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Polly Billington

@pollybillington.bsky.social
8.1K followers 202 following 129 posts

Labour Member of Parliament, East Thanet,

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Reposted by Polly Billington
Lucy Powell MP @lucympowell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A year on from the appalling antisemitic terror attack at Heaton Park Synagogue, my thoughts are with the families of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby. And all those impacted by the attack, including the wider Jewish community.
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Anti-Reform @antireform.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"Fantastic news Latest records show that RNLI donations have increased by 5000% over the past couple of weeks after far-right backlash. The RNLI is on track to record its highest annual fundraising total in its almost 200-year history" via Daniel Lismore Donate here rnli.org/support-us/g...
rnli.org
Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea
Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
www.ft.com/content/ef50...
ft.com
To safeguard Israel’s future, the UK is right to sanction settlers
A former Israeli attorney-general backs the UK government’s ban on settlement goods and trade with West Bank businesses
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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
1. AFM, the labor union representing professional musicians in North America, is paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who was a member of its Nashville Local 257 for 58 years. AFM says that for decades, Dolly consistently filed union contracts for her recording sessions, live gigs and tours.
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Why does clean energy keep defying forecasts? Solar in 2020 was 10x what 2006 outlooks predicted. My latest Bright Spots looks at feedback loops and non-linear thinking in climate policy - and why systems thinking is key. janrosenow.substack.com/p/how-feedba...
janrosenow.substack.com
How ‘feedback loops’ and ‘non-linear thinking’ can inform climate policy
Small changes, outsized consequences: the hidden dynamics steering the energy transition
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Renewal @renewaljournal.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
This year's Rita Hinden Memorial Lecture will be delivered by @yuanfenyang.bsky.social. The Lecture will be held at City St. George's University of London's Clerkenwell Campus on Wednesday 9 September. Register for free here: www.eventbrite.com/e/rita-hinde...
renewal.org.uk
Rita Hinden Memorial Lecture: Yuan Yang MP
Dear Subscribers and Friends of Renewal. We are delighted to announce this year's Rita Hinden Memorial Lecture will be given by Yuan Yang MP. Yuan Yang is the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, and c...
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 21/08/2026
Incredible photos from the National Trust. Rewilded land - rivers returned to natural courses, wetlands restored - have stayed green and lush during this summer's extreme heat. Reform (and Trump) claim rewilding is to blame for wildfires. These pictures are visual proof of that fallacy.
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Morgan Jones @morganj0nes.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Wrote this article last year and still think about the Uxbridge backlash quite a lot. I think it summed up a lot of what was wrong with Starmer's Labour – and the benefits of Sadiq sticking by his guns are now clear to see. labourlist.org/2025/04/loca...
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Shaun Spiers @shaunspiers1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Vigorous love in between Andrew Bowie & Justin Webb on #r4today (Webb’s assumption that target dates are ‘arbitrary’, that rising costs are caused by net zero , that net zero is the cause of deindustrialising). Please could the BBC give its presenters a proper briefing on energy policy & net zero.
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Leo Murray @crisortunity.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
“This summer has shown beyond doubt that climate change is not a far-off prospect but with us today. None of us can pretend we cannot see it. The cracked soil, dried-out riverbeds and low reservoirs are signs that the impacts are well and truly upon us.”
independent.co.uk
I will send in as many troops as are needed to fight tinderbox Britain
The country is a tinderbox right now, and we must take extraordinary steps to protect ourselves, says prime minister Andy Burnham
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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
UK economy has been far more resilient than the commentators/gloomsters/forecasters thought. Strong start to 2026 continues despite the headwinds of the Iran conflict - GDP growth of 0.4% in 2nd quarter. What matters most (gdp/capita) is also up 0.4%, and has risen 1% on the year
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 30/07/2026
The Daily Telegraph has raced through all five stages of climate denial this week. But this is, perhaps, the most ridiculous column so far: "Without minimising the severe downsides…especially on some poorer nations, many in Britain would enjoy the kind of warmer climate predicted by modellers..."
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
You gotta think even Telegraph readers aren't buying this shit as their holiday home near Bordeaux goes up in flames...
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 24/07/2026
Today, almost all new electricity is coming from clean energy Once clean-energy growth consistently exceeds demand, fossil-fuel power will start to decline Source: IEA
