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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 5d

In case you need this today or tomorrow (NI obviously)

David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 6d

Surely it can't be true that the husband of a Tory Peer was engaging in dubious practice to evade tax?
<spolier> The High Court has determined that a significant sum must be repaid to DoH.

Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 6d

Douglas Barrowman and Michelle Mone's company, PPE Medpro, has just been ordered to refund the Government £122m from a PPE contract.

There are two very odd things about PPE Medpro that may affect the odds of the Government ever getting that £122m...

Thread:

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 6d

Interesting comment from Jo Maugham director of @goodlawproject.org following Court ruling against PPE Medpro.

Ministers should face consequences over Covid 'VIP lane".

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 7d

In other news, Kemi Badenoch's party has taken at least £7 million in donations from funders and directors of climate change denial lobby groups bylinetimes.com/2025/03/18/k...

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 9d

It's easy to forget the good work being done in NI prisons. @justice-ni.bsky.social
BBC News - Changing prisoners' conversations on violence against women
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Hydebank: Prisoners take part in violence against women and girls workshops

Hundreds of convicted criminals in Northern Ireland's prisons have been voluntarily learning about violence against women and girls.

www.bbc.com

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Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 12d

The community note has it right.

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 13d

I'm sure this will be widely welcomed in every part of the UK.

BBC News - Starmer to announce plans for digital ID scheme
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Keir Starmer to announce plans for digital ID scheme

The prime minister believes a new scheme would help crack down on illegal working in the UK.

www.bbc.com

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Alliance Party @allianceparty.bsky.social · 15d

Paramilitaries are a poison on our society.

The Secretary of State’s appointment of a “go-between” to negotiate with them risks legitimising their coercion and criminality.

It’s time they were off the backs of our community and out of the murky shadows of our politics.

Images of paramilitaries, fast cars, jet skis and money.

Text reads: Enough talking.

- Stop bankrolling them.
- Stop legitimising them.
- Make them disband.

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 18d

to next preference.
If not, exclude candidate who is lowest and distribute all votes to next preference.

Continue till all places filled.

[simplified, but basically accurate] (2/2)

David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 18d

<pedant mode>
Constituencies: Dail 3-5, NI Assembly 5 per Westminster.

*Quota* to guarantee election is
V/(S+1) +1. eg in 5 seater, any candidate with one more than a sixth must be elected.

Count first preferences. At any stage if any candidate has surplus over quota, distribute proportion (1)

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 19d

NO.
Ireland (N and S) uses STV (single transferable vote) where voters rank candidates in order 1, 2, 3, ...
Parties obviously select candidates, but voters have choice to vote for *individuals* they want.
Unlike D'Hondt where a vote counts for every candidate of that party.

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 19d

The colour of the sky was pretty amazing on the way home, but not like that. We should have stayed ..... 😉

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Irish Legal News @irishlegal.com · 21d

Claims that the UK could leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without breaching the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) are “not credible”, a new report has concluded.

UK withdrawal from ECHR would breach Good Friday Agreement

Claims that the UK could leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without breaching the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) are “not credible”, a new report has concluded.

www.irishlegal.com

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 21d

The BBC is reporting this "on security grounds".
Security > embarrassment.

Graham Simpson @grahambs.bsky.social · 21d

Very wise, the public hate him…

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 21d

x.com/naomi_long/s...

Naomi Long MLA on X: "I apologised publicly: I am willing to do so in person. I said I am willing to meet the family (Doug didn't request a meeting when he wrote). I didn't blame @NIPrisons; I accurately described its role. I have requested a review of pre-release testing. Doug is being disingenuous." / X

I apologised publicly: I am willing to do so in person. I said I am willing to meet the family (Doug didn't request a meeting when he wrote). I didn't blame @NIPrisons; I accurately described its role. I have requested a review of pre-release testing. Doug is being disingenuous.

x.com

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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 22d

I’m old enough to remember when Conservative Party leaders believed in law and order.

Zoë Grünewald @zoegrunewald.bsky.social · 22d

Kemi Badenoch refusing to acknowledge that Tommy Robinson is "far-right", now on LBC, and refusing to condemn Elon Musk's words. In fact she says what Musk said *isn't* incitement. So what would be incitement then? How violent would his words have to be before he was deemed a threat to this country?

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David Ford @david-ford.bsky.social · 22d

What is it about the UUP?
On Talkback (Radio Ulster) today, @williamcrawley.bsky.social interviewed @sianalliance.bsky.social about the need for politicians to provide leadership in stopping violence.
Then the local UUP MLA came on to have a pop at @naomilong.bsky.social about a prison dog.

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Alliance Party @allianceparty.bsky.social · 23d

The racial violence we’ve witnessed across NI over the past year has been disgusting. No one should live in fear in their own community, says @sianalliance.bsky.social.

That’s why Alliance is calling on politicians to show leadership and stand up against racism.

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Patrick Dunleavy @patrickdunleavy.bsky.social · 26d

James Chapman
“Reform featuring in a quarter of all BBC News at Ten bulletins - far more than the Lib Dems, who have 18 times as many MPs, and far too often policy is unscrutinised, according to an authoritative new study. Something’s gone badly wrong at the BBC” www.theguardian.com/media/2025/s...

BBC under fresh pressure over extent of Reform UK coverage

Nigel Farage’s party featured in considerably more News at Ten bulletins than Lib Dems over six months, study finds

www.theguardian.com

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nffn.bsky.social @nffn.bsky.social · 29d

It's #BackBritishFarmingDay! 🚜🐄
No farming, no food!!

But here’s the catch:
🐝 No bees, no pollination
🪱 No worms, no healthy soil
🐞 No beetles, no pest control

👉 No nature, no farming...

So today, we’re backing British farmers AND the natural systems that keep them in business. 💚

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Reposted by David Ford

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 29d

The Liberal Democrats have launched a new campaign that aims to ‘Balance the BBC’, as they accuse the public service broadcaster of providing months of ‘wall-to-wall’ coverage of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK
bylinetimes.com/2025/09/09/b...

BBC Accused of Pro-Reform Bias as Lib Dems Launch Campaign to End 'Wall to Wall' Farage Coverage

They accuse the BBC of "following Farage around like a lost puppy” and have complained to Ofcom to demand fair coverage

bylinetimes.com

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Reposted by David Ford

Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · Sep 7

This week Nigel Farage went to America to badmouth Britain, even comparing our country to North Korea.

He’d rather cosy up to his MAGA buddy mates than fix problems here at home.