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James Connelly

@jamescon.bsky.social
1.5K followers 2.2K following 289 posts

Emeritus Prof. Writing Collingwood bio / philosophy, environment, electoral systems / Notts County. J.Connelly@hull.ac.uk / hull.academia.edu/JamesConnelly / rail campaigner www.minstersrail.com

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Reposted by James Connelly
Keith Alexander @keithalexander.bsky.social · 8h
It’s monstrous that people would consider trying to kill 1000 beings that are hundreds of years old and take 150 years to even reach sexual maturity, purely because they interfere with fishing for halibut. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
To cull or not to cull: Greenland debates fate of world’s slowest shark
As trawlers compete with Greenland sharks for halibut and cod, conservationists and fishers clash over what to do about misunderstood species
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Abby Innes @abbyinnes.bsky.social · 19h
The environmental and human consequences would be catastrophic…
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 19h
Not good. Bolsonaro now clear favourite to win.
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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 19h
From Reykjavík to The Hague, European governments are starting to prepare for a literal sea change that would end life as we know it on the continent.
politico.eu
A climate nightmare lurks in the Atlantic. Europe is starting to pay attention.
A slowdown of ocean currents that would disrupt life on the continent on an unthinkable scale.
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The Tories have announced they would abolish Natural England, support a Third Runway & pull the UK out of the Aarhus Convention - in further signs they’ve totally given up on Middle England, don’t give a toss about the environment & just want to please some wealthy grouse moor owners & raving YIMBYs
Tory party press release: “[We will leave the Aarhus] Convention that powers the lawfare hindering every major infrastructure project in this country.”

“Abolish Natural England and the Environment Agency, moving to a more streamlined regulatory landscape to protect our environment.”Tory PR: “Support a Third Runway at Heathrow Airport and wider expansion, increasing capacity to deliver cheaper flights, better connections for passengers, and more exports of high-value British goods.”
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 20h
This would be a utterly insane change that both entirely misunderstands the issues we have with housebuilding and tne role of the EA/Natural England. Particularly given the huge additional responsibilities we've just given the latter. Hammer blow for nature and the enviroment for no good reason
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Very disturbing that a political party has moved from saying that there should be no penalty for encouragement to violence, to calling for reduced penalties for literally blowing things up. A party manifestly not fit for political office.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Flying is officially on course to account for *almost all* the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Heathrow expansion alone would cause more carbon emissions by 2054 than *any other sector of the economy*. So why is it being contemplated? My column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The expansion of Heathrow would be an expensive disaster for Britain and the world. Burnham needs to block it | George Monbiot
A third runway would fly in the face of reason. If we are to prioritise human life over short-term ‘growth’, we need to use planes less, not more, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Brynley Heaven @brynleyheaven.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Incredible blunder by Reform UK banning the Local Democracy Reporter
derbytelegraph.co.uk
'Reform UK banned me for doing my job - this cannot become the norm'
Holding politicians accountable is a necessity as essential as clean running water to a functioning democracy
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High Wolds Poetry Festival @highwoldspoetry.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
That’s a wrap on the 2026 HWPF! Thank you to everyone who was part of making the festival happen, as well as our amazing poets, and everyone who came along as well! Special thanks to Arts Council England and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, without whom the festival couldn’t have taken place.
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Paul Eric @pauleric70.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
In 1985, Carl Sagan told Congress that continuing to burn fossil fuels will increase global temperature, cause climate change, melt glaciers and ice sheets, and cause sea level rise. Imagine if we had listened to him them.😒😒😒😪
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Aida @aidap.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Imagine that, online bots pretending to be "feminists" still do not travel to real meetups. Still better than their "alternative pride" in london 2 years ago, that accumulated 13 people 🤣
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 27/09/2026
Trump allies could use midterms ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn
theguardian.com
Trump allies could use midterms ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn
Fears grow that loyalists in key states could use critical period when votes are counted to amplify false claims
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Trump Action Tracker @trumpactiontracker.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The Trump administration has formalised new fuel efficiency rules for new vehicles and light trucks, which will gut one of the government’s most significant efforts to reduce gasoline consumption and support the country’s shift to electric vehicles. TAT: [Attacking science]
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Plans to Gut Clean Car Rules
New fuel-economy standards, which President Trump said he finalized Saturday, would kill a federal effort to speed the transition to electric vehicles.
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Paul Marvin @paulmarvin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A former staff member of Tony Blair Institute said they had serious concerns that this was “very much trading money for access”, but was instructed by a colleague not to describe it that way. ‘They were saying you have to be really careful not to make it seem as if they’re paying money for access’😬
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
F.H. Bradley in 1922: "My impression is that it will not suffice to teach what seems true. If the truth is not needed the reader will not work for it, nor painfully learn it. And he hardly will need it where he stands possessed of what seems an easy solution." Principles of Logic, x. He has a point.
