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josephstrummered.bsky.social

@josephstrummered.bsky.social
346 followers 106 following 977 posts
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Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 9h
I actually quite like Kemi Badenoch. But she is subject to a myth she doesn't deserve: a Tory recovery which just doesn't exist. Despite endless positive coverage, the Tories are still going backwards. And they deserve to be. Piece from me. goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-strang...
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com
The Strange Myth of Kemi Badenoch
Why does she have the best press in politics?
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 15h
I'm sorry if this is obvious but the Tory proposal to exempt family homes completely from IHT will lead to 1] pensioners buying the biggest houses they possibly can 2] pensioners refusing to downsize which can only be bad news for younger families trying to buy family homes
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 17h
The right wing media are too far gone in their hysteria.
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 17h
The party is polling, on aggregate, nine points lower than the day she took over, even with every right-wing media shoulder to the Badenoch wheel for several months now, and Reform in free fall, they have managed a one-point improvement since their party conference last year.
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 18h
The Tories are no longer a serious political party. There is no gravitas there whatsoever.
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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
France hit by the same US, Israel, Russia disinformation network seen attacking Spain and Canada. In all instances networks related to the AfD and South American right wing parties have followed in the 2nd and 3rd wave of disinfo and manipulation, these are tied to the US / Trump too.
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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Trump redirected $176.9 million from a US human-rights fund towards global right wing groups, including $40 million for an “anti-communism” consortium and $1 million for fascist groups opposing Brazil’s Supreme Court days before the presidential election.
yacnews.com
Trump diverts $176.9m of Human Rights aid to far-right groups; targets Europe, Canada and South America
Marco Rubio overrode congressional holds, a Democratic aide said. The money funds opponents of Brazil's supreme court days before its vote and Europeans who reject "gender ideology", as Trump official...
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Cold War Steve @coldwarsteve.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
According to Suella Braverman not one of these ENGLAND players are English. FUCK HER 🖕🖕🏾🖕🏿🖕🏽🖕🏼
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brendanamartin.bsky.social @brendanamartin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
“…They do not want the USA to somehow collapse or fail completely, they want it to weaken itself but keep spending. As this person said—they want the US to be happy, fat, and weak—but still consuming.”
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
And the biggest fraud on the British people.
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The London Economic @thelondoneconomic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
French president Emmanuel Macron has labels Brexit the “biggest lie of the last 30 years."
thelondoneconomic.com
Macron slams Brexit as the 'biggest lie of the last 30 years'
French president Emmanuel Macron has labelled Brexit the "biggest lie of the last 30 years."
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It will never not be wild to me that the Russians attacked Keir Starmer's home, successfully spread falsehoods about Starmer's love life, and this didn't changed British politics and British political elite behaviour *at all*.
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Sasha Talebi @sashat.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
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Zoë Grünewald @zoegrunewald.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
If Burnham is going to make a bargain with pensioners on the triple lock and social care, perhaps he should also throw in immigration and care workers?
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It never stops being important that, no matter what the subject, politicians like Farage, Trump & Rubio are entirely untethered from the most basic requirements of honest discourse. They might turn out to be telling the truth sometimes but only ever in the spirit of stopped clocks.
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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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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Mike Johnson is a Russian/Chinese asset.
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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Donald Trump has invited Vladimir Putin, wanted by the ICC over the mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children, to December's G20 at his Miami golf resort. The Kremlin says it is grateful. A bipartisan group of 14 US senators demand the invitation be withdrawn.
yacnews.com
US Senators urge Trump to withdraw Putin's G20 invitation as Kremlin says it is grateful
14 Republican and Democratic senators are urging Trump to withdraw his invitation for Vladimir Putin to attend December’s G20 summit at Trump’s Miami golf resort. Putin is wanted by the ICC over Russi...
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Disillusioned With Conservatives @neverevertory.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Police specifically told everyone not to speculate on the incident at RAF Fairford. So what does the moron Farage go & do? Post on X speculating.
