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Richard Haviland

@rfhaviland.bsky.social

3.3K followers 2K following 690 posts

Former civil servant, enjoying the freedom to speak my mind. Published in Times, Byline Times, Bylines Scotland, West Country Voices. Member of European Movement in Scotland.

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 23d

‘If slavery were invented today, would (Labour ministers) call it ‘impractical’?

If torture were invented today, would they call it ‘ineffective’?

If child labour were invented today, would they call it ‘poor value for money’?’

My piece for @bylines.scot

bylines.scot/politics/sta...

Starmer’s moral cowardice on refugees

The Labour leadership is tacitly accepting, and reflecting, Farage’s perverted notion of patriotism

bylines.scot

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 5h

Note the presumption in the quote that this would be a terrible thing

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 22h

Heseltine at the Tory conf:

"Fascists of the 30s are back... Trump's language coincides with words here... The immigrant has replaced the Jew as the problem. We must make clear we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Farage... We don't need Trump's mouthpiece anywhere near No. 10.”

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 18h

Jenrick being the loudest member of the Conservative party has already been a huge contributor to the poisoning of our politics. We really don't need any four-dimensional chess about him becoming leader. When it happens, it will be a terrible day for our country.

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 1d

A Tory party under Jenrick might take a few of the racist votes from Reform, but they’d haemorrhage bucketloads to the Lib Dems.

So, on balance…

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Louise Knights-McCudden @louknightsmccudden.bsky.social · 21h

"That's not the language I would have used" is not an acceptable response to this at all. Journalists need to make sure that this line repeatedly gets the response it deserves

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 1d

Obviously this is mad but it is very funny that YG did poll it not least because of the wave of ‘send the younguns to the army’ nonsense we had to put up with last year.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 1d

Should there be national service for Boomers?

A German think tank has called for 1yr of "mandatory social service" for all new retires - a move Britons would oppose for the UK

Support: 14%
Oppose: 73%

18-24yr olds: -43 net support
25-49: -58
50-64: -70
65+: -53

yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

There is no way Jenrick can spin his comments other than to mean ‘we shouldn’t have too many black people in one place’.

There are places on this island where all you meet is people who look and think like Robert Jenrick. We need to put a stop to it.

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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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 1d

Generally it would be helpful if more UK journalists took a closer look at how far Reform, Conservative Party and even Blue Labour figures have become immersed in an American MAGA Trump social media world that is increasingly using the language of civil war

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Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 1d

Am wondering if all of those suddenly deciding they’re against communities living “parallel lives” might reconsider their support of religious schools? Or indeed private ones?

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

You find yourself wondering a) if Jenrick saw the film of a US judge’s house going up in flames and b) if he would have paused for thought even if he had.

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 1d

We've already seen judges and lawyers being targeted as "enemies of the people". This increases risk of threats/attacks, while undermining judiciary as a whole. Couple it with Tory plans to scrap immigration tribunals and legal aid for people seeking asylum and it shows utter contempt for the law.

Robert Jenrick lists 30 'activist judges' he vows to axe in war on UK's open border

In a bold move, Robert Jenrick is set to unveil a controversial plan targeting what he calls 'activist' judges, at the Conservative Party conference.

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

That sort of thing..

Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

Better but still work to do. Just look at your timeline. So many errors. All the best.

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t wish to be unkind but if you’re going to be employed as a professional agitator you need to significantly improve your English language skills.

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

It speaks volumes that a No 10 spokesperson wasn’t able instinctively to say something about seeking access and providing consular services to British citizens detained overseas.

Now imagine substituting certain other countries for Israel and being told ‘it’s a matter for that government’.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d

Keir Starmer’s spokesman asked about Israel detaining British citizens who were on the Gaza aid flotilla, while in international waters, replies that it is a “matter for the Israeli Government”

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 1d

It helps to be able to spell the country you say only you are competent enough to run.

Goody-bag merch from Tory Conference branded "When Labour negotiates Britian loses" and signed "Kemi Badenoch".

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

It seems like only yesterday Mel Stride was deemed to be the sensible candidate for the leadership.

David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 1d

The Tory Party has gone mad..

He insisted the Conservatives had a plan to cut spending, including £8bn of annual savings from reducing the civil service, £6.9bn from cutting the aid budget and £23bn from slashing the welfare bill.

Stride told the BBC that to save money, only UK citizens would have access to the welfare system and that people with "low-level" mental health problems would also lose access to benefits.

Asked what would happen to people living legally in Britain who are not UK citizens if they fall into hardship, he said: "They've come from other parts of the world and they would have the option to return."

The Conservatives failed to back the Labour government's proposed £5bn of welfare savings this year. Stride claimed that the Labour plans were rushed and "not considered and principled".

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David Osland @davidosland.bsky.social · 2d

Since 1980, the ECHR has heard just 29 UK immigrant deportation case, and the UK won 16 of them. Quitting will make no material difference to immigration, just weaken protections for absolutely everybody in this country. But Farage and the Tories know that.

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Scott Galloway @profgalloway.com · 2d

Brilliant. @borowitzreport.bsky.social

String of Correctly Spelled Texts from Trump Fuels Speculation That he is Dead

The texts were the work of someone with at least a seventh-grade education.

open.substack.com

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Stop Funding Hate @stopfundinghate.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, the Daily Mail really did publish a whole article today complaining about black people appearing in adverts...

Today's Daily Mail advertisers include Lloyds Bank, Lidl, Imagine Cruising and ROL Cruises

Screenshot of a Daily Mail article with the headline "Why are so many adverts now more interested in diversity than in the reality of British life?". At the top of the article are two images of black people featuring in advertisements.

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Anthony Barnett @anthonybarnett.bsky.social · 5d

Extraordinary good piece by @willoyd.bsky.social on Gore Vidal! www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/1...

Gore Vidal: American prophet

The writer understood better than anyone how far the United States was going to fall

www.newstatesman.com

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 2d

The main reason Farage is in a position to win a majority with 30% of the vote is the implosion of the Conservative Party. The easiest route to preventing that outcome is the recovery of the Conservative Party. Everyone on the left, and all the groups the left cares about, have a stake in that.

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 2d

This sound a bit like ‘you will speak when you are spoken to’.

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 2d

Not the most “I can definitely be trusted with power” kind of statement I’ve ever heard

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 2d

‘How to lose friends and alienate people’.

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 2d

Packed hall for Toby Young.

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Declan Gaffney @greyskiesthinking.bsky.social · 3d

I understand why racists want to conflate illegal with legal immigration, recently-arrived immigrants with long-term residents, UK-born minorities with non-UK born. They know they are a small minority, so they set up a cascade of equivalences to get from immigration control to mass deportation. 1/n

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Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

I suppose I’m too old and cynical to expect ‘one nation Tories’ to stand up and be counted yet?

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 3d

"I see gangs of masked thugs roaming the streets rounding up anyone the wrong colour, and I think: *this* is what Britain needs."

Gabriel Milland @gabrielmilland.bsky.social · 3d

Batshit.

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 3d

Freedom is just another name for “a gap in the law”.

Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 3d

Home Secretary tells Sky News that “there is a gap in the law” when it comes to frequent, repeated protests on the same issue. Hence she will be giving police greater powers to move them to another location or time.

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