Neil Atkinson
@knoxharrington.bsky.social
Turns meetings into pints and pints into meetings. Host of The Anfield Wrap and occasional writer of things. Author of Transformer for the good people at Canongate.
Departing British born children is it now.
Going far further than previous governments, we now have one where the Border Security and Asylum Minister is actually saying that British born children could be deported to countries they have never been to, have no genuine ties to, under this government. 76/
archive.ph/ECeZx
archive.ph/ECeZx
archive.ph
December 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Departing British born children is it now.
Before we get on to whether or not Digital ID would reduce illegal work it is worth saying that getting rid of the very concept of currency would reduce illegal work but that wouldn't automatically make that a good thing either.
However, I reiterate the original and main point I made which is if Digital ID can help reduce illegal work then that is a good thing.
And it is not progressive to lose control of who is entitled to be and work here.
And it is not progressive to lose control of who is entitled to be and work here.
December 5, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Before we get on to whether or not Digital ID would reduce illegal work it is worth saying that getting rid of the very concept of currency would reduce illegal work but that wouldn't automatically make that a good thing either.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
my wife had three biometric residence permits issued by the home office. she gave them literal crates of personal information. every other visa holder who comes here does the same thing, all tied into right to rent and work systems which have existed for years. you already do this!
December 5, 2025 at 9:29 AM
my wife had three biometric residence permits issued by the home office. she gave them literal crates of personal information. every other visa holder who comes here does the same thing, all tied into right to rent and work systems which have existed for years. you already do this!
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
like you genuinely do not seem to understand the (extremely strict, almost to point of obsession) system already in place and how it operates, or the endless ID hoopla you subject migrants to already. it's no wonder you're receiving pushback for "hey, what if we do this again but even worse"
December 5, 2025 at 9:33 AM
like you genuinely do not seem to understand the (extremely strict, almost to point of obsession) system already in place and how it operates, or the endless ID hoopla you subject migrants to already. it's no wonder you're receiving pushback for "hey, what if we do this again but even worse"
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Everyone’s talking about whether Farage was racist to schoolchildren as a boy when he was racist to schoolchildren THIS WEEK. All the kids who are of reading age can read what he says about them.
John Swinney has responded to Nigel Farage's attack on Glasgow schoolchildren, calling it 'quite simply racist'
John Swinney responds to Nigel Farage's 'racist' attack on Glasgow schoolchildren
www.thenational.scot
December 5, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Everyone’s talking about whether Farage was racist to schoolchildren as a boy when he was racist to schoolchildren THIS WEEK. All the kids who are of reading age can read what he says about them.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
original Channel 4 report of Farage's bigoted school days was over 12 years ago (Sept 2013). didn't land at all because the wider press didn't engage with it for even a day. British journalists submitted Jeremy Corbyn to an order of magnitude more scrutiny for saying he loved James Joyce's Ulysses
December 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM
original Channel 4 report of Farage's bigoted school days was over 12 years ago (Sept 2013). didn't land at all because the wider press didn't engage with it for even a day. British journalists submitted Jeremy Corbyn to an order of magnitude more scrutiny for saying he loved James Joyce's Ulysses
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
It’s great that every “review” by this government is led by compliant shitheads so they can deliver the bigotry or cuts they want
A reminder that Wes Streeting and the Labour government have deliberately chosen two of the worst possible experts to lead the review into overdiagnosis by the way. People already entrenched in that belief who will absolutely manipulate findings to suit their ideological crusade.
Alarm over government’s choices to lead ‘over-diagnosis’ review that could help ministers cut benefits
The government’s decision to commission a review of alleged “over-diagnosis” of mental health conditions and neurodivergence has caused alarm among many disabled people, with fears that it will all…
www.disabilitynewsservice.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:36 PM
It’s great that every “review” by this government is led by compliant shitheads so they can deliver the bigotry or cuts they want
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Absolutely insane to me that GB News retains its broadcasting license. It's BNP TV.
GB News now broadcasting calls to remove the ethnic minority MPs from parliament
December 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Absolutely insane to me that GB News retains its broadcasting license. It's BNP TV.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Note how these awful people are getting exactly the exclusions of children that they demanded and *that still isn’t enough for them*: they demand everyone be delighted about it and kiss their arses for being brilliant.
