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harrisonjan.bsky.social

@harrisonjan.bsky.social
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For 14yrs, the Tories cratered our economy, added thousands to our cost of living, melted down public services and brexited us into decades of eye-watering expense and lost opportunity. That’s still their plan. With tax breaks for the super rich paid for by welfare cuts. So what TF is this headline?
THE TIMES

Thursday October 8 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75158

Tories will make you better off
Badenoch vows to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and abolish Labour's levy on properties worth more than £2m
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Leader of party - that sold its own shrivelled soul to the devils of austerity and Brexit - will use her conference speech to slag off Labour (yawn) and make the only promise the Tories ever make - cutting taxes… They have nothing new or credible… or just plain nice… to say any more.
THE
TIMES
Wednesday October 7 2026

Badenoch promises tax cuts in 'battle for the soul of this nation'
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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Nothing to see here...just the President of the United States inviting the country he illegally declared war on to "take out" 2 major American cities. If that's not treason, what is? 🤬 Law enforcement won't hold him accountable, but we WILL! The beginning of the end is on November 3rd. #VOTE-BLUE 🌊
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Voters loathed the Tory party when they booted them out in 2024.They really needed to shake off their disgrace with humility and better ideas. They haven’t. They’ve doubled down. More Brexit, more austerity, more anti-immigration ugliness, more tedious arrogance… and no good reason to vote for them.
Party seems to have learnt nothing from 2024 defeat
John Oxley

The Conservative Party is keen to show it is now ready to return to government, two and a half years after a
historic defeat.Their self-soothing explanation posits that defeat came from not being able to do what they wanted 

No such pivot is happening at the current conference. The Tories have come to Birmingham calling for a return to orthodoxy, with similar lines about cutting benefits and regulation. Even so, they seem trapped by the same contradictions
- pledging to cut benefits, but not the winter fuel payments and triple lock on pensions that go to their voters.
There is no "hug-a-hoodie" moment in Birmingham. The Conservative Party is not indicating that it has changed or seeking to broaden its appeal. It is doing the opposite: it is a party returning to its core, restating all the old ideas voters have rejected but louder.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I love talking our country down While offering no solutions Because I’m a grifting gobshite Who likes to incite unrest Small boat crossings are down 44% Deportations are the highest in 10 years Immigration is 82% lower But who needs facts When you can make up lies
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Brexit has been a Tory masterclass in ideological madness. It’s widely accepted by the country as a barrelling shitshow but *still* their entitled little reps strut about insisting we can’t be allowed to vote on it again. Who TF does this person think she is? And why TF should she decide anything?
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victoria1921.bsky.social @victoria1921.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Badenoch is bad. Tories sold essential public services/utilities that once belonged to the British people. Now not fit for purpose. Their greed did this. Privatisation, austerity, corruption. Ffs. Never again. They despise minorities and poor, vulnerable people. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories plan to extend cuts beyond £47bn previously pledged, leak reveals
Exclusive: Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith told party members last year he had discussed making further savings if they win next election
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
So, Tories would cancel Erasmus and youth mobility, scrap the SPS deal that reduces red tape, lowers costs and eases backlogs for goods trade and renege on our new energy, defence and security arrangements… Ridiculous threat, ridiculous party, ridiculous people…
Tories would reverse steps to undo Brexit
Alex Burghart, the deputy leader, also says his party is wedded' to triple lock and electoral reform is doomed
Ben Riley-Smith - Political Editor

Photo of Burghart, arms folded, looking absurdly self important
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
There are many challenges; a different UK&EU to 2016, a rogue US, 🇫🇷elections, the demands that could be made of us, our own fear of Brexit wars, Farage weakening our negotiating position BUT… At least Burnham “has created the political space to have a conversation” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Does the EU want Britain back?
Burnham has reopened the Brexit debate. That doesn’t mean the UK will be welcomed back on its own terms
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yeah right… Says man with net favourability rating of minus 45, a shitload of investigations into possible corruption, a team of utter inadequates and with every constituency bar 4 favouring rejoining because we all know how crap Brexit is now. Bore off. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Burnham’s reopening of Brexit debate is ‘biggest boost in my career’, says Farage
Reform UK leader tells supporters PM’s move has ‘opened up a huge flank to us’
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Braverman blathering on about who can be English, Farage starting his me-me-me tour of the country telling audiences he’ll fix the country in 100 days or they’ll all sack themselves… apart from him… and Yusuf fanboying that racist thug who got refused bail… A moron festival. Come on, UK. Enough now.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
“The question is not whether we can afford to remain within the Convention [ECHR]. It is whether, in an increasingly dangerous world, we can afford not to” Political liars and lightweights, like Badenoch and Farage, must never be allowed to take that risk. www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...
The Law Society
Gazette

