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ray1617.bsky.social
@ray1617.bsky.social
110 followers 670 following 8 posts
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duncanweldon.bsky.social
Superb and absolutely damning long read on HS2.

www.ft.com/content/3f73... How the UK ended up building the world’s most expensive railway
January 13, 2026 at 10:29 AM
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13sarahmurphy.bsky.social
“It seems unlikely not to have occurred to [Farage] that the reason he is so popular… is that so many people have had enough not just of people like Zahawi, but in this case, people who literally are Zahawi”

Here’s to hoping their piss-taking opportunism does for them both.

(Times sketch)
Extract: Farage's one-man band adds a disgraced banjo Tom Peck Political Sketch the sketch writers keep saying we're a one-man band," " said Nigel Farage, 48 hours after some idiot sketch writer in The Times had called Reform UK a one-man band. The sketch writers clearly needed to be taught a lesson but what happened next was surely overkill, when out on to the stage and back into the political big time strode Nadhim Zahawi. How would we describe Reform UK now? What part of the one-man band is the party's newest defector? Is there even such a thing as a discredited mouth organ? A disgraced banjo? There was no time to think about that. First there was a pre-roll video of Zahawi, a stirring montage biography of the kind you used to see on the X Factor judges' houses episode, immediately before a painter and decorator from Croydon murders a Michael Buble cover next to Simon Cowell's swimming pool. "l've gone from councillor to chancellor of the exchequer," Zahawi said, looking beyond the camera and into the middle distance, where a brighter future may theoretically lie. Zahawi is extremely proud of his time as chancellor of the exchequer, which lasted exactly two months and was mainly spent paying his own tax bills to HMRC. "Westminster watchers", , as Zahawi called us, may recall the very first thing he did as chancellor, which was to get hold of a piece of HM Treasury notepaper and use it to write a letter to Boris Johnson, who had appointed him fully 48 hours before, to tell him to resign. "Britain is drinking in the last chance saloon," said Zahawi, over soft string music, "and it really does need Nigel Farage as prime minister." In the questions at the end, someone had the temerity to bring up a social media post, written by Zahawi in 2015, in which he had said of his new best mate: "I would be frightened to live in a country run by you." Zahawi let out a little smile. "If I thought this man next to me had an issue, in any way, with people from my background, I wouldn't be sitting next to him," he said, and then he reached over and placed a loving hand on Nigel's elbow. Smiles can say a lot. This one specifically seemed to be saying, "Come on, guys, if you actually believe a word I say, we're not going to get very far, are we?" Which was just as well, because no one does. As the press conference wore on, Farage did not seem his usual ebullient self. Smiles were forced. Brows were creased. Farage is as canny as they come. It seems unlikely not to have occurred to him that the reason he is so popular, the one reason that towers above all others, is that so many people have had enough not just of people like Zahawi, but in this case, people who literally are Zahawi. Zahawi seemed to think people would be "shocked" to see him defecting to Reform. People were shocked, but not quite for the reasons he thinks. That Zahawi decided to ask Farage out is no surprise at all. What is more surprising is that Farage said yes. The Tory stampede to Reform is now very much in full swing. At some point, Farage will surely have to say no to someone. He must have a limit. It's a remarkable thing to say, but at the moment Farage can't seem to find the bar.
January 13, 2026 at 7:22 AM
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joxley.jmoxley.co.uk
Minister of State Alex Norris tells the BBC he won't personally come off X because it's important for communicating with voters.

None of his tweets for the last month has more than 1000 views.
January 13, 2026 at 7:47 AM
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lauraphillips.bsky.social
Anyone who is interested in listening to BBC Radio from outside the UK, please see the link below for ways to do so.
Update on access to BBC Sounds outside the UK
Earlier this year, we launched a new audio service outside the UK on BBC.com and the BBC app. This includes access to BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service English, thousands of hours of podcasts (incl...
help.bbc.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:27 PM
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kevinschofied.bsky.social
Amazingly, Zahawi only got round to deleting the below after the press conference announcing his defection to Reform.
January 12, 2026 at 12:09 PM
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london.gov.uk
NEW: London has recorded its lowest homicide rate since records began.

