Leigh Sparks

@sparksstirling.bsky.social

570 followers 1K following 230 posts

Professor of Retail Studies, University of Stirling, Chair Scotland's Towns Partnership, Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh, Extremely long-suffering Welsh rugby fan, occasional gardener.

Stirlingretail.com

Videos

Business 69%

Economics 13%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gwladrugby 🏉 @gwladrugby.bsky.social · 6h

#RoadToWRUin Day 21:

Remember when the WRU said they definitely weren’t going to hire a “rugby person” to assist Dave Reddin?

Turns out they were lying.

Who’d have guessed it?

Well done to Ben James for sticking to your guns.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Steve 🏳️‍🌈🇬🇧 @wohyeahwohyeah.bsky.social · 20h

The same people who say "all men have penises" are claiming those dickless things are men!

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 20h

The Trump administration's foreign policy strategy attacks allies including the UK & has been enthusiastically greeted by the Kremlin. Last month, the USA announced a 'peace deal' the Kremlin had written.

And in the UK, the media is full of people still wibbling about 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 22h

Given a) Farage's past; b) the expanding story about Russia and former MEPs; and c) media enthusiasm for "what influence is being bought?" questions, if anyone to left of Mussolini is gifted so much as a cup of sugar, why is Reform facing no such questions about Friday's £9m crypto-bro donation?~AA

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Neil Mackay @neilmackay.bsky.social · 1d

It really is sad to say, but it cannot be denied: we in Europe now have to consider America and Americans as our enemy. The publication of Trump's new doctrine in the National Security Strategy makes clear that the US government wants to hurt us in Europe. We need to turn our back on America

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

The Reform UK leader has been accused of falsifying his election expenses. The allegations have been made by a former member of Mr Farage’s campaign team, who is said to have submitted documents to the force. 😬~AA

www.lbc.co.uk/article/nige...

Nigel Farage reported to the police over 'election fraud' allegations | LBC

Reform UK has strongly denied breaking the law on election spending

www.lbc.co.uk

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

Sky News: You just said you don't want to leave any 'stone unturned'. Those words were used by Sajid Javid in 2018 when he ordered what you are calling for. Are you saying you failed and did leave 'stones unturned' when you were in government?

Badenoch: I'm not here to build a time machine. ~AA

Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks , and 1 more Patrick Dunleavy, Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, Martin Paul Eve

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 1d

A constant blazing terror that somewhere, somebody might be getting a free cheese sandwich. Or indeed brief use of a wheelchair.

The vexatious imbecile Johnson: What the
ETTING
in the
off a plane
US
the
other
day, I noticed a lot of people waiting at the
door. They were all tabarded airport staff, and they
had wheelchairs.
all
That's strange, I thought. It looked as
touentrev
mysterious rise in the numbers
As we went up the jet bridge there were more
and more wheelchairs, like
the lobby of a geriatric hospital.
wondered varuey aloud to one or ce alport stan. wny do so many people seem to require this type of assistance
these days? It's just i
those things, ne
of
passensers are asking for saem
Some flights - he mentioned Toronto to Miam!
wheelchair use.
Imost 40 per
It seemed like ar
ucure.
but I didn't
the winter migration, of flocks of Cana-plane for a burst of
Plorida sunshine
demanding wheelchairs to get to their
They think they are being taken for mugs
plane tells us
months later. I thought no more about the phenomenon.
Apparently, it is everywhere. There is
about the ever
in insatiable popular hunger, at almost
airlines are starting to get fed up.
Tre spiralling costof
many or their passengers are
incapable of getting on to the plane using their own two feet.
They think they
are being taken for
and that at least some of these
the welfare state

Reposted by Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Leigh Sparks , and 4 more Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Leigh Sparks, Daniel W. Drezner, Michael D. McDonald, Peter Jacobsen, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 1d

Literally a week ago Musk said that falsely labeling people as Nazis "should be treated as incitement to murder." And here he is (falsely) labeling the EU as Nazis.

Elon Musk tweeting: "Falsely labeling non-violent people as “fascist” or “Nazi” should be treated as incitement to murder"

Reposted by Steve Peers, Marc Goergen, Leigh Sparks , and 2 more Steve Peers, Marc Goergen, Leigh Sparks, Mark Priestley, Paul Nightingale

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 1d

Three more British MEPs in Nigel Farage’s bloc now alleged to have “followed the script” given to Nathan Gill by an alleged Russian asset, according to prosecutors.

