Ruthi Brandt
@ruthibrandt.bsky.social
Nature, community, science and social justice. Urban nature and Green politics; Israel-Palestine, as an Israeli living abroad. Just a few of my current interests. Board member for CAG Oxfordshire. She/her.
Based next to Oxford, UK.
Based next to Oxford, UK.
Pinned
Ruthi Brandt
@ruthibrandt.bsky.social
· Jun 8
In the interest of tempering my doom-scrolling and feelings of righteous indignation at the world, I'm going to try posting daily something positive, on a personal level (ie - no campaign wins or political progress, as important as they are to celebrate).
So to kick it off -
#positivity
So to kick it off -
#positivity
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
The country doesn’t have a credit card, and our public debt was certainly not ‘maxed out’
Public finances don’t have ‘holes’. Govt allocates resources as they see fit, using taxes, borrowing and public spending to allocate them
But that takes political will and an economic strategy
Public finances don’t have ‘holes’. Govt allocates resources as they see fit, using taxes, borrowing and public spending to allocate them
But that takes political will and an economic strategy
November 27, 2025 at 7:38 AM
The country doesn’t have a credit card, and our public debt was certainly not ‘maxed out’
Public finances don’t have ‘holes’. Govt allocates resources as they see fit, using taxes, borrowing and public spending to allocate them
But that takes political will and an economic strategy
Public finances don’t have ‘holes’. Govt allocates resources as they see fit, using taxes, borrowing and public spending to allocate them
But that takes political will and an economic strategy
A delightful read about the many many delightful indy shopping options in #Oxford.
#Christmas is coming...
#Christmas is coming...
Tomorrow is Black Friday. If you're Christmas shopping, here's our fabulously festive (and mainly indie) gift guide. Oxford's independent retailers are the jewels in the crown of this incredible city. Let's support them this Christmas.
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
Shop local this Christmas
We love this city every day of the year, but at Christmas it is extra special.
The Christmas lights; the way the frost sparkles on the Corallian limestone of the colleges; people from city, county, c...
oxfordclarion.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
A delightful read about the many many delightful indy shopping options in #Oxford.
#Christmas is coming...
#Christmas is coming...
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Tomorrow is Black Friday. If you're Christmas shopping, here's our fabulously festive (and mainly indie) gift guide. Oxford's independent retailers are the jewels in the crown of this incredible city. Let's support them this Christmas.
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
Shop local this Christmas
We love this city every day of the year, but at Christmas it is extra special.
The Christmas lights; the way the frost sparkles on the Corallian limestone of the colleges; people from city, county, c...
oxfordclarion.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Tomorrow is Black Friday. If you're Christmas shopping, here's our fabulously festive (and mainly indie) gift guide. Oxford's independent retailers are the jewels in the crown of this incredible city. Let's support them this Christmas.
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
oxfordclarion.uk/christmas-sh...
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
big late breaking news: the market monitor for the largest energy grid in the u.s., covering much of the midwest and mid-atlantic, has called to block new data centers connections to the grid, saying current course of growth assures regular blackouts
No more PJM data centers unless they can be reliably served: market monitor
The PJM Interconnection’s market monitor urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rule that large data centers can only come online if the grid operator can still meet reliability metrics.
www.utilitydive.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:17 AM
big late breaking news: the market monitor for the largest energy grid in the u.s., covering much of the midwest and mid-atlantic, has called to block new data centers connections to the grid, saying current course of growth assures regular blackouts
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
The Ashmolean has, this week, welcomed its millionth visitor in 2025. This will be the first time the Museum has reached a million visitors since the reopening of the Ashmolean in 2009. This is 14% ahead of this time last year - visitor numbers to the Ashmolean have grown steadily in recent years.
November 26, 2025 at 9:59 PM
The Ashmolean has, this week, welcomed its millionth visitor in 2025. This will be the first time the Museum has reached a million visitors since the reopening of the Ashmolean in 2009. This is 14% ahead of this time last year - visitor numbers to the Ashmolean have grown steadily in recent years.
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
A new series of free online short lectures - ‘Climate realism’ about climate change has been launched by Professor Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow at New College. It aims to explain why progress is slow and what we need to do.
