Helen
@futurestand.bsky.social
Environmental socialist, anti-racist, singer, feminist, teacher, optimist. Art, theatre, museums, gigs, birds, natural history.
Reposted by Helen
A study has found that an intellectually active lifestyle cuts the risk of Alzheimer’s by nearly 40 per cent
Books, museums and languages can ‘delay dementia by five years’
www.thetimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:19 PM
A study has found that an intellectually active lifestyle cuts the risk of Alzheimer’s by nearly 40 per cent
Reposted by Helen
Reposted by Helen
It also states that children should not be able to use the facilities allocated to the opposite sex.
New gender guidance for UK primary school children permits use of different pronouns
New gender guidance for UK primary school children permits use of different pronouns
DfE guidance urges teachers to respond to social transition requests ‘with caution’ and includes Cass report findings
Primary school-age children who question their gender could be allowed to use different pronouns under long-awaited government guidance to schools on the subject.
The new guidance, billed as moving away from a culture-war approach on the subject, has some changes compared with draft guidance produced in 2023, under the Conservatives, which said that primary-aged children “should not have different pronouns to their sex-based pronouns used about them”. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:19 PM
It also states that children should not be able to use the facilities allocated to the opposite sex.
Reposted by Helen
UK has lost its official status as a country that has achieved elimination of measles, as vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% required to achieve herd immunity. So sad, and likely due vaccine misinformation. If you haven't already, get your kids vaccinated ASAP. www.bbc.com/news/article...
UK loses measles elimination status
Decision made after outbreaks in 2024, when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales.
www.bbc.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:49 AM
UK has lost its official status as a country that has achieved elimination of measles, as vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% required to achieve herd immunity. So sad, and likely due vaccine misinformation. If you haven't already, get your kids vaccinated ASAP. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Helen
It's almost like being fabulously rich doesn't make you happy or well adjusted. It's almost like it makes you sad and lonely. And leaves you forever casting about for scapegoats to offset your deep self-loathing. Thank you Jim Ratcliffe and Elon Musk for these important life lessons.
February 12, 2026 at 7:51 AM
It's almost like being fabulously rich doesn't make you happy or well adjusted. It's almost like it makes you sad and lonely. And leaves you forever casting about for scapegoats to offset your deep self-loathing. Thank you Jim Ratcliffe and Elon Musk for these important life lessons.
Reposted by Helen
#Homicides in 🏴 England and 🏴 Wales have dropped to the lowest level on record, with 499 killings in the year to Sep 2025. That’s about 7% fewer than the year before . There were also big drops in killings involving knives, marking a significant fall in serious violent #crime over the past year 🧠
Homicides in England and Wales fall to lowest level since records began
Killings involving knives or sharp implements dropped by 23% year on year, ONS figures show
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:01 PM
#Homicides in 🏴 England and 🏴 Wales have dropped to the lowest level on record, with 499 killings in the year to Sep 2025. That’s about 7% fewer than the year before . There were also big drops in killings involving knives, marking a significant fall in serious violent #crime over the past year 🧠
Reposted by Helen
Would be good if the Prime Minister and/or Home Secretary would for once come out and describe this as the unadulterated racism and xenophobia it so clearly is.
'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
February 11, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Reposted by Helen
Radcliffe should remember we immigrants and children of immigrants are here because of British colonisation and make a huge contribution. He moved to Monaco to avoid £4bn tax. His club Man U owes everything to migrant players and migrant supporters. He’s an embarrassment to the club and game.
February 11, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Radcliffe should remember we immigrants and children of immigrants are here because of British colonisation and make a huge contribution. He moved to Monaco to avoid £4bn tax. His club Man U owes everything to migrant players and migrant supporters. He’s an embarrassment to the club and game.
Canada school shooting tragedy. The killer, a trans-identified boy with what were clearly severely dangerous obsessions.
In this case it seems that the weapons were removed because of the mental state of Jesse & potential risk. Then the owner successfully petitioned to have them returned, possibly despite conditions not being met for their return. bsky.app/profile/mike...
