Reposted by SamScramGuy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Farmland bird populations in England have now declined by a staggering 66% since 1970, according to the latest official figures. What's going to turn this around? Not piecemeal grants or trusting in the 'custodians of the countryside', but Landscape Recovery & regulation www.gov.uk/government/s... 1117883
Reposted by SamScramRachel Fairbank @sweetsciencewriter.bsky.social · 11/10/2026“The children who are randomly selected not to receive the birth dose of the vaccine, those who “lost the lottery”, face in their earliest days the risk of contracting hepatitis B, which can cause irreversible lifelong damage.” No words. I am speechless. This violates all ethical boundaries.theguardian.comControversial vaccine trial touted by RFK Jr gets go-ahead in Guinea-BissauRecommended dose of hepatitis B vaccine will be withheld from thousands of newborns by Danish researchers 12623791032
SamScram @samscram.bsky.social · 10/10/2026Odd that a three year wait for a school aged child to be assessed is framed here as a “rush”… 010
Reposted by SamScramPeter Whitewood @pwhitewood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026A shadowy network of hedgehogs and owls, operating at the highest levels of the British establishment. 1531151271
Reposted by SamScramJake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 09/10/2026New working paper: the Norwegian wealth tax was a huge success. The "exodus" of wealthy people never happened (less than 100 individuals left). Tax revenue increased by 71.5%. No changes in business activity or investment. www.nber.org/papers/w35854 151150916500
Reposted by SamScramOur World in Data @ourworldindata.org · 08/10/2026📝 New article on Our World in Data: A 73% average decline in wildlife populations: an overview of the 2026 Living Planet Index report. The 2026 Living Planet Index report is published today. As with previous additions, it can make for a depressing read. 36229
Reposted by SamScramGianmarco Soresi @gianmarcosoresi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Man who won’t give his employees piss breaks claims many piss breaks on the horizon 810207344627
Reposted by SamScramAnna Clarke @annaclarke.bsky.social · 08/10/2026The more I think about it, the more I realise how many problems you'd create by the combination of abolishing stamp duty and allowing unlimited exemption from inheritance tax for housing. You'd get a massive demand for "upsizing", putting all your wealth into housing, to avoid inheritance tax. 4297
Reposted by SamScramDan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Kemi 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. 44867368
Reposted by SamScramKetan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 06/10/2026This is a good illustration of how so much of AI theft isn't indirect (ie, data sucked into a model to train the chatbot) - it's actually **direct** copying, but *enabled* by GenAI. Of course it is: chatbots absolutely suck at creating good, new stuff. 251059456
Reposted by SamScramGuy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires I discovered via an FOI request that DEFRA’s commitment in the National Adaptation Programme to run a “wildfire risk programme” since 2023 “was not brought into effect”. #ClimateCrisis www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...theguardian.comRevealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfiresFOI request shows wildfire risk scheme scrapped, as data highlights many fire services lack proper protective gear 18348191
Reposted by SamScramPhil M 🦻🏼💚 🍉 🏳️⚧️ 🇵🇸 @phillm.bsky.social · 05/10/2026When they talk about reducing red tape, remember this image. 5428481093
Reposted by SamScramDavid Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Well, there we go again with the limits on UK trade policy imposed by the need to be nice to major partners. Reports that the UK will impose tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles, which will please both EU and US but not the UK consumer... www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...thetimes.comBritain expected to impose tariffs on Chinese electric carsMinisters are ready to match the EU’s 45 per cent levy to avoid pain of Made in Europe proposals 97930
Reposted by SamScramRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Americans are relearning the lesson we learned during the Gilded Age of the late 1890s, when robber barons ran the government and the economy for their own benefit: Oligarchy is incompatible with the common good. I'm hopeful we'll respond with a new progressive movement. 378121123494
Reposted by SamScramJavier Garcia @javiergarcia.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Overheard a well-heeled man in Sainsbury's earlier telling his wife "I can't believe he got 15 years for that and what did the Rochdale Grooming gangs get?" Wish I had this to hand... (turns out he had weapons too) Casual legal experts. The worst kind. 2274
Reposted by SamScramKaren Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Today, 8 years ago, my friend, Saudi Journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered. 239102243245
