Nostr notes by Police State UK

"The New Mexico case is one of multiple social media-related ...

2026-03-24T23:03:43Z

"The New Mexico case is one of multiple social media-related trials taking place this year that experts have compared to the Big Tobacco suits from the 1990s due in part to allegations that the companies misled the public about the safety and potential harms of their products."

#SocialMedia #Meta #Facebook #Instagram

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/24/jury-reaches-verdict-in-meta-child-safety-trial-in-new-mexico.html

"Greenland seems to have been a game-changer. When Trump ...

2026-03-24T18:34:47Z

"Greenland seems to have been a game-changer. When Trump threatened Danish sovereignty in Greenland, the allies began to cohere around a new-found defiance, and resolved not, this time, to bend. Canada's prime minister gave voice to this moment. In his pivotal speech in Davos Mark Carney said this was a moment of "rupture" with the old rules-based international order - in the new world of Great Power politics, "the middle powers" needed to act together."

#Politics

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c99kkerr93ko

She seems to be aiming to reduce the benefits (including ...

2026-03-24T14:37:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…0xja
_________________________

She seems to be aiming to reduce the benefits (including pensions) bill by starving more OAPs and disabled people to death faster than the Tories did. Ambitious, but I think they're on track.

NHS cuts should help boost the mortality rate too. Especially if assisted dying gets on the books at some point soon.

"Rachel Reeves has ruled out universal support to deal with ...

2026-03-24T14:18:51Z

"Rachel Reeves has ruled out universal support to deal with any future rise in energy bills. She said contingency planning was taking place for an expected rise in energy bills but the focus was on longer-term measures to bring down bills for all and targeted support for the poorest households."

#UKPol #Labour #CostOfLiving #CostOfNeoliberalism

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/24/rachel-reeves-rules-out-universal-support-energy-bills

"The U.S. government is insolvent. That’s not hyperbole — ...

2026-03-24T13:38:34Z

"The U.S. government is insolvent. That’s not hyperbole — it’s the conclusion drawn directly from the Treasury Department’s own consolidated financial statements.

"If the $88.4 trillion in 75-year off-balance-sheet obligations were added to the $47.8 trillion in official balance sheet liabilities, total federal obligations would now exceed $136.2 trillion — roughly five times U.S. annual GDP."

#USPol

https://fortune.com/2026/03/23/us-government-insolvent-fiscal-crisis-fix/

"Over a dozen #ReformUK candidates for the #Holyrood election ...

2026-03-24T13:12:58Z

"Over a dozen #ReformUK candidates for the #Holyrood election are part of a Facebook group where members spread racist conspiracy theories."

#UKPol #ScotPol #Racism

https://www.thenational.scot/news/25958518.dozen-scottish-reform-candidates-part-racist-facebook-group/

"The #Labour government has failed our community through ...

2026-03-23T22:30:53Z

"The #Labour government has failed our community through continued austerity, welfare cuts affecting disabled people, and its complicity on the genocide in Gaza.

"There is another way - the #Greens have a plan to address structural inequality, to build local homes with local jobs, to deliver a genuinely caring economy. And only the Greens will challenge the national government, and advocate for a fairer, greener country for everyone."

#UKPol #London #Lewisham

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/two-more-london-councillors-quit-33646679

As a junior school child, I genuinely expected to die in a ...

2026-03-23T22:27:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…9ng7
_________________________

As a junior school child, I genuinely expected to die in a nuclear war before I finished school,

Kinda weird, and incredibly disappointing to be back there at the other end of my life now!

I'm keen to see how their imminent elections go. Only a few ...

2026-03-23T19:57:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…huaz
_________________________

I'm keen to see how their imminent elections go. Only a few more weeks, isn't it? It would be nice to have them pulling with everyone else, rather than pushing against them.

(Says the guy from Brexit Britain!)

"Most senior #Labour figures have spent their entire careers ...

2026-03-23T19:26:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…uumk
_________________________

"Most senior #Labour figures have spent their entire careers believing their party has a rightful monopoly of British left-of-centre politics, however rightwing some of its actual policies."

"Nowadays, with the electorate much more fragmented, and the ...

2026-03-23T19:22:51Z

"Nowadays, with the electorate much more fragmented, and the divides much clearer and more acrimonious than in the relatively placid 1990s and 2000s, ambiguous political messages often come across as incoherent and inauthentic – common criticisms of the Starmer government."

#UKPol #Labour

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/22/labour-left-centre-win-election-fragmented-electorate

“The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.” ...

2026-03-23T15:09:07Z

“The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.”
~Albert Einstein

"The spread of ignorance can be stopped by people who can tell fact from fiction, think for themselves, show simple human tolerance, and, most importantly, vote!"

#Politics #Bigotry #Transphobia

https://medium.com/prismnpen/the-comforting-embrace-of-transgender-bigotry-and-ignorance-67898c175c87

"More than £170m was given to MPs, political parties, media ...

