Stiùbhart mac an t-Sealgair

47% of people think immigration is primarily illegal. There were 4% irregular arrivals in March

New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation

By supporting the expansion of Heathrow Airport and spreading outright lies about decarbonising flying, Labour has again capitulated to lobbyists.
This is its defining characteristic: doing whatever powerful lobbyists ask, regardless of the social, environmental and even political costs.

Two in five arrested for last summer’s UK riots had been reported for domestic abuse Police data indicates overlaps between public violent disorder and domestic violence and abuse

That's quite a statistic www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

"I know, I'll sound off about immigration, just as I land in a country that deeply values immigration, except for the case of my own mother, in which all Scots wish she had never left the Isle of Lewis for America, but instead married a crofter from Tolsta, & gone on to raise a decent family."

First Global Comparison of Glacier Mass Change: They’re All Melting, and Fast - Eos By systematically assessing data gathered by different methods, researchers refined estimates of global glacier melt and its contribution to sea level rise.

The first global comparison of glacier mass change reveals a global loss of 273 billion tonnes per year, an amount equivalent to what the entire human population on Earth drinks in 30 years. 🧪

There’s a new acid in our rain — should we be worried? Scientists and regulators are divided over the threat posed by rising levels of a chemical called TFA.

There’s a new acid in our rain — should we be worried?

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Genius! Bravo Scotland!

Labour’s arguments on water nationalisation reveal their total economic incompetence This exchange took place in The Commons yesterday as Clive Lewis MP asked Steve Reed MP, the Environment Secretary, about nationalisation of the water industry: Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab) I am afraid that the report feels like a missed opportunity for the Government to show the public whose side they are on....

Starmer's Labour's statement about the cost to taxpayers for nationalising water companies is either incompetence or a neo-liberal lie.

Labour under Starmer is morphing into a party that Thatcher would have admired.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/07...

Oil refineries are a vital part of UK infrastructure -- as long as they are not in Scotland then they are totally expendable.

MP Gives Voters An Important Reminder About Nigel Farage's Brexit Past Stephen Flynn said leaving the EU has left Britain "smaller and poorer" and one man is to blame.

"Flynn said leaving the EU has left Britain "smaller and poorer" and one man is to blame."
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mp-giv...

Norway +34°C, Iceland +28°C, and it will be hotter! - mkweather Northern Europe is currently in the grip of a historic and rapidly intensifying heatwave, with Norway and Iceland experiencing record-shattering

"The scale of this heat event is so vast that hundreds of temperature records could fall across Northern Europe in the coming week, from the Nordic countries to the Arctic fringes. Heat alerts are now in effect or imminent across much of the region, & public health officials are urging preparedness"

Politico: ,"Lib Dem-run South Cambridgeshire District Council has voted to permanently adopt a four-day working week for staff at full pay."

And they're unlikely to be blocked, unlike under the Tories.

High water bills, filthy rivers – and now drought. This is England's great artificial water crisis of 2025 | George Monbiot In its refusal to nationalise water, it’s clear the government operates in the interests of private capital and not of the country, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

High water bills, filthy rivers, now drought. England’s water crisis created by privatisation.

1989 - 2023: No shareholder investment.
Investment funded by customers.
19% of water lost to leaks.
£82.4bn cash extracted.
Water bills up 360%.

Govt opposes public ownership. Looting continues.

The Open 2025: Saturday tee-times 'tweaked' due to Portrush band parade, R&A say More than 70 bands and about 2,000 people are due to be involved in the event on Saturday evening.

Open tee times tweaked due to parade of 2000 bigots in #Portrush.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Selling England by the pound Two familiar commentators on this blog, Mike Parr and the person known as Colonel Smithers, spent some of the weekend discussing a Substack by someone called Brian McDonald this weekend. As he noted: ...

Selling England by the pound www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/07... Why is England (and I do mean England, in particular) in such decline? That's because the City put up a 'For Sale' sign over it in the 1980s, and the logic still is that everything must go.

More than 80% of measles infections linked to imported cases and rest of unknown origin as immunisation levels in Scotland climb again to herd immunity level Professor John Robertson OBAFrom Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2024, the above graph and: Quarterly uptake rates in Scotland have gradually declined over ti…

As Guardian reports 'UK worst in G7 for MMR jab rates at 89%', how Scotland is actually second best at 95% just behind Germany at 96%:
talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/03/31/m...

Thames Water issues hosepipe ban for 1.1m people The water company says a lack of rain and increasing demand has stretched its supplies.

Thames Water hosepipe ban for 1.1m people across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire.

No new reservoirs built since 1989.
TW loses 592m litres of water a day to leaks
Neglected investment, paid dividends
Dumps sewage.