Post from Nigel Farage on X
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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
US Ambassador Guilfoyle allegedly boasted the US can topple allies while discussing Romania with Greek officials: “We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here.” Pushed allies toward Aktor energy deals while its paid lobbyist accompanied her on official meetings.
yacnews.com
Trump's ambassador to Greece told Greek officials the US could topple allied governments if it wants
US Ambassador Guilfoyle allegedly boasted US can topple allied governments while discussing Romania with Greek officials: “We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here.” Also pushed alli...
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European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Ed Miliband, speaking at the Labour Movement for Europe rally at Labour Conference in Liverpool, spoke in favour of a closer relationship with Europe.
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This was an entirely predictable act of economic self-harm - both the Sunak and Starmer government decided that the priority was to cut migration *when it was already falling fast*. ukandeu.ac.uk/immigration-...
ukandeu.ac.uk
Immigration is falling but the economic cost may be high - UK in a changing Europe
Jonathan Portes analyses the latest immigration figures from the Home Office and Office for National Statistics.
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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Good thing that this couldn’t have been predicted almost a year ago <runs bitter victory lap> and the government didn’t just blithely carry on doing the same thing. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/718...
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The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Well, well, well - if it isn’t the consequences of our own actions. It would appear that migrants are not, in fact, the fiscal drain we’ve been told they are by years if we go by the £4bn to £6.5bn shortfall that’s been caused by the precipitous drop in numbers under this government. Funny that.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Times this morning. Me in December last year. It was pretty damn obvious this would happen to anyone who did the maths. samf.substack.com/p/the-oversh...
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Dear Diary, I'm still furious about Burnham's plan to tackle disinformation. Doesn't he know that one man's disinformation is another man's essential stream of bollocks and lies to spread hatred and division in order to fuel his rise to power?"
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Too many wine gums for Brexit breakfast.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Don't worry Jess, once Reform are in power you will have no employment rights at all, which should make the process of sacking you much simpler and less upsetting. 😁
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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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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Jenrick too I hear? Let's hope so.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
One more example of how a personalist regime they cannot conceive of a bipartisan institution to the point they would prefer to destroy it if they cannot repurpose it to their ends. See, also, much of the rest of the federal government, our military, science, higher education etc.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My latest piece argues that Canada’s approach to the EU could prove productive, because unlike the UK’s high-handed, entitled attitude, it is not based on an assumption that the EU “owes” it a good deal, or that Canada holds all the cards, lingering fantasies about the US relationship etc etc.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is from the newsletter which has done most to uncover what's going on.
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My own conclusion is Lavrov is an arsehole.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Really interesting to hear @rafaelbehr.bsky.social - pretty much the best commentator on UK politics IMO - given the chance to expound at length on the current situation (and credit to @nickcohen.bsky.social for creating the frame for it - an under-rated skill).
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Kremlev, the Russian who sponsored Don Jr's wedding, is a former member of the Night Wolves biker gang, went to China with Putin and is personally sanctioned by Ukraine for his role in abducting children. He praises Stalin on social media www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"If our partners are prepared to ensure that Russia genuinely has no intention of targeting our electricity supply, our other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, or food supplies, then we are, of course, prepared to ensure that we do not carry out any such strikes." - Zelenskyy.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
There is no moral equivalence between bullies and the bullied, between tyranny and democracy, or between brutality and decency. No individual can be free in a society devoid of justice. There can be no liberty where brutality reigns.
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Trump is living in his own warped delusional reality and dragging the whole world along for the ride.
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Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The video of this is genuinely unsettling. He literally appears to have no idea what the journalist is talking about when she mentions January 6—even when she clarifies that she is talking about 2021 and about the rioters at the Capitol that day. He looks at her blankly. Scary.
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Lickspittles?
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The overall image is diabolical. Let's focus on that.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A clan of predators, supporting revolutionary allies from illiberal parties and nations, and getting rich in the process. A must-read @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu on this new, far worse United States.
administration's reckoning, he had two strikes against him: First, de Moraes's court was trying Bolsonaro; second, he had provoked the ire of Elon Musk, Trump's largest election donor. De Moraes "needs to leave," Musk said, comparing him to Voldemort, after de Moraes threatened to fine X and ordered it to block accounts accused of spreading disinformation.
