iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Next stage of Ninas rehab walking for 3.5km with a height climb over 100m new record on both counts since her op.

Nina , a tripawd Japanese akita looking out over Llyn Clwyedog in Powys

Nina , a tripawd Japanese akita walking near Llyn Clywedog in Powys

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

The knowledge of the Powys County Council Transport team under the leadership of Welsh Lib Dem Portfolio H Holder Cllr Jackie Charlton is recognised as the county is one of two to be recognised for early adoption of the new public transport model for Wales. t.co/nb6MNgWSuN

t.co

https://www.gov.wales/new-bus-franchising-test-set-benefit-rural-communities-mid-wales

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

At least the First Minister is being consistent. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... But the real question now is, if she won't raise Welsh income tax levels to fill the gap why does she expect me as a Council cabinet member to recommend huge, regressive council tax increases instead?

bbc.co.uk

Welsh councils not expected to go bust, says Eluned Morgan

Her prediction follows warning from a Labour council leader that bankruptcy risk had not gone away.

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Charley Hasted @charleyhasted.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Very happy to have been able to work with my counterparts in the SNP, GPEW and Scottish Greens to get this out quickly. To all the trans young people out there- we do see you, we will always support your right to the long, happy and fulfilled lives you deserve!

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

@welshlabour.bsky.social have a habit of throwing money at the NHS in the hope of solving its problems. But if instead it invested in Adult Social Care it could prevent a potential collapse of the sector and might free beds to bring waiting lists down at the same time nation.cymru/opinion/the-...

nation.cymru

The vicious cycle of care

Pete Roberts The Welsh Labour Government is weeks away from a decision that could destroy local government, the care sector, and the NHS in Wales. A few weeks ago, the First Minister implied that the ...

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Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 05/12/2024

“This song Love Is Enough, written by six carers, talking about their experience really moved me and it was interesting listening. When I read the words, I thought, well, that's how I felt.” Ed Davey shares his experience as a chorister and a young carer. youtu.be/EaDHCTyDoEc

youtu.be

'Singing was my break as a young carer' - Ed Davey

YouTube video by Liberal Democrats

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

I'm really pleased to have spoken in favour of motions standing up for our family farms and seeking the rightful devolution of the Crown Estate revenue to Wales in today's Powys County Council full council meeting.

Liberal Democrats image shows support for ending the current plans to tax family farms.

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Caroline Voaden @carolinevoadenmp.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Just love this Guardian front page 😊

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Matthew Green @matthew-green.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Just in case anyone was tempted to believe Putin’s propaganda - here is a reminder that this week, 33 years ago, Ukraine 🇺🇦 voted for independence. A staggering 84% of the electorate voted, and over 90% of them voted for independence. #Ukraine

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Its an international arrest warrant for 2 men accused of starving children to death. Why is it so hard for the PM to say yes the UK will execute the warrant? Every day he stays silent he fuels the conspiracy theories of antisemites & places the Jewish community at risk. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

No 10 indicates Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK

Downing Street refuses to comment on the case but says the government will fulfil its

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

The final fig leaf is gone. The Foreign Secretary should be at the dispatch box as soon as possible, confirming that the UK will enforce these warrants if the opportunity arises and stating that previously prepared sanctions against Gallant will be enacted. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander

International Criminal Court judges say there are “reasonable grounds” they bore

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

With 77 residents, and 130 staff Cariad Care Homes in Gwynedd have revealed the NI hike will directly cost them £95,795. They dont know the supply chain impact. They are in the Local authority market and will increase costs to the council to stay afloat. A 🧵 nation.cymru/news/__trash...

nation.cymru

Welsh care home faces paying extra £95k in NI contributions after budget

Emily Price The manager of a Welsh care home says the UK Government’s national insurance hike “poses a threat worse than Covid” as it faces paying an extra £95,000 in NI contributions Chancellor Rach...

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Each year, the trans community loses too many lives, especially trans women of color, to hate and violence. More than ever, we must stand by our trans family and support them, hold space for them, and insist the scapegoating and targeting stop. Now.

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Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 20/11/2024

🥳 10,000 Followers on Bluesky 🥳 To say thank you, I'll be giving away a 2024 General Election poster to one winner who reposts this (and is following) in the next 24 hours! Best of luck :)

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I really don't think the Chancellor has thought through the huge impact her NI changes are going to have on the contract inflation costs of local government next year.

