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Pip

@pip6811.bsky.social
908 followers 1.2K following 824 posts

Ever the optimist 🇪🇺 🇬🇧🔸️ Water, Coffee, Wine, Whiskey - not necessarily in that order.

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Reposted by Pip
Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 10h
Wow. Donald Trump is giving money to Putin’s war machine so he can keep killing innocent Ukrainians and attacking democracies across Europe. The UK must lead a coalition of the willing that stands up and says no.
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 20h
🔴NEW: Ben Delo has given Reform £44MILLION Delo’s money comes from his now-closed crypto exchange BitMEX In 2019, a BitMEX investor asked about the status of his investment Delo responded by sending this meme, according to court documents. There’s more, a lot more (new investigation🧵)
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Today, selling a £1m house & moving to a £400,000 flat won’t change your children’s IHT bill. The estate is the same size. Under the [Tory] proposal...the £600,000 you released is fully subject to IHT." "Your house move cost your heirs £240,000. People [will] respond to an incentive this large."
taxpolicy.org.uk
Tory IHT cut could cost £11bn - almost twice the advertised price
Our modelling suggests Badenoch’s inheritance tax cut could cost £7.7bn-£10.9bn a year and shift £60bn-£110bn from savings and investments into housing.
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
#BBCPM
taxpolicy.org.uk
Tory IHT cut could cost £11bn - almost twice the advertised price
Our modelling suggests Badenoch’s inheritance tax cut could cost £7.7bn-£10.9bn a year and shift £60bn-£110bn from savings and investments into housing.
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Kemi Badenoch wants to exempt the family home from inheritance tax. But that creates a perverse incentive for elderly people to *upsize* to save IHT. That could double the cost of the policy, and push £100bn+ from savings into housing. A 🧵 on bad tax cuts.
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Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Former Labour Deputy Leader Lord Thomas Watson, now Senior VP at Palantir UK, wrote to me defending their public contracts. Instead of trading letters, I’ve challenged him to an open, public debate. He can defend Palantir’s ethos; I’ll argue for public accountability. Will you accept, Tom?
Formal letter from Clive Lewis MP, Member of Parliament for Norwich South, to Lord Thomas Watson of Wyre Forest, Senior Vice President of Palantir Technologies UK Limited, dated 7 October 2026. In the letter, Lewis challenges Watson to a public debate regarding Palantir's role in government contracts and public institutions. Lewis rejects Watson's claim that criticisms malign software engineers, stressing that elected officials must scrutinize corporate power, democratic control, and public accountability. He proposes a debate with an impartial chair, equal time, and audience questions.
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Luke Taylor MP @luketaylorld.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It has been an absolute delight campaigning for Patrick. Every step of the way he has shown exactly what Lib Dems are all about: hard work, dedication to your community, and speaking up for those being taken for granted. One day left. Go on #HolbornandStPancras - you know who to back tomorrow!
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Years ago I was a UK rep in a meeting with other EU Member States and a senior Commission official said "Our door is always open... that's our problem..." We need to understand that approach - and not read too much into it now the UK is a third country. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
'Come all the way' back to EU, French finance minister tells Britain
Roland Lescure tells the BBC that being in the bloc enables members to better address the challenges facing the world.
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Hats off to the Eye (as ever), for flagging the Conservative hypocrisy over our conference ban
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Reports of another Russian who’s fallen ill.
apple.news
WHO demands answers from Russia about ‘second plague victim’ — The Telegraph
Pressure increases on Moscow to disclose information about lab worker’s death following reports of another employee contracting the disease
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
From the new Private Eye
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mulderlessscully.bsky.social @mulderlessscully.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The family homes
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Update US warning on Russia:
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Euronews @euronews.com · 07/10/2026
Record bets against the euro: how much further could it fall?
l.euronews.com
Record bets against the euro: how much further could it fall?
The euro hit a 17-month low as French debt fears and Europe's energy shock weigh on the currency. Bond market stress could limit further ECB rate hikes, while analysts see scope for the euro to fall to $1.10 if the pressure intensifies.
