Sophie Plowden
@sophieplowden.bsky.social
Author. Painter. Freakishly tall child prodigy.
At last
The European Union has triggered Article 122 to indefinitely immobilise the assets of the Russian Central Bank, worth a whopping €210 billion.
I explain what just happened and why this is such a big deal for Europeans.
🧵 Long thread.
I explain what just happened and why this is such a big deal for Europeans.
🧵 Long thread.
December 11, 2025 at 6:49 PM
At last
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
🔴 REVEALED 🔴
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs Banked £640,000 from Oil Giants and Murdoch
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group – received more than £640,000 from fossil fuel companies and Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate between 1957 and ...
www.desmog.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:05 AM
🔴 REVEALED 🔴
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
New Home Office impact assessment finds that cutting skilled and social care visas will cost the UK up to £10 billion with a central estimate of -£5.4 billion.
It would be good if this got even a fraction of the coverage devoted to the endless debate about boats, flags and Turkish barber shops
It would be good if this got even a fraction of the coverage devoted to the endless debate about boats, flags and Turkish barber shops
December 9, 2025 at 2:36 PM
New Home Office impact assessment finds that cutting skilled and social care visas will cost the UK up to £10 billion with a central estimate of -£5.4 billion.
It would be good if this got even a fraction of the coverage devoted to the endless debate about boats, flags and Turkish barber shops
It would be good if this got even a fraction of the coverage devoted to the endless debate about boats, flags and Turkish barber shops
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Mine earlier today with @mrjamesob.bsky.social on the UK's @lbc.co.uk, regarding Trump's new National Security Strategy.
LISTEN: audioboom.com/posts/881610...
Read the National Security Strategy: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Read Simon's piece in @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
LISTEN: audioboom.com/posts/881610...
Read the National Security Strategy: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Read Simon's piece in @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
audioboom.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Mine earlier today with @mrjamesob.bsky.social on the UK's @lbc.co.uk, regarding Trump's new National Security Strategy.
LISTEN: audioboom.com/posts/881610...
Read the National Security Strategy: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Read Simon's piece in @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
LISTEN: audioboom.com/posts/881610...
Read the National Security Strategy: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Read Simon's piece in @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
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...
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
December 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM
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...
At least eight UKIP and Brexit Party MPs were focus of efforts by Nathan Gill
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Frank Gehry, architect, dies aged 96 on.ft.com/49UCrTX
Frank Gehry, architect, dies aged 96
Modern master whose sinuous, billowing forms for the Guggenheim in Bilbao gave birth to the ‘Bilbao Effect’
on.ft.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Frank Gehry, architect, dies aged 96 on.ft.com/49UCrTX
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Farage has been dismissing evidence of Russian ties to the Salisbury Novichok attack since 2018 🧐
December 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Farage has been dismissing evidence of Russian ties to the Salisbury Novichok attack since 2018 🧐
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Winning the war on woke
December 4, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Winning the war on woke
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
This is an excellent piece of work by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and the DfS gang
Lobbyist / ex Tory MP Ben Howlett has been done by an undercover sting. As ever, the most revealing thing is how very very cheap it is buy access in British media/politics — and especially how Howlett controls one of the biggest UK pol Twitter accounts!
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...
December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
This is an excellent piece of work by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and the DfS gang
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Cityscape #1 | Richard Diebenkorn
December 3, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Cityscape #1 | Richard Diebenkorn
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
What a Public Inquiry Into Russian Influence in British Politics Must Also Investigate: Boris Johnson and Alexander Lebedev
If you think the Nathan Gill conviction is bad, wait to you hear about another Leave campaigner and his connections to Putin's inner circle
open.substack.com/pub/pdjukes/...
If you think the Nathan Gill conviction is bad, wait to you hear about another Leave campaigner and his connections to Putin's inner circle
open.substack.com/pub/pdjukes/...
What a Public Inquiry Into Russian Influence in British Politics Must Also Investigate: Boris Johnson and Alexander Lebedev
If you think the Gill conviction is bad, linking the Reform UK Party leader's closest aide to the Kremlin, wait to you hear about another Leave campaigner and his connections to Putin's inner circle
open.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM
What a Public Inquiry Into Russian Influence in British Politics Must Also Investigate: Boris Johnson and Alexander Lebedev
If you think the Nathan Gill conviction is bad, wait to you hear about another Leave campaigner and his connections to Putin's inner circle
open.substack.com/pub/pdjukes/...
If you think the Nathan Gill conviction is bad, wait to you hear about another Leave campaigner and his connections to Putin's inner circle
open.substack.com/pub/pdjukes/...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Best thread ever 👇
There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?
November 28, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Best thread ever 👇
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Shabana Mahmood said this month that her migration policies are a "moral mission".
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK rejects visa for girl left destitute in Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa
Lati-Yana Brown’s parents had asked for application to be expedited so she could join them in UK after house ruined
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Shabana Mahmood said this month that her migration policies are a "moral mission".
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Former Farage party MEP denies taking money from pro-Russian campaign www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Former Brexit Party MEP denies taking payment from pro-Russian campaign
A prominent former MEP for Nigel Farage's old party denies taking bribes in a pro-Russian campaign.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Former Farage party MEP denies taking money from pro-Russian campaign www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
🚨WOW! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 75,000 signatures! 🙏
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 27, 2025 at 9:38 PM
🚨WOW! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 75,000 signatures! 🙏
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
The number of British citizens emigrating hasn’t increased, btw. Outward migration is up, but the increase is mostly non-EU migrants leaving the UK.
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
November 27, 2025 at 4:48 PM
The number of British citizens emigrating hasn’t increased, btw. Outward migration is up, but the increase is mostly non-EU migrants leaving the UK.
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
🇺🇸"The BBC removed part of Rutger Bregman's Reith lecture, where he alleged Donald Trump was the most openly corrupt president in US history"
🔇"If the national broadcaster can't air defensible claims, what hope is there for any of our free press to effectively challenge power?"
🔇"If the national broadcaster can't air defensible claims, what hope is there for any of our free press to effectively challenge power?"
November 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM
🇺🇸"The BBC removed part of Rutger Bregman's Reith lecture, where he alleged Donald Trump was the most openly corrupt president in US history"
🔇"If the national broadcaster can't air defensible claims, what hope is there for any of our free press to effectively challenge power?"
🔇"If the national broadcaster can't air defensible claims, what hope is there for any of our free press to effectively challenge power?"
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
Reposted by Sophie Plowden
She’s just asking questions.
‘Is Nigel Farage a Russian asset?’
‘Are you seriously asking me that?’
@shelaghfogarty.bsky.social refuses to back down while questioning Reform’s Zia Yusuf.
‘Are you seriously asking me that?’
@shelaghfogarty.bsky.social refuses to back down while questioning Reform’s Zia Yusuf.
November 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM
She’s just asking questions.
The mother of Caroline Leavitt's nephew, originally from Brazil, is being held in a Louisiana facility awaiting deportation
November 26, 2025 at 10:20 PM
The mother of Caroline Leavitt's nephew, originally from Brazil, is being held in a Louisiana facility awaiting deportation
Reposted by Sophie Plowden