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Reposted by Heather Rolfe

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

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Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 1d

2019: Priti Patel celebrates Brexit with the ending Freedom of Movement with the EU

2025: Simon Calder explains the new EU entry-exit system, where, now outside the EU, Brits will be fingerprinted and have face scans to enter the EU

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British Future @britishfuture.bsky.social · 1d

"Are you representing an organisation here?", I asked a Muslim attendee. “I’m here as a Mancunian mate,’ he replied. “That’s what I’m representing.”
Our Avaes Mohammad's reflections from Friday's vigil in Manchester following the appalling Synagogue attack.
www.britishfuture.org/im-here-as-a...

"I'm here as a Mancunian – that's what I'm representing" - British Future

British Future's Avaes Mohammad reports from Friday's vigil in Manchester following the appalling Synagogue attack.

www.britishfuture.org

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British Future @britishfuture.bsky.social · 1d

Profile in @theguardian.com today of our Director @sundersays.bsky.social – talking about immigration, race, prejudice, flags and patriotism – and why he's still optimistic about Britain
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Sunder Katwala on race, patriotism and flag-waving: ‘The far right is vocal and angry because it is shrinking’

The director of British Future has spent his career trying to find common ground when it comes to race and immigration. He describes his own experience of racism – and why he’s still hopeful for the U...

www.theguardian.com

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Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 1d

I've responded to Robert Jenrick's vile comments in @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...

I sang Jerusalem with Robert Jenrick at school — he’s wrong about race

The Conservative MP has complained that, visiting Handsworth in Birmingham, he didn’t see ‘another white face’. You can’t judge whether someone is integrated by skin colour, argues fellow Wulfrunian S...

www.thetimes.com

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Steve Rose @steverose7.bsky.social · 1d

I spoke to British Future's Sunder Katwala, who was a refreshing antidote to all the far right rhetoric on immigration, flags, etc. Britain is not nearly as divided as extremists suggest, he says, and we're "a generation ahead" when it comes to multiculturalism.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Sunder Katwala on race, patriotism and flag-waving: ‘The far right is vocal and angry because it is shrinking’

The director of British Future has spent his career trying to find common ground when it comes to race and immigration. He describes his own experience of racism – and why he’s still hopeful for the U...

www.theguardian.com

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 1d

Apparently, this was "nothing to do with skin colour". Robert Jenrick just likes "mixed communities". Which is why he has also criticised very white neighbourhoods or towns and villages up and down the UK, umm... <checks notes> never.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

Wow. Robert Jenrick doubles down by branding a black journalist's questions "ridiculous" and saying that the problem is not his comments, but "journalists like you who pop up and try to knock me down", adding that "this is the reason why terrorist attacks happen". ~AA

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

I spoke to The Guardian's Steve Rose for this wide-ranging interview about identity issues: flags & patriotism, the far right & racism online + offline, control & compassion on asylum, and still looking for the common ground in polarised times
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Sunder Katwala on race, patriotism and flag-waving: ‘The far right is vocal and angry because it is shrinking’

The director of British Future has spent his career trying to find common ground when it comes to race and immigration. He describes his own experience of racism – and why he’s still hopeful for the U...

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Heather Rolfe

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

Quite. I expect headlines like this will be on every LD leaflet in S England seats - how can the Tories not realise that mass deportation is not a popular policy, even with migration sceptics?

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 3d

Yet again, a distant but heartfelt cheer can be heard from Lib Dem activists in Blue Wall seats.

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Mayor of London's Culture team @ldnculture.bsky.social · 5d

Wandsworth Artists’ Open House is back this weekend.

Artists and makers will open their homes, studios and local businesses across the borough🏘️🎨✨

This year, there's over 200 local artists across almost 100 venues.

📅4-11 Oct

#LondonBoroughofCulture

welcometowandsworth.com/events/Mr-wa...

Wandsworth Artists’ Open House - Welcome to Wandsworth

welcometowandsworth.com

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 5d

Ahead of the Green Party conference, the party's new leader Zack Polanski puts a defence of the historic and future contribution of migration at the heart of his argument, alongside a socio-economic argument about inequality

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Migration is Britain’s superpower. Our future depends on embracing that truth, not denying it | Zack Polanski

Labour has lost its nerve. At our party conference this weekend, we’re gathering to set things right, says Green party leader Zack Polanski

www.theguardian.com

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The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 6d

Emma Barnett’s shock at today’s terrorist attack was amplified when the presenter realised it had taken place where her family once worshipped

My stomach churned as I saw the news: it was my old Shul in my home city

www.thetimes.com

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 6d

Terrible news that two people were killed in Manchester attending their place of worship at the synagogue in Manchester, with others seriously injured.

