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Andrew Shimmin

@adshimmin.bsky.social
118 followers 197 following 121 posts

Rejoicing in Titus 3:4-5. Woollyback; YNWA. Books, planes, trains, ships, old cars, primates (the animal kind), toucans and parrots. An idiot. En cas d'affluence, ne pas utiliser les strapontins

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Reposted by Andrew Shimmin
Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 19/03/2026
1. Britain has very much *NOT* always tolerated minority faiths. Just ask Jews and Catholics. 2. The idea that religious expression should be "in conformity with our values, our norms, our beliefs" should worry every faith group, starting with Christians.
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Jay Nordlinger @jaynordlinger.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
An observation -- not a new one, but still: When people on the right sneer at "moral vanity" and "moral preening" and "moralism," they are talking about what, until very recently, they themselves regarded as a simple and necessary recognition of right and wrong.
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Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 20/01/2026
Why is Donald Trump changing his mind every five minutes and saying completely mad stuff an embarrassment for Keir Starmer? It feels like it should chiefly be seen as an embarrassment for the United States.
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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
We had endless articles and TV clips about Biden's mental capacity but silence about Trump's obvious unfitness when he says he's going to start a war with Denmark over Greenland because he didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize.
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 03/01/2026
The only thing any of the western allies can do is quietly de-risk from America by unlinking our economy/institutions - but this is a slow process that takes years (and should have started in 2016). Saying something true that will upset Trump now needs to have a function beyond catharsis.
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Simon Nixon @nixonsimon.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
I think @robertshrimsley.bsky.social is much too kind to Jeremy Hunt here. In time, Hunt will come to be reviled as second worst chancellor in modern times after Kwarteng. In 1997, faced with similar circumstances, Ken Clarke put the national interest first. Hunt salted the earth. Shame on him
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
The welfare revolt does *not* prove that Labour MPs are "constitutionally incapable of making hard choices". It proves that they will not just wave through hugely damaging changes, that harm those most in need, on which they've not been consulted. That's MPs *doing* their jobs, not abdicating them
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Friends fear he is once again boarding the 'radical candour' bus, etc: but I do think they would be better off if their line to take had just been 'it was this or raise taxes', if nothing else because it would a) concentrate minds and b) be some useful advocacy for raising taxes and c) is true.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 11/06/2025
W.E.B. Du Bois on Robert E. Lee: “Either he knew what slavery meant when he helped maim and murder thousands in its defense, or he did not. If he did not he was a fool. If he did, Robert Lee was a traitor and a rebel–not indeed to his country, but to humanity and humanity’s God.”
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19/05/2025
Today is unfortunately a good reminder of just how depraved many Trump supporters are. It should be the easiest thing in the world to just wish someone well in light of a devastating health diagnosis. That they can't even meet that very low bar says a lot about their character.
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Leonardo Carella @leonardocarella.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Yes, and I totally see how "Starmer should fix the NHS" isn't a particularly astute insight, but ultimately all government bandwidth that isn't channelled into boring, mind-numbing deliverism is - at best - a waste of time, at least from a purely electoral strategy point of view.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Labour has a whopping great majority and four years left to turn this country around. They should be setting the agenda, not chasing about trying to placate voters of a party with five MPs who will never vote for them anyway. It's not only disappointing... it's embarrassing
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Why trying to out-Farage Farage is just never going to work for Labour. The most hardline, anti-migrant set of policies from any UK Government in recent years and the Daily Mail still portrays it as a betrayal
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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Toughening migration rules doesn’t challenge Reform. It validates them.
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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
If a government with over 400 seats and 4 years left to govern cannot summon the courage to level with the public on social care then I despair at the capacity of our political system to ever deliver the change we need.
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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
He was hardcore, Jesus Christ. /ends
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
UK governments always look for a sweet spot in immigration policy- tough enough to win votes, not so tough as to hurt the economy - but always find the opposite- clumsy enough to damage business, not enough to impress Reformesque immigration-phobes. so depressing.
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Max Mosley @maxmosley.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
On this basis, it seems unlikely that the proposed tightening of eligibility for PIP will achieve much other than causing further hardship for a group struggling the most since the pandemic. Link to the full @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis here:
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Superb research from Runcorn by @38degrees.bsky.social. Striking contrast between areas of concern vs areas of action. A majority (including even a big chunk of people for whom immigration is the top preoccupation) look to different policy areas to actually judge a government. @mcgregor.bsky.social
When asked about what issues are most important in how they voted:


