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Hugh Bankier

@hughbankier.bsky.social
196 followers 319 following 416 posts

Social democrat. Hoping we learn the lessons of the 20th Century. It's not looking too clever, is it? For God's Sake Get The Ground Lights On HughBankier.bsky.social

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Reposted by Hugh Bankier
Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 4h
The people who say that their main concern is integration of refugees and migrants should be particularly happy today at her success in integrating. But I suspect they are very angry instead. It's almost as if the integration arguments are often made in bad faith.
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 21h
It's that time of the year again: Lidl festbier box! If you're in England or Wales. Can't comment on Scotland or anywhere else - but please confirm if Lidl is doing this in your country. Prost! #BskyBeer
A box full of German festbiers
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Leonardo Carella @leonardocarella.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
In other words, a 10 percent contraction in one of Britain’s most successful exports. If it were steel or fish or other infinitely less profitable sectors, people would be having a meltdown.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 23h
Latest forensic debunk from the indefatigable @monkemma.bsky.social
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Sarah Pochin raised "concerns" in parliament about the impact of second homes on rural communities. Two days later she purchased an £800,000 second home on Anglesey. Remarkable stuff. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform MP raises concerns about second homes – then buys one for £800,000
Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second homes on rural communities
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Davenant 📸 @marcdavenant.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
‘Fish and Ships in North East England’, a fascinating documentary of a lost world in North Shields and Cullercoats just before Thatcher took a sledgehammer to it all. youtu.be/2si49AFf_AU...
youtu.be
1979: Fish and Ships in North East England | A Diary of Britain | Classic Documentary | BBC Archive
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Off to the Last day of the Hastings Tap Takeover, hoping they've not sold out. www.hastingstaptakeover.com/lineup #BskyBeer
Map of Hastings pubs taking part in the Tap Takeover
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Brilliant Maps @brilliantmaps.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
London’s Violent Crime Rate Compared To The UK National Average brilliantmaps.com/londons-v...
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Catherine Cowie 🏳️‍⚧️ @64ordle.au · 03/10/2026
Cis people, read this post. The UK is NOT a safe place for trans people anymore, and it will only change for the better when cis people stand up for us. I’ve written polemics, I’ve written fiction to highlight how bad things are over there, but it won’t make any difference if cis people don’t help.
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Andy Mackenzie @andymack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Good morning. 'Batman's aff his Nut' by Robert Florence.
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Viz Comic @vizcomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz358bs
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Baroness Floella Benjamin @floellabenjamin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today it’s 50 years since I first presented Playschool wearing my blue beads and silver heart. I adore bringing joy into the lives of my Playschool Babies during the 12 years I was on the programme. ❤️
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Lupus Londonwolf @lupuslondonwolf.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I was making potato and leek soup and the recipe asked for five potatoes cubed. Even for potato soup, 125 potatoes seems a little excessive.
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Sunderland Lollipops @sunderlandlolly.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Did you know that a Farage Reform govt intends to scrap the NHS? The private health care system he wants to introduce would cost you £10,000s, like the US, where getting ill can bankrupt you. #ReformUK #Labour #GreenParty #Newcastle #SAFC� #NUFC
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Beau @drbeaubeaumont.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
To be fair, you honestly can’t say that Enid Blyton isn’t prepared to move with the times.
BBC headline: Five arrested as counter-terror police investigate major incident near RAF Fairford
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Old School Gentleman @oldschoolgentl1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I decided to be healthy today so I came to the gym. I'm celebrating now with a barley and hops smoothie
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Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
'Which taxes do you want to raise instead?' should be the default question to anyone who calls for reductions in immigration.
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Grumpy-ish Brian🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🇮🇪 @brian770.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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Matthew Stewart @roguestrands.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
No way I can compete with the major poetry publishers who get collections stocked by bricks-and-mortar bookshops But I do have word of mouth and all you wonderful people here on Bluesky, pushing the numbers of readers of Whatever You Do, Just Don't far beyond the sales of the big boys. Thank you!
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Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
BREAKING: 94 year old Jewish human rights barrister, Margaret Owen arrested under the Terrorism Act outside Andy Burnham’s Labour Party conference. UK taxpayers are funding these arrests while masked men terrorise the streets in coastal towns. Lift The Ban on Palestine Action.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Rupert must have had a change of heart. I'm sure he used to be all in favour of local people expressing their understandable anger at strange fighting age men suddenly appearing in their community.
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Richard Corbett CBE @richardcorbett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Pressure building up at and beyond Labour Party Conference because: - Brexit even more costly than predicted, hurting economy & damaging public finances - Geopolitical situation: aggressive Russia in east & unreliable USA in west - British public now has a steadily growing majority for rejoining EU
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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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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
EXC - We *also* have an MRP out today - which has some very striking findings. Progressives who vote tactically to stop Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could push his party into FOURTH place. The poll also shows Burnham’s Labour is winning back left-leaning voters. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
That is a fabulous photo
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This chart published by the Economics Laboratory, shows that the UK social spending is 23% of GDP, covers NHS, social security and support services. It is a useful rebutal to neoliberals calling for cuts to the NHS, state pension and other benefits. www.linkedin.com/posts/charto...