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Absolutely chuffed to bits to be appointed as a minister in Department of Energy Security and Net Zero working with a brilliant team: @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social @katiewhitemp.bsky.social @martinmccluskey.bsky.social @michaelshanksmp.co.uk Margaret Curran and @blairmcdougall.com
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Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 22/07/2026
I always remember how affecting I found Jens Stoltenberg's speech after the Utøya massacre where he argued that "the answer to violence is even more democracy". A lesson we should all take to heart.
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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
We must remember the Utøya massacre, and remember it for what it was: a far-right attack specifically targeted against democratic socialist activists. Today, the ideologies of its perpetrator are openly espoused by a global network of nationalist oligarchs as they wage war on democratic societies.
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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
No arrivals by small boats for the last 10 days now. As of yesterday, 12,469 people had arrived so far this year across the Channel, down over 11,000 (47%) on the same time last year. More than 10% down on 2023 as well, which was when crossings were, by comparison to other years, lower.
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Andrew Achilleos @andyachilleos.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The way we do politics is changing. Labour has a story to tell but it will take authentic working class voices to tell it. 💪📣 Get me on the NEC and together, we can tell a Labour story people believe in again. 🌹 ICYMI my pitch. 🔁👇 labourhub.org.uk/2026/07/14/m...
labourhub.org.uk
Make the Labour Party a touchstone for the working class
Andrew Achilleos asks you to vote him onto Labour’s National executive Committee. Belief and hope are born from stories, and the fundamental problem we have now is that people don’t believe in us –…
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Antonia Bance MP @antoniabance.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I’ll put this another way: teenage Wes grew up in a country where a career in the armed forces was closed to him. Now he’s Defence Secretary. These changes are incredibly recent
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I know it's not the biggest news of the day, but I just spotted this... One of Keir Starmer's last acts in Govt is this: Laying legislation that will legalise 'plug-in solar' (aka balcony solar) panels in Britain It means plug-in solar panels do not (legally) have to be wired in by an electrician.
statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk
Timeline - SI 2026/848 - Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 - Statutory Instruments - UK Parl...
Timeline for Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The Govt has now finished the secondary legislation needed to grant unions "access rights" to organise in workplaces, which will be legal from 30 October 2026. Unions will request entry into companies One SI sets the substantive rules (deadlines, refusal grounds, penalties), the other the mechanics
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Andy Burnham just took Steve Bray into public ownership.
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Melanie Ward MP @melanieward.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
In today’s @scotsman.com I’ve written about my visit to Syria & the hope that exists amidst huge challenges. Syrians are on a mission to rebuild their country. It’s in the UK’s interests that they succeed. We must stand with them as partners in doing so. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
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Ken Penton @kenpenton.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Very good @neweconomics.bsky.social blog from @pollybillington.bsky.social on why an Andy Burnham-led Labour Government should be leading the energy transition away from oil, gas and coal at home and internationally neweconomics.org/2026/07/ener...
neweconomics.org
Energy security in an age of conflict
Why the UK must lead a global clean power alliance
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/news-op... www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/news-op... a powerful piece. About power, who wields it and what it takes for ordinary people to change the country. @liamthorp.bsky.social
liverpoolecho.co.uk
Under a golden Sky the Hillsborough heroes made history again
A seismic day unfolded in parliament after years of tireless campaigning
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Rebecca Montacute @beckymontacute.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
When my mum died the state paid for lawyers to represent the mental health trust that failed her, but as a family we had no access to funding. Now, a family in similar circumstances will get the support needed to uncover failures - so happy this is finally passed. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
Burnham hails Hillsborough law as ‘rewiring of the state’ as MPs approve bill
PM-in-waiting says bill is major step towards securing accountability families had fought for, in rare moment of Labour unity
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
The FT scored highest on relating extreme heat stories to the climate, with nearly two thirds making the link – that is, 50 out of its 78 stories over the period. The Guardian came next, with roughly half of its heat-related stories drawing the link to the climate crisis – 64 out of 131 articles.

