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iomcarolb.bsky.social

@iomcarolb.bsky.social
438 followers 400 following 115 posts

Old lefty northerner living in the Isle of Man. Please note am mainly here to read and learn.

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Reposted by @iomcarolb.bsky.social
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
In February 2026, annual gross median wage of a UK employee was £31,032, £25,863 after income tax and NIC. Hard to survive, raise families, buy home, save for pension. 1% have more wealth than 70% of the population combined. Can't grow economy without equitable distribution of income and wealth.
ons.gov.uk
Earnings and employment from Pay As You Earn Real Time Information, UK - Office for National Statistics
Monthly estimates of payrolled employees and their pay from HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC's) Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) data. This is a joint release between HMRC and the Offic...
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Typical UK energy bill to rise to nearly £2,000. Trump's illegal war isn't the only reason. Energy companies have profiteered for years. Ofgem's pricing formula help them. In high winds, wind turbines are turned off. UK lacks transmission and storage infrastructure.
bbc.co.uk
Typical energy bill forecast to rise by £332 a year in July
Cornwall Insight says the recent surge in energy prices due to the Iran war is set to push up household bills.
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Alan Rusbridger @arusbridger.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
If (as Andrew Neil says) GB News has become Reform TV then maybe there’s a case for the @ElectoralCommUK to start taking an interest app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/72784/...
app.prospectmagazine.co.uk
GB News seems to have become Reform TV—and Ofcom hasn’t stopped it
Whether they are charged with keeping our news impartial, our water clean or our elections fair, Britain’s regulators are dozing
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Whaley Queen of the Woke @simonwhale.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Precisely , you fucking go or send your own sons and daughters first
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The Scales ⚖️ @shakethescales.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Right, great if you can catch them. But why doesn't this same principle work with water company bosses filling our rivers with shit? We know exactly who and where they are... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Fly tippers face punishment of clearing up rubbish
Fly tippers could face up to 20 hours of community service removing rubbish they have illegally dumped.
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
“One political party in Britain has effectively ended up with its own television station. GB News has essentially become Reform TV.” pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/b...
pressgazette.co.uk
Rusbridger says report shows GB News now 'Reform TV'
Investigation by Alan Rusbridger claims pattern of GB News breaching Ofcom broadcasting rules and becoming mouthpiece for political party.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
One in six private renters is now renting a former council home, often at extortionate rates – and often partly paid for by the government in the form of housing benefit. It's not just deeply unfair - it economically doesn't make any sense. www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
standard.co.uk
Zack Polanski vows rent controls as Green Party makes major push to seize London
The Green Party leader unveiled his plan to end ‘rip-off Britain’ during a speech in Wood Green
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Kneecap @kneecapceol.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
We're busy packing suitcases of medical aid to bring to Cuba tomorrow. 🇮🇪 🇨🇺 GRMA to all who've assisted us source it (special thanks to Dr David Hickey). The USA is illegally and savagely strangling the island and crippling its people.
Suitcases full of medical supplies for Cuba.
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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
"NHS hospitals are being urged by a group of doctors, human rights groups, and campaigners to reconsider using a major data platform built by US tech giant Palantir." "NHS hospitals urged to reject £330m data platform part-owned by Trump ally [and Mossad agent]" news.sky.com/story/nhs-ho...
news.sky.com
NHS hospitals urged to reject £330m data platform part-owned by Trump ally
The NHS Federated Data Platform is designed to collate information from across the service so hospitals can analyse it more easily and improve how care is delivered and supporters say it is already he...
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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
It is the anniversary of the My Lai massacre today. I'd say that even more than most years, it's important to remember what happened. And the role Hugh Thompson, an active serviceman, played in both stopping and publicising it. Despite enormous military, political and public pressure to stay quiet.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Profiteering. Woodall services near Sheffield is country’s most expensive pit stops, with diesel priced at 185.9p a litre and petrol at 172.9p. Just plain greedy. Please boycott. Time for Govt to act, as a warning to others.
theguardian.com
‘Daylight robbery’: M1 drivers boggle at the rising price of fuel
Woodall services near Sheffield is now one of the UK’s most expensive pit stops, with petrol at 172.9p a litre
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Reform’s Richard Tice avoided nearly £600,000 in UK tax. Complex plan used offshore trust in Jersey, three shell companies and a string of dormant businesses. His property company paid nothing in corporation tax on multimillion-pound profits for most of 2018 to 2021. archive.ph/c5EcY
thetimes.com
Reform’s Richard Tice avoided nearly £600,000 in tax
The deputy leader’s property company paid nothing in corporation tax on multimillion-pound profits for most of 2018-21
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Bryan @elwick70.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Ideally the President of the United States and the stupidest person on the planet should be two different people…
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 15/03/2026
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
WATCH: “The answer has to be a more progressive tax system. Give people the necessities of life for free — childcare, healthcare… the rich keep getting richer…” Lloyd Blankfein, Senior Chair of Goldman Sachs, out here sounding like @aoc.bsky.social & Bernie 👀 🎯 (From @bluegeorgia.bsky.social )
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Daily Herald #FBPE #NAFO 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇱 @dailyherald.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Is there anything Reform UK politicians won’t u-turn on? Here’s Offord’s maiden speech about the importance of Net Zero when he was made a lord for services to donating money to the Tories: www.gov.uk/government/n... It was only 3 years ago.
