iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Burnham’s speech is the best from a British politician in yrs. He’s the first leader with policies that I can truly get behind in over a decade. He actually said everything I wish Starmer had said months ago, as per my article below. The similarities are uncanny!!!🧵 bylinetimes.com/2026/05/12/t...

bylinetimes.com

'The Speech I Wish Keir Starmer Had Given'

Alexandra Hall Hall delivers the big reset speech she wishes the Prime Minister actually had made after Labour's local elections defeats

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Susan Collins is always horrified by the predictable results of her own vote, which means Mainers who genuinely care about Susan Collins should elect Troy Jackson as he won’t vote for things that wind up upsetting Susan Collins, unlike Susan Collins

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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

No, BBC, he has not been arrested over the video of dinghy slashing. He’s been arrested over the dinghy slashing. Words matter.

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Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Plain speaking with a touch of humour (delivered straight faced) is sometimes the way to go Give that man a 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Omg, I’ve just appeared on GMB News, interviewed about how Brexit is working and whether we shd try to rejoin. Aarrgghh😬😱😳I challenged the interviewer on the entire framing of the topic; and made my case. Naturally, once I’d finished, the panelists rubbished my points. Still, I was happy to try.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

This is shameful. European leaders should either boycott ,or send junior representatives . Trump Invites Putin to Attend Group of 20 Summit in Miami www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/u...

nytimes.com

Trump Invites Putin to Attend Group of 20 Summit in Miami

Many leaders are unlikely to welcome the Russian leader’s presence at the event because of his country’s war against Ukraine.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

My idea of hell - trapped in The White House ballroom, forced to listen to That man speak, mingle with his ghastly cronies and hangers on, and unable to take a break by hiding in the loo! If I succeed in escaping , I’ll be confronted by the monstrosity of Trump’s Arch, and green reflecting pool! 😱😱😱

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Great to hear the PM say “We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law” re foreign information warfare. I wonder if he or the Home Secretary might consider doing the same when it comes to masked vigilantes shutting down infrastructure and harassing the RNLI

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

That the election could be close at all is astonishing, given Trump’s appalling Presidency. US voters look at the economy, war, corruption, ICE, etc, and think “yeah, I’ll take more of that”??? Votershttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/23/trump-republicans-midterms?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

theguardian.com

Republican jitters grow as unpopular Trump fuels midterm ‘bloodbath’ fears

Iran war, rising prices and president’s low ratings give Democrats advantage, but Republicans have poured cash into key races – could it be decisive?

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Wey hey!! Two cheers. Hurrah! I’m almost, but not, quite, mildly excited that something might not be ruled out in a few years time. Way to go, Andy. Bold, bravely ambivalent, solidly ambiguous, resolutely vague leadership, at last. 🙄🙄🙄 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.com

Andy Burnham does not rule out Brexit reversal being in next Labour manifesto

PM says immediate focus is on rebuilding bridges with EU as he prepares for first meeting with Ursula von der Leyen

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

“What’s happening in Gaza”. What IS happening in Gaza? Ed? Who’s dying, who’s killing? Any specifics there? Or, just more “both-siding”.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

🙄yeah, like modern warfare still relies on bull-headed, rage male, bulging muscle shock jocks. The most important organ in a modern military fighter is not the one in their pants, but in their heads. 🙄🙄🙄

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

That’s a hard agree from me. I am genuinely astonished at the number of otherwise sensible commentators who still discuss his latest wild actions as if they’re within the parameters of the normal policy making process.

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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

my brilliant colleague @robertshrimsley.bsky.social on the threat from Elon Musk’s X platform www.ft.com/content/f270...

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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

“Unlike the political right in the UK, which still clings on to the fantasy of the US-UK special relationship, Carney understands that the US has fundamentally changed, and can no longer be fully relied upon.” ✍️ Alexandra Hall Hall

bylinetimes.com

Why Canada Could End Up With a Better Deal With the EU Than the UK

As the UK continues to hesitate over drawing back towards the EU, Canada has spotted an opportunity, argues former diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall

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Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A new era for Byline Times goes to press! @peterjukes.bsky.social & I are proud to have worked on a print redesign with our new art director Sonny Dhamu. With your support, we continue to grow. This issue marks a story no one else can/will. Two Cambridge professors. Two very different narratives...

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Joel @snufkinlib.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

We may never have been more back

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Phil M 🦻🏼💚 🍉 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇵🇸 @phillm.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

"Trump’s ambivalence towards NATO and the war in Ukraine, his affinity for dictators such as Putin, his outlandish claims on territories such as Greenland, and his disregard for the international rules-based order, have also eroded Canadian and European trust in the US".

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Glad our MPs have enough time on their hands for such important matters. Perhaps they could also scrutinize UK record at international croquet events; why haircuts are so expensive; and how to improve the annoying music when you’re on hold for a phone call. 🙄🙄🙄 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

theguardian.com

UK to answer for its ‘dismal record’ in Eurovision before committee of MPs

Digital, culture, media and sport committee expected to hear evidence from BBC bosses and music industry experts

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Raoul: The president is a combination of the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. He needs a brain and a heart, and Congress is a Cowardly Lion that needs courage to stand up…

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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Every damn word of this.👇

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Mark Lawson @marklawsonkernow.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I watch Canada ( and now potentially Australia ) getting closer to the EU, and I weep. We’ve cut ourselves off, we’re billions £ poorer as a result, we’re struggling and our government seems impotent or ignorant of fixing it. Start with rejoining trading agreements we lost. At least that please.