Community Security Trust @cstuk.bsky.social who do so much to keep Jewish people safe at faith and community spaces have issued this advice.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 7d

The idea that "the median voter will feel attacked" by challenging Reform over racism is certainly not shown by the data in this piece. It shows they may be indifferent. (It may mean a different important swing voter, who isn't the median voter)

The New Statesman @handle.invalid · 7d

Crying racism only hurts Labour

Activists like it, but the median voter will feel attacked.

📊 @bwalker.uk

Crying racism only hurts Labour

Activists like it, but the median voter will feel attacked.

www.newstatesman.com

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TheImmigrationLab @theimmigrationlab.bsky.social · 7d

We have written many reports on the economic contributions of immigrants. Sometimes we get valid criticism about reducing people to their labor. Interestingly many of the immigrants we have been interviewing in NYC & DC say that themselves in their effort to show they matter, hear Marshall Plane.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 7d

Important piece by @sundersays.bsky.social explaining both why Reform's deportation plans (and I'd add the Conservatives' similar ones) are racist, why Starmer's welcome condemnation of them conflicts with Mahmood's speech, and what govt needs to clarify.

www.easterneye.biz/keir-starmer...

Can progressives find a response to populism?

The prime minister made headlines by calling the Farage plan ‘racist’

www.easterneye.biz

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 7d

ICYMI our view on using a levy on international students to fund maintenance grants

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 8d

Using the proposed levy on international students towards maintenance grants doesn't make the levy any more sensible as a funding instrument.
And if Govt is bringing back maintenance grants, let's have them cover all arts, humanites & social sciences
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/respons...

British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants

The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 7d

Nick Robinson asks "Can you have a racist policy without being racist yourself?"

Macpherson definition: racism not only simply intention - but discriminatory impacts too.

Farage policy on ILR discriminates: he protects Europeans but threatens those from Commonwealth countries (India, Nigeria)

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Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 7d

Analysis of the British Election Study: "Reform voters are almost as distant from Labour voters as the Conservatives are, it’s kind of weird for Labour to obsess over them. Not least with the Lib Dems and Greens being much closer." (And to which Labour have lost far more voters)

British Politics' Midlife Crisis

Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters

open.substack.com

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Nando Sigona @nandosigona.bsky.social · 8d

Labour’s plan to make migrants earn permanent residency by doubling the wait to 10 years & adding new tests turns belonging into an endless exam.
🔗 theconversation.com/labours-plan...
#ShabanaMahmood
#LabourConference

Labour’s plan for migrants to ‘earn’ permanent residency turns belonging into an endless exam

In this hierarchical system, migrants are kept on extended probation and judged by standards never applied to British nationals.

theconversation.com

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Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 8d

Wow Starmer finally drawing a line!

"If you say or imply that people cannot be English or British because of the colour of their skin, that mixed-heritage families owe you an explanation... If you say that they should now be deported, then mark my words - we will fight you with everything we have".

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National Institute of Economic and Social Research @niesrorg.bsky.social · 8d

"Removing this limit would be the most cost-effective policy to reduce UK #poverty"

With rumours of the Government looking at scrapping the two-child #benefit cap, here is what we found in our Living Standards review 👇

niesr.ac.uk/publications...

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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 8d

Better late than never I guess.
If this happens it will be a huge step forward. The two child cap has been shown, repeatedly, to be a major driver of child poverty. There's never been an excuse for keeping it in place.

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November’s budget

Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year

www.theguardian.com

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British Future @britishfuture.bsky.social · 9d

At our #LPC25 event ‘Creating Inclusive Workplaces: Challenges, Choices and Change’ (ACC Room 11a) with Anneliese Dodds MP; Uma Kumaran MP; Anna Purchas (KPMG Vice Chair and London Office Senior Partner); Hayley Bennett of HTVB Consultancy; and Heather Rolfe of British Future.

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Janice Tullock @jtullock.bsky.social · 9d

I’d just like to point out to the politicians that the best volunteers are those that want to be there, not those who are forced to ‘volunteer’. They are the ones charities need and want. And don’t forget that it takes time and money to manage volunteers, something charities don’t have.

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