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Lord Piss @lordpiss.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
why can't america just let other countries exist
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
No to Palantir. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Palantir’s NHS England contract ‘opens door to government abuse of power’, health bosses told
Health justice charity Medact says data-sharing potential could be used for UK version of US immigration raids
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
CMA investigates heating oil suppliers over ‘blatant profiteering’ from Iran war. Profiteering is everywhere - water, energy, social care, vets, banking, dentists, housing .... People pushed into poverty, economy stagnates. Regulators/Govts close profiteers, nationalise essentials, but don't
theguardian.com
CMA to investigate heating oil suppliers over ‘blatant profiteering’ from Iran war
Competition watchdog says it will look into ‘concerning reports’ to see if they breach consumer protection laws
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Abilu Tangwa. @abilutangwa.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Imagine a child decades from now, standing in a barren field, looking at a history book. They will see photos of giants—trees that stood before empires rose—and they will ask us: "You knew they were the lungs of the planet. You knew they were ancient. Why did you let them die?"
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Ungagged! @ungagged.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
On August 29, 2016, The Guardian published a letter by Henry Stewart that became a viral sensation. Written during the "burkini ban" controversy in France, Stewart’s satirical piece argued that while religious dress had never harmed him, "men in suits" were responsible for his unfair dismissal, pension scandals, illegal wars, the global financial crash, and the misery of austerity. He concluded that if society is to dictate attire based on perceived harm, it should "ban suits."
​About the Author
​Henry Stewart is not just a disgruntled reader but a prominent British business thinker and entrepreneur. He is the founder and "Chief Happiness Officer" of Happy Ltd, a consultancy known for a management style built on trust rather than top-down control.
​Key Professional Highlights:
​The Happy Manifesto: His acclaimed book argues that employee autonomy and happiness drive productivity.
​Workplace Reform: He is a recognized influencer on the Thinkers50 "Guru Radar" for his work in transforming corporate culture.
​Personal Stakes: The letter’s mention of being "sacked without explanation" refers to a real event in 1987 when he was fired after just 12 days at a pension firm. This experience inspired him to build a company rooted in transparency and respect.
​Core Philosophy
​Stewart’s work and public commentary advocate for coaching over commanding and strengths-based working. He frequently connects management ethics to broader social justice, viewing traditional "command and control" structures—represented by the metaphorical "men in suits"—as a primary source of systemic failure and inequality.
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The Scales ⚖️ @shakethescales.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
How do you nurture hope when the very planet which enables all our lives has been spoiled and poisoned irredeemably? You don't. You can't. Young people know this. They can't escape it.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
It's no longer OK for you to sit in the house of Lords because your dad did. But if your mate put you there? That's fine. Neither of these really feel like democracy to me.
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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
via Owen Jones
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
A glimpse of UK democracy The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 empowers the state to 24/7 snoop on bank accounts of benefit recipients. The poor, old, sick have no financial privacy. The same does not apply to enablers of tax abuse schemes. We are all equal, aren't we?
leftfootforward.org
How democratic is the UK?
The UK has a crisis of democracy
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Graham Jones @oldmanrambling.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
A must read for anybody who thinks that the royals still deserve a place in our society. Time for them to go.
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Feral Millennial Communists of Late Stage Capitalism @feralcommie.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Best summary so far
Awesome: price of everything starts going through the roof because some fuckheads decide to start a war
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Pensioners in poverty skip baths as water bills rise. Full state pension (received by 35% of pensioners) is less than 50% of minimum wage. 2m UK pensioners live in poverty. In 2024-25, 88,000 pensioners died in poverty. Govts don't curb profiteering. Poverty is a political choice.
bigissue.com
Rising water bills see pensioners in poverty skip baths
Water bills will go up again on April 1. Pensioners like Judith are already feeling the pinch, rationing showers and laundry loads.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
BP’s new CEO to take home £11.7m this year, more than double her predecessor. Daily pay > annual median pay of UK employee. CEO pay at one company is a benchmark for another. Others will want more. Govts, BOE, CBI and other neoliberals talk about wage inflation, but silence on fat-cattery.
