Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Hmm. Glassy eyed AI actress Tilly Norwood having a moment when talking to Piers Morgan and Tom Conti. Tilly diplomatic, if AI "wooden", to the last… (tip of the hat to Gary Marcus – Marcus on AI) x.com/PiersUncenso... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 14/09/2026AI Bubble Burst – here we go… www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...bbc.co.ukTech stocks fall after calls for AI development to slow downIndustry bosses warn safeguards are needed to protect humanity - our AI experts answer your questions on the technology and its future. 110
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 13/09/2026The right wing press is having a field day with Emma Barnett's tense interview with Kemi Badenoch. If it was a "car crash", then it was Badenoch's behaviour that took her through the windscreen. I feel Barnett is currently the only journalist on Today willing or capable of taking Badenoch to task. 052
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 12/09/2026So after Delo's £36 million comes a match from Harborne while Parliament is still investigating the first £5 million Farage failed to declare and the Met considers cash to circumvent donation law. Are the latest donations in fact just Musk subversion funds as per AfD? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukReform receives second £36m donation in two days as crypto investor matches recordThe party says the money will allow it to fight the next election on a "level playing field", while rivals have renewed calls for donations from individuals to be capped. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 11/09/202638º – 38 Degrees – is asking regular respondents what line it should take with the consensus that we need to (re)join the EU urgently and that Brexit has and will continue to wreak havoc if we don't act. If you get the email, don't fail to respond. Don't let 38º both sides the issue again this time. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Harrowing – All.Over.Again – Testimonies, testimonies, testimonies… www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...bbc.co.uk9/11 anniversary: Victims remembered 25 years on from September 11 attacks - follow liveMemorials to remember those killed in the September 11 attacks will be held at the site of the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon. 001
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026One of the odder failures of cultural understanding amongst the far right threatening the volunteer members of the RNLI. Perhaps the source of their funding – Musk et al. – goes some way to explain the ignorance of the origins and history of this vital UK public service organisation. 38d.gs/jpcf38d.gsAn open letter in support of the volunteers and staff at the RNLIThis is a disgrace. Brave RNLI volunteers being called scum for risking their lives to save others at sea is just plain wrong. So I've signed an open letter of thanks for the RNLI letting them know th... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Chris Gey’s Brexit Blog has always been excellent, but this is a seminal edition as Burnham comes in sticking with Labour’s sclerotic positions on both EU Membership and Immigration. So frustrating and here is an unemotional analysis of the stupidity: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/brex...chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.comBrexit Britain is still a tinderbox<a rel="me" href="https://mastodon.online/@ChrisGrey">Mastodon</a> 021
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 31/08/2026It is both welfare of the animals and the greenhouse gas emissions connected with the industrial slurry these kinds of farms generate. The figures are thought to be much higher than expected or currently recorded. Regulation can bring multiple benefits. 38d.gs/vegn38d.gsThe Great British dairy scandal: we need honest welfare labels NOW!I just signed the campaign for mandatory labels on our dairy products now! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 29/08/2026Remember the awful lessons of Channel 4's 'Dirty Business'? Surfers against Sewage is handing in a petition next week, and it wants to make sure the Government can’t ignore us. "We’re pushing for 350,000 signatures — can you add your name and help us get there?" you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/en...you.38degrees.org.ukEnd the sewage pollution scandalIt’s shocking how water companies have gotten away with polluting our waterways with sewage. That’s why more than 319,000 of us have signed the petition demanding an end to the sewage scandal. We’re... 100
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 25/08/2026The move to a digital world must not be accompanied by a brutal ending of existing free analogue services particularly where these depend upon a licence fee payment for TV & Radio in the UK. A "Switch off" is a penalty. Digital needs to be an addition justifying itself on its own merits. 38d.gs/2bjo38d.gsSave Our Freeview TVUnbelievable. The Government is threatening to switch off Freeview TV, forcing millions to pay for expensive broadband just to keep their telly. We have just days to force them to back down. Sign the... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Climate in Crisis – in every season. In summer wildfires will threaten our communities, our wildlife, and our landscapes 🌳 We need the UK Gov to back our amazing fire fighters and invest in a real national wildfire prevention plan. Join me and sign the petition: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/te...you.38degrees.org.ukProtect nature for the future: make wildfire prevention a national priorityEnough is enough. Devastating wildfires are threatening our communities, our wildlife, and our landscapes 🌳 We need the UK Gov to back our amazing fire fighters and invest in a real national wildfire ... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Zero Hours contracts – an evil of the egregious Tory administrations from 2015. We hoped for change with Labour. Broken promise: the Government promised guaranteed hours for all workers, but now most will miss out. 