2026-03-23T13:16:44Z

"More than £170m was given to MPs, political parties, media organisations and thinktanks aligned with the UK’s populist right over the past five years, new research from the Labour MP Liam Byrne has found."

#UKPol #ReformUK #GBNews

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/23/funding-for-populist-right-media-political-complex-exceeded-170m-in-five-years-research-finds

"The defence from Farage’s team is that he can’t be held ...

2026-03-23T12:25:05Z

"The defence from Farage’s team is that he can’t be held responsible for what people do with the messages he sends them, which is perhaps why most politicians don’t send personal endorsements to random people over the internet for money."

#UKPol #ReformUK

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/22/racist-meme-nigel-farage-cameos-online-far-right

"#Palantir is to be granted access to a trove of highly ...

2026-03-22T17:32:37Z

"#Palantir is to be granted access to a trove of highly sensitive UK financial regulation data, in a deal that has prompted fresh concerns about the US AI company’s deepening reach into the British state."

#UKPol #Labour #DataProtection

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-extends-reach-into-british-state-as-it-gets-access-to-sensitive-fca-data

"We are not stopping people from standing for Reform just ...

2026-03-22T17:05:35Z

"We are not stopping people from standing for Reform just because they might have said something fruity in the past."

#UKPol #ScotPol #ReformUK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj375v264rko

"The Trump administration violated the Constitution when it ...

2026-03-22T10:20:35Z

"The Trump administration violated the Constitution when it sought to restrict press access to the Pentagon and limit what reporters could cover."

#USPol

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/20/federal-judge-reverses-pentagon-press-restrictions-00838904

"Digital currency donations to #ReformUK have been turned ...

2026-03-22T10:15:13Z

"Digital currency donations to #ReformUK have been turned into sterling to make them much less easy to track."

#UKPol

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/reform-accused-of-using-third-party-to-turn-crypto-into-cash-and-hide-donors

"The Conservative party’s chief whip has been condemned for ...

2026-03-22T09:46:28Z

"The Conservative party’s chief whip has been condemned for promoting AI-generated footage created by a notorious #FarRight figure who was jailed for hate crimes against Jewish people."

#UKPol #Tories

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/22/tory-chief-whip-reposts-ai-video-created-by-far-right-figure-jailed-for-hate-crimes

"Reni Edo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White ...

2026-03-21T17:43:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…lzpd
_________________________

"Reni Edo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race was on the list too, with the reason for removal: “race, discrimination”."

#Irony #Racism

"She is too scared to use her real name, or allow the school ...

2026-03-21T17:37:41Z

"She is too scared to use her real name, or allow the school to be named. She fears that the school will try to take legal action against her and does not want to become a public figure, where she worries she may be targeted. Considering the abuse levelled at librarians in the USA for defending their collections, she may have a point."

#UKPol #Censorship #Books #Libraries #Education

https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/03/school-book-banning-escalates-in-the-uk-as-greater-manchester-secondary-school-censors-scores-of-books/

“This incident has confirmed once and for all how poisonous and ...

2026-03-20T21:13:20Z

“This incident has confirmed once and for all how poisonous and chaotic Reform is and I have no doubt that Scots will send them packing.”

#UKPol #ScotPol #ReformUK

https://www.itv.com/news/border/2026-03-19/reform-candidate-urged-to-apologise-over-appalling-social-media-posts

"#Iran's foreign minister has warned the UK it views its ...

2026-03-20T18:49:03Z

"#Iran's foreign minister has warned the UK it views its choice to let the US use British bases as "participation in aggression," in a phone call with Yvette Cooper. In his account of the call with the UK foreign secretary, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said he had also criticised the "negative and biased" approach of the UK and demanded that it cease any cooperation with the United States."

#UKPol

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkd3lqe2no

"Many #Labour MPs said they had been frustrated with the ...

2026-03-20T18:26:46Z

"Many #Labour MPs said they had been frustrated with the communications strategy to brand both #ReformUK and the #Greens as extremists or simply impractical."

“The truly radical thing is taking on why the system is broken in the first place. Why can’t we build homes? Why is energy so expensive? Why do many workers pay a higher marginal tax rate than a landlord?”

#UKPol #Housing #Bills #CostOfLiving

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/20/ministers-blueprint-economic-overhaul-fears-cost-of-living-hand-election-far-right

“Cutting international aid is a false economy – and one which ...

2026-03-19T20:16:06Z

“Cutting international aid is a false economy – and one which puts Britain’s security at greater risk.”

#UKPol #GreenParty

https://greenparty.org.uk/2026/03/19/aid-cuts-a-false-economy/

"In a healthy democracy, governments don't arrest people ...

2026-03-19T20:12:25Z

"In a healthy democracy, governments don't arrest people for holding paper signs."

#UKPol #Protest #PalestineAction #Proscription

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWE0H7pjYL_/

"Nigel Farage has stopped using the personalised video ...

