Then & Now Portugal's Drug Decriminalization Key developments since Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001 Overdose deaths 1999 369 2016|30 New HIV diagnoses due to injecting 2000 907 2017 18 Number of people incarcerated for drug offences 1999 2017 3,863 1,140 Sources: TheLancet, drugpolicy.org, EMCDDA, VHPA

Labour has been pushing lies about the Greens’ policy on reducing drug misuse. This is a policy that has already been very successful in Portugal. It has reduced harmful drug taking by ending the so-called “war on drugs”.

Nonceferatu

Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.

All Tories Are Cunts In Suits It's 7:00AM

Britain’s Story: The Next Chapter - BBC Royal Charter Review, Green Paper and public consultation

This is the Gov looking for your input on the BBC. It takes a while to complete (15/20 mins) but it’s pretty comprehensive and covers most aspects.

Please share. I’m surprised many people haven’t seen it yet.

www.gov.uk/government/c...

Vic Reeves & @bobmort.bsky.social made a very strong case for the BBC License Fee…

The Honourable Member for Gorton & Moscow.

Trans athletes may not have fitness advantage in women’s sport, landmark study finds Findings suggest physical performance in trans women converges toward that of cis women over time

What's that you say!

It was all just fear pushing by bad faith groups and that trans women pose no threat to cisgender women.

www.independent.co.uk/news/science...

Tou know what to do

Telegraph POLL: Are you happy with Brexit 10 years on? Currently 54% say yes vs 43% say no.

Here’s a direct link to the poll so you don’t have to read the article.
xd.wayin.com/display/cont...

The same bleak image as the original with the added shadow of an axe murderer.

There's just one thing missing ...
#DuvetKnowItsChristmas

The untold tale behind the Carol of the Bells How the Christmas classic got its start as a cry of Ukranian liberty and defiance

The untold tale behind the Carol of the Bells

How the Christmas classic got its start as a cry of Ukranian liberty and defiance | Tetiana Tomaby
@kentandsurreybylines.co.uk

This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter

In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career.

I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters.

Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

Elon Musk says Brexit made him decide against Tesla electric car Gigafactory in UK ‘Brexit made it too risky to put a Gigafactory in the UK’

Strange, hates EU but decided against building his factory in Britain because they left the EU

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

The only person to come out of the SPeggie/NHS tribunal vindicated and with a completely untarnished reputation is Dr Beth Upton.

Not SPeggie,
Not the NHS management,
Not Four Women Scotland,
Not the media,

Just Dr Upton.

Tribunal: *finds that Sandie Peggie harassed Dr Beth Upton*
British Press: Hahaha no, that's not the story we already decided we like, they must have said it wrong, we'll just say the opposite thing happened ☺️

Highlighted paragraph: Evidence from Ms Forstater and Mx Valentine 1038. We turn to address the evidence from Ms Forstater and Mx Valentine, which the parties had described as “research evidence”. That is not, so far as we are aware, a term of law. Nothing was cited to support the use of that term. It is not skilled evidence as explained below, and the parties did not suggest that either witness was skilled or expert in that sense. It was not necessarily inadmissible, given the terms of Rule 41, and until read and considered the extent to which it might be relevant could not be assessed, but the weight to attach to it was a different consideration

Highlighted sections: 1040. In many respects the evidence in the statements was more in the nature of material for the public debate on wider issues as to what the law should be, and on occasion it appeared to us to be polemic, rather than evidence relevant to the issues at an Employment Tribunal. 1041. Opinion evidence was addressed in Walker and Walker on Evidence, Fifth Edition (“Walker”), which explained the distinction between evidence of fact, and of belief or opinion. Opinion evidence may be led from what Walker describes as an ordinary witness (the classification of witnesses is between ordinary and skilled), and examples of that are given. Ms Forstater 1042. The statement from Ms Forstater was not presented as impartial evidence, but specifically as one given in support of the claimant. It had at paragraph 10 an argument as to facts, of which Ms Forstater said that she was certain. They are however we consider not facts, but expressions of her opinion. The assertion at 10 (b) for example was “Sex is in general readily perceptible and is salient to other people.” That we consider cannot be other than her opinion, for which no support from any document in the Supplementary Bundle appeared to be referred to in her written witness statement. It was contradicted by other evidence, and the terms of a Note issued by EJ Tinnion on 5 January 2025 in relation to the second respondent. It did not appear to be an assertion related to the second respondent in particular, but as a more general proposition. 1043. The assertion at (d) had a further series of propositions which were opinions although presented as facts. If the 1992 Regulations, then as discussed they are not within this Tribunal’s jurisdiction, and the comment appears to be an argument over the policy of the law, or how the law should be interpreted, neither of which are relevant evidence before us. 1044. The sub-paragraphs include, by way of example, (ii) “women are in general more fearful of men than men …

