Mike Best
@bestlaidplan.bsky.social
Planning, placemaking, music, politics and general wokeness. Birmingham
I hope that one day we will look back on this period of cruelty and hatred towards vulnerable people and deeply regret it as a society. We are not individually responsible but collectively we’ve elected those who are enabling this to happen
“In the past year, the largest donors to global health have reduced their spending by nearly 27%, and the report estimates that if such reductions continue or even expand to 30%, an additional 16 million more children (or more) will die of preventable causes by 2045.”
"For the first time in 25 years, child mortality rates for preventable diseases are projected to increase, after having declined for 25 years."
This is the legacy of aid cuts. ~AA
time.com/7338791/chil...
This is the legacy of aid cuts. ~AA
time.com/7338791/chil...
December 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I hope that one day we will look back on this period of cruelty and hatred towards vulnerable people and deeply regret it as a society. We are not individually responsible but collectively we’ve elected those who are enabling this to happen
Anyone else annoyed by the way @octopus.energy issue their accounts? Good company great prices but accounts are shambolic. Last year didn’t charge us for electric for 6 months. Then caught up but now sending random 3 weeks accounts which look like negative balance but misses out monthly payments.
December 8, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Anyone else annoyed by the way @octopus.energy issue their accounts? Good company great prices but accounts are shambolic. Last year didn’t charge us for electric for 6 months. Then caught up but now sending random 3 weeks accounts which look like negative balance but misses out monthly payments.
Reposted by Mike Best
Watching the President receive the FIFA Peace Prize, I'm struggling to think of a more obvious attempt at placating/grovelling to a tyrannical man-baby than by giving him an entirely made-up award that makes literally no sense whatsoever.
December 5, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Watching the President receive the FIFA Peace Prize, I'm struggling to think of a more obvious attempt at placating/grovelling to a tyrannical man-baby than by giving him an entirely made-up award that makes literally no sense whatsoever.
If a load of countries can boycott Eurovision because of Israel’s participation, can we see some countries stand up to blatant corruption and assorted war crimes and boycott the US World Cup?
December 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
If a load of countries can boycott Eurovision because of Israel’s participation, can we see some countries stand up to blatant corruption and assorted war crimes and boycott the US World Cup?
When two of the world’s most corrupt men meet.
The take-the-piss prize
I hope the World Cup in the US is the greatest sporting flop of all time and it brings the whole charade down
The take-the-piss prize
I hope the World Cup in the US is the greatest sporting flop of all time and it brings the whole charade down
December 5, 2025 at 5:53 PM
When two of the world’s most corrupt men meet.
The take-the-piss prize
I hope the World Cup in the US is the greatest sporting flop of all time and it brings the whole charade down
The take-the-piss prize
I hope the World Cup in the US is the greatest sporting flop of all time and it brings the whole charade down
Can you help me object to my neighbour’s house extension?
What’s the worst question someone can ask after you tell them your profession? For linguists, it’s definitely “how many languages do you speak?”, but I’m curious what else is happening to the rest of y’all out there?!
December 2, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Can you help me object to my neighbour’s house extension?
American Utopia was such an incredible show and David Byrne is just as good here at a Tiny Desk Concert. If nothing else, skip to life during wartime - just an incredible groove.
youtu.be/PNmcF6eRE7w?...
youtu.be/PNmcF6eRE7w?...
David Byrne: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
December 1, 2025 at 7:23 PM
American Utopia was such an incredible show and David Byrne is just as good here at a Tiny Desk Concert. If nothing else, skip to life during wartime - just an incredible groove.
youtu.be/PNmcF6eRE7w?...
youtu.be/PNmcF6eRE7w?...
Post a movie where you’re from
November 23, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Post a movie where you’re from
Friend of mine flew out to Perth just for the first Test and it’s over before the weekend. Wonder if he’ll get any money back for day three?
November 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Friend of mine flew out to Perth just for the first Test and it’s over before the weekend. Wonder if he’ll get any money back for day three?
The cricket is living up to expectations but the Davis Cup was electric last night. Germany edged Argentina in the doubles after three high quality matches. Great tennis doesn’t always need Top 20 singles players
youtu.be/9rMybipCpxQ?...
youtu.be/9rMybipCpxQ?...
Germany win doubles THRILLER 😱 | Argentina v Germany | Highlights |2025 Davis Cup Final 8
YouTube video by International Tennis Federation
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 10:02 AM
The cricket is living up to expectations but the Davis Cup was electric last night. Germany edged Argentina in the doubles after three high quality matches. Great tennis doesn’t always need Top 20 singles players
youtu.be/9rMybipCpxQ?...
youtu.be/9rMybipCpxQ?...
John Crace bang on the money as usual. This government has been bitterly disappointing. Better than the last but that is such a low bar. We really are in the era of the worst cohort of politicians in living memory
‘I thought the grownups were back in charge!’: John Crace on how Labour shattered his expectations
‘I thought the grownups were back in charge!’: John Crace on how Labour shattered his expectations
After 14 years of Tory rule, the Guardian’s parliamentary sketch writer thought he had seen it all. Westminster would surely tick along nicely once Keir Starmer’s party took over. How wrong he was ...