The Independent was the most prolific of the outlets studied, with 783 heatwave stories over the period, of which 304 – roughly 39% – mentioned the climate. About a fifth of the Mail’s more than 300 heatwave stories referred to global heating, and about one in eight of the 400-plus stories in the Express.

The Mirror also had a large number of heatwave stories – more than 300 – but only 9% of them mentioned the climate. The Sun came bottom of the ranking, with 69 heatwave stories in the time studied, of which only 6% included a climate angle.
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Liz Tufte Art & Design @liztufte.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Hope in the Dark = Never Fucking Surrendering #booksky #history #antifa
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth's treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal. … To hope is to give yourself to the future—and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.”

Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark: 
The Untold History of People Power 
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This is cool. Spurs have applied to install around 3,800 solar panels on the roof of their north London stadium. "The proposed 1.64MW system would give the ground a substantial source of on-site renewable electricity."
energylivenews.com
Spurs' solar ambitions kick off - Energy Live News
Tottenham want to install 3800 solar panels on their stadium roof to generate 1.6MW of power
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Following the newspaper reports over the weekend in to Farage, yesterday I welcomed the review by Sir Philip Rycroft before asking what protections will be put in place to stop individuals with serious convictions or histories of financial crime from funnelling millions of pounds into our democracy.
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Musicians' Union (MU) @wearethemu.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Government must do more to ensure freelance musicians can build successful, sustainable careers in the UK That was MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl's message for MPs this week Read our full report 🔗 musiciansunion.org.uk/news/mu-highl…
musiciansunion.org.uk
MU Highlights Challenges Facing Freelance Musicians in Parliament
Musicians’ Union General Secretary Naomi Pohl tells MPs that, despite improvements in workers’ rights, freelance musicians are still facing significant challenges.
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Bridget Phillipson MP @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Teachers are getting a 6.5% pay rise over the next two years. That's a 17% rise secured in my time as Education Secretary, alongside action on wellbeing. Under Labour, we have more teachers staying in their jobs, more rejoining & more training to teach. www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Teachers to benefit from multi-year pay deal
School teachers to see pay boosted over the next two years, as part of 17% increase since the general election, accompanied by significant additional investment
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Lads. It’s not all about you.
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... today @andyburnham.bsky.social met the women’s PLP to discuss how women are sidelined and ignored and overlooked for top jobs. I thought this article might be about those women. But no. Of course not. 🤦‍♀️
thetimes.com
‘You can’t have more Milibands than women’: sibling drama returns
More than a decade after Ed Miliband’s extraordinary act of fratricide, could it be David who ends up thwarting his brother’s ambitions in Andy Burnham’s cabinet?
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Labour4PR 🌹🗳️ @labour4pr.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
🚀 Brilliant that Polly Billington MP has joined the almost 1/3 of Labour backbench MPs calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform @pollybillington.bsky.social #ProportionalRepresentation #Labour4PR 🌹
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Well look at that. No coal and relatively little gas, and we have more than enough energy for the winter. Seems pretty good to me (NESO is now publicly owned btw) www.energylivenews.com/2026/06/23/w...
energylivenews.com
We have enough power for this winter says NESO - Energy Live News
Margins remain strong for the 26/27 winter with an 8.8% buffer says operator
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Philip Oldfield @sustainabletall.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Good news! ‘Plug-in’ solar panels costing just hundreds of pounds are poised to go on sale within months after a review found they were safe to use in the UK archive.is/eZ8Q8
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Shaun Spiers @shaunspiers1.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Essential thread. I hope (against hope) that it will be read by lobby journalists, union leaders, prospective prime ministers etc. Net zero really isn’t the cause of all our ills; rather, it’s the solution to some of them!
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APPG on British Muslims @appgbritmuslims.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Statement on Edinburgh Anti-Muslim Attack
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Sarah Owen MP @sarahowen.org.uk · 20/06/2026
Awful news from Edinburgh. Islamophobia + anti Muslim hatred should have no place in society but sadly is a regular occurrence for many. My thoughts are with the victims and everyone who feels less safe because of the division being stoked. The UK is better than this. news.sky.com/story/counte...
news.sky.com
Counter terror police investigating attacks that appeared to target Muslims in Edinburgh
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those to condemn the attacks, in which five men suffered a range of injuries in the city. A 36-year-old man has been arrested.
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Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
I’m going to focus most of my social media posts on Bluesky and Instagram. I feel increasingly that X is no longer valuable as a journalist. You can follow me on insta @paulbrandtv - join me there too! www.instagram.com/paulbrandtv?...
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
I spoke to the BBC about why we need a staged transition to restore hope while maintaining stability and the PM shld announce that, so he can have both dignity and a legacy.
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Christabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
It is extremely important that Labour understands that the movement of voters between Lab and Ref was not the crucial factor, it was consolidation of the anti-Ref vote and Lab voters turning out in droves. Otherwise Burnham will make the same mistakes as Starmer in targeting only one set of voters.
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Lizzi Collinge MP @lizzicollinge.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Smashed it 💪🏼 Looking forward to @andyburnham.bsky.social joining us in Westminster next week.
bbc.co.uk
Burnham wins Makerfield by-election, paving way for Starmer leadership challenge - live updates
Labour's Andy Burnham, who won 55% of the vote, says in his victory speech that the result could be a "turning point" for the party.
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Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Exc: First Government department quits Twitter over racism and violence concerns Richard Hermer sent a directive to staff last week saying the Attorney General's Office would be coming off the platform observer.co.uk/news/politic...
observer.co.uk
First government department quits X over racism and viole...
Concern about the spread of misinformation from right-wing figures prompts Richard Hermer to pull Attorney General’s Office off platform
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Lucy Powell MP @lucympowell.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
My message as the polls closed in Makerfield 👇🏻
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Lizzi Collinge MP @lizzicollinge.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
And now every government dept should, belatedly, follow.
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Ben Goldsborough MP @bengoldsborough.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
One department leaving is good. Now all must follow.
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Polly Billington @pollybillington.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Thank you. It’s a start.
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