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Here's today's column on the astonishing, ongoing mistreatment of people with #ME/CFS. Please spread it far and wide: the only thing which can break the media's wall of indifference is seeing an article about the issue go viral. Thank you. 1/2 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Abandoned, dismissed and gaslighted: there is no excuse for the way ME sufferers have been betrayed | George Monbiot
Changes in guidance and science seem to have little impact on millions of devastated lives. It’s a social crisis playing out behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Great to hear the PM say “We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law” re foreign information warfare. I wonder if he or the Home Secretary might consider doing the same when it comes to masked vigilantes shutting down infrastructure and harassing the RNLI
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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Started watching Sky’s War Game last night where Michael Gove is the PM during the Russian attack and I’m afraid it is just very difficult to watch it without thinking of this, one of the great cartoons ever published
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Steven (with a PH) @sjksalisbury.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Christening a baby is nothing like christening a ship. I know that now. Once again I can only apologise.
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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
How can it be that I know Andy Burnham disapproves of serving Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner but not whether he disapproves of masked fascists threatening members of the RNLI?
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Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Instead of debating “should we do what Canada is doing” (which is, so far, unclear), the debate could be: “how has the world changed that the EU and Canada are considering this, and how do we want to deal with this situation?“ Just a suggestion.
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
There are some brilliant stories in the replies.
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paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
@mackaycartoons.bsky.social
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Nicola Kelly @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I have spent weeks shadowing the RNLI and I can tell you, they do it out of nothing more than compassion. Wrote about the heroes I've met over the years in this free-to-read post. nicolakelly.substack.com/p/the-rnli-a...
nicolakelly.substack.com
The RNLI aren't traitors; they're heroes
I have spent weeks shadowing lifeboat crews. Here's what they do and what it's like.
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Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This thread is wonderful. Fionna is wonderful. Read it to see what happens when a bigot gets their arse handed to them by someone who knows what they're talking about. 👇👇👇
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Tim's right. This is absolutely essential and brilliantly constructed.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I'm not surprised but I'm truly disgusted that this narrative of "dangerous fighting age men posing a threat to women and children" is genuinely doing the rounds on the media with almost no push back at all. This is 1930s level stuff.
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Hugh Bankier @hughbankier.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Daughter was tidying up the cellar of the pub she works in and dug out a few old pump clips, including this beauty. What a beer this was! The Fullers facsimile is OK, but the original was a trial-blazing wonder. Such a shame Asahi didn't/don't understand. #BskyBeer @rogerprotz.bsky.social
Old, original Dark Star "Hophead" cask beer pump clip, on a world map mousemat where it's basically wiped Mexico out.
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Bryan @elwick70.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I find it odd that Reform complains about the 10s of 1000s of individual British workers contributing to the Labour Party via their union subs and how this can influence politics, but their £77m received from two offshore donors has no political influence at all. Very odd…
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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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Nadine Batchelor-Hunt @nadinebh.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I wrote something very personal and vulnerable about World Suicide Prevention Day on my Substack, and my experience with suicidal thoughts I decided that, however scary it feels writing it, if it helps one person it's worth it a million times over nadinebh.substack.com/p/its-world-...
nadinebh.substack.com
It’s World Suicide Prevention Day, and we need to destigmatise talking about suicidal thoughts
Up to one in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts in our live times. We need to destigmatise talking about the issue - I should know, I live with suicidal thoughts myself.
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Mikel Reparaz @wikiparaz.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
PAUL: What’s in the box? REVEREND MOTHER: Pain. [PAUL hesitantly puts his hand in the BOX, then FROWNS IN CONFUSION. He pulls out A BAGUETTE.] REVEREND MOHER: Hōn hōn,
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Your dad would be proud as hell of you, my man.
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NORTHERN RESIDENT ARTIST @northresidentart.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ye Cracke Another pub completed on the road to painting all 285 Liverpool pubs Please repost so others see my attempt to document all Liverpool pubs #Liverpoolpubs #GaryNorth #lancashireartistoftheyear
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
You might have to turn up for the results of this one, Nige.
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
'Increasingly, we’re seeing conservatives use constitutional arguments the way the Scottish writer Andrew Lang famously described drunks using lampposts: “for support, not illumination.” '
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
imagine being a menswear writer and having to go back to writing about this fall’s best socks after reading anthropic employees say AI might destroy humanity in a few years
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The balaclava blackshirted thugs are a result of a decade of politicians, tabloids and the broadcast media telling racists they have "legitimate concerns." The normalisation of actual fascism rhetoric and action has led to this and is a far greater "legitimate concern" than any migrant on a boat.
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Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 09/09/2026
Astrophotographer Adam (AJ) Smadi caught this image a few hours ago from Washington state. A thin crescent Moon, sunlight illuminating the rugged lunar surface. And 2,400 times farther away—and on the other side of the Sun—mighty Jupiter, and its moons Io (left) and Ganymede (right).
A crescent Moon seen during the day, arcing from upper left to lower right of the frame. At lower centre is the full disk of Jupiter; the small dots to its upper left and lower right and Io and Ganymede, respectively.
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