Frankie Rickford
@frickfo.bsky.social
Retired journalist, been a Labour Party member for much longer than Starmer or Reeves. For women's liberation.
Pinned
Frankie Rickford
@frickfo.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Gender non-conforming children don't need to modify their bodies. Feminine boys and masculine girls are normal, and beautiful, and need to know that.
An old piece but what a great idea! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
The end of landlords: the surprisingly simple solution to the UK housing crisis
Mass-scale housebuilding isn’t necessary – there is already enough housing stock. But we need to learn the wisdom of the last century when it comes to landlordism
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 AM
An old piece but what a great idea! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
BBC faces ‘existential’ threat after exit of top executives
Broadcaster’s deepest crisis in recent history comes amid fresh questions over its future role in British society
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:35 AM
I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
"If you've had enough of politicians, if you don't trust Westminster, join us."
What a revolting, cynical statement for a man who was an MP of the party that ruled for 14 years until five minutes ago - and David Cameron's speech writer before that.
What contempt for voters. ~AA
What a revolting, cynical statement for a man who was an MP of the party that ruled for 14 years until five minutes ago - and David Cameron's speech writer before that.
What contempt for voters. ~AA
September 15, 2025 at 11:02 AM
"If you've had enough of politicians, if you don't trust Westminster, join us."
What a revolting, cynical statement for a man who was an MP of the party that ruled for 14 years until five minutes ago - and David Cameron's speech writer before that.
What contempt for voters. ~AA
What a revolting, cynical statement for a man who was an MP of the party that ruled for 14 years until five minutes ago - and David Cameron's speech writer before that.
What contempt for voters. ~AA
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
My husband and I just celebrated 22 years together, which is longer than both of Nigel Farage's mixed-sex marriages combined.
Nigel Farage:
"Children who have two stable parents have a better chance in life... The most stable relationships, the ones that last the longest, tend to be between men & women... There's an awful lot of kids in the country not getting the kind of start... they deserve."
Farage has two ex-wives.
"Children who have two stable parents have a better chance in life... The most stable relationships, the ones that last the longest, tend to be between men & women... There's an awful lot of kids in the country not getting the kind of start... they deserve."
Farage has two ex-wives.
September 15, 2025 at 2:24 PM
My husband and I just celebrated 22 years together, which is longer than both of Nigel Farage's mixed-sex marriages combined.
"Within the last hour a single user had sent 32 images depicting me on fire, hanging dead from a noose, with a gun pointed at my head and covered in blood, staring up at the camera alongside two men with knives. Also ... real footage of people being shot to death."
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wome...
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wome...
Women aren’t being protected from online abuse - I’m reminded of this every time I open social media | LBC
I made the mistake of opening my X account the other day.
www.lbc.co.uk
September 11, 2025 at 5:35 AM
"Within the last hour a single user had sent 32 images depicting me on fire, hanging dead from a noose, with a gun pointed at my head and covered in blood, staring up at the camera alongside two men with knives. Also ... real footage of people being shot to death."
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wome...
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wome...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
September 4, 2025 at 4:03 AM
I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
Nigel Farage just repeatedly denied – under oath! – to @raskin.house.gov
ever banning journalists he doesn’t like from his party’s conventions.
This happened to me *literally today*.
ever banning journalists he doesn’t like from his party’s conventions.
This happened to me *literally today*.
Nigel Farage is about to give evidence to the US Congress on threats to free speech in the UK.
So here's one for him: Reform UK has just banned me (and @thenewworldmag.bsky.social) from attending its party conference this weekend. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-w...
So here's one for him: Reform UK has just banned me (and @thenewworldmag.bsky.social) from attending its party conference this weekend. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-w...
Chicken Farage bans The New World
It claims to be the party of free speech, but this last-minute decision to stop me attending tells a very different story
www.thenewworld.co.uk
September 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Nigel Farage just repeatedly denied – under oath! – to @raskin.house.gov
ever banning journalists he doesn’t like from his party’s conventions.
This happened to me *literally today*.
ever banning journalists he doesn’t like from his party’s conventions.
This happened to me *literally today*.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
This looks like a positive move for @safety.bsky.app.
