Neil Manthorpe

I think this is the point at which i wish I could be a pacifist - the Allies argued that this act of aggression ended a worse atrocity - so by comparing to #Gaza do we give the Israeli Govt an excuse for what the IDF has done?

Remind anyone of somewhere? #Gaza

Can there be anything more symbolic of a government’s moral failure than it arrests and imprisons those who protest against a genocide?

The unspoken bit is “Anyone who doesn’t meet conventional standards of femininity can’t use the women’s bathroom in case they frighten a cis woman”.
If you’re a GNC cis woman, how do you prove you’re *not* a trans man if accused? Phone your doctor???

BBC among media misreportimg/exaggerating scale of asylum protests

Median protest is a few dozen, below 100.

"Usually Several hundred at a time" is false.
- should say *occasionally*
< 1/10 protests have 200 people

"Sometimes thousands"
I dont think a single 2025 protest had > 2000 people yet

Local knowledge lost too as offices closed and compliance centralised - i expect an element of Govt policy from 2010 to 2024 that aligned with the view that profit/income belongs to the earner and taxation is confiscation? Current Govt with its own fiscal 'black hole' to fill might take action

will be interesting to see how much extra is collected - at the high end it has gone down since board members became criminally liable for tax compliance - great way of focusing minds! - 2/2

I think HMRC have removed the local units that trawled newspapers etc for evidence of trading and checked paying tax - MTD will allow them to cross check invoices so that payer and payee are checked - 1/2

The problem with Robert Jenrick’s migrant sex crime claims The shadow justice secretary is spouting statistics that simply don’t add up.

Stats are flying around a lot at the moment appearing to link certain foreign national groups with sex crimes. Here's why you should handle them with caution:

www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

It is simply misinformation to claim that people can get disability benefits just by “self identifying as disabled”

You need evidence, prolonged and often from multiple specialties, and to go through comprehensive assessments.
You can’t just say “I’m disabled” and get everything

Not why I voted @uklabour.bsky.social -glad to have resigned

Influential women urge Labour to include asylum seekers in plan to tackle violence Exclusive: Letter warns of ‘two-tier’ system if asylum seekers are excluded from promise to halve violence against women and girls

Pleased to be in this list of women calling for asylum seekers to be included in the Government’s plan to tackle violence against women & girls. Violence doesn’t stop at the border - and neither should our compassion for survivors @4refugeewomen.bsky.social

Those who came together as Red Wedge to support the Labour Party

Table at the entrance of the Village church. Orders of service on top of a large progress flag

Sometimes you go somewhere where the presence of the Holy Spirit is just so abundant. This afternoon I had the honour of preaching and presiding at The Village Church, and it was such a beautiful place to be. A church where all were absolutely welcome & where all could feel safe

A real blessing ❤️

US sanctions UN expert Francesca Albanese, critic of Israel's Gaza offensive Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the move to her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC).

No more sucking up to Trump.

No more hand waving about so called "special relationships."

Beyond time for Keir Starmer to condemn this - and then stop our own active involvement with the genocide.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Lead ammunition to be banned for hunting and shooting in England, Scotland and Wales Exclusive: Restrictions on ammunition containing toxic metal to be phased in over three years from 2026

Rejoice! It might be 15 years late, but this is excellent news. No more lead ammunition!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Revealed: Overwhelming majority of Brits support wealth tax on super-rich, according to new poll Three-quarters of the public support introducing a 2% tax on wealth above £10 million

Brits back imposing wealth tax on super-rich

leftfootforward.org/2025/07/reve...

Seven years since this gem on BBC News

The fact they think these things are "Radical" tells us all we need to know about the UK's media class.

Did the MP’s who voted for this bill really join The Labour Party and get elected to Parliament to attack the disabled? Shame on those, including my MP who did.

Thinking of the fine example of faith, integrity and fun that Jay is - loving the poetry and the postcards

Very good to help with learning id

Unified global taxonomy published for first time AviList, the first unified global checklist of bird species, has been launched, listing 11,131 species and resolving decades of taxonomic inconsistencies. Created by leading ornithological organisations, it will guide conservation efforts, improve data sharing, and support global tools like the IUCN Red List and eBird. The list is freely available at www.avilist.org.

A unified global taxonomy has been published for the first time via the launch of AviList this week, with the British list to be impacted:

Greta Thunberg has been kidnapped by the state of Israel.

"Please make sure to be loud."
- One of the last messages from the crew before being taken hostage after the attack from Israel

RESHARE! REPOST! SPEAK OUT!

RELEASE. THE. CREW.
END. THE. BLOCKADE.
FREE. PALESTINE.

For the record:

I just nominated BIRDS OF POOLE HARBOUR
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
movementforgood.com/index.php?cn...

We’re very disappointed to hear today that plans for a new National Park in Galloway have been scrapped. It’s been over 20 years since Scotland created its only two National Parks. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and the Cairngorms have since evolved into important landscapes for both people and nature. A third National Park in Scotland – in Galloway or elsewhere – would bring huge benefits for nature, communities and climate. The Scottish Government must now step up and take urgent action to show it is committed to tackling the nature and climate crisis. This news makes it even more vital the Natural Environment Bill drives the nature recovery we so desperately need.

Our reaction to the Scottish Government's decision not to continue with a new National Park in Galloway.

Screenshot of a Guardian news article with the headline: “Wildlife charities urge Labour to scrap ‘licence to kill nature’ in planning bill.” The subheading reads: “Conservationists say part of bill allowing developers to avoid environmental laws by paying into nature fund should be ditched.” Below, a protest photo shows handmade signs in woodland. One reads “BAT FACTS – 14 species of bat in Buckinghamshire. Bats are the only mammals that can fly.” Another says “FAT CATS KILL BATS” in bold letters. The image underscores public anger and the scale of opposition to the proposed Planning Bill.

Labour promised to restore nature. ❌

Instead, their Planning Bill contains a licence to destroy it.

We offered solutions. We’re done waiting.

Part 3 of the Bill would gut the laws protecting our most precious habitats & species.

Without significant change, it must be scrapped.

Child poverty is a scar on our national conscience A Labour government has taken millions of children out of poverty before. It can do so again.

“Child poverty is the biggest cause of social division in Britain today, a scar on our national conscience, and a stain on the soul of the country”

Gordon Brown

www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...

rejoin.info The Rejoin EU knowledge base

This is a superb new resource about rejoining the EU.

rejoin.info

It takes all the thorny questions, and the objections and obstacles people throw in the way of rejoining, and tackles each one slowly, factually and calmly.

Bottom line: we can rejoin. It won't necessarily take a very long time.