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Paolo Steen

@thesteen.bsky.social
105 followers 79 following 17 posts

Policy researcher and web designer in UK and NL. Biased towards sanity and integrity.

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Reposted by Paolo Steen
Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
More here: taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/10/08/c...
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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Rob Baron @rob-baron.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It has been long recognised that a key element in solving the housing crisis is to encourage elderly individuals to move out of large houses to make way for young families. Badenoch's headline policy would ensure they either stay put or trade up to much bigger houses. Genius 🤪
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Felicia Ratarina @shoggothmaid.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I have seen a lot of people mentioning Elon Musk as the main responsible for Brazil's electoral disaster, but this overlooks the real culprit It's Mark Zuckerberg. WhatsApp dominates communications in Brazil. In a lot of mobile data plans, WhatsApp use doesn't count towards the cap.
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Tenchi Ohki🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🇺🇦#FBPE #REJOIN @tenchiohki.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Shouldn't Pierce be arrested for supporting a terrorist? That's how it's supposed to work, right?
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"Innovation agency Nesta is urging the Govt to keep the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) under national control, warning that devolving heat pump subsidies to local authorities could disrupt installations and create uncertainty in the heating industry." Especially where Reform mayors are involved...
energylivenews.com
Labour urged to keep Boiler Upgrade Scheme under national control - Energy Live News
A report warns that devolving heat pump subsidies to local authorities could disrupt installations
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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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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Conservative party Shadow Culture Secretary to speak at conference tomorrow about how to "defend press freedom", whilst her own party bans journalists whose coverage they don't like
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Dear Suella Braverman, Here are the criteria the Nazis used for people to be considered "German". You are now using similar fascist criteria to define those who can be considered "English".
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Dawny B @dawnbritten.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Xx
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
#BBCPM
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is so very funny youtu.be/SHUvSffmLIQ?...
youtu.be
Most TV is Just This Now
YouTube video by Michael Spicer
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Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Reform want to indoctrinate our children. Freedom of (and from) belief is a human right. humanists.uk/2026/09/10/s...
humanists.uk
Reform UK Braverman promises 'consequences' if pupils don't sing hymns
Reform UK has said schools will face ‘consequences’ if they fail to make pupils regularly sing hymns and the national anthem under a Reform government. The party’s education spokesperson, Suella Brave...
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
US social media companies are interfering in the Brazilian elections in favour of the Far Right’s Flávio Bolsonaro. Meta is the latest. It’s just blocked the campaign account of President Lula in the final stretch of the election.
elespectador.com
Meta restringe la cuenta de Lula y su partido alerta por posible injerencia extranjera
De cara a las elecciones en Brasil, Lula enfrenta a Meta por restringir su cuenta mientras su partido alerta por posible injerencia extranjera.
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Escape Collective @escapecollective.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
That was fun! Demi Vollering secures her white whale in spectacular fashion at the World Championships in Montreal. escapecollective.com/world-champs...
escapecollective.com
World Champs: Vollering secures her white whale in spectacular fashion
Vollering spent 23 km solo before being brought back by the favourites, only to then out-sprint Niewiadoma-Phinney in the finale, with Longo Borghini completing the podium.
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Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
BREAKING: Massive Attack’s Rob Del Naja arrested under the UK Terrorism Act outside Labour Party conference venue. The legendary musician was arrested after peacefully holding “I oppose genocide - I support Palestine Action” on a paper sign on the eve of Labour’s conference.
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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
They warned us Mamdani would impose Sharia law. Instead, he unleashed the real threat: line dancing in Bryant Park.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Declassified journalists banned from Labour conference – again. A Trumpian policy started by Keir Starmer. Burnham can't make a fresh start without getting rid of the previous advisers. Democracy means accepting scrutiny, even when it is uncomfortable.
declassifieduk.org
Declassified journalists banned from Labour conference - again
Labour MPs have condemned the ‘Trump-like’ decision, saying party is ‘bang out of order’
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Patrick - Here for the craic❗️🤷🏼‍♂️😉 @paddyopatrick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Reform councils focus on Reform For example in Kent they spent £600,000 on just 8 parking spaces for senior Reform Councillors whilst slashing adult care, impacting 18,000 vulnerable adults Another Council shuts down 10 nurseries but I bet the Council has a big stock of Union and St George flags
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Mike D London @mikedlondon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Braverman will surely be horrified when she finds out that she was Home Secretary when her fellow Refukker 'Honest' Bob introduced the plan to house asylum seekers in disused military bases.
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Oh, we're still on the "significantly reformed EU" nonsense are we? Like the UK has the power to dictate terms as a returning hero or some such? Same EU as per the last 40 years at least. Be part of it or not. Full stop. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Farage falsehood about income tax on pensioners fullfact.org/economy/nige...
fullfact.org
How are tax threshold freezes impacting pensioners? – Full Fact
Nigel Farage claimed the impact of both threshold freezes and the triple lock is “dragging about nine million pensioners into taxation”.
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Considering Burnham's attack on Russian disinformation at the UN, maybe we should take another look at this damning verdict on the (old) government's corrupt investigation into Russian influence during the Brexit ref. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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Paolo Steen @thesteen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In the Gaza Strip, gender-related violence against women and girls has increased in recent months, warns UNFPA, the UN organization for sexual health. According to the UN, one of the most worrying developments is the sharp increase in reports of forced marriages, such as those involving children.
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Duchess Gemma 🐠🕷️🇪🇺 @gemmagould.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, shared a YouTube livestream of the boat from the Channel." fucks sake BBC not once do you mention 1. he had a knife 2. he slashed the boat with said knife 3. he committed criminal acts live on camera do fucking better
bbc.co.uk
Dozens of migrants taken to Dover after more than 30 hours at sea
Protesters had earlier gathered in Gosport after an initial report that the small boat would be brought further west.
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Mariah 🇺🇸🦋🇺🇸🦋🇺🇸🦋 @mariahbrown.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🤗🤔
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Miles King @milesking.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
How the BBC works. 1. BBC creates "Big Boss" podcast: Big Bosses are very important! 2. BBC invites fossil fuel billionaire/ far right Jim Ratcliffe on Big Boss podcast. 3. Ratcliffe gives BBC many lines, to attack Govt with. 4. BBC attacks Govt policy using Ratcliffe storylines. 5. go back to 2.
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Probably one of the greatest speeches on kindness and intelligence ever given! 👏👏👏 [SOUND ON 🔊]
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
😂 there were more people behind JD (for the camera shot) than in front of him
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Ratcliffe gives no particular idea of what he wants. But, given that earlier error, and his saying "nobody's doing that" in the new interview, it is a reasonable hypothesis that he just does not know that net migration has fallen from 800k in year to July 2024 to 171k in 2025 (and lower in 2026).
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Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
How is this news? billionaire oil person says uk needs to drill more and tax less, though, of course, he‘s actually in Monaco. And he would do more in the uk if the state subsidised him more. Dear BBC, that‘s like me saying the uk‘s problem is underpaid law profs. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The BBC has decided that this constitutes news… A man who left for Monaco several years ago declaring he’s ’lost confidence’ in the UK His qualification for making the headlines? Owning £15bn Broadcasting like democracy already died! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Toby Earle 🇺🇦 @tobyontv.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
*rubs temples* why am i reading about MPs scrutinising Eurovision track record instead of them taking action against far-right and fascist groups that are harrassing the RNLI, the public, & shutting down infrastructure www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK's 'dismal' Eurovision song choices to be examined by MPs
It comes after the UK's entry Look Mum No Computer came last in May's final, scoring just one point.