2026-03-19T19:54:32Z

"Nigel Farage has stopped using the personalised video platform Cameo after revelations that the #ReformUK leader has filmed a string of highly questionable paid-for clips."

"No data was obtained illegally in the Guardian investigation, which on Tuesday revealed how #Farage recorded videos supporting a convicted rioter, repeating extremist slogans, and endorsing a neo-Nazi event."

#UKPol

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/19/nigel-farage-stops-using-cameo

"The Public Order Act is extremely expansive, its definition ...

2026-03-19T19:46:59Z

"The Public Order Act is extremely expansive, its definition of “assembly” and “procession” covering anything that “publicises a cause or campaign.” It’s one of the banes of my life, constantly used to subject activists to pointless investigations."

#Politics #FreeSpeech #Protest #Singapore #Authoritarianism

https://adimagazine.com/articles/no-free-labor-for-authoritarians/

Have you read the comics? I haven't seen the TV show yet, but ...

2026-03-19T19:34:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…ufr3
_________________________

Have you read the comics? I haven't seen the TV show yet, but in the graphic novels the satire is very heavy-handed against the supes at all times. Even the supes' internal struggles are portrayed as evil vs evil most/all of the time.

It'll be the thing about supporting a proscribed ...

2026-03-19T19:28:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…l3q0
_________________________

It'll be the thing about supporting a proscribed organisation, the same law behind all the #PalestineAction arrests last year.

"The #MetPolice arrested pro-#Palestine activists against its ...

2026-03-19T19:18:03Z

"The #MetPolice arrested pro-#Palestine activists against its own internal guidance, documents seen by Declassified suggest. The files also show that the force is cracking down on the use of Arabic words far beyond its controversial policing of the term #intifada."

#UKPol #Protest #Policing

https://www.declassifieduk.org/met-police-failed-to-follow-internal-guidelines-on-policing-palestine-protests/

“Electoral Commission rules are serious legal territory. We ...

2026-03-19T16:57:38Z

“Electoral Commission rules are serious legal territory. We questioned the monitoring officer’s [decision] about it. Some very experienced senior councillors — people who’ve been around far longer than I have — said they’ve never seen anything like it. They were completely outraged. Reform could have got themselves into very, very deep water.”

#UKPol #ReformUK #Kent

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/03/19/reform-kent-council-suffers-walk-out-after-party-declares-immigration-emergency-during-meningitis-outbreak/

"Pam Bondi and deputy Todd Blanche went to Capitol Hill to ...

2026-03-19T16:41:13Z

"Pam Bondi and deputy Todd Blanche went to Capitol Hill to try to quell bipartisan frustration over the Justice Department’s handling of millions of files related to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. But less than an hour into the briefing, Democrats walked out in protest of the arrangement and said they would press to enforce a subpoena for Bondi to appear for a sworn deposition next month."

“We want her under oath because we do not trust her.”

#USPol

https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-epstein-bondi-blanche-d49d96d7a53f4e8f71460a8c34155b3b

"In a further victory for reproductive rights, peers adopted ...

2026-03-19T16:18:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…u82n
_________________________

"In a further victory for reproductive rights, peers adopted an amendment from Baroness Thornton, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) to pardon women who currently have police records or have been subjected to investigations and prosecutions for ending their own pregnancies."

"Last night, the House of Lords voted to back #abortion ...

2026-03-19T16:17:51Z

"Last night, the House of Lords voted to back #abortion reform passed by MPs last year which will take abortion out of the English and Welsh criminal law for women in relation to their own pregnancies, voted in support of an amendment to pardon women who have been prosecuted under abortion criminal law, and fought off other anti-abortion amendments designed to limit choice and access."

#UKPol

https://humanists.uk/2026/03/19/lords-vote-to-uphold-decriminalisation-of-abortion-and-secure-historic-pardons-for-women/

"In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, #unemployment went up. ...

2026-03-19T13:08:28Z

"In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, #unemployment went up. #London bore the brunt of this – at its peak in 2021, 6.5% of working-age Londoners were unemployed, compared to 4.8% in the rest of the country. And then, as the country began to reopen, the unemployment rate went back to below pre-pandemic levels. Since 2023, though, while unemployment has remained around the same level in the rest of England, it’s gone up sharply in London."

#UKPol

https://trustforlondon.org.uk/news/unemployment-is-rising-among-young-people-in-london-whats-going-on/

"One egregious skill of the would-be tyrant is the ...

2026-03-19T12:25:40Z

"One egregious skill of the would-be tyrant is the identification of grievances genuinely felt by citizens. These can be used to ascribe blame and thence to target those so selected as culpable for the woes of the nation. A political party is created to present these confected notions to the rest of the populace."

#UKPol #ReformUK #FarRight #Fascism

https://sussexbylines.co.uk/politics/democracy/we-have-been-warned/?fsp_sid=3297

"As part of its 2026 manifesto, the Scottish #GreenParty will ...