🚫 Sign the petition now to protect every worker: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pr...you.38degrees.org.ukSign the petition to give all workers the right to guaranteed hoursBetrayal: the UK Gov pledged guaranteed hours for all workers, but now most will miss out. Sign now to fight back. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Multiple reasons to resist data centres: grotesque pressure on energy and water; negative employment impacts; loss of data sovereignty and the primary risk of an AI burst bubble recession to come. This happens to be in my back yard, but the issue is Europe wide. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no...you.38degrees.org.ukNo To Data Centres in EalingSouthall already suffers from high temperatures due to the loss of gardens and lack of larger green spaces when compared to the rest of the borough. This lack of mature greenery also slows the ... 021
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 19/08/2026A thoughtful, heartfelt piece on bullying in the media in the days before Jason Arday's death. And for institutions, a reminder of the duty of care they owe their staff and the imperative of defending them effectively wherever and whenever they're attacked. broligarchy.substack.com/p/a-digital-...broligarchy.substack.comA Digital LynchingA practical guide for individuals and organisations when the mobs gather 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 17/08/2026In terms of Trump coveting Greenland and other real estate, there are his overt statements, his social media mutterings and then the machinations of companies linked to his clown car of corruption. Here is a petition you can sign to take action on the last point: secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...secure.avaaz.orgGreenland vs TrumpA Trump-linked oil company just sent heavy equipment to drill in Greenland. Join to help locals stop it! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Tip of the Hat to Jon Gruber at Daringfireball for pointing to an excellent piece from the team at the Economist on how you might sense that a piece had been generated by AI rather than a human with something to say. Now only available from the Internet Archive site: archive.ph/202608112230... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 16/08/2026A Substack from Christina Pagel reminding us of the damage caused by childhood diseases in recent history until MMR based vaccines eliminated diseases such as Measles in the UK and US and the absurdity of the Trump administration reversing this in the US. christinapagel.substack.com/p/trump-and-...christinapagel.substack.comTrump and RFK Jr need to shut up about the MMR vaccineA reminder of how terrible these diseases used to be 020
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 14/08/2026A “Bin-Bin” outcome in Clacton overnight, following a huge swing to Count BinFace, who took 27% with 9,455 votes and Farage chose not to face the count/Count, lied to the media that the Police advised him not to attend and this morning the Parliamentary enquiry resumed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5...bbc.co.ukParliamentary investigation resumes into Farage hours after he wins Clacton by-electionThe Reform UK leader won the contest, which was boycotted by major political parties, but didn't attend the declaration. 032
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Broader than just tax equity and fairness in our high streets and communities, this is about recognition of the UN as a means for the world community to come together to resolve problems that follow if powerful nations slide into Fascism – eg Christian Nationalism – corruption and greed. 38d.gs/n9zw38d.gsStand up to Trump and Bezos: stronger tax rules NOWJeff Bezos has just been crowned the world's third richest person...while Amazon dodges billions in tax. Right now, governments are negotiating new global tax rules. Tell the UK Government: don't cave... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Those of us likely to fall into the band for Standard Rate Income Tax have all been paying more tax than we might reasonably have expected because the Tories froze the Personal Allowance in 2020 to raise more tax – a Tory Inflation Stealth Tax! And Labour has not put this right. c.org/SbbyrLJrXWc.orgSign the Petition"Cost of Living Government" - UNFREEZE OUR PAYE TAX BANDS 286
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Ideal moment for a windfall tax. "The Iran war is making everything more expensive … but some companies are cashing in. Don't think that's right? Sign the petition now demanding they are taxed more on their record profits to help us all with the cost of living." you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ra...you.38degrees.org.ukSign the Urgent Petition - End this rip-offPeople in the UK are struggling to get by while some corporations are set to announce record high profits on the back of the Iran war. Join the campaign to demand these war profiteers are taxed so we ... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Inspiring AI automation confidence – via your email signature strip: "Rxxx Mxxxxxx Automated Solution Agent Unsubscribe | Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 AI-generated content may be incorrect." And is RM – note the androgynous name – a genderless bot? 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Clean Air and Clean Water. Two fundamentals for human existence. Clean Air is still in the public realm. That Water is not, has rightly become the poster child for all that has been so wrong with Thatcher's privatisation of our "Family Silver" essential services. act.38degrees.org.uk/act/big-publ...act.38degrees.org.ukBring our water back into public ownership💧Water is a basic service, not a cash machine 🤑 While bills rise and sewage pours into our rivers and seas, water companies keep rewarding shareholders. Enough is enough. It's time to bring water ba... 265
