Brian
@heskie.bsky.social
Retired police officer, now happily gardening organically/sustainably in west Dorset.
Hobbies, reading, hiking, photography (Sony S6000 APS-C), railways, aircraft, making sourdough bread, politics, current affairs, the rule of law, climate.
(Nov 2023)
Hobbies, reading, hiking, photography (Sony S6000 APS-C), railways, aircraft, making sourdough bread, politics, current affairs, the rule of law, climate.
(Nov 2023)
The #BBC is the gold standard of news and much more; it is permanently in the crosshairs of those, of any political colour, who find its news and analysis erksome and exposing. Donald Trump has said and done so much that so many find obnoxious, there's enough raw material already, without that edit.
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 11, 2025 at 9:04 AM
The #BBC is the gold standard of news and much more; it is permanently in the crosshairs of those, of any political colour, who find its news and analysis erksome and exposing. Donald Trump has said and done so much that so many find obnoxious, there's enough raw material already, without that edit.
People know that in the face of creeping #autocracy and power grabbing demagogues, doing nothing can never be an option in the #USA nor anywhere else. #Populist despots always promise the earth then destroy their people and the rule of law, then crash in ignominy
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Millions across all 50 US states march in No Kings protests against Trump
Crowds of Americans, many in costumes, aligned behind message that US is sliding into authoritarianism
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
People know that in the face of creeping #autocracy and power grabbing demagogues, doing nothing can never be an option in the #USA nor anywhere else. #Populist despots always promise the earth then destroy their people and the rule of law, then crash in ignominy
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
#Google innovation? New ways to force AI subscription: cut Google One Premium benefits and then say: “To help with the transition, we are offering a special 50% discount on our Google AI Pro plan for 1 year, an upgraded plan which includes Home Premium and Fitbit Premium, plus Google AI features”
October 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
#Google innovation? New ways to force AI subscription: cut Google One Premium benefits and then say: “To help with the transition, we are offering a special 50% discount on our Google AI Pro plan for 1 year, an upgraded plan which includes Home Premium and Fitbit Premium, plus Google AI features”
What is it they say about knowing someone by the company they keep? Reportedly #NF found him “terrific” - maybe they just “pushed the boundaries of debate” a little beyond the fringe?
Nathan Gill is no fringe politician.
He was the leader of the Reform Party and before that UKIP in Wales.
A Brexit Party MEP.
A friend and ally of Nigel Farage, who in 2016 called him:
"terrific," and "as honest as the day is long."
This is a MASSIVE story
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
He was the leader of the Reform Party and before that UKIP in Wales.
A Brexit Party MEP.
A friend and ally of Nigel Farage, who in 2016 called him:
"terrific," and "as honest as the day is long."
This is a MASSIVE story
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reform UK's ex-Wales leader Nathan Gill admits pro-Russia bribery
Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 7:56 AM
What is it they say about knowing someone by the company they keep? Reportedly #NF found him “terrific” - maybe they just “pushed the boundaries of debate” a little beyond the fringe?
A little coffee break reading for #NF this morning and another brick in the wall of “I told you so” warnings the rest of us will wring our hands over, just like the #Brexit ones.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Farage, Trump, Musk: your boy Javier Milei just took one hell of a beating. Why so quiet? | Aditya Chakrabortty
The wild politics and chainsaw made Argentina’s president an economic hero for the right. And now, with his nation’s finances in chaos: silence, writes Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
www.theguardian.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:39 AM
A little coffee break reading for #NF this morning and another brick in the wall of “I told you so” warnings the rest of us will wring our hands over, just like the #Brexit ones.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
A multi-million $ business floating on click bait offers the defence “The images shared do not violate our policies and are back-to-school photos posted publicly by parents.” #Meta shrugging off responsibility and blaming users, what a surprise!
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Parents outraged as Meta uses photos of schoolgirls in ads targeting man
Exclusive: Instagram pictures of girls as young as 13 were posted to promote Threads site ‘as bait’, campaigner says
www.theguardian.com
September 20, 2025 at 11:55 AM
A multi-million $ business floating on click bait offers the defence “The images shared do not violate our policies and are back-to-school photos posted publicly by parents.” #Meta shrugging off responsibility and blaming users, what a surprise!
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Brian
Nigel Farage making his announcements at the Reform UK conference.
