Gary Bridge
@garybridge1964.bsky.social
RAF Veteran, Clarinettist / Bass Clarinettist, Greece, Travel, European 🇪🇺
Reposted by Gary Bridge
UK has regressive taxes.
National Insurance is no exception. Employees pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.
Net result is that basic rate taxpayers pay higher proportion of their income in NIC than those on higher incomes.
No govt listens to the people
National Insurance is no exception. Employees pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.
Net result is that basic rate taxpayers pay higher proportion of their income in NIC than those on higher incomes.
No govt listens to the people
National Insurance is a regressive tax that hits the less well-off hardest
Compared to income tax, national insurance contributions attract little sustained scrutiny even though they provide large amounts to the public purse.
leftfootforward.org
February 7, 2026 at 2:01 PM
UK has regressive taxes.
National Insurance is no exception. Employees pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.
Net result is that basic rate taxpayers pay higher proportion of their income in NIC than those on higher incomes.
No govt listens to the people
National Insurance is no exception. Employees pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.
Net result is that basic rate taxpayers pay higher proportion of their income in NIC than those on higher incomes.
No govt listens to the people
Reposted by Gary Bridge
But they all seem so honest & competent!
NEW: Reform UK’s flagship council, Kent, has been accused of telling a “blatant lie” after its claim of nearly £40m in savings on net zero were found to be based on hypothetical projects for which there was no documentation.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform-run Kent council accused of fabricating £40m net zero savings
Disclosures show figures cited by authority’s leader rested on unfunded ideas listed briefly in budget papers
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:07 AM
But they all seem so honest & competent!
Reposted by Gary Bridge
February 7, 2026 at 10:58 AM
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Reposted by Gary Bridge
I can't stop thinking about what Bezos has done to the Washington Post. But I also don't know why I & anyone else is shocked. I went undercover in an Amazon 'fulfilment centre' in 2013 and saw first-hand exactly who Bezos is.
We have all been SO naive.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
We have all been SO naive.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
February 6, 2026 at 3:01 PM
I can't stop thinking about what Bezos has done to the Washington Post. But I also don't know why I & anyone else is shocked. I went undercover in an Amazon 'fulfilment centre' in 2013 and saw first-hand exactly who Bezos is.
We have all been SO naive.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
We have all been SO naive.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Palantir is the bastard child of military-industrial intelligence gathering, co-founded by Peter Thiel, a self-described conservative libertarian
Starmer’s visit to Palantir arranged by Mandelson, Yet no official record kept: no minutes. Just a handshake, a quiet word, & for many a growing unease
Starmer’s visit to Palantir arranged by Mandelson, Yet no official record kept: no minutes. Just a handshake, a quiet word, & for many a growing unease
'Peter Mandelson's Fixing of Keir Starmer’s Visit to Spytech Firm Palantir Raises Serious Questions'
Palantir was represented by a lobbying firm founded by Mandelson, Iain Overton and Max Colbert report
bylinetimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Palantir is the bastard child of military-industrial intelligence gathering, co-founded by Peter Thiel, a self-described conservative libertarian
Starmer’s visit to Palantir arranged by Mandelson, Yet no official record kept: no minutes. Just a handshake, a quiet word, & for many a growing unease
Starmer’s visit to Palantir arranged by Mandelson, Yet no official record kept: no minutes. Just a handshake, a quiet word, & for many a growing unease
Reposted by Gary Bridge
The lack of regulatory power to sanction charities which promote harmful ideas is regularly demonstrated by the issuing of ineffectual 'advice and guidance' to repeat offenders.
The Charity Commission must be empowered to act.
We're mentioned:
www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/pm-s-pl...
The Charity Commission must be empowered to act.
We're mentioned:
www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/pm-s-pl...
PM’s pledge of more powers to close charities promoting extremism draws sector concerns
www.civilsociety.co.uk
February 6, 2026 at 1:35 PM
The lack of regulatory power to sanction charities which promote harmful ideas is regularly demonstrated by the issuing of ineffectual 'advice and guidance' to repeat offenders.
The Charity Commission must be empowered to act.
We're mentioned:
www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/pm-s-pl...
The Charity Commission must be empowered to act.
We're mentioned:
www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/pm-s-pl...
