A significant swathe of Birmingham was under water 2 weeks ago, after heavy rain, because the infrastructure can't cope with climate change, and the city council can't even unblock the drains because of austerity. Still wild to me that that's now somehow entirely routine.
More than 700,000 homes across the ten English councils now governed by Reform UK are projected to face medium or higher flood risk by the middle of the century, exclusive analysis of national modelling by Byline Times and Bylines Network shows.
Drowning in denial: one in five homes in Reform UK heartlands faces flooding in 25 years
Even as the party rolls back climate action, Reform-controlled councils sit on some of England’s worst rising flood risks
yorkshirebylines.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
A significant swathe of Birmingham was under water 2 weeks ago, after heavy rain, because the infrastructure can't cope with climate change, and the city council can't even unblock the drains because of austerity. Still wild to me that that's now somehow entirely routine.
Reposted by David Strak
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by David Strak
Today is the 4th anniversary of the worst ever tragedy in the Channel.
At least 27 men, women & children drowned in the freezing water, & 4 more have never been found.
Since then, neither we nor the French have done a thing to offer people in this situation with real solutions.
At least 27 men, women & children drowned in the freezing water, & 4 more have never been found.
Since then, neither we nor the French have done a thing to offer people in this situation with real solutions.
November 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Today is the 4th anniversary of the worst ever tragedy in the Channel.
At least 27 men, women & children drowned in the freezing water, & 4 more have never been found.
Since then, neither we nor the French have done a thing to offer people in this situation with real solutions.
At least 27 men, women & children drowned in the freezing water, & 4 more have never been found.
Since then, neither we nor the French have done a thing to offer people in this situation with real solutions.
Reposted by David Strak
Wonderful piece by Nesrine Malik. It’s not the migrants that are the problem, it’s the racism, & having your racism justified by someone from an immigrant background doesn’t change things. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Shabana Mahmood is an avatar of open Britain – that’s what makes her fable about immigration so seductive | Nesrine Malik
‘She is the daughter of immigrants,’ supporters of her cruel asylum policies say. ‘How can she be wrong?’ Let me put them straight, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Wonderful piece by Nesrine Malik. It’s not the migrants that are the problem, it’s the racism, & having your racism justified by someone from an immigrant background doesn’t change things. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by David Strak
How is this not the top story on every news bulletin?
This has been happening for years and instead of doing anything to protect children successive governments have made the situation worse. This isn't just on councils. It is part of failings on a State level.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
This has been happening for years and instead of doing anything to protect children successive governments have made the situation worse. This isn't just on councils. It is part of failings on a State level.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
More then 2,000 trafficked children and lone child asylum seekers missing from UK councils’ care
Charities say vulnerable young people are being failed by local authorities, the police and central government
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:43 AM
How is this not the top story on every news bulletin?
This has been happening for years and instead of doing anything to protect children successive governments have made the situation worse. This isn't just on councils. It is part of failings on a State level.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
This has been happening for years and instead of doing anything to protect children successive governments have made the situation worse. This isn't just on councils. It is part of failings on a State level.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by David Strak
Reposted by David Strak
Here's the thing that does my head in
They even rule out future potential. I know people who arrived as "unskilled" (I hate this phrase) and now they have PhDs
They even rule out future potential. I know people who arrived as "unskilled" (I hate this phrase) and now they have PhDs
What many politicians don't realise - or want to understand - is that many of the "highly-skilled" immigrants whose labour they crave were raised by the same asylum seekers and refugees they openly despise. They take the racist political rhetoric personally, and act accordingly. Why wouldn't they?
"Record numbers of overseas-trained doctors are quitting the UK, leaving the NHS at risk of huge gaps in its workforce, with hostility towards migrants blamed for the exodus...the NHS is so heavily reliant on doctors from elsewhere – 42% of its entire medical workforce qualified overseas."
