Reposted by Meryem
A nation that demonises people fleeing war and terror and constantly paints them as lesser humans is a nation without a heart. That’s the path we’re on and we must not blindly walk it.
November 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
A nation that demonises people fleeing war and terror and constantly paints them as lesser humans is a nation without a heart. That’s the path we’re on and we must not blindly walk it.
excellent column. it speaks to my anxiety that the public discourse is far too complacent considering the state the UK is in *right now*.
Column on the fascist overlords www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
What Chicago's fight against ICE can teach us all about how to resist oppression | Zoe Williams
A harrowing US podcast documents a community’s struggle against immigration raids – and warns us about herd mentality, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:51 PM
excellent column. it speaks to my anxiety that the public discourse is far too complacent considering the state the UK is in *right now*.
and a policy ambition of most far right parties in Europe. hard not to see this as an evolution of fortress europe.
A reminder for those who are not aware: "remigration" is the process of deporting all non-white people from a country. It includes citizens and is, by definition, ethnic cleansing.
And to be clear: this is not fake. I just screenshot it myself.
And to be clear: this is not fake. I just screenshot it myself.
November 29, 2025 at 10:38 AM
and a policy ambition of most far right parties in Europe. hard not to see this as an evolution of fortress europe.
Reposted by Meryem
looking at the state of the labour party, it becomes sort of indisputable that the purity politics they were complaining about was the only thing keeping them mildly in check. maybe holding politicians to basic moral standards is good actually?
November 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
looking at the state of the labour party, it becomes sort of indisputable that the purity politics they were complaining about was the only thing keeping them mildly in check. maybe holding politicians to basic moral standards is good actually?
looking at the public facing cruelty of the Labour government, its hard not to have more sympathy for their most despised enemies, the socialist wing of the party. Your Party seems to be the product of that trauma tbh.
November 29, 2025 at 10:12 AM
looking at the public facing cruelty of the Labour government, its hard not to have more sympathy for their most despised enemies, the socialist wing of the party. Your Party seems to be the product of that trauma tbh.
Reposted by Meryem
They frame it as asylum seekers living high on the hog, but you click through and it turns out the people in question got arbitrarily moved to the other side of the country and the home office didn’t update their GP so they had to drive back. Layers & layers of cruelty and incompetence
This is just revolting cruelty, done to pander to racists who won't give it the time of day. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Government to ban asylum seekers from using taxis
The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 9:07 AM
They frame it as asylum seekers living high on the hog, but you click through and it turns out the people in question got arbitrarily moved to the other side of the country and the home office didn’t update their GP so they had to drive back. Layers & layers of cruelty and incompetence
if the bbc cannot stand up for core human rights, like the right to asylum, they are failing in their most essential service as a safeguard for liberal democracy. and we run the risk of the institution becoming government controlled media in a future fascist state.
I know I rant about this all the time but the rabid - and omnipresence - anti immigrant line on BBC 6 music news is so jarring
Feels like a text book example of how an Overton window is shifted
Feels like a text book example of how an Overton window is shifted
November 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
if the bbc cannot stand up for core human rights, like the right to asylum, they are failing in their most essential service as a safeguard for liberal democracy. and we run the risk of the institution becoming government controlled media in a future fascist state.
Reposted by Meryem
Yes. I have my alarm set to 6music & in moments of waking I'm incensed by the coverage. I work in welfare rights & see asylum seekers regularly. The limited help I can give to people with no recourse to public funds is soul destroying. They have nothing. I really don't think many people realise this
November 29, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Yes. I have my alarm set to 6music & in moments of waking I'm incensed by the coverage. I work in welfare rights & see asylum seekers regularly. The limited help I can give to people with no recourse to public funds is soul destroying. They have nothing. I really don't think many people realise this
Reposted by Meryem
People something think I'm being glib when I say "the cruelty is the point," but it is the heart of our entire political discussion these days, inflicting cruelty on "other people" to mollycoddle the feelings of a group who are very certain "other people" are getting better treatment.
UK immigration status fears prompt carer to cancel benefits she is entitled to
UK immigration status fears prompt carer to cancel benefits she is entitled to
Woman cancels all benefits including disability living allowance for daughter after policy change announcement
A low-paid carer from Ghana has cancelled all the benefits she is legally entitled to, including the disability allowance one of her children receives, owing to fears about her immigration status after the policy changes announced by the home secretary.