Reposted by Gary Bridge
💸 Brexit is predicted to have cost the UK economy a staggering 6-8% according to the latest study.
💰 That is equivalent to £180bn - £240bn A YEAR!
📉 And that has left HMRC about £90 billion shorter a year.
🪖 150% greater than the UK's defence budget.
💰 That is equivalent to £180bn - £240bn A YEAR!
📉 And that has left HMRC about £90 billion shorter a year.
🪖 150% greater than the UK's defence budget.
No tub-thumping has died down, how about putting actual Brexit truths on a bus?
Labour's 'red lines' are enabling the enormous economic damage from Brexit to continue. The solution is a no-brainer, if
www.heraldscotland.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:20 AM
💸 Brexit is predicted to have cost the UK economy a staggering 6-8% according to the latest study.
💰 That is equivalent to £180bn - £240bn A YEAR!
📉 And that has left HMRC about £90 billion shorter a year.
🪖 150% greater than the UK's defence budget.
💰 That is equivalent to £180bn - £240bn A YEAR!
📉 And that has left HMRC about £90 billion shorter a year.
🪖 150% greater than the UK's defence budget.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
NEW: Trump's coup is almost complete. And the attack on the press is a central piece of it. Bezos's gutting of the Washington Post cannot be allowed to be just another blip in the news cycle.
We are all going to have to fight for a free and independent press.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
We are all going to have to fight for a free and independent press.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Fight!
Fuck Bezos. The Washington Post can and must rise again.
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:17 AM
NEW: Trump's coup is almost complete. And the attack on the press is a central piece of it. Bezos's gutting of the Washington Post cannot be allowed to be just another blip in the news cycle.
We are all going to have to fight for a free and independent press.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
We are all going to have to fight for a free and independent press.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Trump is a vile racist bully.
His actions should be condemned without hesitation.
His actions should be condemned without hesitation.
February 6, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Trump is a vile racist bully.
His actions should be condemned without hesitation.
His actions should be condemned without hesitation.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 passed by parliament.
Restricts the right to protest outside animal testing facilities, now defined as “national infrastructure.”
I was the only Labour peer to vote against the govt.
Restricts the right to protest outside animal testing facilities, now defined as “national infrastructure.”
I was the only Labour peer to vote against the govt.
February 6, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 passed by parliament.
Restricts the right to protest outside animal testing facilities, now defined as “national infrastructure.”
I was the only Labour peer to vote against the govt.
Restricts the right to protest outside animal testing facilities, now defined as “national infrastructure.”
I was the only Labour peer to vote against the govt.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
If ignoring the law is ‘non-negotiable’ for religious groups, then they should not be running a school. School standards protect the rights and wellbeing of children - they must be robustly enforced at all schools, no matter their religious character. www.secularism.org.uk/news/2026/02...
School says religiously restricted curriculum “non-negotiable”
Bnois Jerusalem Girls School does not allow pupils to sit any recognised qualifications Read More »
www.secularism.org.uk
February 6, 2026 at 10:33 AM
If ignoring the law is ‘non-negotiable’ for religious groups, then they should not be running a school. School standards protect the rights and wellbeing of children - they must be robustly enforced at all schools, no matter their religious character. www.secularism.org.uk/news/2026/02...
Reposted by Gary Bridge
#Epstein was co-owner of a Silicon Valley venture fund controlled by Peter Thiel, billionaire founder of defence analytics giant Palantir Technologies, which holds more than £670 million in UK Government contracts.
Palantir has tentacles that reach deep into the British state and institutions.
Palantir has tentacles that reach deep into the British state and institutions.
Palantir’s far-reaching gaze penetrates Britain
Are we really still independent of the US security state?
sussexbylines.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 8:37 PM
#Epstein was co-owner of a Silicon Valley venture fund controlled by Peter Thiel, billionaire founder of defence analytics giant Palantir Technologies, which holds more than £670 million in UK Government contracts.
Palantir has tentacles that reach deep into the British state and institutions.
Palantir has tentacles that reach deep into the British state and institutions.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
It’s a longer video… but we REALLY need to talk about:
Peter Mandelson and -
Global Council
Lobbying (as an adviser and as ambassador)
Palantir
This is where the Mandelson affair needs to go next.
