Simon R Calverley
@shirtnumber14.bsky.social
Lurker, reposts funny or pertinent stuff. Repost or like (Yay! bookmarks) is not necessarily an endorsement. Watch out for the occasional original thought.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
“But the enjoyable thing about #Jenrick has always been that he was totally transparent. That enjoyment is only increased by his apparent conviction that his manoeuvrings are completely invisible to the rest of us..Like so many MPs, he thinks he’s Francis Urquhart, when in fact he’s Baldrick.” 👏🏻👏🏻
January 15, 2026 at 9:29 PM
“But the enjoyable thing about #Jenrick has always been that he was totally transparent. That enjoyment is only increased by his apparent conviction that his manoeuvrings are completely invisible to the rest of us..Like so many MPs, he thinks he’s Francis Urquhart, when in fact he’s Baldrick.” 👏🏻👏🏻
@rlab.org.uk Just found this account but I see it's been quiet for a while. Is it still active?
January 18, 2026 at 12:44 AM
@rlab.org.uk Just found this account but I see it's been quiet for a while. Is it still active?
Brave but entirely correct response that's worth a read. To counter Kemikaze: we let children into lots of unsuitable places - pubs, videogames - but we limit what they see & do.
Molly Russell's dad says under-16 social media ban would be wrong - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Molly Russell's dad says under-16 social media ban would be wrong - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Molly Russell's dad says under-16 social media ban would be wrong
The online safety campaigner says it is better to enforce current laws than use
www.bbc.co.uk
January 17, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Brave but entirely correct response that's worth a read. To counter Kemikaze: we let children into lots of unsuitable places - pubs, videogames - but we limit what they see & do.
Molly Russell's dad says under-16 social media ban would be wrong - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Molly Russell's dad says under-16 social media ban would be wrong - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
This is quite a startling statistic.
Reminder that the USA statistically have five MORE people shot to death per day than Ukraine even though the USA are NOT currently in a shooting war against Russia.
January 14, 2026 at 11:50 PM
This is quite a startling statistic.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
Hope your French is up to it; it's pretty obvious (manette = control pad)
🚨FLASH : on a retrouvé une manette de l'âge de pierre, indiquant que nos ancêtres jouaient déjà aux jeux vidéos.
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Hope your French is up to it; it's pretty obvious (manette = control pad)
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
In an ideal world do you extend the terms of already elected office holders via legislative fiat? No.
Is it sometimes (reorganisation, Covid) the least worst option? Yes.
Is it the end of democracy as we know it when it happens? Very much not.
Is it sometimes (reorganisation, Covid) the least worst option? Yes.
Is it the end of democracy as we know it when it happens? Very much not.
January 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM
In an ideal world do you extend the terms of already elected office holders via legislative fiat? No.
Is it sometimes (reorganisation, Covid) the least worst option? Yes.
Is it the end of democracy as we know it when it happens? Very much not.
Is it sometimes (reorganisation, Covid) the least worst option? Yes.
Is it the end of democracy as we know it when it happens? Very much not.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance".
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 AM
I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance".
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
This the best analysis I have seen yet of the shooting of Renee Good. Pretty damning evidence against ICE.
www.startribune.com/breaking-dow...
www.startribune.com/breaking-dow...
Breaking down the videos: A close examination of the shooting of Renee Good
In just seconds, an encounter with ICE agents turned deadly. The Star Tribune examined the video evidence frame by frame.
www.startribune.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:19 PM
This the best analysis I have seen yet of the shooting of Renee Good. Pretty damning evidence against ICE.
www.startribune.com/breaking-dow...
www.startribune.com/breaking-dow...
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
This year’s Presidential Christmas card.
December 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This year’s Presidential Christmas card.
We knew they were corrupt but this is just appalling. If the agreement is from 2006, they knew from the start of the prosecutions they were lying. Time for criminal prosecutions. BBC News - Post Office had deal with Fujitsu to fix Horizon errors 19 years ago
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Post Office had deal with Fujitsu to fix Horizon errors 19 years ago
The emergence of a document contradicts claims made by the Post Office over bugs in its IT system during criminal prosecutions.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 22, 2025 at 8:47 PM
We knew they were corrupt but this is just appalling. If the agreement is from 2006, they knew from the start of the prosecutions they were lying. Time for criminal prosecutions. BBC News - Post Office had deal with Fujitsu to fix Horizon errors 19 years ago
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
And still they lie, lie, lie to try and justify the Brexit shitshow. This looks like one of a series I've come to a bit late, but it's a classic example.
The second debunk in the Brexit Benefits autopsy: CBAM. Turns out the big win is checks notes… running two overlapping carbon regimes and charging ourselves for EU top-ups.
Truly inspiring stuff.
Truly inspiring stuff.
