Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 29/09/2026Given the bit of law we really care about in the UK is libel, let's just expand it to include protected groups as a class. 032
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 28/09/2026To be clear, resettlement schemes, as proposed here (where the screenshots are from), are good. But not everyone can wait around in dangerous situations, hoping to be plucked to safety by the UK government. Using resettlement as a reason to crack down on spontaneous asylum claims is therefore badtheguardian.comUK to open new refugee resettlement routes for Afghan women and PalestiniansExclusive: Move by Shabana Mahmood comes after closure of Afghan scheme last year but experts say numbers too small to deter Channel crossings 1166
Reposted by Chai PatelJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026"In order to deliver the PM's promise to save social care we need a permanent class of indentured migrant workers without labour rights". 28462177
Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 27/09/2026They can't do both. They have to pick one or the other. As long as they obsess over driving migration down, they will be operating in a frame that benefits the far right both politically and economically. If they want to change the politics of immigration, they have to embrace it. 160
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Condemnation is pure hot air if in the next breath you’re telling everyone you’re doing your best to give the fascists what they want, just without the masks 19809273
Reposted by Chai PatelJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Rayner is correct: these proposals are economically damaging and politically counterproductive. Pretty clear that view is now almost universal in the Cabinet/Labour Party and the informed public. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...thetimes.comAngela Rayner condemns Labour’s migrant visa crackdownSpeaking before the party conference, the housing secretary says Shabana Mahmood’s immigration plans would affect care workers 22675182
Reposted by Chai PatelDonald Campbell @dncampbell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Every so often I'm reminded of this essential story about how Palantir operates in trying to win public contracts. It's from 2022 but anyone interested how they've built up such a big role in the NHS and wider UK public sector should read it. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...bloomberg.comPeter Thiel’s Palantir Had Secret Plan to Crack UK’s NHS: ‘Buying Our Way In’Palantir Technologies had a secret plan to deepen its relationship with the UK’s National Health Service without public scrutiny. 153
Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 22/09/2026The government has consistently signalled, whether intentionally or through stupidity and cowardice, that these are legitimate reasonable views to hold. We need such a radical turnaround to fix this rot. 0164
Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 22/09/2026The migrants forced to steer the boats during the crossings including people who acted heroically to save others are prosecuted for endangering lives. 054
Reposted by Chai PatelStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 19/09/2026A lot of Labour people visibly believe that a Labour government gives off tolerance particles, and therefore sitting mute is fine and good. The reality is that it took a cross party, whole society effort to make us, as Sunak says, the most successful multiethnic, multifaith democracy in the world:thetimes.comRishi Sunak: Britishness must not be turned into a DNA testI worry that the immigration debate is going far beyond arrival numbers 1447183
Reposted by Chai PatelLev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Eating whitebait in her honour. Thirty little lives on a plate. Yum yum. 0554
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Either we speak out wholeheartedly in favour of international law, our moral obligations to refugees, the fantastic diversity of our country, everyone’s right to respect & the centrality of the rule of law to our democracy, or we‘re giving ground to people who want none of thattheguardian.com‘Outright racist’ Daniel Thomas will face full force of law over any crimes, says home secretaryShabana Mahmood says she wants to distinguish between far-right extremism and legitimate local concerns over asylum sites 212527
Reposted by Chai PatelReprieve @reprievehq.bsky.social · 18/09/2026This morning we received the news that an Indian court has ordered Jagtar Singh Johal be granted bail. 176
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 17/09/2026After the university sector, and potentially the nursing and care sectors, you’ve got to wonder how many other parts of our economy and society will be burnt to the ground in the despicable and also vain hope of attracting the votes of racists 24525
Reposted by Chai PatelEmiliano Mellino @mellino.bsky.social · 15/09/2026The UK government is making upwards of £4.9bn in profit from visa fees, citizenship fees & the immigration health surcharge. Meanwhile, people are getting into thousands of pounds of debt or going without food just to afford to these immigration fees. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...thebureauinvestigates.comGovernment makes £5bn a year from immigration fees while applicants…Home Office’s fees are up to 10 times the processing cost – and rising every year 8235155
Reposted by Chai PatelSinan Kose @thesinankose.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Look if you want to deal with money laundering, there are already laws in place. It's just that actually enforcing them would likely collapse the entire British economy so we just don't. No need to take it out on the unseasonably tanned gentleman giving you a fade. 419537
Reposted by Chai PatelStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I know that the in doctrine in English politics is to imagine that cities are occupied by, I don’t know, ghosts, but it is in fact a good and desirable policy aim that all our core cities (aka “population centres”) have good, free museums and galleries. 2538933