theguardian.com
BP’s new boss will take home at least £11.7m this year, more than double her predecessor
Meg O’Neill will be first woman to serve as CEO of 117-year-oil firm when joining from Woodside Energy in April
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Alistair Barrie @alistairbarrie.com · 06/03/2026
Pretty difficult to refute a single thing in this perfect assessment of where the f**k we are, from @iandunt.bsky.social:
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Cold War Steve @coldwarsteve.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
THESE ISLES: Betsi Cadwaladr (1789-1860), was a Welsh nurse who served in the Crimean war at age 65, where she clashed frequently with Florence Nightingale and fought bureaucracy to give soldiers the treatment she believed they needed. She later died in poverty. 1/7
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Palestine Solidarity Isle of Man @pscisleofman.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Coca-Cola is bottled on stolen Palestinian land. Its regional partner operates a plant in the illegal Israeli settlement of Atarot in the occupied West Bank. Palestine Cola is available at Shop Smart, 61 Parliament St, Ramsey (Isle of Man). We’d love to see more local shops and cafés stocking it.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
UK private equity investor plots closure of up to 80 former WHSmith stores, jobs lost. Will blame govt etc but standard PE business model is: No long-term interest. Cut staff, real wages. Hike prices Demand longer credit from suppliers. Dodge taxes. Asset-stripping archive.ph/WtfKE
ft.com
UK private equity investor plots closure of up to 80 former WHSmith stores
Modella rebranded high street shops as TG Jones after buying them last year
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
ESG bonuses removed from paychecks of Apple executives. Pretence of concerns about the environment, sustainability, ethics, good governance dumped by companies, to appease Trump. We are light years away from Quaker capitalism. Public backlash overdue. Don't buy their products.
packagingeurope.com
ESG bonuses removed from paychecks of Apple executives
Apparently, Apple removed an 'ESG modifier' from its top executives' pay packages last year - joining other big brands like Procter & Gamble and Starbucks in a trend thought to reflect a decreasin...
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
MPs’ basic salary to rise to £110,000 by end of parliament, watchdog says. This should be accompanied by a total ban on second jobs, which in most cases is a corporate bribe. Must end all conflict of interests. Being a MP is a full time job. MPs must act exclusively as MPs.
theguardian.com
MPs’ basic salary to rise to £110,000 by end of parliament, watchdog says
Ipsa cites rising abuse and constituency workloads as reasons for above-inflation increase of 5% from April
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Arvindjadwa @arvindjadwa.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
If I tweeted an appeal to bomb British towns and cities, I would have been arrested by now. @metpoliceuk do your job.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Ooof
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Andy Hearn 🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈⚽️🎶🌈 @andyhearn24.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Thank goodness the US constitution has all those famous checks and balances to prevent a dangerous mad President from acting out his own personal wishes.
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#c0ffee 🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️ @caffeinated-dev.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
It's time for "Labour Friends Of Israel" and all similar parliamentary groups to be proscribed as terrorist organisations.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Private equity companies linked to Manchester City owner, and Bono making millions in profit through taxpayer-funded special needs schools. 20%+ profit margins. Children are cash cows. Councils pay up to £350,000 a year to support pupils. Money ends up in offshore tax havens. archive.ph/sY2eJ
thetimes.com
‘Cash cow’ Send schools backed by firms linked to Bono and Sheikh Mansour
Analysis shows private equity funds, including offshore entities, are making millions while councils struggle to meet Send demand
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Terre-Strial @terre-strial.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
"I don't know how to save the world. I don't have the answers or The Answer. I hold no secret knowledge as to how to fix the mistakes of generations past and present. I only know that without compassion and respect for all of Earth's inhabitants, none of us will survive-nor will we deserve to."
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Johntaines D.C @justjohnny1882.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Farage is a wanker. Pass it on.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
The number of UK workers on zero-hours contracts hits record 1.23m. People subjected to insecurity, loss of workers rights. Labour 2024 manifesto promised to ban "exploitative" zero-hours contracts, Employment Rights Act diluted that promise.
bbc.co.uk
Number of workers on zero-hours contracts hits record high
There has been a 181,000 increase in the number of zero-hours contracts since Labour was elected.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Reform UK for sale. It had to return over £200,000 in donations from 18 ineligible overseas donors. It received £9m from a person in Thailand. Its former Wales leader received 10.5 yrs prison sentence for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives. Elon Musk promised $100m.
leftfootforward.org
We need to get serious about tackling corruption through political donations
The government's reforms are welcome but they won't end political corruption
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Daily Herald #FBPE #NAFO 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇱 @dailyherald.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Most people in England & Wales are not Christian, and it’s axiomatic to a free society that religious beliefs - or the lack of them - are irrelevant to civic participation. Britain is a pluralist, not a Christian, society; and this is one more reason to fight Reform UK.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
High energy prices threaten UK’s status as manufacturing power, business groups say. The same groups supported privatisation of rail, mail, water, energy and more. Households ripped-off to appease shareholders. Subsidies aren't the answer. Need public ownership. Gives govts more economic levers.
theguardian.com
High energy prices threaten UK’s status as manufacturing power, business groups say
CBI and Energy UK report finds 40% of firms have cut investment as electricity costs remain far above pre-Ukraine levels
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World Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
One of the greatest bollard walks in history. #WorldBollardAssociation
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