2026-03-19T11:55:23Z

"As part of its 2026 manifesto, the Scottish #GreenParty will limit how much land can be bought by any individual or company to a maximum of 500 hectares, unless it can be proved that ownership will make a significant contribution to the common good."

#UKPol #ScotPal

https://greens.scot/news/put-land-back-into-the-peoples-hands

"Baku considers itself indebted to the United States and ...

2026-03-19T11:35:14Z

"Baku considers itself indebted to the United States and Israel. Moreover, lingering territorial disputes could prompt it to turn a blind eye to additional threats to the energy market. In this case, Britain, the country most dependent on oil imports, cannot avoid a total energy collapse."

#UKPol #EUPol #MiddleEast #FossilFuels

https://bylines.scot/news/world/britain-on-the-brink-of-an-unprecedented-energy-crisis/

“They’re doing an awful lot of engagement with MPs. It’s ...

2026-03-18T17:15:15Z

“They’re doing an awful lot of engagement with MPs. It’s been going on for weeks. I hadn’t heard that they were willing to shift, but I’ve noticed that they’ve been doing loads of engagement.”

Is that supposed to be reassuring? They're listening but ignoring everything everybody says? 😆

#UKPol #Labour #Migration

https://www.politico.eu/article/keir-starmer-compromise-uk-migration-reforms-backlash-from-mps/

"The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which ...

2026-03-18T16:38:38Z

"The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which is slowly working its way through Parliament at the moment, offers an opportunity to devolve local decisions to local government."

#UKPol #EngPol #Devolution

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/could-london-eventually-approve-its-own-transport-projects-without-whitehall-delays-87758/

"A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to ...

2026-03-18T16:33:19Z

"A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate money-laundering controls on his cryptocurrency business is funding a political base in the heart of Westminster used by “anti-woke” and right-wing activists."

#UKPol #Tories #ReformUK #Restore

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/18/crypto-billionaire-ben-delo-westminster-political-base-the-sanctuary-hosting-anti-woke-rightwing-activists

"Jefferies, in the guise of “Steve James” (alias “Edge ...

2026-03-18T16:23:52Z

"Jefferies, in the guise of “Steve James” (alias “Edge of the Matrix”), has turned to “auditor”-style bullying and harassment of trans people and their allies – including the newly elected #GreenParty Member of Parliament, Hannah Spencer, who was chased and harried by Jeffries and his sandwich board buddy, Alex Jardine in #Manchester the weekend before last. "

#UKPol

https://searchlightmagazine.com/2026/03/from-green-campaigner-to-harassing-green-mp-the-radicalisation-of-steve-james/

"#ReformUK leader’s paid-for Cameo videos contain far-right ...

2026-03-18T09:37:26Z

"#ReformUK leader’s paid-for Cameo videos contain far-right slogans, misogynistic remarks, antisemitic conspiracies, and support for a rioter and a neo-Nazi event. The videos raise questions about his relationship with the far right, and who he is willing to take money from."

#UKPol #Farage

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/17/nigel-farage-videos-support-rioter-neonazi-event-far-right-slogans

It's a quote from the linked article. I did think it was a ...

2026-03-17T23:14:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…96cm
_________________________

It's a quote from the linked article.

I did think it was a bit weird myself, but I try to remember that not everybody cares about the same things that I do 🙂

"Coalition wrangling makes it likely that #PlaidCymru will ...

2026-03-17T17:05:52Z

"Coalition wrangling makes it likely that #PlaidCymru will form the next Welsh government, ending 100 years of Labour hegemony, while #ReformUK is set to become the biggest party and form the official opposition."

#UKPol #WelshPol

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/11/keir-starmer-warned-cabinet-devolved-governments

"Rachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up ...

2026-03-17T17:01:56Z

"Rachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up plans to give regional leaders a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the English economy."

#UKPol #Devolution

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/17/rachel-reeves-plans-regional-national-tax-revenues-mais-lecture

"Falkner left her position as #EHRC chair in November 2025 ...

2026-03-17T14:32:44Z

"Falkner left her position as #EHRC chair in November 2025 after nearly five years heading the UK’s largest regulator of equality law. During that time, the non-departmental public body became widely condemned for its sudden shift towards what many described as a “transphobic” and politically conservative approach to #HumanRights law."

#UKPol

https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/03/17/ehrc-chair-abortion-rights

"Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, ...

2026-03-17T14:20:08Z

"Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, attended the final talks between the US and #Iran and judged that the offer made by Tehran on its nuclear programme was significant enough to prevent a rush to war."

#USPol

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/17/uk-security-adviser-attended-us-iran-talks-and-judged-deal-was-within-reach

"A Reddit researcher just exposed how Meta funneled over $2 ...

2026-03-17T14:15:50Z

"A Reddit researcher just exposed how Meta funneled over $2 billion through shadowy nonprofits to push #AgeVerification laws that would force #Apple and #Google to build #surveillance infrastructure into every device—while conveniently exempting #Meta’s own platforms from the same requirements."

