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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 6h

CMA - watchdog or lapdog ?

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

Millions of households face jump in water bills after watchdog’s ruling

Five companies have been granted permission to increase their charges

www.independent.co.uk

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 9h

Thatcher left a society with communities smashed, manufacturing industry wrecked, utilities flogged off and turned into profit centres for their (often o/seas) new owners. Worst of all was the mantra that greed is good, & that concern for others is weakness www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Thatcher was born 100 years ago and her reign feels a lifetime away. Why is her effect on the country still so huge? | Martin Kettle

Today’s politicians need to learn that she is not the answer to contemporary problems, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

www.theguardian.com

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 10h

The Tories gave Auntie a distinct blue rinse. Why the H*** does Starmer not do something about it ? The BBC is still widely listened to, still widely trusted, and highly influential - impartial reporting and news analysis matters.

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 1d

BBC Radio 4's World at One is currently platforming far-right columnist and Reform member Tim Montgomerie, for his views - and his views alone - on the political conference season.

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 1d

Putting on one side the fact that Sussex is already a sea of concrete from Rye to Chichester, Reeves clear contempt for wildlife and countryside is a disgrace

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 2d

50% of Tory members think Badenoch should not lead them into the next election. That's right, 50%, both of them.

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 3d

It's not so much that Starmer's gov't is doing nothing to help UK citizens captured in int'l waters, it's that Starmer's gov't is doing nothing but limp along after Farage, the Pied Piper of British politics

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 3d

For shame. 😡

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 4d

‪
Heseltine is right: "The overwhelming majority of asylum seekers want to share in our standards and escape from persecution or civil war. " That is precisely why the decision to cut int'l aid was such a mistake - it increased the pull factor

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

The Conservatives must never have any part in Farage’s po...

To describe asylum seekers as thieves or rapists encourages the worst sort of prejudice. We don’t need Trump’s mouthpiece anywhere near No 10

observer.co.uk

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 4d

The route out of the gov't problems is staring them in the face: rejoin the EU CU and SM
The economic benefit would be direct and immediate, both for the UK and other EU countries, which would then be more inclined to offer support on other matters.

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 4d

Just attended a talk by Prof Vernon Bogdanor. One of the questions was along the lines "can you name 6 post war politicians will leave no lasting change ? The answer was: any member of the current gov't you care to name. And he's right, they are pathetic

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 4d

I'm not - emphatically not - a Tory, but we need more people like Heseltine in politics today. He, together with John Major have shown more courage & integrity in standing up for UK's interests than the apparatchiks of the last gov't & the current one put together www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ON...

I don’t believe for instant we should accept the verdict of a pack of lies!

YouTube video by Liz Webster #SaveBritishFarming

www.youtube.com

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 4d

Fair point, but 150 acres ? I could understand 1, perhaps even 10, but 150 ?

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 5d

I did not join Bluesky so that other people could try and flog me things

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Reposted by Patrick Robey

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 5d

Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to change how judges interpret the European Convention on Human Rights – a move that risks weakening everyone’s protections.

The ECHR has become a convenient scapegoat for challenges around migration and sovereignty.

WE MUST PROTECT IT
youtu.be/Lmad4kujRhQ?...

🚨THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTS US ALL. WE MUST PROTECT IT

YouTube video by Peter Stefanovic

youtu.be

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 5d

I understand their desire for privacy, but 150 acres of privacy seems a lot. If it matters that much I suppose they could always join the rest of us in the common herd.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

‘I think it’s selfish’: William and Kate face backlash over Windsor Great Park no-go zone

Royal couple’s desire for more privacy means 2.3-mile perimeter exclusion zone and less public land for walkers

www.theguardian.com

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 5d

They have sunk to being nothing more than a political irrelevance, so who cares who their "leader" is ?

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 5d

It really doesn't matter who leads the Conservatives as long as they continue pursuing the current path of trying (and failing) to out-Reform Reform. If anything Jenrick would be even worse in this regard

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5d

Here we go again!

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Reposted by Patrick Robey

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 5d

President Macron:
“We were very naive to leave our public space to social media networks controlled by US or Chinese companies that don’t share our interests and not interested in survival of our democracies.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MggN...

French President Macron Speaks at German Unity Day Ceremony | WION LIVE

YouTube video by WION

www.youtube.com

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 5d

Who cares what Badenoch says ?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Tories to take UK out of European Convention of Human Rights if it wins election

The declaration was made ahead of the party’s upcoming conference in Manchester

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Patrick Robey

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 7d

A Labour MP has blamed Brexit for Rachel Reeves’ tax-hiking Budget last October.

Andrew Lewin said leaving the EU has left Britain £40bn poorer per year, adding that “were we still members… there would not have been a single tax rise”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Brexit to blame for Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes, Labour MP claims

Andrew Lewin has said ‘not a single tax’ would have had to increase if Britain stayed in the EU

www.independent.co.uk

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 6d

"Thames Water creditors ask for up to 15 years’ leniency from river pollution rules" 15 years ! The directors should be held personally responsible.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Thames Water creditors ask for up to 15 years’ leniency from river pollution rules

Lenders say a ‘full return to legal, regulatory and environmental compliance’ under new rescue plan would not be completed until at least 2035-2040

www.theguardian.com

Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 6d

Astonishing !

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Michelle Mone accuses Rachel Reeves of inflammatory remarks over PPE ruling

Peer writes to PM over chancellor’s ‘vendetta’ comment after company ordered to repay £122m of Covid contract

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Patrick Robey

Sue Wilson MBE @suewilson91.bsky.social · 7d

"We traded influence in Brussels for illusions of control".
www.standard.co.uk/business/the...

The EU’s new climate rules show just how powerless Brexit has left Britain

This is not just about higher gas bills...it is also about security.

www.standard.co.uk

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 7d

Cameron played dice with the UK's future. Now, by refusing even to consider changing the voting system to PR, Starmer is doing the same

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 7d

Starmer's latest pronouncement: “There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it.” Will he never learn that there are other much more significant issues he should be focusing on:

getting the UK back into Europe, changing the voting system, resuming int'l aid...

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 7d

Irresponsible, unintelligent and wrong. If the best they can offer is trading our future for their own political advantage thank goodness they are out of office and likely to remain there.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act

Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate

www.theguardian.com

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Patrick Robey @pat-beauclerc.bsky.social · 8d

Starmer should stop rising to Farage's bait on immigration & started focusing on:

return of the UK to EU's CU and SM
reform of the voting system, to PR
stopping o/seas interference in UK politics
controlling media (inc BBC) to ensure fair, honest reporting
restoring int'l aid
providing leadership

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