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Ann Pettifor @annpettifor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
My latest... annpettifor.substack.com/p/the-bond-m...
annpettifor.substack.com
The Bond Market’s Premonition: High Rates, Defaults, Slump & War
The K-shaped global economy that enriched the rich and impoverished the rest now threatens collapse.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 07/10/2026
Wealthy investors view rates and yields as the biggest growth risk, says Deutsche Bank reut.rs/4y7VIcX
reut.rs
Wealthy investors view rates and yields as the biggest growth risk, says Deutsche Bank
The world's rich view rising rates and yields as the biggest threat to global economic ​growth, while a large majority expect Asia to ‌be the most stable geopolitical region for the next 12 months, according to a Deutsche Bank poll on Wednesday.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 07/10/2026
Badenoch has spent half her conference making unfunded promises, and half lecturing the country on fiscal responsibility. We’re all still paying the price for Conservative financial mismanagement. Liberal Democrats will act as the firewall stopping her handing No 10 to Farage.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Sarah Pochin raised "concerns" in parliament about the impact of second homes on rural communities. Two days later she purchased an £800,000 second home on Anglesey. Remarkable stuff. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform MP raises concerns about second homes – then buys one for £800,000
Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second homes on rural communities
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Thousands of active UK companies may have fraudulent directors. Anyone can form a company in the UK. Companies need one natural person as a director who can be non-UK resident. Too many small companies are fronts for crimes I have long called for companies to have one UK resident director.
tradersunion.com
UK companies face scrutiny as identity checks expose possible fraudulent directors
New UK identity rules reveal possible fraudulent company directors as overdue filings surge, raising concerns about the accuracy of corporate records.
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The utter shamelessness of Kemi Badenoch boasting at Conservative party conference about 'defending press freedom' and berating Reform for banning critical journalists from their conference, just days after banning Byline Times journalists from her own
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
To be clear, we're going straight back to Brexit chaos if the Conservatives or Reform are in power, and that is because of their commitment to withdraw from the ECHR, which would almost certainly mean parts of the TCA suspended and huge US diplomatic pressure. www.ft.com/content/f923...
ft.com
Tory plan to rip up UK-EU food deal risks ‘huge uncertainty’, producers warn
Food and drink industry fears it may be forced to comply with different regulatory regimes every few years
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Just leaving this here... bylinetimes.com/2026/09/25/r...
bylinetimes.com
Rupert Murdoch Flew Kemi Badenoch and Her Deputy to Mediterranean for Summer Trips Worth £12,000
The Conservative leader and Alex Burghart MP held "off-site meetings" with the billionaire media mogul in August
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Two top Trump advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita travelled to Bosnia’s Republika Srpska to provide election advice to its Putin-friendly government, the NYT reports. They were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Today I think I might finally unlock economic growth by doing the same things that haven't worked for 18 years.
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CNN @cnn.com · 05/10/2026
28-year-old lab researcher at a Russian institute dedicated to studying plague and dangerous pathogens died of pneumonia of an “unknown” origin. cnn.it/4jLDiuS
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Whistleblower and former banker Simon Andriesz, 57, has died by suicide, The Banker reports. Andriesz exposed US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s past links to Jeffrey Epstein.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Russia is working on bio-weapons in Siberia.
themoscowtimes.com
Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague - The Moscow Times
Health authorities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation after a laboratory worker died from plague, according to media reports and a statement by a regio...
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
“Former British banker and whistleblower Simon Andriesz, who outed Howard Lutnick’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has died by suicide.”
thebanker.com
Whistleblower who flagged Lutnick’s links to Epstein dies
The former British banker who spent more than 35 years working in financial markets has died by suicide
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Paul Chapman @poulchapman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Private Equity owns 1 out of every 8 apartments in America. Double the amount from just 5 years ago. This neo-feudalism is a massive problem for America. truthout.org/articles/pri...
truthout.org
Private Equity Now Owns 1 in 8 Apartment Units, a 50 Percent Increase Since 2021
Private equity’s expansion into housing comes at the same time as Americans are increasingly struggling to afford rent.
