Frankie Rickford

The end of landlords: the surprisingly simple solution to the UK housing crisis Mass-scale housebuilding isn’t necessary – there is already enough housing stock. But we need to learn the wisdom of the last century when it comes to landlordism

An old piece but what a great idea! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

BBC faces ‘existential’ threat after exit of top executives Broadcaster’s deepest crisis in recent history comes amid fresh questions over its future role in British society

I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.

on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT

What organisation took this vote please, and what is MoU? (Just trying to catch up.)

The Green surge is about to break Labour Polanski's increasing popularity has huge implications for the future of British politics

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

Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on | Nesrine Malik The massacres carried out by the RSF in El Fasher, Darfur, with the support of its UAE sponsors, will only stop when the international community acts, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"If you've had enough of politicians, if you don't trust Westminster, join us."

What a revolting, cynical statement for a man who was an MP of the party that ruled for 14 years until five minutes ago - and David Cameron's speech writer before that.

What contempt for voters. ~AA

My husband and I just celebrated 22 years together, which is longer than both of Nigel Farage's mixed-sex marriages combined.

Women aren’t being protected from online abuse - I’m reminded of this every time I open social media | LBC I made the mistake of opening my X account the other day.

"Within the last hour a single user had sent 32 images depicting me on fire, hanging dead from a noose, with a gun pointed at my head and covered in blood, staring up at the camera alongside two men with knives. Also ... real footage of people being shot to death."
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wome...

100 Women: How the 'urinary leash' keeps women at home On World Toilet Day 100 Women looks at the impact of the 'urinary leash' which keeps women at home.

How the 'urinary leash' keeps women at home www.bbc.com/news/world-4...

Should be illegal.

Yes keep highlighting what divides us. So helpful.🙁

I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different.

Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.

Nigel Farage just repeatedly denied – under oath! – to @raskin.house.gov
ever banning journalists he doesn’t like from his party’s conventions.

This happened to me *literally today*.

Bluesky Suspended Various Trans Authors Over Anti-J.K. Rowling Posts Multiple authors were penalized for their posts on a platform once hailed as a “safe space.”

This looks like a positive move for @safety.bsky.app.
The amount of abuse & aggression towards women on BS, particularly towards womens rights campaigners & feminists with expertise on women's rights, is a major problem.
I've had to block so many aggressive abusive men.
www.them.us/story/bluesk...

Also to control the proliferation of "entire home" Airbnb-type businesses in residential areas where there's a shortage of rental homes.

The Elephant In The Room For Zara Sultana’s “Your Party” - Labour Heartlands Zara Sultana’s recent interview with New Left Review was, in many ways, inspiring. Her call for a genuinely member-led party, one that rejects top-down

'The truth is, many women will not get involved in this project precisely because of the Corbyn–Sultana line on trans issues. Others may hope the problem quietly goes away. It won’t.
labourheartlands.com/the-elephant...

Why are we reluctant to recognize Israel’s genocide in Gaza? | Kenneth Roth A narrow understanding of the term, as well as Israel’s history as a haven for genocide victims, explains the dissonance

“Because the state of Israel was founded in response to the Nazi genocide, it is harder to accept that the Israeli government in turn would commit genocide. One obviously does not preclude the other, but Israel benefits from the cognitive dissonance.”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I know the international rules-based order has always been a bit of a conceit, but I really think we're going to rue the quiet death of the Genocide Convention. If a country can unambiguously bomb, shoot and starve a people out of existence without any pushback whatsoever, we're all in grave danger.

From my friend, Nabil, in Gaza. How can our govts be more focused on suppressing criticism of Israel, than acting to stop these war crimes? I’m filled with despair, anger, outrage and frustration, and deeply, deeply anguished for the people of Gaza.

To think that this desperate tabloid Rod Liddle knock-off was once a Prime Minister.

Yes memory is slippery and complex. But editing definitely does not mean fabricating. There may be some genuine memoir in the book but can we trust the writer if we know she has deliberately misled us?

If you tell the reader your memoir is fictionalised, fine to make stuff up. Otherwise don't make stuff up because the memoir writer's contract with the reader is that you are writing what you remember.

‘There is no safe way to do it’: the rapid rise and horrifying risks of choking during sex Now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40, it can also lead to difficulty swallowing, incontinence, seizures, memory problems, depression, anxiety and miscarriage. How...

"Now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40"

Enough already. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The Guardian view on Gaza’s engineered famine: stop arming the slaughter – or lose the rule of law | Editorial Editorial: As Palestinians starve amid the rubble, western governments defend Israel, fund armed aid and dismantle the very rules they claim to uphold

Don’t like the Guardian much these days but this is cogent.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Israel, Iran and the US: why 2025 is a turning point for the international order The world appears to be facing an unprecedented upending of the post-1945 international legal order.

theconversation.com/israel-iran-...

Great read from @adamtranter.bsky.social ⤵️

Technology should not be introduced at the expense of pedestrian freedom to use the highway safely and conveniently. We need to make sure that the most vulnerable road users are protected and prioritised so that our streets work for all.

Rebuilding trust in politics starts with repairing the rules on funding Earlier this month the Electoral Commission heads appeared before a House of Commons select committee with stark warnings about the dangers of failing to address the problems with politi

Our politics is being bought by the highest bidder. Between 2001 and 2021, a 5th of political donations were from just 10 individuals. A donations cap is needed.

electoral-reform.org.uk/rebuilding-t...

Have you ever canvassed George, door to door? If you had done in the recent local elections in Shropshire you would know a cunning scheme which involved getting people to vote for parties they don't support wouldn’t stand a chance. Totnes is not a typical constituency.

If only we could all be as young, clever and male as you Toby.

Closing off social care jobs to migrant workers will only harm a sector that’s already in crisis Plans to encourage more British workers into the sector have been described as under-funded and ‘years away from delivery’.

Plans to encourage more British workers into the sector have been described as under-funded and ‘years away from delivery’.