evan
@evanr.bsky.social
working in uk politics | other interests in latin america and international development | outdoors when I can | 🏴🇬🇧🇪🇺 | he/him
🇺🇦🇵🇸
🇺🇦🇵🇸
Reposted by evan
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
January 8, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
Reposted by evan
Not the most important thing. But this contract was - probably unlawfully - awarded without competition. But the Court of Appeal, under pressure from the Tories over our VIP lane judicial reviews, said there was no public interest in who Government awards contracts to so there can be no challenge.
Yet another huge contract, awarded without any competitive bidding process, to Wes Streeting's favourite NHS supplier, the Hard Right US surveillance tech specialists Palantir, for military decision making capability.
Palantir lands biggest ever UK defense deal
The £240 million contract with the Ministry of Defence has renewed a debate about Britain’s dependence on American technology.
www.politico.eu
January 6, 2026 at 11:22 AM
Not the most important thing. But this contract was - probably unlawfully - awarded without competition. But the Court of Appeal, under pressure from the Tories over our VIP lane judicial reviews, said there was no public interest in who Government awards contracts to so there can be no challenge.
Reposted by evan
One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.
January 5, 2026 at 5:37 PM
One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.
Reposted by evan
Great powers have always, to some extent, written the rules for themselves. But this should be a reminder that for all we might lament the “rules based order”, it’s largely gone, if it ever existed. Hard power is the only thing which matters now. Europe needs to wake up to the new realities.
January 3, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Great powers have always, to some extent, written the rules for themselves. But this should be a reminder that for all we might lament the “rules based order”, it’s largely gone, if it ever existed. Hard power is the only thing which matters now. Europe needs to wake up to the new realities.
Reposted by evan
Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela.
Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.
Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.
January 3, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela.
Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.
Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.
Reposted by evan
Think twice about doing it themselves?
January 3, 2026 at 11:04 AM
Think twice about doing it themselves?
Reposted by evan
Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.
January 3, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.
Reposted by evan
Trump isn’t predictable or consistent, but this particular action *would* be consistent with the emergence of a G2+1 order where Washington and Beijing, with Moscow as a junior partner, give each other free rein in their purported spheres of influence.
This will go down well in Moscow and Beijing. Goodbye, international order.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured after strikes
The U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been taken out of the country, President Donald Trump said on Saturday.
www.reuters.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Trump isn’t predictable or consistent, but this particular action *would* be consistent with the emergence of a G2+1 order where Washington and Beijing, with Moscow as a junior partner, give each other free rein in their purported spheres of influence.
Reposted by evan
Exclusive: The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility in Venezuela, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country. This is the attack Trump has repeatedly alluded to in recent days. www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/p...
Exclusive: CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast | CNN Politics
The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that...
www.cnn.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Exclusive: The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility in Venezuela, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country. This is the attack Trump has repeatedly alluded to in recent days. www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/p...
Reposted by evan
This sounds like defensive briefing straight from a Morgan McSweeney Whatsapp group in denial about how an ineffective leader unwilling to face the breakdown of US-Europe relations might not be the best figure to lead the UK into a post-American order
December 13, 2025 at 10:47 AM
This sounds like defensive briefing straight from a Morgan McSweeney Whatsapp group in denial about how an ineffective leader unwilling to face the breakdown of US-Europe relations might not be the best figure to lead the UK into a post-American order
Reposted by evan
December 8, 2025 at 9:37 AM
I’m so sorry.
my lanyard.
it’s desecrating the working class😔
my lanyard.
it’s desecrating the working class😔
November 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I’m so sorry.
my lanyard.
it’s desecrating the working class😔
my lanyard.
it’s desecrating the working class😔
Reposted by evan
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
November 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
Reposted by evan
"The era of permanent protection is over"
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Refugees from 7 decades gather to commemorate 70 years of refugee in protection in the UK
YouTube video by Refugee Council
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:28 AM
"The era of permanent protection is over"
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Reposted by evan
Sorry, but there's something so ineffably depressing about ministers spending their time on this kind of stuff. Not as if there aren't real problems that central government should be getting on with while letting local government make its own choices (and even its own mistakes). #GetAGrip
Cambridgeshire council's four-day week criticised by minister
Steve Reed says there has been a decline in key housing-related services.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 29, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Sorry, but there's something so ineffably depressing about ministers spending their time on this kind of stuff. Not as if there aren't real problems that central government should be getting on with while letting local government make its own choices (and even its own mistakes). #GetAGrip
Reposted by evan
Good to see the Conservative Party committed to keeping the deficit down by *checks notes* spending £2 billion giving tax breaks for private education, creating a massive new deportation force and pledging to maintain pensioner benefits.
