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Frances with an e

@frmq.bsky.social
237 followers 266 following 237 posts

Former associate lecturer with the Open University, environmentalist, walker, singer and dog woman

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Reposted by Frances with an e
Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 5h
Uh oh, did someone’s website and personal account experience a big drop in activity after Ukraine hit a Russian data center?
Elon Musk: “Zelensky has gone too far”

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2109033017184338141
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10/10/2026
“Zelenskyy could’ve stopped this war many times, and he chose not to … he better damn well stop” — Trump is no longer trying to conceal that he’s fully on Putin’s side
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Sagal Abdi-Wali came to the UK aged 7 having fled the war in Somalia with her family. She has thrived. Leader of Camden council and now the MP for Holborn and St Pancras. A narrative that runs counter to all we are told about refugees. Congratulations www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Labour fends off Green party to win Holborn and St Pancras byelection
Victory by Sagal Abdi-Wali in north London seat will be a relief for Andy Burnham in high-stakes battle for the left of British politics
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RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Today’s Autumn Arrival Spotlight... the Fieldfare! 🍒 Flocks arrive from Scandinavia, filling UK hedgerows and fields with their speckled breasts and blue-grey heads, feasting on berries and insects.
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Kemi Badenoch wants to exempt the family home from inheritance tax. But that creates a perverse incentive for elderly people to *upsize* to save IHT. That could double the cost of the policy, and push £100bn+ from savings into housing. A 🧵 on bad tax cuts.
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
NEW: Kemi Badenoch’s flagship party conference policy document, The Right Way, overestimated the cost of net zero by nearly £500bn, seemingly after someone accidentally double-counted figures on a spreadsheet. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error
Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Tory £6bn inheritance tax cut plan Increase threshold from £1m per couple to £2m+home. In 2024-25, 30,400 estates paid IHT, may rise to 52,100 in 2029-30. IHT cut for the richest, paid by cutting benefits for old, sick, disabled, unemployed. How will it help economic growth, reindustrialization?
bbc.co.uk
Kemi Badenoch says Tories would scrap inheritance tax on family homes
Tory leader says her party is "coming back", as she aims to convince voters it has changed after 2024 election defeat.
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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Tories totally unfunded tax cut for the wealthiest latest: they’ve hugely underestimated the cost of their policy and therefore the borrowing splurge their plans would cause. This is absolutely mad approach to economic policy making - totally giving up on fiscal credibility
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The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 07/10/2026
Well, that’s me convinced.
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Stephen Graham @stephengraham.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I had this bit about Jeffrey Archer from the 1995 HIGNFY video memorised for whenever I needed a handy fact about him.
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The Tory party goes full-on climate denier and nature hater Pure lunacy www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories to pledge to scrap Environment Agency and Natural England
Shadow chancellor will also promise to scrap affordable homes regulations as part of strategy to refocus on growth
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Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 01/10/2026
Westminster Voting Intention: LAB: 27% (+3) RFM: 23% (=) CON: 17% (-2) GRN: 12% (-1) LDM: 9% (-3) SNP: 3% (+1) Via @findoutnow.bsky.social, 30 Sep. Changes w/ 23 Sep.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It’s a mark of the corruption of our whole way of thinking about the world that trying to meet a planetary emergency is routinely described as “ideological”, while continuing to accelerate it is presented as “pragmatic” and “economic”.
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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Reform drops to third place in poll in yet another blow for Farage www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/new...
independent.co.uk
Reform drops to third place in poll in yet another blow for Farage
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
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Little Green Space 🐝 @lgspace.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A patch of nettles can support over 40 insect species. They’re a vital source of food for the caterpillars of peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies - so please let a few nettles grow! More: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/wil...
Patch of nettles
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Room empties out at the UN as Netanyahu begins his speech.
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Why do so many care about inheritance tax when fewer than 5% of estates pay it? Because that statistic counts the dead. Our new model counts living pensioner households instead. 20% have enough assets to face the tax. Over 50% in parts of London. Thread:
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Toby Nangle @tobyn.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Ratcliffe says govt should start to deal with immigration. Presumably he means more that the c50% drop? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
bbc.co.uk
UK net migration drops to 171,000 in 2025, lowest since 2012 excluding pandemic
The figure, showing the difference between the number of people arriving and those leaving the country, reached a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023 - but has been falling since.
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Commentators on the state of the UK should be ignored in direct proportion to how often they cite our past glorious Empire in their diatribes, and how we won two World Wars
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Why does the BBC have as one of its lead news stories this morning another Britain-hating interview with Jim 'the UK has been colonised by immigrants' Ratcliffe? What public interest is this serving?
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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
So much of the right these days have a massive patriotism problem. This guy: - is a tax exile (left long before this govt) - hates his own country while complaining he doesn’t get big enough subsidies from it - laments the manufacturing hit from a Brexit he supported www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Frances with an e @frmq.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Absolutely this! Talking rubbish too - we don't have an immigration problem! we have a problem with how it is framed by the right wing media. I hate it when people say Britain is broken, especially if they don't live here. I swore at the radio😚😚
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Hassinator @hassinator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"The same people who were rending their garments when Lord Alli bought a dress for Starmer's wife, screeching 'WHAT INFLUENCE IS HE BUYING?' now look voters in the eyes and insist the crypto bros giving them £72m want nothing in return. By all means, take the donation, but stop taking the piss."