In short, if Britain were to leave the ECHR, it would not be
'taking back control. It would be surrendering influence over the rules and institutions that help keep us safe.
The debate about the ECHR is too often conducted as though it were a choice between national sovereignty and international law. That is a false choice.
The Convention advances British interests because it reflects British values: liberty under law, democratic government and the accountability of power.
Walking away would not make Britain freer. It would make Britain weaker.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
There was a chance here to look more grown up and it is entirely unsurprising that Badenoch did not take it.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
A country that will not fix its mistakes is a country that has given up on the future. And Brexit was, it’s now clear, a terrible, terrible mistake inews.co.uk/opinion/brex...
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This mindset is the least we deserve from a leader. Of course it has to be turned into action. But this kind of ambition and love for the country, this kind of personal but positive vision is what takes people with you. How feeble-minded Farage and Badenoch seem. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Photo of Burnham waving to the audience in front of HOPE AGAIN backdrop Burnham was not going to die wondering. He knew he might be delivering one of the longest suicide notes in history, but he did it anyway. Because he couldn't not do it. Better to go down remaining true to his principles than being slowly airbrushed out of history like the previous six prime ministers. Failures all. Andy was prepared to burn through all his political capital right there in Liverpool, right then. Not just for his own legacy but for a country he wanted to rebuild. It was the only way he could look himself in the mirror.
Honour his parents.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Burnham made Farage seem “angry, thin-skinned… absurd. What we witnessed today was a masterclass in political communication which makes Farage look like an amateur” Finally. The confidence that comes with emotional intelligence. It could make all the difference. iandunt.substack.com/p/burnham-sp...
iandunt.substack.com
Burnham speech: An astonishing moment of radicalism and commitment
It’s easy to be cynical, but it would be false. Something extraordinary is happening here.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Burnham edges Labour closer to finally, maybe, being sane about Brexit. Over 10 years, £Billions of cost, thousands of business failures, mountains of red tape, wasted resources and lost opportunities later…. our govt may, at last, cautiously, start to be honest about the Brexit moronathon. Yay.
The Independent front page headline: 

Burnham edges Labour closer to rejoining EU
After Ed Miliband tells party conference Britain's future is at the heart of Europe, ministers say it is 'not if but how' prime minister will include Brexit reversal in next election manifestoThere is growing optimism that a way back into the EU could be put to voters at the next election after the prime minister and senior ministers made it clear they believe Brexit has been a failure at this year's party conference.
When The Independent asked Mr Burnham about whether Rejoin would be in Labour's next election manifesto on his recent trip to the UN in New York, he refused to rule it out - having said a year ago when he was
Manchester mayor that he believes the
UK should rejoin the EU.

Andy Burnham has already warned about the 'drift and division' in the decade since Brexit (Getty)
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Farage honks his mouth off about ongoing police investigations, when told not to. His Welsh leader is in prison for taking bribes from Russia. He whips up riots. He’s in bed with Trump, foreign money, crooks and crypto billionaires…. A massive problem with national security is Farage himself.
sky news