Reposted by SamScramMike D London @mikedlondon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026BBC re-running their headlines from 3 years ago when Sunak released 10,000 prisoners early over 6 months....oh wait, no, that went off without a media fuss. Labour are releasing up to 5,000 early over a year - due to Tory failure to build prison capacity. They only built 36 net new places a year. 23559240
Reposted by SamScramRuss Jones @russincheshire.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Avg GDP growth 1945-79: 2.8% Since then: 1.6% And this apparently "broken, economically stagnant" basket case kept its AAA status right through the Winter of Discontent We lost it under Cameron, and it fell again under May, then Johnson, and then Truss: i.e. the whole time Clarke was in govt 52637211
SamScram @samscram.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I want growth in wherever needs it postcodes, but I want good for them (and us) growth, not crappy housing and miserable jobs, but well designed future communities, designed for the people who live there and businesses they work in. And, do this without increasing negative climate impacts 000
Reposted by SamScramGuy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Time to join the Pheasants’ Revolt… DEFRA have launched a Call for Evidence on the environmental & animal welfare impacts of the gamebird industry. If you care about this, PLEASE submit evidence - this @wildjustice.bsky.social blog tells you how: wildjustice.org.uk/defras-call-...wildjustice.org.ukDefra’s Call for Evidence on gamebird releases; what exactly is it asking for? – Wild Justice 47859
Reposted by SamScramRachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026This is your semi-regular reminder that pensioner poverty: a) is real b) is significantly less prevalent than working-age poverty and half the rate of child poverty, and c) is such that a pensioner is statistically more likely to live in a household worth over £1 million than to live in poverty 917142
Reposted by SamScramNacho Fernández @frikidelcine.bsky.social · 27/09/2026And still there are those cold blooded enough to deny there's a genocide going on? 21332
Reposted by SamScramDuncan Jones (aka Merrion) (he/him) @duncanjonesmerrion.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Unfortunately it is only possible for a peron to ride two horses - in this case representing the needs of the unions and the public - until they diverge. Re-industrialisation is an example of a point of divergence. 1111
Reposted by SamScramJWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 26/09/2026The drought has not gone away in much of England. In fact, it's getting worse. September has been pretty dry, October won't start much better. If things don't change, we are heading towards a below average winter of rainfall. That would be a catastrophe dwarfing all others. Enjoy your weekend 😬 2152
Reposted by SamScramAbilu Tangwa. @abilutangwa.bsky.social · 26/09/2026When farms stop yielding, hunger does not knock — it breaks the door. Across the Horn of Africa, soils that once fed nations are turning barren. This is not “bad weather.” This is climate change rewriting our food systems in real time. 5920581031
SamScram @samscram.bsky.social · 19/09/2026 5-7 pairs pants 2-3 pairs trews/shorts (1 smart if eating out) 4-5 tops (1 smart if eating out) 2-3 pairs shoes (inc hiking shoes if appropriat) swimmers bath bag Books/cards/travel games Sunglasses/binoculars Mozzie spray/suncream Layers/raincoat and you‘re done. Have a great holiday 000
Reposted by SamScramJosiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Enormous drop in oil demand this year due to Trump's war in Iran. As predicted, he has accidentally accelerated the green transition (with, of course, a very heavy and deadly cost in how it's happened) www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...carbonbrief.orgAnalysis: Global fossil-fuel emissions set to fall in 2026 amid Hormuz crisis - Carbon BriefGlobal fossil-fuel emissions are set to fall by in 2026 amid the fallout from the Hormuz crisis, according to Carbon Brief analysis. 516655
Reposted by SamScramSpookably UnAwake @lamentablyawake.bsky.social · 17/09/2026It's all on you, members of the British public, to solve the climate crisis, and I'm giving you 43p each to do so. 830296
Reposted by SamScramLuke Turner @luketurner.com · 12/09/2026As Ben Delo's record £36m Reform donation is headline news, I can't emphasise enough that the media ought to be reporting on Delo's heinous funding of antisemitic conspiracy theorists in the High Court – anonymous contributors to the horrifying neo-Nazi account shown below. bsky.app/profile/luke... 12620396
SamScram @samscram.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Wouldn’t a land or wealth tax be a fairer way to unlock some of that generational wealth? 031
Reposted by SamScramhoneywallbeer.bsky.social @honeywallbeer.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I'm not sure we can blame the pensioners for the cost of housing / education / living when their pension is one of the lowest in the OECD (at just under £12,000 per annum). The triple lock helps increase the pension progressively. There are some comparisons here... www.lovemoney.com/news/530757/...lovemoney.comHow our State Pension compares to other major countriesJust how generous is our State Pension? 082
