🚨BOOM!! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 50,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 100,000. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...

National Insurance Dodge

UK employers pay national insurance on employee/director wages.

That doesn't apply to profits (instead of wages) extracted by partners in partnerships.

Billions dodged. I asked the Minister whether that policy was wrong.

Watch how he dodges the question.

Lawmakers Want to Ban VPNs—And They Have No Idea What They're Doing It's unfortunately no longer enough to force websites to check your government-issued ID before you can access certain content, because politicians have now discovered that people are using Virtual

Attacks on VPNs are attacks on digital privacy and digital freedom. And that battle is being fought by people who clearly have no idea how any of this technology actually works. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

PERA Remains a Serious Threat to Efforts Against Bad Patents PERA would overturn long-standing court decisions that have helped keep some of the most problematic patents in check. This includes the Supreme Court’s Alice v. CLS Bank decision, which bars patents

Bad patents already do enough damage. PERA makes it easier to get them and harder to challenge them. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

‘The money machine is misfiring’: City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache Poor output since the leave vote has landed Rachel Reeves with a bigger-than-forecast budget spending gap

City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache.

But silence on its own role in economic crisis.
Short-termism and lack of investment
Endless financial scandals
Pushed for privatization.
Urged deal wage/benefit cuts
Opposes redistribution of income and wealth
Unchecked fat-cattery

Why the banking industry is not a paragon of free markets, efficiency, or honesty Despite making record profits and paying record returns to shareholders it resents paying taxes.

State support for UK banks

Bailouts: Govts found £1162bn (£133bn cash+£1,029bn guarantees) in 2008
£895bn QE
State is the lender of last resort
£85k bank deposit safety guarantee
PFI profits
£22bn a year interest on reserves deposited with Bank of England

Who else gets this level of state support?

The curious case of the King and the statue A statue of Hercules admired by millions has disappeared from Kew Gardens. Why has Charles decided to remove a prime piece of public art?

A statue of Hercules admired by millions has disappeared from Kew Gardens. @arusbridger.bsky.social asks: why has King Charles decided to remove a prime piece of public art?

Why the banking industry is not a paragon of free markets, efficiency, or honesty Despite making record profits and paying record returns to shareholders it resents paying taxes.

In 2024, UK’s big four banks HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, & National Westminster made £45.9bn profit.

Since 2021/22 profit margins up by 21%.

2022 -2024: Big four banks paid £124bn in dividends, £32bn in share buybacks.

They oppose possible tax increase, publish misleading tax numbers.

Tax them.

EFF was created for scary moments like the one we’re facing now. For 35 years, EFF has fought to ensure your rights follow you online and wherever you use technology, and we're here and ready to Take Back CTRL. Join us at www.takebackctrl.org.

Music: how the future dies by mobygratis.

»In Großbritannien gibt es keine echten checks and balances«, Annette Dittert, Blätter-Podcast, November 2025

Die MAGA-Bewegung will in Großbritannien eine autoritäre Wende nach amerikanischem Vorbild einläuten. Die Voraussetzungen dafür sind erschreckend gut, wie @annettedittert.bsky.social erläuert 👉 www.blaetter.de/podcast – und überall, wo es Podcasts gibt.

Citizen Protest Halts Chat Control; Breyer Celebrates Major Victory for Digital Privacy In a major breakthrough for the digital rights movement, the German government has refused to back the EU's controversial Chat Control regulation yesterday after facing massive public pressure. The go...

Vital and important step by Germany , Huge hard work by Patrick Breyer. www.patrick-breyer.de/en/citizen-p...

It’s come to this: Keir Starmer is now just the warm-up act for Nigel Farage | Aditya Chakrabortty As Labour flounders and dabbles in the politics of hatred to gain a point or two, it is those far from power who will suffer most, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

It’s come to this: Keir Starmer is now just the warm-up act for Nigel Farage | Aditya Chakrabortty
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Together for Palestine YouTube video by Brian Eno

The BBC will obviously not show this, unlike the Mandela concert all those years ago, however YouTube have agreed to live stream tonight's Wembley Palestine support concert.

Up the streaming numbers, 7 pm (UK) today YouTube, Brian Eno's channel.

www.youtube.com/live/RWBVHFv...

Rise in energy prices leaves 1m UK households behind on bills Energy debts have more than doubled in last 12 years, finds report, as Ofgem signals it will raise cap on bills

High energy prices leave 1m UK households behind on bills.

Energy debts doubled in 12 yrs.

6.1m households in fuel poverty. 128,000 people die in fuel poverty.

Energy companies made £514bn operating profit since 2020.

Can't build economy on poverty and death.

End profiteering. Nationalise.