Top issues

All

RFM Voters

LAB Voters

Immigration

20%

56%

2%

NHS

16%

11%

26%

Cost of living

10%

6%

9%

Housing

8%

6%

7%

Economy generally

7%

8%

16%



20% of respondents selected immigration as one of their top issues, followed by the NHS (16%), and the cost of living (10%). On aggregate, 31% of respondents indicated that an economic factor was important in determining which candidate they were going to vote for in the by-election (Cost of Living 10%, Economy Generally 7%, Benefits/Welfare 5%, Pensions 5%, Tax 4%).

When asked about trust in the different parties on the main issues:

Despite running neck-and-neck in vote share, Labour leads on trust in all key issues except immigration, where Reform UK holds a narrow edge.

On the NHS, Labour is well ahead (33%), while the Conservatives are trusted by only 7%. 

On the cost of living, Labour is ahead (25%) with Reform second (16%).

Reform UK leads over Labour on immigration (26% vs. 24%), which reflects the party’s strong alignment with voter concern on this issue. Conservatives trail at just 5%, while 23% trust none of the parties.

When asked what would most increase their trust in politicians respondents were much less interested in action on immigration compared to other actions:

Accessing NHS care more quickly (59.5%)

Fewer pensioners struggling to make ends meet (48.7%)

Big businesses paying tougher penalties for breaking the rules like tax dodging or pollution (42.7%)

Local services improving where I live (e.g., public transport, bin collection, community support) (40.7%)

Feeling that young people now have more opportunities for a brighter future (39.9%)

Having more money in their household each month (39.2%)