The radical changes to legal migration announced by Shabana Mahmood on 20 November will penalise those who are living and working legally in the UK, but who claim benefits. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:08 AM
People something think I'm being glib when I say "the cruelty is the point," but it is the heart of our entire political discussion these days, inflicting cruelty on "other people" to mollycoddle the feelings of a group who are very certain "other people" are getting better treatment.
bbc coverage of the right to asylum and trans rights is an indication of how primed it is to become state media in the not so distant future.
And there’s not a single paragraph in that article offering any real counter view, like “stopping asylum seekers from attending regular GP visits is a fucking insane thing to do on so many levels”
November 29, 2025 at 8:55 AM
bbc coverage of the right to asylum and trans rights is an indication of how primed it is to become state media in the not so distant future.
Reposted by Meryem
and its hard not to look at the state of the current labour party and see them as the product of this type of education system. "smart kids" whose one talent in actuality is obedience to heirarchy and power.
November 21, 2025 at 8:08 AM
and its hard not to look at the state of the current labour party and see them as the product of this type of education system. "smart kids" whose one talent in actuality is obedience to heirarchy and power.
Reposted by Meryem
there is video interview with nawal al saadawi where she talks about how education is a system of obedience. and that most education systems kill creativity and stifle disobedience in service of the political system.
November 21, 2025 at 7:53 AM
there is video interview with nawal al saadawi where she talks about how education is a system of obedience. and that most education systems kill creativity and stifle disobedience in service of the political system.
Reposted by Meryem
one thing to know about the UK is that the most powerful demographic of voters deeply believe that the fake economy powered by constantly inflating property prices should work for them in perpetuity
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
one thing to know about the UK is that the most powerful demographic of voters deeply believe that the fake economy powered by constantly inflating property prices should work for them in perpetuity
Reposted by Meryem
No response from the Conservative party to my questions about this and the post still remains on her account.
So apparently openly spreading anti-Muslim hate is absolutely fine now
So apparently openly spreading anti-Muslim hate is absolutely fine now
The Conservative Party's leader in London, Susan Hall, just shared this Islamophobic disinformation about Sadiq Khan, after it was posted on X by a racist troll
November 28, 2025 at 2:39 PM
No response from the Conservative party to my questions about this and the post still remains on her account.
So apparently openly spreading anti-Muslim hate is absolutely fine now
So apparently openly spreading anti-Muslim hate is absolutely fine now
i'd be interested in the british line broken up by ethnicity. suspect the trend for non white brits might start to go up, if our current political trajectory continues.
November 28, 2025 at 10:27 AM
i'd be interested in the british line broken up by ethnicity. suspect the trend for non white brits might start to go up, if our current political trajectory continues.
Reposted by Meryem
The diplomatic "achievement" of the ceasefire was to recalibrate the tempo of the genocide sufficiently to get it off the front pages and the news bulletins, thus alleviating the political pressure on Israel's western accomplices.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Israel still committing genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International says
The NGO’s chief says last month’s ceasefire ‘risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal’
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The diplomatic "achievement" of the ceasefire was to recalibrate the tempo of the genocide sufficiently to get it off the front pages and the news bulletins, thus alleviating the political pressure on Israel's western accomplices.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Meryem
Under the Labour government,
It is illegal to have a sign that says “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
It is legal to have a sign that says “I support genocide, I oppose Palestine Action.”
This is real.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRkQRFd...
It is illegal to have a sign that says “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
It is legal to have a sign that says “I support genocide, I oppose Palestine Action.”
This is real.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRkQRFd...
November 28, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Under the Labour government,
It is illegal to have a sign that says “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
It is legal to have a sign that says “I support genocide, I oppose Palestine Action.”
This is real.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRkQRFd...
It is illegal to have a sign that says “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
It is legal to have a sign that says “I support genocide, I oppose Palestine Action.”
This is real.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRkQRFd...
Reposted by Meryem
“Just three companies – DMG Media, News UK and Reach – control 90% of UK national newspaper circulation, a 20% increase in market concentration since 2014. Newsquest and National World – control 51% of the UK’s 882 local newspapers and local news websites”
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
‘Unelected power’ of ultra-rich is reshaping British politics, report claims
Equality Trust study shows how House of Lords appointments, big donations and media ownership affect political decisions
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:32 PM
“Just three companies – DMG Media, News UK and Reach – control 90% of UK national newspaper circulation, a 20% increase in market concentration since 2014. Newsquest and National World – control 51% of the UK’s 882 local newspapers and local news websites”
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
because its not about immigration for them. its about brown people and muslims.
they won't be satisfied until they start rounding us all up.
they won't be satisfied until they start rounding us all up.
