Simon Weller

Really proud that my branch Brighton has donated £1,600 to the ASLEF fighting fund in support of our striking comrades on Hull Trains.

#HullTrains #SolidarityInAction #solidarity #ASLEF

Congratulations to Eddie Dempsey. We look forward to continuing our work together to win the best possible future for our railway and all rail workers.

Thank you to Mick Lynch for your lifetime of work for our movement and your comradeship with all ASLEF members.

We're pleased to add our support to this.

As our Congress policy states, we need the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and a peaceful end to the conflict.

Solidarity with Ukraine and all workers affected by Russia's illegal invasion. 🇺🇦✊

Farage and Badenoch trade claims of fake party membership figures Reform UK says it has surpassed the Conservatives with more than 135,000 members

Unless I’m missing something, Badenoch has tweeted herself into a situation where she is either spreading falsehoods about Reform (i.e. Farage may have a case for libel) or she is saying “CCHQ or someone connected to me broke the law”:

I take your point, however Heidi knows the transport brief. We worked with her when she was Sadiq's deputy and her role covered TfL - we had a good relationship.

I'm disappointed she misses the point that the railway is woefully short of drivers because of the short termism of the private operators

Christmas travel chaos made worse by train staff pay rise, transport secretary says The government’s pay rise for rail staff who now have less need to work overtime has worsened travel chaos for commuters this Christmas, the transport secretary has said.

Completely missing the point, why have the private train operating companies been allowed to run down staffing levels to the point of being utterly reliant on overtime to run a bread and butter service.

I expected better from Heidi.

#aslef

www.lbc.co.uk/news/christm...

My 2024 lowlights…

Tax-dodgers cosplaying as farmers.

Public school boys saying they’ll stand up for hard working Brits…then voting against improvements to workers rights.

‘Entrepreneurs’ defending their right to unfairly dismiss people.

I bloody had one. It was great.

#daimler #jag #jaguar #jaguarrebrand

I bloody had one - it was great.

"I like the pink Jag"

oh when will the BBC stop talking about Gregg Wallace

Very funny woman who does R4 panel shows - looks at the Unbelievable Truth back catalogue.

"shocking pink, might indeed appear more familiar to [...] than the traditional owners of a Jag."

Nonsense, I had a pink Jag in 1990. It was a badge engineered Daimler but it was an XJ6 in a frock.

#jaguar #rebrand

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

I don't watch much television and I knew who he was (Holly Walsh has referenced him on R4). I'm with @helenlewis.bsky.social on this. He's a cultural <cough> icon.

Labour ‘hit job’ against Louise Haigh had been brewing for months Insiders believe Left-wing MP had a target on her back since ‘going rogue’ with unauthorised pay deal for train drivers

That the Treasury didn't know is absolute nonsense. The Treasury were involved in the negotiations.

I know. I was one of the #ASLEF negotiators at every stage.

#louhaigh #rail

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

Here’s a short story about who wins and loses from the status quo of our inheritance tax rules - and about, what you might politely call ‘sub-optimal’ journalism🧵

Anti-racism campaigner’s London book events cancelled amid threat of far-right violence Freedom of speech groups alarmed after events to promote book by Hope Not Hate employee are called off

This can not be allowed to stand.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

*cough*

Don't remember Beth Rigby framing questions in this way when the Tories froze wages and benefits, introduced the bedroom tax, tripled tuition fees, and curbed workers' rights.

Headline translation: Multi-millionaire who bought farm to take advantage of tax break, upset he will lose tax break. 🤷🏻‍♂️

The same newspapers who scream increases in the NMW will damage the economy, are happy to go to the barricades for a tax break for Clarkson, Dyson & friends.

• Mr Clarkson went on: "Frankly, I'd have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. I mean, how dare they go on strike when they have these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?"

for some reason I’ve remembered what Jeremy Clarkson, who said he bought land to avoid inheritance tax, said on live TV about striking public sector workers (extra marks for use of ‘us’)

We don't have snow often and it would appear that it is cheaper (more profitable) not to invest in the necessary infrastructure, equipment, and staff on the railway and simply let it fall apart on snow days.

What are the inheritance tax changes affecting UK farmers? Farmers to protest in central London as they say changes will destroy family farms

As farmers descend on Westminster today to protest against inheritance tax changes announced at Budget, this is a very thoughtful explainer by ⁦#HelenaHorton 🚜
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

So much misinformation around today on who will be affected by changes to inheritance tax - and lobbyists pretending the data isn't clear to obfuscate. We have detailed data on estates so the truth is in fact very clear if you care to look 🧵

Fancy dress day in Westminster: I’ve never seen so many Tory MPs dressed up as farmers

Tax due if parents hand on £3m house: £940k
Tax due if parents hand on a £3m farm: £0
A reminder of significant tax advantage to farmers vs everyone else AFTER these changes

Landowners and farmers will still enjoy gold-plated Inheritance Tax terms.

Three times the allowance of other people then half the rate with 10 years to pay instead of months is a bloody good deal, whatever they say.

With all these tractors and farmers outside Parliament this must be a day Neil Parish is sad to miss #tractorporn

If you bring central London to a halt in order to campaign against catastrophic climate change then you're a "barmy" eco "fanatic" who deserves to be locked up.

If you do the same to hang on to your multimillion pound inheritance tax exemption then you're a brave freedom fighter defying the odds