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Almost Retired

@nimrodmr2.bsky.social
230 followers 542 following 32 posts

Old and grumpy.

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Reposted by Almost Retired
Russ Jones @russincheshire.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It only feels “radically progressive” because we’ve spent 40 years normalising radically regressive ideas. This was broadly how Britain worked from 1945–79, when average GDP growth was 2.6% a year — compared with 1.9% in the post-Thatcher years. It works www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Burnham gambles on radical progressive plan to help Britain ‘rise again’
PM accepts some of his plan could be difficult and admits he ‘may pay a political price’
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Schools forced to shut amid burst Thames Water pipe ‘leaking 750 litres a second. TW infrastructure has average age of 79 years. Industry average is 56 years. 40% of TW assets are over 100 years old. Profits siphoned-off, investment neglected, execs rewarded, customers fleeced
theguardian.com
Schools forced to shut amid burst Thames Water pipe ‘leaking 750 litres a second’
Leak causes outages and low pressure in parts of London and Surrey, affecting 6,000 properties and leaving some without water
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Liar. Small boat crossings peaked under Johnson in 2022 reaching 46,000 in 2022. In current year they are 18,565 and falling. Also prior to Boris Johnson's Brexit there were none.
It's a disaster, and it can all be traced to
Labour ideology. Burnham has no mandate
from the people. He has no real ideas, and
no plan,