Seeing immigration numbers fall came seventh, with 37%
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
(And interesting in itself that there is outrage in papers and these sorts of reports being written about private school fees and household income but not, especially, about childcare)
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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
So much of Blue Labour comes down to the desperation of a very bourgeois network of people to signal that they have not betrayed a working class identity that only exists in their imagination
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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Remember all those people in the US who decided the most important thing to do last November was teach the Democrats a lesson because they were just like - or even worse - than the Republicans? Well, how's that working out?
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Chris Kendall @ottocr.at · 07/04/2025
Since the EU referendum, the UK civil service has grown by approx 130,000 employees. Just to recall, the entire European Commission employs 32,169 people. The EU system as a whole has around 60,000 civil servants serving a bloc of 27 countries. #redtape #bureaucracy
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Andrew Shimmin @adshimmin.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Thanks Google, but I feel that particular clarification was unnecessary. (Was looking up about Sejanus 🧐)
Result of Google search, reading "Tiberius: former Roman emperor"
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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
On the international stage Trump is a mark who thinks he's a con
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Ian Bond @cerianbond.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Where is the outrage in America about this shameful betrayal by Trump? Where are the Senators and Members of Congress who cheered Zelensky when he addressed them, but are now too afraid of Trump to say a word in defence of Ukraine?
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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 05/03/2025
Conversely, I suspect one of the things Trump finds most attractive about tariffs is that the CEOs and Chairman of vastly more succesful companies than his have to come grovelling to him for exemptions that he can grant or withhold without any process, oversight, or transparency.
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Andrew Shimmin @adshimmin.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
A very good summary of the only explanation of any of this which makes any sense. He's just a horrible person. And anyone who's ever assisted or condoned his rise knew this, knows it now, and is complicit and morally contaminated.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 05/03/2025
tired of people treating trump like he is anything other than an ego-driven simpleton (i wrote this, this is a piece about why he is nothing more than an ego driven simpleton.)
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump’s Revenge Tour Finds Its True Target (Gift Article)
It is hard to describe the president’s first month and a half in office as something other than a retribution campaign against the American people.
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Richard Branson @richardbranson.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
(1/3) It needs repeating: in 1994, Ukraine was persuaded to give up its nuclear weapons to Russia in return for the US, the UK, and Russia guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
“Governor Trudeau” is part of the Trump administration’s ethos of pathological insecurity. A weak person is constantly compelled to insult and belittle others, even allies, to show “strength.” An actually strong person isn’t. Bullies are weak, as are their sycophants.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 04/03/2025
By suspending all military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump has humiliated the people who pretended he was a reliable ally only in search of peace. The UK and Europe must seize frozen Russian assets to resist Putin’s unjust and savage war.
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Ian Bond @cerianbond.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
A truly vile decision, giving the lie to all Trump’s claims that he is horrified by the killing in Ukraine. Apparently he’s fine with the Russians doing the killing, but is determined to stop Ukraine striking back. Europe must wake up to how serious this is, not just for UA but for its own security.
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CALL TO ACTIVISM @calltoactivism.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
This is Marco Rubio explaining how the USA promised to defend Ukraine forever if they got rid of their nuclear arsenal left after the Soviet Union fell. This is why lil marco was sinking into the couch. He was hoping we wouldn’t find it…so don’t RT right now this very second.
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Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
“If Roosevelt had told Churchill to sue for peace on any terms with Adolf Hitler and to fork over Britain’s coal reserves to the United States in exchange for no American security guarantees, it might have approximated what Trump did to Zelensky.”
nytimes.com
Opinion | A Day of American Infamy
A dreadful moment for Ukraine, for the free world, for the legacy of an America that once stood for the principles of the Atlantic Charter.
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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 01/03/2025
Just so we're clear was it not a crisis when it was the other way around?
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Jonathan Liew @jonathanliew.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
barney's column this weekend is sensational www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...
theguardian.com
Nasser Hussain’s cricketing truth-bomb fights back against march of AI robots | Barney Ronay
The Sky Sports pundit deserves an award for his accurate assessment of India’s Champions Trophy gerrymandering
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Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
I understand (and share) the feeling but this would not help Ukraine, Europe or the U.K. Instead of performatively cutting ties with the US, the U.K. should focus on doing more with Ukraine and Europe as a whole. Don‘t say 'I won‘t have anything to do with you‘, just do more with the others.
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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 01/03/2025
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Andrew Stroehlein @andrewstroehlein.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
I wish political leaders in Europe over the last decade had spent less time & effort fighting the invented “invasion” of immigrants and more time & effort addressing the very real, atrocity-ridden invasion to the east.
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Sam Greene @samagreene.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Journalists and commentators: What happened in the White House was not a “shouting match”. Only the American side was shouting.
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
It's been obvious since January 6 that he was an enemy of the USA, the UK & the whole of the free world. Everybody still in his camp understands this as completely as everybody against it. They just prioritise personal interest over the national & international. And they know it. They all know it.
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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Zelenskyy was not humiliated. He’s a better man than those clowns insulting and extorting him will ever be.
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
He is not just appeasing Putin, he is aligned with him. And every single client journalist, political shill & public/online cheerleader on both sides of the Atlantic is too. Against Zelensky. Against Ukraine. Against freedom. Against the most basic tenets of decency.
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Garry Kasparov @garrykasparov.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Zelensky is a wartime leader watching his people suffer and die under Russian attacks every day. To be lectured and lied to by Trump and Vance, as they defend the war criminal dictator committing these atrocities, is unimaginable agony. An everlasting shame for America.
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Russia does not want to end the war, and the Trump administration has shown no ability to induce Russia to end the war. And so, predictably, the Trump administration blames the victim, blames Ukraine.
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