The last time Britain's government openly ignored their duties under international law was way back in...June 2020, when the UN warned them about their failure to replace dangerous cladding on buildings.
When Black protesters complained to Buttigieg about siding with a white police officer who had killed a Black man, a woman asked if he expected Black people to vote for him - and he replied "I'm not asking for your vote".
It's not really good enough that white Democrats try to exploit the BLM movement, to serve their own political ends, when deep down, few of them care about meaningful change.
Aug 11, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Stephen Bush was among the many commentators adamant that May's Tories were on course to decimate Labour.
And when they proved to be wrong, rather than acknowledge it - or have any humility - they began pretending they'd never thought this.
5 songs about LGBT+ themes. I've tried to avoid the best-known anthems, and just post ones I enjoy.
1. Kitchens of Distinction - Sand on fire. Which makes fun of Dante's depiction of the Sodomites.
Longstocking - Goddess. About the fun of embracing it.
Jul 19, 2020 • 15 tweets • 5 min read
In 2015, David Cameron boasted "we’ve taken real steps to fight poverty. This has led to 600,000 adults and 300,000 children being taken out of relative poverty".
"denouncing 'wholesale' EU migration" is nonsense.
For anyone who actually has an interest in this, Corbyn was referring to a loophole in Freedom of Movement, which allowed UK companies to bring agency workers into Britain, and pay them less than the minimum wage.
Jul 9, 2020 • 8 tweets • 6 min read
A happy-ish thread, for once. 20 books I enjoyed as a kid, and still think are really good. Hopefully, they might encourage more reluctant readers to engage.
1. Hurry Home Candy - by Meindert De Jong
2. Harriet The Spy - by Louise Fitzhugh. 3. The Indian In The Cupboard - by Lynne Reid Banks
4. Black Harvest - by Ann Pilling
5. The Third Class Genie - by Robert Leeson
6. There's an awful lot of weirdos in our neighbourhood - by Colin McNaughton
Jul 8, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I've read the Harper's letter doing the rounds. Aside from anything else, I don't see how anyone could approve of it, when it pointedly does not provide evidence to support its claims about people being cancelled.
There is a list of unspecified examples provided. E.g."Professors are investigated for quoting works of literature in class".
This, presumably, was a reference to Laurie Sheck who was investigated after quoting a racist term. She was cleared, however:
Ross Colquhoun is a Scottish Nationalist, and the Times (in Scotland) supports the SNP. So, maybe people should exercise a bit of critical judgement on this claim - instead of taking it at face value.
People began lobbying for schools to re-open, almost as soon as the lockdown began.
It's not because they care about the well-being of students. It's because the private companies who run academies are losing money.
tes.com/news/coronavir…
Amazingly, the same 'centrist' politicians and commentators who profess concern for disadvantaged children, never question why so many families are poor to begin with.
Jun 25, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
It's too pleasant an evening for politics. So, five songs about Summer.
Emiliana Torrini - Unemployed in Summertime. Which looks on the bright side.
Chic's a warm summer night - which doesn't.
Jun 22, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The pretext of caring about women's rights, given by TERFs to justify transphobia, is more than a bit hypocritical.
LGB Alliance is backed by the anti-feminism Heritage Foundation.
pinknews.co.uk/2020/06/03/lgb…
Anti-trans campaigning has been galvanised by the US Christian Right - who are overtly hostile towards women's rights:
It then transpires that their own intellects do not shield them from pettiness, egotism or spite - and all the usual traits of people given a taste of power.
Jan 18, 2020 • 51 tweets • 12 min read
Whenever anyone criticises New Labour's record in office, the same deflective boasts are made about Sure Start, Minimum Wage, Working Tax Credits, NHS, Human Rights Act.
Fine. But let's look at some other policies of the New Labour era.
"Too many people tell me when I go out and knock on doors [...] it’s not good enough for us to tell them the real issue they need to be concerned about is ‘free movement and the single market’"
Not an easy point to accept, but Jess Phillips' opposition to a second Scottish independence referendum is both more ruthless, and insightful, than her detractors appreciate.
Courting the Unionist vote paid off for Ruth Davidson in 2017 - at the expense of Labour in the local elections:
3. The Indian In The Cupboard - by Lynne Reid Banks