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Pete Fraser @petefrasermusic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I realised today that it’s been a long, long time since I’ve heard anyone making the case for safe and legal routes on the broadcast news. The ludicrous idea that irregular migration is somehow the most serious issue facing the country is all you ever hear.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 23/09/2026
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
theguardian.com
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers The UK has warned countries around the world that the climate and nature crises and the coming El Niño threaten their national security and defence, presenting foreign ministries with the findings of an explosive report suppressed under Keir Starmer. Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, made a presentation to the foreign ministers of the EU as well as Kenya and other countries on Wednesday night at a private meeting during the UN general assembly in New York, based on the report by the UK’s spy chiefs that found the collapse of natural systems around the world would lead to conflict, migration and food shortages. Continue reading...
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
F.H. Bradley in 1922: "My impression is that it will not suffice to teach what seems true. If the truth is not needed the reader will not work for it, nor painfully learn it. And he hardly will need it where he stands possessed of what seems an easy solution." Principles of Logic, x. He has a point.
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Cllr Dr Alex Powell @apowelllaw.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
So, just to be clear, Daniel Thomas was: 1- Carrying a knife contrary to section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 2- Used that knife to commit criminal damage (Criminal Damage act 1971) 3- likely engaged in the criminal offense of endangering Life at Sea (Merchant Shipping Act 1995)
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Centre for the Philosophy of Historiography @centrephilohistory.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Indeed! Join us tomorrow for the first session of our autumn research seminar! More info below
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"Welcome to the new world of super intelligence" says Trump, its front man. Irony is such a weak word to use in the contemporary world.
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Hugo Gordon @hugogordon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This prick needs to be in a cell yesterday
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"Welcome to the new world of super intelligence" says Trump, its front man. Irony is such a weak word to use in the contemporary world.
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Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 22/09/2026
“While the great recession of 2008 resulted in global GDP reducing by around $2tn, the 1997–98 super El Niño resulted in losses of $5.7tn.” That El Niño has already been surpassed by the current one. - @profbillmcguire.bsky.social via @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak
‘Godzilla-level’ phenomenon is supercharging the climate crisis and will have a huge impact on communities across the world
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Bolts @boltsmag.org · 20/09/2026
The North Carolina legislature passed a bill this year that would bar the state’s board of elections from doing anything to boost turnout. The Democratic governor has vetoed it, and the GOP may try to override his veto later this year.
boltsmag.org
They’ve Long Clashed on Voting Rights. Now They’re Facing Off for a Supreme Court Seat. - Bolts
North Carolina Justice Anita Earls, a former voting rights lawyer, and Sarah Stevens, a longtime legislator, have been on opposite sides of election issues for over a decade.
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Bylines Network @bylinesnetwork.co.uk · 19/09/2026
Beaver boom: the furry dam builders are back after 400 years Beavers have been successfully reintroduced across the Midlands and are benefiting the wider environment | Louise Balint-Kurti
centralbylines.co.uk
Beaver boom: the furry dam builders are back after 400 years
Beavers have been successfully reintroduced across the Midlands and are benefiting the wider environment
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Andy Brown @andybrown1951.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
180 billion euros down the drain in one summer in one continent as the world moves ever deeper into dangerously out of control climate chaos. Stop using fossilised technology www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Burning forests, emptying rivers, €180bn in damage: Europe’s politicians face reckoning after ‘summer of truth’
Amid record-shattering heatwaves and popular demand for climate action, why are politicians often timid or in denial?
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 20/09/2026
Reαd carefully: how to spot – and avoid – a homoglyph attack
theguardian.com
Reαd carefully: how to spot – and avoid – a homoglyph attack
Scam emails are increasingly using psychological tricks, such as using near-identical URLs such as miсrosoft.com
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Past Present Future Podcast @ppfideas.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! Today is the final episode in our series about the relationship between 20th-century biography & philosophy. David talks to Nikhil Krishnan about the life & thought of Iris Murdoch, a deeply philosophical novelist & a fully committed philosopher. Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
UK politics funded by billionaires, mega-donations surge as the rich buy power. £179m donated by wealthy individuals since 2019. A cap at £100,000 or £500,000 won't do. Only the rich can enter political auctions Can't end political corruption without ending donations.
theguardian.com
UK politics increasingly funded by billionaires as mega-donations surge
Exclusive: A total £179m has been donated by wealthy individuals since 2019, research reveals
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John Denham @jydenham.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Labour’s relationship with academics and intellectuals needs an overhaul renewal.org.uk/blog/labour-...
