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Ann

@agvbergin.net

360 followers 400 following 4.4K posts

Both newts and housing, please. Personal account, views my own.

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Ann @agvbergin.net · Mar 5

"What children need to learn most is empathy for others, the capacity for nurturance, cooperation, and the maintenance of social ties, which cannot be done without the strength, respect, self-discipline, and self-reliance that comes through being cared for and caring."

George Lakoff, Moral Politics

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 44m

Regret to inform that many of the racists on X/Twitter and Substack who are making very large contributions to driving the acceptability of racism in the UK could very easily pass A-level English.

Reposted by Ann

Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 1h

Trans people have been warning about these people for *years*

Emma Haslett @emmahaslett.bsky.social · 20h

This is a huge story but massively under the radar in the UK.

A US Christian legal org called the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is working to roll back abortion rights here using the same playbook it used in the US: briefing politicians, watching, waiting.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...

They Helped Topple Roe v. Wade. Now Their Sights Are Set on Britain.

www.nytimes.com

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 1h

Today's climate change thought:

Doing some outdoor tidying-up this week that I thought I would do in the early part of the summer, but it was too hot for me to do outdoor work then.

(I am on medication that makes me particularly susceptible to effects of heat, but still.)

Ann @agvbergin.net · 12h

Distance to the bus stop makes a huge difference for many of us. This is poor planning and decision making. Existing bus stops away from station don't even appear to have bus shelters on Google street view.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Blyth's Northumberland Line train station bus stop snub 'madness'

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness says bus services should be stopping at Newsham Station.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Ann

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 16h

Hey news people: I know you like to pretend this doesn't exist, but you need to pay attention to the Nazi drama on Twitter. Basically, it seems as if Elon just restored two major neo-Nazi accounts that were banned by his product head, and might be about to fire the product head for banning them

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Reposted by Ann

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 15h

In practice, and even before today's changes, Labour has gone further on anti-immigration policies than any government in decades. The outcome being more families ripped apart, more people forced to become undocumented, fewer jobs for everyone and a crashed economy. 3/

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Reposted by Ann

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 15h

Some changes to immigration rules today, not just increasing English language requirements, mean migrants looking to live and work in UK will have to meet far far higher standards than British nationals, while paying vast sums to be allowed to do so. That isn't a system based on "fairness". 1/

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 13h

Really loving the concert on Radio 3 at the moment. We've had Bach, Bowie, and now Tabhair dom do Lámh on soprano saxophone.

Reposted by Ann

Prof Chris Jackson @seismatters.bsky.social · 16h

I do not think non-members can respond, but the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is running a survey on trans-inclusion at competition level. Feel free to email the BMC with your thoughts: [email protected].

And check out this excellent article: www.ukclimbing.com/articles/fea...

FEATURE: Trans Climbers Welcome

Following the publication of my writing exploring the relationship between climbing and autism, I found myself thinking towards a companion piece about experiencing climbing through the lens of...

www.ukclimbing.com

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Reposted by Ann

Royal Academy of Engineering @raeng.org.uk · 16h

We need a circular economy for materials. Our critical materials report recommends improved repair, recycling and recovery of electronics to preserve valuable materials stocks like lithium and neodymium. Read now on International e-waste day: https://raeng.org.uk/critical-materials
#EWasteDay

Critical materials - reducing demand and ensuring sustainability

Explore a new report from the NEPC about resource efficiency and demand reduction for critical materials to support the UK’s existing Net Zero Strategy.

raeng.org.uk

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 16h

I think there are a lot of people who need a reality check on this.

Ann @agvbergin.net · 16h

Do older people really want to face their twilight years with their own children migrating overseas for better opportunities if we accidentally crash several important sectors through implementing reckless and racist immigration laws.

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Reposted by Ann

Andrew Sissons @acjsissons.bsky.social · 23h

What I think is needed is more state capacity and expertise to actually support delivery of these schemes. Both in local and national government.

