Annabel

Hopefully even Americans can understand that US diesel prices are high because Trump attacked Iran (and hasn’t made a deal) not because Ukraine was attacked by Russia and hasn’t ‘made a deal’ (aka surrendered).

So reassuring to hear Trump and Putin acting the coquettish teenagers... 🤮 “Neither wanted to be the first to hang up,” the Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said of the two leaders. “They hung up simultaneously, literally at the same time.” ​

I haven’t yet seen any commentary on the Tory conference spending plans - but if defence to 3% only cost £5bn and meaningful increase in prison capacity could be done for £2bn these would not be the long term political issues they have been.

Attacking people for stopping other people drowning is utter madness and top level arsehole behaviour. Saving someone from drowning is not the same as helping them travel across a border. But conflating the two is a useful step in dehumanising refugees and migrants. Stop it you wankers. #rnli

For any ‘mainstream’ politician to laugh and joke about a woman being assaulted in front of them would be career ending. This is yet more evidence that he doesn’t have the character to be anywhere near No.10.

"This is a genuine first in UK politics. Never before has a politician announced their intention to run for re-election on an explicitly pro-sleaze, anti-transparency ticket." bylinetimes.com/2026/07/08/n....

Can we finally get an apology from all the oh so sensible commentators who have spent the past ten years insisting Nigel Farage isn't part of the far-right

🚨🚨 Huge breaking news from Brussels: Hungary has lifted its two-year-long veto on Ukraine's EU accession. Ukraine and Moldova will soon be able to open the first cluster of the accession process. The saga is over.

Further to the quoted... This is becoming a sort of national psychosis. I mean, look at defence. 😂

Poland is often seen as Europe's coal stronghold. In 2000, coal generated 94% of its electricity. But something remarkable is happening: Coal's share has fallen to 50%. Wind+solar, non-existent 15yrs ago, now generate 1/4 of electricity. More in my newsletter. Sign up here: janrosenow.substack.com

Reeves responded angrily by telling Bessent she did not work for him and disliked how he had spoken to her.

The populist right don't give a crap about solving real societal problems. Just running a cretinous pantomime for people who mistake “owning the libs” for improving their own lives — while the men at the top quietly fill their pockets and walk away richer than ever.

This is so ridiculous and horrifying. It really shows the nonsense of claims right wing protestors are unfairly policed. All the protestors and online accounts who threatened others or committed vandalism/incited violent acts should be prosecuted. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The 2025 numbers are really striking. www.kielinstitut.de/fileadmin/Da...

“Just one interaction with a sycophantic AI made participants less willing to repair relationships and more convinced they were right.” A powerful short thread that everyone using/with family using LLMs should read…

FACT OF THE DAY. 26 March 1953. In a huge medical breakthrough, US medical researcher Dr Jonas Salk announced that he had created the first polio vaccine. Polio cases fell from 58,000 per year in 1952 to 6,000 by 1958. Salk’s vaccine was replaced by a new one developed by Albert Sabin in 1962.

oh my god is it a calf, please tell me its a calf

🚨 UPDATE: Labour has halved the cost of childcare for families. Source: www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/chi....

This is an easy one Chris - unlike you most of the British public broadly agree either Starmer on the war and think Trump is an arse. Turns out to be an easy answer… 🤷‍♀️

Today on 'That's so Birmingham City Council!', a new build primary school has been approved where the only way to access the school on foot is through crossing three sections of its car park. The new building will relocate a school from 1.4km away.

Hopefully the inquiry isn't just trying to keep angry graduates out of MP's inboxes. I had more to write than the 1,000 characters allowed! I mostly wanted to point out that for every £1 I pay back, two-thirds gets swallowed up by new interest and that I'll pay back 200% before it is written off.

Is this a case of selective statistics, or genuine improvement? If the latter (and sustained) this is truly amazing and will be felt by many people in the coming months/years.

This from the Daily Mail is quite something The one tabloid that has done more damage to cultural cohesion, attacked diversity, migration, Islam, than any other, yet here they are praising the diversity of Dubai It’s the psychology that makes a difference 🙄

Shout out to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, which is on track for a 90% GHG emission reduction by 2030 and has already achieved a 50% reduction on 1990 emissions. Staying strong 💪 while too many around the world wobble. 🙌 www.theccc.org.uk/2026/02/25/s....

My local high street has been flagged. Bastards. I thought we had moved on from this.

Fantastic news of clean energy in the UK today with gov’t awarding contracts for 8.4GW of new offshore wind - at prices that will lower energy bills (a little). 🌬️For context 8.4GW is the size of 2.5 large nuclear power plants or around 8 new gas power plants! And currently we have 16GW deployed

Why is the sky scary pink - is this a weird snow effect or something more ominous?

What’s is this! Neither of these birds was born female. We should be outraged that someone thought this was an appropriate symbol of wifely love/marriage. Hang on. They probably aren’t Christians either. Nooooo… 🏳️‍⚧️🎄🏳️‍⚧️

Sharron Davies made a peer for her campaigning on “women’s rights”. How unbearably insulting to the FULL SPECTRUM of women.

From the @wsj.com chief foreign correspondent

£1500 pa increase for full time worker on Min Wage. That’s a lot more spending power for over 2m people. Thank you Rachel Reeves.

The law needs to change. Only the most ardent anti-trans activist could see any societal or personal benefit from banning trans women from Girl Guides & Women’s Institute. Not the biggest harm to the trans community this year but surely clear cut examples of the ridiculous position we are now in.

We're watching the wholesale burning of every scrap of dignity afforded to trans people in the UK, their rights, their medical services, their employment, their place within society, their bodily functions. It is a disgrace, and a disgusting stain on the government and media of this country.

If ever in doubt of the damage a media smear campaign can do! Two parallel headlines that capture the damaging bullshit of the last week… congrats right wing media (slow clap) 👏

It’s worse than that - she knows “the chancellor is trying to use the head of the OBR as a shield” is not true. So she is *lying*. She is lying to try and keep the story on her narrative that Reeves lied. Top level irony. Top level scumbag action.

This will annoy the right wing - the Sun are already upset at this. I don't care. This lifts 450,000 children out of poverty. If you think that's a bad thing, if you think that children should suffer, then take a long hard look at yourself.

On Truss & Kwarteng in ‘22. Allister Heath, Telegraph: “the best budget I have ever heard a British chancellor deliver". Alex Brummer, Mail: “a genuine Tory package elbowing to one side the Treasury's fiscal conservatism". These men will now be paid actual money for their analysis of today’s budget.

Worth a share here 👍

I hate all the lazy comments about lifting the two child benefit cap being about Labour backbenchers. It is not. It is about child poverty. And if you think it a fair or reasonable policy you are a cruel and inhumane person.

The scrapping of the two-child limit is a much-needed change to turn the tide on child poverty. It is also the most cost-effective way of lifting children out of poverty.

Fixed it for you. Idiots! If the exclusion is based on appearance then it will certainly impact cis folks as well as trans folks.

The remarkable story we discussed this morning. (No paywall but do consider subscribing.) www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...