Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 5h

I can't be the only person to think that Kemi Badenoch's speech in Parliament this afternoon was absolutely fucking awful, can I?

1 1

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 6h

It's deeply disturbing to hear almost every caller to @shelaghfogarty.bsky.social defending the vile sexism and misogyny of the East London mosque and their uninclusive park run proving the point that they are sexist misogynists

1

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 10h

It can't be Big Man Mark Francois, can it @mrjamesob.bsky.social ?

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 23h

Was worried that this was going to be *yet another* of the "people should all go back to Twitter" nonsense pieces, but @ianbetteridge.com's law of headlines rarely fails. The answer here is a clear "no" with good reasons:

Well – no. Bluesky may or may not be, as one centre-right friend who felt unwelcome put it, “self-righteous island”. But the idea that that is the reason why we went is nonsense. That I’ve largely stopped posting on a site that’s done more to shape my career and social circle than the rest of the internet combined is less about avoiding rival opinions (I love arguing with people who are wrong) than with the fact the site simply became unusable. It stopped generating the things (good jokes, interesting debate, clicks) I wanted; it became extremely good at generating the things (racists, pornbots, racist pornbots) I did not.

Those who stayed behind have lost something, too: the ability to not have their worldview shaped by some of the maddest people on the internet. One of the Tories’ big conference announcements was the promise of an Ice-style border force that would deport [citation needed] 150,000 people a year. That mass deportations of most existing migrants is not actually popular in the UK – that such a policy places yet more distance between the Tories and the mainstream centre which deserted them last year – seems not to have occurred.

It’s hard not to connect this to the fact that much of the political class remains on a platform now dominated by the political extremes. They might do well to remember: Twitter is not the real world.

14 110 530

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 2d

This is an exact encapsulation of why I moved to Bluesky.

No amount of handwringing in the Atlantic about how I owe some eternal Promethean suffering to the discourse is going to make me stay on a site I hate, that stopped doing anything for me professionally years ago.

Well – no. Bluesky may or may not be, as one centre-right friend who felt unwelcome put it, “self-righteous island”. But the idea that’s why we went is nonsense. That I’ve largely stopped posting on a site that’s done more to shape my career and social circle than the rest of the internet combined is less about avoiding rival opinions (I love arguing with people who are wrong!) than with the fact the site simply became unusable. It stopped generating the things (good jokes, interesting debate, clicks) I wanted; it became extremely good at generating the things (racists, pornbots, racist pornbots) I did not.

110 670 3.2K

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 1d

It's like a stream of unconsciousness, with added dementia and delusional fuckwittery #Trump

1 3

Reposted by RobWilliams100

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 1d

As do often, Alex expresses concisely what many of us are surely thinking today.

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 1d

Watching the Bibi & Don Show treat this like some grand victory, while people returning to northern Gaza dig the rubble for loved ones' remains, is pretty revolting.

4 40 220

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 1d

The hagiography, distortions and lies coming from Israel this morning are a trifle overwhelming, aren't they?

1 2

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: We need to talk about Russia.

So, yes, that's why we need to talk about Nigel Farage.

My personal newsletter on the story behind the story. Brexit, Trump, Russia & now...Nathan Gill.

open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

17 400 790

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

I have a relative who ticks those boxes...

1

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

Hi @luke-akehurstmp.bsky.social this is a good idea for all #Labour MPs...

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 4d

Really interesting- and, I think, welcome- to see MPs sharing this kind of data about casework.

Casework is largely invisible (other than to the constituents it helps!) compared to what MPs do in the Commons chamber but is a huge part of MPs’ workload, and it’s really hard to get robust data on it

Dr Beccy Cooper MP @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social · 4d

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 4d

Really interesting- and, I think, welcome- to see MPs sharing this kind of data about casework.

