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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 7h

I've not has a press card for a decade now, but the rightwing fruitcakes who do the annual Battle of Ideas fashfest still send me a press invite every year.

Anyone with sense want to go to this awfulness for free? I can email them back and try and get you one if you want.

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 7h

Praising China for its energy policy in the same speech as she criticizes the government for not declaring China an enemy state is an interesting weave.

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 9h

Badenoch: "While Britain was redefining what a woman is, China built five nuclear reactors."

A perfect summary of conservative idiocy. Glorifying authoritarian post-communism for its efficiency while vilifying democracy for seeking nuance and respect.

It is the Right who hate their own countries.

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 12h

People coming to England should learn about our culture, the key aspect of which is that we hate people learning about our culture.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 12h

Yes, I saw the Facebook comment (reply to my quite neutral one). Does seem to confirm intent.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 12h

Hats off to Boff.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Conservative conference gender session ‘curated hatred’ – Tory politician

Andrew Boff claimed the gender identity session featuring former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies was ‘one sided’ and said it was ‘not a debate’.

www.independent.co.uk

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Good to make some form of contact with you, Ellie. I'll write somerhing up about this in next couple of days, as this is all going to be strangely significant to wider struggle. Yes, the 5k app thing is big signifier.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I know, Shel. That's why I've been involved in making it happen for a decade now. I'm just setting out how the terf lawyers will seek to portray it in court, because they want to rub our inclusive noses in the dirt.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

FWIW, here's the end of the 'Handsworth' chapter of Rex & Tomlinson's 1979 study of how structural racism was already creating the conditions for Jenrick's comments on Handsworth.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Agreed, Richard. I think 'tweaks' are the likely final outcome, for which parkun HQ are already taking steps via the 5k in-housing etc. but I also think FWS, Davies et al may want to push as far as they can with a view to humiliating parkrun, and are very well resourced to try to do so.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Is that the same Margaret Thatcher as said Pakistan created the Taliban (Statecraft, p.202)?

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

FWIW, this is the best book on how Handsworth came together as a multicultural community in the 1960s and 1970s in the context of overtly racist government policies. Brilliant sociological study of resilience.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

I can't tell the difference between serious, parody, parody of parody, or parody of the style of parody in the replies. I hereby name @conorsmith.ie the new James Joyce. I don't care if he already is.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Other obvious point is that in 2029 he'll be older than 'magic grandpa' Corbyn was when he took Labour leadership. Need to play on that.

Prospect Magazine @prospectmagazine.co.uk · 1d

Yes, Reform is currently riding high in the polls, writes @arusbridger.bsky.social. But could British voters become more reluctant to put someone so flaky into Downing Street the closer an election nears?

Nigel Farage has no idea how to be a prime minister

The Reform leader undoubtedly has charisma, but lacks the judgement, gravitas or respect for truth needed to lead a country

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

Note to self. This probably deserves a fuller write-up because, if I'm right, this is going to be a big battlefield in early 2026, with both big risks and opportunities for both sides, given the profile and growth of parkrun.

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

The FWS consultation response suggests they'll be gunning for parkrun anyway by trying to broaden the notion of 'competitive sport' to the extreme. This fits with earlier attacks.

Certainly parkrun HQ look to be in prep mode by centralizing control of all its data, tho' it won't acknowledge that.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 1d

The FWS consultation response suggests they'll be gunning for parkrun anyway by trying to broaden the notion of 'competitive sport' to the extreme. This fits with earlier attacks.

Certainly parkrun HQ look to be in prep mode by centralizing control of all its data, tho' it won't acknowledge that.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

4/ Full text of the Wolfson advice at www.conservatives.com/wolfson-fina... FWIW and my analysis re: article 692 from 2 years ago at medium.com/@bickerrecor...

On Article 692

One intriguing thing about article 692 of the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement 2020, which may become vital if the UK does seek to…

medium.com

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

3/ But even so, a reading even of this bit of the full advice, and the couched terms, pretty well throws a bag on the Badenoch claim that Wolfson consider withdrawl from EHCR hunky dory

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

2/ What it doesn't do is specify what cooperation measures will be lost by automatic termination of part 3 of UK-EU deal, the most immediate one of which is plane passenger manifests, because it takes care to draw line between legality of convention withdrawal and 'political' sense of doing so.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

1/ Interesting to see that the Lord Wolfson advice to Badenoch on leaving EHCR is essentially in agreement with my stuff from a couple of years ago that the EU "anticipated" that the UK might want to pull from the convention back in 2000, and put in place negative consequences if it does.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

My sense is one of their test cases. parkrun next possibly.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

Is the full advice in the public domain?

Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

I want one of them to marry my daughter. Or both. Happy to walk to the church.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

He's not Jonathan. He is just summarising what Badenoch wants to do. He's at the opposite end.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

There also already exists the Lifetime ISA, which gives you £1,000 a year at the 25% proportion if you can afford to put £4,000 a year in but if ring-fenced to 1st home purchas, so it's a very weird duplication. Possible they don't even know this exists.

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Paul Cotterill @bickerrecord.bsky.social · 2d

No huge surprise KCC Reform are going for the council tax rise.

All Reform councils will be in same boat come November, and the more extreme ones in East Midlands may go for the 'sack the s.151 officer' option when told they can't balance the books and they will need to issue a s.114 notice.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 3d

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters on.ft.com/4pTvJ62

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

on.ft.com

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