Ravi S
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ravisubbie.bsky.social
Ravi S
@ravisubbie.bsky.social
450 followers 610 following 420 posts
Doting grandad; trade union official; maths/physics geek; semi-retired DJ

posts = personal; RPs/faves ≠ agree
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Ravi S
robinince.bsky.social
Not easy to get to sleep tonight - have burnt the bridge of whatever career I had left and really don’t feel that my opinions are so extreme that that should have been necessary
robinince.bsky.social Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 1d
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
resolutionfoundation.org
Three-fifths of employers pay statutory sick pay or less to care workers if they are off due to sickness.

SSP should be raised across the board. This would help all workers - including those in adult social care who receive SSP or less.

➡️ buff.ly/veEOJFN
Figure showing Proportion of employers who pay care workers more or less than Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they take a period of illness, by different settings and all services: England, 2024-25 Three-fifths (62 per cent) of employers in the sector pay SSP or less to care workers that can’t work because of sickness
December 13, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
stephenkb.bsky.social
The basic truth of all claims about immigrants is that immigrants are just, you know, people, and therefore what is true for any human in the UK working in one field is also true of an immigrant in that one: www.ft.com/content/10da...
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/10daa0e9-d57b-4ccd-9bdc-87d321283398 However, the MAC’s analysis also suggests that even low-paid care workers — whose path to work in the UK is now closed as part of a government drive to lower net migration — were no more costly to the public finances than a typical UK resident in the same age bracket.
December 11, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
rolandmcs.bsky.social
Farage's memory being 'fluid' again.
reformexposed.bsky.social Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 3d
Farage just said “I didn’t wear a mask last time and I won’t wear them this time. This is nonsense.”

Here he is, not only wearing a mask, but also getting vaccinated…
December 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
labourunionsuk.bsky.social
Opposition Lords are STILL voting to water down key measures in the Employment Rights Bill - risking delaying rights like access to Sick Pay from Day 1.
The Lords must get out of the way and let the Bill pass, so we can deliver the new rights working people need.
www.labourunions.org.uk/stoptheblock
December 10, 2025 at 6:49 PM
ravisubbie.bsky.social
Is Labour's strategy of leaning into Reform working?

This poll of polls suggests not

Reform fall in the last month is mirrored by similar Tory rise

Labour fall from mid Sept is mirrored by similar Green rise

Labour losing votes to their left, & gaining none from their right
December 10, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
rmtunion.bsky.social
So Trainline:
❌ Hides cheaper fares
❌ Charges booking fees
❌ Hands £5.7m to the CEO
Huge credit to Laurence Turner MP, who exposed these practices at the Transport Select Committee.
December 10, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
mstaronline.bsky.social
Why would Rayner back Streeting? Downing Street is within her reach
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/why-...
Why would Rayner back Streeting? Downing Street is within her reach
SO MANY spectres are now hovering over Downing Street that it is a challenge to decide which is the one most haunting its residents.But there is a fair case for deeming it to be Angie Rayner, the depa...
morningstaronline.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
timbale.bsky.social
"And tonight in 'Cutting off your nose to spite your face'...."
Tighter visa rules will cost UK up to £10.8bn
Home Office assessment shows impact of latest changes to immigration regime over next five years
www.ft.com
December 10, 2025 at 7:52 AM
ravisubbie.bsky.social
Will this include the systematic cover ups of child abuse by white clerics in the Catholic Church and in the Church of England?

Will their "ethnicity, religion and culture" come under scrutiny?
December 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
unison.org.uk
🥳 It’s that time of the year again, the perfect opportunity to recognise and celebrate local government workers. Our awards aim to spotlight some of the best examples of these amazing unsung heroes, so get nominating today: unsn.uk/4ixU0eH

#LocalServiceChampions
December 10, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
thomasig.bsky.social
A cycle of how the No10 comms operation works: 1. No10 spokesperson fails to condemn an obviously bad thing 2. MPs express outrage at No10 for not condemning obviously bad thing 3. Someone finally checks in with the PM if obviously bad thing is bad 4. No10 condemn obviously bad thing three days later
December 9, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
samfr.bsky.social
Going to be fun watching them try to figure out a way to say "oh we didn't mean dual citizenship with a white country" without sounding like massive racists.
December 8, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
larry-turner.bsky.social
Zarah Sultana voted with the Tories in every vote on the Employment Rights Bill last night.