Palestine Action lawyers accuse Yvette Cooper of ‘cynical media campaign’ Exclusive: Home secretary ‘breaching duty to court’ by making claims about reason for group’s ban that she has not disclosed in legal case

Palestine Action lawyers accuse Yvette Cooper of ‘cynical media campaign’
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Our state has become a guarantor of corporate profits Equitable distribution of income and wealth would go a long way towards stimulating domestic demand and investment...

Neoliberal destruction of the NHS

UK has 2.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people
Germany 7.6
OECD average 4.6

Worse in many places. Hackney in London 0.9, lower than Mexico. Bedfordshire 1.7, same as Colombia.

Sick people can't work. Can't boost GDP & productivity without better healthcare.

As the world hurtles ever closer to nuclear oblivion, where is the opposition? | Simon Tisdall The puerile standoff between the US and Russia ought to alert a slumbering public to a risk that is in many ways greater than during the cold war, says Simon Tisdall, a Guardian foreign affairs commen...

As the world hurtles ever closer to nuclear oblivion, where is the opposition? | Simon Tisdall
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Ex-Army helicopter pilot tops 'Fat Cat' City league with £45m pay Pascal Soriot, who runs drugs giant AstraZeneca, has slipped to third place in our annual survey, after being replaced by the relatively unknown Dilnot.

Melrose CEO got £45m pay package. He and outgoing CEO received £100m.

CEO and three others received a combined £208m.

CEO pay is 1,112 times more than the average worker.

Two-thirds of shareholders opposed exec pay.

Govts tell workers wage rises are inflationary, do nothing to curb fat-cattery.

FTSE 100 bosses rake in a record £550m haul The number of significant shareholder protests has more than doubled so far this year compared with a year ago, with 11 FTSE 100 companies seeing revolts of more than 20 per cent.

FTSE 100 CEOs netted £550m in pay packets, 11% hike.

Shareholder revolts make no difference, execs collect up to 1,112 average worker pay. Corporations are private fiefdoms of execs.

Workers in same companies relying on food banks and charity.

Worker real average pay stuck at 2008 level.

YouTube video by The Daily Show Jon Stewart Reacts to Colbert's Cancellation & Trump's "Bawdy" Epstein Doodles | The Daily Show

youtube.com/watch?v=TwOL...

Please watch to the end 🙏

YouTube video by Led By Donkeys UK Lawyers for Israel

youtube.com/watch?v=Ui70...

Nicotine pouches sold to children mimic sweets, says UK trading standards body Children can buy pouches legally as they are not regulated as a specific tobacco or nicotine product

Nicotine pouches sold to children mimic sweets.

These things are done deliberately to boost profits.

Typical big business - complains of regulation and then abuses it.

Make tobacco industry bear the social cost of diseases, disability and premature death that it inflicts.

They'll arrest people for supporting the ICC next 🤯

Armed police threatened to arrest Kent protester for holding Palestinian flag Officers accused Laura Murton who also had a sign saying ‘Free Gaza’ of supporting a proscribed organisation

Armed police threatened to arrest Kent protester for holding Palestinian flag
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

So is it now an offence to support the International Criminal Court?

England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade as experts call for hosepipe bans Levels even lower than in severe drought year of 2022, data shows, with water firms urged to ‘be proactive’

England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade, experts call for hosepipe bans.

No new reservoirs built since 1989.

Over a trillion litres of water a year lost to leaks.

Water companies paid out £85bn in dividends. No regulator/Govt had a national plan.

Crisis created by privatisation.

BREAKING: Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 16 Palestinians since dawn, medical sources tell Al Jazeera.

🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9xj4tp

Israel bombards eastern Gaza City after ordering Palestinians to flee Israel launches 50 aerial attacks across Gaza, with at least 68 Palestinians killed on Sunday.

Israel launches 50 aerial attacks across Gaza, with at least 68 Palestinians killed on Sunday.

YouTube video by Double Down News Sharing This Video Could Get You 14 Years in Prison

Today, the UK government intends to ban the non-violent protesters Palestine Action as a "terrorist" group, exposing anyone supporting them to terrorism charges. In 2 days, 380,000 people have watched this video on YT alone.
You're going to need a bigger prison.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkV...

Corporate vs human welfare: The story of Drax There is no means-testing for corporate welfare payments.

Corporate Welfare

2012-2027: £11bn subsidy for Drax, produces electricity by burning trees at double the price from gas.

2024 operating profit £1.06bn £869m subsidy.

£97m dividend paid; £300m share buyback.

Will get free money until 2031. No means testing.

Contrast with welfare of people.

No matter what Trump says, the US has gone to war – and there will be profound and lasting consequences | Simon Tisdall Trump has fallen slap bang into the trap laid for him by Netanyahu. His reckless gamble makes a nuclear weapon for Iran more, not less, likely, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall

No matter what Trump says, the US has gone to war – and there will be profound and lasting consequences | Simon Tisdall
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...