Russell England
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russellengland.bsky.social
Russell England
@russellengland.bsky.social
Moodle/Totara developer

Love travelling (41 countries so far), silly jokes, Marmite

Brummie, Remoaner, bit of a nomad, fact finder

Mostly post about climate, Brexit, health, poverty, UK politics and comedy

🌍💉💙🇪🇺🧳🌻🇺🇦🍉🗿🐧
Pinned
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime"

- "Innocents Abroad" Mark Twain, 1869
Trump's Gestapo kidnapped and locked up a 15 year old autistic boy, to be deported

Finally released from prison after 50 days
A mother and her 15 year old autistic son are reunited after nearly 50 days apart.

Emmanuel Garcia went missing, and rather than check missing person’s reports, Houston PD called ICE.

ICE sent him to the Office of Refugee Resettlement and his mom has been fighting to get him back ever since.
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Reposted by Russell England
Fun fact: Pete Hoekstra, the US Ambassador who berated Canada for “interfering” in their politics with the Regan anti-tariff ad...

Was accused of interfering in Dutch politics in his previous job of Ambassador to the Netherlands by holding a fundraiser for a Dutch far-right party at the US Embassy.
US ambassador under fire for hosting Dutch far-right bash
Embassy and MP Thierry Baudet deny claims that event was a fundraiser.
www.politico.eu
November 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Quelle surprise...

"New Musk policy on X unwittingly exposes MAGA influencers as foreign trolls

Some users were based in places like Nigeria, Eastern Europe, and India despite posting U.S.-focused right-wing content"
New Musk policy on X exposes MAGA influencers as foreign trolls
Some users were based in places like Nigeria, Eastern Europe, and India despite posting U.S.-focused right-wing content
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 5:23 AM
I'd like to see a return of Mock the Week, axed by Tim Davie for "left wing" bias
Tell us which TV programme you’d love to see return
As Line of duty and Doctor Foster are both returning for new series, we would like to hear what shows you’d like to see revived next
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Quelle surprise...

Trump's "peace plan" was written by Putin's envoy
US and Ukraine promise ‘updated’ peace framework after criticism of pro-Russian points in original plan
US-Ukraine statement comes hours after European countries propose their own alternative peace
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:56 AM
All seems a bit pointless if there is no commitment to phase out fossil fuel

#GlobalBoiling
Compromises, voluntary measures and no mention of fossil fuels: key points from Cop30 deal
A deal is welcome after talks nearly collapsed but the final agreement contains small steps rather than leaps
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Reposted by Russell England
Dear Bluesky,
www.thenerve.news is still tiny. We launched it with no dirty money (no money at all, lol!). But we're proving what's possible with a small expert team & no billionaire owners.

We knew the UK press wouldn't understand or properly cover this story, so we did. Thank you for the support!
This is the Observer's coverage of the Reform Russian Spie Scandal... 600 words on page 22 of the printed newspaper.

observer.co.uk/news/politic...
More MEPs investigated in Russian bribe probe | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 8:22 PM
"By 2025, the UK economy is 6%–8% smaller than it would have been had we stayed in the EU"

The Economic Impact of Brexit - National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

If only someone had warned us....
If only someone had warned us...

Theresa May in 2018, as Prime Minister, pointing to a chart she commissioned

Illustrating that our GDP would drop by -4.8% with a deal

#BrexitReality

h/t @jimmfelton.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Russell England
Ukraine is on the brink of an historic betrayal by Trump to Putin.

Keir Starmer must bring our European allies together to back Zelensky, starting by seizing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
November 21, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Russell England
The entire world is perplexed because the President of the United States appeared cordial in one meeting.

That’s how crazy this timeline is.
November 22, 2025 at 5:19 PM
So much winning...

"By 2025, the UK economy is 6%–8% smaller than it would have been had we stayed in the EU"

"Business investment is down 12%–18%"

"Fewer tax receipts mean less money for public services, less for investment"

Brexit impact study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
November 23, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Reposted by Russell England
Hugely disappointing, with world now on track to yet more heating & chaos, & poorest hit first & hardest. This process needs radically rethinking - meantime it’s vital that the Brazil-led coalition of the willing urgently delivers on plans to leave fossil fuels in the ground #COP30
November 22, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Russell England
More powerful evidence of the disaster of #Brexit from @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social. If we’re to avoid yet more austerity, we need to start by rejoining the customs union & single market. Brexit was a reckless waste of money we simply can’t afford @europeanmovement.co.uk
Rachel Reeves is studiously ignoring the cause of Britain’s woes: the Brexit-shaped hole in its roof | Jonathan Freedland
The autumn budget will mop up some damage, but the true source of the economic crisis is clear. The government should now fix it – tragically, it won’t, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Russell England
This is outrageous from Keir Starmer.

‘Russian links to Reform need investigating’, he says. So why is his government still fighting case now in Grand Chamber of Strasbourg court refusing to have such an investigation into Russian interference ??

news.sky.com/story/starme...
Starmer demands investigation into Reform-Russia links after party's ex-Wales leader jailed
The former leader of Reform in Wales, Nathan Gill, has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after being paid £40,000 to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.
news.sky.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Russell England
X has changed their policy and now you can see where the accounts are based.

Here’s an “influencer from Texas”
November 21, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Russell England
This young man has it exactly right.
November 21, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Reposted by Russell England
Gill’s conviction for taking Kremlin money is yet more evidence of Russian influence in our politics, as the Russia report itself found. So when will Ministers finally investigate this wider interference? Why are we forced to pursue it in court? @carolecadwalla.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Farage's mate, former Welsh leader of Reform UK Ltd and Russian asset

Nathan Gill jailed for 10.5 years
BREAKING: Nathan Gill is sentenced to 10 & a half years in prison after pleading guilty to eight charges of bribery from a Russian agent.

The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
November 21, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Russell England
Just checked my files, I did this picture about three weeks before Johnson announced the first lockdown.
November 20, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Reposted by Russell England
I remember Professor John Ashton on BBC Question Time on 12 March 2020, imploring the seriousness of Covid and to ignore government rhetoric

He probably saved thousands of lives that day

Interrupted several times by Fiona Bruce

Never invited back on the show despite being a public health expert
Professor John Ashton - not impressed with Government response to Coronavirus
YouTube video by geocarey
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Its a long list but threatening to kill your political opponents surely should be the number 1 reason to end the Trump Peesidency?
Outrage after Trump accuses Democrats of ‘seditious behavior, punishable by death’
US president roundly decried for Truth Social post after lawmakers told military personnel to refuse illegal orders
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
This was only a year ago

229 people died in the Valencia floods
‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown
She was sure that there would be warnings if there was any danger. But then the floods came. This is Toñi García’s story
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 AM
"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"

Slow clap to the anti-immigrant rhetoric
Overseas-trained doctors leaving the UK in record numbers
Medical bodies warn that hostility towards migrants is behind a 26% rise in departures last year that imperils NHS
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Reposted by Russell England
LEAVITT: They are encouraging service members not to follow lawful orders!

REPORTER: They're talking about illegal orders

LEAVITT: They're suggesting the president has given illegal orders, which he has not. Every single order given is lawful.
November 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Russell England
"The US Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika as a hate symbol"

"Erreur de Transmission" cartoon by "Flock" in 2017 during Trump 1.0
November 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM