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Stirling Smith

@stirlingsmith.bsky.social
194 followers 146 following 748 posts

Trade unionist, co-operator, socialist. Husband, father, grandfather. Fascinated by South Asia. Support adult education. Member Labour Party, Co-operative Party, Community trade union. Trustee of THIRST, which works for human rights in tea. All views mine.

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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
We need more like him.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Super interesting and wise. Lessons from AFD success in Germany. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
On Politics: Germany's Far-Right Future?
Podcast Episode · The LRB Podcast · 10 September · 1hr 4min
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Arthur Rostron was a true Bolton hero. I remember reading about him at school. Find out about his incredible rescue ⬇️
bbc.co.uk
The captain from Bolton who helped with Titanic rescue
Arthur Rostron was the captain of RMS Carpathia when it received a morse code message from the ship.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu
How hot is too hot — Harvard Gazette
Teaming up with grassroots organizers in India, Harvard researchers are collecting data to help workers adapt to dangerous spikes in heat.
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Brynley Heaven @brynleyheaven.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Reform Leader confident dirty air and damaged lungs can be reintroduced
bbc.co.uk
Bradford Council leader 'confident' of scrapping Clean Air Zone fees
Stephen Place says he is still committed to "stop charging people" for driving around Bradford.
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John O'Connell @jdpoc.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Just wondering where and when are the riots over this White Paedophile Gang, just convicted? Did I not get the memo? Did I miss the Invite?
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
🧵Pathetic undermining of the rules-based, international order by the Trump administration. The US doesn’t recognise the ICC, yet feels emboldened to impose financial sanctions which impede its role as the ultimate arbiter of international law.
theguardian.com
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
All options should include rejoining
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National Council for Occupational Safety and Health @nationalcosh.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Latinas are paid just 53¢ per $1 paid to white, non-Hispanic men across all earners; 60¢ for full-time, year-round workers. Fair pay and safe jobs go together. National COSH stands with Latina workers organizing for dignity and power. #LatinaEqualPayDay #WorkersRights @lclaa.bsky.social
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 09/10/2026
Andy Burnham vows ‘deeper co-operation’ with EU to tackle Russia. Good rhetoric. But Brexit made us startlingly weaker and less safe. EU membership is the best option for our country’s security. We are stronger together. www.thetimes.com/article/69b8...
thetimes.com
Andy Burnham vows ‘deeper co-operation’ with EU to tackle Russia
The prime minister met Friedrich Merz in Berlin in advance of a UK-EU summit next month
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
✊
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Trades Union Congress @tuc.org.uk · 07/10/2026
Kemi Badenoch is right. Water privatisation has been a success. For water company shareholders and top executives. Just not for the rest of us.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Its happening right now Heat kills. mississippitoday.org/2026/10/01/f...
mississippitoday.org
Farm worker, 24, dies of heat exposure in North Mississippi
A North Mississippi farm worker died of extreme heat exposure in early September amid one of the hottest summers in recent state history.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Local councils don’t have the resources. So HMRC loses £1 billion plus. www.co-operative.coop/media/news-r...
co-operative.coop
As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 02/10/2026
Sadiq Khan in The Guardian: "We must be honest about the fact that reversing it is the best chance we have to get Britain back on track." www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2…
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Worth recalling that today, October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti. He stood for non-violence, religious tolerance, and living in such a way as to have a small footprint on the world’s environment and resources. And much more.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
40,000 excess deaths because of heat waves in Europe this year. There will be many more. insideclimatenews.org/news/3009202...
insideclimatenews.org
Mass Heat Wave Deaths in Europe Show Climate Extremes Are Outpacing Adaptation Efforts - Inside Climate News
As preparedness lags, many regions around the world could be overwhelmed by rising temperatures, climate experts warn.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Farage warning in Parliament? He’s never there!
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Absolutely brilliant. If you look across to the USA and despair, listening to this chap is a great antidote. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
podcasts.apple.com
Classic Chats: Daniel Mendelsohn on translating the Odyssey
Podcast Episode · Instant Classics · 24 September · 1hr
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Fascinating stuff
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Liar. Small boat crossings peaked under Johnson in 2022 reaching 46,000 in 2022. In current year they are 18,565 and falling. Also prior to Boris Johnson's Brexit there were none.
It's a disaster, and it can all be traced to
Labour ideology. Burnham has no mandate
from the people. He has no real ideas, and
no plan,