'We have a massive problem with national security': Farage challenged on Fairford speculation
Reform UK leader told his social media followers the five men arrested after an RAF Fairford situation were "Iranian nationals". Sky's Rob Powell spoke to him after it was confirmed the men arrested are British nationals.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Times - which has v much joined in the rightwing clamour to reduce immigration - now reporting that Mahmood’s “success” has cost the economy £4- to £7Bn. Would they like to now honestly confirm that fewer people = less spending power for all. There’s a high price to pay for this nasty obsession.
Patrick Maguire
Chief Political Commentator Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Falling migration numbers could cost the chancellor as much as £7bn in fiscal headroom as he writes his first budget, The Times has been told.
Government insiders believe that John Healey, who already faced an uphill battle to balance the books next month, is likely to have an even bigger challenge after immigration undershot projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank estimated last month that the success of Shabana
Mahmood's
reforms, which have cut net migration to the low hundreds of thousands, could cost Healey some £4bn.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I talked this week about the mental health crisis afflicting young people, in particular the isolation and loneliness caused by the neoliberal smashing of society. Everyone needs community. Everyone needs belonging. We cannot survive without them.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tom Tugendhat in Sunday Times insists on leaving the ECHR to tackle “soaring” immigration. What a miserable rat. Lying to us all. Betraying our country’s best interests. Threatening to flounce out of our human rights framework, trashing our treaties and torching our protection from abuses of power.
The Tories are planning to make the ECHR a dividing line at the next election. Last week the party announced plans to deport every foreign criminal, apart from those convicted of the most trivial offences, and said their plan for ECHR withdrawal meant only the Conservatives were equipped to take on the problem of soaring immigration. One of the problems withdrawal would create is a legal dispute over whether it breaches the Good Friday agreement, which committed the UK to fully incorporate the ECHR into Northern Ireland's justice system. Tugendhat said the issue had not yet been raised in his conversations with lawmakers in the US, adding:
"There's a lot of work to be done."
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Liar. Small boat crossings peaked under Johnson in 2022 reaching 46,000 in 2022. In current year they are 18,565 and falling. Also prior to Boris Johnson's Brexit there were none.
It's a disaster, and it can all be traced to
Labour ideology. Burnham has no mandate
from the people. He has no real ideas, and
no plan,

Johnson on X
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Sure. Brexit meant we huffed out of our agreements on managing the flow of asylum seekers. The boats symbolise “taking back control” by going it alone. But it’s only a “crisis” because politicians and media choose to blame immigrants for their own failures. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Burnham blames Brexit for small boats crisis - but rules out early general election
Burnham lamented a ‘loss of collaboration with neighbours’ following Brexit but has ‘knocked dead’ the idea of an early election before 2029
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“Between 2019 and 2025, export volumes slumped 31 per cent as Brexit added border checks and trade complexity, pushing up costs for businesses” … and threatening our food security. Why TF would *anyone* want this for our businesses and our country? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Brexit and Donald Trump’s tariffs push UK’s food and drink trade deficit to £21bn
In the first half of 2026, the sector’s export volumes fell 11.7% to hit their third-lowest level on record
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I’d like to thank everyone on Twitter who has spoken out to denounce Andy Burnham’s move to tackle misinformation. The fact that all the Russian bots are saying exactly the same thing is pure coincidence.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If these people were not so very dangerously stupid this would be very funny indeed. Jaymey McIvor of Reform insisting people from Chingford and Woodford are claiming asylum in Ongar.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We can win this - but only with your help. linktr.ee/HSP_6thGreenMP
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Why is an attack on Russian disinformation an attack on Reform? Find out in the latest edition of Nigel's Notes. Please share if you enjoy it and you can subscribe for free to get these straight to your inbox. parodypm.substack.com/p/big-burnha...
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Where do Farage’s loyalties lie? Let’s ask Nathan Gill. Farage needs misinformation for power. He distorts, pays for biased polling, works for crypto billionaires/foreign money… He wants chaos and rage. This is a sulky footstamp at having his toys taken away. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nigel-...
huffingtonpost.co.uk
Nigel Farage Has Attacked The Government's Plans For A New Russia Misinformation Unit
The Reform UK leader claimed it is “targeted directly” at his party.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Just me saying that any effort to tackle misinformation must be an attack on Reform, thereby admitting that Reform are helping Russia to spread far right narratives and create dissent and unrest.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Thank you for this, @privateeyenews.bsky.social Farage needs ridiculing far more. It’s a form of scrutiny he can’t cope with and one he so richly - yes pun intended - deserves.
TV HIGHLIGHTS
72 Up
The award-winning documentary series continues, charting the progress of one posh little boy, Nigel, over the years.
The last time we saw him was over a week ago in 36
Up when he had been given £36 million out of the blue.
In the latest instalment Nigel is given another £36 million, making the total donation a jaw-dropping £72 million.
This is a life changing moment for the former prep school boy who was recorded in the first episode singing the Horst Wessel song and coming up with charming but embarrassing comments about admiring Hitler.
As the clock moves forward
to 72 Up, viewers now see a completely different Nigel from the one we have come to know so well over the years
- from Europe-hating MEP to Brexit-promoting campaigner to the triumphant bin-defeating statesman of today. It's been a roller-coaster ride for Nigel
- and indeed the viewer - and this remarkable series ends with a poignant and moving climax in a Clacton oyster bar, where the older but no wiser Nigel faces the prospect of being Prime Minister and/or going to jail after criminal proceedings.
EYE VERDICT: "Boring, boring, Boring! Nothing to see here
- put a sock in it, love." 