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Concerned about the anti-democratic views and behaviour of the likes of Peter Thiel? Worried about the egregious demands of AI bosses for water and electricity. Furious at the loss of critical natural resources. Here's a key petition to hold the line on all of these. secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...secure.avaaz.org🚨72 hours to save PatagoniaJavier Milei wants to sell Patagonia to US billionaires like AI magnate Peter Thiel. Argentinians are fighting to protect their lands, lakes and glaciers, but they need our help. 011
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 26/07/2026Fairness for workers in the UK economy – broken by Tories' COVID support and Zero Hours contracts etc.. Labour's broken promise: the Government promised guaranteed hours for all workers, but now most will miss out. 🚫 Sign the petition now to protect every worker: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pr...you.38degrees.org.ukSign the petition to give all workers the right to guaranteed hoursBetrayal: the UK Gov pledged guaranteed hours for all workers, but now most will miss out. Sign now to fight back. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 25/07/2026The sense that AI Data Centres are being foisted on us without either our consent or proper examination of the case for their construction. Here's a petition you can sign to raise a flag on the issue. 38d.gs/feka38d.gsStop these monster data centres before they wreck our neighbourhoods!Are you worried about this too? 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Reigning in press barons and the penchant for criminality and persecution by media – yes, sign this petition and also press for Levison 2 as a matter of urgency. c.org/FBV2FR2Rrqc.orgSign the PetitionFix the press: we all deserve a media we can trust 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 22/07/2026The 40 years ago moment Burnham references, where British politics took such a wrong turn, is the evil done to this country by Thatcher’s privatisation frenzy egged on by the madness of Keith Joseph and Milton Friedman’s feckless economics. Andy is right to call out the fraud and to seek redress. 010
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Finally we may have an opening door for active political support for ending FPTP and moving our democracy to fairer PR voting. I've just signed "Tell Andy Burnham to launch a National Commission on Electoral Reform" - Will you support the campaign too? actionstorm.org/petitions/na... @OpenBritainHQactionstorm.org 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 13/07/2026If you doubted that Trump's instincts were those of a third rate gangster, here is his current reaction to Iran – a US protection racket for international shipping navigating international waters in the Straits of Hormuz. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...bbc.co.ukTrump reinstates Iran port blockade and imposes 20% charge on cargo passing through HormuzTrump says the US will become the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz and will charge ships for using it. Iran earlier warned the US not to "interfere" in the strait's "management". 010
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 11/07/2026When government penny pinching is just "off the charts" mean!: 38d.gs/sh5438d.gsSave Our Coastguards: Scrap plans to strip rescue heroes of their pay!This is so outrageous. The Government wants to reclassify Coastguard Rescue Officers as "volunteers" so they can get out of paying them an hourly wage when they go out to save lives. Join me and sign... 010
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 10/07/2026I wanted to listen to a talk by Peter Geoghegan on Substack and it through me this crap. "Instantly after 7 days"! Fuck off. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 10/07/2026You have been warned! Not only are you burning the planet but… TOTH to Eva Sanz González lnkd.in/p/ePugex74lnkd.inYour Data is Leverage in AI Future of Work | Yash Rawat posted on the topic | LinkedInStop telling ChatGPT your deepest secrets. It is quietly building a file to guilt-trip you. We rush to share our daily struggles, career anxieties, and imposter syndrome with AI. We call it productiv... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 07/07/2026This is not the choice. The choice is whether or not I want personalised advertising at the price of yielding my data or accept non-personalised advertising and enjoy my privacy. Instead the Guardian and many other papers demand my data or £5 a month. My privacy. Fuck off! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Scrutinising the funding of Farage's company wielded as a political party is a start, but it must also lead to scrutiny by a recalcitrant media of its policies designed to eviscerate our democratic state and its citizens and residents' rights. Here's a petition to start with. 38d.gs/farage_donat...38d.gsLaunch a full investigation into Nigel Farage’s undisclosed donationsNigel Farage received gifts and benefits from a convicted fraudster. This can’t go on. Sign the petition to demand a FULL investigation into his undisclosed donations and gifts. We need answers: 052
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 04/07/2026"The US-Israel FUTURES Act … proposes to merge the two armies … US intelligence will become Israeli intelligence … Should Israel go to war, the US may be formally bound to go with it: a horrific prospect as Netanyahu vows that Israel’s wars will never end." sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/stop-colla...sarahkendzior.substack.comStop, collaborator, and listen!On stolen sovereignty and Americans fighting back. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Another Trump DOJ 'shit-hitting-fan' moment impacting EU/UK data safety: "Evaluation by EDPB: The European Data Protection Board is evaluating the ruling's effect on the validity of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework." www.dataguidance.com/news/denmark...dataguidance.comDataGuidanceEssential Privacy and Regulatory Research at Your Fingertips. Find everything you need to stay up-to-date on evolving privacy & security regulations around the world 100