And there are the mistakes:
1. No adequate follow up with access to mental health resources.
2. Weapons were returned despite no adequate follow up with access to mental health resources.
#cdnpoli
1. No adequate follow up with access to mental health resources.
2. Weapons were returned despite no adequate follow up with access to mental health resources.
#cdnpoli
February 12, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Canada school shooting tragedy. The killer, a trans-identified boy with what were clearly severely dangerous obsessions.
Reposted by Helen
A transgender teenager has been identified as the attacker who opened fire on a school in remote western Canada in one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history
Who was Jesse Van Rootselaar? Transgender Canada school shooter
www.thetimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:24 PM
A transgender teenager has been identified as the attacker who opened fire on a school in remote western Canada in one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history
Reposted by Helen
Referred to as the ‘gunman’ on Sky News. news.sky.com/story/what-w...
What we know about the Canada school shooting
The shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia marks one of the deadliest mass casualty events in Canada's recent history.
news.sky.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Referred to as the ‘gunman’ on Sky News. news.sky.com/story/what-w...
Reposted by Helen
just a fucking weird statement on it's face but also highlights how filthy rich and completely out of touch trump's whole cabinet is. a private boat for a family vacation? stopping by a billionaire's island for lunch? nannies, plural?? the epstein class, indeed.
VAN HOLLEN: Did you in fact make the visit to Epstein's private island?
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
February 10, 2026 at 4:36 PM
just a fucking weird statement on it's face but also highlights how filthy rich and completely out of touch trump's whole cabinet is. a private boat for a family vacation? stopping by a billionaire's island for lunch? nannies, plural?? the epstein class, indeed.
Reposted by Helen
I can listen to JD Vance — the most hated man in Europe after Putin and Trump — getting booed loudly at the Milan Olympics all day long. 🤣🤣
February 10, 2026 at 2:02 PM
I can listen to JD Vance — the most hated man in Europe after Putin and Trump — getting booed loudly at the Milan Olympics all day long. 🤣🤣
Reposted by Helen
I mean, I accept that I'm an outlier here, but I don't think Starmer is terrible? He led Labour to a thumping majority nobody thought possible; they're delivering on some big things: ending the 2-kid limit, renting reforms, renationalising railways, employment rights; support for Ukraine ...
Anas Sarwar, leader of Labour in Scotland, has called for Starmer to quit in a sensational intervention.
Sarwar said in a speech that “the leadership in Downing St has to change” because the priority for Labour had to be removing the SNP administration in Edinburgh in May’s Holyrood elections.
Sarwar said in a speech that “the leadership in Downing St has to change” because the priority for Labour had to be removing the SNP administration in Edinburgh in May’s Holyrood elections.
February 9, 2026 at 2:52 PM
I mean, I accept that I'm an outlier here, but I don't think Starmer is terrible? He led Labour to a thumping majority nobody thought possible; they're delivering on some big things: ending the 2-kid limit, renting reforms, renationalising railways, employment rights; support for Ukraine ...
Reposted by Helen
They've updated the pic.
February 7, 2026 at 9:47 PM
They've updated the pic.
Reposted by Helen
The endless column inches, YouTube videos, podcasts and more given over to the largely non-existent rightwards shift of young men is exhausting.
A small fraction are getting radicalised by the online right. But most young men vote left and liberal! Even more so than millennials did at their age!
A small fraction are getting radicalised by the online right. But most young men vote left and liberal! Even more so than millennials did at their age!
The untold story that is told constantly and isn’t really true
February 7, 2026 at 12:37 PM
The endless column inches, YouTube videos, podcasts and more given over to the largely non-existent rightwards shift of young men is exhausting.
A small fraction are getting radicalised by the online right. But most young men vote left and liberal! Even more so than millennials did at their age!
A small fraction are getting radicalised by the online right. But most young men vote left and liberal! Even more so than millennials did at their age!
Reposted by Helen
£99987 and counting: graduates trapped by student loans.
Govt froze repayment threshold. By 2030, be at minimum wage.
At the margin grads pay 20% inc tax + 8%NIC +9% repayment. Insane.
Loan increases, if not repaid.
Grads can't buy home, start family/business.
Abolish Uni fees. Write-off debt.
Govt froze repayment threshold. By 2030, be at minimum wage.
At the margin grads pay 20% inc tax + 8%NIC +9% repayment. Insane.
Loan increases, if not repaid.
Grads can't buy home, start family/business.
