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Matt Severn

@mattsevern.bsky.social
977 followers 732 following 4.9K posts

LibDem councillor, social enterprise manager, former bookseller, Dad, husband, Christian, non league fan x2 clubs, strategy gamer, very amateur HEMA fighter, SF&F reader, 4 x Parliamentary candidate. Mostly found in Cumbria and North Lancashire.

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Reposted by Matt Severn
Dinah Rose KC @dinahrose.bsky.social · 17h
Remembering Gwyneth Bebb today. She passed Oxford law finals with first class marks in 1913, but was refused a degree. The CA rejected her claim to become a solicitor, saying only men were "persons" within the legislation. In 1920 she finally became a Bar student. But died in childbirth in 1921.
Screenshot of a Facebook post recording the fact that on this day in 1920, women were awarded Oxford degrees for the first time. Image of graduating women.
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Oliver Bullough @oliverbullough.bsky.social · 6h
Re the Sally Rooney news, I was looking up data on arrests under terrorism legislation the other day, and hadn't quite realised how utterly bonkers the effect of the Palestine Action prohibition had been. That big purple spike is basically all PA-related arrests.
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Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 6h
It remains utterly mysterious to me that HMG doesn’t at least have a presence here. Such a simple thing.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 3h
An undercover investigation by ITV Exposure into Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has found multiple elected councillors and party candidates expressing racist views and using offensive language, calling Muslims “parasites” and describing black children as “animals”. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform UK councillors and candidates filmed making racist and extreme comments
Party faces fresh crisis as three councillors quit after ITV undercover filming exposed violence, misogyny and racist views
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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 3h
It is entirely pointless for the UK or any other European democracy to pretend that the US is not a hostile power, actively seeking to imperil our security.
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Morgan Johnson @poormojo.bsky.social · 10h
No joke. I think this is the most important video I have ever seen about mobile games. This guy breaks down how this game psychologically profiles you, and makes the game harder or easier in order to show you ads
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🦇💀 Rigg-or Mortis 💀🦇 @rigg.lgbt · 16h
1, I'm really glad I've mostly avoided "smart" devices 2, I've asked this before, but why aren't we prosecuting these fuckers? If my dog attacks someone I am liable: they should be liable for any damage little Claudes do. As well as mass copyright infringement, environmental harms, etc.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 16h
Is the danish government using ai vibe coding?
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 16h
Charity shops are doing that because they get poor quality stuff. Good quality stuff is always sold. They need more designer labels donated and less shein/supermarket stuff. Source: i used to be a charity shop manager
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 18h
The OPCW, who did great work investigating chemical attacks in Syria despite foreign interference and rampant conspiracy theories, is facing a funding crisis thanks to the US withholding funds - europeanleadershipnetwork.org/commentary/t...
europeanleadershipnetwork.org
The OPCW’s funding crisis is a threat to global security
With the United States withholding its financial contribution to the OPCW, the organisation faces a funding crisis that threatens its vital work. Former Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü argues that the O...
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 18h
It seems very likely that the US has decided to facilitate Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians to try to force Ukraine to surrender. Betrayal. And if they can do that to Ukraine, they can do it to any ally. We should take note.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Already pressed that tick on Apple Podcasts
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The only two responses are to point and laugh; and then to report him to prevent. He’s been through more denominations than I’ve had hot dinners
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Is this found footage style?
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Daniel Kibblesmith @kibblesmith.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Every movie, song, and book that you love was made without the technology that people who don’t make art are now insisting is necessary for making art.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The boss of a French supermarket chain targeted by cyber attacks that forced its fridges to overheat has described the incident as an “unprecedented” and “extremely serious” attack on the country’s food security www.ft.com/content/6908...
ft.com
Cyber attack on French supermarket fridges raises alarm over food security
Some stores reported fridge temperatures as high as 80°C, melting equipment and destroying food
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Surely the answer she is looking for is encourage more women to write about women for Wikipedia, not encourage people to stop supporting the only useful bit of internet we have left
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David Beech @davidbeech.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Feel so sorry for the family of the young man killed by the tiger. Obviously social media did its thing and now Trump has apparently posted part of the attack online for the entertainment of morons in the US. Just awful.
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Simon Watts @simonwatts.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Lib Dem Caroline Voaden said: “Ten years ago, the British public voted to leave the EU by a wafer-thin margin in a referendum marred by mistruths, deception and Russian interference. Our exit was then badly planned, badly executed and damaged the UK’s economic prospects and political reputation.”
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
That looks very different to what I expected, in a very good way. Lots of sci fi vibes there for one thing. Metaphysical Aslan too (less popular for CS) Extra credit for getting Ciaran Hinds to be the voice of Lewis as he would have sounded if he was alive now when regional accents are permitted!