We used to have, say, in-house engineers in local government to design and oversee programmes like this. That has largely disappeared

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Reposted by Ann

Andrew Sissons @acjsissons.bsky.social · 23h

I also think there’s an inherent problem with trying to get private bodies (not ones v well suited to the job either) to deliver this work with only arms-length regulation.
DESNZ struggles to regulate this stuff, and over-specs, because it has so little capacity to actually see what’s going on

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 1d

I think that the point I'm trying to get across (again) through re-sharing this is that there are many attack surfaces by which anti-abortion campaigners can erode any of free, safe, legal, and local.

Ann @agvbergin.net · 1d

Re-reading this June 2025 opinion piece by Stella Creasy.

She criticizes Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment that was passed to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales as too limited, and as too small an ask from the left.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

On Tuesday, parliament had the opportunity to set abortion in England and Wales on the same modern, regulated footing as it is in Northern Ireland: as a human right. Instead, a vote on this was explicitly blocked by the providers of this service and their supporters, telling MPs to back another amendment, to get a single exemption from prosecution for women “over the line” instead. That is what happened. In contrast, my proposed amendment would have gone further, offering “protection to all those involved in ensuring that women can access safe and legal abortions”.

In the current parliament, any pro-choice amendment would have passed. A critical opportunity not just to stop the destructive prosecutions and investigations under outdated laws of everyone, including medics, but to also protect access for the 250,000 who have an abortion every year, has been missed. As a result, the laws that make abortion a criminal act remain, ready to be exploited by those who wish to attack access should they come to power.

Reposted by Ann

Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 1d

Informative episode of CBBC's Octonauts on the migration ecology of reintroduced Northern Bald Ibises this morning! www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... - top children's #ornithology

Octonauts: Above & Beyond - Series 3: 24. Bald Ibises

Tracker spots some northern bald ibises migrating in the wrong direction.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Ann

Petra Boynton @petraboynton.bsky.social · 1d

As social care continues to decline and the needs of those requiring assistance increases, more problems will arise - increased errors and less time to spend interacting with clients. This amplifies an already toxic environment where care is poor and staff are blamed. Racism compounds existing abuse

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Reposted by Ann

Petra Boynton @petraboynton.bsky.social · 1d

It's not a 'race debate', it's plain old racism.

Carer health and safety is already a major issue that's barely discussed outside the profession, compounded by demand and extractive practices of employers.

Unfortunately this workforce, like those they care for, hold zero interest for most people

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

‘Frightened to get out of their cars’: Britain’s toxic race debates threaten overseas care workers

Staff are being advised to travel in mixed groups and carry panic alarms as incidents of intimidation spread

www.theguardian.com

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 1d

The government comment here is utterly disgraceful.

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Reposted by Ann

Indy @indy.bsky.social · 1d

I don't even know how to shout loud enough about what a bad sign this is.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

‘Frightened to get out of their cars’: Britain’s toxic race debates threaten overseas care workers

Staff are being advised to travel in mixed groups and carry panic alarms as incidents of intimidation spread

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ann

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

‘Frightened to get out of their cars’: Britain’s toxic race debates threaten overseas care workers

Staff are being advised to travel in mixed groups and carry panic alarms as incidents of intimidation spread

www.theguardian.com

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 1d

Already been lots of criticism on lack of attention to building accessible homes for disabled people too. Storing up problems for the future with an aging population who are more likely to be disabled.

Reposted by Ann

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 1d

Which opens up questions about what follow on costs might emerge if current efforts to expand housebuilding in the UK are not properly regulated and inspected to ensure that buyers on the state don't face accumulating costs because of low build quality

Adam Bell @adambell.bsky.social · 1d

Two points in this appalling story of Government failure. Firstly, solid wall insulation is by some degree the most expensive form of insulation. This means that these measures are now guaranteed to cost more than they would ever save.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Almost all external insulation fitted under Tory scheme needs repair or replacing, report finds

Homeowners who took advantage of government programmes left with cladding likely to cause damp

www.theguardian.com

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Ann @agvbergin.net · 1d

Reminder that Nadine Dories, recent defector to RUK, has campaigned for a long time on reducing the abortion time limit in England and Wales.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadine_...

Nadine Dorries - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org