Abolish Uni fees. Write-off debt.
£99,987 and counting: graduates trapped by ballooning student loans
As their debts rise, graduates reveal how loans are reshaping careers, finances and faith in the system
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:38 AM
£99987 and counting: graduates trapped by student loans.
Govt froze repayment threshold. By 2030, be at minimum wage.
At the margin grads pay 20% inc tax + 8%NIC +9% repayment. Insane.
Loan increases, if not repaid.
Grads can't buy home, start family/business.
Abolish Uni fees. Write-off debt.
Govt froze repayment threshold. By 2030, be at minimum wage.
At the margin grads pay 20% inc tax + 8%NIC +9% repayment. Insane.
Loan increases, if not repaid.
Grads can't buy home, start family/business.
Abolish Uni fees. Write-off debt.
Reposted by Helen
It's incredible how many people tried to gaslight women calling this out.
Well, most of us knew this.
But how do the multiple men feel who told me they knew for sure that Khelif had a functioning uterus?
They never answered the question why they were so invested in this. Do they just like watching men punch women?
But how do the multiple men feel who told me they knew for sure that Khelif had a functioning uterus?
They never answered the question why they were so invested in this. Do they just like watching men punch women?
February 6, 2026 at 11:11 PM
It's incredible how many people tried to gaslight women calling this out.
Victoria Smith is absolutely right. Women do NOT have to perform outdated feminine stereotypes. We are women simply due to our biology, irrespective of our personality types and the way we express ourselves. A butch lesbian is a woman. A female soldier is a woman. A make-up free granny is a woman.
February 6, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Victoria Smith is absolutely right. Women do NOT have to perform outdated feminine stereotypes. We are women simply due to our biology, irrespective of our personality types and the way we express ourselves. A butch lesbian is a woman. A female soldier is a woman. A make-up free granny is a woman.
Reposted by Helen
🔺 BREAKING: Police search Peter Mandelson’s addresses
Police search Peter Mandelson’s addresses
Police search Peter Mandelson’s addresses
www.thetimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:54 PM
🔺 BREAKING: Police search Peter Mandelson’s addresses
Reposted by Helen
Collective amnesia of what we have had in recent years. A few highlights to remember: Dodgy meetings with Russians. Massive frauds. Murders of MPs. Industrial scale lying to Parliament. Trashing of relations with allies. Biggest con of public ever with Brexit etc etc etc
Yes, quite. It's the biggest scandal of this administration, so far, probably. It's an average Tuesday under Johnson.
OK this makes me extremely angry. Has everyone forgotten the massive profiteering from thousands of avoidable pandemic deaths?? The unconstitutional suspension of parliament to force through an act of nationalist destruction that cost our children their future??
February 5, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Collective amnesia of what we have had in recent years. A few highlights to remember: Dodgy meetings with Russians. Massive frauds. Murders of MPs. Industrial scale lying to Parliament. Trashing of relations with allies. Biggest con of public ever with Brexit etc etc etc
Reposted by Helen
Lord Mandelson in disgrace
The new Private Eye is out now.
The new Private Eye is out now.
February 4, 2026 at 8:04 AM
Lord Mandelson in disgrace
The new Private Eye is out now.
The new Private Eye is out now.
Reposted by Helen
MELINDA GATES: “It brings back memories of some very painful times in my marriage — They need to answer to those things, not me.”
She implies she left her marriage and the Gates Foundation for reasons related to Bill’s ties to Epstein.
(H/T shadowofezra)
She implies she left her marriage and the Gates Foundation for reasons related to Bill’s ties to Epstein.
(H/T shadowofezra)
February 3, 2026 at 7:32 PM
MELINDA GATES: “It brings back memories of some very painful times in my marriage — They need to answer to those things, not me.”
She implies she left her marriage and the Gates Foundation for reasons related to Bill’s ties to Epstein.
(H/T shadowofezra)
She implies she left her marriage and the Gates Foundation for reasons related to Bill’s ties to Epstein.
(H/T shadowofezra)
Reposted by Helen
Donald Tusk says that Poland is now investigating connections between Epstein and the Russian Secret Service
February 3, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Donald Tusk says that Poland is now investigating connections between Epstein and the Russian Secret Service