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Frances with an e @frmq.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My thermometer also recorded 38 degrees on that day. I was moving house and it was brutal!
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Full Fact @fullfact.org · 17/09/2026
The shadow business minister Bradley Thomas claimed in parliament that new apprenticeships fell 9% from 2023/24 to 2025/26. They actually rose about 11%. Mr Thomas was using English data comparing an incomplete year with a whole one.
fullfact.org
Apprenticeship starts have risen—not fallen—under this government – Full Fact
In a debate in the Commons, Conservative shadow minister Bradley Thomas compared data for the latest nine-month period with the whole year of 2023/24, making it sound like apprenticeships had fallen.
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Tom Freeman @tomfreeman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Truly can't be bothered with this "village full of attention-seeking small-minded nimbys congratulates itself" thing
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I have an announcement.
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Helen Whately on Sky News: "We want to bring down the tax burden on working people. Kemi has asked her economic unit for a fiscally responsible way to bring down inheritance tax, another tax that hits hard working people hard." One of the dumbest people in politics. Liz Truss levels of stupid.
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David Osland @davidosland.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
There's a huge difference between political donations from hundreds of thousands of individual of trade unionists giving a few quid each and trousering £70m-plus from two dodgy crypto billionaires. You'd have to be wilfully blind not to see that.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
As talks on a Global Plastic Treaty continue, researchers say stronger recycling laws, including for items like bottle lids, will be vital to tackling plastic waste. Would you support a global treaty on plastics? Let us know in the comments 👇
Photograph showing severe plastic pollution along a rocky beach beside a blue sea and mountainous coastline. Thousands of bottles, containers, fishing materials and other discarded plastics cover the foreground, contrasting with clean surf and sandy shoreline.
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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Like this one: Reform UK Freepost Millbank Tower 21-24 Millbank London SW1P 4QP
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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This Christmas, 1. Donate to RNLI by buying a box of Christmas cards. shop.rnli.org/collections/ch… 2. Send one to Reform UK HQ telling them why you support RNLI and how they embody the spirit of Christmas thoughtlessness. 3. Do not use Reform UK’s FREEPOST address.
shop.rnli.org
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Here's a French video (with English subtitles) about what would happen if the far-right racists got their way and all foreigners and people of colour were forced to leave.
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MrsVB @mrsivb.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
We're seriously expected to believe that a couple of billionaires have donated a huge amount of cash to a fascist party out of the goodness of their hearts because they want a better Britain? Bollocks. Utter fucking bollocks.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
How is this bully able to just act like this with free rein?
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Reform UK given £36m donation by a crypto billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls, pardoned by Donald Trump. Is it legal? Dwarfs £15m from a Thailand based crypto billionaire What have they been promised? Hate politics funded by the rich.
theguardian.com
Reform UK given record £36m donation by British crypto billionaire
Ben Delo was convicted in US for failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls but pardoned by Trump
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Frances with an e @frmq.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Found this attractive fellow in my bathroom last night, can anyone help with id?
An attractive spider, Ruby legs and black and sand coloured body.
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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If you feel like donating to the RNLI, here’s a link. I just have. Their minimum donation is £2: I think it might be nice for them to receive a lot of donations this week, even if they’re mostly very modest. Just so they know a lot of people out here appreciate their work. 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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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
We invited 9 water firm bosses to swim in their local bathing spot. Zero said yes. They ought to before hiking prices, collecting undeserved pay and bonuses. Only 15% of England rivers and fewer than 7% of lakes reach good ecological standard. archive.ph/8hxPg
inews.co.uk
We invited 9 water firm bosses to swim in their local bathing spot. Zero said yes
These CEOs earn seven-figure salaries and insist their water quality is 'excellent'. Yet they have suddenly become very hard to reach...
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Womble1958 @wimblewomble1958.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This is completely unacceptable violence 😒
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Womble1958 @wimblewomble1958.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The police should get involved here - she is very clearly physically assaulted here!!!
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Frances with an e @frmq.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
He seems nice! Looks so happy and content with life.
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Peter Smith @redpeter99.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Farage should attend a park run, a game of football, a Primary School in Clacton, a Prom concert before he goes all "Broken Britain" The country is NOT broken. It's millions of people, born without Farage's privilege, trying cheerfully trying their best for their families and communities.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Just Nadine Dorries digging a hole so cavenous and wide as to be visible from Pluto. youtu.be/9Et3igGEKUs?...
youtu.be
Nadine Dorries quizzed over Reform’s secret donations plot
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
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Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 04/09/2026
With all respect to the BBC, the reason this story "matters" is not about whether it distracts from Reform's conference. It "matters" because it is important our leaders are not conspiring to break the law.
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
‘Honest Bob’ Jenrick says he wants to “abolish” Natural England, and at the very least stop funding it, in the first 100 days of a putative Reform government. Reform may appear to be on the rocks currently but their plans are terrifying, mad & must be stopped. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Jenrick: “Even if you can’t abolish, I don’t know, Natural England within the first 100 days, you can stop funding it, you can turn the tap off and the tap will be turned off a lot of these quangos, and that will drive savings.”
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. 🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Stop whatever you’re doing & watch this now! Reform’s magic money tree has been bust wide open. Huge kudos to undercover reporters Verbatim via @channel4news.bsky.social youtu.be/aXut3s90rUI?... huge
youtu.be
Undercover: Exposing Reform's secret donations plot
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
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