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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

While most other journalists ran with the Arday story as their summer sport, we've been looking at Cambridge for years, and @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social's investigation into the impact of Arday's death on his students and fellow academics is fearless and also heartbreaking. Genuine reporting

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Rebecca Shadwick @rshadwick.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

“The contrast with the comparatively limited attention afforded to controversies involving James Orr is profound,” Richard Sudan of The Voice told Byline Times. Orr and his cronies are toxic and the lack of media attn to them is terrifying - and yes in stark contrast to the hounding of Arday.

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Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"There is a legitimate role for scrutiny in journalism and academia, but scrutiny should never mean the abandonment of proportionality or humanity. Professor Arday's death forces an uncomfortable reckoning with what happens when the subject of a story ceases to be treated as a person" Richard Sudan

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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Why Canada Could End Up With a Better Deal With the EU Than the UK As the UK continues to hesitate over drawing back towards the EU, Canada has spotted an opportunity, argues former diplomat… bylinetimes.com/2026/09/17/why-cana…

bylinetimes.com

Why Canada Could End Up With a Better Deal With the EU Than the UK

As the UK continues to hesitate over drawing back towards the EU, Canada has spotted an opportunity, argues former diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

My latest piece argues that Canada’s approach to the EU could prove productive, because unlike the UK’s high-handed, entitled attitude, it is not based on an assumption that the EU “owes” it a good deal, or that Canada holds all the cards, lingering fantasies about the US relationship etc etc.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

There’s no such thing as “apolitical”. By refusing to take a stand, Sheeran is also expressing a view. Silence can be as harmful as action. Moreover, this whole saga will backfire on Kraft and Sheeran, because I bet there’ll now be protests at every venue! www.theguardian.com/music/commen...

theguardian.com

Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality

By standing behind support act Macklemore, who was removed from the tour for his vocal support of Palestine, these artists are demonstrating the self-sacrifice necessary to stand against those crushin...

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It would be quite 'something' if, after all the talk of leaving the EU to create CANZUK, there ends up being CANZEU without the UK

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

War destroys more than bodies and buildings. It destroys families and relationships. It destroys dreams and ambitions, life works and life plans. It destroys hope. It destroys souls. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

theguardian.com

‘I’ve lost everything – my child, my house, my money’: how Israel’s war on Gaza has changed men

The impact of the conflict on Palestinian men is a largely undiscussed topic. Four civilians talk about their lives and relationships

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I forgot to add that as part of the money making racket, I have to pay to watch my son’s games, AND then often discover he’s not playing, because they stuff the team with too many extra players to take in more cash. We pay the full team dues, coaching fees etc, then our kids don’t even play! 😡😡😡

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

With the recent FIFA World Cup scandal, the world got to see the over-commercialized tendencies of US sports. Unfortunately, it extends all the way down to youth sports too, which is becoming an increasingly ruthless, exploitative, money-making racket. www.bylinesupplement.com/p/life-and-t...

bylinesupplement.com

Life and Times in America: The Unhealthy Obsession With Sports

Alexandra Hall Hall examines how, in the race to make huge sums of money, US sports are becoming joyless, ruthless, and exploitative, crushing the spirits of many young players

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Stephen Swan @stephenswan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Thank you for sharing. No comment necessary from me. Please share far and wide.

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Anti-Reform @antireform.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

"You are the problem" meme via Expose Racism

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HOPE not hate @hopenothate.org.uk · 14/09/2026

🧵 Peter Keeley, a former MI5 agent who spent 15 years undercover in the IRA, now works for Stephen Lennon AKA Tommy Robinson. He’s supplying covertly-procured information while being supported by the British taxpayer. hopenothate.org.uk/lennons-secr...

hopenothate.org.uk

Lennon's Secret Agent

A former MI5 agent who operated as an IRA bomb maker is now working for Stephen Lennon. Despite still being supported by the British taxpayer, Peter Keeley appears to have broken the law by supplying ...

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

When I got married, my husband and I shuffled awkwardly to some cheesy song for our first dance, but later, my DJ brother put this on, and THIS is what I remember from that night - going mad on the dance floor to its hypnotic, pulsating rhythm. La la la..La la la! www.theguardian.com/music/2026/s...

theguardian.com

‘You start to worry you’ll never listen to anything else’: 25 years of Can’t Get You Out of My Head, the song that saw the future of pop

Rejected by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the minimalist dance-pop opus would become the defining song of Kylie’s career. And, a quarter of a century later, it hasn’t lost its capacity to burrow its way into y...

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Bremain in Spain @bremaininspain.com · 12/09/2026

Labour could have limited donations. They chose not to. These crypto billionaires are a threat to our democracy

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

bylinesupplement.com

Life and Times in America: The Unhealthy Obsession With Sports

Alexandra Hall Hall examines how, in the race to make huge sums of money, US sports are becoming joyless, ruthless, and exploitative, crushing the spirits of many young players

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

There’s actually much more to this story. My very first action was to ring the Foreign Office to see if I cd help. I was on a career break, but my offer was immed accepted, and for the next two weeks I ran a pre-dawn shift at COBRA (Cab Office emergency centre) collating info/analysis for Ministers.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I took those lessons and experiences with me for the rest of my diplomatic career. 9/11 was both a pathway to my marriage, and also an extraordinarily educational moment. I will never forget the horrors of the day, and the unraveling of world order which has followed it since then.

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

9/11. After dating my US boyfriend for just 6 weeks, I’d moved back to the UK. He was on Capitol Hill, where the 4th plane was headed. I flew back to the US to be with him; we were engaged 10 weeks later, married next spring. 9/11 taught me the fragility of love and life. www.cnn.com/2026/09/11/u...

cnn.com

Live updates: America marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 | CNN

Around the US, Americans are observing the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Follow for the latest updates.

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