James Bottomley

James Bottomley

@jamesbottomley.bsky.social

UK-based older project consultant guy with history in both public and private sectors. Enjoys chatting about politics, society, culture, etc. Spent time in many countries, including working in the US, so moderately familiar with other lands.

1.1K followers683 following9.4K posts

James Bottomley reposted

We won not only against Bolsonaro, but against the full force of the USian's Big Techs, Meta, CIA, Trump, the Brazilian right-wing elites, the billionaires' press and more.

More banking bullshit from UK Finance, which is basically a branch of the Tory Right and IEA, pushing anti-tax policies and, in this case, distorting stats to fool the Chancellor, which by all accounts, it has. The holy cause of lining banker's pockets! www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.comIs London really the most-taxed city? Banks accused of cherrypicking dataLobby group’s figures, shared with John Healey, are misleading as they do not include major rival Paris, say campaigners

Another example from the US of complete dereliction of duty in the face of an incredibly serious global health risk, this time, bird flu spreading on a mink farm. State authorities siding with farmer interests to try to keep it hidden.

Conor Browne@brownecfm.bsky.social

The media has been full of reporting regarding the potential future risks of AIxBio for some time now, when the real, tangible risk is this: avian influenza burning through a mink farm in Utah. We are giving this beast too much room. www.propublica.org/article/bird...

After intensive behind the scenes research, I can now publish the highly confidential list of Andy Burnham's Parliamentary special advisers and indeed the only people he listens to. Here goes: United Arab Emirates Shell Oil Manchester City Chair of the Hacienda Nostalgia Club Water industry bankers

James Bottomley reposted

Sure, we should, if we can (many cannot). But as I keep pointing out, the government itself is making no provision at all. No stockpiles, no back-up, no alternative sources. It's individuating the response to a collective problem, and that never ends well. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.comEvery Briton should stockpile water and food supplies, government advisesBe Ready campaign aims to prepare UK for impact of climate crisis, technological dependency and threats by hostile state

An extraordinarily dumb piece of bollocks from John Healey. Legitimate small business owners being elbowed out to make room for the bent ones who regularly refuse to pay their taxes.

Some sensible locations for new datacentre builds. Next to Andy Burnham's official Manchester residence. Adjacent to the Home Counties luxury spread of the Cabinet Secretary. Bottom of the garden of the Chancellor's family home. More datacentre locations are urgently required, please recommend.

This is terrible - Google devastating forest regions to build datacentres - but local opponents and residents are still being fooled by the 'growth and jobs' lie - there are extremely few jobs created by these schemes and all profits flow to the US. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentreCompany ordered to stop work at two sites in country, which has found itself at forefront of tech firms’ latest push

I wonder if Musk and other US techbros are involved in pumping the disorder in France? It tends to play well for Le Pen and they hate Macron for standing up to them in the recent past.

Perhaps inevitable that the tools being used to attack asylum seekers would eventually be turned on other people the authorities don't like. In this case, the ruthless French cops mowing down student kids with British funded vehicles. So screwed up. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.comRevealed: French police used UK-funded 4x4 vehicles to charge student protestersFrench government launches investigation into why cars funded by UK to prevent asylum seekers crossing Channel were used in school protests

Here in the UK we're repeatedly told that the big digitals don't pay tax here because they pay it in the US. Except they don't.

Robert Reich@rbreich.bsky.social

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Tesla paid just 4.9% of their profits in federal corporate taxes in 2025. They've seen their collective tax bill drop by $95B thanks to two rounds of Trump tax cuts. Meanwhile, tech layoffs in 2026 have already surpassed 2025. Trickle-down economics was always a scam.

Labour members must be so proud to see their party carrying out shockingly blatant censorship like this on one of the world's leading authors, Sally Rooney, whose books can no longer be sold here. To quote a US congressman opposing McArthyism, "have they no shame?". www.france24.com/en/europe/20...

france24.comUK bookstores scramble as Sally Rooney's novels pulled over Palestine Action supportCritically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney's announcement that her books could no longer be sold in the UK due to her support for proscribed group Palestine Action has left British booksellers…

James Bottomley reposted

Who amongst us hasn't been provoked into saying black people are animals and the King is a secret Muslim who should be decapitated?

Kevin Schofield@kevinschofied.bsky.social

Nigel Farage Suggests Race Row Reform Candidates May Have Been 'Provoked' www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nigel-...

Google Gemini repeatedly lying to me this morning. When I trip up one of its lies it first of all admits it made it up, then denies it, then runs the lie again, then denies that was a lie, etc, etc, ad nauseum. At the very least I would expect a $100bn industry to be able to lie well.

James Bottomley reposted

Government opens can of worms at Tees Valley Combined Authority Report in @FinancialTimes this evening that statutory investigation into Tees Valley Combined Authority is to be launched by government. Angela Rayner will be announcing it tomorrow.

