HughBankier.bsky.social

I don't even live in London, but this is 100% right.

Come one, come all.

Sending refugees back to Myanmar is sending them to die or be enslaved. Dictator Min Aung Hlaing is bombing the people, fighting perhaps a dozen resistance and liberation armies and has been forcing conscription onto anyone deemed to be of fighting age. He was involved in the genocide of Rohingya.

Mack

Went to their pub in beautiful Tromso in 2017. Loads of daftly strong beers from all over Europe, and Pipers crisps🍻

Save up, obvs.

But Arctic Circle Norway is stupendous.

To put a finer point on this whole thing: "Two people with direct knowledge of the operation" — presumably uniformed military leaders — are accusing the U.S. Secretary of Defense of personally ordering specific war crimes. That's a historic accusation.

The chart shows where spending on social security is shown as a share of GDP. As this makes plain, total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP. This is 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than it stood on the eve of the global financial crisis in 2007-08. But since 2012-13 (the peak in the post-GFC recession), total welfare spending has fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP. Added to this, welfare spending is expected to rise by just 0.1 per cent of GDP across the forecast period until 2029-30 (after U-turns and before any decisions made at the Budget).

Is welfare spending ''out of control''?

It's estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP this financial year.

That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️ buff.ly/s5mz97u

Persuasive letter on populism as a cognitive short-cut in the @financialtimes.com

This is another widespread trope on Twitter at the moment. It’s ’the Queers went too far’ & includes strawmen arguments as in here (1) ungrateful Queer ppl & (2) in other cases, the inclusion of trans ppl in the community. It’s a ridiculously stupid & rightwing piece of rhetoric. Let’s examine it*

Perhaps the greatest foodstuff ever.

Remember having a pint of that, on draft, by mistake, in Manchester.

Super busy bar, I looked along to where the taps were and saw Robbies.

Excellent, their bitter was (is?) lovely. 40 minutes later I was still struggling through it.

C. 1990, I was a young man to give some context 😁

Labour needs to learn the lessons from putting VAT on private school fees.
A clear policy, a well argued case and faced down critics. That's the way forward not surrendering at the first smell of cordite.
Labour has a stonking majority. Use it.

Pint of Beamish

Beamish in London!

At the #Cheshamarms in Hackney.

#BskyBeer
#Beamish

Always good

Sweaty Betty offered Middlesbrough trainer £4k for slogan use and silence Georgina Cox wants clothing firm Sweaty Betty to apologise and pay influencers it works with fairly.

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

Assuming Muttley MacLadd is also part of the legal action.

There are 3 premises of the asylum reform plans.

1. UK is the destination of choice in Europe.
- Untrue.
- But claims to the UK are rising.

Whichever one Norway is in will be the Group of Death.

'We invited a homeless man for dinner - he stayed for 45 years' The man was only meant to stay for a day.

I thought this was going to turn into a story needing its own True Crime Netflix series, but no.
This is quite something.

metro.co.uk/2025/11/18/w...

A long read but well worth your time.

🆘 Don't let the Government abolish refugee status. Take action now! 🆘
www.anothereurope.org/petition-don...

I’m not sure why bigots do it? One writes a factual thread about persecution of trans ppl. It’s clear it’s based on reality & proves that by including a few sample references. Then some troglodyte [who is not a mutual] rocks along to tell you, you are wrong - based on their views, not facts.

We should stop the boats because it's dangerous, and we should stop the scapegoating of immigrants because it's wrong and cruel.

Controlled migration is good for the country, helps build our economy and diversity strengthens our communities. (1/6) 🧵

Jewelry seized from Poles in Nazi concentration camps returned to families Germany's Arolsen Archives hands over Stanislawa Wasilewska's bracelet, watch and crucifixes to her grandson and great-granddaughter at an emotional ceremony in Warsaw

Taking jewellery also has direct echoes of what the Nazis did. Direct.

www.timesofisrael.com/jewelry-seiz...

Asylum system in UK ‘out of control’ and dividing country, home secretary says Shabana Mahmood to unveil new proposals modelled on Denmark’s controversial system

Everything about the current 'debate' around this is dismal, not just morally but because it is so stupid. For example:

It conflates asylum-seeking and illegal immigration (and sometimes with migration generally)

It shows no understanding of why there is AS

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025... 1/3

Crumpets and wine. Listening to Ultravox. I'm not the only one. Right?

No, I'd say it's racists and those pandering to them.

UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

I came to this country as a child refugee. No English, no certainty, no idea what my life could become. Britain gave me refuge.

Not on a timer, not with conditions attached, but with a chance to grow roots.

A thread 🧵 1/8
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

At a rugby club in small-town Leicestershire. This was on the window ledge in the toilet. Fearing the worst, I scanned the QR & opened it in an incognito window…

It’s a link to Amnesty International’s explainer on asylum & refugees 😍

'Scotland resuscitated after World Cup dream almost dies thrilling death' BBC Sport Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English dissects Scotland's World Cup chances after dramatic lifeline from Belarus.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Brilliant writing from Tom English.

Have to say I find the proposals to take away the route to permanent settlement of refugees both shocking and repulsive. It's code for 'whatever you do and contribute you can never become one of us so we won't allow you to try.' Racism, pure and simple.