Reposted by Chai PatelMinnie Rahman @minnierahman.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Given what has happened to the RNLI, this is when wider civil society should speak in solidarity about the far-right and political parties attacking charities delivering vital services for vulnerable people. The voluntary sector is part of our social fabric, it needs protecting. 47328
Reposted by Chai PatelColin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Shabana Mahmood's settlement reforms would, if implemented, likely have a very damaging effect on integration. The parents of these children would be subjected to prolonged temporary status, tied to a specific job and financial penalties, all of which are socially and economically damaging. 011744
Reposted by Chai PatelJames Ball @jamesrball.com · 07/09/2026If every statement about Extinction Rebellion had opened with "Climate change is the single biggest issue facing humanity, and we understand why people have legitimate concerns the world isn't doing enough to tackle it…" this approach might be *faintly* defensible. But they didn't, and it isn't. 12730279
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 07/09/2026The intimidatory atmosphere *is the whole point*! You can’t just divorce what they were expressing from the way in which they were expressing it! 🤦♂️ 2225
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Labour MP & ex-immigration minister Mike Tapp here, telling the racists they’re right, & criticising them only for going about it wrong & being insufficiently appreciative of the government’s efforts to placate them, and also equating racists with the targets of racism 611141
Reposted by Chai PatelColin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Great news that Justin Bates KC will be trying to keep the Nearly Legal housing law blog going despite the very sad death of its founder, Giles Peaker. Justin needs help, though. If you are into housing law, take a look: nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/08/tech...nearlylegal.co.ukTechnical difficulties and plans for the future - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and CommentI am sorry that the site has been down for a few days. It was nothing more complicated than missed payments to the hosting company which Giles had been unable to authorise, for obvious reasons. I want... 17035
Reposted by Chai PatelOmar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 20/08/2026The higher education participation rate for UK born Bangladeshi women went from around 2% (not a typo) in 1983 to nearly 67% in 2025 This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood 14611149
Reposted by Chai PatelNetpol @netpol.org · 17/08/2026Democracy Now! in the US (@democracynow.org) has an exclusive interview with Rajiv Menon KC, the lawyer for a Palestine Action defendant who is facing contempt of court charges youtu.be/ICnflIjCObQ?...youtu.beExclusive: Palestine Action Lawyer Rajiv Menon Breaks Silence on Facing Contempt Charges in U.K.YouTube video by Democracy Now! 0104
Reposted by Chai PatelJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026There has been a converted attempt here (including by the current Home Sec) to promote the "Danish model" of anti-immigrant policy as being somehow consistent with social democratic/progressive values. So we should welcome this mask-off moment from the Danish PM. 19424166
Reposted by Chai PatelBen Whitham @drbenwhitham.bsky.social · 10/08/2026The multimillionaire ex-CEO of Serco (2014-2023) - the company the Home Office has handed billions to run sub-standard and dangerous asylum accommodation - is now the Lead Non-Executive Director at... the Home Office. www.gov.uk/government/p...gov.ukRupert Soames OBERupert Soames joined the Home Office as a non-executive director in June 2026. He is a highly experienced UK public company chief executive officer (CEO), having served 11 years as CEO of Aggreko, fol... 15730
Reposted by Chai PatelHugo Gordon @hugogordon.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Really do think this is true. There seems to be a weird inability of many leading politicians and pundits to understand that many many people hold sincerely socially progressive beliefs and, crucially, will vote accordingly 2364
Reposted by Chai PatelChris Bertram @crookedfootball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026The British Foreign Office say that Sweden has an inexplicably hardline approach, meanwhile the British Home Office ..... Terrible for individual human beings when states act like this and nobody deserves it to happen to them, whatever their nationality.theguardian.comBritish widow, 78, told to leave Sweden under Brexit rules after living there for 21 yearsAuthorities say application to stay was made too late, as UK officials say Sweden takes ‘stricter approach’ than other EU countries 110037
Reposted by Chai PatelJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 09/08/2026I genuinely don't understand how @antoniabance.bsky.social gets from "I don't need mad speeches from the PM about strangers" [top] to "I'm broadly fine with [forced remigration of 100,000s of people who came here legally to work]" [bottom] ..which was the "mad speech about strangers" policy.. 3528254
Reposted by Chai PatelMaayan Niezna @niezna.bsky.social · 07/08/2026If a person lies on their CV to get a job, should losing their salary be part of their punishment for their 'CV Fraud'? In a new post on @labourblog.bsky.social I show that the confiscation of wages is problematic and reflects a misunderstanding of work: uklabourlawblog.com/2026/08/07/c...uklabourlawblog.com“Cheating honest workers out of employment”: The confiscation of wages as proceeds of crime – by Maayan NieznaImage by AlexanderStein from Pixabay In response to some work-related criminal offences, sanctions under UK law include not only fines and imprisonment, but also the confiscation of wages as procee… 022