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Matthew Green @matthew-green.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

We should find out that the use of Storm Shadow has been authorised, when airfields and ammunition dumps in Russia, being used to terrorise #Ukraine, are struck by the missiles, and not before. The only people who benefit from advanced knowledge of the use of Storm Shadow is Putin and the Russians.

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The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I see that a collection of MPs have taken it upon themselves to “launch” a private prosecution, in relation to a case which is still awaiting a CPS charging decision. What might be the problems with this? 🧵

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Indeed. When they rounded up the Japanese Americans, myself and my family included, for internment during WWII out of fear over Japanese spies and saboteurs, two thirds of us were U.S. citizens. Don’t think it won’t happen again when they come for the “undocumented.”

Post from Latino pollster Mike Madrid:

“Doing some research for an upcoming article on the last “mass deportation” of Mexicans during the 1930’s.

Over half of those deported were US citizens.”

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

I think the only thing I am missing from Twitter is the post views counter. It's really useful to know if what you are saying and how you say it are resonating.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

I'm no tax expert but if the £1m Farm allowance is £3m when you add other inheritance tax exemptions. Why didn't the Chancellor merge them all together and say that for estates involving the transfer of farmland within the family, there is a single £3m allowance and nothing else.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

I am really pleased to have proposed the emergency motion on the crisis facing adult social care in Wales at the Welsh Lib Dem Conference this afternoon. While Labour talk about pumping millions into the NHS we recognise the real need is to fund social care properly.

Welsh Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference 2024
EMERGENCY MOTION
Funding the Crisis in Adult Social Care
PROPOSED BY 20 PARTY MEMBERS
Conference notes:
A. The Welsh Local Government Association have identified £106m of in-year
pressures and £223m of pressures in the 2025/6 Social Services budgets across
Wales1.
B. That social care makes up 40% of the overall pressure on local government
budgets (£559m) in 2025/6.
C. The failure of the UK Labour Government to exempt care providers from the
employer NI rises.
Conference believes:
I. Local Government is essential for the delivery of day-to-day services.
II. The NHS crisis cannot be addressed without also fixing the crisis in social care.
III. That the Care Forum Wales2 prediction of care sector collapse could be realised.
IV. That without significant additional support to local authorities there is a risk that
councils will be unable to set a balanced budget without double-figure council tax
rises or major cuts to vital frontline services.
Conference calls on
1. The Welsh Government:
i. To provide a major in-year package to support the provision of adult social care
in Wales.
ii. To ensure the 25/6 social care pressures are properly addressed when setting
the Welsh Government budget in December.
iii. To support calls for the exemption of care providers from the Employer NI contribution rises.
The UK Government:
2. To extend the exemption from the employer NI rises to GPs, pharmacies, and social care providers and provide funding for the Welsh Government to match the exemption in Wales

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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

NEW: "Moving Off X: An Open Letter from UK Journalists" UK political journalists: "Twitter was, for a long time, the place to be for UK politics. We believe that time is now over... "We have taken the decision to move over to other platforms, in particular Bluesky" docs.google.com/document/d/1...

We have used Twitter – now X – for many years. It has been a resource for story-gathering, network-building, and a megaphone for getting public-interest stories to a wider audience. And it has been a well of ideas and discourse.
Unfortunately that well is now poisoned.
All of us have seen X become more toxic and broken since Elon Musk took over in 2022.
Feeds have become less useful. Engagement has plummeted, except for those who will pay. Replies gain traction not through merit, but through the corrupted blue-tick system.
We have seen hate speech and abuse deliberately dialled up and amplified, boosted not just by the algorithm, but by the owner himself.
And England’s racist summer riots were one of many factors suggesting to us that X is not a neutral platform, but a space that now seems to glorify misinformation at a great cost to our public sphere.
Millions of people are ditching X, and we are doing so, too. We have taken the view that it is no longer a useful tool for objective reporting, but a weapon being wielded by a narrowing ideological set.
A tipping point is coming. Perhaps we are already in it.
After much consideration, we have taken the decision to move over to other platforms, in particular Bluesky. For some of us that means instantly deleting our X accounts, for others it is a more gradual process.
But we are all putting the majority of our efforts into building more constructive online spaces elsewhere for political dialogue and reporting.
Bluesky is becoming a new hub for political discussion, and we encourage other UK journalists to join and become active. We are already seeing far higher engagement on our posts there than we’ve seen recently on X.
And importantly, the mechanisms to limit abuse actually work.
We enjoyed Twitter while it lasted. It played an important role in shaping many of our careers. And it was, for a long time, the place to be for UK politics. We believe that time is now over.
Twitter is dead. Long live Twitter

