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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Polanski has pushed Labour from a position where Yvette Cooper proscribed a group as terrorists for pointing out that Israel was committing war crimes against Palestinian children to slightly criticising Netanyahu's government. We need him in Parliament to continue pushing for justice in Gaza.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Brexit was a catastrophic mistake. If it weren't for Polanski we would still have Keir Starmer refusing to allow it to be discussed. Polanski is needed in Parliament to continue to make the case for a strong relationship with the EU.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Why is Andy Burnham delaying his announcement about Rosebank and Jackdaw until after the by-election? Because when he gives them the green light he knows Labour will lose votes to the Greens.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Remember when Polansky was on Question Time? We need Polansky in Parliament to challenge Reform in a language they understand. Help him get elected on Thursday.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Polanski helped to get Starmer replaced by Burnham. But he is needed in the Commons to continue to set the agenda.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Labour would not be talking about taxing wealth if Polanski hadn't raised it. Polanski is needed as an MP.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

We need Polanski's voice in the House of Commons because people listen to him.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

In other news, I am embarking on a new culinary adventure: making my own vermouth. I already make pretty decent gin, which is really easy as the ingredient list is quite short and no distilling is needed. Vermouth is much more complex with a list of 20 botanical ingredients.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The values of public figures in today's world - Trump, Putin, Musk, Infantino - come from the politics of Europe in 1600. Rich people seeking ever more wealth and using every means possible, including religion, to justify their abuse and selfish actions. static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/...

Francis Bacon's portrait of Pope Innocent X (after Velasquez)

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Thursday is bin day. Let's hope the people of Clacton take out the trash and vote for Count Binface.

Nigel Farage and Christopher Harbourne discussing a deal of some kind.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Has Andrew Tate been spending his entire life fighting his desire to transition to a woman? - He admits that he doesn't like having sex with women. - He has a very small dick, by the look of his speedos. - He likes wearing silky things. Hmm... www.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/u...

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Aaaarghhh! My house and workplace has been taken over by plasterers playing pumpin' beats up the stairs! Seems like a good day to go to the beach and take pictures of fennel in flower.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Politicians are not supposed to criticise the electorate, as Gordon Brown discovered with his 'bigot woman' comment. But if you are a racist, misogynist or homophobe, who are you most likely to vote for?

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Here are some of the ads from 1991 that ExonMobil used to cast doubt among the public about climate change - AFTER their researchers had confirmed that it was real.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

The first samphire is ready in North Wales! I'll have some of this for my dinner with new potatoes and pan-fried chicken thighs with plenty of garlic.

A slate mat with a pile of fresh marsh samphire.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

There is a lot of fragrant fennel growing by the coast in North Wales. I have cut some to have with some fish.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

It's the last of the sea beet here in Wales before it goes to seed. I had it with slow cooked lamb. Delicious.

A handful of sea beet, a vegetable like Swiss Chard, that grows wild around the coast of Wales, UK.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

And while we are here, if anyone on Bluesky has a helpful answer to my question, then I would be eternally grateful.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Remember that in 1991 Exxon was fully aware of climate change but ran a marketing campaign to cast doubt on the climate scientists' conclusions?

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

If there is one benefit of Trump being such a total idiot (and it is the only one) it is that you can make money by shorting the Nasdaq.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

It was a letter pretending to be sent from a local resident Patricia Clegg. See below.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

The Tories defecting to Reform is like Hermes changing their name to Evri. They are still the same incompetent idiots, and they will continue to deliver your valuable stuff into the bin, just like they did before.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

There are the top 5 countries that lost troops ranked in decreasing order of deaths per capita. Trump's remarks are insulting in the extreme, particularly considering his own cowardly draft-dodging.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

It's so amazing when your grown up children come to stay and they are thriving and happy - despite having had you as a parent! How did they turn out so well? Happy New Year everyone.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

The flag shaggers have been out hanging their St George's flags in Westferry, London. (The blurry picture is through my dirty hotel window.) It is a shame the council allow them to co-opt our flag as a symbol of their right-wing nationalism.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

(nominated by angry customers like me) and sends in some techies to build the tech structures needed to make things more efficient? Let's put some intelligence into this and replace Reform's 'Slash and Burn' with targeted help for local authorities.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

I often wonder why Trump's team look so dead-eyed. Think of Pam Bondi or Stephen Miller. Is it because the only way they can continue to sacrifice their principles and enable Trump's dismantling of America is to 'keep the eyes on the prize' and imagine dollar signs floating in front of them?

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Jeremy Clarkson says that wealth taxes are 'batty'. Several countries raise billions each year using wealth taxes. For a hard-up country like the UK, this looks like a good kind of batty, like my charming old granny used to be. Let's do it.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

The dilemma facing every decent democratic leader as it gradually becomes clear that appeasement was never going to work.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

I have started going to the gym after a break of about 20 years. You know those men who like to drop their weights with a great 'CLANG'? There is one at my gym, but my intense irritation with him has worn off slightly since I christened him 'Major Clanger'.

Picture of the character Major Clanger from the British Kids' TV show The Clangers about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on a small planet.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

This beautiful and very sad gravestone is in my local graveyard. I wonder whether the two 4 year-olds would have survived if they had been born after vaccinations.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Take a look at my new post on Substack. gideonmitchell01.substack.com/p/simon-scha...

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

As Bluesky is full of educated, sane people, it is easy to forget that 47% of Americans still approve of Donald Trump. OK, the sample is dominated by male, young, white idiots (see the graph below) but even so, it's hard to understand how they can be so stupid.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

I was excited to see a pair of Dippers on the river at the weekend. Here is one of them doing its characteristic bouncing.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Cook on medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until the shallots start to brown. Add 3 large sprigs of fresh rosemary from your Welsh beach (or a dessert spoonful of dried rosemary it you ain't so lucky) and a large piece of cassia bark, or a cinnamon stick.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

In preparation, I went to one of my favourite beaches in North Wales where there is the largest rosemary bush I have ever seen. I took my secateurs and brought home a small branch.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

I am making another North Wales stiffado. It is probably unwise to call it that because I will get all the culinary purists telling me that it isn't the traditional version. I DON'T CARE! Whatever you call it, it tastes delicious.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

For plant lovers: my daughter lives in London and recommends going to the orchid festival at the magnificent Kew Gardens, which is on until March. Here are some of her pictures.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Friends in the US might have heard of the UK's shortest-serving Prime Minister Liz Truss. She was so awful that a newspaper made a bet that a lettuce would last longer than her. The lettuce won.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

I rashly made a joke about how at the awards ceremony I could make jokes about data visualisation, but they thought I was serious. What have I done?! Anyone know anything funny to say about pie charts? Oh well. Here's a cat showing that correlation does not imply causation.

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Is it just me or do Jeff Bezos' eyes look as if they are looking inwards?

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Gideon Mitchell @gideon-mitchell.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Should we all be preparing to take direct action to keep Elon Musk from destroying our democracies? I don't feel completely prepared.

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