Dave
@thedudeabides57.bsky.social
ExJW, socialist, humanist, Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter, cat lover! 🐈⬛
Reposted by Dave
UK public has paid £200bn to shareholders of key industries since privatisation.
In public ownership that would have gone into infrastructure, lower bills.
Privatisation delivered low investment, high bills, no tax on dividends to foreign investors.
No end to nightmare without public ownership.
In public ownership that would have gone into infrastructure, lower bills.
Privatisation delivered low investment, high bills, no tax on dividends to foreign investors.
No end to nightmare without public ownership.
UK public has paid £200bn to shareholders of key industries since privatisation
Analysis reveals ‘privatisation premium’ of £250 per household per year paid to owners of water, rail, bus, energy and mail services since 2010
www.theguardian.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:53 AM
UK public has paid £200bn to shareholders of key industries since privatisation.
In public ownership that would have gone into infrastructure, lower bills.
Privatisation delivered low investment, high bills, no tax on dividends to foreign investors.
No end to nightmare without public ownership.
In public ownership that would have gone into infrastructure, lower bills.
Privatisation delivered low investment, high bills, no tax on dividends to foreign investors.
No end to nightmare without public ownership.
Reposted by Dave
🪫 Unite report: UK energy companies making £30 billion a year in profits
Energy bills up by 42% since 2021, whilst energy companies made £30 billion profit in just one year. The govt is turning a blind eye to these excessive profits. That must change. Everyday people cannot continue to pay.
Energy bills up by 42% since 2021, whilst energy companies made £30 billion profit in just one year. The govt is turning a blind eye to these excessive profits. That must change. Everyday people cannot continue to pay.
November 3, 2025 at 8:56 AM
🪫 Unite report: UK energy companies making £30 billion a year in profits
Energy bills up by 42% since 2021, whilst energy companies made £30 billion profit in just one year. The govt is turning a blind eye to these excessive profits. That must change. Everyday people cannot continue to pay.
Energy bills up by 42% since 2021, whilst energy companies made £30 billion profit in just one year. The govt is turning a blind eye to these excessive profits. That must change. Everyday people cannot continue to pay.
Reposted by Dave
⚡ @unitetheunion.bsky.social have commissioned our own energy report which clearly shows that £500 of our yearly £1,700 bill lands directly into the pockets of energy companies who made £30 billion in a single year!
October 31, 2025 at 10:29 AM
⚡ @unitetheunion.bsky.social have commissioned our own energy report which clearly shows that £500 of our yearly £1,700 bill lands directly into the pockets of energy companies who made £30 billion in a single year!
October 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Beautiful sunset at Tywyn, Wales
October 13, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Beautiful sunset at Tywyn, Wales
Please open the door, I want to go out! 
September 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Please open the door, I want to go out! 
Reposted by Dave
It's performative. If Steve Reed were really "furious" about water bills, he wouldn't have ruled out renationalisation, or forbidden the Independent Water Commission to recommend it. He enables the filthiest, most parasitic capital to defeat the public interest.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Environment secretary ‘furious’ about England and Wales water bills
Steve Reed says he is unable to rule out further above-inflation rises and any decision would be up to regulators
www.theguardian.com
July 21, 2025 at 5:49 AM
It's performative. If Steve Reed were really "furious" about water bills, he wouldn't have ruled out renationalisation, or forbidden the Independent Water Commission to recommend it. He enables the filthiest, most parasitic capital to defeat the public interest.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Spent a few days in Barmouth, Wales. A photo from where we were staying 😀
July 20, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Spent a few days in Barmouth, Wales. A photo from where we were staying 😀
Reposted by Dave
Private water companies have been dumping sewage and letting infrastructure crumble for over 30 years. Sign the petition to bring water into public ownership #WeOwnIt
weownit.org.uk/act-now/lets...
weownit.org.uk/act-now/lets...
Let's bring water into public ownership | We Own It
weownit.org.uk
April 7, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Private water companies have been dumping sewage and letting infrastructure crumble for over 30 years. Sign the petition to bring water into public ownership #WeOwnIt
weownit.org.uk/act-now/lets...
weownit.org.uk/act-now/lets...
Reposted by Dave
A narrative is recited almost everywhere: that Rachel Reeves is being "forced" to cut benefits, and is faced with "hard choices" or "no choice". This story, a staple of neoliberal doctrine, is completely false, as @richardjmurphy.bsky.social explains: www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/03...
Is Rachel Reeves constrained by the City?
Is the City really stopping Rachel Reeves from doing what Labour wants, or is she just using it as a convenient excuse for her neoliberal austerity?
This is the audio version:
This is the transc...
www.taxresearch.org.uk
March 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
A narrative is recited almost everywhere: that Rachel Reeves is being "forced" to cut benefits, and is faced with "hard choices" or "no choice". This story, a staple of neoliberal doctrine, is completely false, as @richardjmurphy.bsky.social explains: www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/03...
Barney enjoys the football!
March 17, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Barney enjoys the football!
Reposted by Dave
Brilliant column by @nesrinemalik.bsky.social, which everyone in the UK should read. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Many said the Starmer era would be just Tory-lite – now it’s worse than that. Time to stop the pretence
He’ll be radical, the PM’s allies claimed. Well, look now, as the poor are targeted and ministers boast of wearing Tory clothes better than the Tories, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
March 17, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Brilliant column by @nesrinemalik.bsky.social, which everyone in the UK should read. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Dave
Our latest Double Down News video, explaining just how billionaire power now operates and what it's doing to us.
And why we need to create billionaire-free societies.
And why we need to create billionaire-free societies.