The crisis was novel in other ways too. In normal times, the Brazilian government is reasonably well connected in Washington, regardless of who runs either country. The tenth-largest economy in the world, Brazil cooperates extensively with U.S. law enforcement and regional organizations. Yet at this crucial moment, with billions of dollars in the balance and Brazil's sovereign democracy under attack, Brazilian officials suddenly found that nobody in the Trump administration would speak to the formal representatives of their left-leaning president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil's ambassador to Washington found herself isolated. The foreign minister, a diplomat who had known U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for decades, could not get through to anyone. A junior official told me that even his graduate-school classmate at the U.S. Treasury would not answer his calls.A truce was finally arranged, multiple people told me, with the help of Joesley Batista, a billionaire whose meatpacking company does business in both the U.S. and Brazil, and whose American subsidiary had donated $5 million to Trump's inauguration (more than the contributions of Amazon, Meta, and Google combined). Batista had no official government role, but his money may have given him the clout to influence Trump's meetings with Lula at the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, and at a summit in Kuala Lumpur, where the two elderly populists, each with grievances against their respective establishments, hit it off. The tariffs were reduced.
The détente was temporary. When I visited São Paulo and Brasilia this past spring, the State Department had just appointed a new senior adviser on Brazil policy. Before working for the administration, Darren Beattie founded Revolver News, a website that promoted the "Fedsurrection" conspiracy-the belief that federal agents were behind the riots on January 6, an obsession that would naturally appeal to Brazil's election deniers and displease the elected president. When Beattie asked to visit Brazil for a minerals conference, the Brazilian government refused to grant him a visa, in part because it suspected that his true purpose was to visit Jair Bolsonaro,Slowly, the Brazilians were learning the same lesson as other American allies around the
world: The United States of America is no longer the entity they knew. And American power is no longer deployed solely by trained diplomats and reliable officials, working through state channels. Informal envoys, private companies, online grifters, and hardened ideologues both inside and outside the government matter more.
Unlike their predecessors, these people do not talk about spreading democracy, and don't want to build long-term relationships.
They don't care about America's reputation.
They are deploying the tools of American diplomacy and government for their own purposes, to promote their own business interests or their own ideological goals, because, suddenly, they can.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Trump's foreign policy is not isolationist. On the contrary, his ideologues want to build an international empire run by far-right political movements who serve American crypto, mineral and tech companies, many with links to the president. Read more here: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
Empire of Grift
Far-right ideologues have transformed American foreign policy into a tool of private gain and antidemocratic reaction.
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A *second* federal judge has blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Trump's executive order limiting mail balloting. "Plaintiffs have demonstrated … there is an increased risk that a significant number of otherwise appropriate absentee or mail-in ballots will ultimately not be counted."
ms.now
Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with U.S. Supreme Court poised to weigh in
The nation’s highest court already is considering the administration’s appeal of an order by U.S. District Court in Boston.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/09/2026
Look at this photo we found from Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish Bahamas wedding. Can you spot the Russian oligarch close to Putin who bankrolled the event? 🧵
A group photo shows about 35 people, including Donald Trump Jr.; his wife, Bettina Anderson; Ivanka Trump; Jared Kushner; Tiffany Trump; and Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev.

Little Pipe Cay/Lux Hospitality Bahamas; Laura Gordon Photography via Instagram; Laura Gordon Photography
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Sam Coleridge @samcoleridge.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A thread 🧵, on Ben Delo and his one successful idea, on Bitmex, the vehicle, and a short history of #Bitcoin bsky.app/profile/samc...
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George E. Osborn @georgeosborn.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I think we're at the point where we can incredibly comfortably say that your attitude towards Reform, Restore, MAGA, the AfD etc is how you'd have responded to fascism in the 1930s
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josephstrummered.bsky.social @josephstrummered.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
These charlatans want to subvert democracy.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
There's always a new grift www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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