Casework is largely invisible (other than to the constituents it helps!) compared to what MPs do in the Commons chamber but is a huge part of MPs’ workload, and it’s really hard to get robust data on it

Dr Beccy Cooper MP @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social · 4d

18 30 120

Reposted by RobWilliams100

TODERIAN UrbanWORKS Inc. (TUW) @toderianuw.bsky.social · 2d

Switzerland is “rich in something vanishingly rare in the rest of the world: common sense. This is most apparent in the way the Swiss get around…a model of sensible, sustainable — and yes, even enjoyable — transit. It’s simply the best transportation system in the world.” Via @taras-grescoe.com

Anatomy of the Swiss Revolution

How Switzerland Engineered Itself into Becoming the World's Greatest Transit Nation

www.highspeed.blog

1 25 130

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

Hi @natsecsoc.bsky.social

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

Why are friends and colleagues on the liberal left not up in arms about the medieval sexism and misogyny of the East London mosque in banning women and girls from taking part in a charity "fun run"? Why is it only the right wing press carrying this story? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Mosque in London bans females over 12 from competing in charity run

Women and girls over the age of 12 have been banned by a mosque from taking part in Muslim Charity Run, in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

1

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

Why are friends and colleagues on the liberal left not up in arms about the medieval sexism and misogyny of the East London mosque in banning women and girls from taking part in a charity "fun run"? Why is it only the right wing press carrying this story? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Mosque in London bans females over 12 from competing in charity run

Women and girls over the age of 12 have been banned by a mosque from taking part in Muslim Charity Run, in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

3

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

More pix from Switzerland. The Bernese Alps from Bern (of course)

1

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 2d

New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russia and the rise of the radical right

Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)

open.substack.com

33 420 740

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 2d

If you haven't been to #Bern I thoroughly recommend it. These pix are from last month

2

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 3d

NB blaming Farage and #Brexit is a sign that Starmer is being entirely accurate and honest

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 3d

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation. My weekend article for @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation

The prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, are expected to argue that Brexit – backed by the Reform leader’s ‘easy sloganeering’ – is responsible for Budget tax hikes this autumn. But, says...

www.independent.co.uk

1 6

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 4d

If they do this, they’ll need a convincing answer to the obvious question some will ask: ‘why don’t we rejoin?’ Keir Starmer’s plan to blame Nigel Farage for budget tax rises

www.thetimes.com/article/8875...

Keir Starmer’s plan to blame Nigel Farage for budget tax rises

With Reform UK threatening the end of two-party politics, both Labour and the Tories are fighting to stay relevant as conference season comes to an end

www.thetimes.com

42 80 300

Reposted by RobWilliams100

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 6d

Sorry, but if you're saying those implausible and shallow Kemi Badenoch announcements constitute a good speech then you're part of the UK's political problem.

Same half-baked "tax cut good / international commitments bad" bearing no resemblance to well formed policy.

40 160 760

Reposted by RobWilliams100

James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 5d

You *really* should be by now but you don’t *actually* have to call them liars or racists, if it offends your commitment to now almost entirely redundant BBC principles of ‘objectivity’ & ‘ balance’. You just have to ask them again & again & again to justify their words & explain their exact meaning

James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 5d

I’ve been saying this for ten years now but possibly not often enough: Ask Them What They Think The Words They’re Using Mean. And then ask them to name the ‘problematic’ people. We had ‘sovereignty’, ‘laws’ & ‘unelected bureaucrats’. The US now has ‘Antifa’, the ‘radical left’ & ‘insurrection’. Ask!

22 150 770

Reposted by RobWilliams100

Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 5d

1. This does not target the UK

2. This is clear evidence of being inside a customs union rather than floating alone

3. It was inevitable that Trump's actions at the head of such a large economy would result in dumping elsewhere.. Europe has to be able to take action to counter that.

11 53 120

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 5d

I do hope someone in government, or the wider Labour Party looks at the Government’s safe communications strategy. www.communications.gov.uk/publications.... It's difficult to see how continuing to use X for government communications is remotely consistent with those principles.

SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety - GCS

The SAFE Framework introduces new standards for digital brand safety in HM Government advertising.

www.communications.gov.uk

1 2

RobWilliams100 @robwilliams100.bsky.social · 6d

I wrote this piece about Stamp Duty over 15 years ago. I still think it's broadly true. #KemiBadenoch is, unsurprisingly, wrong. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Rob Williams: Don't stamp out stamp duty

Rob Williams: Suspending or deferring stamp duty won't help ease first-time buyers' misery. In any case, we must let the housing bubble burst

www.theguardian.com

1