(Insert photo of him slurping up oysters)
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Thinktank linked to Reform UK calls for abolition of state pension. Means-testing even though people have paid for it. Proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains tax; cut corporation tax. Enrich the wealthiest. No means-testing. Chaos and cruelty inevitable.
theguardian.com
Thinktank linked to Reform UK calls for abolition of state pension
‘Radical’ report likely to influence party’s platform also proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains taxes
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
That thug sabotaging rescue efforts, racist riots, flags on lampposts, pink ladies wanting to burn down hotels, doxxing charity workers, ICE-style deportation plans, threats to scrap the Equality Act and leave the ECHR… “legitimate concerns” No. A tornado of hate and prejudice set off by Farage.
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Helen #FBPE #NHS #ClimateCrisis 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈💙 @heib20.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Wow!😳 And still the same muppets will vote for Farage & the rest of his company MPs believing he & they are on their side!!🤦‍♀️ ReformUK are only motivated by their own self-interests & those of their sponsors!😠
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Claire #FBPE ☘️ 🍉 🇺🇦 🇪🇺🐝 🦮🇮🇪🇧🇪 💙💚 @fbpech.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/politics/202... Which is just yet another reason why these people must never be allowed to get into power !!! ( How many reasons do we need??)
theguardian.com
Thinktank linked to Reform UK calls for abolition of state pension
‘Radical’ report likely to influence party’s platform also proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains taxes
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Rebuilding our relationship with the EU “is the cheapest way to boost the economy, the fastest way to unite Europe in the face of security threats and the best way to get leverage on a global system that no longer has an American anchor.” So obvious it hurts. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Brexit has left Britain ‘impotent – a bobbing cork in the sea,’ says David Miliband
Exclusive: Former foreign secretary adds to mounting pressure for a new UK deal with EU to repair Brexit damage
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Thames Water has long passed its notice period. Labour can use its massive majority to nationalise it right now.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
“Dan Thomas has been doing a brilliant job,” Nige continued. “I’m sorry for his personal difficulties.” Yeah, Dan. Great bloke. Brilliant Reform leader….just unfortunate he’s been arrested on suspicion of assault and coercive control.” Crace - Reform’s nemesis. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Another day, another Reform Wales leader. Grumpy Nige seems to miss the old one | John Crace
At a low-key event, Helen Jenner replaces Dan Thomas, who was arrested on suspicion of assault and gets warm words from Farage
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victoria1921.bsky.social @victoria1921.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Austerity. Privatisation of essential public services means inequality. Poverty doesn't give a sxxt about politicians/MSM who enjoy playing games with the lives and wellbeing of old and young people. Ffs. Tax the rich.
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Larry the Cat @number10cat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Things that aren't patriotic: - Racism - Moving abroad for tax purposes Things that are patriotic: - A love and sense of duty to your country, including paying taxes that contribute to it
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Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Imagine looking at ICE… Those unruly, violent, incel thugs, and the chaos, fear and murder they’ve brought to the streets of America, and thinking...that’s what Britain needs. Well, Nigel Farage has.
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harrisonjan.bsky.social @harrisonjan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Goodness no! It’s often weeks between mopping the kitchen floor, although I sweep up every couple of days. Vacuum carpets maybe once a week, upstairs less often. But there’s only me and even I’m not often there.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Would be good if we had a PM prepared to talk honestly about what responsible sovereignty should mean, rather than sticking with the brexity version that’s all about rejecting teamwork, bowing to Trump, erecting monumental trade barriers and waving big ‘you’re not welcome’ signs at foreigners.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Thank you to the Independent for including me in Climate List of Worlds Top 100. The UK Labour Govt are due to approve new oil & gas licences in the north sea. They've delayed the decision post October 8th. We can invest in renewables instead. Vote Green in Holborn & St Pancras
Since becoming leader of the Green Party in 2025, Zack Polanski has made the links between climate change, inequality and the cost of living central to his politics, arguing that environmental action must also make people’s lives better.

