Lang Rabbie
@langrabbie.bsky.social
Not an architect but prone to concrete fetishism
Palimpsestian
Scot with a Nottinghamshire childhood now residing in London SW2's debatable lands
C19th Liberalism tempered by teenage Marxism Today habit
Palimpsestian
Scot with a Nottinghamshire childhood now residing in London SW2's debatable lands
C19th Liberalism tempered by teenage Marxism Today habit
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
To fix the BBC, focus on competence and cash
Corporation fails to learn from criticism, while politicians have consciously reduced its scope for quality journalism
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
At a wider level 90% of the BBC's "stuff" is not the shit domestic newscasting, and it'll be that stuff - the Proms, coverage of regional music and events, BBC Africa, the World Service, choirs and orchestras - that will go first
November 10, 2025 at 11:14 AM
At a wider level 90% of the BBC's "stuff" is not the shit domestic newscasting, and it'll be that stuff - the Proms, coverage of regional music and events, BBC Africa, the World Service, choirs and orchestras - that will go first
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
I suspect there's also a strong element here of far too many journalists and BBC managers spending too much time on X and getting a wholly misleading impression of how big a story the Trump edits were. They're excessively influenced by right-wing activist opinion, and particularly US opinion.
The BBC is hopeless at reporting on itself. The idea that a minor, if misleading, edit is the most serious crisis in its history is ludicrous self-absorption, even allowing for the context of a Faragite desire to break it. It's certainly not as serious as the Iraq-Gilligan crisis.
November 10, 2025 at 9:48 AM
I suspect there's also a strong element here of far too many journalists and BBC managers spending too much time on X and getting a wholly misleading impression of how big a story the Trump edits were. They're excessively influenced by right-wing activist opinion, and particularly US opinion.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Former Labour Mayor of Lambeth joins Liberal Democrats
Former Labour Mayor of Lambeth joins Liberal Democrats
A former Labour Mayor of Lambeth has today joined the Liberal Democrats.
www.lambethlibdems.org.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Former Labour Mayor of Lambeth joins Liberal Democrats
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
The BBC will fuck things up from time to time. Lots of major news organisations do; just look at The Times having to memoryhole several fake news stories in a matter of weeks.
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
UK newspaper editor calls Bill de Blasio fake interview blunder ‘humiliating’
A Times associate editor reportedly addressed situation in an email to staff, saying: ‘We should have been on our guard’
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:53 AM
The BBC will fuck things up from time to time. Lots of major news organisations do; just look at The Times having to memoryhole several fake news stories in a matter of weeks.
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Can the UK actually have ambition for once?
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Can the UK actually have ambition for once?
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
My one #politics post of the day.
Starmer's refusal to clear out Tory appointments to the BBC Board and other public bodies from day one was at best deeply naive.
Again we come back to the mystery of what Labour were doing pre-2024 election as it definitely wasn't preparing for power.
Starmer's refusal to clear out Tory appointments to the BBC Board and other public bodies from day one was at best deeply naive.
Again we come back to the mystery of what Labour were doing pre-2024 election as it definitely wasn't preparing for power.
November 10, 2025 at 8:48 AM
My one #politics post of the day.
Starmer's refusal to clear out Tory appointments to the BBC Board and other public bodies from day one was at best deeply naive.
Again we come back to the mystery of what Labour were doing pre-2024 election as it definitely wasn't preparing for power.
Starmer's refusal to clear out Tory appointments to the BBC Board and other public bodies from day one was at best deeply naive.
Again we come back to the mystery of what Labour were doing pre-2024 election as it definitely wasn't preparing for power.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
No. No. A thousand times no. We honour the memory of the dead
November 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
No. No. A thousand times no. We honour the memory of the dead
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
When I was on @looksunfamiliar.bsky.social I chose this sequence from a 1979 Sesame Street episode - probably the first time I ever heard Philip Glass was this exclusive piece he wrote for this animated sequence, Geometry of Circles. It's never appeared anywhere else.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JWw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JWw...
Philip Glass - Sesame Street - Geometry of Circles.mp4
YouTube video by SamCam2011
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:46 AM
When I was on @looksunfamiliar.bsky.social I chose this sequence from a 1979 Sesame Street episode - probably the first time I ever heard Philip Glass was this exclusive piece he wrote for this animated sequence, Geometry of Circles. It's never appeared anywhere else.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JWw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JWw...
