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Rachel Haynes

@rgch.bsky.social
1.4K followers 2.6K following 138 posts

Nerd, activist, wants equality, an end to poverty, more sea swimming and cheese. Put that on your banner...

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Reposted by Rachel Haynes
Steve Akehurst @steveakehurst.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
NEW: How does Burnham’s conference speech land with voters when they see it it? In short, very well it seems. A thread on some new video testing of the PM’s speech among voters by @persuasionuk.bsky.social Top line findings and some caveats below! 🧵👇
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Sean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 29/09/2026
The rush to speculate that asylum seekers are responsible for every crime in the news is a sort of opportunistic informational terrorism. Until it’s disproved it stokes fear and hatred. When it is disproved there are no adverse consequences and they know that they only have to be lucky once.
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Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This artwork was created over the past year by a local Birmingham artist collective who wanted to bring unty from discord by repurposing the divisive Nationalist flags into a massive Brummie Reunion Jack. Suffice it to say, the inspiration for Goldship's magnificent work has not taken it well.
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Sarah Owen MP @sarahowen.org.uk · 21/09/2026
Being arrested for suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviours, is apparently just a “bump in the road” and “personal difficulties” according to Farage. Reform have zero credibility on support for victims’ and tackling VAWG.
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
All day Piddington's womminfolk have been telling news how they will be terrified of "hundreds of young men nearby, free to come and go as they please." NOT ONE JOURNALIST has asked: "How did you cope when it was an army base? Who came and went then? Nuns?" Soon as you ask that, all becomes clear.
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The public are now more likely to think boat crossings are falling this year than rising. [Numbers were down 40% with lowest 3rd quarter for 6 years] Down 40% About same 16% Up 29% Dont know 16% Labour down 61-12 LibDem down 61-18 Green down 47-13 Cons down 41-34 Reform up (28-46 down v up
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Toby Earle 🇺🇦 @tobyontv.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
‘are we just trying to get our mums a house?’
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Adrian Littlejohn @yorksfella59.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I am bloody proud to be an #RNLI supporter and member! These brilliant men and women have quite enough to cope with without being harassed by the scum of the earth. Their only concern is to help people in danger at sea - not check passports first! Which is how it should be. Please RT if you agree🙏
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Garvan Walshe @garvanwalshe.org · 05/09/2026
If they’re not making claims about what they’re supposedly protesting about it’s not a protest. It’s disruption, blockade, etc. No attention should be given to speculating about their motives. If they don’t tell anyone, it’s their problem. Just arrest them for interfering with essential transport.
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A very clear exanple of a national media outlet always looking for an UP/spike/high headline (with immigration down, asylum down, boats down, hotels down). Settlement at +5 years is up after 2021-24 migration peak www.thetimes.com/article/7f2a...
thetimes.com
Number of migrants applying to settle in UK at 16-year high
Reforms set to be introduced this autumn by Shabana Mahmood will double the time migrants must wait to obtain indefinite leave to remain
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Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
One of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
Photo after Jason's final marathon taken from his archived blog showing Jason surrounded by supporters in orange charity t-shirts
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Rachel Haynes @rgch.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Absolutely delightfully clever nonsense.
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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Ulez has delivered remarkable public health gains in a short period. Sadiq deserves more credit than he’s had for defying Labour pressure to U-turn after Uxbridge. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds
Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone
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Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
“There cannot be any doubt that racism lay at the heart of this story,” says Lord Simon Woolley, principal of Homerton College Cambridge. Woolley is one of 32,369 signatories of an open letter calling for a public inquiry into the “vicious witch hunt” which preceded Jason Arday’s death.
goodlawproject.org
Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now | Good Law Project
Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.
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Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Look, put simply, people should not be comfortable saying that in public and the way to fix society runs directly through making them afraid to say it again.
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Dr Neutopia @oceanclub.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The same UK media that hounded Jason Arday to his death were last week sharing amusing anecdotes about how Rod Liddle's copy was full of lies.
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Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
There is a difference between scrutiny and entertainment. Jason Arday’s career posed questions, but they shouldn’t have become obsessional. Journalism should seek truth, but not public humiliation.
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David Clark @david-k-clark.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The problem with Farage’s lie about being advised by the police to stay away from the count on security grounds is that he’d already given the real reason.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I see that Toby Young had written about an elite university messing up by elevating someone who may not have been actually qualified to be there. Interesting stuff
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
"doesn't understand the appeal of patina" feels like neat summation of American aesthetics
A BBC story headline reads: "Worth $5M? Visitors react to renovated Washington horse statues." There are two photos. One from 2013 that shows the horse statues in their older, patina state. And one from 2026 that shows them covered in 23.75-karat gold leaf.
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Headington News @headingtonnews.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Happy birthday, Headington Shark: 40 years old today www.headington.org.uk/shark/
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 08/08/2026
WorldPride would bring visitors, celebration and opportunity to London. But that's not why I'm backing our bid. For me, it's about the message it sends: that everyone deserves the freedom to be themselves, and that our diversity remains one of London's greatest strengths.
independent.co.uk
This is why I’m backing London’s bid to host WorldPride
Sixty years after London’s first Pride march, WorldPride would give us the chance to celebrate the extraordinary progress we’ve made, says Sadiq Khan
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Rachel Sylvester @rachelsylvester.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
New Scandinavian wings at Wandsworth and Pentonville jails have seen a 45% fall in assaults, 57% drop in self harm and halving of staff absence rates - fascinating results from trial into a more rehabilitative approach to prisons observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
‘Scandi wings’ offering pianos, pool and tea parties coul...
A unit in London’s Wandsworth prison has been transformed using methods from Sweden and Norway that prioritise rehabilitation over retribution
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Rachel Haynes @rgch.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
My tribe - the yarn pedantry venn tribe. I want a niddy noddy now.
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Solar eclipse coming up so here’s one of my favourite maps
Top is a map of the US with “Google search volume for “eyes hurt” April 3 to April 10 2024” with a hot line running from Texas north east through to Maine.  The bottom map shows the path of the total solar eclipse which runs in a lone from Texas through to Maine
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Reform UKs plan to use the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats in the Channel brilliantly taken apart by ... er ... Nigel Farage
The new Royal Navy presence in the Channel off to
a terrible start...


