Bob From Brockley

I’m not generally a fan of if-the-boot-was-on-the-other-foot counterfactuals, but can you imagine what the UK media would be doing if one of Corbyn’s closest politician allies was found to be a Russian agent? Why is Farage not being held over the coals for this?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The perp being a white South African mentioned in paragraph 22

Maybe you’re right about the current situation. They’ve got such a bad deck of hands to play with and the impact of reinvestment is always so slow to see compared to the impact of disinvestment so the public tends to forget how bad it was under the disinvesting government by the time things improve.

Yes I think it’s not about individual councillors; there should’ve been (and could still be) a nation-wide narrative and campaign (it’s a complicated issue so hard to find the right messaging) and then bringing that back to municipalities through local fora and local old and new media.

It’s extraordinary but not shocking that it isn’t seen as a massive story that one of the most senior politicians in Farage’s party was an active Russian agent for pay, asking questions in the European Parliament on the Kremlin’s behalf, organising pro-Russian events.

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

I think in opposition Labour failed to get a story across about the scale of Tory destruction of local government so that voters could have understood this. In power, reversing that destruction hasn’t been a priority (when all spending needs are squeezed) so it can’t really tell that story now.

i have added @mark-bray.bsky.social to the afa research starter pack & apologize for such an embarrassing oversight.
go.bsky.app/739SB3g

(a) not as comforting, (b) no M&S in SE4

I used to eat a lot of Fray Bentos products but haven’t in ages!

Folks, have tinned steam puddings ceased to exist? Has the Microwave finally killed them off? I’ve just looked in like four different corner stores, the kinds of places they would’ve once been a staple, and there were none.

So @danielmang.bsky.social and I wrote something about the left in our current moment. It took us ages and ended up being rather longer than intended. Let us know what you think.

Just started this and of course really enjoying it. Probably the first time @leninology.bsky.social and Hillary Clinton were put so closely together on the page.

Good point

Btw if you want to be more informed about UK police corruption/racism/sexism, here’s some accounts you should follow:

@copscampaign.bsky.social @spiesoutoflives.bsky.social @netpol.org @orgreavejustice.bsky.social @donalodriscoll.bsky.social @tombfowler.bsky.social @francescanwtn.bsky.social

Elmore Leonard because they’re too good to give away. Murakami because nobody ever finishes them. Not sure why Dahl though.

This is Greater Manchester police, not that long ago bsky.app/profile/arbe...

A Year After the Murder of Sarah Everard, Not Enough Has Changed Today marks a year since Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered while walking home – and instead of dealing with the violence and bigotry endemic in the police, the state has doubled down.

These are the officers that worked with Sarah Everard’s killer, Wayne Couzens, who used his warrant card to entrap women. These are the officers that illegally brutalised the women who then protested.

See @francescanwtn.bsky.social in Tribune:

tribunemag.co.uk/2022/03/sara...

Met officers joked about raping women, police watchdog reveals Met denies culture of misogyny as damning report reveals sexist, racist and homophobic messages sent as ‘banter’

Charing Cross station just a couple of years ago: rape jokes and vile racism.

(CW - some really disturbing comments in this link.)

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022...

Secret BBC filming exposes hidden culture of racism and misogyny inside Met Police Panorama undercover investigation captures evidence that

Horrible but deeply unsurprising news. This station and the Met in general are probably among the most racist, misogynistic and violent, but don’t imagine this is a localised “few bad apples”.

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

‘We are not subject to Russophobia’ Russian politicians and Orthodox priests welcome international fascist organizations at St. Petersburg conference — Meduza In mid-September, members of fascist groups from around the world convened in St. Petersburg, Russia. After joining a religious procession led by Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill, delegat...

The neo-Nazi international meet Orthodox clerical fascism, hosted by a Kremlin-linked oligarch in St P’berg. Prayers said for Charlie Kirk. Alains Soral and De Benoist join online, Dugin in the room.

(HT @vorkoz.bsky.social)

meduza.io/en/feature/2...

#GenZuprising / #Nepal

bsky.app/profile/irar...

Orbán following Trump in declaring “Antifa” terrorists as a pretext for (more) political repression

Gen Z protesters rally across Morocco demanding health, education reforms Police say nearly 200 people have been arrested as the north African nation is rocked by biggest protests in years.

#GenZ uprising / #Morocco

Reminds me of 2011

(HT @notnobel.bsky.social )

www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

The Pontifex Maximus and His Lawyer: Glenn Greenwald and his strange far-right blind spot --> [Cross-posted at Daily Kos.] You may be like me, confused about how nationally known pundits who label themselves “progre...

It’s not new.

dneiwert.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-...

Glenn Greenwald does what he does best: amplify and defend actual Nazis

The PMC meets the Tucker Carlson Left Comrade Motopu uncovers the reactionary politics underpinning Catherine Liu's new book and her social media presence.

Also read Comrade Motopu on the PMC and the Tucker Carlson left:

libcom.org/article/pmc-...

PS If you’re interested in the history of the concept of the PMC (professional and managerial “class”) from dissident Marxism to reactionary confusionism, this long read by Ani White is very good fightbackarchive.blog/2021/10/14/i...

Great thread and post about Labour posing rightwards to chase the shrinking/mythical social conservatives among the 20% of voters in the trad “working class”, while denigrating the 50% of voters they describe, using terminally online US discourse, as the “PMC”.

open.substack.com/pub/benansel...

Yes you’re right but that’s the interviewer Jack Jeffrey saying it not the interviewee, who pushes back a little but too unspecifically

Ofc