Leigh Sparks
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sparksstirling.bsky.social
Leigh Sparks
@sparksstirling.bsky.social
730 followers 1.1K following 340 posts

Professor of Retail Studies, University of Stirling, Chair Scotland's Towns Partnership, Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh, Extremely long-suffering Welsh rugby fan, occasional gardener.

Stirlingretail.com

Videos
Business 69%
Economics 13%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

ottoenglish.bsky.social
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 18h
Very good from @verybrexitproblems.bsky.social
Johnson partied as pensioners died alone. Why didn't Johnson get this pressure to resign. Farage appointed a Russian Agent as the leader of Reform UK in Wales. Why doesn't Farage get this pressure to resign The answer is the Tory Press.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, David R. Miller , and 1 more

chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 22h
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.

"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."

Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MARK KELLY, Plaintiff, Civil Case No. 26-81 (RJL) V. PETE HEGSETH, et al., Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION February 12, 2026 [Dkt. #2] United States Senator Mark Kelly, a retired naval officer, has been censured by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for voicing certain opinions on military actions and policy. In addition, he has been subjected to proceedings to possibly reduce his retirement rank and pay and threatened with criminal prosecution if he continues to speak out on these issues. Secretary Hegseth relies on the well-established doctrine that military servicemembers enjoy less vigorous First Amendment protections given the fundamental obligation for obedience and discipline in the armed forces. Unfortunately for Secretary Hegseth, no court has ever extended those principles to retired servicemembers, much less a retired servicemember serving in Congress and exercising oversight responsibility over the military. This Court will not be the first to do so! Worse still, Secretary Hegseth contends that this Court is not yet competent to decide the issues in this case. He and his fellow Defendants argue that military personnel 1 Case 1:26-cv-00081-RJL Document 37 Filed 02/12/26 Page 2 of 29 decisions are exempt from judicial review and, in any event, that Senator Kelly should first be required to go through the military appeals process so the military can have the first crack at adjudicating his First Amendment rights. I disagree. This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees. After all, as Bob Dylan famously said, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." To say the least, our retired veterans deserve more respect from their Government, and our Constitution demands they receive it! Senator Kelly's First Amendment claim is not only justiciable; he is likely to succeed on the merits. He has also shown irreparable harm, and the balance of the equities fall decidedly in his favor. As such, his motion for a preliminary injunction on his First Amendment claim is hereby GRANTED.

sparksstirling.bsky.social
Leigh Sparks @sparksstirling.bsky.social · 23h
" A man who is so patriotic he would do anything for his country except live or pay taxes in it"

www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Football Daily | Jim Ratcliffe’s special brand of patriotism and a classic non-apology apology
In today’s Football Daily: It’s Big Sir Jim
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

number10cat.bsky.social
Larry the Cat @number10cat.bsky.social · 1d
I think the people of this country have had enough of tax-exile billionaires.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

implausibleblog.bsky.social
Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 1d
Ro Khanna, "More powerful people In the Epstein files. Why have abusers name blacked out when e-mail says,

"I enjoyed the naughty girl you sent"

"I enjoyed the Brazilian girl"

"Why are you blocking that out?"

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

goodlawproject.org
Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 1d
"A conservative network led by Michael Gove and Nigel Farage’s senior adviser James Orr has spent more than half a million pounds pushing far-right and anti-trans voices – some of it fuelled by profits from Russian oil."
Putin’s megaphone: Orbán’s far-right push into UK universities is fuelled by Russian oil | Good Law Project
Good Law Project has uncovered a network funded by Hungary’s authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán, that uses profits from refining Russian oil to platform far right and anti-trans campaigners in the UK
goodlaw.social

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

alondoninheritance.bsky.social
A London Inheritance @alondoninheritance.bsky.social · 1d
Walcot Square And Lost Prefabs - A 1986 corner shop from my post exploring the area and searching for the site of some prefabs at alondoninheritance.com/london-stree...

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

ruckthewru.bsky.social
Ruck the WRU @ruckthewru.bsky.social · 1d
An absolute corker of a letter to the Welsh rugby clubs from Hayley Parsons 💥

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, John Appleby, Leigh Sparks , and 2 more

petergeoghegan.bsky.social
Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 1d
Rarely mentioned but about much of Ratcliffe’s business ‘success’ is based on draining public money (very common among these ‘self made tycoons’)

Eg democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ineos-set-...

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 1d
US reopens airspace over El Paso after claim of cartel drone infiltration https://aje.news/a3k5ze
US reopens airspace over El Paso after claim of cartel drone infiltration

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Dorothy Bishop, Leigh Sparks , and 5 more

strandjunker.com
Andrea Junker @strandjunker.com · 1d
You can joke about Pam Bondi’s ridiculous unprofessionalism all you want, but I’m deeply shocked by it: She acts as if she fears absolutely no consequences, convinced that there will be no more political power transfers. — This should shake everyone to their core.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 1d
"Reform UK last year received £200,000 from a tiny UK firm run by a churchwarden in Potters Bar who has worked for an Iranian-Kazakh billionaire who recently bankrolled Nigel Farage’s trip to Davos...It listed tax debts totalling more than its political contributions"
Revealed: Corporate donations to British politics have tripled
Influential Labour committee chairs call on government to clean up politics as our new analysis finds record £42 million in company donations ahead of last election
open.substack.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

neweconomics.bsky.social
New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 2d
The average public transport journey from rural new builds is 62 minutes to the nearest hospital, 43 to the nearest secondary school and 37 to the nearest supermarket. This compares with 28, 17 and 12 minutes respectively for their urban counterparts.

neweconomics.org/2024/11/trap... 2/2
Trapped behind the wheel
How England's new builds lock us into car dependency
neweconomics.org

Reposted by Ken Caldeira, Leigh Sparks, Mark Rice

sethabramson.bsky.social
Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 2d
I and millions of Americans believe exactly the same thing Kasparov does.