This summer, as the UK faced its hottest summer ever and wildfires swept across the UK and the rest of the globe, he called for oil and gas companies to pay higher taxes to fund climate adaptation. That is alongside investment in cooling homes and public spaces and bringing water companies into public ownership.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The only 4 constituencies where rejoining the EU wasn’t the preferred option were those of Lee Anderson, Farage, Tice and Lowe. In those 4, the top answer was ‘don’t know’. Confirming that Brexit has no real support at all. Not surprising for a total shitshow. And makes red lines seem very silly.
Independent front page. 

Voters across Britain back rejoining EU
Reversing Brexit is most popular option in 646 of 650 constituencies, finds new electoral survey of 12,000Bar chart showing
Which EU relationship respondents most wanted the Uk government to propose

EU membership 35%
Single market 6%
Customs Union 5%
Uk govt position  18/19%
Starts quo 8/9%
Don’t know 16%
Loosen ties 11%
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Jim Ratcliffe, tax-dodging Brexiter billionaire living in Monaco, says the poorest and most vulnerable should have their rights & benefits removed to bolster our economy. Don’t bother telling us this rancid man’s opinions unless you say how much he’s avoided in tax and what Brexit is costing us all.
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harrisonjan.bsky.social @harrisonjan.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Not surprised they ‘don’t know’ either!
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JoanKay @joankay.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Good letters in The Times on Canada’s moves towards the EU. Seems we’re far happier to discuss the strategic sense of Canada rethinking its allies and trade arrangements, than we are to discuss our own not-so splendid Brexit isolation. Looking very foolish again, UK.
EU suggestion of Canadian membership

2 of the letters 

Sir, Gerard Baker is right ("Grin and bear it, Andy, and stick with Trump", comment, Sep 18)……

….The problem is that the US is neither as reliable nor as reliably friendly as it once was. If it is willing to impose tariffs on friends, that economy becomes rather less reassuring. If the US prevents the UK regulating to protect our children, those new industries are not as positively transformative as we may have thought. And if Washington no longer thinks European security is its concern, then all that military might counts for little as far as we re concerned. Ultimately, the UK has little choice but to try and limit its dependence on a partner that is far less reliable than it was, and to do so, in part, by working more closely with its European neighbours. Managing this without further irritating the US president must be the ambition.
Anand Menon
Professor of European, KCL; director, the UK in a Changing Europe

Sir, Mark Carney's address to the European parliament was
extraordinarily impressive. It was a vision of what politics can be when it looks beyond the next poll, election or headline. Carney spoke of Europe and Canada building something together based on democracy, freedom, sovereignty and resilience. He offered both a dream and a practical route towards it: co-operation in defence. energy, critical minerals, technology, Al, trade and education. What struck me most was the clarity and scale of his thinking. He spoke of the challenges confronting western democracies but did not simply complain about them: he asked what could be built in response.
His metaphor of the forest was particularly memorable: a single tree mav be brought down by the storm. but a forest will endure because its roots are interconnected. I am 80 and I cannot remember recently hearing a western political leader speak with quite this combination of ambition, seriousness and intellectual clarity.
Thomas Kendall
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