November 21, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Here's the thing that does my head in
They even rule out future potential. I know people who arrived as "unskilled" (I hate this phrase) and now they have PhDs
They even rule out future potential. I know people who arrived as "unskilled" (I hate this phrase) and now they have PhDs
Reposted by David Strak
Cas Mudde spells out what has become largely the consensus among researchers: moving right on immigration will not weaken the far right nor strengthen social democracy. If your reaction is "but in Denmark" please at least familiarize yourself with Danish politics
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The ‘Danish model’ is the darling of centre-left parties like Labour. The problem is, it doesn’t even work in Denmark | Cas Mudde
This week’s local elections are the latest reminder that when social democrats move rightwards, they’re making a mistake, says academic and author Cas Mudde
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Cas Mudde spells out what has become largely the consensus among researchers: moving right on immigration will not weaken the far right nor strengthen social democracy. If your reaction is "but in Denmark" please at least familiarize yourself with Danish politics
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by David Strak
The Daily Mail might actually have a moderating effect on the Telegraph
This raises the worrying prospect that overwhelming media power in Britain could be concentrated in the hands of a tiny number of very wealthy, extremely nasty and very right wing crackpots who will use it for malignant ends
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The Daily Mail might actually have a moderating effect on the Telegraph
Reposted by David Strak
Rolling out the Matt Christman quote from after Charlottesville (2017) again:
November 21, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Rolling out the Matt Christman quote from after Charlottesville (2017) again:
Reposted by David Strak
Our govt is adapting to the impacts of climate change. And it's opposite to the transformative adaptation we need.
theconversation.com/how-the-rich...
This is a great article from @theconversation.com
@climatemajority.bsky.social
theconversation.com/how-the-rich...
This is a great article from @theconversation.com
@climatemajority.bsky.social
How the rich world is fortifying itself against climate migration
Climate change is already linked to mass deportation – and the worst is still to come.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
How odd. Why on earth would anyone choose not to live in a hostile environment?
Overseas-trained doctors leaving the UK in record numbers
November 21, 2025 at 8:53 AM
How odd. Why on earth would anyone choose not to live in a hostile environment?
Reposted by David Strak
Government has today published its consultation into "earned settlement", the forward alone contains a hot mess of misrepresentation of the current system by the Home Secretary. I would strongly urge anyone affected by the current system to respond.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691edd...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691edd...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
November 20, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Government has today published its consultation into "earned settlement", the forward alone contains a hot mess of misrepresentation of the current system by the Home Secretary. I would strongly urge anyone affected by the current system to respond.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691edd...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691edd...
Reposted by David Strak
With the child poverty strategy coming out soon, punishing children and families for being in poverty seems like a bad start: "Migrants reliant on benefits face a 20 year wait for settlement – quadruple the current period and the longest in Europe." www.gov.uk/government/n...
Biggest overhaul of legal migration model in 50 years announced
Illegal migrants and arrivals reliant on benefits face waiting between 20 and 30 years to settle – the toughest in Europe.
www.gov.uk
November 20, 2025 at 1:20 PM
With the child poverty strategy coming out soon, punishing children and families for being in poverty seems like a bad start: "Migrants reliant on benefits face a 20 year wait for settlement – quadruple the current period and the longest in Europe." www.gov.uk/government/n...
Far from the main point here, but the prescriptive, finger wagging tone of the 'meal plan' is infuriating. Everything has to be 'low-fat'. or 'semi-skimmed' or 'sugar-free' or unsalted, just in case anyone might experience a fleeting sense of pleasure.
Amid all the asylum reform announcements, the HO finally slipped out its asylum support rates review last week. What does this mean for child poverty?🧵 www.gov.uk/government/p...
Report on review of cash allowance paid to asylum seekers
Home Office reviews of the cash allowance paid to asylum seekers.
www.gov.uk
November 19, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Far from the main point here, but the prescriptive, finger wagging tone of the 'meal plan' is infuriating. Everything has to be 'low-fat'. or 'semi-skimmed' or 'sugar-free' or unsalted, just in case anyone might experience a fleeting sense of pleasure.
The *front page story* of a leading British tabloid newspaper today is that some young men enjoyed each other's company.