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
"Among the first to appear before the judge was Angel, a 13-year-old. He had no attorney. “Would you like to request voluntary departure, or should I issue a removal order?” the judge asked “I don’t know,” Angel said, bursting into tears: “I have no one. I have nothing.” www.cnn.com/2026/09/28/p...
cnn.com
Inside the Texas courtroom where toddlers face immigration judges | CNN Politics
Migrant children as young as 2 are showing up at immigration courts nationwide, many without attorneys, to try make their case to stay in the US and avoid deportation.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
“A party the country still regards as toxic is determined to double down on its toxicity.” The Tories: so tedious in their relentless idiocy. Another, great cathartic piece… (loved Philp’s new name too…)
To illustrate her point, Kemi proudly drew Laura's attention to her rather desperate pamphlet The Right Way, which the Tories have published as their new credo. Six principles of Conservatism to get them through the bad times. To remind them they are right even when the country thinks they are unelectable. Kemi's Kemistry, as she hopes we will call it. The first rule is that Kemi never makes mistakes. Asked to name anything she has changed her mind about, she comes up with nothing. The laws of physics will change long before Kemi. She wants us to think of The Right Way as her foundational document that will be spoken of in hushed tones for decades to come. It will be lucky to survive
until tomorrow.
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Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
John Crace is on to something here. If Kemi wasn't female, I'd suggest she stands in front of a mirror each morning, waving her willy, tightening her upper body muscles and going 'GRRR'. Like Chris Philp.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
As long as the Tories are threatening to leave the ECHR, they aren’t a serious party. Consider it the ultimate red flag. Any party who’d take this entirely unnecessary and ruinous risk with our rights and our country’s security and wellbeing should never get its hands on power. (Letter, Times)
Value of the
ECHR
Sir, In dangerous times, serious countries do not retreat into splendid isolation. They build alliances, multiply their influence and strengthen institutions. Key among those is the 46-member Council of Europe, at its heart the European Convention on Human Rights.As former independent reviewers of terrorism legislation we have seen at close quarters that the ECHR is not just a human rights instrument. It is a national security asset. Terrorist networks, hostile states, organised crime gangs and people smugglers do not respect borders. Tackling them requires arrangements for the closest possible co-operation with our neighbours, including through joint investigations and police access to European passenger, fingerprint, DNA and vehicle data.These arrangements expressly depend on internationally agreed human rights standards, applied by a supranational court. We detect no political willingness to excuse the UK from compliance with standards to which the rest of Europe already subscribes. As authoritarian powers grow more aggressive and democratic institutions face mounting pressure, Britain should not be abandoning one of its greatest postwar achievements.
The question is not whether we can afford to remain within the ECHR. It is whether, in an increasingly perilous world, we can afford not to.
Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Sir Max Hill
Independent reviewers of terrorism legislation, 2001-18
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 05/10/2026
UK businessman given senior role at group linked to Kremlin money-laundering operation ft.trib.al/rmjVlAB
ft.trib.al
UK businessman given senior role at group linked to Kremlin money-laundering operation
Moldovan oligarch behind secretive A7 fintech referred to Michael Donald as chief executive of linked payments company VexPay
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Protect Our NHS BANES @protectournhsbanes.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Excellent report & analysis of the drawbacks of Palantir's FDP for the NHS, thank you - good to read the statements from NHS trusts on how Palantir's software doesn't offer advantage over existing NHS management tools for waiting lists
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 03/10/2026
More than 20 NHS trusts in England have stopped using Palantir’s waiting list tools, according to FT analysis that casts doubt on widely cited claims about the success of the controversial data project led by the US software giant. as.ft.com/r/6c8844ae-e...
as.ft.com
Over 20 NHS trusts have ditched Palantir waiting-list tools, analysis shows
FT findings prompt fresh probe by statistics regulator into health service claims over controversial data project
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Ash Oro @ashoro.co.uk · 03/10/2026
Another attack overnight on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. This is the 6th attack this week, and still getting almost no coverage!! The human price for transiting the Strait seems to be being priced into business costs.
