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Reposted by Sananda Poole

Bridge Books Dromore @bridgebooksdromore.bsky.social · 15h

This weekend is a BIG one at Bridge Books. It's #BookshopDay on Saturday + our 30th birthday on Sunday!
Here's what's happening.
20% off all day Saturday (+ online Sun, use code CELEBRATE)
Lucky Dip Books from £1. Lots of Blind Dates with Books.
Selected fiction 3 for £10
#BookSky

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 19h

I think it was Ben Elton who had the routine about fast food vendors being very exact about brands of cola, but not so keen to refer to the main product in precise terms as ‘shit, coated in shit, deep fried in shit and served with fries’

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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 4d

🔴NEW🔴

Thread 🧵

@bylinetimes.bsky.social can now reveal that, during the crucial period when convicted Reform leader Nathan Gill was most active, working directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most senior ally in Ukraine, he was also one of Nigel Farage’s closest confidantes 1/12

‘Thick as Thieves’: Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage’s Putin Problem

Far from being distant from the Reform UK Leader, insiders told Byline Times that the former MEP convicted of bribery was one of Farage’s closest aides, while we reveal how Gill worked on the Kremlin’...

bylinetimes.com

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 8d

Definitely longer ago than the last time he said something positive about Putin’s Russia. Sure that’s just a coincidence though…

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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 9d

An extraordinary Telegraph article from 2014 that reminds us where Nigel Farage stood on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Mr Putin 16 years ago.

Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 9d

archive.ph/eNVX4

Nigel Farage: Stop opposing Vladmir Putin in Ukraine and join forces to defeat Islamic terrorists
The Ukip leader says that West must stop poking the Russian leader with a stick and realise he is 'on our side' in the fight against terror
By Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent
11:26AM BST 16 Sep 2014

The West must stop opposing Vladimir Putin’s incursion into Ukraine and join forces with the Russian leader in the fight against Islamic extremists, Nigel Farage has said,
The Ukip leader said that Western countries must stop "playing war games in Ukraine and poking the “Russian bear with a stick” because Mr Putin is “on our side” in the war against Islamic extremism.
Mr Farage courted controversy earlier this year when he said that Mr Putin, the former KGB officer, is the statesman he most admires.
In a debate this morning at the European Parliament Mr Farage a sympathetic interpretation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said European states had “directly encouraged” the uprising that “led in turn to Vladimir Putin reacting”.
Mr Putin has been blamed by the West for prolonging the bloodshed in Syria and propping up the regime by supplying arms including helicopter gunships to President Assad, and repeatedly blocking moves to censure or sanction him at the United Nations.

https://archive.ph/eNVX4

However Mr Farage suggested that these differences should be put aside with Russia and European nations “preparing a plan” to defeat to deal with “the real threat that faces us”.
He said: “Perhaps we better recognise that the West faces the biggest threat and crisis to our way of life we have seen for over 70 years. The recent beheadings of the British and American hostages graphically illustrates the problem and of course we have our own citizens from our won countries engaged in that struggle too.
“In the war against Islamic extremism, whatever we may think of him as a human being, he is actually on our side.
“I suggest we grow up, I suggest we recognise the real threat facing all of our countries, communities and societies, we stop playing war games in the Ukraine and we start to prepare a plan like Syria, like Iraq, like Kenya like Nigeria or Syria and help the deal with the real threat that faces us. Let’s not go on provoking Putin whether we like him or not.”
He added: "Amongst the long list of foreign policy failures and contradictions in the last few year, amongst them the bombing of Libya, the desire to arm the rebels in Syria, has been the unnecessary provocation of Vladimir Putin.
“This EU Empire, ever seeking to expand, stated its territorial claim on the Ukraine some years ago, just to make that worse of course some Nato members said they too would like the Ukraine to join Nato
“We directly encouraged the uprising in Ukraine that led to the toppling of the president Yanukovych and that led in turn of course to Vladimir Putin reacting. And the moral of the story is if you poke the Russian bear with stick...”

https://archive.ph/eNVX4

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 9d

You would imagine that a country with the UK’s history would be somewhat more careful about forcing non-UK people to undertake unpaid work.

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 10d

Similar to the ID cards, they should sell the benefits, get early adopters talking about it and get some buy-in before telling everyone that they are getting one whether they want it or not.

Do you have batteries yourself?