Climate realism - Dieter Helm
Climate realism starts with the facts. Fossil fuels are still over 80% global energy supply and the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere keeps going up. 30 COPs and all the policies and costs hav...
dieterhelm.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 6:52 PM
A new series of free online short lectures - ‘Climate realism’ about climate change has been launched by Professor Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow at New College. It aims to explain why progress is slow and what we need to do.
Wow! I think that's the biggest shout-out from Labour that the @greenparty.org.uk has ever got.
Another proof that our meteoric membership surge and rise in the polls since @zackpolanski.bsky.social was elected has got them rattled 🤭
Another proof that our meteoric membership surge and rise in the polls since @zackpolanski.bsky.social was elected has got them rattled 🤭
Watch as Rachel Reeves brands Greens leader Zack Polanski a 'keen hypnotherapist'
🗣️ 'The only things getting bigger under his approach would be the deficit and the rise of inflation'
🗣️ 'The only things getting bigger under his approach would be the deficit and the rise of inflation'
November 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Wow! I think that's the biggest shout-out from Labour that the @greenparty.org.uk has ever got.
Another proof that our meteoric membership surge and rise in the polls since @zackpolanski.bsky.social was elected has got them rattled 🤭
Another proof that our meteoric membership surge and rise in the polls since @zackpolanski.bsky.social was elected has got them rattled 🤭
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
There is no way the two child cap would have been removed if it had not been for the Green party surging in the polls.
If, like me, you think that this is nowhere near enough, then all the more reason to #VoteGreen and join.greenparty.org.uk
If, like me, you think that this is nowhere near enough, then all the more reason to #VoteGreen and join.greenparty.org.uk
Alongside many campaigners, the Green Party have absolutely dragged the Labour Government to finally end the child cap.
Labour politicians disgracefully defended it for far too long.
This shows why the Green Party membership rising and rising matters.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Labour politicians disgracefully defended it for far too long.
This shows why the Green Party membership rising and rising matters.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
November 26, 2025 at 4:07 PM
There is no way the two child cap would have been removed if it had not been for the Green party surging in the polls.
If, like me, you think that this is nowhere near enough, then all the more reason to #VoteGreen and join.greenparty.org.uk
If, like me, you think that this is nowhere near enough, then all the more reason to #VoteGreen and join.greenparty.org.uk
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
“Isn’t it significant that Rachel Reeves used her big TV moment to attack the Greens? She knows huge numbers of people really find what we are offering attractive.”
Ellie Chowns on Labour’s lack of courage in the Budget and growing support for a fairer, greener alternative.
Ellie Chowns on Labour’s lack of courage in the Budget and growing support for a fairer, greener alternative.
November 26, 2025 at 4:31 PM
“Isn’t it significant that Rachel Reeves used her big TV moment to attack the Greens? She knows huge numbers of people really find what we are offering attractive.”
Ellie Chowns on Labour’s lack of courage in the Budget and growing support for a fairer, greener alternative.
Ellie Chowns on Labour’s lack of courage in the Budget and growing support for a fairer, greener alternative.
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
November 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
It's actually pretty shocking how, until recently, no one with a platform made the point of how ridiculous it is to think that v wealthy ppl would completely upend their lives just cause they'd be made to pay 2% of their vast wealth,which they can't use anyway (as they have more than they can spend)
The Labour Government: there to serve the
November 25, 2025 at 10:41 PM
It's actually pretty shocking how, until recently, no one with a platform made the point of how ridiculous it is to think that v wealthy ppl would completely upend their lives just cause they'd be made to pay 2% of their vast wealth,which they can't use anyway (as they have more than they can spend)
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Labour’s awful migrant policies are helping pave the way for the racist far right. And they are also building a gold-plated shed at the end of that road - full of tools for a far right Govt to oppress us all.
🕵️ Digital ID database
📸 High St facial rec
👨⚖️ Removing trial by jury
🕵️ Digital ID database
📸 High St facial rec
👨⚖️ Removing trial by jury
November 25, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Labour’s awful migrant policies are helping pave the way for the racist far right. And they are also building a gold-plated shed at the end of that road - full of tools for a far right Govt to oppress us all.