#Politics #Privacy

https://www.gadgetreview.com/reddit-user-uncovers-who-is-behind-metas-2b-lobbying-for-invasive-age-verification-tech

"The US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible ...

2026-03-17T13:17:14Z

"The US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright."

“Our data on the USA goes back to 1789. What we’re seeing now is the most severe magnitude of democratic backsliding ever in the country.”

#USPol

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog

"The verdict is a clear victory for the Trump administration, ...

2026-03-17T12:53:07Z

"The verdict is a clear victory for the Trump administration, which, after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, has stretched the definition of “domestic terrorist organization” to include a staggeringly broad set of “terroristic activities,” such as “extremism on migration, race, and gender”."

#USPol #Protest #Antifa

https://newrepublic.com/article/207830/trump-administration-just-won-terrifying-victory-protesters-doj-prairieland-antifa

Simple answers to complicated questions have always been much ...

2026-03-17T12:00:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…jlkv
_________________________

Simple answers to complicated questions have always been much easier to sell than they are to deliver.

“#NATO is a defensive alliance, not an interventionist one. And ...

2026-03-17T11:57:56Z

“#NATO is a defensive alliance, not an interventionist one. And that is precisely why NATO has no place here at all.”

“Europe is not part of this war. We have not started this war. And the political objectives are unclear.”

#USPol #EUPol #Israel #Iran

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-war-iran/?reg-wall=true

"The #GreenParty have moved into a clear second ahead of the ...

2026-03-17T11:46:31Z

"The #GreenParty have moved into a clear second ahead of the Conservatives, according to the latest polling from YouGov."

Largely because the #Tories have dropped back rather than the Greens moving up. #ReformUK remain firmly in the lead nationally.

#UKPol

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/greens-move-ahead-of-tories-into-clear-second-in-latest-yougov-polling-404072/

"Every hospital in England has been urged to disobey an #NHS ...

2026-03-17T11:39:39Z

"Every hospital in England has been urged to disobey an #NHS directive to use software operated by controversial US analytics software company #Palantir."

"A coalition of #HumanRights, #health and patient organisations, and #unions sent out the plea to NHS trusts by email, out of concern over Palantir’s federated data platform."

#UKPol

https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s481

"Pressure is rising on the government to terminate its ...

2026-03-17T11:24:42Z

"Pressure is rising on the government to terminate its dealings with #Palantir. The reason this is important is that Palantir was still relatively little known until #Mandelson-gate, and the #Epstein scandal more broadly."

#UKPol #Labour

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/03/a-backlash-against-palantir-has-finally-begun-in-the-uk-but-is-it-already-too-late.html

"The Cabinet Office minister in charge of negotiations with ...

2026-03-17T09:43:47Z

"The Cabinet Office minister in charge of negotiations with Brussels is already working on which other parts of the economy would benefit from following EU regulations. Thomas-Symonds has instructed officials to conduct a “scoping exercise” to find out where companies are already complying with EU rules and so it no longer makes sense to apply separate UK ones. In return the two countries could then remove border checks on those goods."

#UKPol #EUPol #Trade

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/16/eu-urgent-reboot-uk-talks-stop-reset-deal-failing

"Health secretary Wes Streeting has delivered a statement to ...

2026-03-16T21:07:50Z

"Health secretary Wes Streeting has delivered a statement to the House of Commons in which he confirmed that funding for mental health has fallen as a proportion of #NHS spending in England.

"This spending reduction comes despite confirmation that one in five people aged 16-64 (22.6%) in England now have a common #MentalHealth condition, a 20% increase since 2014. This rises to one in four among young people."

#UKPol

https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/16/streeting-announces-reduction-in-share-of-nhs-spending-for-mental-health/

"#ReformUK has not shared the addresses of any of its digital ...

2026-03-16T13:05:05Z

"#ReformUK has not shared the addresses of any of its digital crypto ‘wallets’ with the Electoral Commission, drastically limiting the election watchdog’s ability to monitor where Nigel Farage’s party is getting its money from."

#UKPol

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/03/16/the-elections-watchdog-doesnt-know-where-reform-uks-crypto-donations-are-coming-from/

Probably just want to find out what happens after Trump and Putin ...

2026-03-16T12:54:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…3xu2
_________________________

Probably just want to find out what happens after Trump and Putin finally die. Do things start getting sane again, or does everything stay irreparably terrible now?

"British politicians and authorities are working intensively ...

2026-03-16T12:14:17Z

"British politicians and authorities are working intensively to escalate #censorship and mass #surveillance. When Mullvad tried to address this with the TV ad “And Then?”, it was banned on British television. The outdoor ad campaign meant to criticise the TV ban was also largely halted."

"Here, we bring you the ads that were too much for British television:"

#UKPol #OSA #CWS

https://mullvad.net/en/and-then/uk

Yeah, they're closest to the centre line on the ...

