Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 8h

Tuesday: Shabana Mahmood attacks an international human rights body for pointing out the UK is likely breaching its legal obligations to trans people.

Wednesday: five months after publishing transphobic legal guidance the EHRC, a month before it has to defend it in court, takes it down.

Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 9h

The EHRC has finally, five months after producing its wildly transphobic and, we believe, unlawful Interim Guidance now taken it down. Our judicial review challenge to that Interim Guidance will be heard in less than one month.

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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 8h

Stop pretending a wealth tax is a serious idea

takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/wealth-tax...

Stop pretending a wealth tax is a serious idea

It brings me no pleasure to say this.

takes.jamesomalley.co.uk

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Culture Crave 🍿 @culturecrave.co · 1d

'Andor' creator Tony Gilroy urges people to participate in the No Kings protest on October 18

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 10h

As a Brit, shutdowns are one of the hardest things to understand about US politics. Every few years it's 'oh yeah we'll just randomly stop paying essential workers overnight Because Politics' like some collapsing rogue state and people just...roll with it? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Panic as US federal workers scramble to find out if they’ve been fired: ‘I don’t have email access’

Education department staff say they can’t access work emails amid the shutdown to check for layoff notices

www.theguardian.com

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 10h

The ability to discuss Brexit without fear is nothing less than the ability to discuss objective reality inews.co.uk/opinion/labo...

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Hannah Fearn @hannahfearn.bsky.social · 10h

Very clearly espoused, particularly on why stamp duty doesn't work but also just scrapping it won't work either.

A compelling case for an alternative.

www.theguardian.com/society/comm...

Abolishing stamp duty won’t solve Britain’s housing crisis – but this radical property tax just might | Josh Ryan-Collins

Economists on all sides agree: rather than incremental changes, this deeply unfair market needs a ‘big bang’ moment, says associate professor of economics and finance Josh Ryan-Collins

www.theguardian.com

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 13h

NEW

Trying to make sense of the nonsensical decision to drop the Chinese spying prosecutions

How the positions of neither the CPS nor the government stand up to scrutiny

By me

emptycity.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

The more one knows about this case, the more confusing it becomes.

The CPS insists on further evidence it does not require, and the government insists it could not give that evidence, even though it could.

Neither side makes sense, and together they make no sense absolutely.

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Chris Giles @chrisgiles.ft.com · 11h

There is no need for a moral panic about the UK's welfare system.

Far from perfect but recent discourse is nuts

Spending is controlled, not spiralling

Worklessness is near record lows

My column www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 13h

That’s crazy. I wonder what happened in January

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 12h

"Why are you writing about the China spy prosecutions being dropped? - you are not a foreign policy blog."

It is an almighty legal mess, and I love writing about legal messes.

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 12h

The global network of the radical right is a threat to our democracy. 🚨

@libdemdaisy.bsky.social on Musk and Tommy Robinson: "It is outrageous that a man who has so much control over what people read online could be funding someone who stokes far right extremism on our streets."

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 21h

To be clear:

LA County has declared a state of emergency BECAUSE OF the federal government.

The Feds, LA County is (correctly) saying, have CAUSED the emergency.

This is a striking political moment of internal collapse. Local govts feeling compelled to protect their ppl from … their own govt.

Los Angeles County declares state of emergency over immigration raids

Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency over ongoing federal immigration raids.

abcnews.go.com

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Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social · 1d

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 12h

⚠️ Higher prices, fewer opportunities, greater barriers, and an economy paying the price. A price that is ultimately paid by you.

Find out more about the Cost of Brexit using our tracker. All the facts. All the figures. All in one place...

👇

www.bestforbritain.org/brexit_impact

The Cost of Brexit

Change Minds → Change Politics

www.bestforbritain.org

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 12h

Keir Starmer calling Kemi Badenoch's bluff over the China spy case in PMQs: she's made serious allegations, govt clearly thinks she can't stand them up, & so far the vibe is fairly 'person on X who doesn't know the law, arguing with a lawyer'

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Private Eye Magazine @privateeyenews.bsky.social · 12h

Tees Valley mayor Lord (Ben) Houchen shared his economic wisdom at the Tory conference. The Conservative party, he said, must be the party of “sound money”.

