Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 5d

Who benefits from the abolition of stamp duty land tax?

The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 5d

Nigel Farage accuses teachers of "poisoning our kids" on race issues.

Here's a reminder of what teachers and fellow pupils at Farage's own school remember of his own views on that subject.

www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/nigel-fara...

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Jon Bloomfield @jonbloomfield.bsky.social · 6d

A brutal, accurate assessment of both leader and party. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on Kemi Badenoch’s speech: following the path of denial, delusion and defeat | Editorial

Editorial: The Conservative leader offers no insight into her party’s past failure and no original ideas that might make it relevant to Britain’s future

www.theguardian.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · 14d

Lyrics or not, it's a great album Ron. Got me playing all your earlier stuff again. Who was it who said Blue Boy was a tussle between Revolver (Steve E) and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (you)? Still love it though, esp Foolproof!

Reposted by Mike Hamlin

End Sexism In Schools @endsexisminschools.bsky.social · 21d

Thank you to @theguardian.com for covering our report into what’s taught in History lessons at Key Stage 3. Spoiler: mostly men. It’s time to end sexism in schools.

School history lessons minimise the role of women, report finds

Campaigners say key stage 3 curriculum plays to misogny and teaches a ‘false version of the past’

www.theguardian.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · 22d

A disgraceful display of hate and division, spreading fear instead of fostering unity....

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 22d

Trump to the UN: "I'm really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell."

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · 22d

A devastating picture of the biggest spending scandal ever - but why so little media coverage......check it out for yourself......!

Russell Scott @russellscott1.bsky.social · 25d

🚨Our upcoming documentary on the VIP Lane made the ITV news this evening.

“Waste of taxpayers' money': Whistleblower says billions wasted on unfit PPE during Covid pandemic”.

🎥Tune in to ITV Sunday 10.15pm to watch the rest of “The Covid Contracts”

www.itv.com/news/2025-09...

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · 27d

"By relentlessly painting refugees and migrants as a violent, existential threat, media outlets risk making racist attacks seem more acceptable, and fuelling far right terrorism.”

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 27d

🔴GB News Ramps Up Migrant ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric as Channel Veers Far Right

Analysis reveals surging use of rhetoric about refugees being of “fighting age”, “scavengers”, “dirty foreigners” and part of an “invasion”, as campaigners warn of channel’s radicalising effect

bylinetimes.com/2025/09/18/g...

GB News Ramps Up Migrant 'Invasion' Rhetoric as Channel Veers Far Right

Analysis reveals surging use of rhetoric about migrants and refugees being of "fighting age", "scavengers", "dirty foreigners" and part of an "invasion", as campaigners warn of channel’s radicalising ...

bylinetimes.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · 27d

"What was striking about last weekend’s march wasn’t the turnout, easily matched by some of the protests about Gaza. It’s the lack of shame, the brazen insistence on an Englishman’s right to make others feel small."

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 27d

It’s come to this: Keir Starmer is now just the warm-up act for Nigel Farage | Aditya Chakrabortty

As Labour flounders and dabbles in the politics of hatred to gain a point or two, it is those far from power who will suffer most, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

www.theguardian.com

Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Sep 14

Superb piece of journalism by Jennifer Williams (@JenWilliams_FT) .........
www.ft.com/content/7068...

The crumbling seaside palaces at the centre of Britain’s asylum crisis

How one hotelier built an empire from beloved community assets — and a government struggling to cope with a surge in migration

www.ft.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 30

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Excellent programme, worth catching on Sounds.

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Freud v Klein: The Battle For Our Children's Minds

Tanya Byron explores how two remarkable women transformed the way we understand children.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · Aug 29

Excellent. Farage's plan would mean police -or new paramilitary forces - rounding up tens of thousands of people in *every major city* (hundreds of '000s in London).

It really shouldn't be hard to make this politically toxic.

www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk/p/it-wont-wo...

"It won't work" Won't Work

Labour's response to Farage is bound to founder

www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Sam Bright @writesbright.bsky.social · Aug 27

🔴 NEW 🔴

Nigel Farage plans to hand a massive fracking windfall to a Trump donor.

Reform's policies would allow Lincolnshire to be drilled by a firm whose boss has given money to the past two Trump campaigns.