2026-03-15T22:16:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…xmky
_________________________

Yeah, they're closest to the centre line on the authoritarian/liberal axis. Except that unfortunate period where they were in coalition with the Tories. Although I think they did a lot to reduce the damage even then.

I don't recall Lib Dems being within spitting distance of the ...

2026-03-15T19:03:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…3efm
_________________________

I don't recall Lib Dems being within spitting distance of the centre since I started voting. They're very slightly left of Labour, but that's not saying much these days! They're farther to the right than the Greens are to the left, anyway.

"The question becomes, how do you manage that? If there is a ...

2026-03-15T18:04:49Z

"The question becomes, how do you manage that? If there is a US president … very strongly moving away from the national rules-based order towards a more sort of 'might is right' approach to the world, how do you respond to that?"

#UKPol #USPol #Starmer #Trump

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/589425/britain-and-the-us-had-a-special-bond-this-war-might-have-changed-that

"#ReformUK's plan has prompted warnings that a shift ...

2026-03-15T12:43:40Z

"#ReformUK's plan has prompted warnings that a shift towards a less stable and more politicised civil service could result in the loss of significant expertise and of institutional memory, and would make government less effective."

#UKPol

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/14/reform-uk-government-replace-top-civil-servants-people-aligned-policies

"With membership soaring, the #GreenParty is grappling with ...

2026-03-14T22:19:08Z

"With membership soaring, the #GreenParty is grappling with logistics, culture shifts and a flood of new activists."

"Before Zack Polanski took over as leader last September, the #Greens in England and Wales had around 66,000 members. They are now at 215,000, and still rising at speed."

#UKPol

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/14/green-party-membership-boom

"Just over a week after the U.S. and Israel launched their ...

2026-03-14T19:40:09Z

"Just over a week after the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war on Iran, Israeli settlers have ramped up their violence against Palestinians in the #WestBank."

#USPol #Israel #Palestine

https://theintercept.com/2026/03/10/israel-iran-war-west-bank-lockdown/

"A tranche of documents disclosing the appointment of Peter ...

2026-03-14T10:51:47Z

"A tranche of documents disclosing the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador has revealed that Kier Starmer was warned of Mandelson’s “reputational risks” in 2024, before he chose the twice-fired Labour veteran to be sent to Washington."

#UKPol #Labour #LabourTogether

https://novaramedia.com/2026/03/12/starmer-has-dragged-labour-into-the-gutter-says-john-mcdonnell/

"#Meta spent a record $26.3 million on federal lobbying in ...

2026-03-13T20:36:04Z

"#Meta spent a record $26.3 million on federal lobbying in 2025, deployed 86+ lobbyists across 45 states, and covertly funded a "grassroots" child safety group called the Digital Childhood Alliance (DCA) to advocate for the App Store Accountability Act - which requires app stores to verify user ages before downloads but imposes no requirements on social media platforms."

#Politics #Facebook #Instagram #Threads #SocialMedia #AgeVerification

https://github.com/upper-up/meta-lobbying-and-other-findings

"Undercover police officers spied on the justice campaign run ...

2026-03-13T11:11:54Z

"Undercover police officers spied on the justice campaign run by the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, the innocent man shot dead by police on the tube in 2005, the #SpyCops public inquiry has heard.

"The surveillance took place while the grieving family was seeking to hold the Metropolitan police to account and uncover the truth of why officers had mistaken him for a suicide bomber when they shot him seven times in the head."

#UKPol #MetPolice

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/12/undercover-officers-spied-on-family-of-jean-charles-de-menezes-shot-dead-by-met-police-inquiry-told

"The continuous talking-over of Sian Berry by Fiona Bruce is ...

2026-03-13T10:52:03Z

"The continuous talking-over of Sian Berry by Fiona Bruce is outrageous. I could hardly hear the opinion/discussion – instead only hearing Bruce interjecting."

#UKPol #Greens #NATO #BBC

https://www.thenational.scot/news/25933328.fiona-bruce-interrupts-green-mp-five-times-nato-policy/

“I am very doubtful of the wisdom of tying our cherished #NHS ...

2026-03-12T20:14:07Z

“I am very doubtful of the wisdom of tying our cherished #NHS to a deal of dubious benefit with someone as fickle and faithless as Trump.”
-- Layla Moran MP

#UKPol

https://bestforbritain.substack.com/p/the-trump-drug-deal-threatens-the

"We recognise the importance of maintaining confidence in the ...

2026-03-11T19:34:44Z

"We recognise the importance of maintaining confidence in the commission’s operational independence and ensuring it can carry out its statutory duties effectively, so we will repeal in full the power for government to impose a strategy and policy statement on the Electoral Commission."

#UKPol #Labour #Democracy #Elections #Voting

https://www.bestforbritain.org/campaign_win_government_drops_powers_over_electoral_commission

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_White-Cain

2026-03-11T16:46:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…madg
_________________________

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_White-Cain

"In a blow to Prime Minister Keir #Starmer, #Unite said its ...