At least eight UKIP and Brexit Party MPs were focus of efforts by Nathan Gill

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Three more Farage bloc MEPs alleged to have followed Russian asset’s script

At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or Brexit party now known to have been focus of efforts by jailed Nathan Gill

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Random Bits @rand0mb1tsuk.bsky.social · 1d

Three more Farage bloc MEPs alleged to have followed Russian asset’s script

At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or Brexit party now known to have been focus of efforts by jailed Nathan Gill
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Three more Farage bloc MEPs alleged to have followed Russian asset’s script

At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or Brexit party now known to have been focus of efforts by jailed Nathan Gill

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Stefan Stern @stefanstern.bsky.social · 2d

Good point from @labourlewis.bsky.social

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Laura Phillips @lauraphillips.bsky.social · 2d

@willhaycardiff.bsky.social: ‘one of Farage’s righthand men came up to me and said: “I have never worked with you before, and it will depend on how this goes whether I ever work with you again.” The message seemed clear to me: if you ask hard questions, you won’t get access..’1/

I don’t care if Reform calls me a bad word on WhatsApp. But the story behind its gaffe is far more worrying | Will Hayward

The leaked exchange shows how much the party dislikes scrutiny – which reveals a lot about its approach to governing, says Guardian columnist Will Hayward

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Kresten @kresten2.bsky.social · 2d

Indeed. All Musk’s businesses should be banned from operating in the EU.

He attacks our democracies so we should attack him and his businesses.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, Peter Holmes

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 2d

This is pretty much exactly like a European saying the United States should be abolished, so that the governments of individual states can better represent their people.

It’s a take, you’re entitled to it, but what’s it got to do with you, buddy?

Reposted by David M. Farrell, Maarten Vink, Leigh Sparks , and 1 more David M. Farrell, Maarten Vink, Leigh Sparks, Peter Holmes

Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 2d

Elon Musk is a global enemy to democracy.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, Mark Robinson , and 1 more Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, Mark Robinson, Fred

Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 2d

As I was saying...

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 3d

Farage hopes he can breeze into power without scrutiny. But his racism, corrupt donations, shady links to Russia and MAGA… make it harder for him to hide. And his tantrum reactions to being challenged reveal him for the nasty inadequate he really is.
#NeverPM

www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-wheels...

The Wheels Are Falling off the Nigel Farage Project

The Reform leader's increasingly rattled public appearances betray a growing sense that the opportunity of a lifetime could be about to slip from his fingers

www.adambienkov.co.uk

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Past Glasgow @pastglasgow.co.uk · 3d

Christmas shopping, 1900-style, at Copland & Lye on Sauchiehall St. It had lost its decorative ironwork and corner clock tower by the time it was demolished in the 1970s to make way for the atrocious Sauchiehall Centre.

📷 Glasgow City Archives

#glasgow #Christmas

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, James Connelly

Alan Rusbridger @arusbridger.bsky.social · 3d

“Je suis Bernard Manning,” claims Nigel Farage. And so he is. But not quite in the way he meant. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/uki...

Farage’s attack on the BBC tells us who he really is

His response to allegations of racist behaviour reveals more than we could have guessed—and why the Beeb needs to protect itself

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Michael H. Whitworth

Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 3d

Yep, he wants nothing but deregulating crypto to help his crypto business and scrapping net zero to help his aviation fuel business. Which by pure coincidence are two of our policies.

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Leigh Sparks, Alison Phipps , and 1 more Shannon Vallor, Leigh Sparks, Alison Phipps, Mark Priestley

Neil Mackay @neilmackay.bsky.social · 3d

Farage arrives in Scotland today, and it should make our collective stomach heave that this repulsive, dangerous extremist has crossed the border. Amid scapegoating schoolkids and allegations of antisemitism anyone who supports this man is morally in the gutter

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social column

"Farage in Falkirk? It should make our stomachs heave to have him in Scotland"

Nigel Farage’s Falkirk visit sparks outrage, with many Scots saying his presence north of the border should make “our stomachs heave”.

www.heraldscotland.com

Leigh Sparks @sparksstirling.bsky.social · 3d

And it is this that gives the lie to Roberts' comments as Board member. The WRU choose were to spend the money and they choose not to properly fund professional rugby first.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gwladrugby 🏉 @gwladrugby.bsky.social · 3d

#RoadToWRUin Day 18:

The Worst Run Union might be strapped for cash but it seems they can still afford to create swanky new desk jobs while players face redundancy.

So for the princely sum of £150k, you can be Dave Reddin’s Bitch

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Sums up the toddler he is absolutely perfectly.

Leigh Sparks @sparksstirling.bsky.social · 3d

@davemcardle.bsky.social A neat summary

Steven Perkins @stevenperkins.bsky.social · 3d

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Tom ⬛️ @drtomjones.bsky.social · 3d

In smaller organisations with few resources, people wear multiple hats. Splitting or redefining roles is only possible where funds exist.

The WRU has such a bloated bureaucracy that they spend more on their staff than on the professional game. That's the context.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Sei Williams @seiwilliams.bsky.social · 3d

So, having increased its spending on various Board members and senior management by 40% last year, the WRU finds ever more inventory to spend on itself.

This time for a job which looks not dissimilar to that of a Director of Rugby, which it already has.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks

Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 3d

Praised Israel’s use of US weapons: “You used them very well.”

Green‑lit strikes on Iran

Sides with Russian aggressor

Threatens military action in Venezuela

Hints at “taking” Greenland

Deploys national guard on own people

…wins FIFA peace prize.

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Henry Jones

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 3d

A "FIFA Peace Prize" is tantamount to getting an "AutoZone Best Actor in a Dramatic Play" award.

And "I want to really save lives" is rich coming from the homicidal slob who is murdering people on fishing boats in the Caribbean.

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