Polly Mairead Davies

There's going to be a Folk Horror Film Festival in Leith! Amazing stuff!
fiendsinthefurrows.com

Greens vs Reform: the voters driving Britain’s new political divide The Gorton and Denton by-election highlights a widening political divide as Reform UK and the Greens draw support from very different voters

Two insurgent parties. Two very different electorates. The data reveals a stark divide.

New analysis by Prof Paul Whiteley looks at who is voting for Reform UK and the Greens.

@eastangliabylines.co.uk

Illustration cartoon of an elder lady with grey hair, beige T-shirt and black skirt looking at a white wall where she appears to have spray painted a red line through words “PROTECT YOUR DAUGHTERS” and underneath written in red EDUCATE YOUR SONS

Submissions Broadly defined, the type of fiction we are looking for is “fun”. [Go to Submissions]

Submissions for the next issue of Translunar Travelers Lounge open soon. From March 15-21 is reserved for writers of color; from March 22 until April 15 is general submissions for everybody. We are looking for speculative fiction up to 5,000 words. translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/

Fight Like A Girl Vol. 1, edited by Roz Clarke and Joanne Hall. Green cover, featuring a central female figure in combats, surrounded by weapons - ink pen, laptop, frag grenade, combat knife, camera, pistol and protest sign

Fight Like A Girl Vol. 2, edited by Roz Clarke and Joanne Hall. Green cover, featuring a central female figure in plate armour, surrounded by weapons - swords, axes, shield, book, lantern, belt pouch, telescope and vials.

Happy #InternationalWomensDay! Cover art by @oisinmcgann.bsky.social, books published by @wtpress.bsky.social :)

Make no mistake: the AI boom, and data center construction it requires, is nothing more than a massive giveaway to Big Tech oligarchs at the expense of our environment and our states’ public resources.

Our leaders should put communities before Big Tech's bottom lines.

btw about that pixar thing, the reason why these people think having a conversation about gay people with kids is difficult is because they don't know a way to say to their kid "gay people are normal but you are not allowed to be one" without sounding like a bigot (there is a reason for that)

The Gaelic Literature Awards 2026 are now open for submissions!

Deadline: 5pm, 01 May 2026
Further info and entry forms available here: bit.ly/NDL26info

Tha Na Duaisean Litreachais 2026 a-nis fosgailte do thagraidhean!

Ceann-latha: 5f, 01 Cèitean 2026
Tuilleadh fiosrachaidh is clàr-iarrtais an seo: bit.ly/fiosNDL26

Everyone who has been nominated for a BSFA Award deserves applause, but we are particularly delighted to see PictCon2 Guest of Honour Neil Williamson nominated for Best Collection, Blood in the Bricks.

www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...

Really concerned to hear the Defence Secretary refuse to rule out UK's involvement in future strikes on Iran.

Iraq lessons must be learned.
Further escalation in the Middle East makes us all less safe.

Starmer must rule out UK involvement immediately.

Statement issued on Iran pulling out of 2026 World Cup as replacement named Iran could lose their spot at the World Cup this summer due to the ongoing conflict with the USA.

Iran pulls out of 2026 World Cup in USA after current holder of the FIFA Peace Prize starts war to distract from child rape accusations www.sportbible.com/football/foo...

Really unsure about this headline. The SCOOP poll found Reform up 1 point in the constituency vote and 1 point on the list, i.e. not significant change.

If anyone "surged" it was the Scottish Greens, up 3 points in the constituency vote and 6 on the list.

Lessons from suffragettes: Time to talk about electoral reform With International Women’s Day almost here, anti-suffragist arguments may inform us about true objections to electoral reform today

"Similar to the debate around electoral reform, opponents of PR for Westminster elections also discount its use in local and devolved elections in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Greater London."

One day, when I have a bit of money to spare, I'd like this man's work on my wall. And, if he ever paints my beloved Bennachie....

Decline in remote jobs risks shutting disabled people out of work, study finds Research project warns fall in homeworking roles could undermine efforts to reduce unemployment

We invented the Internet to work remotely. Then developed all the tools we might need. Then had a world historical event prove that remote work was effective and necessary.

And make no mistake - this matters

bsky.app/profile/timb...

Long after it lost the ability to turn up on your doorstep with a warship and stiffly worded letter suggesting you stop that shit *right now*, Britain retained a hell of a lot of soft power.

Remarkable to see this government pissing a key part of that down the drain.

The gulf between English and Scottish education is continuing to grow and I don't think I've ever been so glad for devolution than right now.

What is happening in English schools is horrifying. Kids will die due to this - and all to appease a hateful mob that can never, ever, be appeased.

‘Pulling up the drawbridge’: Alf Dubs criticises Shabana Mahmood’s plans for child refugees Exclusive: Labour peer, who came to UK as a refugee, says some ministers try to show they won’t ‘just do things because of their background’

Children need their families. Refugee children are no different.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Don't remove the racist post.
Remove the racist from his post.

A painting of a woman wearing a Fair Isle knitted jumper, with a knitted hat, scarf and white gloves. She is looking towards the viewer.

Today is #NationalSweaterDay so let's enjoy 'The Fair-Isle Jumper' painted by #Orkney-born artist Stanley Cursiter in 1923.

Stanley Cursiter (1887-1976) was Keeper of the National Galleries of Scotland from 1930-1948 and was appointed the King's Painter and Limner in Scotland.

Everybody to Kenmure Street has won an international award at Sundance Film Festival. Well timed, cos it will remind doubters, haters & sceptics that neighbours will protect one another against an authoritarian state - in Glasgow 2021 or Minneapolis today. www.thenational.scot/news/2581367...

Image shows a person sat at a desk working on a computer. Text reads: Could you work for TransActual? We’re looking for a Communications Lead to join our team. Apply by 25th January 2026 More info: transactual.org.uk/jobs

DEADLINE TOMORROW
We're recruiting a Communications Lead to join our fantastic team. .

We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal skills who can run our press office and lead the way in creating and implementing our new Comms Strategy.

For more info go to transactual.org.uk/jobs

It's one of my favourites, too.

Good morning, Womble! I picked up a second hand copy of The Sacred Art of Stealing, by Christopher Brookmyre, so re-reading that, with its brilliantly absurd mix of Dadaist-inspired thieves, a tough female detective, sexual attraction, the Scottish art and music scene...and the mob.

Just a month ago the UK agreed to a deal in which the NHS has to pay £3bn a year more for US drugs.

The only thing we got was an agreement the UK would face no tariffs.

Today that deal has been broken by the USA.

The deal must be torn up and no money stolen from the NHS.

If you want to understand why the Ministry of Defence’s ‘strategic partnership’ with Palantir is so profoundly dangerous, please read my latest piece open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

UK Threatened With Sanctions if Starmer Bans X – The Daily Sceptic Britain has been threatened with sanctions if Sir Keir Starmer attempts to block Elon Musk’s X over its AI tool undressing women and children.

We live in a strange world where the US wants to sanction the UK, because we don’t want to see non consensual sexual images of women and girls.
And it’s when we find out if Starmer can grow a spine.

dailysceptic.org/2026/01/10/u...