Johnson on X
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 25/09/2026
This is what Reform UK do when they're in charge.
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 25/09/2026
🇪🇺"Until we actually admit to ourselves that leaving the EU massively hit our growth" 📈 "By growth we actually mean our prosperity, you know, our ability to function, our ability to push up our wages, our ability to actually, you know, trade easily with our nearest partners."
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 25/09/2026
🚨 Apple and Google’s rules explicitly prohibit apps from including content that targets marginalised groups. Write to Apple and Google to demand that Reform UK's app is removed immediately. ⬇️ bestforbritain.org/take-action/tell…
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
THIRST is a unique charity trying to improve the human rights of the people who grow and harvest your daily cuppa. We are looking for a new chair - please see the link and let anyone else you know who might be interested. thirst-tea.org/wp-content/u...
thirst-tea.org
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Here’s the thing. Do we believe the union or Ofsted? Given the latter’s track record, not a hard choice. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
New Ofsted inspection regime is damaging our health, headteachers say
School leaders’ union says new system is worse than one it replaced and has left members feeling overwhelmed
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
1/ I’ve spoken with Vijay Rangarajan on a number of occasions & he is a professional, dedicated public servant. Following representations I made to the Rycroft Review and to the government on reducing spending in politics, I look forward to the EC’s proposals being brought forward asap.
thetimes.com
Reform election fund threatened by spending rules review
The Electoral Commission is considering changes to how campaign money can be used
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Deffo support this idea. bestforbritain.org/petition/tel...
bestforbritain.org
Tell Burnham: Canada's Getting Closer to the EU - We Don't Want to be Left Behind - Best for Britain
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
How shameful. Racist thugs close down RNLI station. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Lifeboat station in Portsmouth forced to temporarily shut after far-right action
RNLI facility had been targeted by activists trying to stop asylum seekers landing in boats from the Channel
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Why can’t the UK become an associate member at the same time? www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Trump calls EU offer to Canada of associate membership ‘laughable’, while threatening tariffs
The US president call the move a ‘hostile act’, as Canada seeks to move closer to the EU and diversify its defence ties
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Very good indeed.
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Phil Brickell MP @philbrickellmp.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Coverage of the letter I wrote to the Electoral Commission about hospitality Nigel Farage received in Dubai which hasn’t been declared. The Commission is now investigating.
mirror.co.uk
Farage accused of failing to declare donors from events in the Middle East
EXCLUSIVE: The Electoral Commission has confirmed it will look into hospitality heaped on Nigel Farage and senior party figures in Dubai last January by mega-rich supporters
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Trade unions are a powerful force for equality. www.tuc.org.uk/blogs/unions...
tuc.org.uk
Unions are building a fairer Britain, pushing for unity over division
The TUC Equality Audit, published every two years, is an essential yardstick and benchmarking tool with which we can measure our collective efforts.  This year’s equality audit focuses on what steps u...
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
All correct. Reform in government would be passing laws benefiting convicted fraudsters. Which raises the question: why is my Labour government response so - let’s be honest - pathetically weak?
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I am not a member of the SWP, far from it. But this analysis seems correct. Farage and the balaclava thugs play different roles, but complementary. socialistworker.co.uk/in-depth/the...
socialistworker.co.uk
The men in black—British fascism’s new outfit? - Socialist Worker
The far right is looking less like a gang of drunken thugs and more like a paramilitary operation. Richard Donnelly says the recent racist protests in Dover and Portsmouth are a dangerous development
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
So long democracy it was nice knowing you. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben Delo
Party leader, Nigel Farage, ‘humbled’ by contributions from billionaires as Harborne addresses ‘media speculation’
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Please sign and support trade union rights. www.salidarnast.info/post/labours...
salidarnast.info
LabourStart launches international campaign calling for the release of trade union leader Lee Cheuk-yan
The international trade union platform LabourStart has launched a global campaign calling for the immediate release of Hong Kong trade union leader Lee Cheuk-yan and activist Chow Hang-tung. The campa...
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Big loss to Indian trade union movement and the Indian left more generally. An original thinker and doer. countercurrents.org/2026/09/d-th...
countercurrents.org
D.Thankappan: A Life Devoted to the Working-Class Movement | Countercurrents
D. Thankappan, a veteran trade unionist, founding Vice-President of the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), and a relentless fighter for the rights and dignity of working people…
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is quite appalling but sadly predictable. www.common-wealth.org/publications...
common-wealth.org
Unpunished and Undeterred: Corporate Accountability After Grenfell
Legal frameworks governing corporate malpractice are not fit for purpose.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Currently government plans do not go far enough in preventing money from influencing elections. Thanks @philbrickellmp.bsky.social for keeping up the pressure to amend the bill going through now. We cannot allow politics to be bought.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Because the Kent police did nothing the thugs thought they could get away with it in Portsmouth. Injuries to Hampshire police a direct consequence of Kent police inaction. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Police used batons and pepper spray on far-right protesters in Portsmouth unrest
Minister condemns groups behind Hampshire disorder and says officers were injured as they repelled ‘aggression’
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Don’t the Kent police have water cannons?
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Thank you for the reference to David Eltis- clearly a crucial scholar in this area. But Gove has form in dismissing the work of experts. How he (Gove) has the reputation of being an intense a mystery.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This article is good at explaining how extreme heat harms the body insideclimatenews.org/news/0210202...
insideclimatenews.org
What Extreme Heat Is Doing to Your Body - Inside Climate News
As climate change intensifies, heat health risks from accelerated aging to bad decision-making grow worldwide. Here’s what you need to know.
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UNISON @unison.org.uk · 05/09/2026
Safety reps are at the heart of safer workplaces. ✊ UNISON GS @andreaegangs.bsky.social speaking at #Hazards2026 on the critical work safety reps do every day to protect workers and save lives.
Andrea Egan, third from left, speaking at 37th Hazrds conference
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Complaints about the former VC go back decades. The Board of Governors completely failed in their duty and undertook no proper due diligence. Union activists were victimised. Shocking corporate misgovernance. Thank you Phil for engaging with the trade unions.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Wearing balaclavas. How sinister. The police were wearing kid gloves, it seems.
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Anna Horroridge @anna-orridge.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Pay very careful attention to the difference between the press's reaction to this and the actions of groups like XR and JSO, which also disrupted traffic sometimes.
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Stirling Smith @stirlingsmith.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Just imagine a “left wing” group or trade unionists treating a heckler in that way?
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Steve Doherty @stevedoherty.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Farage laughing it up. This is really scary.
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