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Reposted by Paul Murphy

FT Alphaville @alphaville.ft.com · 9h

"When someone is counting out gold for you, don't look at your hands, or the gold. Look at the giver." - Rumi and also @tobyn.bsky.social

on.ft.com/495S7mP

Central banks have been buying a squillion tonnes of gold, promise

[FREE TO READ] Are the numbers real?

on.ft.com

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

Crazy this China spy case is the lead story & is so convoluted

But now we reasonably know it was actually the Tories who screwed up on providing an adequate statement or updating the OS Act, … can we now assume the BBC will dutifully drop-it? #wato

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

Please don’t give Badenoch ideas #wato

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

This is a time-line issue #wato

As it is obvious the OS Act hadn’t been updated under the last government, & has now been updated,

it is easy to check whether the case could have proceeded with either the Tory government’s statement, or the Labour government’s statement?

Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

Rather odd line from Badenoch to claim cover-up when it’s obviously a matter of law.

Given the legislation (bizarrely) requires the government statement, ‘approval’ by any other name, for the case to proceed, It’s easy to blame Tories for neither providing the statement or rectifying the law #wato

Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

Frankly enjoying how this non-story, whipped-up by the Tories to be treated as a national ‘scandal’ & ‘cover-up’, is just making the Tories look negligent in not doing the necessary.

Perhaps they shouldn’t have wasted their time criminalising peaceful protest? #wato

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 3h

Rather odd line from Badenoch to claim cover-up when it’s obviously a matter of law.

Given the legislation (bizarrely) requires the government statement, ‘approval’ by any other name, for the case to proceed, It’s easy to blame Tories for neither providing the statement or rectifying the law #wato

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 8h

Who’d ever have thought - public services boost the economy

[EVERYONE!] #R4Today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 8h

Again, I’m no economist, obviously, but ‘big six’ is a common feature in the corporate world

Food; energy; technology; insurance: all markets seem eventually to become dominated by 4-6 giant corporations which kills off competition & ‘stabilise’ market prices.

And now they have Ai #R4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 8h

I’m no economist (obviously), but ‘obviously’ inflation remains high because:

1. energy (oil & gas) costs are far too high, &

2. Global supply chains keep getting disrupted by politicians: e.g. Brexit & tariffs

#R4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 8h

Today’s friends are tomorrow’s enemies: UK way too open!

But you know the US owns five eyes (most of the technology that collates the electronic coms data)?

GCHQ an integral part of the surveillance network (not even sure GCHQ works for UK). But it would cease to function without US #R4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

For Powell, a behind the scenes, civil servant to be openly praised by the US for the Gaza ceasefire is no small thing

Badenoch should apologise for Tories efforts to smear his reputation with this conjecture

BBC should be asking Tories for an apology #wato

Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

In a story that is essentially two sides blaming the other lot,

how can we possibly decide for ourselves when #R4today overwhelmingly gives voice to just one side?

Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Oh what a shock - #R4Today once again getting the Tory perspective on a political issue

Today it’s Alicia Kearns (employer of one of the accused) to provide more speculation, intrigue & insinuation

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Oh what a shock - #R4Today once again getting the Tory perspective on a political issue

Today it’s Alicia Kearns (employer of one of the accused) to provide more speculation, intrigue & insinuation

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

While Badenoch no doubt gets her Mont Blanc refilled for another letter to the Daily Mail … I mean the cabinet office,

Is the collapsed China spy case another mess Starmer inherited? #r4today

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘Did two Brits spy for China?’ is one question. ‘Can any UK PM really stand up to China?’ is an even bigger one | Gaby Hinsliff

It’s Keir Starmer’s turn to muddle through a problem that none of his predecessors solved: can his cash-poor nation afford to offend a superpower?, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

www.theguardian.com

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Ah, Tony Blair ‘leaving the soundbites at home, really’, before delivering a corker of a soundbite

Those were the days! #r4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Bad enough facing up to the possibility you might need treatment.

But it’s very difficult to push for tests - you already feel like you’re wasting their time (& hopefully are!!) or a hypochondriac

If you weigh up the cost of treatment, screening saves money as well as lives #r4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Good luck getting yer GP to help set you up for regular screening

It seems to be yet another example of how healthcare is increasingly a privilege for those who can afford it #r4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Hate to burst your bubble Nick, but the Conservatives have also become the ‘populist Right’ in the UK.

Look at the evidence:

- Anti-immigration
- Anti-climate action
- Anti-free speech (if you’re an advocate for either of the above or support for Palestinian independence)
#R4Today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Good grief 25 more minutes of this till #theArchers

… 24 minutes

… 23 minutes [!!]

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Reposted by Paul Murphy

George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 2d

How the Labour government would have banned the Labour movement.
My latest column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Here’s what you need to know about Starmer’s illiberal protest curbs: they would have killed the Labour party at birth | George Monbiot

The rights we enjoy in the UK, and the movement the PM purports to lead, were built on protest. Those rights are in dire peril, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 2d

He’s long-serving, a Blair aid; knows more on foreign affairs than anyone in government.

Either Labour chose to douse this trial for China goodwill, or the oversight was CPS’

But once again the Labour government losing the media war & letting Tories make a stink over nothing. #r4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 2d

US envoy Steve Witkoff praising Jonathan Powell for his contribution to peace process??

I can just hear tomorrow’s #R4Today headlines: Badenoch writes to Starmer to demand more answers to questions nobody is asking

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 2d

Oh bring us Thought for the Day, why don’t you #r4today

Something I thought I’d never say out loud

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 2d

Sorry but given one of the accused spies, Chris Cash, was a parliamentary researcher for Conservative backbencher Alicia Kearns.

Badenoch, & the now numerous Tories interviewed on BBC on this, have a few questions to answer that have nothing to do with Labour #r4today

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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 2d

In a ruling in the trial of 6Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia, the criteria had been broadened:

the term ‘enemy’ included a country which represents a current threat to national security #r4today [2/3] …

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