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Joel Holmes

@joelholmes.bsky.social
38 followers 68 following 21 posts

🏡 Mercian village boy 💻 Software Engineer 🎓 CompSci & Philosophy, Univ College, Oxford 🎹 music 🌍 politics 🎮 video games 🏎️ F1/FE Oxford/Derbyshire/Rīga 🇬🇧🇱🇻🇺🇦🇵🇸

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Reposted by Joel Holmes
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
This is massive, and disgraceful. No organisation called “Tactical Choice” appears to exist.
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Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Just 2 years on from its nationalisation, TransPennine Express has seen: Cancellations down 75%. Passenger numbers up 42%. £1.4 BILLION generated in “economic value”. Public ownership isn’t nostalgia. It’s the future — and it works. www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2519658...
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
By betraying his voters so comprehensively and so soon, Keir Starmer has done us a favour. He has given us 4 years to design the government we want. In this week's column I explain how it can be done. There's massive potential, but we need to start now. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
How we can smash Britain’s two-party system for good at the next election | George Monbiot
Labour is beyond repair. Time for a co-ordinated strategy to support progressive parties committed to electoral reform, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Grave Robber-tson 🏳️‍⚧️ @gemofamara.com · 12/05/2025
this is not an exaggeration
graph showing% of daily mail print articles mentioning immigration closely correlated with the % of brits saying immigration is one of the most important issues
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Oh, hello. euroweeklynews.com/2016/04/29/t...
euroweeklynews.com
Tony Blair unmasked as chief lobbyist for Saudi oil firm
FLYING somewhat under the radar since his absurdist stint as Middle East peace envoy, Tony Blair has resurfaced as a key broker in a booming nexus of Chinese and Saudi oil companies.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Didn't know YouGov were doing MRPs for Canada, thanks for this. Interestingly 338Canada has a daily projection model that's also predicting a very similar majority, but hung parliament scenarios well within the margin of error so could still be a very interesting night!
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
My sense is there is pretty clear consensus in Gen Z/younger millennials on anti-austerity economics and Brexit, but Gen Z men are divided on social liberal/conservative questions. Perhaps instead of anxiety/compassion, the driving forces are more anger and insecurity r.e. their place in the world.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Really enjoyed this article by @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social today on the post-Brexit, post-Corbyn movement of Gen Z women towards the Greens. Importantly, it's not so straightforward with converse movement in Gen Z men; the data shows we are more fragmented, moving towards both Green and Reform.
theguardian.com
We obsess over the angry young men going Reform. But what of the anxious young women going Green? | Gaby Hinsliff
Desire for a politics that cares about global and local injustice is sharpening the political gender divide, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
(Not to speak on her behalf, but) I doubt Grace would disagree with much of what you've said about neoliberalism there. The issue is what you/North Americans refer to as 'liberalism' is shorthand for a more progressive *social* liberalism, not the wider meaning of liberalism to which Grace refers.
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Reposted by Joel Holmes
George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
The main reason UK electricity prices are so high isn’t net zero but the fact that gas sets the price 98% of the time.
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Carla Denyer @carladenyer.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Let this sink in - Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer are choosing to push 50,000 children into poverty - but won't ask multi-millionaires and billionaires to pay a little bit more tax. Absolutely sickening.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
If, as Mr Starmer believes, AI is the magic wand that will solve our problems, why employ a human Chancellor blindly to follow a self-destructive algorithm, when a machine would do it just as well?
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
Powerful opener by @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social 'This government has one last chance to take a progressive path. Otherwise, we’re at the point of no return' www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Labour MP Dawn Butler calls on the Government to impose a wealth tax of 2% on assets over 10 million, rather than cutting benefits. "That's a better way to bring money in to help fill the black hole that we found ourselves in," she says.
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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
My feed is increasingly looking like the pre-credit montage of headlines in a post apocalyptic action movie.
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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 17/03/2025
"It really sickens me to hear Labour and the Conservatives both peddling the same on this." Green councillor @frankadlingtons.bsky.social on the effect Labour's planned cuts will have on the most vulnerable and why we need to tax the super-rich properly.
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Alex Paknadel from off of comics @alexpaknadel.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Yes, if there's one thing our murderously divided polity needs at this point, it's a trusted brand feeding it news tailored to confirm their own biases.
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Molly Scott Cato @greenpartymolly.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
UK, France and Germany all increasing defence spending significantly 🇩🇪 Greater borrowing 🇫🇷 Higher taxes 🇬🇧 Welfare cuts Shameful to see this from a Labour government
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Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
This is the most dangerous, irresponsible framing imaginable. Not to mention it is bollocks. The big big winners from positioning Ukrainian security against poor British people & our public services are the far right. TAX THE RICH TO PAY FOR DEFENSE. PROTECT OUR WELFARE STATE.
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Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
JD Vance tried to berate Starmer for locking up people who used social media to incite race riots in the UK just a few days ago. Now the free speech champions have this to offer
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
So happy that Flow has won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature!!! 🇱🇻❤️🐈‍⬛ Such a wonderful film made by a small independent Latvian team, made using free open-source rendering software (Blender), up against huge Hollywood efforts; what an amazing win!!
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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
NEW: A searing editorial in the The Kyiv Independent. “It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. “A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky.” @kyivindependent.com
kyivindependent.com
Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky
It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrate...
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Tristan Snell @tristansnell.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
This is Winston Churchill visiting the White House during World War II. Funny how he isn’t wearing a suit either. Almost like he was a wartime leader defending his country from being slaughtered and wiped out by an authoritarian aggressor.
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Beyond belief. Is this really the man we’re going to fawn over with a State Visit? It’s time for our PM to pick a side
