Jo Swadkin
@jo-intw.bsky.social
English teacher in a former life. Anti Tories, pro EU. Now in Tunbridge Wells, but not disgusted. We have a Lib Dem MP! History, Cricket, politics.
I just signed a petition calling for an urgent investigation into Peter Mandelson's dealings with Palantir. Did he use his position as UK Ambassador to benefit the US spy tech firm? Sign now: www.foxglove.org.uk/campaigns/ma...
The Government must reveal all details of Peter Mandelson’s links to Palantir - Foxglove
Sign the petition for an urgent investigation into Peter Mandelson's dealings with Palantir. Did he use his position as UK Ambassador to benefit the US spy tech firm?
www.foxglove.org.uk
February 5, 2026 at 4:34 PM
I just signed a petition calling for an urgent investigation into Peter Mandelson's dealings with Palantir. Did he use his position as UK Ambassador to benefit the US spy tech firm? Sign now: www.foxglove.org.uk/campaigns/ma...
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts mandated that the court’s clerks and other employees sign nondisclosure contracts in late 2024, after unusual leaks from inside the court, and while trust in the institution is at a historic low. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
February 2, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts mandated that the court’s clerks and other employees sign nondisclosure contracts in late 2024, after unusual leaks from inside the court, and while trust in the institution is at a historic low. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
know this is not something that could happen either in general or at least in the next few years but I would genuinely love it if a journalist could sit down with some of the powerful people who interacted with Epstein - even anonymously - so they could explain what they got out of the relationship
February 2, 2026 at 11:35 AM
know this is not something that could happen either in general or at least in the next few years but I would genuinely love it if a journalist could sit down with some of the powerful people who interacted with Epstein - even anonymously - so they could explain what they got out of the relationship
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Farage was wrong about Brexit 🚨
Starmer: “As far as Nigel Farage is concerned, let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be £350 million a week for the NHS - that didn’t happen."
https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-01/starmer-nigel-farage-was-wrong-about-brexit
Starmer: “As far as Nigel Farage is concerned, let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be £350 million a week for the NHS - that didn’t happen."
https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-01/starmer-nigel-farage-was-wrong-about-brexit
www.itv.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Farage was wrong about Brexit 🚨
Starmer: “As far as Nigel Farage is concerned, let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be £350 million a week for the NHS - that didn’t happen."
https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-01/starmer-nigel-farage-was-wrong-about-brexit
Starmer: “As far as Nigel Farage is concerned, let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be £350 million a week for the NHS - that didn’t happen."
https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-01/starmer-nigel-farage-was-wrong-about-brexit
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Most of Epstein’s victims were either too frightened to come forward, or silenced through legal threats. Oh, and here’s a senior British politician giving Epstein tips on how to silence them
February 1, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Most of Epstein’s victims were either too frightened to come forward, or silenced through legal threats. Oh, and here’s a senior British politician giving Epstein tips on how to silence them
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
England's water companies don't pay fines.
Thames Water, with nearly 200 criminal convictions, fined £122.4m in Aug/Dec 2024 for sewage dumping, paying illegal dividends.
Secretly agreed - Paid only £24.5m (20%) in Sept 2025. Remaining 80% may be paid by 2030 or never.
Why are companies indulged?
Thames Water, with nearly 200 criminal convictions, fined £122.4m in Aug/Dec 2024 for sewage dumping, paying illegal dividends.
Secretly agreed - Paid only £24.5m (20%) in Sept 2025. Remaining 80% may be paid by 2030 or never.
Why are companies indulged?
Public ownership of water is the only way to deliver security, efficiency, investment and value for money
37 years of privatisation has been a disaster
leftfootforward.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:33 AM
England's water companies don't pay fines.
Thames Water, with nearly 200 criminal convictions, fined £122.4m in Aug/Dec 2024 for sewage dumping, paying illegal dividends.
Secretly agreed - Paid only £24.5m (20%) in Sept 2025. Remaining 80% may be paid by 2030 or never.
Why are companies indulged?
Thames Water, with nearly 200 criminal convictions, fined £122.4m in Aug/Dec 2024 for sewage dumping, paying illegal dividends.