📝 @desmog.com scoop 👇

Reform Plans to Hand Fracking Windfall to Trump Donor

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK would allow a fossil fuel company owned by a Donald Trump donor to open up a huge fracking site in Greater Lincolnshire, DeSmog can reveal. Andrea Jenkyns, Reform’s mayor in t...

www.desmog.com

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

EngLangBlog @englangblog.bsky.social · Aug 27

This is a really thoughtful reflection from Deborah Cameron on the ideas of Robin Lakoff (who died earlier this month) and her legacy.

debuk.wordpress.com/2025/08/27/r...

Remembering Robin Lakoff

This month we learned that the linguist Robin Lakoff had died at the age of 82. If you’ve heard of Lakoff you will probably know her as the author of Language and Woman’s Place (LWP), an early and …

debuk.wordpress.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 27

Trust in politicians never been lower, says Farage. But his answer is to remove the protections we have from Governments abusing our rights.
The Human Rights Act protects us all. Farage wrecked the economy with his Brexit, don't let him wreck your freedoms with this recklessness.

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social · Aug 19

Exceptional piece, one of the best I’ve ever read on Wilder.

ben schwartz @benschwartz.bsky.social · Aug 18

I have a new piece up @thenation.com on Billy Wilder, the Holocaust, survivor's guilt, and confronting the limits of Zionism. www.thenation.com/article/cult...

Billy Wilder’s Battle With the Past

How the fabled Hollywood director confronted survivor’s guilt, the legacies of the Holocaust, and the paradoxes of Zionism.

www.thenation.com

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Paris Marx @parismarx.com · Aug 14

Canada is facing one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, and my home province is particularly hard hit.

Seeing how false and misleading information about the fires is spreading online has only further convinced me social media, especially Facebook, is a social cancer.

Wading through the social media haze

Wildfire responses in Canada stifled by misinformation, particularly on on Facebook

www.disconnect.blog

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 14

Visited the stunning Jenny Saville exhibition at the NPG yesterday - so much to look at and reflect on. One piece, from her own collection, still resonates: Aleppo (2017-18), constructed like a pietà, captures that moment as well as other, more recent tragedies.

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · Aug 14

I’d really like the BBC to stand up for truth. ‘Xenophobic’ is the mildest description of Jenrick’s despicable attempts to join Farage & induce a moral panic over refugees & asylum seekers.

BBC apologises after Jenrick accused of xenophobia www.bbc.com/news/article...

BBC apologises after Robert Jenrick accused of xenophobia

A contributor to Radio 4's Thought for the Day slot made the remark about the shadow justice secretary.

www.bbc.com

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 8

Why media studies is useful....

David Timoney @fromarsetoelbow.bsky.social · Aug 7

"Organizations that employ Allison Pearson and Melanie Phillips probably aren't in the reality and rationality business at all. ... Media studies is a useful discipline."
stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_an...

Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 7

Not to be missed......

Don’t we all want to be happy? www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Jonathan Coe · Don’t we all want to be happy? Satie against Solemnity

Erik Satie is the progenitor of torch songs and lounge music, systems music and minimalism, even (with his later...

www.lrb.co.uk

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 3

"Perhaps Vance will slink away
from Chipping Campden for a quick protest outside
an asylum hotel. These live interactive experiences
are proving increasingly popular and he won't have to
travel too far to find one."

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Mike Hamlin @mhamlin1.bsky.social · Aug 2

Useful piece from Sam Freedman......

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Demonising migrants won’t fill jobs or boost falling popu...

‘Stop the boats’ is a popular refrain but it obscures the real issues rich countries across the world are facing

observer.co.uk

Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Dean Baker @deanbaker13.bsky.social · Jul 2

Trump might be taking the U.S. backward in technology, but China is jumping forward. They sold more EVs last month than the U.S. sold cars cepr.net/publications...

June Electric Vehicle Sales in China Exceed U.S. Vehicle Sales

As China leads the global shift to electric vehicles and renewable energy, the US under Trump doubles down on fossil fuels.

cepr.net

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Reposted by Mike Hamlin

Robert Shrimsley @robertshrimsley.bsky.social · Jul 5

To lose 40 per cent of your MPs returned at the election is quite impressive

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Jul 5

Reform MP suspends himself from party over Covid loans allegations https://on.ft.com/44gaByb

Reform MP suspends himself from party over Covid loans allegations

Former banker James McMurdock is alleged to have borrowed £70,000 through two companies

on.ft.com

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