🕵️ Digital ID database
📸 High St facial rec
👨⚖️ Removing trial by jury
🕵️ Digital ID database
📸 High St facial rec
👨⚖️ Removing trial by jury
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
A 39-year old man from the Guildford area has been arrested in connection with the Kidlington fly tip, following investigations by the Environment Agency and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. EA director Anna Burns called it “the first step in delivering justice for residents”.
November 25, 2025 at 1:40 PM
A 39-year old man from the Guildford area has been arrested in connection with the Kidlington fly tip, following investigations by the Environment Agency and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. EA director Anna Burns called it “the first step in delivering justice for residents”.
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Farage cited Enoch Powell as his political hero in an interview in Total Politics magazine in 2008.
In 2014 he cited Vladimir Putin as the world leader he most admired.
You want this guy as your next prime minister???
In 2014 he cited Vladimir Putin as the world leader he most admired.
You want this guy as your next prime minister???
November 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Farage cited Enoch Powell as his political hero in an interview in Total Politics magazine in 2008.
In 2014 he cited Vladimir Putin as the world leader he most admired.
You want this guy as your next prime minister???
In 2014 he cited Vladimir Putin as the world leader he most admired.
You want this guy as your next prime minister???
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
Because people *still* don’t understand that overseas students subsidise home students. This is punishing everyone involved.
With Rachel Reeves reportedly set to apply a new tax on tuition fees paid by overseas students, most Britons support such a move at the previously mooted level of 6%
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
November 25, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Because people *still* don’t understand that overseas students subsidise home students. This is punishing everyone involved.
Wow. This is not good...
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
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Wow. This is not good...
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
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
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
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
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
1000 MEMBERS OF OXFORD GREENS!!!! 🎉🥳💚
November 25, 2025 at 9:17 AM
1000 MEMBERS OF OXFORD GREENS!!!! 🎉🥳💚
@cherwellcouncil.bsky.social are looking into "acquiring accommodation for homeless people at a cost of £5m to cut the amount spent on hotels".
Huh. Turns out keeping ppl in hotels is a choice... (a more pricey one than treating them like whole ppl who need stability🙄)Other councils shld take note
Huh. Turns out keeping ppl in hotels is a choice... (a more pricey one than treating them like whole ppl who need stability🙄)Other councils shld take note
Our Tuesday newsletter is out! News and politics including:
🗻 Rubbish mountain latest
🛣️ Road junction angst
🏛️ Free museum petition
🚆 All the train news
🐄 A lovely cow
Read online, or get the Clarion in your inbox twice a week: oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-...
🗻 Rubbish mountain latest
🛣️ Road junction angst
🏛️ Free museum petition
🚆 All the train news
🐄 A lovely cow
Read online, or get the Clarion in your inbox twice a week: oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-...
The Clarion, 25 November 2025
Welcome to our news and politics edition where we round up the very best city, county and university news, plus what our MPs have been up to. After the craziness of our much-shared little article on c...
oxfordclarion.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:40 PM
@cherwellcouncil.bsky.social are looking into "acquiring accommodation for homeless people at a cost of £5m to cut the amount spent on hotels".
Huh. Turns out keeping ppl in hotels is a choice... (a more pricey one than treating them like whole ppl who need stability🙄)Other councils shld take note
Huh. Turns out keeping ppl in hotels is a choice... (a more pricey one than treating them like whole ppl who need stability🙄)Other councils shld take note
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
All the supposedly progressive people saying 'Nigel Farage's racism doesn't matter. His fans love it'.
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
November 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM
All the supposedly progressive people saying 'Nigel Farage's racism doesn't matter. His fans love it'.
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
Reposted by Ruthi Brandt
This petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy already has over 30,000 signatures. Let’s get it to 100,000 this week.
Please sign and share 🙏
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Please sign and share 🙏
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 25, 2025 at 7:32 AM
This petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy already has over 30,000 signatures. Let’s get it to 100,000 this week.
Please sign and share 🙏
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Please sign and share 🙏
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...