That's it. That is the entirety of the story.
That's it. That is the entirety of the story.
November 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM
The *front page story* of a leading British tabloid newspaper today is that some young men enjoyed each other's company.
That's it. That is the entirety of the story.
That's it. That is the entirety of the story.
'Perverse incentives'?
Imagine believing that this should be the policy of a Labour government
The Labour government does not want to rule out deporting somebody once here as a refugee 16-19 years with a British-born 15 year old child
November 19, 2025 at 7:27 AM
'Perverse incentives'?
Bits of Brum- where Mahmood is an MP- were literally waist high in water last week because of austerity and a failure to address climate change.
How is that not a 'crisis'?
How is that not a 'crisis'?
What does it mean, if public opinion is only ever cited to justify the crackdowns and cruelty that our ruling class wants to shove through, and almost never to address public concerns about e.g. the crumbling public realm, the shit in the rivers or our government’s complicity in genocide
November 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Bits of Brum- where Mahmood is an MP- were literally waist high in water last week because of austerity and a failure to address climate change.
How is that not a 'crisis'?
How is that not a 'crisis'?
Defeating the far right by doing things they're very happy about.
Paul Brand: "There is criticism from the left wing of the Labour Party but also actually quite a lot of support from right wing newspapers this morning"
Says it all #GMB
Says it all #GMB
November 18, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Defeating the far right by doing things they're very happy about.
Reposted by David Strak
Birmingham council tried to slash workers wages & when the workers responded by taking industrial action the council decided to bring in scab labour to try & break the strike. Those agency workers are now going on strike too.
Solidarity with the @unitetheunion.bsky.social bin workers
Solidarity with the @unitetheunion.bsky.social bin workers
November 18, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Birmingham council tried to slash workers wages & when the workers responded by taking industrial action the council decided to bring in scab labour to try & break the strike. Those agency workers are now going on strike too.
Solidarity with the @unitetheunion.bsky.social bin workers
Solidarity with the @unitetheunion.bsky.social bin workers
Reposted by David Strak
The Labour government wants to deport more children.
November 18, 2025 at 6:32 AM
The Labour government wants to deport more children.
So, now she gets to tell other people to fuck off back home.
Take *that*, racists!
Take *that*, racists!
And to think, I accused these people of cynically deploying an utterly disingenuous, vexatious, deeply harmful “anti-racism” to fool stupid libs, for entirely self-interested political goals. I now acknowledge they would never do anything so reckless and despicable. Wow, do I feel like a fool.
November 17, 2025 at 9:03 PM
So, now she gets to tell other people to fuck off back home.
Take *that*, racists!
Take *that*, racists!
Reposted by David Strak
Labour MPs who don't leave now, who choose to remain one minute longer in a party where the likes of this man represent the dominant line, will themselves be unelectable even after they inevitably defect later on.
Labour MP Luke Akehurst says he "wholeheartedly welcomes" Mahmood's plans "which I believe will tackle a failure by the previous government to maintain one of the most basic fundamental functions of government, which is control of our borders."
November 17, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Labour MPs who don't leave now, who choose to remain one minute longer in a party where the likes of this man represent the dominant line, will themselves be unelectable even after they inevitably defect later on.
'And the world has changed. It is more volatile and insecure, with increased conflict leading to a significant increase in the movement of people across the globe. Our asylum system was not designed to cope with this.'
Isn't that pretty much exactly what it was designed for?
Isn't that pretty much exactly what it was designed for?
Even though the current asylum support system already places thousands of children in deep poverty each year, sometimes for many years, the gov now plans to go further in its restrictions to already limited provision likely to increase destitution & homeless among families as well as detention 🧵
Policy paper now published: www.gov.uk/government/p...
November 17, 2025 at 5:33 PM
'And the world has changed. It is more volatile and insecure, with increased conflict leading to a significant increase in the movement of people across the globe. Our asylum system was not designed to cope with this.'
Isn't that pretty much exactly what it was designed for?
Isn't that pretty much exactly what it was designed for?