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Perhaps we can stop being so parochial about Starmer's trip to Washington now. It was a failure. We are in a battle against fascism. And every decision we make is judged by whether it assisted or opposed it.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Americans must feel so ashamed right now. And so they fucking should.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
As an absolute minimum Starmer should rescind the offer of a second state visit. Appreciate he tried to have his cake and eat it, to be the bridge between Trump and Europe, but it's immediately collapsed, and the choice between the two should be obvious. Terrifying new world order taking shape. :(
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Rob DenBleyker @robdenbleyker.com · 26/02/2025
hang in there everyone, we're almost through it
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Ross Carroll @rosscarroll.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
When I worked in UK academia I recall hearing of a Japanese man who was baffled at how Britain had decided to run its universities like firms. “Why? Your universities are excellent and your firms are terrible.”
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Word of the Day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (18th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.
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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 24/02/2025
Dear Europe, Trump completely melts under pushback. So push back.
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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I celebrate the 80% of Germans who did not vote for the far right. Do not make 19.6% of German voters into "the" German people (again). "The" German people don't exist! The German population is diverse and divided, but voted overwhelmingly for liberal democratic parties. #BTW25 #GermanElection
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Jon Owen @anotherjon.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
15% of people take 70% of the flights. People would absolutely still be able to go on a summer holiday or visit a relative. A frequent flyer levy is about removing inequality and stopping the worst effects of the climate crisis. You'd have thought Labour would be up for that.
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Adrian Ramsay @adrianramsay.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
I am pleased to see Rupert Lowe has installed solar panels on his farm. It’s a shame Reform Party does not want ordinary people to benefit from cheap, clean, renewable energy. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform MP installed solar to save on bills as party calls renewables ‘massive con’
Exclusive: MP Rupert Lowe extols benefits of solar while party deputy leader Richard Tice vows to tax green energy
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
If the Co-op party allowed dual-membership with the Greens I'd sign up in a heartbeat! Seems like there are so many ideas and goals in common..
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
This is more than embarrasing, it speaks to the corporate capture of Labour and Government more generally Relying on an unpublished report commissioned by Heathrow to make the case for Heathrow www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Reeves’s Heathrow third runway report was commissioned by London airport
The chancellor is under fire after a study cited as evidence for expanding the terminal to boost the UK’s economic growth was ordered by Heathrow itself
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Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 02/02/2025
Charing Cross Road, pedestrianised today. Glorious. Because whenever you take cars away, cities get better.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Completely agree, and I think this is (tacitly) acknowledged and accepted in this New Agents segment. But we must also accept this isn't going to change until the left attains power - and I'd rather we improve our comms strategy than, say, compromise on our values and policy objectives like Labour!
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Anti-austerity policies, public ownership, low-carbon transport, cheap green energy, taxes on wealth often have quite far-reaching popular support, but a deftness of touch is needed around e.g. migration and "woke stuff" to balance our principles with communication in a more common-sense language.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
For what it's worth one of my central beliefs in UK politics is that with the right communication strategy and a good "political teacher" (listen to @steverichards.bsky.social for more on this!) it would be possible to bridge this divide and form a broad coalition around a combination of these ideas
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Think Lewis also exposes some of the complexities of competing instincts in the green movement e.g. 'watermelon' greens of the economic left who inextricably link climate to wider socio-economic justice issues, vs those perhaps more instinctively nimby and conservative, appealing to Tories/Lib Dems.
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Very interesting, fair and welcome discussion on the Greens and how their impressive local, seat-specific successes haven't translated into more than slow, piecemeal progress in national polling (currently ~8-9%) when conditions are arguably ripe for larger gains Much appreciated @lewisgoodall.com
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Interesting piece by @owenjones.bsky.social The Greens made huge gains at the election - but they have yet to capitalise on Labour's mistakes in office www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Green party’s time is now, but it needs to stop being polite – and start picking some fights | Owen Jones
You only need look at its dire social media presence to see where this party, so full of potential, is going wrong, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
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Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · 21/01/2025
Wild. Top is the NBC upload, bottom is the one aired as the live feed
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Joel Holmes @joelholmes.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
They also made manifesto commitments to climate targets that are incompatible with these expansions. Not sure I understand why they should prioritise these projects over literally any other growth-promoting transport infrastructure that is less damaging (there is so much else they could be doing!)
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Ed Morrish @edmorrish.com · 20/01/2025
guys it was a JOKE don't you get it it was a funny JOKE because you're all saying he's a nazi so it's FUNNY to do the nazi salute because obviously he isn't a nazi GOD it was a JOKE and also he's enacting the policies of the german national socialist party of the 1930s but that doesn't mean he's a N
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 20/01/2025
The rules, if you are keeping track: If a single left activist anywhere in the world says "defund the police," it becomes the official position of the Democratic Party, now and forever. If the president's top surrogate repeatedly sieg-heils on stage, it's ambiguous, impossible to interpret.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Finally Biden has said the word: oligarchy. Why has it taken so long for the Democrats to explain what is happening?
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Rob Sheridan @rob-sheridan.com · 15/01/2025
I don’t want to make a fuckin account to use my toaster. I don’t want to fuckin subscribe to software. I don’t want to create a fuckin profile to watch TV. I don’t want to fuckin register my whatever to unlock whatever. I don’t want to download a fuckin app to access anything. Death to new logins
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Rob DenBleyker @robdenbleyker.com · 15/01/2025
you can tell teslas are made in america
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