The amount of abuse & aggression towards women on BS, particularly towards womens rights campaigners & feminists with expertise on women's rights, is a major problem.
I've had to block so many aggressive abusive men.
www.them.us/story/bluesk...
The amount of abuse & aggression towards women on BS, particularly towards womens rights campaigners & feminists with expertise on women's rights, is a major problem.
I've had to block so many aggressive abusive men.
www.them.us/story/bluesk...
Bluesky Suspended Various Trans Authors Over Anti-J.K. Rowling Posts
Multiple authors were penalized for their posts on a platform once hailed as a “safe space.”
www.them.us
August 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
This looks like a positive move for @safety.bsky.app.
The amount of abuse & aggression towards women on BS, particularly towards womens rights campaigners & feminists with expertise on women's rights, is a major problem.
I've had to block so many aggressive abusive men.
www.them.us/story/bluesk...
The amount of abuse & aggression towards women on BS, particularly towards womens rights campaigners & feminists with expertise on women's rights, is a major problem.
I've had to block so many aggressive abusive men.
www.them.us/story/bluesk...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
'The truth is, many women will not get involved in this project precisely because of the Corbyn–Sultana line on trans issues. Others may hope the problem quietly goes away. It won’t.
labourheartlands.com/the-elephant...
labourheartlands.com/the-elephant...
The Elephant In The Room For Zara Sultana’s “Your Party” - Labour Heartlands
Zara Sultana’s recent interview with New Left Review was, in many ways, inspiring. Her call for a genuinely member-led party, one that rejects top-down
labourheartlands.com
August 18, 2025 at 5:04 PM
'The truth is, many women will not get involved in this project precisely because of the Corbyn–Sultana line on trans issues. Others may hope the problem quietly goes away. It won’t.
labourheartlands.com/the-elephant...
labourheartlands.com/the-elephant...
“Because the state of Israel was founded in response to the Nazi genocide, it is harder to accept that the Israeli government in turn would commit genocide. One obviously does not preclude the other, but Israel benefits from the cognitive dissonance.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Why are we reluctant to recognize Israel’s genocide in Gaza? | Kenneth Roth
A narrow understanding of the term, as well as Israel’s history as a haven for genocide victims, explains the dissonance
www.theguardian.com
July 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
“Because the state of Israel was founded in response to the Nazi genocide, it is harder to accept that the Israeli government in turn would commit genocide. One obviously does not preclude the other, but Israel benefits from the cognitive dissonance.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
I know the international rules-based order has always been a bit of a conceit, but I really think we're going to rue the quiet death of the Genocide Convention. If a country can unambiguously bomb, shoot and starve a people out of existence without any pushback whatsoever, we're all in grave danger.
July 24, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I know the international rules-based order has always been a bit of a conceit, but I really think we're going to rue the quiet death of the Genocide Convention. If a country can unambiguously bomb, shoot and starve a people out of existence without any pushback whatsoever, we're all in grave danger.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
From my friend, Nabil, in Gaza. How can our govts be more focused on suppressing criticism of Israel, than acting to stop these war crimes? I’m filled with despair, anger, outrage and frustration, and deeply, deeply anguished for the people of Gaza.
July 20, 2025 at 1:06 PM
From my friend, Nabil, in Gaza. How can our govts be more focused on suppressing criticism of Israel, than acting to stop these war crimes? I’m filled with despair, anger, outrage and frustration, and deeply, deeply anguished for the people of Gaza.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
To think that this desperate tabloid Rod Liddle knock-off was once a Prime Minister.
July 13, 2025 at 8:27 PM
To think that this desperate tabloid Rod Liddle knock-off was once a Prime Minister.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
"Now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40"
Enough already. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Enough already. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
‘There is no safe way to do it’: the rapid rise and horrifying risks of choking during sex
Now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40, it can also lead to difficulty swallowing, incontinence, seizures, memory problems, depression, anxiety and miscarriage. How...
www.theguardian.com
July 7, 2025 at 3:46 PM
"Now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40"
Enough already. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Enough already. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
Great read from @adamtranter.bsky.social ⤵️
Technology should not be introduced at the expense of pedestrian freedom to use the highway safely and conveniently. We need to make sure that the most vulnerable road users are protected and prioritised so that our streets work for all.