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Duncan Jones @manmademoon.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
I’m not going to put it up, as it’s making me physically nauseous, but the President is presently posting snuff videos… Literal snuff videos of people being killed by animals. Someone stop him. This is utterly deranged.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
They don’t have to do either of those things if they don’t want to
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Quakers are on the enemies list for every authoritarian, and that is a badge of pride and honour for you!
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
I dunno, I grew up in an age when the US president didn't post snuff videos but I guess times change.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Naoroji swore his oath on the Zoroastrian religious text in 1895. de Rothschild with the Torah in 1858 after 11 years of asking his religious beliefs to be respected.5 by-elections in a row Bradlaugh was reelected before being allowed to affirm as an atheist in 1866.Centuries of political tradition
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Naoroji swore his oath on the Zoroastrian religious text in 1895. Rothschild with the Torah in 1858 after 11 years of demanding his religious beliefs be respected. Five by-elections in a row Bradlaugh was reelected before being allowed to affirm as an atheist. Three centuries of political tradition
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the pickwicker man @pickwick.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
This is good! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Hungarian parliament scraps Orbán's anti-LGBTQ measures
LGBTQ and human rights activists warmly welcomed the move, but call for changes to other Orbán-era laws.
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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Top three articles on the Times website are currently a barrage of hate against funding for disabled people, including an attack on Access to Work *which is money to help disabled people find/stay in paid work*
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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
It does appear the "data center eliminated Nazi and otherwise fuckface bots" narrative is basically wishcasting, it does show you how popular getting rid of this shit would broadly be, and that maybe a smart person should run on it.
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Daniel @deargodwhaat.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Anyway now for a swig of ethanol and check out what their top executives have been up to BBC News - eBay agrees $56m settlement with bloggers over harassment case www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
eBay agrees $56m settlement with bloggers over harassment case
Former eBay executives carried out "unprecedented" harassment over a critical newsletter.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
They want the sacrificial element. The chair or gurney, the witnesses… the grotesque theatre of it
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
At Versailles, fashion and dress for the useless hangers on followed the whims of the autocratic monarch
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Put tax up 2%, increase borrowing, and build stuff/fix state capacity in way that is noticeable in 2 years
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David Beech @davidbeech.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
This is the thing I have with Burnham's current strategy of 'we'll get cracking on fixing stuff in 3 years time honest lads' when we have 2 or 3 winters to go through until then.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
So what you’re saying is that the uk could get away with borrowing more?
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
I see that graph and wonder, can we not take borrowing to 2x of gdp from 1.4 to fund more capital projects
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
He’s failed his own personal Turing test there because no true human would ever value adult life more than a child’s
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Get LL Cool J a podcast where he explains philosophical literature
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Just the president cheering on his crowd as they physically assault a woman
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The American mind cannot comprehend the state supporting disabled people financially
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
We focus on the regions because Londons economy is superb but the rest of the nations is not
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
You can tell the modern Tories spend too much time online because everyone loves hedgehogs especially voters in rural areas
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I really liked that one. The terrible lite episode was the bubble one
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The ‘psychiatrists are lying to you all’ psychologist
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Nah I like both of them
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Not all were bad. But many of them were overheated hype and the finales to both were not only bad but also largely identical. The toy maker episode was a classic tho.
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gamera obscura october edition @ohrobin.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I think what frightens me most is that the sheer volume of things to be horrified by has become its own kind of protection for the people responsible. Nothing has to be explained or resolved becuase a story or a scandal or a tragedy only has to survive until the next thing happens in five minutes.
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Gabriele Svelto @gabrielesvelto.mas.to.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
I double-checked this on a couple of Xitter stat sites and it's true. Average views of the main AfD account dropped 90% and average engagement dropped by 60%. This is commercial social media for you: bots, damn bots and Russian bots.
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
www.theguardian.com/society/2023...
theguardian.com
‘I’ve heard it all: she’s a fraud, a liar, a thief’: Jack Monroe on alcohol, addiction and answering her critics
She’s the anti-poverty campaigner and food writer who shot to fame by teaching us how to make the most of our pennies. But behind the scenes her world was unravelling
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Matt Severn @mattsevern.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Has she stopped her thing completely now or is just on another algorithm I don’t see?
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