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Gillian Martin @gillmartin.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
#palantir #TomWatson #palantiroutofthenhs
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LaindonFeminist @viviane49.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Well, well, well
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I've been a member of the lobby for well over a decade. Not a single one of my lobby colleagues has said a word about the Conservatives banning me from their conferences, without any explanation. Contrast with the US where even Fox News stood in solidarity when Trump banned news outlets he disliked
bylinetimes.com
Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives Block Byline Times From Conference After Condemning Reform for Journalist Ban
The ban comes just weeks after the Conservative leader called Reform's barring of critical journalists from their conference an "authoritarian" attack on the free press
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THE NERVE @thenerve.news · 01/10/2026
On this day of action against Palantir, here’s a handy thread of the Nerve’s ongoing Palantir investigation. From the web of gigantic state contracts to the revolving door between government/ civil service and their top team, with a manifesto for technofascism along the way… 👇👇👇
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Alan Falconer @alanfalconer.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Larry Ellison’s cash, >£275m, given or pledged to Blair’s think tank has transformed the TBI, aligning it with the interests of a US billionaire who wants access to what he sees as Britain’s most valuable asset: NHS health data. "Inside the Tony Blair Institute." open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
open.substack.com
Inside the Tony Blair Institute
A former PM, tech tycoon Larry Ellison and Britain's data - what could go wrong?
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Jorge Liboreiro @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Russia's new wave of escalation has one main target: the Ukrainian economy. Telecoms, data centres, power grids, fuel stations, retail, logistics, railways. A new blockade in the Black Sea. Non-stop drone attacks that force citizens underground and paralyse day-to-day activity.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Bank of England warning that the AI bubble could burst, with economic consequences, delivered in typically restrained language.
bbc.co.uk
AI boom could trigger market shocks, Bank of England boss warns
Andrew Bailey says the central bank is watching the waves of cash being invested in artificial intelligence "very carefully".
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Reuters @reuters.com · 01/10/2026
Chinese refiners suspend October fuel exports, sources say reut.rs/4z5IDBR
reut.rs
Chinese refiners suspend October fuel exports, sources say
Chinese refiners have suspended exports of oil products to regions beyond Hong Kong and Macau until further notice from Beijing, four people briefed on the matter said ​on Thursday, a move that will further tighten fuel markets.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 01/10/2026
Sea levels off Southern California are expected to begin rising by half a foot or more in the coming days. It will stay elevated for months, as an enormous pulse of wave energy generated by El Niño, known as a Kelvin wave, travels up the coast.
nyti.ms
See How El Niño Is Washing Ashore in California
An enormous pulse of wave energy will soon reach Southern California and continue north, raising sea levels by half a foot and increasing threats from swells and tides.
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Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
😳 On 9/29/26, Argentina’s Supreme cleared the way for President Javier Milei’s administration to scrap historical restrictions on foreign land ownership, opening the door to the likes of Peter Thiel & Sam Altman who have shown great interest in the region … 1/ share.google/t7nTsPAkbpC8...
share.google
Supreme Ct clears way for Milei to scrap limits on foreign land purchases
Opposition parties condemn the ruling, question its scope and warn that it leaves the door open to unrestricted foreign ownership of rural land.
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Euronews @euronews.com · 01/10/2026
EU travellers could soon get a larger cabin allowance at no extra cost – but UK passengers flying out of UK airports are unlikely to benefit from the new rules.
l.euronews.com
How the EU’s new cabin baggage rules will work – and when they start
EU travellers could soon get a larger cabin allowance at no extra cost – but UK passengers flying out of UK airports are unlikely to benefit from the new rules.
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Northern & proud 👊 @gazlancs.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Boris Johnson became PM based on these promises He kept none of them - & knew he would not He lasted 3 years Sacked MP’s that challenged his Brexit Illegally prorogued Parliament & lied to the Queen!!
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