Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

paulpettinger.bsky.social @paulpettinger.bsky.social · 13h

My grandmother Edith sadly died at 76. Ethel, meanwhile, lived to about 100. Read into that - unredactedly - what you will.

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YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 5d

Should there be national service for Boomers?

A German think tank has called for 1yr of "mandatory social service" for all new retires - a move Britons would oppose for the UK

Support: 14%
Oppose: 73%

18-24yr olds: -43 net support
25-49: -58
50-64: -70
65+: -53

yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 5d

ME/CFS is a devastating condition that has long been denied, dismissed, psychologised and underdiagnosed. Research is at last starting to catch up with it, with glimmers of hope for those who have been left untreated for so long.
There's a huge BUT coming ...🧵
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Scientists develop first ‘accurate blood test’ to detect chronic fatigue syndrome

Research could offer hope for ME patients – but some experts urge caution and say more studies needed

www.theguardian.com

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YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 9d

🧵/ With the Green Party conference ongoing, we looked at the views of Green members

% of members with a favourable view of...

Carla Denyer: 85%
Zack Polanski: 79%
Sian Berry: 78%
Adrian Ramsay: 60%
Ellie Chowns: 59%

Jeremy Corbyn: 83%
Ed Davey: 58%
Keir Starmer: 18%

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

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Andrew Copson @andrewcopson.bsky.social · 7d

Disgraceful. All thoughts with those affected. Prejudice, hatred, and violence against anyone - or their property or places of worship - because of their identity is abhorrent and everyone in our country should be safe to practice their religion in peace. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Peacehaven: Fire at East Sussex mosque probed as 'hate crime'

Video appears to show two people in balaclavas at the mosque before a large blaze spreads.

www.bbc.co.uk

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 9d

Keeping people in poverty is an expensive luxury.
My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It hurt when I crashed my bike into a pothole – and it taught me the true price of austerity | George Monbiot

Fixing that hole could have cost under £100; the cost of not doing so is limitless. My prang highlights the neoliberal folly of false economies, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

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Naomi O'Leary @naomiohreally.bsky.social · 9d

Irish detainees from the Gaza flotilla have told their lawyers they were kicked, pushed and cable tied.
Outside the notorious Ktzi’ot prison where they are currently held, Miriam Azem told me of “aggressive treatment and violence” the detainees say they received:
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

‘Harsh treatment’: Irish aid flotilla detainees ‘kicked, cable-tied’ in Israeli custody

Volunteers trying to reach Gaza taken to notorious Ktzi’ot prison complex in Negev desert, lawyers say

www.irishtimes.com

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paulpettinger.bsky.social @paulpettinger.bsky.social · 10d

Very good analysis and framing

Dr Seth Thévoz @seththevoz.bsky.social · 10d

My second piece, coming out of covering this week’s Labour conference for openDemocracy, on Labour’s strategic dilemma. www.opendemocracy.net/en/labour-st...

On Reform, Labour faces a serious strategic dilemma

Labour has long been divided. But these are not normal times, and arguments between factions may hand power to Farage

www.opendemocracy.net

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Dr Seth Thévoz @seththevoz.bsky.social · 10d

My second piece, coming out of covering this week’s Labour conference for openDemocracy, on Labour’s strategic dilemma. www.opendemocracy.net/en/labour-st...

On Reform, Labour faces a serious strategic dilemma

Labour has long been divided. But these are not normal times, and arguments between factions may hand power to Farage

www.opendemocracy.net

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Dr Seth Thévoz @seththevoz.bsky.social · 12d

www.opendemocracy.net/en/labour-pa...

Inside the many, many Labour Party Conferences taking place

So disjointed is Labour’s annual meet, the messaging differs from room to room. Attendees agree only on fear of Reform

www.opendemocracy.net

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paulpettinger.bsky.social @paulpettinger.bsky.social · 14d

Article also at:

archive.ph

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paulpettinger.bsky.social @paulpettinger.bsky.social · 14d

"Europeans should reflect on the fact that if Russia attacks Europe tomorrow, and the US chooses to stay out of the fight, Europe’s biggest military asset will be the Ukrainian army."