October 8, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Good to see the Conservative Party committed to keeping the deficit down by *checks notes* spending £2 billion giving tax breaks for private education, creating a massive new deportation force and pledging to maintain pensioner benefits.
Reposted by evan
I'm getting really really fed up at constant reassertion that welfare spending is "out of control" when it is the same as the average for the past few decades.
One reason disability benefit costs have risen is because core support has fallen.
One reason disability benefit costs have risen is because core support has fallen.
September 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I'm getting really really fed up at constant reassertion that welfare spending is "out of control" when it is the same as the average for the past few decades.
One reason disability benefit costs have risen is because core support has fallen.
One reason disability benefit costs have risen is because core support has fallen.
This is really good, it explains the govt’s lack of a compelling narrative/ vision very well.
"The left won't win the next election just trying to keep Reform out of power – they need a programme".
Leo Varadkar on where Labour went wrong from day one of coming to power
Leo Varadkar on where Labour went wrong from day one of coming to power
September 27, 2025 at 7:57 PM
This is really good, it explains the govt’s lack of a compelling narrative/ vision very well.
Reposted by evan
Ok. They’ve pissed me off.
I’m back to tell you 3 things about ID cards:
1. Migrants ALREADY HAVE biometric ID cards & govts have been trying to digitise them for years w repeated fuckups & failures causing complete chaos - they don’t work, you do not want that system for you.
I’m back to tell you 3 things about ID cards:
1. Migrants ALREADY HAVE biometric ID cards & govts have been trying to digitise them for years w repeated fuckups & failures causing complete chaos - they don’t work, you do not want that system for you.
September 26, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Ok. They’ve pissed me off.
I’m back to tell you 3 things about ID cards:
1. Migrants ALREADY HAVE biometric ID cards & govts have been trying to digitise them for years w repeated fuckups & failures causing complete chaos - they don’t work, you do not want that system for you.
I’m back to tell you 3 things about ID cards:
1. Migrants ALREADY HAVE biometric ID cards & govts have been trying to digitise them for years w repeated fuckups & failures causing complete chaos - they don’t work, you do not want that system for you.
Reposted by evan
Picked up some Lib Dem stats at conference. Some of these surprised me (especially given media coverage):
1. The Liberal Democrats now control more councils than the Conservative Party
2. In May's local elections in England, the LDs elected more councillors than either Labour or the Tories.
(1/x)
1. The Liberal Democrats now control more councils than the Conservative Party
2. In May's local elections in England, the LDs elected more councillors than either Labour or the Tories.
(1/x)
September 23, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Picked up some Lib Dem stats at conference. Some of these surprised me (especially given media coverage):
1. The Liberal Democrats now control more councils than the Conservative Party
2. In May's local elections in England, the LDs elected more councillors than either Labour or the Tories.
(1/x)
1. The Liberal Democrats now control more councils than the Conservative Party
2. In May's local elections in England, the LDs elected more councillors than either Labour or the Tories.
(1/x)
Reposted by evan
Politico: on US TV yday Farage "praised the MAGA president (in ways he is unlikely to in front of a British audience) for being “brave and true and right” in his actions at the southern border to “keep your American culture”"
He won't say that here as Trump is deeply unpopular in the UK
He won't say that here as Trump is deeply unpopular in the UK
September 3, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Politico: on US TV yday Farage "praised the MAGA president (in ways he is unlikely to in front of a British audience) for being “brave and true and right” in his actions at the southern border to “keep your American culture”"
He won't say that here as Trump is deeply unpopular in the UK
He won't say that here as Trump is deeply unpopular in the UK
Reposted by evan
Polling from @Moreincommon_ on Lucy Connolly
More than half think her sentence was too lenient or about right. Only a third that it was too harsh.
Only 18% think politicians should associate themselves her, while 51% think they should actively distance themselves from her.
More than half think her sentence was too lenient or about right. Only a third that it was too harsh.
Only 18% think politicians should associate themselves her, while 51% think they should actively distance themselves from her.
August 29, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Polling from @Moreincommon_ on Lucy Connolly
More than half think her sentence was too lenient or about right. Only a third that it was too harsh.
Only 18% think politicians should associate themselves her, while 51% think they should actively distance themselves from her.
More than half think her sentence was too lenient or about right. Only a third that it was too harsh.
Only 18% think politicians should associate themselves her, while 51% think they should actively distance themselves from her.
Reposted by evan
Pritzker is describing Trump’s fascist invasion of Chicago with total moral and political clarity. It’s an example that every other Democrat in the country should follow.
Pritzker: To the members of the press who are assembled here today and listening across the country, I am asking for your courage to tell it like it is. This is not a time to pretend here that there are two sides to this story.
August 25, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Pritzker is describing Trump’s fascist invasion of Chicago with total moral and political clarity. It’s an example that every other Democrat in the country should follow.