September 5, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Nigel Farage making his announcements at the Reform UK conference.
Saddest of all is the appeasement and imitation of Farage and his ilk by the Labour party. There is a hard core minority of little-Englanders, hiding behind the flag of St George who will not be happy until they have driven England back to the days of "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" Call them out!
Now Farage is dangerously predicting the collapse of this government within 2 years.
The media salivating on every word.
We have never been in so much danger as we are today.
Democracy is on the brink. Farage is a dangerous traitor.
The media salivating on every word.
We have never been in so much danger as we are today.
Democracy is on the brink. Farage is a dangerous traitor.
September 6, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Saddest of all is the appeasement and imitation of Farage and his ilk by the Labour party. There is a hard core minority of little-Englanders, hiding behind the flag of St George who will not be happy until they have driven England back to the days of "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" Call them out!
Maybe needs a bit of work to create a succinct slogan: “probably no single group of people – not in Britain or anywhere else – who are more prone to violence against women than the people now standing outside the hotels denouncing refugees.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Lessons from an asylum hotel counter-protest: calling our opponents ‘fascist’ doesn’t work | David Renton
When anti-asylum demonstrations have so much support from the mainstream, a smarter, more tailored message is needed, says campaigner and barrister David Renton
www.theguardian.com
August 29, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Maybe needs a bit of work to create a succinct slogan: “probably no single group of people – not in Britain or anywhere else – who are more prone to violence against women than the people now standing outside the hotels denouncing refugees.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
There is an underlying premise to much that is published in sections of the media and it is that Labour has not now, never has had and never should be recognised as having any legitimate claim to power.
Daily Telegraph today refers to A Rayner’s property “empire”. Whatever you think of her housing arrangements, I don’t think constituency house (bought for 375k in 2016), house in Hove, plus use of ministerial flat in London is an “empire”. Duke of Westminster wont fear a rival!
August 24, 2025 at 7:20 AM
There is an underlying premise to much that is published in sections of the media and it is that Labour has not now, never has had and never should be recognised as having any legitimate claim to power.
I’d add another recommendation to this timely reminder to enjoy the Mourne mountains and that is Hare’s Gap. This enters the Mournes from the other side and is one of the most magical mountain approaches anywhere.
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
In search of the UK’s finest mountain view: walking in Northern Ireland’s Mournes
Exploring the magical landscape that inspired Narnia and stars as a location in Game of Thrones – just an hour outside of Belfast
www.theguardian.com
July 11, 2025 at 7:44 AM
I’d add another recommendation to this timely reminder to enjoy the Mourne mountains and that is Hare’s Gap. This enters the Mournes from the other side and is one of the most magical mountain approaches anywhere.
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
For a refreshing alternative to what feels like an unimaginative approach from central government, read on (and thank you @andyburnham.bsky.social and team for offering a hopeful vision).
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
If ministers want to see how welfare reform can be done, come see us in Greater Manchester | Andy Burnham
Prevention beats cure in our view. Targeting issues like housing, personal debt and mental health will get people into work and cut the benefits bill, says Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham
www.theguardian.com
July 9, 2025 at 2:13 PM
For a refreshing alternative to what feels like an unimaginative approach from central government, read on (and thank you @andyburnham.bsky.social and team for offering a hopeful vision).
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Brian
Another reason Labour should be taking Lords reform more seriously (beyond its intrinsic merits) is that Reform (or a Reform like party) government would be able to pack it with their goons as things currently stand.
No-one is paying attention. No-one gives a damn. But one man is valiantly trying to make Labour stick by its manifesto commitment on constitutional reform. Tomorrow, we find out if he's succeeded.
iandunt.substack.com/p/this-wedne...
iandunt.substack.com/p/this-wedne...
This Wednesday: The last best hope for Lords reform
No-one is paying attention. No-one gives a damn. But one man is valiantly trying to make Labour stick by its manifesto commitment.
iandunt.substack.com
July 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Another reason Labour should be taking Lords reform more seriously (beyond its intrinsic merits) is that Reform (or a Reform like party) government would be able to pack it with their goons as things currently stand.