Why Ukraine is winning the war

Russia has failed to achieve its core aim — the destruction of the Ukrainian nation

www.ft.com

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Dr Seth Thévoz @seththevoz.bsky.social · 17d

Tony Blair and Rishi Sunak snapped after they bumped into one another outside Trump Tower in New York, four days ago.

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 17d

David Howarth joins @pimlicat.bsky.social and @sturdyalex.bsky.social
on Quiet Riot to explain why Britain should be part of the EU’s Common Asylum and Migration Policy.

They also dive into the debate on ID cards - spoiler: they are irrelevant in reducing illegal immigration.

bit.ly/4mG4sRT

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 20d

For 56 minutes Sky News and BBC News interrupted everything else and carried a Reform UK feed live, uninterrupted, unchallenged. The stream spluttered, froze, pixelated - dozens of times - still they stuck with it. FOR ONE HOUR.

This is an editorial choice. No other party gets this coverage. ~AA

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Fionna O’Leary @fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 20d

I like that. “some might reasonably say:

“Brexit Boats”

“Farage ferries.”

“ReFuk returns”

Consequences, consequences.

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 20d

Ed Davey, "I'm afraid Nigel Farage should be apologising for helping cause this problem in the first place"

"Before Brexit we didn't have a small boats problem because we had 27 return agreements with EU countries and we could return people"

-Maybe we should call them Farage's Brexit Boats

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paulpettinger.bsky.social @paulpettinger.bsky.social · 21d

I think Davey’s stunts had more to do with trying to present him as fun & jovial, rather as a former postal affairs minister

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Sian Berry MP @sianberry.bsky.social · 21d

So necessary, so welcome, so late, and so insufficient from our Government.

The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 23d

The UK government has confirmed it will finally recognise the state of Palestine - a welcome step.

But this must be accompanied by real, concrete actions to bring an end to the genocide in Gaza, including boycotts, sanctions and the end of arms sales to Israel.

END THE GENOCIDE
Image credit: Hosny Salah
Green Party
Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

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Kenny Campbell @mrkennycampbell.bsky.social · 23d

Corbyn's party now has more leaders than members. And he's not one of them.

Message calling for the Corbyn/Sultana party leadership to hand over power to grassroots organisers

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Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 26d

I love London so much. So much.

Did you know that London has the lowest level of ethnic violence of any city of comparable size in the world?

Multiculturalism has in fact worked here. They just don’t want it to be true because we happen to have a Muslim mayor.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 26d

In London, hate will never win.

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R @handle.invalid · 25d

YouGov have asked this 594 times in the last 14 years according to their dataset.

In only 7 have the net ratings been worse than, or equal to, this one.

Four were in the aftermath of the Truss mini-budget and the last instance was Sunak's penultimate before the GE.

It's that bad.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 25d

Government approval falls to its lowest level since Labour took office, with a net score of -61 (fieldwork 13-15 Sep 2025)

Approve: 11% (-1 from 6-8 Sep)
Disapprove: 72% (+3)
Net: -61 (-4)

yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 27d

Very worrying for all supporters of a tolerant society to see the London rally this weekend. Besides the the many violent incidents recorded, there were so many blatantly racist signs and Christian nationalist slogans in the crowds. 🧵

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Andrew Copson @andrewcopson.bsky.social · 26d

In Northern Ireland, where humanist marriages are legally recognised (& only since 2018), they've become the 3rd most popular type of marriage. Mind boggling that the UK Government is yet to follow suit for England and Wales! www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/norther...

'NI changed forever' as humanist weddings could become third most popular in NI

Humanist weddings are third behind Catholic and Civil ceremonies

www.belfastlive.co.uk

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Christina @christiiiiiinax.bsky.social · 27d

Gotta love the British public 👏

#TrumpVisitUK

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 27d

Zoe Gardiner, "The saddest thing I've heard about Trump's visit, is that he is going to get his golden carriage ride, but in private, because the great British public would have given him the rotten tomato treatment if he dared to show his face in public"

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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 27d

How do we fix this mess?

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