Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Owen Espley (he/him) @owenespley.bsky.social · 6d

Without punishment there is no law! (sine pune sine lege.. if Latin's your thing)...
It's a total disgrace that workers can go thru the utter mill to get awarded compensation only for bosses to sidestep it in preventable ways...

Emiliano Mellino @mellino.bsky.social · 6d

🚨 Our new investigation out today reveals how thousands of people who've taken their bosses to employment tribunals & won, never got paid, even after they approached the government for help.

This has serious implications for the Employment rights bill.
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Thousands of rogue bosses get away with not paying tribunal awards

The government scheme ‘enforcing’ money owed to workers has been unsuccessful in a staggering three-quarters of cases

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Owen Espley (he/him) @owenespley.bsky.social · 16d

What these workers need is a union! Yet this article fails to mention them (?)... Strange... #MakeAmazonPay
@gmb.org.uk

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · Aug 11

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced that will prosecute a senior lawyer at Carter-Ruck for an “improper” threat to sue a journalist over a crypto company story

We wrote about Carter-Ruck, one of the giants of the libel business, with the Economist in 2023. At the time, we reported that Carter-Ruck had sent a threatening letter to Jen McAdam, who had lost her life savings to OneCoin, a multi-billion-dollar crypto fraud.

Acting for their clients OneCoin and the company’s cofounder, Ruja Ignatova, the firm threatened Jen with a lawsuit if she didn’t retract her criticism of the scam. The only way to avoid a court case, the letter said, was to refrain from publishing similar allegations and to remove a YouTube video that it wrongly accused her of posting online.

Jen told our reporter Ed Siddons that this had taken a huge toll on her. These legal letters can be terrifying to receive, not to mention financially ruinous to defend against.

After TBIJ’s story was published, Dan Neidle, the founder of the think tank Tax Policy Associates and former head of tax at Clifford Chance, filed a report to the SRA about Carter-Ruck’s work for OneCoin.

Claire Gill, a partner at the firm, will face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. An announcement by the SRA says it launched the prosecution over “an improper threat of litigation” sent by Gill, without naming the client or the person who received the threat. (Of course, the allegations will be subject to a hearing and are currently unproven.) But we understand the case is over the letter to Jen.

Carter-Ruck said: “We are disappointed by the SRA’s decision to bring these proceedings against our colleague, who we will be fully supporting in her defence of this matter.”

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UNI Global Union @uniglobalunion.org · Jul 16

🚨It’s been a year since Amazon workers in India said:

🥵“It’s too hot in the warehouse.”

📦So… did Amazon fix it?

😡Not really.

✊🏿That's why workers are organizing with Amazon India Workers Union

#MakeAmazonPay

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · May 30

Good news!

The European Commission tightens firewall against #tobacco lobbyists, enforcing Article 5.3 of the UN tobacco control treaty 👏

It will meet tobacco industry #lobbyists "only if strictly necessary for the purpose of its activities" 🚭

#WNTD2025

www.corporateeurope.org/en/2025/05/e...

EU Commission tightens firewall enforcement against tobacco lobbyists | Corporate Europe Observatory

Corporate Europe Observatory welcomes the EU’s tightening of enforcement of UN rules for a firewall between decision-makers, and tobacco lobbyists. But we also explore possible loopholes and urge robu...

www.corporateeurope.org

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Owen Espley (he/him) @owenespley.bsky.social · May 8

#MakeAmazonPay! France & Canada your turn next!

Fair Tax Foundation @fairtaxfoundation.bsky.social · May 8

Our statement on the good news that the US-UK trade deal announced today reportedly *does not* include the end of the UK's digital services tax - which many predicted

This sends a strong signal to other countries, such as France and Canada, to stand strong on their own digital services taxes

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Robert Palmer @robertnpalmer.bsky.social · Apr 25

Reform is targeting donations from wealthy oil and gas companies

www.desmog.com/2025/04/25/n...

Farage’s Top Fundraiser Targets Oil and Gas Donations

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is attempting to raise money from the fossil fuel industry, the Financial Times has revealed. The newspaper reports that Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy – a billionaire propert...

www.desmog.com

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Public and Commercial Services Union @pcsunion.bsky.social · Apr 25

#PCS has a vacancy for a designer in our communications and campaigns team. We're looking for someone with a strong portfolio of digital, print design and marketing materials.
Closing date 14 May. Interviews 28 May.
More details and how to apply on our website: www.pcs.org.uk/work-pcs

Image of interlocking jigsaw pieces with a range of different faces on them. The text reads "Work for PCS. Designer vacancy"

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Landworkers' Alliance @landworkersuk.bsky.social · Apr 2

🚜Farming is increasingly at risk of being hi-jacked by the far-right. Now more than ever we need to unite and build a progressive front in UK food and farming.
Join the #FoodInOurHands march on April 26th in London: landworkersalliance.org.uk/foodinourhan...

Food In Our Hands 2025 - Landworkers Alliance

landworkersalliance.org.uk

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · Apr 17

Economist urges Reeves to hike basic rate of income tax.

NO

Poorest 20% pay higher proportion of income in taxes than the richest 20%.

End tax perks of the rich. Align tax on capital gains & dividends with wages, charge NIC. End partnership NIC loopholes.

Wealth tax. FTT.

End corporate welfare.