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 10d

There’s an additional complexity/problem in that the demographics of the owner/occupiers is going to skew away from people who are early adopters of new tech and be more on the side of Daily Mail readers who aren’t going to head straight for an EV as they think the batteries eat swans.

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 10d

Agree that the bigger benefit of smart meters for the consumer is car charging, but ⅔ of households have a driveway. Not all of those properties are owner/occupier, but it’s probably above the average of all properties (61%). The number of people who can charge an EV at home may be around 50%

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 12d

How is this not front page news?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reform UK's ex-Wales leader Nathan Gill admits pro-Russia bribery

Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 12d

This deserves *way* more attention than it’s getting

Reform’s former Wales leader admits he received corrupt payments in exchange for making statements in the European Parliament to promote Russia’s interests in #Ukraine.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12d

Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges

Gill admits to eight charges while an elected member of the European parliament Nathan Gill, a former leader of Reform UK in Wales, has pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to eight bribery charges while an elected member of the European parliament. More details soon … Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 12d

It could be that he’s just seen Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and we will also get some new information about Atilla the Hun and some Neanderthals

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Mr MT @mremtee.bsky.social · 12d

If the gov’t wants to introduce ID cards because they genuinely believe it will make life better for everyone, make that case.

But…

If they want to do it on the basis it will make life harder for desperately vulnerable people (& that’s what this is), they can get in the fucking sea & stay there.

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 13d

Well, this is a hot mess of dog whistles and utter nonsense. For a speech claiming to tackle "toxic" and "poisonous" rhetoric Starmer leans heavily into pandering to the usual misinformation about migrants and portraying anti-immigration ideals as "patriotic"
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09...

Keir Starmer

The Left ignored immigration fears for too long. It's time to give communities back control

Only a plan for patriotic national renewal led by Labour will counter the rise of the populist Right

The first essential part in doing that is in recognising where some on the Left went wrong on the issue of immigration.

There is no doubt that for years, Left-wing parties, including my own, did shy away from people's concerns around illegal immigration. It has been too easy for people to enter the country, work in the shadow economy and remain illegally.

Equally, the belief that uncontrolled legal migration was nothing but good news for an economy should never have been accepted on the Left. It is not compassionate Left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages.

To counter it, we must make and win the case for patriotic national renewal, based on enduring British values. Our country is still the proud, tolerant, diverse island it has always been, full of fierce and fair-minded Britons.

True patriotism means choosing renewal for the common good rather than stoking grievances and seeking to divide.

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 15d

Just wait 3 days and he’ll be back on the case!

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 16d

JFC the President of the USA, repeating debunked conspiracy nonsense from behind the seal, that even his crank conspirasist health advisors are not claiming, relayed live all around the world.

People will fkn die, because this shitstain needs the stories about Homan and Epstein to go away.

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 16d

He’s back in telling people to drink bleach and use lightbulbs internally mode again. It’s funny until you remember that people take him seriously.

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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 16d

Understand MPs have complained to the whips about this www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

House of Commons nursery provider criticised for article praising Reform conference

Piece on website of LEYF, which runs nurseries across London, talked of party’s ‘growing appeal to mothers’

www.theguardian.com

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16d

There should be a high bar for politicians attacking the media, but maybe Ed Davey has half a point here?

For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)

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Minnie Rahman @minnierahman.bsky.social · 17d

Farage's proposal here would crash the economy. An economy already struggling as a result of Brexit. Not only are the numbers false but it takes rights away from migrants who have lived and worked in the UK for years. Many who have British partners and children born in the UK.

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 17d

Any journalist quoting this absurd, invented £234 billion number cited by Farage/Reform should make absolutely clear that it has been withdrawn by *its own authors* (the Centre for Policy Studies) after they admitted it contained several major errors (1/3)

Farage pledges to expel hundreds of thousands of migrants
Reform says mass deportation would save £234bn as it warns ‘Boriswave’ of migration will take critical toll on welfare system

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 18d

‘I can’t take my eyes off Nigel unless Ed does something REALLY exciting’, writes Laura Kuensberg

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Sananda Poole @sananda.bsky.social · 19d

Could that be where Sallynoggin in Dublin gets its name from?

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Claire Mullaly @clairemullaly.bsky.social · 20d

So last night in Belfast, pregnant women had to plan alternative ways to access maternity services in Belfast because the far-right unlawfully closed roads and left people without public transport.

PSNI said it was 'peaceful', but the same organisers were involved in a mobilisation .. [1/n]