Alan Ferrier
@alanferrier.bsky.social
2.2K followers 200 following 750 posts
I live in Glasgow and my hobbies include arranging my CDs in alphabetical order, discovering new and exotic whiskies, sheep-spotting and flying my kite.
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alanferrier.bsky.social
What frightens the British Establishment most is the prospect of an independent, progressive, prosperous Scotland being witnessed by the English electorate.
alanferrier.bsky.social
All the money you made will never buy back your soul.
@ShabanaMahmood
Heartening to see so many people here at the demo #Gaza
12:59 PM - Aug 9, 2014
alanferrier.bsky.social
Your occasional reminder that this buffoonish party apparatchik has had a 24-year career in the Scottish Parliament without once winning any sort of election, trousering well over a million pounds from the public purse in the process.
@murdo fraser
No more vegans, Bhuddists or Green Party members please @RangersFC
10:38 PM - Oct 5, 2025 - 120.9K Views
alanferrier.bsky.social
Anyone who claims they have nothing to be afraid of and questions others on what they have to hide should be banned from owning curtains. #DigitalID
Reposted by Alan Ferrier
zoejardiniere.bsky.social
If scrapping indefinite leave to remain (ILR) entirely, as Reform would do, is racist, according to Labour, what is making ILR twice as difficult, expensive & humiliating to obtain, as Labour are doing?
alanferrier.bsky.social
The Secret of Life in two short paragraphs from Kurt Vonnegut. I do miss him.
True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and | were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.
| said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22"
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I've got something he can never have."
And | said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?"
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I've got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!
alanferrier.bsky.social
That noise you hear is William Beveridge, Clement Attlee and Nye Bevan spinning in their graves.
bsky.app/profile/saul...
saulstaniforth.bsky.social
Rachel Reeves: "We do need a welfare system that is based on the principle of contribution"

What happened to a welfare system based on the principle of need? Or the principle of universalism?

Haven't contributed for whatever reason? Tough.
alanferrier.bsky.social
I seem to remember Labour drones wringing their hands over Grangemouth and insisting they could do nothing because it was a private company. Like JLR is.
alanferrier.bsky.social
I wonder how the Union Jack-emblazoned “Brit Card” will go down in Northern Ireland.

They really haven't thought this through. As usual.
alanferrier.bsky.social
We are PRIVATE citizens; the government should know the bare minimum about us.

The government, supposedly, consists of PUBLIC servants. We should know everything about them.

Starmer and his cohorts have it arse-backwards.
alanferrier.bsky.social
In Wales there's a legal requirement for road signs to be in both English and Welsh. Wording was emailed to the Welsh translator and the sign installed.

Unfortunately, the translation reads, "I am currently out of the office. Please submit any work to the translation team."
alanferrier.bsky.social
From the sadly missed author and national treasure Iain Banks in a letter to the Guardian, 3rd June 2010. (15 years ago…)
www.theguardian.com/world/2010/j...
“Appeals to reason, international law, UN resolutions and simple human decency mean – it is now obvious – nothing to Israel. I would urge all writers, artists and others in the creative arts, as well as those academics engaging in joint educational projects with Israeli institutions, to consider doing everything they can to convince Israel of its moral degradation and ethical isolation, preferably by simply having nothing more to do with this outlaw state.”
alanferrier.bsky.social
The Onion there, pulling no punches:
Trump Spends Entire U.K. Trip Trying To Figure Out Where He Knows Prince Andrew From
alanferrier.bsky.social
From the New York Times, February 4th 1939.

History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
www.nytimes.com/1939/02/04/a...
Goebbels Ends Careers of Five 'Aryan' Actors Who Made Witticisms About the Nazi Regime

Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Feb. 4, 1939
alanferrier.bsky.social
What do you call someone who's anti-anti-fascist?
Reposted by Alan Ferrier
timescarcass.bsky.social
What would Orwell think about a huge face on a gigantic screen telling a crowd of people they should wage war on foreigners and dissidents? No way of knowing, I guess.
redhotworld.bsky.social
When speaking to Tommy Robinson at the far right demonstration in London today, Elon Musk wore a t-shirt saying "What would Orwell think?"

So let's dive in - what would George Orwell think about Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk? 🧵
alanferrier.bsky.social
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
—W.B.Yeats, The Second Coming, 1919
alanferrier.bsky.social
US Republicans seem to be really upset about a shooting at a school for a change.