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
open.substack.com/pub/rorycell... After a trip to a college in Ebbw Vale to talk about fake news some reflections on the battle between truth and falsehood - and how the tech giants reward ‘clickable’ lies
Telling the truth about misinformation
Why schoolchildren need to learn about fake news - and so do the rest of us
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:45 PM
open.substack.com/pub/rorycell... After a trip to a college in Ebbw Vale to talk about fake news some reflections on the battle between truth and falsehood - and how the tech giants reward ‘clickable’ lies
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
What an absolute hero Samir Zitouni is - doubtless he saved lives that day
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Train hero who saved passengers during attack named
The rail worker credited with saving multiple lives is named as Samir Zitouni.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 11:36 AM
What an absolute hero Samir Zitouni is - doubtless he saved lives that day
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
I was laid off from Teen Vogue this week, alongside multiple other phenomenal team members.
At our Summit, I was asked how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left and what that meant for representation. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.
At our Summit, I was asked how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left and what that meant for representation. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.
November 3, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I was laid off from Teen Vogue this week, alongside multiple other phenomenal team members.
At our Summit, I was asked how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left and what that meant for representation. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.
At our Summit, I was asked how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left and what that meant for representation. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that is incredibly painful to think about.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Ive never been slow to criticise the Reach plc media for their awful clickbait headlines. But this is another level. They know exactly what they're doing with this headline, and it is horrible, divisive and dangerous. Shame on them.
November 4, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Ive never been slow to criticise the Reach plc media for their awful clickbait headlines. But this is another level. They know exactly what they're doing with this headline, and it is horrible, divisive and dangerous. Shame on them.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Carter-Ruck, the UK’s most notorious libel firm, used abusive litigation to silence criticism of a former Tory donor.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating - but Carter-Ruck just filed a judicial review. If successful, they'll have total impunity.
Thread:
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating - but Carter-Ruck just filed a judicial review. If successful, they'll have total impunity.
Thread:
November 4, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Carter-Ruck, the UK’s most notorious libel firm, used abusive litigation to silence criticism of a former Tory donor.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating - but Carter-Ruck just filed a judicial review. If successful, they'll have total impunity.
Thread:
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating - but Carter-Ruck just filed a judicial review. If successful, they'll have total impunity.
Thread:
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Some recognition is due for whomever at @nymag.com thought to put this essay on pages 6 and 7
November 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Some recognition is due for whomever at @nymag.com thought to put this essay on pages 6 and 7
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
and a lot of other things messing up the economy - just all seems a bit -- late?
The government has finally decided it can talk about the economic impact of Brexit.
But that simply exposes the limits of its plans to deal with Brexit’s consequences, says @jillongovt.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...
But that simply exposes the limits of its plans to deal with Brexit’s consequences, says @jillongovt.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...
Rachel Reeves cannot start to blame Brexit now for her economic fix | Institute for Government
Why is the government talking about Brexit and the economy again?
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
November 4, 2025 at 8:28 AM
and a lot of other things messing up the economy - just all seems a bit -- late?
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
From the administration that has systematically removed historical representations of people of color, from the regime that reinstalled confederate statutes and names of military bases
I made an image of all the art posted by US DOL on X since approximately Labor Day
October 26, 2025 at 2:22 PM
From the administration that has systematically removed historical representations of people of color, from the regime that reinstalled confederate statutes and names of military bases
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
![Cartoon by Stephen Collins for the Guardian.
[Scene is BBC BREAKFAST with two presenters and a guest on the sofa].
1
PRESENTER:
Now - some disturbing new research has shown
2
PRESENTER:
that as many as 10 non-Reform political parties may currently operating ‘under the radar’ across the UK.
[Show on screen logos for Greens, Lib Dems, Conservatives
3
PRESENTER:
In the studio to discuss this, Nigel Farage
[We see the guest on the sofa is indeed Nigel Farage]
4
PRESENTER:
Nigel, what’s your view?
FARAGE:
Well I think this very worrying.
5
FARAGE:
And just another reason why we should ban all immigration.
6
PRESENTER:
I won’t push back on that
FARAGE:
Absolutely!