Reposted by Chai PatelKate Watson @loreandordure.com · 08/08/2026I absolutely literally, while at school, was more than once told to my face that it was unfair/unkind of me to be topping the class in some science / maths subject because boys would be demoralised. 920840
Reposted by Chai PatelAdam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 08/08/2026Whilst Andy Burnham has found the time to opine on such vital issues as 'vertical drinking', and whether a bread roll should be called a ‘barm’, he has not found the time to comment on some of the worst racist violence on Britain's streets in the postwar period www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/illegitima...adambienkov.co.ukIllegitimate Concerns: Andy Burnham's Non-Response to the Thetford Pogrom Is His First Big FailureWhilst happy to opine on 'vertical drinking' and whether bread rolls should be called 'barms', our new PM has had nothing to say about three days of horrific racist violence on our streets 83961340
Reposted by Chai PatelAlasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 07/08/2026It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of scenarios in which 3+ days of race riots, culminating in break-ins to property and apparent attempts to lynch or kidnap the occupants, would be basically the only thing on the news 57323
Reposted by Chai PatelIan Kikuchi @curatorian.bsky.social · 07/08/2026It dismays me to see that the BBC has replaced 'alleged' with 'suspected', which entirely misses the point. It's completely wrong to use criminal justice language in relation to people seeking asylum. 27318
Reposted by Chai PatelLiberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 07/08/2026End-to-end encryption is an essential security tool that protects our personal data, including our bank details, health information, private conversations and images. That's why alongside Privacy International, we're challenging the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) regime. 03023
Reposted by Chai PatelLizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · 07/08/2026"Legitimate concerns" is starting to feel very "you had people that were very fine people on both sides" 25806173
Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 07/08/2026Disgusting to say this during another summer of race riots. Labour are helping whip up hatred against the victims of an immigration system that forces people out of status and into exploitation and then punishes them for it. 184
Reposted by Chai PatelChris Boyd @paperghost.bsky.social · 07/08/2026last week i found out one of my wife's friends now also casually pencils in days where it's safer to simply not go outside for a week or two after the inevitable next set of race riots happen. i should not know two people doing this, much less *one* person doing this 02311
Reposted by Chai PatelAdam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The continued political silence over the spread of these anti-migrant, anti-refugee pogroms in the UK is a disgrace. This one has been going on for three nights in a row now and the Home Secretary and Prime Minister haven't said a single word about it www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...theguardian.comNorfolk police arrest two men after officers injured during unrest over asylum plansHomes of people believed to be asylum seekers attacked during two nights of violence in Thetford 13623071011
Reposted by Chai PatelSunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Projections of the white British population in 40-50 years time involve assumptions that may often wrong about self-identity of those of mixed ethnic heritage. The Katwala household bucked the national trend, 2011-21, in a way that is quite common among grandchildren of black + Asian migrants 44012
Reposted by Chai PatelSunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 06/08/2026This is a really inadequate Home Office statement in these circumstancds It empathises with this protest as expressing legitimate concerns, singles out violence against police, and simply fails to say "violence threatening asylum seekers, migrants & other minorities is shocking + wrong" 36825273
Reposted by Chai PatelMic Wright @brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026This is truly execrable reporting from the BBC on the racist disorder in Thetford. “…amid fears they were being used to house asylum seekers.” What were those “fears” and why are you giving them this implicitly legitimacy? 33610180
Reposted by Chai PatelImmigration Bot @immigrationbot.bsky.social · 06/08/2026"The Work Rights Centre is looking for an experienced and values-driven Immigration Adviser or Solicitor to join our frontline team. In this role, you will deliver life-changing legal advice to vulnerable migrants, while using your frontline insights to contribute directly to…" — Free Movementfreemovement.org.ukJob ad: WoRC is recruiting an Immigration Adviser or Solicitor - Free MovementThe Work Rights Centre is looking for an experienced and values-driven Immigration Adviser or Solicitor to join our frontline team. In this role, you will 022
Reposted by Chai PatelJamie @crayonsocialism.bsky.social · 05/08/2026I heard “inshallah and the creek don’t rise” the other day. 15913138
Reposted by Chai PatelHugo Gordon @hugogordon.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Fair play to C4 for asking these questions. Very revealing answers from Stephenson that these are essentially unenforceable, that there is no plan for what happens if someone decides, say, a cis woman looks trans, and that businesses should have single sex toilets except where they shouldn't 🤷♂️ 14014
Reposted by Chai PatelBen Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 04/08/2026I recall we had a period of time where the response of Starmer and Cooper to concerns about these groups was ‘I like flags’ 241130389
Reposted by Chai Patelthe Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 04/08/2026I don't even know what to say. This is real, this is true, so, like, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. This took over 25 years to happen so if there's any lesson here it's either "keep at it, who knows" or "many people are divorced" 1556571765