Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Luke Turner @luketurner.bsky.social · 12d

This *ought* to be massive news, I found Corbyn's views on Russia deeply iffy but not to the extent of treachery and he was absolutely hounded by the media over it, I suspect this top pal of Farage being in Putin's pocket will be roundly ignored, however.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 12d

Nathan Gill, Reform's leader in Wales at the last Welsh parliament election, has pled guilty to 8 bribery charges, taking Russian cash while he was one of Nigel Farage’s MEPs to speak in favour of Putin's Russia in that parliament
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

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

Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles

www.theguardian.com

4 16 71

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 12d

Netanyahu:

"Would a country committing genocide plead with the civilian population that it is supposedly targeting to get out of harms way? Did the Nazis ask the Jews to leave? Of course not"

Actually, encouraging Jews to emigrate is exactly what the Nazis did 1933-39.

Ignorant of Jewish history.

100 530 1.7K

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 12d

For the Guardian, @turnbulldugarte.com and I discuss our research that clearly shows one thing: Labour's anti-immigration strategy will only strengthen Reform and weaken its own electoral prospects. It won't win voters back but ultimately normalizes the far right

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

www.theguardian.com

28 320 730

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 15d

Imagine being these world leaders and experienced diplomats and just having to sit there and listen to this maniac talking absolute dangerous bollocks for hours. It’s sometimes hard to believe this is real life.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15d

Trump to the UN: "I have to say, I look at London where you have a terrible mayor -- terrible terrible mayor -- and it's been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia Law ... both their immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe."

120 420 2K

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 15d

spokesperson for Sadiq Khan:

“We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response.

“London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15d

Trump to the UN: "I have to say, I look at London where you have a terrible mayor -- terrible terrible mayor -- and it's been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia Law ... both their immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe."

56 510 1.7K

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 16d

Excited to announce the first London screening of We Are Making a Film About Mark Fisher, a film I have been helping with this past year. I'm in conversation with Andy Beckett (who features in the fim) afterwards.

30 October, Good Shepherd Studios, Leytonstone: www.tickettailor.com/events/weflo...

4 19 62

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 15d

This is a wonderful *Proustian* thread about everyone's fave humanist hymn – and the news that "Autumn Days" was once cancelled is just so very fun

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 15d

Another side note: in 1996 a choir in Norfolk refused to sing it and walked out because of the military reference in a hymn. Weird thing to get picky about

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 15d

“Since President Trump took office, 15 people have died in immigration detention, 10 of those deaths occurred between January and June … The senators say that is the highest rate in the first six months of any year publicly available.”

NPR @npr.org · 15d

Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers after more than a dozen people died in immigration detention, as the department rushes to expand.

Georgia senators demand answers on more than a dozen deaths in immigration detention

Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers after more than a dozen people died in immigration detention, as the department rushes to expand.

n.pr

1 51 110

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 16d

The film was born during a conversation on a park bench near Rochford, Essex, about the cultural significance of Fisher. It has been made at speed w no budget, led by directors Simon Poulter and Sophie Mellor, and stars @oldweirdalbion.bsky.social as "Parkins" and is a melange of fact and fiction

5

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 16d

Excited to announce the first London screening of We Are Making a Film About Mark Fisher, a film I have been helping with this past year. I'm in conversation with Andy Beckett (who features in the fim) afterwards.

30 October, Good Shepherd Studios, Leytonstone: www.tickettailor.com/events/weflo...

4 19 62

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Ruth Michaelson @ruthmichaelson.com · 16d

Momentous news that will reverberate far beyond Egypt: A presidential pardon for Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

His family worked for years for this moment: His mother went on a hunger strike that very nearly killed her to secure her son's freedom. His sister camped outside the British foreign office.

Egypt announces pardon for top activist who's spent 6 years behind bars

Egyptian authorities on Monday announced the presidential pardon of prominent activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, according to his lawyer Khaled Ali and an announcement by Egypt’s state TV.

apnews.com

2 20 38

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 16d

I heard you fight fascism by simply saying: 'Sir! Your deportation numbers! They simply do not stack up!'