Bonuses for execs, misery for people.

Given widespread UK misreporting on EVs it's worth noting…

* New EVs only cost ~14% more than petrol
* New EVs to reach "price parity" by 2026-28
* 2nd hand EVs already cheaper
* EV drivers can save £1,000/year on fuel
* The vast majority of EV drivers save money overall
1/2

The FT needs to get its head around wealth, and the need to tax it The Financial Times published an editorial yesterday which revealed more about the priorities of the economic establishment than it probably intended. The FT editorial team was worrying, at considerab...

The FT has published an editorial attacking taxes on the wealthy, and saying we must keep those threatening to leave, come what may. They're horribly wrong. If pandering to tax abuse is the price of keeping the wealthy, we should show them the door. www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/07...

Stochastic Violence From Moygashel to McArthur Park The Fascist Atmosphere is everywhere, from the livestreaming of genocide to the Vice-Singalling of the far-right and their media apologists, and now manifests itself in the migrants’ effigy o…

'Loyalists in County Tyrone celebrate burning refugees alive. It’s not a "cultural celebration", it’s a festival of hate that’s permitted to dominate whole cities and intimidate whole communities as no other cult is.'
Mike Small, via @bellacaledonia.bsky.social
bellacaledonia.org.uk/2025/07/10/s...

Landmark ruling finds Russia shot down MH17 with 298 people on board Europe’s top human rights court finds Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by Russia in July 2014

Landmark ruling finds #Russia shot down #MH17 with 298 people on board - www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... "Europe’s top human rights court finds Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by Russia in July 2014"

A whole swathe of comments on Norman Tebbit today, pro and anti. He was authentically what he was. He represented a strand of old-fashioned, working class Toryism: anti-trade union, anti-state, with a narrow view of Britishness. Below from Alan Bennett's diaries.

If an offshore wind farm in Scotland produces more electricity than the network can handle it's paid to turn off, or "constrained", and a gas-fired power plant in the south of England is paid to turn on.
wastedwind.energy/2025-07-07

カラビカカカ 2」 PRIME MINISTER July 1, 2025 ก'วษภ ,ทวภ 'ภ Esteemed Members of the Nobel Committee, I wish to submit the nomination of the Honorable Donald J. Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, for the Nobel Peace Prize. President Trump has demonstrated steadfast and exceptional dedication to promoting peace, security and stability around the world. In the Middle East, his efforts have brought about dramatic change and created new opportunities to expand the circle of peace and normalization. Foremost among these achievements was President Trump's pivotal role in facilitating the Abraham Accords. These groundbreaking agreements established formal diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations-including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. These breakthroughs reshaped the Middle East and marked a historic advance toward peace, security and regional stability. President Trump's vision and bold leadership promoted innovative diplomacy defined not by conflict and extremism but by cooperation, dialogue and shared prosperity. Few leaders have achieved such tangible breakthroughs to peace in such a short time. In these times of great historic change, I can think of no one more deserving than President Trump of the Nobel Peace Prize. Sincerely, plate The Norwegian Nobel Committee Henrik Ibsens gate 51 0255 Oslo Norway Jerusalem. Israel

Morning Bluesky.

Netanyahu has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Just received news that 27 people have been arrested in Parliament Square under the Terrorism Act 2000 for holding signs saying "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action".
This is real police state behaviour.

The Morgan McSweeney-Keir Starmer Premiership is in serious trouble. Now they are briefing against Labour stalwart Alastair Campbell. And falsely claiming the McSweeney strategy puts Lab on "the common ground of public opinion" when it is flatlining. HT @georgeeaton.bsky.social x.com/georgeeaton/...

More than 400 media figures urge BBC board to remove Robbie Gibb over Gaza Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle and Mike Leigh among signatories to letter criticising Jewish Chronicle ties

More than 400 stars and media figures including Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh have signed a letter to BBC management calling for the removal of a board member, Tory-appointed Robbie Gibb, over claims of conflict of interest regarding the Middle East

The illegal killing of Hen Harriers has hit a devastating new high. ⚠️

A new RSPB report reveals 102 incidents in just five years - with the majority on, or near, grouse moors.

A thread…

May 2025: median wage of a UK worker, £30,252; net £25,293.

In 2024 (2025?) a single person needed to earn £28,000 for minimum acceptable standard of living; £69,400 for a couple with two children.

Low incomes, unchecked profiteering blights life.

50 families have more wealth than 34m Britons.

This is oligarchy. This is obscene.

While 60% live paycheck to paycheck & kids go hungry, Jeff Bezos, worth $230 billion, goes to Venice on his $500 million yacht for a $20 million wedding & spends $5 million on a ring while his real tax rate is just 1.1%.

End this oligarchy.