Reeves urged to raise basic rate of income tax for first time in 50 years

Institute for Fiscal Studies boss Paul Johnson warned Donald Trump’s trade war is ‘badly buffeting’ the UK economy

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Quakers in Britain @quaker.org.uk · Mar 28

🚨 Outrage as 20 police officers break into Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrest six. 🚨
This shocking violation of a place of worship is a direct result of crackdowns on protest and dissent - freedom of speech, assembly and democracy are at risk.🕊️
👉 www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Quakers condemn police raid on Westminster Meeting House

Police broke into a Quaker Meeting House last night (27 March) and arrested six young people holding a meeting over concerns for the climate and Gaza.

www.quaker.org.uk

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Searchlight magazine @searchlightmag.bsky.social · Mar 28

Around 10,000 Reform supporters crowded into the Arena Birmingham to be greeted by a stage bizarrely decked out with a Reform bus, a bus shelter, a pub and a betting shop.

A pretty condescending way of trying to portray yourself as the party of the working class...

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Patriotic Millionaires UK @patmillsuk.bsky.social · Mar 25

We’ve been travelling across the UK with a very simple message ahead of the #SpringStatement:
Our country misses out on £460 million a week without a wealth tax. No cuts. Tax our wealth.

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · Mar 20

Now, imagine if the top 1 percent actually paid their fair share 🤔

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · Mar 13

UK financial regulator drops plan to ‘name and shame’ companies under investigation.

Crazy deregulation - Banks, insurance companies can fleece customers, steal, defraud but won't be named for years, people won't be warned.

A licence to harm.

No one protects the people.
archive.ph/nRyQu

FCA drops plan to ‘name and shame’ more UK companies under investigation

Financial regulator says it will scrap new public interest test after backlash from the City and government officials

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Women's Budget Group @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social · Mar 5

Cutting vital social security will further erode the incomes of the most vulnerable. Low income, single & Disabled women have borne the brunt of austerity cuts to our social infrastructure. More cuts are short-sighted & will undermine efforts to strengthen our economy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Chancellor set to cut welfare spending by billions

Cuts to areas including welfare will be put to the official forecaster ahead of the Spring Statement.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Owen Espley (he/him) @owenespley.bsky.social · Mar 5

Almost makes you think these "rules" weren't the quasi laws of economic nature suggested, but were constitutionalising austerity - squeezing the poor to provide greater profits for the rich.

Yanis Varoufakis @yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social · Mar 5

Germany is about to confine its debt rules to the dustbin of history. What a pity they never did that to spend on green energy, digital tech, education, health, the environment but they are doing it to buy guns and bombs, mainly from Trump, to win an unwinnable war in Ukraine

Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · Feb 23

Exploited migrant farm workers in UK paid for picks, not hours.

Workers not paid for in-work travel, time spent moving between workstations, team meetings, receiving instructions on equipment use.

Employers violating employment rights.

Need effective enforcement, not deregulation.

‘Exploited’ migrant farm workers in UK paid for picks, not hours

Call for investigation into unfair payment for labourers on seasonal visa scheme

www.theguardian.com

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Naomi Fowler @naomifowler.bsky.social · Feb 6

Funding politics via donations from private individuals is undemocratic but IF we must I'd support a low cap, but I prefer a public financing system. And no company should be able to donate to political parties, ever.
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/trump-show... from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social

Lessons from America: Starmer must act now to protect Britain from autocracy

Our ‘safeguarding democracy’ survey found huge support for banning foreign funding and capping political donations. Labour needs to forget its donors and start listening to voters.

democracyforsale.substack.com

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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · Feb 6

The appointment of the former boss of Amazon UK to lead the UK competition watchdog is a threat to its independence and pledge to hold big tech to account.

Further evidence of corporate control of govt.

No chance of breaking monopolies or protecting consumers from corporate abuses.

Tech firms, publishers and Which? raise fears over new boss at competition regulator

Exclusive: Appointment of ex-Amazon UK boss prompts group letter to chancellor airing fears over approach to big tech

www.theguardian.com

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Richard Hull @richardhull54.bsky.social · Jan 27

And here are some starter packs

go.bsky.app/Lc9ptnq
go.bsky.app/LhKtYdM
go.bsky.app/LLUZ4bx

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Damian Barr @damianbarr.bsky.social · Jan 23

This is huge - amazon to stop selling Bloomsbury's books at midnight tonight. Especially as my first two books are published by....bloomsbury...

www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-...

Amazon UK to stop selling Bloomsbury's books

Amazon UK has said that it will cease selling Bloomsbury’s print and e-books from midnight on 23rd January.

www.thebookseller.com

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

No Tech For Apartheid @notechforapartheid.bsky.social · Jan 23

STATEMENT—from Google workers with the No Tech for Apartheid campaign on Washington Post’s reporting that Google rushed to sell the Israeli military its AI tools since the launch of its genocidal attack on Gaza began on October 7, 2023 [THREAD]

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Google rushed to sell AI tools to Israel’s military after Hamas attack

The company fulfilled requests from Israel’s military for more access to AI tools as it sought to compete with Amazon, documents obtained by The Post show.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Owen Espley (he/him)

Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · Jan 19

Worthwhile read X transforming into platform of a nation and on the plutocrats starting to control news. open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

Time for the European institutions like @europeancouncil.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu and European Parliament to leave X

@epsu.bsky.social
@etuc-ces.bsky.social

Total information collapse

It's started. And it's only going to accelerate from here.

open.substack.com

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Global Justice Now @globaljusticenow.bsky.social · Jan 16

BREAKING: Just five partners of the @wef control 11% of global GDP amounting to €11.91 TRILLION - more than 168 countries’ national incomes combined.

New report from @balancedeconomy.bsky.social @lobbycontrol.bsky.social @globaljusticenow.bsky.social: www.globaljustice.org.uk/resource/dem...

Democracy at risk in Davos: new report exposes big tech lobbying and political interference - Global Justice Now

We are pleased to launch a new report, World Economic Forum: Reining in the Extreme Power and Influence of the Tech Billionaires. Featuring new research from LobbyControl, and jointly published […]

www.globaljustice.org.uk

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