Debunking Benefit 2: Why Keeping 100% of Not-Very-Much Isn’t a Benefit
In which a revenue simulation becomes a miracle, context vanishes, and Brexit gets another imaginary dividend.
www.bearlypolitics.co.uk
December 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
And still they lie, lie, lie to try and justify the Brexit shitshow. This looks like one of a series I've come to a bit late, but it's a classic example.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
NB: when he says "my view was divisive" he means "I got called out because my view is objectively wrong & wildly harmful to vulnerable people"
When he says "better evidence" he means "evidence that suits my prejudices". We already have good recent evidence from a major NHS review, which he ignores
When he says "better evidence" he means "evidence that suits my prejudices". We already have good recent evidence from a major NHS review, which he ignores
Oops. Someone realising they said something rather unpopular is now desperately trying to change what they actually said
December 5, 2025 at 7:07 PM
NB: when he says "my view was divisive" he means "I got called out because my view is objectively wrong & wildly harmful to vulnerable people"
When he says "better evidence" he means "evidence that suits my prejudices". We already have good recent evidence from a major NHS review, which he ignores
When he says "better evidence" he means "evidence that suits my prejudices". We already have good recent evidence from a major NHS review, which he ignores
@skywalker.thereforeiam.eu What's with the weird scrolling on SW? I came here as I really like to place mark my timeline & scroll up from where I left off. It gets really tricky when every time I swipe down I never know if it will move 1 screen or 10.
If I flick, it seems to scroll for ages.
If I flick, it seems to scroll for ages.
December 7, 2025 at 11:58 PM
@skywalker.thereforeiam.eu What's with the weird scrolling on SW? I came here as I really like to place mark my timeline & scroll up from where I left off. It gets really tricky when every time I swipe down I never know if it will move 1 screen or 10.
If I flick, it seems to scroll for ages.
If I flick, it seems to scroll for ages.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
The biggest threat to Europe since the end of WW2 is happening right now under our eyes, and our politicians and MSM prefer to close them and talk about (less! less! less!) immigrants, Rachel Reeves, and vowing to keep the Brexit red lines that screw us all instead.
🚨🚨 God #America, this is grim and a very stark wake-up call to European political ledaders on the (non) future of the "transatlantic alliance":
December 5, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The biggest threat to Europe since the end of WW2 is happening right now under our eyes, and our politicians and MSM prefer to close them and talk about (less! less! less!) immigrants, Rachel Reeves, and vowing to keep the Brexit red lines that screw us all instead.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
This is your reminder that neither girlguiding nor the WI wanted to ban trans members and that they have been legally and financially forced into doing so by bigots who have been suing them for years
December 4, 2025 at 12:47 PM
This is your reminder that neither girlguiding nor the WI wanted to ban trans members and that they have been legally and financially forced into doing so by bigots who have been suing them for years
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
This is how Chris Mason, like a child filled with wonder, described "the choreography and theatre that surrounds a Budget" in Feb 2024, when a male Tory Chancellor was in post.
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
December 2, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is how Chris Mason, like a child filled with wonder, described "the choreography and theatre that surrounds a Budget" in Feb 2024, when a male Tory Chancellor was in post.
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
"Plans, or even just options, can be floated... Reaction to them can be tested. Opponents can be teased or wrongfooted." 👀
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
In a surprise to absolutely no one, the mum she’s describing is not claiming benefits as a “lifestyle choice”.
This paywalled article is full of “in my grandparents day, blah blah blah” and nasty sneery comments about latest iPhones for spoilt children🙄
🧵
1/9
This paywalled article is full of “in my grandparents day, blah blah blah” and nasty sneery comments about latest iPhones for spoilt children🙄
🧵
1/9
December 3, 2025 at 6:26 PM
In a surprise to absolutely no one, the mum she’s describing is not claiming benefits as a “lifestyle choice”.
This paywalled article is full of “in my grandparents day, blah blah blah” and nasty sneery comments about latest iPhones for spoilt children🙄
🧵
1/9
This paywalled article is full of “in my grandparents day, blah blah blah” and nasty sneery comments about latest iPhones for spoilt children🙄
🧵
1/9
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
Brilliant piece by @mjrobbins.com on the Oxfordshire rubbish dump - and what it says about the failure of state institutions and rising sense of lawlessness.
martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...
martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...
December 2, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Brilliant piece by @mjrobbins.com on the Oxfordshire rubbish dump - and what it says about the failure of state institutions and rising sense of lawlessness.
martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...
martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
We didn’t realize how bad Trump’s Biden-derangement syndrome really is. The first analysis found that he mentioned “Biden” an average of 6.32 times per day. That number has since climbed it’s now just over seven times a day.
November 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
We didn’t realize how bad Trump’s Biden-derangement syndrome really is. The first analysis found that he mentioned “Biden” an average of 6.32 times per day. That number has since climbed it’s now just over seven times a day.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
All the coverage of Reeves ‘lying’ debagged in a single sentence.
I’m quite enjoying the 180 turn on a six pence from “you’ve wrecked the economy and created a black hole” to “there was no black hole and this is even worse”.
November 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
All the coverage of Reeves ‘lying’ debagged in a single sentence.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
A running theme of Trump II is cautious, level-headed, mainstream, career professional experts sounding existential alarms about how we aren't panicking nearly enough.
I know you already know, but for other folks who don't, Goldsmith was previously head of OLC, is a genuinely brilliant mind on executive authority and separation of powers, and is usually very cautious about making claims this unqualified and direct. That he is saying it so starkly is v significant
November 29, 2025 at 6:05 AM
A running theme of Trump II is cautious, level-headed, mainstream, career professional experts sounding existential alarms about how we aren't panicking nearly enough.
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
Lest we forget... 🤦♂️
November 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Lest we forget... 🤦♂️
Reposted by Simon R Calverley
Remember 10yrs ago when Trump first said that he was gonna “drain the swamp?” Remember that?👇
November 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Remember 10yrs ago when Trump first said that he was gonna “drain the swamp?” Remember that?👇