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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR

@philwriter.bsky.social
276 followers 400 following 657 posts

My third career is as an historian currently exploring the story of British manufacturing and its impact on our society. britishmanufacturinghistory.uk I had previously written on army supply in War on Wheels, Ordnance and Dunkirk to D Day.

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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 23h
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social the #Greens are falling into the contemporary trap of seeking to rewrite history. The longing by the children of Israel for their homeland is deeply embedded in world culture. To deny it, is to deny our shared story. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Green party’s anti-Zionism motion is yet another attempt to tell Jews how we should think | Jonathan Freedland
The resolution shows little understanding of what Zionism is, who Jews are or how antisemitism works, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is such good news. My research into the history of British manufacturing revealed just how much damage privatisation had done. Thank you @jessicaelgot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Burnham promises to roll back privatisation with government-backed grid plan
Exclusive: Creation of GB Grid will be major step towards putting Britain’s utility companies into public control
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As broadly the same age as the 7UP, I too reflect on the past seven decades. My focus was how manufacturing, which impacted so many lives, has changed in my book Vehicles to Vaccines. britishmanufacturinghistory.uk/vehicles-to-... @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The makers of the 7 Up series set out to prove a point about class. What they achieved is far more profound | Jonathan Freedland
The epic documentary series reveals much about the shifting social attitudes of the last 60 years – and much more about the quiet mystery of human life, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
@pollytoynbee.bsky.social you have done it again. With perfect balance you celebrate what is good, make no attempt to hide what is bad but all with consummate hope. The #NEETS need that more than anything. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Plans are under way to finally help Britain’s unemployed young people – will Labour pull it off? | Polly Toynbee
Alan Milburn is preparing to implement his report to bring young people back into work. Let’s hope the government will see it through, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Surely if Andy Burnham’s push to local decision making means anything, it must surely be to support local groups? I need to know more www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Devastating’: council rejects Frome residents’ bid for regeneration project
Locals raised £1m for Mayday Saxonvale scheme involving homes and park but Somerset officials agreed deal with London-based real estate company
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Re- industrialisation whilst necessary will not create employment. Manufacturing has changed. britishmanufacturinghistory.uk Quite right @theguardian.com we must encourage worthwhile employment in care and hospitality where people skills count. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on youth unemployment: too few jobs in too many places | Editorial
Editorial: Young people in Britain’s poorer towns have far fewer opportunities. Changing this will require targeted support – and industrial strategy
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Emma John has it right ‘ Sport is an environment that invites us to witness and thrill to the power and grace of the human body’ www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Sydney Sweeney’s cartoonish provocation has sparked a culture war but let’s just admit sport can be sexy | Emma John
Yes sport is about effort, sweat and inclusivity – but it also turns elite athletes into magnificent specimens of humanity where the aesthetic is part of the appeal
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@zoesqwilliams.bsky.social my grandchildren are opting for apprenticeships. University simply is not able to prepare them for life. Blair put far too many into university which was unable to meet their needs. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Why has university become such a scam? | Zoe Williams
Graduates are leaving with an average debt of £53,000 – while entry-level jobs plummet. It’s time for politicians to stop burying their heads in the sand, writes Zoe Williams
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I hope that these monstrous donations will kick parliament into action to ban all big donations. It is a democracy of the people - right or wrong - as we discovered with Brexit. Crypto tycoons’ £72m donation to Reform UK ‘could be illegal’ observer.co.uk/news/politic...
observer.co.uk
Crypto tycoons’ £72m donation to Reform UK ‘could be ille...
Donations to Nigel Farage’s party of £36m each by billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne may fall foul of new laws on political funding
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
@stevebloomfield.bsky.social my heart raced as I listened to Ed Miliband on Monday. I felt proud to be British. I wholly echo the sentiments in your article. Perhaps the time is right for Britain to take a lead? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Call it the Miliband doctrine. Let’s hope the new Israeli settlement boycott is just the start | Steve Bloomfield
This week’s bold move suggests that Britain will once again have an ‘ethical dimension’ to its foreign policy. That’s good for the world, says former Observer international editor Steve Bloomfield
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Ed Milliband was superb in his clarity and passion. The two state solution must be held fast as the answer.