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Museveni's Uganda is threatening two young women with the death penalty for being in love. Do you want to sign this petition to shine an international light on this problem? secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...secure.avaaz.orgOne week to free Wendy & Diana!Wendy and Diana’s love is not a crime. Sign and share her petition to have all charges against them dropped. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 29/06/2026In the absence of a global model for the functions of a bicycle, AI seems destined for a doomloop of misplaced, sub Heath Robinson, features and functions. Not so much 'Bicycle for the Mind' leverage of understanding as 'totally off your head' perma halucinations: open.substack.com/pub/garymarc...open.substack.comOff for adventuresLeaving you with a couple laughs 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 24/06/2026The death and injury toll from a "bullying and toxic culture" at the Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust is damning, horrific and an imperative for inestigation across the NHS. My experiences with the births of my children at Queen Charlotte's in West London was the polar opposite. Match it! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 16/06/20267% rather than 25% Corporation Tax Rate its UK competitors in the High Street and online will pay in 2025/26. Despite the convenience and low prices UK shoppers may assume, Amazon is actively hollowing out UK tax receipts, UK businesses and UK consumers alike. Enough of a problem yet? 38d.gs/mexd38d.gsWe pay our dues. They should too.Amazon made £62 BILLION last year, but only paid a fraction of what they should in tax. We must stop this! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 16/06/2026When USG takes over Anthropic: "They won’t need us … even for appearances. Our data is theirs. Our money, inconsequential … Anthropic will immediately cut off its technology from the world … 'It’s not a toy,' they will say, 'and you’re just a bunch of kids.'” www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/kayfablethealgorithmicbridge.comKayfableWhat does Anthropic actually want? 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 15/06/2026Piss poor record on Prohibitions – Alcohol, Drugs and now Social Media. Worse, how better to let Social Media bosses off the hook for their failures to mediate their "publishing" platforms and appalling algorithms, than by blanket banning potentially vulnerable users. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c7...bbc.co.ukUnder-16s to be banned from social media by next spring, Starmer saysWatch live as Technology Secretary Liz Kendall delivers a statement to the Commons on the ban. 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 08/06/2026ToTH to Gruber at daringfireball.net. "When tech companies spend hundreds of billions on capital expenditures to add sparkly AI features to Office, Gmail, and Instagram, I only see fearful atheists — guys who don’t believe in AI but pretend just in case." www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/what-apple...thealgorithmicbridge.comWhat Apple Knows About AI That Silicon Valley Won't AdmitApple looked at AI and said: this changes nothing 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 08/06/2026Not content with raping a country of 350 million the size of a continent, the Trumps are now planning raping nature on a tiny, unspoilt island in the Mediterranean. There's a petition for stopping that: secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...secure.avaaz.orgURGENT: Save this island from the Trump family!Albanians are standing up for their pristine island – join now to stand with them! 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 05/06/2026Christina Pagel's guarded green flag on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, "There is a lot about the current state of the world that is deeply depressing. But Covid is now not one of those things - and with any luck won’t be again [via SARS-CoV-2] - and I choose to celebrate that." christinapagel.substack.comchristinapagel.substack.comMaking sense... of evidence, data, and the stories they tell | Christina Pagel | SubstackMaking Sense explores how evidence and data can help us make sense of the world — from the NHS and Covid to science, democracy and politics. Christina Pagel is a Professor of Operational Research at... 100
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 28/05/2026A moment to put yet more pressure on the UK government about Palantir’s business model and its technologies used by the powerful to attack the powerless. This company should not be involved in our public services. Sign this petition if you agree act.globaljustice.org.uk/get-palantir...act.globaljustice.org.ukGet Palantir out of UK public servicesThe UK has handed Palantir dozens of public contracts, including with the NHS, even as the dangers of empowering a class of big tech oligarchs become clear. Palantir has supplied military technology t... 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Big business is not seeing proportionate returns on AI spend – the AI business model is fragmenting… and the reasoning – AI is anything but trustworthy. garymarcus.substack.com/p/if-enough-...garymarcus.substack.comIf enough other companies report the same, the bubble pops. 🫧Breaking: “Uber COO Andrew Macdonald said he’s not seeing proportional productivity gains from increasing AI costs.” 000
Simon Rae-Scott @simonraescott.bsky.social · 25/05/2026This should not just be a call to Lisa Nandy to maintain the Public Sector Broadcasting framework. It must also be a call for to her enforce it and task GB News with compliance if it wants to continue broadcasting rather than being just a woeful propaganda machine for our local fascists. 38d.gs/5bgx38d.gsNo subscription model for the BBCGB News is trying to gut the BBC. Their radical plan would force shows like Strictly and The Traitors to be axed or hidden behind a Netflix-style paywall. Sign the petition to say NO to a BBC subscrip... 000