Reposted by SamScramHelen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 12/09/2026On this day 12th September 1940 four teenagers, following their dog, discovered the Lascaux cave paintings. Artist: John Kenney 927539
SamScram @samscram.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I’d agree but she’s apparently commented since talking about how she’s just fascinated by how people (“black people, brown people, cripples, fat people”) feel… she has some work to do on her vocabulary around more than race. 1121
Reposted by SamScramAlex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I wonder if there is a single person still at the Telegraph who feels even a smidgeon of shame, that in just over a decade it has gone from newspaper-of-record to fluffers-for-rent. It is revolting. Farage, apparently, "lands" a record crypto bung. 1224263
Reposted by SamScramStella Creasy MP @stellacreasy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026It’s not too late to stop this madness - the government has said the uk mega donors are a problem. The lords can bring in a cap on UK donors to stop any attempt to buy the next election. Share this and ask your MP to join us protecting British democracy. 114956510
Reposted by SamScramHenry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 11/09/2026How it started / How it's going 31777325
Reposted by SamScramStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 09/09/2026This scoop by my colleagues is really alarming, it reflects a troubling shift in how some AI researchers are operating. Ultimately very hard for Aisi do its work in a world of heightened geopolitical tension and competition:ft.comAnthropic withheld latest AI model from UK testing agencyDecision to exclude Aisi has prompted fears inside British government of protectionist shift among tech groups 110521
Reposted by SamScramImmigration Bot @immigrationbot.bsky.social · 10/09/2026"Volunteers told to consider not wearing branded clothing and to shut lifeboat stations if they feel in dangerPolice working to protect RNLI in Dorset amid opposition to small boat rescuesThe RNLI is stepping up security after a backlash from far-right agitators over the lifeboat…" — The Guardiantheguardian.comRNLI steps up security after attacks by far-right agitators over small boat rescuesVolunteers told to consider not wearing branded clothing and to shut lifeboat stations if they feel in danger 366
Reposted by SamScramflyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Times columnist here making it very clear she thinks the street fascists are right, and presumably so do her editors and bosses, and the paper’s owners www.thetimes.com/article/f1a4...thetimes.comProtests at small boats reflect a broken systemAfter the claim that just 1% of asylum cases are genuine, an immigration overhaul is vital to placate growing public anger 3536191
Reposted by SamScramJosiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 10/09/2026🔴 Voter ID Has Damaged Trust in UK Elections, Study Finds Young people, low-income and trans voters were among the groups hardest hit by the policy imposed by the last Conservative Government, academics found bylinetimes.com/2026/09/10/v...bylinetimes.comVoter ID Has Damaged Trust in UK Elections, Study FindsYoung people, low-income and trans voters were among the groups hardest hit by the policy imposed by the last Conservative Government, academics found 44728
Reposted by SamScramTom Wilson @feedthedrummer.bsky.social · 09/09/2026This does suggest Britain is a) very good at integration b) actively attracts the world's smart and ambitious people who want to get on and do well for themselves Both of these are very good, competitive qualities to have and should be celebrated. 936298
Reposted by SamScramDavid Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 08/09/2026All the plastic humanity has ever produced is ~10 billion tonnes. Humans emitted ~10 billion tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere in the first three months of 2026. When we appreciate orders of magnitude, we see how intractable the CO₂ problem becomes once we dump it into the atmosphere. 524484
Reposted by SamScramEd Hawkins @edhawkins.org · 07/09/2026We haven’t just changed our weather. We’ve changed the climate in which our weather happens. climatelabbook.substack.com/p/learning-f...climatelabbook.substack.comLearning from the summers of 1976 and 2026We have changed the climate in which our weather happens 1262125
Reposted by SamScramLaura Gordon @lauragordon.bsky.social · 07/09/2026This government reminds me of Joe Biden. Biden didn't want to be the prosecute Trump president, he wanted to pass an infrastructure bill. Burnham doesn't want to be the take on the hard right PM, he wants to do social care reform and devo. But you have to do the task you're set or face disaster. 1430488
Reposted by SamScramRachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026"If you want to skip the big wedding, a no-frills ceremony at a registry office will set you back £62, plus £46.50 per person to give notice – akin to renewing a passport. Crucially, though, this requires a decision to bind your lives together." www.newstatesman.com/politics/fut...newstatesman.comTreating cohabiting couples like they're married is a mad ideaA new government initiative wants to "modernise" relationships by considering couples as de facto married - whether or not they've tied the knot 8635