Too many troops, too many new prisons, too much money not under Congressional supervision.

We're not just witnessing a mass deportation scheme anymore.

This is something significantly bigger and scarier.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Marini Marini

peterjukes.bsky.social
Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 2d
Given the timescale of the Epstein/Bannon/Farage European ‘Movement’ in 2018, you’ve got to wonder about Johnson’s visit to see Putin proxy Alexander Lebedev earlier that year without his security detail.

The Russian Bots started pushing ‘moggmentum’

bylinetimes.com/2019/02/19/h...

Reposted by Martin McKee, Christian Odendahl, Richard S.J. Tol , and 9 more

iandunt.bsky.social
Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 2d
It is so embarrassing that it has taken nearly a decade for a British minister to say this, a statement of the absolute bloody obvious

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Jon Pierre, Leigh Sparks , and 1 more

acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 2d
Watters: I was walking in my street, a car drives by and I give him a wave. He rolls down the window and says, “F U fascist.” He doesn’t know I’m a fascist!

Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

clesthinkdo.bsky.social
The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) @clesthinkdo.bsky.social · 2d
Members of the Scottish Parliament have just voted to pass the world’s first piece of legislation on Community Wealth Building

This is a huge opportunity to ensure that when Scotland has economic growth, we use it to reduce wealth inequality and support communities to thrive

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Beatriz Gallardo Paúls

brenttoderian.bsky.social
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 2d
Another reminder that no nation should make any deal with Trump’s United States. None. You can’t make any deal with a corrupt crook that will break every deal. Simple as that.
Trump says Gordie Howe bridge won't open without Canadian concessions
Canada has footed the entire cost of the $5.7-billion Gordie Howe bridge construction project, aiming to recover costs through toll collections.
www.freep.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

drsandman11.medsky.social
💉Josh Rubin, MD @drsandman11.medsky.social · 2d
He did the cartoon!
A cartoon of an anonymous federal agent beating a protester on the ground, yelling “Stop calling us fascists!!!”

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

plaidcymru.bsky.social
Plaid Cymru @plaidcymru.bsky.social · 2d
Reform’s ex-leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, was found guilty of accepting Russian bribes.

We need stronger legislation to protect our democracy from foreign interference.

But Reform’s absence from this week’s debate shows they aren’t interested in learning from past failures.

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Nandita Sharma, Norbert Schwarz , and 20 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Laurent Pech, Daniel Kuehn , and 1 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Goldman to Lyons: "You said in your opening statement that references to ICE as 'the Gestapo' or 'secret police' encourages threats against ICE agents. The problem is you have it backwards. People are simply making valid observations about your tactics, which are un-American and outright fascist."

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

wellejonathan.bsky.social
Jonathan Welle @wellejonathan.bsky.social · 2d
'Scotland’s community wealth building legislation signals a collective recognition that patterns of wealth, policy and economic dev must change.'

Awesome progress and write-up from @neilmcinroy.bsky.social and team at @democracycollab.bsky.social!

www.democracycollaborative.org/blogs/the-lo...
The Long Road to Economic Transformation: Scotland’s CWB Bill — The Democracy Collaborative
The Scottish Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill presents an opportune moment to reflect on how Scotland has reached this point, and what the new legislation means for the broader global movement.
www.democracycollaborative.org

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

marina-purkiss.bsky.social
Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 2d
One of my fave community notes to date…

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

bestforbritain.org
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 2d
Straight out of the Trump handbook.

Reform UK is threatening to defund a Welsh university simply because a debating society turned them down.

Are they serious?

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/reform-uk-threatens-defund-welsh-33394278
Reform threatens to defund Welsh university after student society's debate ban
The warning over funding came after the Bangor Debating & Political Society refused a request from Reform for Q and A wi
www.dailypost.co.uk

sparksstirling.bsky.social
Leigh Sparks @sparksstirling.bsky.social · 3d
ICYMI: Last week @scotlandstowns.bsky.social launched its Scottish Election manifesto.

Building on a sound policy framework it focuses on Town Centre First, Scotland Loves Local, BIDs and making town centres easier places in which to live, work, play & operate

stirlingretail.com/2026/02/09/s...
Scotland’s Towns Partnership launches manifesto ahead of 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections
I spent last Thursday at the Scottish Parliament helping with the launch of Scotland’s Towns Partnership Manifesto for Towns ahead of the upcoming elections. Rather than write my own piece I …
stirlingretail.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 3d
Now we learn from Reps of both parties who saw the unredacted Epstein files today that Trump, Bondi, & Blanche are covering up the absolute worst things in the Epstein files to protect the wealthy, powerful and politically connected. DOJ is being run by criminal co-conspirators.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

stopfundinghate.bsky.social
Stop Funding Hate @stopfundinghate.bsky.social · 3d
🚨 (Not so) BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Ofcom fail to do their job – again.

@ofcom.bsky.social refuses to investigate GB News’ Trump interview, where US president said climate change is a “hoax” and described immigrants as “scum” without challenge from GB News interviewer.

www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Ofcom under fire after refusing to investigate ‘misleading’ GB News Trump interview
US president not challenged over false claims climate change is ‘hoax’ and parts of London have sharia law
www.theguardian.com

sparksstirling.bsky.social
Leigh Sparks @sparksstirling.bsky.social · 3d
That's not a delegate list that's a speakers list. Wall on leveraging commercial opportunities. Did I miss the announcements?