Technology should not be introduced at the expense of pedestrian freedom to use the highway safely and conveniently. We need to make sure that the most vulnerable road users are protected and prioritised so that our streets work for all.
We can allow history to repeat itself, and powerful interests to shape our streets in one way.
Or we can remember that cities are places where walking, cycling and public transport should be prioritised.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Or we can remember that cities are places where walking, cycling and public transport should be prioritised.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The car made pedestrians second-class citizens. Don’t let driverless vehicles push us off the road altogether | Adam Tranter
If we want autonomous tech to succeed it must be designed to share space with us, rather than forcing us to adapt to it, says former cycling and walking commissioner Adam Tranter
www.theguardian.com
June 12, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Great read from @adamtranter.bsky.social ⤵️
Technology should not be introduced at the expense of pedestrian freedom to use the highway safely and conveniently. We need to make sure that the most vulnerable road users are protected and prioritised so that our streets work for all.
Technology should not be introduced at the expense of pedestrian freedom to use the highway safely and conveniently. We need to make sure that the most vulnerable road users are protected and prioritised so that our streets work for all.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
Our politics is being bought by the highest bidder. Between 2001 and 2021, a 5th of political donations were from just 10 individuals. A donations cap is needed.
electoral-reform.org.uk/rebuilding-t...
electoral-reform.org.uk/rebuilding-t...
Rebuilding trust in politics starts with repairing the rules on funding
Earlier this month the Electoral Commission heads appeared before a House of Commons select committee with stark warnings about the dangers of failing to address the problems with politi
electoral-reform.org.uk
June 2, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Our politics is being bought by the highest bidder. Between 2001 and 2021, a 5th of political donations were from just 10 individuals. A donations cap is needed.
electoral-reform.org.uk/rebuilding-t...
electoral-reform.org.uk/rebuilding-t...
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
Plans to encourage more British workers into the sector have been described as under-funded and ‘years away from delivery’.
Closing off social care jobs to migrant workers will only harm a sector that’s already in crisis
Plans to encourage more British workers into the sector have been described as under-funded and ‘years away from delivery’.
tcnv.link
May 14, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Plans to encourage more British workers into the sector have been described as under-funded and ‘years away from delivery’.
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
‘This is a crushing blow to an already fragile sector. The government is kicking us while we’re already down’ - Care England
May 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM
‘This is a crushing blow to an already fragile sector. The government is kicking us while we’re already down’ - Care England
Reposted by Frankie Rickford
World Central Kitchen has run out of food to serve in Gaza. Its bakery ("recently the last working bakery in Gaza") is out of flour. There are 100,000+ tons of food in staging areas within driving distance of Gaza, and Israel refuses to let them in wck.org/news/gaza-up...
World Central Kitchen | WCK Forced to Halt Cooking in Gaza as Supplies Run Out
After serving more than 130 million total meals and 26 million loaves of bread over the past 18 months, World Central Kitchen no longer has the supplies to cook meals or bake bread in Gaza.
wck.org
May 7, 2025 at 7:13 PM
World Central Kitchen has run out of food to serve in Gaza. Its bakery ("recently the last working bakery in Gaza") is out of flour. There are 100,000+ tons of food in staging areas within driving distance of Gaza, and Israel refuses to let them in wck.org/news/gaza-up...
Interesting that @theguardian.com has not got an editorial (“Guardian view”) this morning on the supreme court ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act. Could they not agree what line to take?
April 17, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Interesting that @theguardian.com has not got an editorial (“Guardian view”) this morning on the supreme court ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act. Could they not agree what line to take?
"Single sex spaces have always been protected under the Equality Act". Surely Stella noticed that this court case was about is the meaning of "single sex spaces", and it turns out not to be the meaning she favoured.
April 16, 2025 at 9:03 PM
"Single sex spaces have always been protected under the Equality Act". Surely Stella noticed that this court case was about is the meaning of "single sex spaces", and it turns out not to be the meaning she favoured.