This young woman is facing execution in Iran for making comments on her 'private' social media. It would be interesting to know which one - is this another US digital handing over confidential data to dictatorships? Or perhaps Israel sold Pegasus to Iran? www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

theguardian.comIranian woman handed death sentence for ‘blasphemy’ in social media postRights groups warn of Tehran regime’s increasing use of executions to suppress dissent, with at least 600 this year

Killing off the Archers is the inevitable end of this latest development. Pure Google - Matt Brittin is probably using AI to inform him of his moves. Shame about the quality but we license fee payers needn't worry, the BBC will be another advert channel soonest. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

theguardian.comBBC to stop recording The Archers in Birmingham for first time in its 75-year historyPlans for a new theatre for world’s longest-running soap in Digbeth scrapped as part of cost-cutting measures

Burnham says Russian influence didn't affect the final Brexit result, but there's no way he can be confident about it. Russia poured money and propaganda into Leave, the leaders were in cahoots with the Russian embassy and London based friends of Putin. Why are we back ignoring all this again?

Might be nice if Ukraine were to take out some of our UK datacentres whilst he's at it, they're an environmental disaster and a curse.

Morgan J Freeman@mjfree.bsky.social

Zelenskyy might be saving our democracy. The mad genius is bombing Russian data centers linked to FAKE NEWS bot farms. Without them, Putin’s midterm influence will accidentally fall from a 30th floor window. I 💙 Ukraine 🇺🇦

James Bottomley reposted

This Burnham 'announcement' is total PR drivel. There is no change whatsoever on Google Maps. Also Google Maps does not show diesel prices. The intern who wrote this could have spent, I don't know, 15 seconds checking their facts?

Martin Ingram@throg.bsky.social

Well this is confusing. I didn’t realise that Burnham works for Google. That might explain a lot though…

Hordes of obviously AI generated recent accounts currently swamping UK Politics, all using the same words, starting "If Sadiq Khan is a trans ally...." - irritating to see this going on, apparently Bsky is completely vulnerable to mass account generation.

Israel has determinedly abolished any chance of a real two-state solution, using brutal methods. It isn't even a thing that exists any more as a prospect, but it's a convenient piece of theatrical pretence for the states that wish to support Israel come what may, buy their spy software, etc.

flyingrodent@flyingrodent.bsky.social

I have no strong view on a preferred outcome here - “stop the massacre and destruction” feels like the immediate priority - but I invite readers to note the result of decades of nice libs wishing for two states is their own governments assisting in genocide, ethnic cleansing and massive destruction.

No surprise that UK train fares are sky high given that the companies 'leasing' the trains are making close to half a billion a year for shareholders and managers. Plans to 'nationalise' rail don't include these breathraking ripoffs, naturally. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

theguardian.comBosses of three firms that supply trains to UK railways made £3.5m last yearRolling stock companies, which also paid out nearly £400m to shareholders, accused of profiting at passengers’ expense

Andy Burnham was proud to have used the Mouth of Sauron as a key adviser during his campaign to become PM. "I know Sauron can be deceptive", he told an Instagram influencer, "but Barad Dur has plenty to offer and Orcs aren't really so bad. High time we gave the Lord Sauron dominion over our NHS".

Social Media Lab@socialmedialab.ca

Legal but not a good look. "A recent lobbyist for the controversial $450bn US tech company Palantir played a senior role in helping Andy Burnham become prime minister, it has emerged." www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Palantir uses money paid to them by UK taxpayers to prepare spy files on MPs critical of their sinister activities.

THE NERVE@thenerve.news

“That, to me, was an implicit threat. It feels very Palantir. Very Big Brother”: MP @labourlewis.bsky.social reveals Tom Watson has warned him over criticising Palantir By @carolecadwalla.bsky.social www.thenerve.news/p/clive-lewi...

But we can't afford decent pensions or to help young people with jobs.

Prem Sikka@premnsikka.bsky.social

UK public sector bodies spent £17bn with offshore-owned private equity firms last year. The same vultures received £31bn public sector contracts. Profiteering, low wages, tax dodging, asset-stripping is their business model. Enriched by public money. How many have politicians on payroll?

Dangerous terrorist being mopped up by tough lads from the anti-terror command outside Labour conference. My heart swells with socialist pride. Burnham says he's 'reviewing' it.

The New Arab@thenewarab.bsky.social

A 94-year-old Jewish human rights barrister was among more than 80 people arrested outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool while demonstrating in support of Palestine Action. The arrests came as Ed Miliband told critics of the government’s policy on Palestine: “We hear you. You were right"

Republicans in the US are now literally financed by crime. Similar to Farage and Reform here in the UK.

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

Millions of dollars that Trump is using to support Republican candidates was donated to his PAC by wealthy fraudsters and their family members before they were pardoned for their crimes. Instead of crime victims getting restitution, Republicans got campaign cash from the felons.

Huge amounts of nonsense circulating about state pensions and the triple lock - hopeless confusion on LBC and R4. For example, the state pension is taxable, it isn't excluded as many seem to believe. So when people have private pensions, it's all lumped together and taxed as one.

The UK still has below average state pensions compared to most developed countries. The triple lock was aimed at fixing that over the long term and has moved towards it. The idea that all pensioners are pampered is nonsense, ask anyone working in the field. Most pensioners remain hard up.