3

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Daniel Trilling @trillingual.bsky.social · 17d

Just to illustrate how much worse it's got, I have received more abuse over the past year and a bit - including death threats and a large volume of antisemitism - for what I write than in the previous 15 years of covering migration and the far right put together.

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 17d

More than 150 lawyers and refugee NGOs report being ‘pressured into silence’ by far-right protesters.
At least two groups supporting UK asylum seekers have closed their offices after credible threats to their safety
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

More than 150 lawyers and refugee NGOs report being ‘pressured into silence’ by far-right protesters

At least two groups supporting UK asylum seekers have closed their offices after credible threats to their safety

www.theguardian.com

4 100 260

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 20d

It's like someone tried to do Gilbert and George with AI

6

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 20d

100% pure Gove commission

1

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 21d

Of all the former Tory ministers I'd have had down as a Weimar fantasist, it would have been Gove tbf

1

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Bernard Keenan @bernardkeenan.bsky.social · 21d

I'm old enough to remember US libertarians condemning the UK for much less than what he is now proposing. It was six months ago!

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 22d

Rand Paul: "People say, 'Oh, people have a right to say things.' Well, actually they don't necessarily have a right to say things. Many people have in their contract what we call a morals clause ... I think it is time for this to be a crackdown on people."

4 11 33

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 23d

The deciding factor is the money in the new tech and media companies - GB News, X etc - propelling the racist narrative to shift opinion to the far right. The perfect irony is that the naked capitalism that supports Trumpian politics has in part created the economic conditions upon which they rely

1

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 23d

I agree with @sundersays.bsky.social et al that economic conditions don't 'create' racist movements - but a longterm downturn in salary (& rising property costs and resulting degradation of local infrastructure/architecture) set the conditions of 'ressentiment' on which Robinson & Farage thrive

Jonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.bsky.social · 23d

Every now and again we need to remind ourselves that normal service in the economy stopped around 15 years ago, and it’s little wonder people are stressed and looking for scapegoats ifs.org.uk/data-items/r...

2 3 4

Tim Burrows @timburrows.bsky.social · 23d

I feel like more people need to be educated on the effects of cocaine on a person's face

Steve Anglesey @sanglesey.bsky.social · 23d

Lost for words at this Jonathan Sacerdoti piece in the Spectator

1

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 23d

Watched this last night on Luke's recommendation and it was a great example of how to do a doc on a serious topic aimed at a youth audience that isn't dumbed-down.

Luke Turner @luketurner.bsky.social · 23d

This is a grim but powerful watch on the death of a young Ugandan woman lured to Dubai on false pretences, and the shaming power of the internet (I'd not heard of the #dubaiportapotty hashtag before, just grim). The first BBC film my other half has executive produced.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Eye Investigations - Death in Dubai

When the mysterious death of a 23-year-old Ugandan in Dubai goes viral, she becomes the face of the disturbing #DubaiPortaPotty. Behind the rumours lies an even darker reality.

www.bbc.co.uk

5 24

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Martin Warne @martinwarne.net · 23d

This, from The Londoner yesterday, also features people on the march who claim not to be racists. Though the things they say prove otherwise

110 350 1.1K

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Christian @ceebarnacles.bsky.social · 23d

Written by a doctor at St Thomas' Hospital, London after the Tommy Robinson march on 13/9.

46 840 1.5K

Reposted by Tim Burrows

Sam McBride @sjamcbride.bsky.social · 23d

The Economist on BBC dumbing down: Newscast issues a “geek alert” before interviewing such apparently recherché figures as trade experts. In Our Time, by contrast, unapologetically offered an entire episode on David Ricardo, a 19th-century economist...

The BBC’s best programme loses its star

Melvyn Bragg is retiring from “In Our Time”

www.economist.com

1 2 9

Reposted by Tim Burrows

m john harrison @mjohnharrison.bsky.social · 23d

The Labour party's ridiculous attempt to lick the arse of its enemies is responsible for all this. Out of their depth even as second-raters, and as committed as the Tories to Get In At All Costs Then Don't Know What To Do politics.

1 11 73