2026-03-11T16:26:31Z

"In a blow to Prime Minister Keir #Starmer, #Unite said its affiliation will be reduced by 40%, or £580,000, adding that the actions of #Labour against the Birmingham bin workers will “not continue to be tolerated”. The move is unprecedented and shows the anger of Unite members, they said."

#UKPol

https://www.thenational.scot/news/25928001.union-votes-cut-affiliation-labour-500k/

"#Migration minister Mike Tapp failed a UK citizenship test ...

2026-03-11T16:15:30Z

"#Migration minister Mike Tapp failed a UK citizenship test question before insisting he is a "proud Brit." Speaking at a parliamentary committee on settlement, citizenship, and integration on Tuesday, 10 March, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal admitted he did not know the height of the London Eye - one of the questions in the official UK citizenship test."

#UKPol #Immigration

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/migration-minister-citizenship-test-mike-tapp-b2936352.html

"Nigel Farage, leader of #ReformUK, has caused confusion over ...

2026-03-10T13:20:26Z

"Nigel Farage, leader of #ReformUK, has caused confusion over the party's stance on Britain's involvement in the Middle East conflict, stating the UK should 'not get involved'. His recent comments, made during a petrol station stunt, contradict previous statements from himself and other senior Reform UK members who had advocated for UK intervention or joining US strikes."

#UKPol

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/nigel-farage-reform-iran-war-b2935473.html

"If these reforms really were aimed at dealing with the ...

2026-03-10T13:04:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…xnxe
_________________________

"If these reforms really were aimed at dealing with the backlog, they’d feature a sunset clause to restore the right to trial by jury once the backlog has been reduced, which they absolutely don’t."

"Lammy has things backwards. He seems to think that people ...

2026-03-10T13:04:12Z

"Lammy has things backwards. He seems to think that people who are accused of crimes are automatically guilty, and it’s a fault of the system that people who are accused of serious crimes, that carry sentences of up to three years, have a pesky right to request a trial by a jury of their peers."

#UKPol #Labour

https://anotherangryvoice.substack.com/p/david-lammys-deceptive-diatribe

"If passed, the measures would allow changes to be made ...

2026-03-10T11:58:12Z

"If passed, the measures would allow changes to be made through statutory instruments (rather than new primary legislation), a process that limits debate and scrutiny in Parliament. Critics say the proposals risk weakening democratic scrutiny and could grant excessive power to ministers."

This was one of the main tactics used by the Blair government to pass on average a new law every day for its entire time in office... just don't allow proper scrutiny.

#UKPol #Labour

https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2026/government/government-seeks-sweeping-powers-to-tackle-online-harms

"MPs have voted against a proposal to ban under-16s from ...

2026-03-10T10:46:46Z

"MPs have voted against a proposal to ban under-16s from using social media. It had been backed by the House of Lords, but was defeated in the Commons on Monday night by 307 votes to 173."

#UKPol #Censorship #AgeVerification

https://news.sky.com/story/flatplan-13517545

"Suddenly, the United States has produced an energy-price ...

2026-03-09T18:12:46Z

"Suddenly, the United States has produced an energy-price crisis for itself and for the whole world"

#USPol

https://www.alternet.org/trump-iran-economy/

"Dozens of MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for a ...

2026-03-09T17:01:32Z

"Dozens of MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for a formal British apology over the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which paved the way for the creation of Israel in 1948 and the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the Nakba. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, Labour's Nadia Whittome and Green MP Carla Denyer are some of the 45 MPs and peers who have signed a letter so far.."

#UKPol #Israel #Palestine

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/dozens-british-mps-and-peers-back-call-uk-apology-over-balfour-declaration

🙁 Two MPs were murdered this century (one from Labour and one ...

2026-03-09T16:31:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…yguz
_________________________

🙁 Two MPs were murdered this century (one from Labour and one from Tories), and four between 1979 and 1990 (all related to The Troubles, I think). Just in case anybody thought it was a theoretical problem.

No matter what opinion we have of some or all of our politicians, nobody should be pleased about this way of demonstrating it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_MPs_killed_in_office

"The United States is often referred to as the “World’s ...

2026-03-09T14:07:57Z

"The United States is often referred to as the “World’s oldest democracy”. So why don’t we see the American-style system elsewhere? Perhaps the reason is that since the nation’s ratification of the Constitution in 1788, the world has had time to evaluate the US system and determined there are alternatives for expressing the will of the people that are more fair, moral and efficient."

#USPol #Democracy

https://bylines.scot/news/world/americas-ambiguous-republic/

Yeah, I thought that was a weird word choice. I rarely copy-edit ...

2026-03-08T20:21:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…hsa2
_________________________

Yeah, I thought that was a weird word choice. I rarely copy-edit article quotes though.

I think London (in England) overtook NY as the most populous city ...

2026-03-08T19:17:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…dyk0
_________________________

I think London (in England) overtook NY as the most populous city in the world again recently, so this map also shows states with a lower population than London. 😄

"Trump’s latest crimes follow close on the heels of his ...

