 6.8% (New) 🌳 CON: 2.2% (-8.7) 🌍 GRN: 0.7% (-3.7) 🔶 LDM: 0.4% (-6.4) 🗑️ CBF: 0.2% (New) 🎩 MRLP: 0.1% (New) ⚫ Others (6): 0.3% Labour HOLD. Changes w/ GE2024.
Russian frigate fires warning shots at British yacht in Channel www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Russian frigate fires warning shots at British yacht in Channel
Shots fired within 500 metres of vessel near Isle of Wight amid heightened tensions between London and Moscow
theguardian.com
You know you drink too much Coca Cola when your two-year-old daughter points to a bottle of coke and calls it “daddy’s water”.
NEW: John Healey quits over defence funding. Devastating letter for the government and Keir Starmer: “You have been unable and the Treasury has been unwilling to commit the resources the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.”
Not in terms of looks, but I once got told my voice sounds like “a lovechild of David Mitchell and Richard Dawkins”, and I’m still unsure how to react to this day..
Phil Harrison@mrpmharrison.bsky.social · 2mo agoSo who's the most/least flattering person you've ever been compared to? I once got mistaken for Hugh Grant. I also once got told I looked like Bob Geldof...
Seeing Nate Silver’s latest petulant dunk on Bluesky makes me proud that our presence here enrages so many people. It’s far from perfect. There isn’t enough sport, news or humour, but there’s lots of interesting content sharing and people mostly aren’t arseholes. I’m glad we have it.