December 4, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Note how these awful people are getting exactly the exclusions of children that they demanded and *that still isn’t enough for them*: they demand everyone be delighted about it and kiss their arses for being brilliant.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
I’d ask: given that the Sensible, cool headed responsible people got their way at almost every major decision point of the century so far, can we explain why the public realm is visibly falling to pieces?
December 4, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I’d ask: given that the Sensible, cool headed responsible people got their way at almost every major decision point of the century so far, can we explain why the public realm is visibly falling to pieces?
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
The normalisation of extremism in British politics and parts of the media is shocking - as is the complacent response of so many supposed anti-racists.
GB News now broadcasting calls to remove the ethnic minority MPs from parliament
December 3, 2025 at 8:20 PM
The normalisation of extremism in British politics and parts of the media is shocking - as is the complacent response of so many supposed anti-racists.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
This is an entirely preventable attack on our democracy.
A £9m donation from a man based on the other side of the world is illegitimate interference that will distort and unbalance our political system.
I'm deeply disturbed by Labour's failure to insulate UK democracy.
www.ft.com/content/db73...
A £9m donation from a man based on the other side of the world is illegitimate interference that will distort and unbalance our political system.
I'm deeply disturbed by Labour's failure to insulate UK democracy.
www.ft.com/content/db73...
Reform UK gets record £9mn donation from Christopher Harborne
Nigel Farage’s party attracts far more funding than both Labour and the Conservatives
www.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:42 PM
This is an entirely preventable attack on our democracy.
A £9m donation from a man based on the other side of the world is illegitimate interference that will distort and unbalance our political system.
I'm deeply disturbed by Labour's failure to insulate UK democracy.
www.ft.com/content/db73...
A £9m donation from a man based on the other side of the world is illegitimate interference that will distort and unbalance our political system.
I'm deeply disturbed by Labour's failure to insulate UK democracy.
www.ft.com/content/db73...
Another progressive moment met.
Keir Starmer is set to offer a peerage to Matthew Doyle, who in his former job as Starmer's spokesman repeatedly used to assure me that his boss was firmly committed to abolishing the House of Lords
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Keir Starmer expected to award 25 new Labour peerages
Exclusive: Former union bosses and Labour staffers on list as prime minister aims to balance chamber
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Another progressive moment met.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Keir Starmer is set to offer a peerage to Matthew Doyle, who in his former job as Starmer's spokesman repeatedly used to assure me that his boss was firmly committed to abolishing the House of Lords
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Keir Starmer expected to award 25 new Labour peerages
Exclusive: Former union bosses and Labour staffers on list as prime minister aims to balance chamber
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Keir Starmer is set to offer a peerage to Matthew Doyle, who in his former job as Starmer's spokesman repeatedly used to assure me that his boss was firmly committed to abolishing the House of Lords
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
How did this communcations strategy work out for the Democratic Party
December 4, 2025 at 12:49 PM
How did this communcations strategy work out for the Democratic Party
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Last year Sky News was rending its garments over Starmer's free eyeglasses: WHAT INFLUENCE DID LORD ALLI BUY?
Now, RefUK get £9m from a crypto bro, they have not one word about the donor's interests; just BRAVO NIGEL, barely concealed glee, and "what a huge boost... money goes where momentum is". 🤡
Now, RefUK get £9m from a crypto bro, they have not one word about the donor's interests; just BRAVO NIGEL, barely concealed glee, and "what a huge boost... money goes where momentum is". 🤡
December 4, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Last year Sky News was rending its garments over Starmer's free eyeglasses: WHAT INFLUENCE DID LORD ALLI BUY?
Now, RefUK get £9m from a crypto bro, they have not one word about the donor's interests; just BRAVO NIGEL, barely concealed glee, and "what a huge boost... money goes where momentum is". 🤡
Now, RefUK get £9m from a crypto bro, they have not one word about the donor's interests; just BRAVO NIGEL, barely concealed glee, and "what a huge boost... money goes where momentum is". 🤡
Funniest thing about this programme I will never watch is that Labour have put that big fucking stiff plumber on. The Liam Delap of politicians.