Peter Mandelson and -
Global Council
Lobbying (as an adviser and as ambassador)
Palantir
This is where the Mandelson affair needs to go next.
Peter Mandelson and Palantir
YouTube video by Scientists for EU
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 2:05 PM
It’s a longer video… but we REALLY need to talk about:
Peter Mandelson and -
Global Council
Lobbying (as an adviser and as ambassador)
Palantir
This is where the Mandelson affair needs to go next.
Peter Mandelson and -
Global Council
Lobbying (as an adviser and as ambassador)
Palantir
This is where the Mandelson affair needs to go next.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
First-hand accounts from Minnesota
(especially community-building and support initiatives)
Wanted please!
(especially community-building and support initiatives)
Wanted please!
February 5, 2026 at 2:11 PM
First-hand accounts from Minnesota
(especially community-building and support initiatives)
Wanted please!
(especially community-building and support initiatives)
Wanted please!
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Seriously, Posties. Get in touch. It's not impossible & it's the future. Corporate oligarchic-owned media is just not up to the job. We need networks of independent media that can & will speak truth to power. Also: please, support us!! Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
www.thenerve.news
www.thenerve.news
Home | The Nerve
Fearless, independent journalism on culture, politics and tech
www.thenerve.news
February 4, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Seriously, Posties. Get in touch. It's not impossible & it's the future. Corporate oligarchic-owned media is just not up to the job. We need networks of independent media that can & will speak truth to power. Also: please, support us!! Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
www.thenerve.news
www.thenerve.news
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Our security is strongest when we work alongside our European neighbours. Cooperation is what keeps our country safe, not standing alone in the face of increasing global threats.
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Our security is strongest when we work alongside our European neighbours. Cooperation is what keeps our country safe, not standing alone in the face of increasing global threats.
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Our Future, Our Voices – Should X be banned in the UK?
Given the lack of regulation in the UK, should X and its AI assistant, Grok, be banned?
@sussexbylines.co.uk
Given the lack of regulation in the UK, should X and its AI assistant, Grok, be banned?
@sussexbylines.co.uk
Our Future, Our Voices – Should X be banned in the UK?
Given the lack of regulation in the UK, should X and its AI assistant, Grok, be banned? One of three articles published today by our young writers
sussexbylines.co.uk
February 3, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Our Future, Our Voices – Should X be banned in the UK?
Given the lack of regulation in the UK, should X and its AI assistant, Grok, be banned?
@sussexbylines.co.uk
Given the lack of regulation in the UK, should X and its AI assistant, Grok, be banned?
@sussexbylines.co.uk
Reposted by Gary Bridge
1. In 2009 I wrote this. I argued that Peter Mandelson's department “functions as a fifth column within government, working for corporations to undermine democracy and the public interest.”
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
Mandelson’s Fifth Column
The British government’s business department exists to undermine democracy.
www.monbiot.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:32 AM
1. In 2009 I wrote this. I argued that Peter Mandelson's department “functions as a fifth column within government, working for corporations to undermine democracy and the public interest.”
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
Reposted by Gary Bridge
February 1, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Gary Bridge
Brilliant. 🔥🔥🔥 This is a masterclass in how to handle far-right populists. Put them under pressure and they always crack. They can't exist outside their own narrative-bubble. That's why it's so important to break their narrative and pin them down!
So Trump came up when I was debating with Andrea Jenkyns of Reform…
And unbelievably she almost walked off the show.
And unbelievably she almost walked off the show.
February 2, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Brilliant. 🔥🔥🔥 This is a masterclass in how to handle far-right populists. Put them under pressure and they always crack. They can't exist outside their own narrative-bubble. That's why it's so important to break their narrative and pin them down!
Reposted by Gary Bridge
The public were told we would get £350 million a week, yet almost 10 years on, trade has been hit, costs have risen, and the country is still waiting for those promises to materialise. The leave campaign was fuelled by lies and misinformation: we must repair our relationship with Europe.
February 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
The public were told we would get £350 million a week, yet almost 10 years on, trade has been hit, costs have risen, and the country is still waiting for those promises to materialise. The leave campaign was fuelled by lies and misinformation: we must repair our relationship with Europe.