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
@rachelsylvester.bsky.social it is so refreshing to read of an education Secretary saying that children develop at different speeds and in different ways. I worry whether teachers have the capacity to respond observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Lucy Powell: ‘I’m absolutely not bringing back stupid. I’...
The education secretary dismisses Michael Gove’s criticisms as she plans a shake-up of GCSEs that she argues fail to prepare students for the real world
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I have been in love with France for most of my life. I am no linguist, but learnt enough French to work there in the 70s. Few things give me greater joy than seeing a coming together over the #BayeuxTapestry Tension as in any relationship are overcome www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
theguardian.com
Why the Bayeux tapestry and Franco-British relations are natural bedfellows
Tapestry’s loan to UK is just another chapter in the love-hate relationship that has spanned the centuries since it was created
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I am enthused by Andy Burnham but worried too. North Sea oil could cause problems in Holborn whatever the rights or wrongs. Youth unemployment is potentially endemic. Prison crowding is a powder keg. But I hold on to optimism- thank you @pollytoynbee.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Unlike Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham promises us that things will get better. And we must believe they can | Polly Toynbee
The PM’s warmth and feelgood policies, such as scrapping VAT on energy bills and a taskforce looking at political donations, offer something rare: hope, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
My eighth book is published today and sets out to discover how manufacturing shaped Britain. Why manufacturing spread across the country, how it grew, why it declined and what was left. It is looking at manufacturing through the lens of geography. britishmanufacturinghistory.uk/2026/09/02/n...
britishmanufacturinghistory.uk
New Book – How Manufacturing Shaped Britain
This book sets out to discover how manufacturing shaped this island. Why manufacturing spread across the country, how it grew, why it declined and what was left. It is looking at manufacturing thro…
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Excited to receive the proof of my eighth book
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
@jdcrawf.bsky.social thank you for your stimulating article about the skyscraper made of wood. I knew concrete was bad for the environment but I had no idea just how bad. www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte....
theguardian.com
The flat-pack skyscraper: how wood can shape the cities of the future
The long read: Our buildings are monuments to extraction and extreme emissions. But what if we turned from destructive concrete to timber?
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
@mrjohncrace.bsky.social it is interesting. I remember thinking that Starmer was right in his dealings with Trump. But seeing Andy Burnham treating him as an equal restores dignity to this island nation. Not the pretence of Empire, but quiet confidence. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Unlike needy Keir, trash-talking Andy speaks a language Trump understands | John Crace
Burnham has nothing to hide as he prepares to meet president he once called poisonous. It may actually win him more respect
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
@angelaeagle1.bsky.social your piece in @theguardian.com set my heart racing. You turned despair into hope. It is about attitude, playing off the front foot: confidence. Sure, it will be tough, but with your frame of mind it becomes a lot more than possible www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
A Britain of wildfires and flood risks: be sure, the climate crisis is real, and we will deal with it | Angela Eagle
Reform and the Conservatives are willing to mislead the public, but as environment secretary, I believe we must be honest – and act boldly, says Angela Eagle
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A thought provoking piece by @nilspratley.bsky.social on energy transition- we need to understand the costs as well as benefits - as he says there is no such thing as a free lunch. www.theguardian.com/business/nil...
theguardian.com
Labour’s energy bills crisis is getting worse. Political honesty is essential | Nils Pratley
Ofgem and ministers should be transparent about why energy bills for households are expected to stay stubbornly high
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Please can we think more widely. The voters say they want less immigration and there is a huge need for people with empathy and communication skills in the care sector. Why should careers in caring not be graduate jobs? www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
UK graduate job vacancies plunge to lowest in a decade
Just 8,383 jobs for people leaving university were advertised in July, says recruitment website Adzuna
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
“This youth hostel,” it said, “is one of many, both in this country and abroad, where young people, regardless of race or creed, may spend the night. The buildings are diverse in character but they have a common purpose:
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
@bphillipsonmp.bsky.social thank you for speaking out. I fear for my grandchildren- the girls for what they may face, the boy from the influences he will face. My sons were brought up to respect women, my children to value their fellow human irrespective of race. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Racism and sexism have become normalised in Britain, says equalities minister
Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson says politicians have helped fuel hatred and that police are not taking violence against women and girls seriously enough
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Re-wilding is at least part of the answer - thank you @nationaltrust.org.uk www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show
National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
It is really important that inequality is back on the international agenda. It is stunningly counterproductive as well as grossly immoral. phil-writer.com/2025/01/29/c... www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on global inequality: extreme wealth threatens democracy | Editorial
Editorial: New York mayor Zohran Mamdani shows Britain’s Andy Burnham that confronting billionaires need not mean the end of cooperation with Donald Trump
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Addressing the climate crisis will create economic growth if done properly. At present much of the infrastructure comes from overseas manufacturers. If we want to re-industrialise, let’s do so with home grown green industry www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Reform says we need to choose between climate and economy. It's wrong | Larry Elliott
The party’s deputy leader Richard Tice says we should stop worrying about extreme heat and enjoy it. This dangerous nonsense will wreck our finances and the planet, says Guardian columnist Larry Ellio...