We all know roads can be pretty hazardous don’t we? But when a company claims to be making roads safer and building a learning network of data from its vehicles it’s a shock to discover the opposite. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘The vehicle suddenly accelerated with our baby in it’: the terrifying truth about why Tesla’s cars keep crashing
Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops o...
www.theguardian.com
July 5, 2025 at 6:40 AM
We all know roads can be pretty hazardous don’t we? But when a company claims to be making roads safer and building a learning network of data from its vehicles it’s a shock to discover the opposite. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
They are not inhuman, they are pandering to, exploiting and feeding off the all-too-human traits that brought Trump to power and which have brought other demagogues to power.
They are inhumane and a blight on humanity, but still very much human: the veneer of civilisation and civility is very thin.
They are inhumane and a blight on humanity, but still very much human: the veneer of civilisation and civility is very thin.
These people are inhuman.
Q: "A 75 year old Cuban national died in ICE custody. He had lived in the U.S. for 60 years...Is there anything you can tell us about that?"
Border Czar Tom Homan: "People die in ICE custody. People die in county jails. People die in state prisons."
Border Czar Tom Homan: "People die in ICE custody. People die in county jails. People die in state prisons."
July 1, 2025 at 9:19 AM
They are not inhuman, they are pandering to, exploiting and feeding off the all-too-human traits that brought Trump to power and which have brought other demagogues to power.
They are inhumane and a blight on humanity, but still very much human: the veneer of civilisation and civility is very thin.
They are inhumane and a blight on humanity, but still very much human: the veneer of civilisation and civility is very thin.
How is this even possible, an echo of the Highland Clearances, homes subject to the arbitrary whim of anonymous owners?
It's not town vs country, whatever the culture warriors might tell you. It's money and power vs people.
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
An entire village in Dorset is facing eviction – proof that private money holds all the power in rural England | George Monbiot
This scandalous story gives lie to the claim that the biggest threat to country life comes from city dwellers, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
June 28, 2025 at 7:36 AM
How is this even possible, an echo of the Highland Clearances, homes subject to the arbitrary whim of anonymous owners?
Is this true? In the 21st century, an echo of the Highland Clearances, on the whim of an anonymous landowner?
#homes #eviction #Dorset #LittleBredy
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#homes #eviction #Dorset #LittleBredy
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
An entire village in Dorset is facing eviction – proof that private money holds all the power in rural England | George Monbiot
This scandalous story gives lie to the claim that the biggest threat to country life comes from city dwellers, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
June 28, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Is this true? In the 21st century, an echo of the Highland Clearances, on the whim of an anonymous landowner?
#homes #eviction #Dorset #LittleBredy
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#homes #eviction #Dorset #LittleBredy
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
14 years in opposition to prepare for power. Nothing much else to do but speak to the electorate, listen and learn. Where’s the empathy, vision, Starmer’s missions? Labour may be in government but they don’t seem to be governing, but pushed along by the same currents as the Conservatives.
This article is bang on. Which you can't say about Labour.
Lives of quiet desperation: what the government doesn’t get.
Voters hoped for real change, but face more cuts, broken promises, and politics-as-usual – despair deepens across the UK.
Voters hoped for real change, but face more cuts, broken promises, and politics-as-usual – despair deepens across the UK.
May 29, 2025 at 9:29 AM
14 years in opposition to prepare for power. Nothing much else to do but speak to the electorate, listen and learn. Where’s the empathy, vision, Starmer’s missions? Labour may be in government but they don’t seem to be governing, but pushed along by the same currents as the Conservatives.
Reposted by Brian
This piece articulates brilliantly how the far-right milk tragic events for their own ends. Read it.
The Liverpool attack wasn’t terrorism. But the far-right didn’t wait for facts – they had a script ready.
This piece by The Bear cuts through the noise to show how outrage is manufactured.
Read how this works ⤵️
@eastangliabylines.co.uk @bearlypolitics.co.uk
This piece by The Bear cuts through the noise to show how outrage is manufactured.
Read how this works ⤵️
@eastangliabylines.co.uk @bearlypolitics.co.uk
What the Liverpool incident tells us about the new culture war
Forty-seven people were injured. The facts were clear. But the far-right had already written the script
eastangliabylines.co.uk
May 28, 2025 at 10:39 AM
This piece articulates brilliantly how the far-right milk tragic events for their own ends. Read it.
It's fair to assume we voted in 2024 for a change from how the Conservatives governed, behaved and thought. Does it feel like a sea change now? Labour must be different, look different, feel different. Instant miracles? No, but a tangible sense of change for the better permeating policy, yes please.
Starmer and co are trashing Labour’s legacy. We must take back control of our party – before it’s too late | John McDonnell
Starmer and co are trashing Labour’s legacy. We must take back control of our party – before it’s too late | John McDonnell
Today’s government is unrecognisable from the party I joined as a young man. If we don’t act now, it might be lost for ever, says independent MP John McDonnell
www.theguardian.com
May 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
It's fair to assume we voted in 2024 for a change from how the Conservatives governed, behaved and thought. Does it feel like a sea change now? Labour must be different, look different, feel different. Instant miracles? No, but a tangible sense of change for the better permeating policy, yes please.
Brexiteers should be legally obliged to wear this graph (from ONS, published in Guardian) pinned next to their EU migration disinformation (Remember this? “EU loophole could see 77 MILLION Turks head to Britain, warn Farage and Johnson” Express).
Simply, clearly fact check their every utterance.
Simply, clearly fact check their every utterance.
May 20, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Brexiteers should be legally obliged to wear this graph (from ONS, published in Guardian) pinned next to their EU migration disinformation (Remember this? “EU loophole could see 77 MILLION Turks head to Britain, warn Farage and Johnson” Express).
Simply, clearly fact check their every utterance.
Simply, clearly fact check their every utterance.
VE Day
If you watch nothing else on TV today at least go to BBC iPlayer (VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute) and see the Sophie Raworth interviews with Ruth Klauber (101 years old, RAF veteran airframe mechanic). We forget the wisdom of such seniors at our peril.
#VEDay
If you watch nothing else on TV today at least go to BBC iPlayer (VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute) and see the Sophie Raworth interviews with Ruth Klauber (101 years old, RAF veteran airframe mechanic). We forget the wisdom of such seniors at our peril.
#VEDay
May 5, 2025 at 1:07 PM
VE Day
If you watch nothing else on TV today at least go to BBC iPlayer (VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute) and see the Sophie Raworth interviews with Ruth Klauber (101 years old, RAF veteran airframe mechanic). We forget the wisdom of such seniors at our peril.
#VEDay
If you watch nothing else on TV today at least go to BBC iPlayer (VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute) and see the Sophie Raworth interviews with Ruth Klauber (101 years old, RAF veteran airframe mechanic). We forget the wisdom of such seniors at our peril.
#VEDay
I look back with some pride at the way that generation of adults survived, drained but determined to make the world a better place. And they did.
Please God, don’t let us betray them. We must not forget and we must never let it happen again.
We will remember them.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Please God, don’t let us betray them. We must not forget and we must never let it happen again.
We will remember them.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
May 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
I look back with some pride at the way that generation of adults survived, drained but determined to make the world a better place. And they did.
Please God, don’t let us betray them. We must not forget and we must never let it happen again.
We will remember them.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Please God, don’t let us betray them. We must not forget and we must never let it happen again.
We will remember them.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Even in death, perhaps Pope Francis has brought about something that allows a glimmer of hope?
(Image from @theguardian.com)
(Image from @theguardian.com)
April 26, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Even in death, perhaps Pope Francis has brought about something that allows a glimmer of hope?
(Image from @theguardian.com)
(Image from @theguardian.com)
“It’s telling that Trump should be enraged by a president who thinks constitutions have to be respected.”
“There is no mystery to Trump. It’s all plain to see – the habits of the vandal, the autocrat, the gangster and the fool”
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
“There is no mystery to Trump. It’s all plain to see – the habits of the vandal, the autocrat, the gangster and the fool”
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Ukraine has exposed Trump’s true identity: as a vandal, an autocrat, a gangster and a fool | Jonathan Freedland
This presidency places authoritarian ambition above all – and now the people of Ukraine are paying the price, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
April 26, 2025 at 5:46 AM
“It’s telling that Trump should be enraged by a president who thinks constitutions have to be respected.”
“There is no mystery to Trump. It’s all plain to see – the habits of the vandal, the autocrat, the gangster and the fool”
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
“There is no mystery to Trump. It’s all plain to see – the habits of the vandal, the autocrat, the gangster and the fool”
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...