Al Grooves

Left on bench

@highburyprkfriends.bsky.social

Keys found in the snow

It's #showyourstripes day

Robert Jenrick turns vigilante in bid to tackle London’s fare dodgers Tory MP claims ‘law breaking is out of control’ in video in which he accosts travellers on the underground

Jenrick – who in 2020 accepted that his approval of Richard Desmond’s building project had been unlawful – said it was “so annoying watching so many people break the law and get away with it”.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Fantastic performance by @arsenalfc.bsky.social women to win the Champions League! Absolute class! 🥳

The point is that you can't tax these people more without reducing other essentials costs like property, energy, transport and food

*now

No overlay cost of living for the same countries, starting with rent and mortgage / property costs

“Brexit means we can make our own agreements with the EU, as we pick and choose!”

- UK chooses to make agreement with EU on a handful of issues.

“Brexit Betrayed!”

YouTube video by Russell England "Brexit five years on - It has been a disaster" GB News interview with fisherman Andy Dixon

GB News : "Brexit is a good thing?"

Brexit Fisherman : "It's been a disaster"

"But exports?"

"Red tape is 100 fold, our main market is the EU"

"But EU fisherman?"

"They didn't come here"

"But charge more?"

"They can buy in the EU"

"How would you vote?"

"I'd vote for Remain in a heart beat"

Probably similar confirmation bias of really agreeing with something in the mush of stuff they spout off about as Trump supporters. Will be disenchanted or wound up about non EU migration, net zero or child sex gangs and rejoining / closer ties with EU will be low on their priorities

The most shocking part of this polling is that there are any reform supporters who want to rejoin the EU or have a closer relationship

I was surprised to see in today's ONS figures that UK goods exports suddenly rose 3.5% in Q1/25.

Then I found this was almost entirely driven by a surge in UK aluminium exports to the US ahead of Trump's tariffs.

This alone pushed UK GDP growth by ~0.2 ppts (out of 0.7 ppts total in Q1). Amazing.

WTF

Except the UK apparently

Dodgy Dossier Redux: Blair Fabricates Weapon Of Mass Distraction Every paragraph of Blair's climate paper is its own tapestry of rhetorical intricacy. But tug on a line and the whole thing unravels.

📢NEW from me: Oops, He's Done It Again: all the misled furore around Tony Blair's climate pronouncements this week somehow served to detract from how truly dreadful his policy paper is. I did a deep dive for some reason.

Would any @arsenalfc.bsky.social fan like a Bournemouth ticket today? Think you need to be a member to allow transfer. I can't make it and would rather gift it than waste it
@zoejardiniere.bsky.social
@gemabbott.bsky.social

FPTP isn't fit for purpose. Much prefer AV for the elected person having the support of majority of voters and giving people the freedom not to have to vote tactically.

Blair’s net zero intervention invites scrutiny of his institute’s donors Labour insider rebukes ‘tech bros’ within Tony Blair Institute as critics question past work with petrostates

💯
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Climate plan based on phasing out fossil fuels doomed to fail, says Tony Blair Former PM claims net zero policies losing public support and says there should be greater focus on carbon capture

Climate plan not based on phasing out fossil fuels is definitely doomed to fail!
a) they are finite
b) we won't have a liveable planet left if we burn them all
c) how much have you been paid by petrostates?
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Macron shook one hand.

He can use whatever BS excuses he wants as long as he changes course and provides support to Ukraine and stops fawning over Putin

We have now arrived at the "arresting judges" level of fascism.

Glad I haven't had one for a while, or Cadbury

Fuckity bye RIP, the Guardian-Observer 1993-2025. It was not a natural death.

broligarchy.substack.com/p/fuckity-bye

Lettuce to the editor

Opinion | Animals That Feel the Slice of the Knife (Gift Article) An insider offers a grim picture of life inside a cattle slaughterhouse.

"If you torture one animal, you’re arrested and considered a psychopath. But if you abuse millions of animals in a systematic, industrial process, you’re hailed for your business acumen."

Nicholas Kristof is 100% (gift link)

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/o...

Is that pp or total cost?

🧵Twelve conceptual 'problems' that make dealing with climate change super difficult:

Got to be some transformers there, surely?