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Wonderful to read @sanders.senate.gov is right, America has gone badly wrong and needs to change to work for all Americans www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Why are progressives winning across the United States? It’s not complicated | Bernie Sanders
Poll after poll shows the same thing. The American people know that the current economic system is rigged
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
@gabyhinsliff.bsky.social I raised this dichotomy on LinkedIn and received many replies in support of Scottish jobs and tax revenues but also this share.google/JTVVdoEcAebY... I remain confused www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Burnham is choosing jobs over climate security. That’s a big risk | Gaby Hinsliff
The PM’s net zero pragmatism may please some voters, but as parts of the country go up in flames, it’s an increasingly hard sell, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Coming soon: How Manufacturing Shaped Britain. What impact did it have? Why did towns grow where they did? britishmanufacturinghistory.uk/2026/06/29/t...
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
‘ stable and affordable housing reduces spend and demand on public services, promotes better physical and mental overall health, and results in a higher likelihood that tenants stay in work and contribute economically.’ Too true. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on London’s social housing: pumping billions into the economy every year | Editorial
Editorial: The provision of homes needs to be thought of as a service, not a commodity to be traded. It is vital economic infrastructure, so let’s make it affordable for all
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
@catneilan.bsky.social I need to understand why more North Sea oil and gas would help. We buy oil and gas from the major oil companies who already have more than enough reserves, Norway for example. I respect Andy Burnham and understand there is a gap to be bridged… observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social any person of reasonable intelligence can see that the promises of Trump and Farage are empty. Yet the parties who oppose them can see all too clearly that the problems built up over decades do not have the quick fixes electors crave www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Donald Trump can’t beat Iran and Nigel Farage can only beat a bin. When it counts, these populists are just losers | Jonathan Freedland
The pattern in the US and Britain is clear. They serve up stunt after stunt to mask incompetence and the betrayal of all those who trusted them, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
We were so lucky that overseas students used to come here. Not only for the fees but for the alumni relationship….soft power makes sense. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
UK universities face ‘financial crisis’ amid collapse in international students
Higher education figures call on Labour to reverse tax on fees and warn institutions at risk of ‘going under’
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
@joannapartridge.bsky.social thank you for following me My story is about how manufacturing shaped Britain. A book is due to be released by the end of August. britishmanufacturinghistory.uk/2026/06/29/t...
britishmanufacturinghistory.uk
The places where Manufacturing happened
Manufacturing transformed the places where it took place. Villages became towns because millennia earlier great forests had been buried and became rich seams of coal. Tiny seaside communities survi…
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Once again your column opened my eyes @pollytoynbee.bsky.social . It strikes me that Andy Burnham must throw caution to the wind and be honest with us all about crime but also climate. This is a tough call, but after all he did ask to be Prime Minister www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Burnham won’t fix our prisons crisis until he dares to be honest with the public about crime | Polly Toynbee
Most crime figures have drastically fallen, but people don’t believe it. It’s no wonder when politicians whip up emotions and attempt to bend the law, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
How to turn a disaster into positive @joannapartridge.bsky.social explains www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Tougher crops and beaver dams: how UK farmers are tackling drought
Hit by heatwaves and low rainfall, food producers are finding novel solutions to help crops and cattle survive
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Thank you for opening the window on Clacton which as a child in the fifties I loved. ‘ we can get back to what’s left of the summer, the lives Farage has no clue about or interest in and keep talking about the things that really matter in Clacton: litter, landlords, potholes, parking…’
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Thank you @theguardian.com for bravely resisting this attack on a fundamental freedom. You stand for all decent people. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Richard Tice accused of ‘nasty tactics’ over legal threat to the Guardian
Reform deputy leader condemned for seeking disclosure of documents that could reveal reporter’s sources
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
‘There are many more people in Britain who like to live happily alongside their neighbours, regardless of skin colour and country of origin, than want to burn them out of their homes.’ Thank you @rafaelbehr.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Nigel Farage looks trapped and rattled - now the nationalist tide can be turned | Rafael Behr
There are more votes in tolerance and decency than in toxic division. It doesn’t take a great leap of political courage to fight back against Reform, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This policy verges on the evil. Companies like John Laing built excellent council houses because they were committed to good housing for all. Many people can’t buy but they need security of tenure. Owning houses should never be a business.