REVEALED: Trump & Elon Musk's BRUTAL Secret @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
REVEALED: Trump & Elon Musk's BRUTAL Secret
It all makes sense now
www.doubledown.news
February 13, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Our latest Double Down News video, explaining just how billionaire power now operates and what it's doing to us.
And why we need to create billionaire-free societies.
And why we need to create billionaire-free societies.
Reposted by Dave
Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says UK minister.
Some may do so, millions do not but will be victimised by cuts.
What about those abusing the tax system, govt procurement, buying honours, impoverishing people with profiteering, selling dud products, crashing companies?
Some may do so, millions do not but will be victimised by cuts.
What about those abusing the tax system, govt procurement, buying honours, impoverishing people with profiteering, selling dud products, crashing companies?
Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says minister
The work and pensions minister says the welfare system needs reforming to encourage young people to work if they can.
www.bbc.com
February 7, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says UK minister.
Some may do so, millions do not but will be victimised by cuts.
What about those abusing the tax system, govt procurement, buying honours, impoverishing people with profiteering, selling dud products, crashing companies?
Some may do so, millions do not but will be victimised by cuts.
What about those abusing the tax system, govt procurement, buying honours, impoverishing people with profiteering, selling dud products, crashing companies?
Reposted by Dave
Your Water Bills going up by an average of £123 a year across England in April, and by £228 for Thames Water Customers.
The Government could have Nationalised the Water Companies and used these bill increases to pay for it all within 5 years.
The Government could have Nationalised the Water Companies and used these bill increases to pay for it all within 5 years.
January 30, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Your Water Bills going up by an average of £123 a year across England in April, and by £228 for Thames Water Customers.
The Government could have Nationalised the Water Companies and used these bill increases to pay for it all within 5 years.
The Government could have Nationalised the Water Companies and used these bill increases to pay for it all within 5 years.
Reposted by Dave
MPs have launched a review into pensioner poverty after the government admitted the cut to winter fuel payments could force 100,000 people into poverty
Surely this is exactly the sort of review which should have taken place before MP’s were asked to vote?
news.sky.com/story/mps-to...
Surely this is exactly the sort of review which should have taken place before MP’s were asked to vote?
news.sky.com/story/mps-to...
MPs to review pensioner poverty after winter fuel payment cut
Sir Keir Starmer remained insistent the cut needed to happen to help fund the £22bn black hole he says was left by the Conservative government.
news.sky.com
November 23, 2024 at 7:44 AM
MPs have launched a review into pensioner poverty after the government admitted the cut to winter fuel payments could force 100,000 people into poverty
Surely this is exactly the sort of review which should have taken place before MP’s were asked to vote?
news.sky.com/story/mps-to...
Surely this is exactly the sort of review which should have taken place before MP’s were asked to vote?
news.sky.com/story/mps-to...
Reposted by Dave
Wealth growth since 1970
Average - 8%
Top 10% - 85%
Top 1% - 320%
Top 0.01% - 4000%
Billionaires - 32000%
Can you see the problem?
Average - 8%
Top 10% - 85%
Top 1% - 320%
Top 0.01% - 4000%
Billionaires - 32000%
Can you see the problem?
November 21, 2024 at 9:03 PM
Wealth growth since 1970
Average - 8%
Top 10% - 85%
Top 1% - 320%
Top 0.01% - 4000%
Billionaires - 32000%
Can you see the problem?
Average - 8%
Top 10% - 85%
Top 1% - 320%
Top 0.01% - 4000%
Billionaires - 32000%
Can you see the problem?
Reposted by Dave
Government admits that 50,000 to 100,000 more pensioners will be in relative or absolute poverty as a result of means-testing the winter fuel payment and it knew that at the time of the decision It has taken nearly four months to admit it bit.ly/3CCgISb click get file to read it
Work and Pensions Committee - Summary - Committees - UK Parliament
Summary for Work and Pensions Committee
bit.ly
November 19, 2024 at 5:13 PM
Government admits that 50,000 to 100,000 more pensioners will be in relative or absolute poverty as a result of means-testing the winter fuel payment and it knew that at the time of the decision It has taken nearly four months to admit it bit.ly/3CCgISb click get file to read it
Reposted by Dave
The engagement on BlueSky is just incredible. I go to my news feed & find posts from all the accounts I followed on X but never saw over there. And best of all no dumb arse content from Elon Musk forced on me & no bots. It’s seriously looking like the dream platform we’ve all been waiting for
November 17, 2024 at 1:15 PM
The engagement on BlueSky is just incredible. I go to my news feed & find posts from all the accounts I followed on X but never saw over there. And best of all no dumb arse content from Elon Musk forced on me & no bots. It’s seriously looking like the dream platform we’ve all been waiting for
Reposted by Dave
Nearly two million people have joined #Bluesky since yesterday. It's growing by 10.5 users every second.
Turns out that when you turn a social media platform into a far-right propaganda machine & personal bully pulpit, a lot of people go looking for something better.
Turns out that when you turn a social media platform into a far-right propaganda machine & personal bully pulpit, a lot of people go looking for something better.
November 17, 2024 at 11:01 PM
Nearly two million people have joined #Bluesky since yesterday. It's growing by 10.5 users every second.
Turns out that when you turn a social media platform into a far-right propaganda machine & personal bully pulpit, a lot of people go looking for something better.
Turns out that when you turn a social media platform into a far-right propaganda machine & personal bully pulpit, a lot of people go looking for something better.
Ah, Bluesky - feels like the Twitter I joined in 2017. Good to be back!
November 17, 2024 at 4:06 PM
Ah, Bluesky - feels like the Twitter I joined in 2017. Good to be back!