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Glad our MPs have enough time on their hands for such important matters. Perhaps they could also scrutinize UK record at international croquet events; why haircuts are so expensive; and how to improve the annoying music when you’re on hold for a phone call. 🙄🙄🙄 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
theguardian.com
UK to answer for its ‘dismal record’ in Eurovision before committee of MPs
Digital, culture, media and sport committee expected to hear evidence from BBC bosses and music industry experts
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Paolo Sandro @paolosandro.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
WHERE IS THE UK GOVERNMENT?
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"Former senior Nigel Farage aide Dan Jukes went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Egypt with the polling company JL Partners in December 2025, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO." The British Polling Council will be interested. www.politico.eu/article/refo... #R4Today
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Byline Times has identified seven Reform councillors who are listed as members of the masked anti-migrant groups bylinetimes.com/2026/09/16/t...
bylinetimes.com
The Reform Councillors Embedded in Britain’s Masked 'Patriot' Anti-Migrant Network
A Reform councillor and campaign co-ordinater urged his followers to join and support the masked group
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Keith @biderman41.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I can never , or ever will understand the obsession for reports to stand out side buildings it adds nothing to the story
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A reminder that the "generosity" he refers to here follows Nigel Farage announcing Crypto tax policies that would net them both hundreds of millions of pounds in additional profits
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Good plan, Australia and Canada. Huge sigh, UK. How long do we wait, how much do we lose, how stupid do we have to be?
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Fionna O’Leary @fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It would be comical if a load of this came from Arab States like the Saudis that Trump has decline to assist when it came to the Houthis‘ advance. It would be another example of “being suckered by Trump by being daft enough to believe you could trust him”.
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Bill Madden @maddenifico.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Irish President Catherine Connolly just gave Trump the same face he wore after Helsinki. She told him, in her own words, that the normalization of war and genocide is not acceptable. That's the look of a man who thought he was walking into a courtesy call — and got the riot act instead.
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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Inheritance tax is paid by less than 5% of estates and couples can already transfer up to £1m in property tax-free. Abolishing it would be regressive, unmeritocratic and a bad use of £9bn.
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Tanita Tikaram @tanitatikaram.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
What I love about Western democracy is you can bung a political party £ 36 million earned from criminal activity & most media will continue to point at asylum seekers & migrant care workers with families as the barbarians at the gate we need to defend ourselves from 🙄.
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Victor Luftig @vl1959.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The fine Irish poet and editor Pat Boran just posted this on FB (shared here with his permission): DOONBEG Thoughts and prayers for Trump on his golf course. The record for fascist dictators emerging unscathed from bunkers isn’t always the best.
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Edwin Hayward @edwinhayward.com · 12/09/2026
Labour flubbed the chance to cap political donations and now Reform are sitting on a fresh £72 million war chest from two mega donors. Idiots.
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Bumblebee Conservation Trust @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
In September we say goodbye to many of the UK bumblebees 💔 🍂 Old queens and their nests will naturally come to an end as summer turns into autumn. 💤 New queens will mate with males, feed heavily on pollen and nectar to create fatty stores of energy, then hibernate until the following spring.
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Kevin Maguire @kevmag.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Reform’s Robert Jenrick defends and justifies political violence by the Hard Right party’s members. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
Reform member who hit female protester with crutch should get medal says Jenrick
Robert Jenrick, Nigel Farage's Treasury spokesman, said a man seen swinging a metal crutch at two hecklers should be given a medal and said he felt sorry for him after pictures and video were widely s...
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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Statement from Progressive Judaism leaders - Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky “Holding an Israeli government accountable for its actions does not cause antisemitism. Antisemites cause antisemitism. progressivejudaism.org.uk/rabbi-charle...
progressivejudaism.org.uk
Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy: No single response can speak for British Jews - The Movement for Progressive Judaism
As we approach the High Holy Days, we enter a season of teshuvah, of looking honestly at ourselves, taking responsibility and asking what must change. Yet there is a temptation, on days like these, to...
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