Secretly agreed - Paid only £24.5m (20%) in Sept 2025. Remaining 80% may be paid by 2030 or never.
Why are companies indulged?
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
The Boss has spoken!
January 31, 2026 at 9:42 AM
The Boss has spoken!
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Douglas Alexander: "That vision of unity, of pride, of coming together, speaks well to the kind of country that I want to live in."
"That is in direct contrast to what we get from Matt Goodwin."
"That is in direct contrast to what we get from Matt Goodwin."
February 1, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Douglas Alexander: "That vision of unity, of pride, of coming together, speaks well to the kind of country that I want to live in."
"That is in direct contrast to what we get from Matt Goodwin."
"That is in direct contrast to what we get from Matt Goodwin."
🚨 MPs should work for us – not for a second paycheck. Some are earning tens of thousands from other work while neglecting their real job: representing their constituents. Sign the petition to ban second jobs for MPs.
February 1, 2026 at 3:07 PM
🚨 MPs should work for us – not for a second paycheck. Some are earning tens of thousands from other work while neglecting their real job: representing their constituents. Sign the petition to ban second jobs for MPs.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
That is mental
It's extraordinary that *relatively* moderate, Remain-supporting Tories, or centrists if you prefer, have gone from from leading governments in 2010, 2015 & technically 2017 to being entirley unrepresented in mainstream UK politics.
January 30, 2026 at 10:08 AM
That is mental
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
This would be a good time to demonstrate the value of AI by processing the millions of Epstein documents and summarising the main findings.
Or will the Trump-friendly billionaire proprietors decline to get involved?
Or will the Trump-friendly billionaire proprietors decline to get involved?
January 30, 2026 at 11:42 PM
This would be a good time to demonstrate the value of AI by processing the millions of Epstein documents and summarising the main findings.
Or will the Trump-friendly billionaire proprietors decline to get involved?
Or will the Trump-friendly billionaire proprietors decline to get involved?
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Can’t mandelson afford £10k for his partner’s osteopath course
January 31, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Can’t mandelson afford £10k for his partner’s osteopath course
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Voting turn out is generally bellow 50% in Gorton and Denton. My hope is that people will turn out to stop Farage. 🤞
January 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Voting turn out is generally bellow 50% in Gorton and Denton. My hope is that people will turn out to stop Farage. 🤞
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
The Express hopes people believe that Brexit reality is punishment by the EU, when it was the Express and other right wing press who pushed for Brexit to punish Britain.
It is pure misdirection.
The EU isn’t “wreaking havoc in revenge”. It’s doing exactly what any economic bloc does:
🧵 👇
It is pure misdirection.
The EU isn’t “wreaking havoc in revenge”. It’s doing exactly what any economic bloc does:
🧵 👇
January 31, 2026 at 11:54 AM
The Express hopes people believe that Brexit reality is punishment by the EU, when it was the Express and other right wing press who pushed for Brexit to punish Britain.
It is pure misdirection.
The EU isn’t “wreaking havoc in revenge”. It’s doing exactly what any economic bloc does:
🧵 👇
It is pure misdirection.
The EU isn’t “wreaking havoc in revenge”. It’s doing exactly what any economic bloc does:
🧵 👇
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Hoping Matt Goodwin loses Gorton and Denton for many reasons, not least because we can deploy the headline, and resulting nickname, Matt Badloss
January 31, 2026 at 10:10 AM
Hoping Matt Goodwin loses Gorton and Denton for many reasons, not least because we can deploy the headline, and resulting nickname, Matt Badloss
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
CNN in Minneapolis: We are seeing thousands and thousands of people, we've been standing on the corner here for the past ten minutes. This this crowd has not let up. It's just continuous.
January 30, 2026 at 9:19 PM
CNN in Minneapolis: We are seeing thousands and thousands of people, we've been standing on the corner here for the past ten minutes. This this crowd has not let up. It's just continuous.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Movie review from Guardian on Melania.
January 30, 2026 at 10:43 PM
Movie review from Guardian on Melania.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
«Un danger permanent pour la société» : une note de la justice publiée en 2007 aurait pu mettre fin à l’affaire Epstein bien plus tôt ➡️ https://l.leparisien.fr/dK6n
January 31, 2026 at 1:27 PM
«Un danger permanent pour la société» : une note de la justice publiée en 2007 aurait pu mettre fin à l’affaire Epstein bien plus tôt ➡️ https://l.leparisien.fr/dK6n
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
The MELANIA reviews are in.