Highlighted sections: That is again an expression of opinion without cross reference to any document in the Supplementary Bundle. Sub-paragraph (v) was “unless rules about single-sex spaces are clearly stated and enforced it leaves women open to risk of sexual harassment and assault, and makes these spaces feel unsafe.” That again is an expression of opinion. The witness statement purports to expand on the comments at paragraph 10 stating that the facts stated are true. In our view they are not reliable as evidence from a person not a skilled witness on the propositions that are advanced. 1045. Where there was reference to documentation it is in our view both partial and incomplete. Part of it is based on research undertaken by Sex Matters, an organisation of which she is the Chief Executive Officer. It is a campaigning organisation, as set out in paragraph 4. There is an obvious risk that that research is impacted by the nature of it, which is not suggested to be an independent academic study .... In our view it would not be dealing with a case fairly or justly to rely on expressions of opinion from a person campaigning on one side of the argument on such an issue. We did not consider that the case of Connor on which the claimant founded, cited above and which indicated that in some situations evidence which was not expert in nature could be sufficient, was applicable to such a matter. 1047. Our review of the literature referred to by Ms Forstater reveals that the broad generalisations she seeks to take from it are not sufficiently supported by the document or document founded on, both from the terms of the document and the other documents in relation to the same broad issue, to be treated as reliable evidence.

Remember when Helen Joyce was called out as "not an expert" by Australian courts - Now Maya Forstater has been told the same in the Peggie judgment! 👏👏👏

The judgement states outright that the evidence submitted by her & Sex Matters was “not skilled evidence.”

This is the Tribunal’s exact wording!

Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...

Just 13k more signatures and the call for a public inquiry into Russian interference has to be debate in Parliament

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

Vaccines don't cause autism

Pass it on

Just tuned into TMS and Steve Smith almost immediately caught - definitely claiming that one! #Ashes

Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the transgender lives lost to violence. The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.

Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the transgender lives lost to violence.

The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.

The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford

Always be kind.

So Liz Truss had a good first day at Cloudflare…

Every Tuesday, the staff at Pepe's Piri Piri chicken shop in Bearwood perform famous theatrical scenes from a mezzanine above the shop. Yesterday, customers were treated to a captivating rendition of Lucky's monologue from Waiting for Godot.

Image of the mechanical ladder outside the Louvre Text below says WENN'S MAL WIEDER SCHNELL GEHEN MUSS (When you need to move fast) Underneath is more German text which translates as "The Böcker Agilo transports your treasures weighing up to 400kg at 42m/min - quiet as a whisper."

The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast'

10/10 response, no notes

That New York Times story lots of people are sharing today about Farage's ties to US anti-abortion groups was first reported by @mc00.bsky.social on Byline Times a year ago bylinetimes.com/2024/11/29/n...

Discworld QOTD, from Night Watch

Keir Starmer wants to force everyone to have a digital ID.

But the Liberal Democrats say that’s not the kind of country we should be. Instead, the government should focus on fixing real problems like the NHS and social care.

trans people are the vanguard of human freedom, pioneers in morphological liberty and conscripts in the fight against the most intimate of tyrannies: nature

everyday they liberate themselves from the shackles of biology to live as they choose not bound by tradition or cruft; everyday a prison break

Historians , were there as many political appeasers and journalistic supporters of fascism in Britain in the late 1930s?