Lost in History, OBC 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇬🇱🇵🇦

“This is the biggest ‘I told you so’ in the history of ‘I told you so’s”

Farage accused of U turn as he says UK should stay out of Iran war

Farage, leading, as usual, by watching which way the crowd is moving and running to the front.

A Utah Republican's anti-gerrymandering activism comes back to haunt him
Blake Moore once helped pass redistricting reform. Now the far right wants him gone.

LGBT+ Lib Dems back calls from Lib Dem MPs to propose amendments to the Equality Act that protect trans rights, and ensure that trans people have a voice in that process. Lib Dem MP Marie Goldman is right when she says trans rights and women's rights are not in competition. This has to be agreed cross-party, so please contact your MP and back the Lib Dems in asking for amendments to protect trans rights now.

Dear Minister for Women and Equalities, Re: Ongoing practical implications of last year's Supreme Court ruling Following the recent High Court decision concerning the challenge brought by the Good Law Project to EHRC interim guidance, I am writing to express my disappointment at the continued uncertainty surrounding the practical implications of last year’s Supreme Court ruling. While the Court has ruled on the question of standing in this case, it is clear that the wider issues remain far from settled. Trans, non-binary and intersex people continue to face profound anxiety about what these developments mean for their daily lives. Meanwhile, employers, service providers and public bodies tell us they still lack clear, workable direction about their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. This persistent uncertainty benefits no one. It risks leaving trans or gender non-conforming people worried about being excluded from facilities they have used for years, and organisations exposed to confusion, legal risk and unnecessary cost. You have repeatedly stated that trans people remain protected from discrimination. Without clear guidance, however, that statement offers little reassurance to those directly affected.

I urge you to bring forward new, workable, and inclusive guidance as a matter of urgency, and to lay any new EHRC code of practice before Parliament so it can be properly scrutinised and debated. There must be a rigorous democratic process, including a free vote, to assess whether the proposals genuinely ensure dignity, safety and inclusion for trans people while upholding the rights of women. I also urge you to appoint a joint committee of cross-party MPs and peers to conduct post-legislative scrutiny of both the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act 2010, takinh evidence from communities who have been impacted including trans people, which will propose any amendments or new legislation it sees as necessary to ensure existing rights are protected. The Liberal Democrats are clear that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and free to be who they are. Protecting the rights of women and ensuring dignity and inclusion for trans people are not competing objectives; both are essential to a fair society. Your Department must now provide leadership and certainty to achieve that balance. I would welcome an update on your timetable for publishing revised guidance and laying it before Parliament, and would be grateful for the opportunity to meet to discuss these matters further. Yours sincerely, Marie Goldman MP, Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for Women and Equalities.

Trans rights and women's rights are not and never have been in competition. Thank you to Marie Goldman for this excellent letter and your work on this.

The US Is Counting Traffic Deaths Wrong By emphasizing the number of people killed per mile rather than deaths per capita, traffic safety groups risk normalizing the factors that make American roads so deadly.

Americans drive a lot more than people in other rich countries.

If we didn’t drive so much, we wouldn’t die in so many crashes.

It’s a simple point, but one that NHTSA, traffic engineers, and many road safety org’s have yet to learn.

Me, in Bloomberg 🧵

Nice to know the current excellent RBS notes are 'woke'!

I still think about this a lot.

I explained a while ago that it would be impossible to say anything about Trump’s Iranian ‘adventure’ with absolute certainty. I’m sorry, I was wrong. He will *never* do anything that genuinely upsets or angers Vladimir Putin. Whether in Iran, in Ukraine or even in the USA. It is his only constant.

Ukrainian opera singers perform heartwarming national anthem in Lviv YouTube video by The Independent

Another day ends, and

Ukraine's Glory SHALL Prevail!

SLAVA UKRAINII!

youtu.be/_myOT8R_zAo?...

🧵A thread about the Jewish community, Democrats, and Israel🧵

Rahm Emanuel, the über-centrist former Chicago mayor eyeing a presidential bid, just told a reporter that Bibi "led the Jewish people into a ghetto."

Jewish establishment sees cracks like this as a crisis. I believe it's an opportunity.

Ryanair were going to do this, but You Are Now Entering €12.99 Derry was felt to lack a certain something

I no longer need Dutch lessons
I know everything I need to know to survive

Holy shit - this would be very, very bad:
"The databases, called “Numident” and the “Master Death File,” include records for more than 500 million living and dead Americans, including Social Security numbers, places and dates of birth, citizenship, race and ethnicity, and parents’ names."

The Hall of Victories is currently being decorated for the coming Feast For Many Quokkas.

There is no particular reason that Australia's Apex Predator, the quokka, is having a feast, but as Australia tips to winter - why not?

Who knows, you might be invited.

Given they are a bunch of sycophants.

'Yes, Mr Trump, that is a nice hat, a suitable hat for a funeral. Here, have a sweetie'

This is very important and a major pet peeve of mine. If you don’t know what you’re doing- and if you learned on the internet, then sorry, you don’t know what you’re doing- please leave old gravestones well enough alone.

When the only one of the three appearing to approach the dignity and solemnity this sort of situation requires is MELANIA. The US is fucked.

Trump has escaped his daycare, and Vance looks like he is about to face the judges for indecency in a DFS.

I'm wanting a series set in Belgium with Poirot's grand neice or something. Can't decide if she'd be a tec in the Federal Police or a very good amateur who works with them whilst for example being a history teacher in Namur.

UK-EU SPS Agreement - Information for Businesses Businesses urged to take simple steps for smoother trade with the EU

"..expected to align with those applied by EU to Rest of World imports"
🤪 I am a Cassandra.
Great for GB exports & removing GB/NI barriers to trade, but making *whole* UK a genuine EU vassal state Brexiters lied UK was when a member with *representation*
www.gov.uk/government/n...

I think Marple would approve of Teen Marple!

NEAR AND FAR (1975): This BBC educational series for schools had a decidedly eerie title sequence, with a theme tune best described as 'queasy'.

Now turn to page 666 in your exercise books.

25p off the price of a litre of petrol they say.

Great.

Except every time a politician promises they will cut a tax they should have to say what tax they will increase, or what service they will cut, to fund it. And do so without invoking the "growing the economy" god.

To be fair, the pronunciation of the English ones is dire as well.

Aka 'Cadfael and no attempts to pronounce the Welsh names properly '

Robinsons Summer Fruits is not meant to be drunk neat.

Robinsons 'Glinda' Berry, be prepared washing out the bottle, it looks like blood in the sink.

Mario and Luigi (RIP) sausages

Today is Mario Day (Mar10) so let us all take a moment to remember both Mario and his brother Luigi. They deserved better than this...

When did the British right get so unpatriotic? Backing Donald Trump over the UK isn’t popular

"It is not that one expects these guys to actually *like* Starmer: few of those who actually voted for him do. Nonetheless – when did denizens of the British right convince themselves that backing a foreign leader over their own countrymen was in any way patriotic?"

On "patriotic" "conservatives"

I’m hollering at my screen… yaaas!

Actress Sheryl Underwood, an Air Force Reserve veteran, is asking the questions we all want answers to.

“Why is this not impeachable? And where are the politicians that say, ‘this dude don’t have it all the way together, he cannot be the commander in chief?’” 🔥

As a member of team PR, I appreciate the provocation. But, genuinely, it's great to see this sort of debate emerge. Electoral reform feels closer than it has for ages, even if it's still some way off.