🧵1/3

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Jonty @fairless.xyz · 12h

Windows 10 goes out of support today. My fave useless fact about w10 is that the iconic blue desktop background is a *photograph* - not CGI.

Tiny 'making of' vid here - youtu.be/_2RacX9DgWM...

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Dread Pirate Sex Badger @badgercult.bsky.social · 20h

Despite overwhelming access to force, firearms and a cohesive team structure, little shitweasel still needs to pop out from his bigger, more restrained teammate, and toss a CS grenade. These people need to be tried.

Hart Cunningham @hpsc24.bsky.social · 23h

Zero Regard for Safety, ICE Escalation in Chicago Leaves Baby in Harm’s Way🇺🇸

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Eric Foltz @ericfoltz.bsky.social · 22h

Let's be honest.

This is about Hegseth being all butt hurt about the media reporting about how incompetent and stupid he is.

Oh, and for sharing that video of him doing the most pathetic pullups ever recorded.

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Arthur Snell @snellarthur.bsky.social · 1d

I think it's completely fair to argue that Biden should have done this deal. But then you have to prove that the US GOP and media would have let Biden force Bibi to read out an apology to the Qataris, or let Biden's people talk directly to Hamas. Seems unlikely.

open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...

Credit where due...

Trump, yes. And Qatar. And Turkey. And Jonathan Powell. And European countries...

open.substack.com

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Tim Dean @greeba.bsky.social · 13h

Much needed, if only to make Labour look left and stop pandering to Reform voters they will never win over.

George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 14h

Labour has a Green problem – why Zack Polanski’s first month as leader shows he’s the biggest threat the party has faced from the left. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...

Labour has a Green problem

Zack Polanski’s first month as leader shows he’s the biggest threat Keir Starmer has faced from the left.

www.newstatesman.com

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 14h

Kinnock is one of the finest proponents of progressive thought in this country and the best prime minister we never had.

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 15h

In 2010, an interviewer told Neil Kinnock that the Labour Party "never used to understand aspiration".

Kinnock gave an absolutely brilliant answer that should be learned by heart by every Labour MP. (0.42 to 1.22)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGhP...

Neil Kinnock goes berserk

YouTube video by Vadrigar

www.youtube.com

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Dan Kaszeta FRHistS @dankaszeta.bsky.social · 14h

This is actually police misconduct

Leah Millis @leahmillis.bsky.social · 23h

Incredible photo from @chicago.suntimes.com ‘s Anthony Vazquez. Pointing what looks to be a teargas launcher at someone’s head at nearly point blank range is incredibly dangerous. This is why I prefer a ballistic helmet in the field.

Feds ram SUV in chase down residential street in Chicago, then tear-gas crowd

The crash happened late Tuesday morning near 105th Street and Avenue N on Chicago's East Side, resulting in dozens of residents showing up to protest the federal immigration agents.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Private Eye Magazine @privateeyenews.bsky.social · 16h

Trump’s Gaza Triumph

The new Private Eye is out now.

A photo of the front cover of issue 1660 of Private Eye magazine with the caption "on shelves now." The front cover headline reads “Trump’s Gaza Triumph” and features a photo of Donald Trump with multiple speech bubbles saying “You’ve got to hand it to me,” “What, all of it?”, “The only people making a bomb from now on will be my family,” “Anyone want a peace of the action?”, “In God we Trump!” and “Halo to the Chief!” A banner at the bottom reads “Late news: World apologises ‘He’s not a naughty boy, he’s the Messiah.’”

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Melissa Nadia Viviana @resistrebelrevolt.net · 1d

Amphifa: Amphibians Against Fascism 🐸

Fight psy-ops with psy-ops! Wear an inflatable costume on Oct 18th! ☮️

Vive la Révolution (des animaux gonflables)! ✊🏼

tinyurl.com/inflatableport

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