The gunwhales on the vessels are too high to pick
up migrants, so the RNLI & Border Force are doing
the job instead!


The Navy are then going around picking up the
empty dinghies,


Waste of time and resources!
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Graeme Swanson @swansonian.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
What’s your favourite description of a famous person? I like Alan Partridge on Gary Barlow who described him as a “Wide hipped wealth enthusiast”
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Rachel Haynes @rgch.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A joy of fair competition for a worse album cover.
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Nettlecake @nettlecake.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 30/07/2026
Never count this city out. London’s been ranked #1 once again - this time as the most intelligent city in the world.
timeout.com
These are the world’s most intelligent cities in 2026, according to a new Index
How did your city fare?
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
It was always unlawful, under the Highways Act 1980. But I don't suppose Suella would know that, being a lawyer, MP and former Attorney General.
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Brawlcats @brawlcats.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
airbnb I’m staying at unintentionally created the toughest punk album cover of 2027
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TheBossRoss 🧶 @thebossross.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Spain's Pedro Sánchez with a firm, confident response to especially Italy's Ceuta reaction (closing the Schengen border).
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
RefUK, RW media, & Eurofash are plainly trying to whip up a panic about this. Any serious report must begin by explaining that Ceuta is in Africa - not mainland Spain - and 48k+ of the 50k crossers were already returned. It is frightening how many still don't know this. Please share on all socials.
Map showing the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa.Screengrab from Politico piece that explains, citing Reuters, that 48,300 of the 50,000 recent crossings have already been expelled or voluntarily returned to Morocco.BBC report on Friday, still echoing the RW disinformation - or at the very least not challengning it sufficiently.

"Spain's PM blames traffickers after 60,000 migrants reach Ceuta from Morocco
01:32
What triggered the mass migrant crossings into Ceuta?
Sofia Ferreira Santos and Sarah Rainsford, Southern and Eastern Europe
correspondent
31 July 2026
Spain's prime minister has blamed trafficking gangs after about 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. At least 57 people died during the surge, according to local media."Daily Mail and Daily Express from this weekend, with front page headlines "Ministers MUST stop the Spanish border invaders reaching UK" and "SPANISH BORDER CRISIS IS 'WAKE-UP CALL' FOR UK", respectively.
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Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Excellent report from #C4News comparing other countries social care "England is something of an outlier amongst wealthy nations when it comes to social care"
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
the other question is whether political consensus is a necessary precondition for reform. Its easy to see why @andyburnham.bsky.social wants this - he was burned by the death tax accusations in 2009-10 and May's reform attempt was nixed by the "dementia tax".
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Dawny B @dawnbritten.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Xx
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 29/07/2026
Love will always conquer hatred. Unity will always conquer division. And lightness will always overcome darkness.
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John Crace @mrjohncrace.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
No one thinks they will have to pay for social care. Until they find they do
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Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Polanski very stupid for what he shared, but Reform’s pivot from bringing a woman who called for hotels full of asylum seekers to be burned down as their guest of honour at conference, to saying the Green leader should be jailed - is a difficult circle to square
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Paul Murphy @paulmurphy.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Out of interest #R4today has Burnham extended an invitation to Count BinFace for these Social Care Funding talks at Number10? … or the Greens, Plaid Cymru? How about the SNP, Sinn Féin & the DUP for that? Why should ReformUK get all the attention (or is that a daft question)?
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
We are already paying for a lot of our social care failure. Inefficiently, inhumanely. And we are failing to pay for the rest of it. Inefficiently, inhumanely. #R4Today
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Victoria Derbyshire @vicderbyshire.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I wrote this 👇 open.substack.com/pub/vicderby...
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Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Everyone should read this absurdist thread and then think about how it’s not absurdist at all, it’s genuinely a perfect representation of the current system.
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I have a modest proposal for a new tax. It involves a deck of cards and a monkey throwing darts. Here are the rules:
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It's funny how no-one ever asks where the money is coming from when you announce a cut in immigration.
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Just one para from @jdportes.bsky.social brilliant (and beautifully written) @theguardian.com piece on Burnham and the economy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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Rachel Haynes @rgch.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A bit rich
theguardian.com
Germany warns US against election interference with Maga-aligned grants scheme
Friedrich Merz responds to US project offering grants of up to $3m in Europe to address ‘sovereignty, migration and censorship’
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Birmingham 81 @birmingham81.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Remembering Wilko Johnson on his birthday. Here are Dr Feelgood performing Roxette on the OGWT in 1975
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Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Vicki Evans, the Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: "They’re intent on identifying willing volunteers to peddle the Russian narrative. "Their ultimate goal is destabilising our democracy, sowing division and chaos, and disturbing our peace.”
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