2026-03-08T18:46:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…2yn0
_________________________

"Trump’s latest crimes follow close on the heels of his kidnapping of Venezuela’s president; his threats to invade Greenland; his hypocritical upgrading of the US nuclear arsenal while prating about Iran’s hypothetical nukes; his sabotage of UN action on climate; his punitive global trade tariffs; his intrusive support for Europe’s far-right parties including Reform UK; and his unforgivable betrayal of Ukraine and appeasement of Russia. All these actions adversely affect the British people..."

"#Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin #Netanyahu, already ...

2026-03-08T18:40:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…2yn0
_________________________

"#Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin #Netanyahu, already charged with war crimes in #Gaza, and #Trump must now face prosecution by the international criminal court for atrocities perpetrated in #Iran, notably the appalling 28 February bombing of a school in Minab. They should both be sanctioned by the UK and all other governments that still respect the UN charter, human rights and the rule of law. And their countries should be sanctioned, too."

#USPol

"#Trump’s White House increasingly resembles a madhouse. ...

2026-03-08T18:38:54Z

"#Trump’s White House increasingly resembles a madhouse. War aims shift daily. A clueless, rambling president insists he must help pick #Iran’s next ayatollah. Meanwhile, his “secretary for war”, Pete Hegseth, rants manically about killing without mercy."

#USPol

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/08/iran-war-keir-starmer-donald-trump-us-israel

"Britain faces no present danger. Instead, #Starmer was asked ...

2026-03-08T15:29:32Z

"Britain faces no present danger. Instead, #Starmer was asked to contribute to an unannounced, unsanctioned attack on Iran by a president who can barely even iterate the objective of his intervention."

#UKPol #USPol #Trump

https://observer.co.uk/news/columnists/article/trump-says-starmer-is-no-churchill-he-has-no-idea-what-that-means

👍 Voting is literally the least effortful thing most people ...

2026-03-08T13:15:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…rd47
_________________________

👍 Voting is literally the least effortful thing most people can do that has a credible theory of change.

Sure, it's less likely to be impactful than local community organising etc, but it comes first on the list because it's trivially easy, not because it's best.

"The legal basis? Not consent. Legitimate interest. Meaning ...

2026-03-08T12:54:53Z

"The legal basis? Not consent. Legitimate interest. Meaning they decided on their own that it’s fine. Under #GDPR, they’re supposed to balance their “interest” against your fundamental rights. Whether feeding European passports into machine learning models passes that test — well, that’s a question worth asking."

#Privacy #IdentityVerification #LinkedIn #Anthropic #OpenAI #AWS #GoogleCloud #Stripe #Twilio

https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/

"Jurors are truly, uniquely independent. They rock up and do ...

2026-03-08T12:35:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…vp0a
_________________________

"Jurors are truly, uniquely independent. They rock up and do their jobs quietly and diligently, not seeking advancement or political approval, not dependent on the whims of politicians or fearful of scapegoating by the media. And, despite the best efforts of populists – on both ends of the political spectrum – to suggest otherwise, the public recognise and respect this. Trial by jury may well be the one part of our ailing, failing criminal justice system which retains widespread public faith."

"Juries are the only part of the criminal justice system that ...

2026-03-08T12:30:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…vp0a
_________________________

"Juries are the only part of the criminal justice system that do not produce disproportionate outcomes based on race."

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82009040f0b62305b91f49/lammy-review-final-report.pdf (PDF)

"Restricting trial by jury has been paraded by the government ...

2026-03-08T12:28:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…vp0a
_________________________

"Restricting trial by jury has been paraded by the government as the only way to tackle the record backlogs and delays in the Crown Courts – caused by years of chronic underfunding and political mismanagement – yet the government has produced not a shred of credible evidence to support this claim"

"The government intends to radically curtail the right we all ...

2026-03-08T11:59:35Z

"The government intends to radically curtail the right we all hold to be tried by a jury when accused of a serious criminal offence. Around half of cases that would currently be tried by a jury will not be, if this law passes."

#UKPol #Justice

https://thesecretbarrister.com/2026/03/07/keir-starmer-and-david-lammy-are-taking-an-extraordinarily-dangerous-gamble-with-our-individual-liberty/

I'd take any reason for prioritising people above corporate ...

2026-03-07T21:41:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…zvwf
_________________________

I'd take any reason for prioritising people above corporate sponsors for the next few years, but it doesn't seem very likely.

"The joint U.S.-Israel war, officials warn, could accelerate ...

2026-03-07T18:57:31Z

"The joint U.S.-Israel war, officials warn, could accelerate the distancing between America and its allies when it comes to defense. The European Union already has approved rules to favor its own arms-makers over American contractors — risking tens, if not hundreds of billions in future U.S. sales."

#USPol #EUPol #UKPol #Israel #Defence

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/07/allies-fear-iran-war-will-leave-them-without-u-s-weapons-they-bought-00817204