That includes voting to keep the Lords' wrecking amendments on strike ballot thresholds and to keep the 2016 Trade Union Act's restrictions on unions' political funds.
December 9, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
sarahoconnorft.ft.com
Welcome to Britain, a country so short of dentists that an MP's 87-year-old mum pulled her teeth out with pliers. Also a country with thousands of foreign-qualified dentists who can’t work until they pass an exam so oversubscribed it’s like trying to book Glasto tickets. www.ft.com/content/f4e5...
December 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
snig.bsky.social
The exact people now saying "Nigel Farage was young and foolish at school" (to excuse his racism, bullying and harassment of fellow pupils at Dulwich College) are the same people who said "Shamima Begum was old enough to know what she was doing".
Crick (Michael, who wrote a biography on Nigel Farage) believes that there is a clear line to be drawn between Farage the sixth-former and Farage the politician. "So much of his character is the same as you can see at Dulwich," he says. "The boy who's desperate for attention, who loves debating, who loves division. The English nationalism, the interest - almost obsession - with immigration, the admiration for Enoch Powell, the free-market Thatcherism; all of that began at Dulwich." Much of the public has already made up its mind on Farage. In as much as this story cuts through to the wider elector-ate, some will think it deeply unfair to judge Farage on his adolescence; while others will see it as fair game and reflective of the man he later became. But there will be many who are still undecided on Farage and, for this last camp, his belligerent response to the allegations will be a test. He has the polling support. He has the Tory defections. He has the money now too. But does he have the ability to woo and keep voters who once found him unsavoury? Farage is unlikely to change tack now. "He's got to be true to him-self," says the senior Reform source. "There is precious little point in apologising to people like Ed Davey." Additional Reporting: Harry Yorke
December 7, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
dieworkwear.bsky.social
The Nobel Prize committee should announce the World Cup winner tomorrow
December 6, 2025 at 4:29 AM
ravisubbie.bsky.social
This makes you long for the more straightforward corruption of when Sepp Latter was FIFA president.
December 5, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
ottoenglish.bsky.social
2 in 3 of Nigel Farage’s current and former partners do not speak English as their first language.
December 3, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
benansell.bsky.social
Welcome Shabana Mahmood to your next four years of headlines!!!
November 28, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
jdportes.bsky.social
The "guy making a case about low taxes" was in fact Karl Williams of the Centre for Policy Studies - author of the fictional/fabricated and now withdrawn "£234 billion" cost number cited by Katie Lam and Reform.

Funnily Amol Rajan didn't ask him about that.. 😉
mariaramirez.bsky.social María Ramírez @mariaramirez.bsky.social · 16d
And again I wonder why a super expert like Portes is not on BBC4 today instead of a guy making a case about low taxes
jdportes.bsky.social Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 16d
Fewer workers. Fewer international students. More people leaving.

A "step in the right direction" according to the PM.

Impossible to take PM/govt seriously on growth if they are deliberately reducing it (and making the fiscal position worse) *as a matter of policy*.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 28, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Somehow this got missed off the "Benefit Street" front pages today
ippr.org Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 16d
70% of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work. This is targeting support for low-income working households who are being priced out of a decent standard of living despite doing everything asked of them.
November 27, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Reposted by Ravi S
rutgerbregman.com
This sentence was taken out of a lecture they commissioned, reviewed through the full editorial process, and recorded four weeks ago in front of 500 people in the BBC Radio Theatre.

I was told the decision came from the highest levels within the BBC. /2
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Ravi S
rutgerbregman.com
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM