David Simpson

30 Dec 2025

It's been a long while since I have posted on Bluesky. Lets just say I have been a bit busy what with Green Party stuff and work. I have undertook something which, I don't think is a hobby but is something I want to do to share with people, and so here it is.

youtu.beEducation is a Human RightYouTube video by My Pal Foot Foot

30 Dec 2025

Inspired by Anat Shenker Osorio and how they do progressive messaging in the US. One of the purposes is to start using politics to tell a story but within a short timespan, e.g., 30 seconds. So here is the sort of finished product about SEND education. youtu.be/Lp9osyG-oCw

youtube.com/shorts/Seg5z...

5 June 2025

youtube.comI never thought the leopards would eat my face.YouTube video by David Moore

David Simpson reposted

Peter Welsh

@peterwelsh68.bsky.social

21 May 2025

If 'all the world's a stage' it would be great if we knew someone who brought Alexander Hamilton energy, Alex from Glasto gusto plus Alexander Armstrong savvy (without bleating on about school fees, obvs). We do!! Get in the room where it happens on backzack.com @zackpolanski.bsky.social

backzack.comBack Zack for leader of the Green PartyZack Polanski is running for leader of the Green Party. We need bold action and bold leadership now. It's time to back Zack.

David Simpson reposted

SirKidStarverIsGone

@sirkidstarversucks.bsky.social

12 May 2025

Here are the care workers who sacrificed their lives for our elders Almost all exclusively people of colour, all at some stage migrants or their parents Starmer should be ashamed but he has none, and neither do his bootlicking supporters

Carla Denyer@carladenyer.bsky.social

2) This govt is actively making things worse - making it harder for people to come and work as carers when our caring sector is already stretched to breaking point. Instead we should improve pay and conditions for carers and make carer visas more flexible to reduce exploitation.

This is not a blame game post, but want to highlight something that is problematic but mirrors our use of language towards mental health and suicide. I came across a video recording of a live edition of Turn Left and their main discussion of the suicide of Virginia Giuffre.

But I want to be fair to Turn Left, because the continued use of the phrase committing suicide is also a product of a society which is still stacked against people with mental illness. This is part of the culture that stigmatisation eminates from.

If we really want to challenge the stigmatisation of mental illness, we need to not just call out the discrimination from what we do and think, but also what we say. If we can conquer these, we will have half way created a better society. I might write a substack on this!

The title is "Jeffrey Epstein Victim Virginia Giuffre 'Commits Suicide'". The key word here is 'commits'. Why do I have such objection to the use of this word and phrase commits suicide? You have to trace it back to pre-1961 bad law.

Suicide used to be seen as a 'felon on oneself', or self-murder and you could be given a prison sentence if someone survived a suicide. The 1961 Suicide Act decriminalised suicide.

I don't have a problem with the discussion broadcast within this video, however the title of the video is very problematic and this is what I have found quite triggering, as myself has lived with depression and anxiety for over 30 years and sometimes have suicidal ideation.

Another post before I go to bed. This evening I attended the We Demand Change - what next? online meeting, which was interesting but did not give enough of a platform for the audience to put forward comments and positions or ideas.

My thinking is the left must have a compelling story that can enhance the demands we want the public to hear and take on board. One that resonates with people's day to day experiences and that can take people on a journey from where we are now to where we would much like to be.

Something that can powerfully overthrow the austerity story and culture and is people centred.

I think the line we demand change is a good starting point on not just physical action (protesting, joining striking workers which are of course important), but how do we communicate and message the demands of we demand change.

19 Apr 2025

New photographic footage of Katy Perry's time in space

David Simpson reposted

We Own It

@weownit.org.uk

16 Apr 2025

We are literally sick of this crap! 1,853 reporting sickness from pollution 🤢 4 million hours of sewage discharged 💩 Average water bills rising by £123 💸 If you’re sick of this too, tell the government to bring water into public ownership NOW. 👇🏼 tinyurl.com/2h9bk4e4

theguardian.comGambling Commission charges 15 over bets on timing of 2024 UK general electionCharges follow investigation into alleged cheating related to bets over when last year’s election would be held

When the tories brought in voter suppression with the ridiculous, spurious reason to stop voter fraud, what they didn’t tell the public is the fraud was happening in their own court.

Scotland's No1 Comrade@scotlandscomrade.bsky.social

Now that the gambling commission has brought charges against 15 people including this Tory MP with gambling offences relating to Sunak's announcement of the 2024 GE. Sunak should NOT be allowed to appoint folk to the House of Lords due to this corruption. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

David Simpson reposted

Left Foot Forward

@left-foot-forward.bsky.social

leftfootforward.orgEXCLUSIVE: Poll shows huge support for nationalisation of key industries and utilitiesPrivatisation has failed.

Your regular reminder 👇 🏥 81% want publicly owned NHS 🏫 78% want publicly owned schools 💧 73% want publicly owned water 🚂 70% want publicly owned rail ✉️ 70% want publicly owned mail 🚍 67% want publicly owned buses 💡 65% want publicly owned energy

From Ellie’s account I’m appalled but not really surprised. It’s easy for streeting and kinnock to say they’ll bring in a national care service, but they must match that with commitment. You can’t take them seriously. Thank you @elliechowns.bsky.social for highlighting this. Will gov deliver - no

The Green Party of England & Wales@greenparty.org.uk

"Funding social care properly will also save money." @elliechowns.bsky.social outlines the need to tax the wealth of the super rich fairly to properly fund public services and end the crisis in social care.

It's great that nationalisation of British Steel has also brought new interest in nationalising other utilities such as water and energy. However, the government will still continue to refuse to nationalise said utilities. Why? If BS is nationalised with zero cost, then its the same with others

Alongside a wealth tax, the government could issue bonds, a Robin Hood tax on corporate profits and a windfall tax to boot. The government can't keep refusing to nationalise other sectors. It has shown the possibilities and it can be done.

David Simpson reposted

Oliver

@oliver48.bsky.social

12 Apr 2025

"You know what to do ..." meme via @occupydemocrats.bsky.social

theguardian.comSocial care in England is still rooted in the poor law of the 19th centurySocial care was left untouched by the welfare state reforms and is still based on the principles of the poor law. It's time for reform

10 Apr 2025

I had no idea of how our social care funding works. Apparently it is still rooted in the 1834 Poor Laws. And it is 2025! Yet we use formulas based on 19th Century thinking!! This is bonkers yet the government are not addressing this. We need a new formula www.theguardian.com/social-care-...

youtube.comOur water needs you! River Action and the Independent Water CommissionYouTube video by River Action UK

7 Apr 2025

Our water and the water sector is in a truly dire, broken state. Nothing won’t rescue it unless we nationalised. Labour won’t commit to full nationalisation but with the new bill going through parliament, the government won’t have no choice but nationalise. If not, then we elect those who will

MP Watch@mpwatch.bsky.social

Excellent video from River Action about the state of water.

@socialistnan123.bsky.social

6 Apr 2025

Those elected labour politicians (well most of them) are just utterly loathsome. This opportunistic bullshit from "there's no return to austerity" liar Anas Sarwar just shows they have no shame, unable to read the room. They need voting out

Scottish Greens@scottishgreens.org

Is this a joke from Labour? In the last 3 months Donald Trump has threatened to invade Greenland, Canada, Panama and Mexico. He's threatened to ethnically cleanse Gaza. He's lied about Scotland to undermine our healthcare. And he's now unilaterally plunged his own economy into turmoil.

David Simpson reposted

@Comradess Nan

3 Apr 2025

Happy birthday Tony Benn

youtu.beAdvertising makes you unhappyYouTube video by Richard J Murphy

2 Apr 2025

youtu.be/nYA10y0mZbE?...

David Simpson reposted

Birmingham Green Party

@brumgreens.bsky.social

30 Mar 2025

How has #fascism in Britain got this far? #Neoliberalism has opened the door for it. Neoliberalism destroys democratic hope and the far right fills the political void. We need a new politics of belonging, not @labouruk.bsky.social's craven appeasement of capital. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.comHow has fascism in Britain got this far? Neoliberalism has opened the door for it | George MonbiotWe need a new politics of belonging, not Labour’s craven appeasement of capital, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

facebook.comRedirecting...

28 Mar 2025

www.facebook.com/share/p/15ts... Oh the hypocrisy!!!

25 Mar 2025

Before ministers go on about fiscal responsibility, why not get their own house in order first?

Chipper60🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿@chipper60.bsky.social

Can we please have a few tents outside every one of their houses.hypocritical pondscum corrupt bastards

theguardian.comThousands of jobs ‘could go as part of UK government’s rail shake-up’Reports suggest cuts in Great Britain would include removing ‘duplication’ of teams, as well job losses at HS2 Thousands of jobs could go as part of the government’s planned shake-up of Britain’s railway industry, according to a report. Under Labour’s plans, a state-owned company, Great British Railways, will run the railway and take every train operator into public ownership as existing contracts expire. Continue reading...

