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Bill Bankes-Jones

@billbj.bsky.social
751 followers 550 following 501 posts

Opera & theatre director working hard to make my & others’ dreams come true, AD @teteateteopera.bsky.social founding member of @freelancersmake.bsky.social, Water Safety Officer RNLI, opera, freelancers, Cornwall, cairn terriers, hEDS, surf… 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏄🏼‍♂️🐾🗣️🎶🦓🥟

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Reposted by Bill Bankes-Jones
Angelica Shalagina Official🇺🇦 @angel-shalagina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
He was only 14💔 A russian strike on Vyshhorod killed a Ukrainian schoolboy. His body was pulled from the rubble of his family’s destroyed home. His parents are now in hospital. His sister survived.
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Postcard From The Past @pastpostcard.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I have walked along the cliffs on the postcard.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Gemini recently told me that my grandfather had six children: Four boys and three girls. This kind of thing is absolutely standard. Try asking AI to solve a crossword clue! I just don’t think AI could take over the world, even if it wanted to, which it can’t anyway.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Why is each if the £36,000,000s exactly the same amount as the other? 🤔
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Neoliberalism has ravaged the UK Workers’ share of gross value added down from 71.9% in 1975, to 59.7%. 1.23m workers are on zero-hour contracts. 4.4m jobs pay less than the real living wage. Poorest 20% pay a higher proportion of income in direct/indirect taxes than the richest 20%.
leftfootforward.org
Here’s how the chancellor can raise the billions needed to improve the quality of life of millions
Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Mi...
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Deputy Stage Manager Doh! 🤦‍♂️
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Marcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The ability of the rich and powerful to harness the anger of the poor and get them to direct it at the wrong people is breathtaking.
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Composers Edition @composersed.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Eunoia will perform Catherine Kontz’s ‘Meng Sprooch, Deng Sprooch, Seng Sprooch’ at the Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival in London on Sunday @teteateteopera.bsky.social @catherinekontz.bsky.social www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/making...
tete-a-tete.org.uk
Making Europe Audible | Tête à Tête
Dropping bombs meet flowers, language meets sound.
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Angelica Shalagina Official🇺🇦 @angel-shalagina.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
🤬🤬russians just hit the very center of Kyiv. A shahed struck near Lobanovskyi Stadium - right in the heart of my city. The stadium itself was not damaged. I keep hearing explosions. After the nightmare of last night, russia is still attacking us.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
🤮
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Dreaming of 51% here 🚮
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Two tier Fartage 🤷‍♂️
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Conversation with a young person a few weeks ago: Me: What’s your name? YP: Loofah. Me: Sorry? YP: Loofah. Me: [unspoken] WHAT were his parents THINKING?!? Me: [aloud] That’s a cool name. How do you spell it? YP: L - U - T - H - E - R.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Thinking now about how everything has to be driven by ‘data’ (by which people mean statistics, as it’s never qualitative).In a culture where politicians obsessively dodge or pass on blame, is that why they’ve no moral imperatives and data drives all decisions? When things go wrong it’s data’s fault?
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Reposted by Bill Bankes-Jones
Freelancers Make Theatre Work @freelancersmake.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
'...freelancers subsidise them via low wages, poor conditions and working thousands of unpaid hours.' - Lyn Gardner- theatre critic and associate editor of The Stage. Read more here: www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/for-... #FreelancersMakeTheatreWork
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
It’s so heartsinking. Every interview now is the same: Journalist: ‘I have caught you out’ Politician: ‘I am saying exactly what I think will get the electorate to vote me back in at the next election.’ This is not the way to foster good leadership and care for our population.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
We are in such a mess. BBC #R4Today on and on about building more prisons - Badenoch this morning - but no talk of how to steer people away from getting themselves into prison in the first place. 😶
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Given the state of my lungs it’s quite triggering to hear that Andy Burnham has said that he will “hit the ground running…and provide breathing space for people.”
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
It’s ok as there’ll be lots more metro mayors so the climate crisis is solved. Great stuff, @andyburnham.bsky.social
static.klipy.com
Shocked Hamster's Surprised Reaction
ALT: Shocked Hamster's Surprised Reaction
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
So depressed by Burnham. Everyone is after short term wins - journalists above all, but also voters (at least in the minds of the politicians) - but someone HAS to sort out the bigger long term issues - climate crisis, global conflict, nat debt and that is not going to be a network of metro mayors.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
What a horrible shouty person Laila Cunningham on BBCR4 Question Time is, talking shoutily over others and asserting ferociously that the people of Clacton should speak on behalf of ‘The British ‘People’. Sarcastic, nasty, aggressive and desperately fighting to hog the limelight, voilà Reform! 🤷‍♂️
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
On my way, Clacton.
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Thangam Debbonaire @thangamdebbonaire.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
