Author | Lightnews

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 15m

"Let's not forget, when we remember the service and the sacrifice with this poppy, that the people who bled and died for our democracy and our freedom, weren't just my grandfather who looked like me & worshipped the same God, but people across Empire & Commonwealth, who were Muslim, Sikh & Hindu'

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Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 1d

"You left Europe because you wanted less boats, you have more boats. You left Europe because you wanted more investment. You have less investment."

Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania on the UK's decision to leave the European Union.

Watch in full ➡️ bit.ly/4qkZnS0

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 19h

I think this post (2pm on Monday) was the first time I asked this Idi Amin question about the Opposition's deportation plan, after the Katie Lam Sunday Times interview.

Nobody has been able to identify any democratic government to do this since the Idi Amin dictatorship's mass expulsions of 1972.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 5d

In the whole half century period since the dictator Idi Amin's expelled migrants in 1972, can anybody identify any *democratic* government at all that has stripped past grants of permanent residence from a large number of legal migrants & removed/expelled them?

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 5d

The thing about the Overton window is that it just shifts by default if you let people propose insane policies like removing people with indefinite leave to remain without robust challenge. It doesn't just go away, it slowly leaks into the mainstream water supply unless you properly hose it down.

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 2d

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen Bush on the extraordinary draft legislation which Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, Matt Vickers, Katie Lam and backbench colleagues have proposed in parliament

It is a proposal that would seek to deport around 5% of the resident population, including over a quarter of a million with ILR

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 5d

This, in particular,should chime with any centre right voter or politician. We might add that Lam’s desire to torch previously agreed permanent residence rules will make life very difficult for millions of British citizens settled long term abroad, who rely on foreign govt’s abiding by such rules.

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 6d

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 6d

Great walk in Valentines Park Ilford this afternoon with the Friends of Valentines Mansion. Very well attended despite heavy rain. And our guide the excellent Stephen Smith was very informative about the history and the characteristics of the diverse range of trees in the Park.

Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 8d

And when they were up They were up, And when they were down they were down …..

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 8d

Indeed. But why let the facts interfere with your lying narrative designed to win over the Tory activists.

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 8d

This is total bollocks. I bet Jenrick never went to a match in the 1970s or 1980s. It is much much better now. I’ve been gong to West Ham
home and away games for sixty years. There is no comparison. This is opportunistic performative signalling. Which bears no relation to reality.

Ciaran @ciaranmcgurdy.bsky.social · 8d

Jenrick casting 1980s British football hooliganism as something that was easily dealt with by police and not an era defining issue which we're still living with the consequences of today... He's genuinely the most unserious person in British politics rn

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 9d

Spot on. The Conservative Party used to support the rule of law. But apparently no longer.

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 9d

I find @tomtugendhat.bsky.social's argument not just ludicrous, but dangerous. Due process is *absolutely* paramount in criminal law - not "whose side you are on".

We don't trample Separation of Powers just because you feel rightly angry and ashamed for being spied on *while Security Minister".

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 11d

I've spent *weeks* working on this special report for @thenewworldmag.bsky.social on GB News co-owner Paul Marshall – and the astonishing, unprecedented influence network he's built on the UK's right. There's never been anything like it before. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-p...

Paul Marshall, the man who owns the right

The multimillionaire controls a network of news channels, publications and think tanks that the left could only dream of. If Reform or the Tories win the next election, he will become the country’s mo...

www.thenewworld.co.uk

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Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 10d

In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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

From Robert Jenrick's video - in which he did not see a single other white face on a brief trip to Birmingham, despite his video showing that he did.

"He must have been walking around Handsworth with his eyes closed" writes Dan Cave

www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/a-notorious-...

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Luke Murphy MP @lukemurphy.bsky.social · Sep 16

Reform are the Lost Politicians Office of the Tories

Lee Anderson
Maria Caulfield
Adam Holloway
Sir Jake Berry
Dame Andrea Jenkyns
Ross Thomson
David Jones
Nadine Dorries
Danny Kruger
Marco Longhi

Tory MPs responsible for trashing our economy & public services now in Reform

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 13d

Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."

www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

www.cbsnews.com

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 15d

Bye Bye Derek. I was on the balcony looking after the International visitors. They all stood up to applaud Neil Kinnock as he denounced the Trotskyite Militant Tendency. And next to us were member visitors also standing but to applaud Eric Heffer as he stormed off the platform. Labour history ⛏️⛏️

Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 15d

NEW: Weekend News Agents

40 years ago this month Neil Kinnock delivered his famous, fervent conference speech against Militant. In this special episode, we discuss that extraordinary day, at length, with the man himself. Living history.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Neil Kinnock on the speech that changed the Labour Party

Podcast Episode · The News Agents · 10/10/2025 · 56m

podcasts.apple.com

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 16d

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 18d

What was that Sooty? The children can't hear you!

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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 18d

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 18d

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

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Mike Gapes @mikegapes.bsky.social · 18d

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 18d

Missed this earlier - as part of its series of bilateral arrangements with EU member states, the UK signed this strategic framework with Spain in early September.

It includes cooperation on defence, security, but also migration, foreign affairs, people to people, energy, climate and more:

Real Instituto Elcano / Elcano Royal Institute @rielcano.bsky.social · 18d

Spain was the only one of the four major EU economies without a bilateral agreement with the UK—until last month, when both countries signed a strategic framework.
✍️ William Chislett #InsideSpain
www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentar...

Spain and the UK deepen bilateral ties within a strategic framework

The UK-EU agreement on Gibraltar has unlocked a road map for greater cooperation between Spain and Britain.

www.realinstitutoelcano.org

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Tom Freeman @tomfreeman.bsky.social · 18d

But the great thing about Robert Jenrick is that wherever he goes, he increases the number of white faces by two.

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