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Social media has opened Pandora’s box. Of course young people want a better life. But with a million NEETs in the UK for example would it be better? That aside the pressure on migration will just grow. Somehow we must make their lives at home better. observer.co.uk/news/interna...
observer.co.uk
‘A human river’: how the Ceuta surge split Europe and emb...
Social media posts claiming the border was open sparked a migration crisis that has exposed rifts across the Mediterranean
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
@andrewgregory.com someone very dear to me has suffered from an already inadequate mental health provision. It needs to improve, not cut. I would swap my cancer care. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Millions in England face longer waits for mental health care as NHS providers plan cuts
Exclusive: Seven in 10 survey respondents expect services to be reduced or shut, while more than half anticipate job losses
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
There is no doubt that we must move quickly to net zero. The question is how? If as the CEO of BP says 75% of our energy still comes from fossil fuels, we have a long way to go. Perhaps energy security does point to the North Sea? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot
As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
‘Ministers shouldn’t award contracts to run public services to firms that are starving them of cash.’ This surely makes sense. If companies want government work they must show they pay tax. I know all too well how multinationals squirrel profits into tax havens. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Palantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contracts
Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Sadly I have been treated by radiographers rather a lot. I cannot remember the colour of their skin; all I recall is their empathy and professionalism. I am sickened and ashamed that a fellow Briton would treat people with racist abuse www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
NHS radiographers report rise in overt racist abuse by patients
Survey reveals medics were called ‘monkeys’ and ‘dirty foreigners’, and patients refused to be seen by black or Asian staff
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I am exploring the history of British manufacturing places - highly relevant in the context of government policy. As well as place I am also looking at people, this week Barnes Wallis britishmanufacturinghistory.uk/2026/08/03/b...
britishmanufacturinghistory.uk
Barnes Wallis – aircraft designer
Barnes was the second son of Charles and Edith, born in 1887 in Ripley in Derbyshire where his father had an unsuccessful medical practice and where his mother longed to be home in Woolwich. The fa…
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Local Authorities with more power and money will attract talent, but this will take time. We must pray for a second term Labour government @rjpartington.bsky.social as you say it will be worthwhile www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Why Andy Burnham’s devolution pledge will be tricky to deliver | Richard Partington
Sharing income tax with England’s regional mayors could tackle inequality but many councils are ill-equipped for an enlarged role
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
‘the forever war phenomenon’. Its utter pointlessness is fundamentally immoral. In its sheer un-reason, it offends against the laws of God and man. War without end is the death of hope.’ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Decades on from the US’s disastrous campaign in Afghanistan, Trump is making all the same mistakes | Simon Tisdall
The president has blundered into a ‘forever war’ with Iran he can’t win, but refuses to end. Such hubris has a long history, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
I never thought this possible until the brilliant Diane Morgan showed us otherwise. I am less fearful. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Army of robot ‘nandroids’ join Burnham’s planned revoluti...
Artificial intelligence-enabled droids are providing company and medical assistance to residents in care homes, cutting costs and freeing up staff
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Phil Hamlyn Williams #FBPE #FBPPR @philwriter.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
@theguardian.com you are right to flag the risk of devolving an element of income tax. It should not be returned locally but be used on investment to encourage growth and improved public services. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on England’s centralised state: Andy Burnham must unbundle it | Editorial
Editorial: Devolution should finance transport, skills and industry, not become a rightwing contest to promise the largest tax giveaway
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