7
PRESENTER:
Funnily enough, this is what your new show’s about, isn’t it?
FARAGE:
Oop - plug time!
PRESENTER:
Ha ha
8
FARAGE:
Yes it’s a 12-part BBC documentary called ‘In Search Of The Political Parties That Aren’t My One’.
9
[Show on the TV screen Farage presenting a documentary series titled In Search Of The Political Parties That Aren’t My One. He is wearing his farmer's getup and looking dreamily at the UK from hillsides, visiting pubs and chatting with the locals, etc]
FARAGE:
It’s a really emotional journey
10
FARAGE:
with lots of dreamy footage of me looking relatable...
11
FARAGE:
as I answer the question:
*Am I the only option for Britain?*
12
[Cut back to studio]
PRESENTER:
I won’t push back on that
FARAGE:
Absolutely!
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreidseyojvyqngmitl76iafvvbvgg4a3i7a26642c2c3gacoi7pwtbi@jpeg)
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
The voters of Caerphilly are far more sophisticated than the hacks analysing the by election result.
Chris Mason's take is risible.
Chris Mason's take is risible.
October 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM
The voters of Caerphilly are far more sophisticated than the hacks analysing the by election result.
Chris Mason's take is risible.
Chris Mason's take is risible.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
The result overnight in Caerphilly is immensely cheering, as it shows that Reform might lead the polls but are sufficiently disliked by the rest of the electorate that people are prepared to vote tactically and ruthlessly to keep them out of power.
October 24, 2025 at 10:10 AM
The result overnight in Caerphilly is immensely cheering, as it shows that Reform might lead the polls but are sufficiently disliked by the rest of the electorate that people are prepared to vote tactically and ruthlessly to keep them out of power.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Considering submitting 'I keep hiring in my own image and being dismayed by the results' to Ask a Manager.
Starmer going to be livid when he finds out who keeps putting the wrong people in the wrong jobs. Livid!
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
www.thetimes.com/article/fa96...
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
www.thetimes.com/article/fa96...
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
Keir Starmer’s top team are said to be concerned about Chris Wormald’s performance as cabinet secretary and Downing Street ‘intends to replace him imminently’
www.thetimes.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Considering submitting 'I keep hiring in my own image and being dismayed by the results' to Ask a Manager.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Come and work for Morgan McSweeney! You will certainly not regret working for Morgan McSweeney. We will certainly not sack you after a year while briefing the papers that you’re a useless sack of shit if you come and work for Morgan McSweeney!
Starmer going to be livid when he finds out who keeps putting the wrong people in the wrong jobs. Livid!
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
www.thetimes.com/article/fa96...
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
www.thetimes.com/article/fa96...
No 10 ‘has lost faith in Britain’s most senior civil servant’
Keir Starmer’s top team are said to be concerned about Chris Wormald’s performance as cabinet secretary and Downing Street ‘intends to replace him imminently’
www.thetimes.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Come and work for Morgan McSweeney! You will certainly not regret working for Morgan McSweeney. We will certainly not sack you after a year while briefing the papers that you’re a useless sack of shit if you come and work for Morgan McSweeney!
The scenery of the Dalmatian Riviera is proving to be a bit of a distraction from The Work of hunting out surviving concrete space domes of the FR Yugoslavia era.
October 24, 2025 at 9:36 AM
The scenery of the Dalmatian Riviera is proving to be a bit of a distraction from The Work of hunting out surviving concrete space domes of the FR Yugoslavia era.
Reposted by Lang Rabbie
Incredible failure from the Met's leadership yet again.
London's police can only do their job if they represent the whole community - and yet they are still failing to recruit and keep enough black officers because they are too scared to confront their problems.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
London's police can only do their job if they represent the whole community - and yet they are still failing to recruit and keep enough black officers because they are too scared to confront their problems.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Damning’ review of anti-Black racism within Met police ‘buried’ by force
Exclusive: External consultancy report found discrimination ‘baked into HR systems’ at London force
www.theguardian.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Incredible failure from the Met's leadership yet again.
London's police can only do their job if they represent the whole community - and yet they are still failing to recruit and keep enough black officers because they are too scared to confront their problems.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
London's police can only do their job if they represent the whole community - and yet they are still failing to recruit and keep enough black officers because they are too scared to confront their problems.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...