January 31, 2026 at 1:28 PM
The MELANIA reviews are in.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
"Threatened to overshadow the Greens’ announcement."
No. Rather it highlighted the need to #VoteGreen to #StopReform
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
No. Rather it highlighted the need to #VoteGreen to #StopReform
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Tommy Robinson backs Reform candidate in Gorton & Denton by-election
His support for Matt Goodwin threatened to overshadow the Greens’ announcement that Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, would be their candidate
www.thetimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:57 PM
"Threatened to overshadow the Greens’ announcement."
No. Rather it highlighted the need to #VoteGreen to #StopReform
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
No. Rather it highlighted the need to #VoteGreen to #StopReform
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
If she's elected, Hannah Spencer will also be (I think) only the 2nd plumber to become an MP.
The first being Jon Trickett, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn was was removed from the Labour front bench after Keir Starmer became leader.
The first being Jon Trickett, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn was was removed from the Labour front bench after Keir Starmer became leader.
The Greens have picked local councillor and plumber Hannah Spencer as their candidate for the Gorton & Denton by-election.
If successful, she will be the party's first MP in the North
If successful, she will be the party's first MP in the North
January 30, 2026 at 4:40 PM
If she's elected, Hannah Spencer will also be (I think) only the 2nd plumber to become an MP.
The first being Jon Trickett, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn was was removed from the Labour front bench after Keir Starmer became leader.
The first being Jon Trickett, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn was was removed from the Labour front bench after Keir Starmer became leader.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
Who said:
“We shld step up to take responsibility for open cooperation across the globe... We shld continue to dismantle walls,not erect them; we shld seek integration,not decoupling. We shld advance…cooperation, &push for a universally beneficial &inclusive economic globalization”
A/ Xi Jinping!
“We shld step up to take responsibility for open cooperation across the globe... We shld continue to dismantle walls,not erect them; we shld seek integration,not decoupling. We shld advance…cooperation, &push for a universally beneficial &inclusive economic globalization”
A/ Xi Jinping!
January 30, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Who said:
“We shld step up to take responsibility for open cooperation across the globe... We shld continue to dismantle walls,not erect them; we shld seek integration,not decoupling. We shld advance…cooperation, &push for a universally beneficial &inclusive economic globalization”
A/ Xi Jinping!
“We shld step up to take responsibility for open cooperation across the globe... We shld continue to dismantle walls,not erect them; we shld seek integration,not decoupling. We shld advance…cooperation, &push for a universally beneficial &inclusive economic globalization”
A/ Xi Jinping!
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
UK child poverty up 34% in a decade.
Families can't afford the cost of food, rent, childcare, heating, essentials.
72% of poor children live in working families.
Secure jobs, universal basic income/services, curbs on profiteering, free school meals would help.
Must eradicate parental poverty.
Families can't afford the cost of food, rent, childcare, heating, essentials.
72% of poor children live in working families.
Secure jobs, universal basic income/services, curbs on profiteering, free school meals would help.
Must eradicate parental poverty.
Why are four million children still going hungry in the UK in 2026?
Hunger in the UK is the scourge that ceases to abate. It's time to build a road map to meaningful and lasting change.
www.bigissue.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:02 AM
UK child poverty up 34% in a decade.
Families can't afford the cost of food, rent, childcare, heating, essentials.
72% of poor children live in working families.
Secure jobs, universal basic income/services, curbs on profiteering, free school meals would help.
Must eradicate parental poverty.
Families can't afford the cost of food, rent, childcare, heating, essentials.
72% of poor children live in working families.
Secure jobs, universal basic income/services, curbs on profiteering, free school meals would help.
Must eradicate parental poverty.
Reposted by Jo Swadkin
every epstein file drop underscores how elite power operates through shared socio-economic networks, regardless of people's ideological differences, populist posturing, or public feuds
January 30, 2026 at 11:58 PM
every epstein file drop underscores how elite power operates through shared socio-economic networks, regardless of people's ideological differences, populist posturing, or public feuds