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:49 AM
John Crace bang on the money as usual. This government has been bitterly disappointing. Better than the last but that is such a low bar. We really are in the era of the worst cohort of politicians in living memory
Reposted by Mike Best
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
Unite the country? You are joking. Everything that successive governments have done since 2016 has divided us more than ever and this one is no better. What happened to the humane society we used to be? I have no pride in a nation that treats people like this.
November 17, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Unite the country? You are joking. Everything that successive governments have done since 2016 has divided us more than ever and this one is no better. What happened to the humane society we used to be? I have no pride in a nation that treats people like this.
Incredible that this documentary was made 30 years ago which itself was 30 years after Beatlemania. I remember buying the singles when they were reissued in the early 80s to mark 20 days from their release. Timeless and yet seems to be from another time and place
youtu.be/UpCwdkGby6E?...
youtu.be/UpCwdkGby6E?...
The Beatles Anthology | Official Trailer | Disney+
YouTube video by Disney Plus
youtu.be
November 17, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Incredible that this documentary was made 30 years ago which itself was 30 years after Beatlemania. I remember buying the singles when they were reissued in the early 80s to mark 20 days from their release. Timeless and yet seems to be from another time and place
youtu.be/UpCwdkGby6E?...
youtu.be/UpCwdkGby6E?...
Reposted by Mike Best
As a proud Brummie @sathnam.bsky.social fecking nails it. This. Yes!
November 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
As a proud Brummie @sathnam.bsky.social fecking nails it. This. Yes!
This is what I love about Birmingham. Take something ostensibly crap and negative about the city and turn it into something weirdly upbeat and positive.
Thanks to @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social for flagging it in your weekly update.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Thanks to @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social for flagging it in your weekly update.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Sir Cliff Richard's 'cinematic love song' to Birmingham celebrated
The 1973 film Take Me High will be toasted with a screening and new artworks created.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
This is what I love about Birmingham. Take something ostensibly crap and negative about the city and turn it into something weirdly upbeat and positive.
Thanks to @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social for flagging it in your weekly update.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Thanks to @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social for flagging it in your weekly update.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Mike Best
Can we go back to the days when politicians said that they really wanted to help people but it’s very hard and takes time, rather than saying that they want to hurt people and can do it quickly?
November 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Can we go back to the days when politicians said that they really wanted to help people but it’s very hard and takes time, rather than saying that they want to hurt people and can do it quickly?
Reposted by Mike Best
Pope Leo absolutely cooking
November 16, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Pope Leo absolutely cooking
Reposted by Mike Best
The official investigation into the January 6 riots concluded Trump “summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack" in an effort to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
No billion dollar lawsuit can change reality.
The BBC should call this convicted criminal’s bluff.
No billion dollar lawsuit can change reality.
The BBC should call this convicted criminal’s bluff.
November 11, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The official investigation into the January 6 riots concluded Trump “summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack" in an effort to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
No billion dollar lawsuit can change reality.
The BBC should call this convicted criminal’s bluff.
No billion dollar lawsuit can change reality.
The BBC should call this convicted criminal’s bluff.
As a funder of the BBC, I don’t want them to “compensate” Trump for any “harm” to his “reputation” so let’s collectively fight him all the way
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 PM
As a funder of the BBC, I don’t want them to “compensate” Trump for any “harm” to his “reputation” so let’s collectively fight him all the way
I always leap to the defence of the BBC and then up pops Chris Mason…..
November 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
I always leap to the defence of the BBC and then up pops Chris Mason…..
When will we get it? Promising to keep taxes low means we fail to invest in our railways, hospitals, schools, prisons. This isn’t even a recent thing. MML is a 40 year story of failure and don’t even get me started on HS2.
Fail to plan. Plan to fail
Fail to plan. Plan to fail
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:24 AM
When will we get it? Promising to keep taxes low means we fail to invest in our railways, hospitals, schools, prisons. This isn’t even a recent thing. MML is a 40 year story of failure and don’t even get me started on HS2.
Fail to plan. Plan to fail
Fail to plan. Plan to fail
Great thread Joe. I read that article too and felt a certain despair but I do think the media find what they want to when they do these pieces. Beneath the surface, the situation is often quite different. But we all have some responsibility to amplify those other voices and give them hope.
There was a prominent article on the BBC home page recently exploring, with a particular angle, political views within town(s). By the number of people who sent me a link, I think you'll know the one I'm referring to!
🧵 1/n
🧵 1/n
November 6, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Great thread Joe. I read that article too and felt a certain despair but I do think the media find what they want to when they do these pieces. Beneath the surface, the situation is often quite different. But we all have some responsibility to amplify those other voices and give them hope.
I hope we see the Nobel Golden Boot next…..
November 5, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I hope we see the Nobel Golden Boot next…..