Update: Apologies I was due to be on Have I got News for You this week. We've now postponed until 2026.
To go on Question Time and speak up for migrants right now feels vital.
To go on Question Time and speak up for migrants right now feels vital.
December 4, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Funniest thing about this programme I will never watch is that Labour have put that big fucking stiff plumber on. The Liam Delap of politicians.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Couldn’t really be more starkly apparent that the choice is now Billionaires or Democracy, IMO. We can have one or the other but not both, as this system is currently constituted.
December 4, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Couldn’t really be more starkly apparent that the choice is now Billionaires or Democracy, IMO. We can have one or the other but not both, as this system is currently constituted.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
I wrote this about the UK government appeasing the far right in February.
www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...
www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...
December 4, 2025 at 9:39 AM
I wrote this about the UK government appeasing the far right in February.
www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...
www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
"Why is anti-semitism tolerated in the UK?" asks Suella Braverman, shortly before defending man accused of saying "Hitler was right" and telling Jewish people they should be sent to the gas chamber
December 4, 2025 at 9:06 AM
"Why is anti-semitism tolerated in the UK?" asks Suella Braverman, shortly before defending man accused of saying "Hitler was right" and telling Jewish people they should be sent to the gas chamber
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
This is the guy who gave Boris Johnson £1 million and then won a big MoD contract....
Reform gets largest ever political donation by an individual in UK history from a crypto baron living in Thailand
This is not normal
www.ft.com/content/db73...
This is not normal
www.ft.com/content/db73...
Reform UK gets £9mn donation from Christopher Harborne
Nigel Farage’s party attracts far more funding than both Labour and the Conservatives
www.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:30 AM
This is the guy who gave Boris Johnson £1 million and then won a big MoD contract....
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
The WI has been trans inclusive since the 70s, before I was born. Do you see who in this scenario was innocently minding their own business, coming to their own arrangements locally? Do you see who is forcefully imposing themselves and their demands upon others, via threats.
December 4, 2025 at 8:30 AM
The WI has been trans inclusive since the 70s, before I was born. Do you see who in this scenario was innocently minding their own business, coming to their own arrangements locally? Do you see who is forcefully imposing themselves and their demands upon others, via threats.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
Considering Streeting's well stated belief autism, ADHD etc, along with mental health issues, are "overdiagnosed", I won't hold my breath for this doing anything other than being used to cut support, along with opportunities for diagnosis, for people who need it. #r4today
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnosis
The health secretary said the aim was to tackle a rising demand for services and the increased pressure on the NHS.
www.bbc.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Considering Streeting's well stated belief autism, ADHD etc, along with mental health issues, are "overdiagnosed", I won't hold my breath for this doing anything other than being used to cut support, along with opportunities for diagnosis, for people who need it. #r4today
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
We're watching the wholesale burning of every scrap of dignity afforded to trans people in the UK, their rights, their medical services, their employment, their place within society, their bodily functions.
It is a disgrace, and a disgusting stain on the government and media of this country.
It is a disgrace, and a disgusting stain on the government and media of this country.
December 3, 2025 at 11:54 AM
We're watching the wholesale burning of every scrap of dignity afforded to trans people in the UK, their rights, their medical services, their employment, their place within society, their bodily functions.
It is a disgrace, and a disgusting stain on the government and media of this country.
It is a disgrace, and a disgusting stain on the government and media of this country.
Reposted by Neil Atkinson
I just can't get over the fact that the guy who gave this quote is 45. It would be embarrassing for all involved if this quote came from the *current* under-14 chess champion, but from an adult...I worry I've ruptured something from cringing so hard.
Truly shocking that Rachel Reeves had the audacity to call herself the U14 girls chess champions when she won the U14 girls chess championship but some bloke thought she was talking about something else.
December 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I just can't get over the fact that the guy who gave this quote is 45. It would be embarrassing for all involved if this quote came from the *current* under-14 chess champion, but from an adult...I worry I've ruptured something from cringing so hard.