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

I've seen the occasional glitch here in the past couple of days. I wonder if this is all the new people and a capacity issue. If so, perhaps the techies should have a chat with @theonion.com, I hear they landed quite a bit of hardware on the cheap in the last day or so.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

A very interesting choice of wards by Jnr. "Promises Made, Promises Kept" is this an admission of an illegal inducement to an opposing candidate to drop out of the race in exchange for a Cabinet seat?

Twitter Image of Donald Trump Junior announcing the appointment of the new Health Secretary with a quote implying a promise being kept by his father

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

One of the refreshing things about the Bluesky algorithm is that it is steadily showing me the like-minded accounts that I follow on Twitter in my discover feed.

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Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

How can you tell that lots of Lib Dem MPs have started appearing on here? By the fact that the Chief Whip has popped up to keep an eye on them :) Welcome @wendychambld.bsky.social !

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

To be honest I oppose this 100%. We shouldn't be adding more or altering the balance of the bishops we should be removing them and disestablishing the church completely.

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🔸 Wandsworth Liberal Democrats @wandsworthlibdems.uk · 14/11/2024

Bank of England now saying in an annual address exactly what Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said last week: the UK needs closer ties with Europe to keep the economy healthy: www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

telegraph.co.uk

UK must forge closer ties with Europe to stem decline, says Bank of England chief

Andrew Bailey to urge Chancellor to ‘welcome’ stronger post-Brexit relations after Trump victory

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Wera Hobhouse MP @werahobhouse.org.uk · 14/11/2024

Most violence against women stems from misogyny. Making misogyny a hate crime would send a powerful signal to all offenders - paving the way to ending violence against women for good. That's why I asked @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social if the government plan to take this all-important step👇

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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Also, part of the reason we did bought InfoWars is because people on Bluesky told us it would be funny to buy InfoWars. And those people were right. This is the funniest thing that has ever happened.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

One small bright light from across the Atlantic.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Its past time that organisations recognise their role in normalising the fact that Welsh is the primary language of many residents. This is a great step forward and I hope others will follow in the future. nation.cymru/news/eryri-n...

nation.cymru

Eryri national park unveils new Welsh logo

Emily Price Eryri National Park has unveiled its new Welsh language logo as the authority votes to permanently ditch the English version. It comes following a report presented to the national park’s c...

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Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 13/11/2024

Now more than ever, we must stand up for core liberal values—equality, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Join us in defending these values: libdems.org.uk/join

Photo of Ed Davey with the text of a quote: "At a time of such instability and uncertainty, it is our values that must prevail.
Decency. Compassion. Community. Respect for the rule of law. Values that have always been at the heart of our party.
Our party celebrates Britain’s diversity as a great strength.
Our party knows that our country thrives when it is open and outward-looking."

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

For the 2nd week running it was Ed Davey who had the PM on the back foot. A well placed setup from a colleague a silent assassin with a question and a devastating throwaway in response then agenda setting again on Ukraine put the Tory leader firmly in the shade. www.newstatesman.com/politics/the...

newstatesman.com

PMQs review: Badenoch looks for a culture war scrap

Her question about real voters felt like an afterthought.

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🦇💀 Rigg-or Mortis 💀🦇 @rigg.lgbt · 13/11/2024

Oh god bsky is Hebden Bridge

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

While health is devolved in Wales taxation isn't so well done to Helen Morgan MP and my own MP David Chadwick for highlighting this significant anomaly and calling for it to be closed before it cripples primary care and increases the costs passed on to councils from providers.

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Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶 @petedroberts.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

The US gave Israel 30 days to sort out food aid into Gaza. They have used that time to massacre 100s more civilians and set the conditions for imminent famine. That time has now expired. Now, they must face international intervention to end this genocide.

Image from IPC highlighting the very strong likelihood of imminent famine in Northern Gaza

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