Lisa Matthews

Huge thanks to Baroness Lister for her amendment to the Border Security Bill on the need to reinstate the 56 day move-on period for all newly-granted refugees, and for sharing our evidence from our frontline teams and the views of young people in her speech!

You should read Electric Wind. Don't take my word for it -

🚨 Check Your Pay!

New Living Wage rates:

💷 £14.80 p/h London
💷 £13.45 p/u UK

The Living Wage’s meant to cover real costs — but it’s still not enough. So if you’re not even getting that, get organised and get fighting #UVW #unionstrong #livingwage

Folks, I've said wow out loud twice reading the first page and at one point my jaw dropped. Blockbuster opening

Finally, some sunshine! That means it's time to sit on the balcony and read @dudleymarianna.bsky.social amazing new book Electric Wind - An Energy History of Modern Britain. Get your copy from Manchester University Press ☀️📚🌬️

The British government has lost its attempt to stop Palestine Action fighting against the decision to ban it as a terrorist organisation by way of a full High Court judicial review

The Court of Appeal also granted permission for Palestine Action to bring its challenge on wider legal grounds

Reform's Dame Andrea Jenkyns considers scrapping English lessons Dame Andrea Jenkyns says a £1m budget to teach foreign nationals

For the love of God just make your mind up whether migrants should be speaking English or not www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Arms and banking industries lobbied Scottish Government over Palestine protests Barclays bank and the defence industry called for the Scottish Government to crack down on Palestine protests, documents show

The arms and banking industries lobbied the Scottish government for tougher action on pro-Palestine protests and direct expressions of support, newly released documents reveal www.heraldscotland.com/news/2554473...

brb just having a little cry

Received some very exciting post this weekend! I know, from 20+ years of friendship, that Marianna @dudleymarianna.bsky.social is incredibly thoughtful and articulate - can't wait to read this.
Beautiful cover design, slim volume so easy to carry about with you - get your copy!

I love that not liking Nick Grimshaw is basically one of your core beliefs now

Article reads: Woman named as Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first The 63-year-old archbishop-designate is married to Eamonn Mullally, with whom she has two children. Originally from Woking in Surrey, she was the UK's chief nursing officer from 1999 to 2004.

This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.

I have seen a lot of confused reporting over what happened yesterday - for me, Lizzie has the best understanding of journalists reporting on this stuff so this is the thread and article to read

Shon Faye getting us to face the bleak reality of trans rights and trans life in Britain today.

NEW: French police have caused the deaths of dozens of people by intercepting small boats at sea

These violent tactics are deployed now off the French overseas island of Mayotte

Under pressure from the UK, France now plans to start intercepting boats in the Channel

This is where that could lead ⬇️

First flight carrying migrants to France stalled after legal challenge | LBC The first flight carrying Channel migrants back to France under Sir Keir Starmer’s "one in, one out" deal has not taken place as planned.

The '1-in1-out' plan, just like the failed Rwanda plan, is an attack on the human right to seek asylum. It must be stopped.
We cannot punish survivors of torture and trafficking for how they arrived in the UK while denying them any safe alternative.

www.lbc.co.uk/article/firs...

A new Banksy artwork at the Royal Courts of Justice has been quickly covered up by authorities.

The piece showed a judge attacking a protester with a gavel – and appeared just two days after almost 900 Palestine activists were arrested in London

look, it might not have worked with the public, but at least it was the wrong thing to do morally

It was always collective punishment

Alluvial plot showing the flow of support from vote in the 2024 UK General Election to vote intention in 2025 Wave 30 of the British Election Study Internet Panel.

Labour's next biggest losses are to left-liberal parties (Liberal Democrats and Greens).

Reform's growth in support has mostly come from the Conservatives and non-voting (much less from Labour).

These reflect patterns of party-bloc voting that we saw in the 2024 UK GE: tinyurl.com/y5pv7thw

Dublin wasn't simply a returns agreement - it was about deciding which country should be responsible for a claim. Top of the criteria was family unity, which is why some families were reunited through it.

Manchester University Press - Electric wind Electric wind - Browse and buy the Paperback edition of Electric wind by Marianna Dudley

Pre-orders really help new authors so if you fancy getting a good read and helping a wonderful person out, you can pre-order here

manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526182968/

Manchester University Press - Electric wind Electric wind - Browse and buy the Paperback edition of Electric wind by Marianna Dudley

It's a delight to to be able to post about something happy for a change! Dear friend and academic superstar @dudleymarianna.bsky.social has written a very exciting book about the history of energy and it's out SOON.

manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526182968/

boooooooo

I can 100% agree with this review (of the author)

This is patent pandering to the far-right and it's not going to work. Lives are going to be ruined and Labour are still going to lose the next election. JUST LOOK AT THE POLLS. They must must must about turn immediately or all will be lost.

It will mean more people forced into dangerous journeys to the UK - more deaths, more harm. It will mean more people alone and scared here. When I asked the young people we work with - most of whom are here all by themselves - what would make them feel safe, they almost all said "family".

One week, three disastrous announcements from the government on asylum. Decisions that will mean more lives lost, more injustice faced, more people sleeping on the streets. The latest of these - the suspension of family reunion for refugees, happening as early as this week - is truly deplorable.