💥 WE HAVE BEEN TARGETED 💥
Among all the Brexiter psychodrama in parliament today, you may have missed this article. Dozens of people have contacted me about it, so here's a thread on what I know...
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https://twitter.com/sophie_e_hill/status/1747007382553522407

It was first revealed that former MI6 Chief Richard Dearlove and his Brexiter chums, had been plotting to infiltrate Best for Britain to steal our strategic plans, by the let's say 'weird' publication The Grayzone, over two years ago...

There's been some big numbers about today. And some little ones too. So here's a thread that I hope will make it all a bit more clear. 🧵 The key message for voters from our polling today, is TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

You need to register to vote, have the correct ID and vote tactically once an election comes around.

Why take nothing for granted when the headline figure is so big? Let me explain...

🧵 about ambulance waiting times.

On Sunday morning at around 5.30am, I was awoken by a commotion outside. A woman (let's call her Sharon) had collapsed on the paving and was gasping for air. Some other neighbours were already trying to assist her. It took 13 minutes on a call with 999 to find out that an ambulance would be 'at least an hour' and that no other emergency service could come either.

Sharon's breathing was deteriorating, she was losing consciousness.

I got my car keys.

📣When he resigned as Con leader but wanted to stay on as caretaker PM, Johnson said, "I want you to know that from now until my successor is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on." Either that was true, in which case he has yet again shown incompetence in office by failing to act in the interests of the country, refusing to put in place emergency measures to help the British people cope with the worst cost of living crisis of our lives or

Excellent to see LibDems & Lab have stood aside for Greens as part of the rainbow alliance administration in a by-election tomorrow in the Waverley by-election in South West Surrey
waverley.gov.uk/Services/Counc… And on 25th May another one.

An important by-election in Spelthorne borough and constituency, Surrey where again Lab & LibDems have stood aside for Greens - who runs the council is dependent on this
spelthorne.gov.uk/election2022

A thread 🧵 on the #ElectionsBill. Where are we at? A reminder, this is (mostly) a deeply authoritarian Bill representing a huge power grab by the Cons. And I mean huge. Unamended, it gives Ministers unprecedented powers and basically ends free and fair elections in the U.K. It’s not hyperbole to say that.

Lord Judge making a very eloquent and powerful speech in HoL right now on the Elections Bill clauses that will defang the independent elections watchdog and give even more powers to ministers. And now Lord Blunkett stands up to back Judge. Reminds HoL that when New Labour had an even bigger majority than Johnson has now, they didn't abuse that power to be able to mark their own homework at election time.

It’s crucial that tomorrow the Lords vote to keep the elections watchdog independent of Government interference

theguardian.com/politics/2022/… I can’t stress enough how this is the perhaps the most egregious bit of the Elections Bill. Ministers are trying to give themselves powers & strip the Electoral Commission of them.

Our elections must stay free and fair. Otherwise we really do live in a sham democracy

Important 🧵 about what's happening to our democracy at home while the eyes of the world are (rightly) distracted.

This is without doubt the most authoritarian UK government I've lived under. I am appalled by their power grabs and duplicitousness.

Among MANY other things... They are actively seeking to ban peaceful protest in parliament square. Through Patel's policing bill, they are extending the controlled zone around parliament and up Whitehall which will have the effect of making demonstrations outside the mother of all parliaments, illegal.

Covid cases and hospitalisations are rising, to a worrying degree. Many/most of you will have had it at least once. We still don’t know much about the long term impact of the virus on our bodies

coronavirus.data.gov.uk You must do all you can to avoid infection/re infection. What we do know of the disease is that it’s horrible. It’s not flu. Long covid affects millions globally. You may have after effects that you don’t even realise are linked to the virus. Because we still know so little.

This comes as absolutely zero surprise to me theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2… Despite having an ageing population, we have an anti-natalist government. Which might JUST be ok if we one that was pro-immigration instead.

Remember, this government is pushing through SEVERAL bills that are very authoritarian.

They are each at different stages. Some are in the Lords, others back in the Commons.

🧵 Three of the most concerning are:

1. Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (going back to HoC)
2. The Elections Bill (going back to HoL)
3. The Nationality and Borders Bill (Cttee stage in HoL)

Our amendments now being debated. Excellent speeches by peers Colville, Rosser and Altmann.

Gvt responding now. Gvt response is disingenuous. But they’ve now said in the House that they won’t stop us protesting in Parliament Sq. We can test their honesty by organising a peaceful demo.

Peers MUST vote for 133A

#policingbill

If you’re a liberal, if you believe in equal votes that creates a more plural parliamentary makeup, if you advocate for minority rights, how can you justify becoming such an anti pluralist at election time?

Tribalists in political parties are holding back democracy 😔 Every day that goes by that opposition parties choose to fight rather than forge alliances, is a day that people are failed by them.