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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 19/09/2026
The right to vote is under attack from the White House. On The Briefing with Michael Waldman, Brennan Center experts discuss our latest solutions paper on protecting voting rights. Watch: bit.ly/4yE44cY
youtube.com
How to Save the Vote (with Kareem Crayton and Sean Morales-Doyle)
The Trump administration has been leading an unprecedented campaign to undermine Americans’ right to vote. Luckily, his legislative attempts and executive or...
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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
If the White House Correspondents’ Association stood for more than partying with fascists, it would: A) Boycott White House news conferences to protest the banning of CNN, MSNOW and Politico. or B) Show up and make every question about Trump’s assault on the 1st Amendment.
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Hi Gareth - are you free for a chat, perhaps over the weekend? It would be good to give you an update on the campaign and to discuss possible talks and presentations - maybe in addition to the AGM.
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Minsters Rail Campaign @minstersrail.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKC_...
youtube.com
York to Hull: Yorkshire's crucial missing rail link? | #Railnatter 317
YouTube video by Gareth Dennis
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Hi Gareth. I'm the Chair of the Minsters Campaign to reopen the York-Beverley line. I was wondering whether we might have a chat? You can find me at jamesconne@gmail.com or at our website minstersrail.com
youtube.com
York to Hull: Yorkshire's crucial missing rail link? | #Railnatter 317
YouTube video by Gareth Dennis
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We’re in an era where the fight against fascism and authoritarianism is on almost every ballot. Voting has always been important, but never more than now. Vote like your rights, your future, your vote itself, and even your life, are all on the line. Because there’s a very good chance they are.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Anyone remember that time when two fighting aged men living at those barracks ran amok and assaulted a member of the public.... why didn't Piddington declare independence then I wonder? www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2324828...
oxfordmail.co.uk
Soldiers banned from every pub in Bicester after 'dreadful' attack on civilian
Bradley Barr and Owen Thomas, both 20, were given community orders
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A macho culture of performative selfishness might start on the roads, through racing, rolling coal, ever bigger SUVs ... But it doesn't end there. If we want to live in a decent country which values human life, we need to change this culture. My column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Driving that’s too fast, too dangerous and utterly lawless: why do we tolerate this petro-masculinity? | George Monbiot
In towns and in the countryside, I see 4x4s and pick up trucks driven without care or consicence. It’s a Magafication of transport, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Passport to Piddington: I loved the original but I'm not sure about this remake.
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On this #InternationalDayOfDemocracy, explore @ismarvolic.bsky.social's Making Democracy Count, which sheds light on our electoral systems, revealing how an understanding of their mathematics is key to creating civic infrastructure that works for all. Save 30% with code PUP30: buff.ly/0OLdDS5
Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation by Ismar Volić
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The Daily Britain @thedailybritain.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
🚨 NEW: Reform UK’s extraordinary £72m cash injection is roughly equivalent to an ENTIRE YEAR of political donations across Britain. Electoral Commission figures show all UK parties combined received £79m in 2023 and £84m during the 2024 election year. Reform has just received £72m from TWO people.
thedailybritain.co.uk
Reform UK receives £72 million from two crypto billionaires in 48 hours
Christopher Harborne reportedly matches Ben Delo’s £36 million Reform UK gift, bringing the two donors’ payments to £72 million in 48 hours.
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The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 13/09/2026
Two billionaires: £72 million in 24 hours. Millions of trade-union members: £200 million across two decades. Apparently these are now being presented as roughly the same thing. Just fucking marvellous the heroic amount of heavy lifting that’s happening here.
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Alan Rusbridger @arusbridger.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Many members of the Israeli establishment – from former PMs to judges, generals and academics – vehemently oppose the actions of settlers in the West Bank and support sanctions. You wouldn’t know it from the criticism aimed at Ed Miliband app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/74705/...
app.prospectmagazine.co.uk
Confronting Jewish terrorism is not an act of Jew hate
Many members of the Israeli establishment vehemently oppose what is happening in the West Bank. You wouldn’t know it from the criticism aimed at Ed Miliband
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The answer to our political funding crisis is simple and obvious. It would send our politics in the opposite direction to its current, disastrous trajectory. So why won't Labour MPs pick it up? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Political donations are poison to our democracy – but there’s an easy antidote to that | George Monbiot
As revelations about Reform UK’s donors emerge, it’s clear that increasingly complex forms of patronage can’t be regulated effectively. We need a clean sweep, says columnist George Monbiot
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Private Eye Magazine @privateeyenews.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Trump: Hudson Bay is now the Bay of America. The Northwest Passage is now the Trump Passage. People love the Trump Passage. Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth disappeared up there years ago… New Private Eye on shelves now.
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James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Trump wins again
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