This pathetic faux-innocent “but it was before he was an MP”, when said by actual MPs, who should know the rules, is breathtaking. Any gift in the previous 12 months is potentially declarable. Stds commissioner can take into account Farage’s behaviour during the inquiry. 🧐
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Caroline Potter @carolinefrmus.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
At @rcmlondon.bsky.social for five new student operas, a collaboration with Tête-à-Tête @billbj.bsky.social - my review will appear early next week
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Who is on board?
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Duncan Hothersall @dhothersall.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Fucking hell, Lisa Nandy has actually done something, and it's good. However, she ought to be explicit that the platform promotes abuse, misinformation and hate as a deliberate decision, and she ought to be announcing an inquiry that can lead to criminal charges for its owners and management.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Totally inappropriate photo for a very serious story
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
He’s a such a disaster
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
It's obvious to point out attacks against Muslims get ignored - but still needs repeatedly calling out. An Antisemitic attack should be reported and action taken. But where is the same media outrage, cobra meetings and calling of national emergency when 5 Muslims are attacked?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This is truly horrifying, especially given that it’s all just Willy-waggling. 1,380,120 lives. 🤯
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
But not Starmer. 🤔
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Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
TRUMP NEVER SUES ANYONE WHO SAYS HE RAPED CHILDREN
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
…in jobs that are far more frustrating and unsatisfying…
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
…and this is the best candidate they could field to be their ninth MP…?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Has anyone found a link to the ‘slouch pouch’ onesie £76 online?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I am absolutely happy to share any toilet with absolutely anyone regardless of sex or gender with the exceptions of Netanyahu, Trump and Fartage.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Record number of UK people turning to crowdfunding to cover rent and household bills. Average real wage hardly changed since 2008. Millions rely on food banks. Healthy life expectancy shrinking. Record number of billionaires. 1% have more wealth than 70% of the population combined.
theguardian.com
Record numbers of UK renters crowdfunding to cover bills
Rent donations on GoFundMe up 60% since 2022, with 100,000 donors helping people keep a roof over their heads
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Wealth of 157 UK billionaires now equals £670bn, 22% of GDP. Return on wealth (dividends and capital gains) is taxed at lower rates than wages. Extreme concentration of wealth facilitates political power, corruption, economic control. Wither democracy.
theguardian.com
Wealth of Britain’s 157 billionaires now equal to 22% of country’s GDP
This ‘ghost GDP’ shows how headline economic growth is increasingly disconnected from reality for most, says report
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
So this is ok but “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” is not? I really don’t understand what is going on in London.
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Trans Unity Quilt Project @transunityquilt.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
A LONG day of steaming, photography and cataloguing - but we're halfway there! It's staggering to see this all come together, even before the patches are sewn together into a quilt - the of courage, love, and beauty in these squares is a privilege to experience. Thank you! More tomorrow
A photography station rigged up with stands and lights, the camera directed at a pink patch arranged on a board on the floor. The patch is decorated with the appliqué words: 'Jesus Says Trans Rights' - in the centre of the words is a traditional image of Jesus, with the trans flag pouring from the Sacred Heart.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Interesting how Andy Burnham can’t be Labour leader without becoming an MP while Zack Polanski is the leader of the Green Party without being an MP.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I’ve never been to a Gail’s, they sound absolutely disgusting and mercifully we don’t have any here in Cornwall. Worse still than this is their support for genocide. www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/ar...
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Now you’re talking!
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Why not just tax people who can afford it?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I’d agree if our national debt was not so huge. It’s nudging three trillion, not far off 100% of our GDP. Interest on that alone is £111bn a year, way more than the entire education budget, or three times our defence spending. I wish it were otherwise but can’t see how we can borrow more right now.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Yes I agree with all that, but the vision does need to encompass cash flow as well as long term balance sheet. This demands either yet more government borrowing or more tax income in the short term. How is either achievable?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
That’s exactly what Starmer said he would do. And Johnson 😵‍💫. And Truss.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Aw I WISH! I guess the terror of big business is what gets in the way as each item you list is a BIG cost other than windfall tax. I do think if Labour had stood on a manifesto of adding a penny or two on income tax for those who could cope and fixing lots it would have been a much better strategy.
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
But that’s a platitude, not a vision. Who is being out first at the moment? What policies put people first?
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Bill Bankes-Jones @billbj.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
In lieu of blame I would love people to come forward with a solid vision of how to guide the nation.
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