24 Mar 2025

This (newish) Labour government seems to be under the impression that sacking thousands of staff in civil service and, according to this article, thousands of rail jobs, means the government will be more efficient than pre-job cuts.

The Guardian@theguardian.com

Thousands of jobs ‘could go as part of UK government’s rail shake-up’

24 Mar 2025

However, if you sack thousands of staff from sectors under government control, it actually makes the services less efficient. Well, no because it is more content by emulating the Musk approach with DOGE. And we all know whats happening under Musk and DOGE, don't we.

David Simpson reposted

BladeoftheSun

@bladeofthes.bsky.social

23 Mar 2025

Andrew Tate and his brother are appearing in court tomorrow in Romania. If you want them both to be locked up, like. If you really want them to be locked up, RT.

David Simpson reposted

Adam Bienkov

@adambienkov.bsky.social

24 Mar 2025

"No return to austerity" latest

22 Mar 2025

The cuts to welfare is labour’s poll tax. Discuss

theguardian.com‘Raped at age of 10’: sexual abuse and harassment reported at 1,664 UK primary schoolsExperiences of harassment, groping, inappropriate touching and even forced penetration anonymously reported * Warning: contains content some readers may find distressing Children and adults have anonymously reported testimonies of sexual abuse and harassment at 1,664 primary schools in the UK through a website for survivor stories, which has called for age-appropriate sex education to be taught to children under the age of nine. Experiences of sexual harassment, groping, inappropriate touching and even forced penetration have been anonymously reported on the site everyonesinvited.uk, with at least one testimonial relating to an incident that took place when the victim was as young as five. Continue reading...

22 Mar 2025

This is shocking and disturbing. Safeguarding is simply not working how we would envisage it to be for children and adults. Time to strengthen safeguarding rules, legislation and culture. Austerity has a direct impact on an effective safeguarding. Time to end austerity.

The Guardian@theguardian.com

‘Raped at age of 10’: sexual abuse and harassment reported at 1,664 UK primary schools

David Simpson reposted

Carla Denyer

@carladenyer.bsky.social

This #EnglandTourismWeek25 I’m celebrating the brilliant attractions Bristol has to offer, from the SS Great Britain to Underfall Yard and many others. I’m proud to live in and represent a city with so much to offer the community and the millions of people who visit every year

Discussions conitnued around Liz "Killer" Kendall and her welfare reforms. Response has been, rightfully, of horror, dread and worry; not least for those who will be directly impacted by these cuts. Thread

The Guardian also reported that per month, 20,000 people reported mental health difficulties. Per year is 240,000 people. there are probably many reasons why there is such a high number. Toxic workplaces; Cost of living; Poor working conditions; Stagnant wages etc.

So this perception held by commentators, politicians and journalists that work is better is simply for the birds. The real world evidence is that work at the moment is not good for people's mental health or wellbeing in general. Work is better does not stand up to scrutiny.

Therefore, 125,000 people per job vacancy will be applying. So where are these jobs coming from? So is work the solution and not the problem?

Mental health is one of the biggest reasons for workplace absences. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the period of 2023 to 2024, 16.4 million days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety, more than double muscloskeletal injuries (7.8m).

Guto Harri, former BBC journalist and a former adviser to Boris Johnson, claimed on BBC politics on Tuesday that work is the "solution and not the problem". This prompted some mental problem solving asking "is work a good place for mental health?". The evidence contradicts Harri's assertion.

Before looking into Harri's assertion, it can be easily established that there are simply not the jobs to get the disabled into employment. For example, Dr Dhanda explained on Politics Joe that if a disabled person wanted to work and could only from home, this would only amount to 8 jobs available.

@greensorganise.bsky.social

Work is an obviously huge theme running through her announcement. There is this ingrained belief that work is so much better than the perceived languishing on benefits That those who claim social security are basically written off and that work is the magic cure.

David Simpson reposted

Greens Organise

19 Mar 2025

GO activist @nojusticemtg.bsky.social - “If the Labour Party aren’t going to fight for actual Labour values, there has to be an alternative” The Greens are that alternative and we’re getting organised. Join Greens Organise today to get involved.