OK I forecast that Farage will simply switch to 'that's still a Luton arriving every year'. No fall in migration is big enough for them.
November 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
because its not about immigration for them. its about brown people and muslims.
they won't be satisfied until they start rounding us all up.
they won't be satisfied until they start rounding us all up.
only the second one is true though.
Remember -
Net migration rises: The government has lost control of the borders
Net migration fails: The government has trashed the country so badly that no one wants to come here
Net migration rises: The government has lost control of the borders
Net migration fails: The government has trashed the country so badly that no one wants to come here
November 27, 2025 at 4:24 PM
only the second one is true though.
this is the authoritarian trap. people assume people in worse economic conditions will punish wannabe authoritarians. but anyone paying attention to, say Turkey, will have seen increasing poverty correlates with increasing vulnerability to state propaganda.
We rely on migration for the economy and several industries, decrease that and the economy is worse. A worsening economy means worse conditions. Unhappy public looks for someone to blame. Politicians tell them it's migrants. And so we end up in a never ending loop while everything gets worse.
November 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
this is the authoritarian trap. people assume people in worse economic conditions will punish wannabe authoritarians. but anyone paying attention to, say Turkey, will have seen increasing poverty correlates with increasing vulnerability to state propaganda.
if they are like this now, imagine what they'll be like when reform are in power. we are sleepwalking into state media territory but with not enough people sounding the alarm.
The important bit about this story - in reality the only important bit because nothing here is new - is that it delivers to an audience previously unaware of it a truth about the BBC's relationship to power: craven. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith Lecture
Journalists not allowed to repeat Rutger Bregman’s corruption claims against US president in coverage of edit
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:08 PM
if they are like this now, imagine what they'll be like when reform are in power. we are sleepwalking into state media territory but with not enough people sounding the alarm.
this very obvious and essential fact is never given any airtime in our mainstream discourse or by our mainstream parties. an indicator that our democratic institutions are failing us.
Immigration creates jobs, supports public services, & drives growth.
These are economic facts.
How is it that the only days we *dont* have the media banging on about immigration is on the days we’re handed the budget? #r4today
These are economic facts.
How is it that the only days we *dont* have the media banging on about immigration is on the days we’re handed the budget? #r4today
November 27, 2025 at 8:54 AM
this very obvious and essential fact is never given any airtime in our mainstream discourse or by our mainstream parties. an indicator that our democratic institutions are failing us.
its tiresome when everyone continues to be perpetually confused by Labours poor strategy.
when if you accept the obvious explanation that they are doing what they want in service to the centres of power and wealth in this country, its no longer confusing, is it?
when if you accept the obvious explanation that they are doing what they want in service to the centres of power and wealth in this country, its no longer confusing, is it?
The 50 wealthiest families own more wealth than the bottom 50% of the population.
How can this Labour Government say this is a "cost of living" budget and refuse to tax the rich?
They care about protecting power and wealth. And cost of living is a buzz phrase for them. Dire.
How can this Labour Government say this is a "cost of living" budget and refuse to tax the rich?
They care about protecting power and wealth. And cost of living is a buzz phrase for them. Dire.
November 27, 2025 at 8:26 AM
its tiresome when everyone continues to be perpetually confused by Labours poor strategy.
when if you accept the obvious explanation that they are doing what they want in service to the centres of power and wealth in this country, its no longer confusing, is it?
when if you accept the obvious explanation that they are doing what they want in service to the centres of power and wealth in this country, its no longer confusing, is it?
i think we are past the point of these fascists pretending its not because they believe non white people to be inferior.
it would be either:
1. 'he came here legally'
2. 'but he's worked hard'
3. 'america isn't a terrorist country'
4. 'that's different'
4b. (when pressed on 4) 'it just is'
none of those make a lick of sense, but it'd be one of them
1. 'he came here legally'
2. 'but he's worked hard'
3. 'america isn't a terrorist country'
4. 'that's different'
4b. (when pressed on 4) 'it just is'
none of those make a lick of sense, but it'd be one of them
Previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson was born in the United States. I'd love for her to tell me that's different and then try to explain why without being racist.
November 27, 2025 at 7:46 AM
i think we are past the point of these fascists pretending its not because they believe non white people to be inferior.