Johnson on X
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Mx Jay Baker (they/he) @mediaactivist.com · 23/09/2026
It reminds me of when I was a kid and our Doncaster neighbourhood had "toxic waste out" posters in so many of our windows because there was no way the rich and powerful were going to dump it in their own backyards - they wanted to dump it on working class communities like ours.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This chart published by the Economics Laboratory, shows that the UK social spending is 23% of GDP, covers NHS, social security and support services. It is a useful rebutal to neoliberals calling for cuts to the NHS, state pension and other benefits. www.linkedin.com/posts/charto...
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The Guardian joins the campaign to abolish the state pension triple-lock. Portrays it as a old v young, social security v defence spending issue. Silence on corporate welfare, tax perks of the rich, maldistribution of wealth, low govt spend on state pension, how future retirees will survive.
theguardian.com
Britain needs cash and everyone knows we should break the pensions triple lock. Where is the courage? | Gaby Hinsliff
The issue cannot be avoided any longer. Andy Burnham and his chancellor must face the fear of a pensioner backlash, and find a fair solution, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Right-wing press and ideologues will have you believe that the UK is the most heavily taxed place. They promise the impossible, European/Scandinavian levels of social security with American levels of taxation. This graph puts things in perspective.
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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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Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Lord give me the arrogance of a tax exile who feels the right to comment on the tax policies and general running of a country who you have deprived of billions by registering yourself in Monaco
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Bridget Phillipson MP @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Crypto billionaires hand £72m to Reform UK. Reform UK pledge millions in tax breaks for crypto investors. It stinks.
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I've just signed "Prime Minister, What’s Your Plan for Fair Votes?" - Will you support the campaign too? actionstorm.org/petitions/pr... @OpenBritainHQ
actionstorm.org
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Jennifer Shin - WTAF @jennifershin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The perfect response. And they still don't understand how tariffs work. Or anything else for that matter. 🙄
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Art Weber @artweber.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
How to stop billionaires buying our politics - three clear fixes to mend our democracy, from a former Electoral Commissioner democracyforsale.substack.com/p/stop-billi...
democracyforsale.substack.com
How to stop billionaires buying our politics
Ex-Electoral Commissioner David Howarth on Reform's £72m crypto donation, the loopholes that allow big money to buy our democracy – and three ways to close them
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is a disgrace. Brave RNLI volunteers being called scum for risking their lives to save others at sea is just plain wrong. So I've signed an open letter of thanks for the RNLI letting them know these thugs do not speak for the rest of us. Add your name? act.38degrees.org.uk/act/rnli-tha...
act.38degrees.org.uk
An open letter in support of the volunteers and staff at the RNLI
This is a disgrace. Brave RNLI volunteers being called scum for risking their lives to save others at sea is just plain wrong. So I've signed an open letter of thanks for the RNLI letting them know th...
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Jaye @jaybird54.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Hmm…. Suddenly The Lion King feels less like a children’s movie and more like required reading.
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Here's a French video (with English subtitles) about what would happen if the far-right racists got their way and all foreigners and people of colour were forced to leave.
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wolvespolitburo.bsky.social @wolvespolitburo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Reform is a Ltd Company. How does £72 million donations fit into that. It's not a democratic political party.
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Peter Kay @theonlypeterkay.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Following their latest mega-donation from yet another crypto billionaire, perhaps Reform should be out and proud as the Reform and Crypto Party.
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Have we just exchanged one ineffectual Labour PM for another?
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Reposted by Almost Retired
Simon Marks @simonmarksfsn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Utter disaster, as the UK emters the American age of political fund-raising. If the country fails to harness this situation and treat it like a genuine crisis, our democracy will be in deep, deep trouble.
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The way British democracy is being bought by crypto billionaires is simply obscene - and a direct result of Labour’s unforgivable inaction
theguardian.com
Burnham drops support for political funding cap aimed at curbing mega-donors
PM said he would set bar at £500k, but trade unions say funding reforms could undermine their ability to donate to Labour
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Don’t tell me they are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They want something in return.
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Back in July, I mentioned Ben Delo’s support for Reform and the very real concerns I have about his involvement in British politics given his conviction for failing to maintain anti-money laundering controls - a conviction which Trump then pardoned him for
bbc.co.uk
Ben Delo: Reform receives record £36m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire
Ben Delo's donation, the biggest single sum ever given to a political party in the UK, comes amid scrutiny of Reform's finances.
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wirralexpat.bsky.social @wirralexpat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Are Harborne & Delo now UK taxpayers? Reform is using UK electoral registration as the gateway for making £millions of political donations But that doesn’t mean they pay UK tax Why shouldn’t that same registration trigger a presumption of UK tax residence?
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Codfather #FBPE 🇫🇷🇪🇺 @codfather.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I can't disagree with this.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Enjoy weekends? Thank a union. (Miss you, Dolly.)
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
When the inevitable moans about the triple lock start in a month or so, why don’t we do something different. Instead of demanding that pensioners should be forced into poverty, why not make it affordable for young people to live, work and have families, they will then be able to contribute to
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
“The scandal reveals that party compliance structures are for show. Nigel Farage is Emperor and, if you report directly to him, you go out and freelance in order to be the courtier that brings him loot and is told 'well done'. That's the core problem here: You cannot professionalise a dictatorship.”
podcasts.apple.com
Sunday School: Das Schadenfreudefest
Podcast Episode · Quiet Riot · 6 September · 1hr 12min
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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Our undercover reporter, Chris Atkins, posed as a far-right journalist at the Reform Conference and got thrown out for asking difficult questions about Farage's corruption scandal @scatatkins.bsky.social
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Andy Scollick @andyscollick.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Thank you @gilltav.bsky.social for reminding us all of the Police response in 2021 👇 when some 40 environmental activists of Insulate Britain blocked the Port of Dover: 39 arrests. Compare that to yesterday when 200-400 fascist paramilitaries intimidated Dover town and blocked the Port: 0 arrests.
bbc.com
Port of Dover: Arrests made as Insulate Britain blocks port
Queues form at Europe's busiest ferry terminal as Insulate Britain shift their protest from the M25.
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Graeme Bandeira @graemebandeira.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Couldn't resist this today...
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Any politician calling to leave the ECHR is lying about what that will achieve. It won’t solve any problem or improve our lives It will make us worse off and remove our rights. Just like Brexit. The ECHR belongs to us all. It’s not theirs to take. Please sign www.europeanmovement.co.uk/echr-petition
europeanmovement.co.uk
Act now to protect the UK's place in the ECHR
Sign the European Movement UK's petition now if you agree: Britain must remain in the ECHR
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Ryfford @ryfford.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
What, do you really want to surrender these rights??
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MylesC57💙ANTIFA-8647! @mylesc57.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
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South-East London for Europe (Selfe) @selfe.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Nathan Gill ‘part of bigger pro-Russian network than has yet been exposed’ #ReformTraitors nation.cymru/news/nathan-...
nation.cymru
Nathan Gill 'part of bigger pro-Russian network than has yet been exposed'
Martin Shipton A British journalist who has described Putin’s Russia as a “Mafia state” has written a book in which he suggests that Nathan Gill, Reform UK’s jailed former leader in Wales, was part of...
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drnedflanders.bsky.social @drnedflanders.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This is the full 37min video of the whole investigation. It is brilliant and damming. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RugP...
youtube.com
My Year Undercover in Reform UK
YouTube video by Verbatim Investigations
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Signed 👍
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Reposted by Almost Retired
Cold War Steve @coldwarsteve.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
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Almost Retired @nimrodmr2.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Johnson and Gove should be held to account for their lies whilst in office.
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Pascal Jacquemain @jacquep.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Before the referendum, Boris Johnson said nothing would change for British people as a result of a win for Brexit. He was lying. He knew he was. This is the price innocent people are paying. I am not rejoicing about it. It may well be completely within Swedish rules to deport someone with dementia.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 04/09/2026
Three senior Reform figures were involved in those Channel 4 revelations we saw last night. Two have been kicked out. The third is Nigel Farage. Farage should be suspended while this matter is investigated. He has very serious questions to answer.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
“In a meeting over oysters and wine in his Clacton constituency, Mr Farage… said the polling was “amazing” and provided “bang for buck” adding “It worked. Boom.” Corrupt polling. Corrupt funding. Nigel Farage - prison James Orr - prison Dan Jukes - prison channel4news.substack.com/p/exclusive-...
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Peter Kay @theonlypeterkay.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Russia recalls an Ambassador
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East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 04/09/2026
James Orr who features in the report by Channel 4 News on Reform's political donations has been the subject of another investigation 👇 by @bylinetimes.bsky.social
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Nadine Batchelor-Hunt @nadinebh.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This is much better than the Channel 4 coverage btw as its from the person who did the investigation (full kudos to C4 broadcasting and checking it, wouldn’t have the attention it needed without) m.youtube.com/watch?v=RugP...
m.youtube.com
My Year Undercover in Reform UK
YouTube video by Verbatim Investigations
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Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 03/09/2026
Farage has always behaved as though the rules apply to everyone but him. These allegations against Reform look like the latest example. Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson @lisasmartmp.bsky.social has written to the police and the electoral commission asking them to investigate.
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Stuart Hemingway @stu31.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A full video is available by the investigative team who exposed the scandal may be worth your time watching it… www.verbatiminvestigations.com/full-investi...
verbatiminvestigations.com
Dirty Money: A Year Undercover in Reform UK
A yearlong investigation into Nigel Farage’s fundraising operation reveals a plot to break the law by bringing foreign money into British politics
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"We just don't have British resident donors, British entities, that would support us. That's the grim reality" "There are a lot of people in your position who, for completely understandable reasons, can't declare ... the reality is we can easily get away with it ... [Le Carre]" - James Orr 10m40s
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"The Electoral Commission - who are the main officers for electoral law - they are completely useless, They're just so dumb and ineffective ... Its not like Scotland Yard, they are just pretty useless. Its just, they are only technical breaches" Orr at 12m20s
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