The evidence is clear - our approach to tackling violent crime is working.
Infographic titled ‘London’s homicide rate is lowest in recorded history.’ A line chart shows London’s homicide rate per 100,000 residents from 1997 to 2025. Rates peak around 2003 at just under 3.0, then steadily decline with small fluctuations, reaching 1.1 in 2025. Text highlights that the rate is 55% lower than in 1997. Caption notes targeted measures led by the Mayor and that this is the lowest per-capita rate on record despite population growth. Sources: Metropolitan Police Service and Office for National Statistics.
January 12, 2026 at 9:26 AM
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chrislintott.bsky.social
Quiet Sunday afternoon on the sofa with the dog and a pint. Anyone want to #AskAnAstronomer anything?
January 11, 2026 at 3:20 PM
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seamas.bsky.social
Things are awful, so a little treat for the real Crush-Heads. It is now eleven years since I got this printed in the Metro.
A Rush Hour Crush I got published on 7th January, 2015. To the sexy Spanish snorita on the No.30 bus to Highbury. I loved our heated chat on Friday but realise what I did was insensitive to your country. I'm mortified. Please let me make up for it, over tapas or paella or whatever. Bearded Man Who Used Discarded Burger Cartons As Castanets
January 8, 2026 at 4:54 PM
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louisehaighmp.bsky.social
I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.
January 8, 2026 at 12:31 PM
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sheencr.bsky.social
Sounds like he needs to look at my basic vaccine explainer. Not that he will
Fundamental immunology 101: the basics of vaccines
Summarising different vaccine types and pros and cons of each
open.substack.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:49 PM
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redpeter99.bsky.social
Since starting our foodbank in 2012, we have had a steady stream of ex military. After giving food we alert SAAFA who do amazing work.
Badenoch's party were in power from 2010 to 2024. Her support for ex military is cynical and superficial.
#PMQs
January 7, 2026 at 12:33 PM
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oldtrotter.bsky.social
Rafael Behr nailing the problem with Starmer's approach to handling Trump.
And that is where Starmer's caginess gives the most cause for alarm. There is a valid tactical rationale for the prime minister's reluctance to criticise the US right now, but it has to serve a strategic recognition that Britain's future lies with Europe. There is not much evidence that this is the plan. Starmer talks up the value of closer economic ties to the EU, but in vague terms and always with the caveat that nothing agreed in Brussels should compromise relations with Washington. If, behind the scenes, Starmer does actually grasp the epic character of the changes that Trump's presidency is wreaking on the world order, and the way that combines with Brexit to put Britain in a vulnerable position, he is doing a great job of pretending otherwise.
January 7, 2026 at 8:21 AM
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eddavey.libdems.org.uk
This is unhinged. A 75 year old alliance in NATO is being trashed to serve one man's ego.

Trump is not a reliable ally, he's a reckless bully. Starmer needs a plan B to stand up for Britain and our allies.
BBC headline showing: US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military, says White House
January 6, 2026 at 10:38 PM
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fozmeadows.bsky.social
my 75yo mother told me last night that she’s planning to delete Instagram and Facebook because she’s sick of not being able to tell what’s AI and what’s not, and I genuinely don’t think tech companies have reckoned with this kind of move as an actual possibility
January 6, 2026 at 3:12 AM
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grahambs.bsky.social
“EXCLUSIVE: Majority of Brits say they want to reverse Brexit and rejoin EU” - 🇪🇺👍
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Majority of Brits say they want to reverse Brexit and rejoin EU
Nearly a decade on from the Brexit vote, six in 10 (58%) people who would cast their ballot in a second referendum said they would support the UK rejoining the EU
www.mirror.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 7:03 AM
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ottoenglish.bsky.social
The EU and UK should shut down X just as they shut down RT - and in fact I think it is likely that they will eventually. The question is, how much damage will be done by then?
January 5, 2026 at 4:54 PM
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erictopol.bsky.social
The gut<->brain axis impact on health and disease is far more important than anticipated, as reflected by GLP-1 effects, modulating the immune system, direct neural circuits, the microbiome, and more. A stellar new, open-access review
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
January 5, 2026 at 4:12 PM
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jessicaelgot.bsky.social
Yet again a minister is on the broadcast round having to wibble until the PM actually comes out and says the obvious. Why does this keep happening so much?
andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social Andrew Sparrow @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social · 8d
Starmer backs Danish PM in saying Trump has no right to any claim over Greenland - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
January 5, 2026 at 11:54 AM
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grahambs.bsky.social
So Starmer has finally said the future of Greenland and Denmark is up to them! Interesting his own ministers were scared to say that only a few hours earlier…
January 5, 2026 at 12:19 PM
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grahambs.bsky.social
“UK government minister Mike Tapp refused to say if it would be wrong for Mr Trump to invade Greenland” - This Labour government is losing all legitimacy!
news.sky.com/story/denmar...
Denmark's PM urges Donald Trump to stop threats to take over Greenland
The Trump administration's actions in Venezuela have led to heightened concerns that something similar could happen in Greenland.
news.sky.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:01 PM
ray1617.bsky.social
BBC News - Danish PM tells Trump to stop 'threats' against Greenland
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Danish PM tells Trump to stop 'threats' against Greenland
Mette Frederiksen said the
www.bbc.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 AM
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peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Jeez. Greenland is in the NATO alliance. How hard can this be?
January 5, 2026 at 8:55 AM
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eddavey.libdems.org.uk
Two social media posts. The first is from Keir Starmer and reads: “The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.” Below it is a post from Ed Davey that reads: “This cop out isn’t good enough. Standing up for international law means condemning leaders when they break it, whether that’s Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump.”
January 3, 2026 at 9:00 PM
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dianecoyle1859.bsky.social
I've had two outstanding public service experiences this hols: a new passport within 2 days of application & a prescription ready to pick up within 2 hours of request. Time saved is a key (unmeasured) productivity metric: digital tech makes a huge difference when implemented well.
January 2, 2026 at 4:07 PM
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ruthdeyermond.bsky.social
It's New Year, so time to look back and forward. These are 10 things I think we need to recognise in 2026. It’s a response to what I think are profoundly damaging mistaken assumptions I’ve heard and read from practitioners, journalists, and analysts in 2025. Warning: very long🧵
January 1, 2026 at 4:55 PM