John Lyle
@johnlyle.com
British parent with interests in technology, security, and 90s computer games. Previously a software engineer at a large social network (not this one). He/him.
Reposted by John Lyle
Whatever else this government do (and there's plenty of issues with this budget) ministers will always be able to point to this as an incredible important contribution to the country's future. Almost half a million kids taken out of poverty.
Scrapping the two-child limit in full is a monumental decision. Well done to all involved in the Child Poverty Strategy, and everyone who has made the case against the policy.
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
November 26, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Whatever else this government do (and there's plenty of issues with this budget) ministers will always be able to point to this as an incredible important contribution to the country's future. Almost half a million kids taken out of poverty.
Reposted by John Lyle
🚨WOW! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 47,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 50,000 tonight. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 25, 2025 at 7:51 PM
🚨WOW! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 47,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 50,000 tonight. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
I am not American so likely misunderstanding - but it seems OK to reopen the government for a few months so that people have a better time over the holidays and you have all the same leverage in January plus (potentially) an opportunity to get what you want.
The optics are pretty terrible though.
The optics are pretty terrible though.
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 AM
I am not American so likely misunderstanding - but it seems OK to reopen the government for a few months so that people have a better time over the holidays and you have all the same leverage in January plus (potentially) an opportunity to get what you want.
The optics are pretty terrible though.
The optics are pretty terrible though.
The most BBC news story - about itself, negative, and in the passive voice.
November 9, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The most BBC news story - about itself, negative, and in the passive voice.
Totally agree, I hope we see a substantial tax rise coupled with removing the two-child benefit cap and a bit more fiscal headroom. Ideally also some reform of council tax bands, but I won’t hold my breath.
Go big.
2.5p with 0.5p earmarked for local government.
And make the case for it and why those who oppose it are charlatans who aren't being straight with people.
And next time obey Clegg's law: don't promise things you can't deliver.
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
2.5p with 0.5p earmarked for local government.
And make the case for it and why those who oppose it are charlatans who aren't being straight with people.
And next time obey Clegg's law: don't promise things you can't deliver.
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
The chancellor is stuck between a fiscal rock and a polit...
With the budget looming, Rachel Reeves must decide whether to put up the basic rate
observer.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Totally agree, I hope we see a substantial tax rise coupled with removing the two-child benefit cap and a bit more fiscal headroom. Ideally also some reform of council tax bands, but I won’t hold my breath.
Reposted by John Lyle
'Manufactured panic': Immigration not near top of most people's concerns, poll suggests
'Manufactured panic': Immigration not near top of most people's concerns, poll suggests
Only a quarter of people think immigration is an important issue locally - and concern about it is "a manufactured panic," it has been claimed.
news.sky.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:23 AM
'Manufactured panic': Immigration not near top of most people's concerns, poll suggests
Same. Was the earlier internet experience more relaxed, less serious, and generally better or was I just younger and paying less attention? Probably both.
One weird thing having grown up as the Internet developed (I was born in 1982) is that I can't tell if it's actually become a more anxious experience to be a user, or if I just became an older, more anxious person?
October 25, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Same. Was the earlier internet experience more relaxed, less serious, and generally better or was I just younger and paying less attention? Probably both.
Reposted by John Lyle
🚨 PMQ's 🚨
PM: "I think four councillors in Kent have just been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute."
"I mean, that is, bringing the party into disrepute is quite something for a party whose Welsh leader accepts Russian bribes to spread Putin's propaganda."
PM: "I think four councillors in Kent have just been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute."
"I mean, that is, bringing the party into disrepute is quite something for a party whose Welsh leader accepts Russian bribes to spread Putin's propaganda."
October 22, 2025 at 11:45 AM
🚨 PMQ's 🚨
PM: "I think four councillors in Kent have just been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute."
"I mean, that is, bringing the party into disrepute is quite something for a party whose Welsh leader accepts Russian bribes to spread Putin's propaganda."
PM: "I think four councillors in Kent have just been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute."
"I mean, that is, bringing the party into disrepute is quite something for a party whose Welsh leader accepts Russian bribes to spread Putin's propaganda."
Reposted by John Lyle
I hate to pull the immigrant card, but as an immigrant, it feels awful when elected MPs say I ‘need to go home’ and propose stripping me and all other immigrants of all our legal rights to live here. No, anywhere immigrants move is their home. The UK is my home.
October 21, 2025 at 11:28 AM
I hate to pull the immigrant card, but as an immigrant, it feels awful when elected MPs say I ‘need to go home’ and propose stripping me and all other immigrants of all our legal rights to live here. No, anywhere immigrants move is their home. The UK is my home.
“Start ticking off that festive to-do list.”
It’s October you bastards.
It’s October you bastards.
October 15, 2025 at 10:10 PM
“Start ticking off that festive to-do list.”
It’s October you bastards.
It’s October you bastards.
Well that's bad news. Are our AI overlords trying to fool us into thinking we've still got most of this year's work to do?
October 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Well that's bad news. Are our AI overlords trying to fool us into thinking we've still got most of this year's work to do?
Reposted by John Lyle
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
September 27, 2025 at 10:05 AM
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...
One mistake Labour made is that they thought at the end of the election they could stop campaigning. Unfortunately, in this information climate, you have to constantly campaign and strengthen the sentiment of your voters or someone else is going to do it.
Also have better policies, obviously.
Also have better policies, obviously.
September 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
One mistake Labour made is that they thought at the end of the election they could stop campaigning. Unfortunately, in this information climate, you have to constantly campaign and strengthen the sentiment of your voters or someone else is going to do it.
Also have better policies, obviously.
Also have better policies, obviously.
Reposted by John Lyle
This whole summer only one story has dominated our entire politics & it comes down to literally 30,000 people in hotels. Ridiculous.
The government needs to get a GRIP it’s pathetic.
The government needs to get a GRIP it’s pathetic.
August 30, 2025 at 12:05 PM
This whole summer only one story has dominated our entire politics & it comes down to literally 30,000 people in hotels. Ridiculous.
The government needs to get a GRIP it’s pathetic.
The government needs to get a GRIP it’s pathetic.
I love using Bluesky but it is full of people (in the comments of this post) who inexplicably believe that declining activity rates would apparently be a _good thing_ rather than a long-term existential threat to a community.
Bluesky has a growth problem
Bluesky has hit 38M monthly users, up 8M since March
Once adding 5M users per month, it’s now slowed to 1.6M. A 60% drop
But post volume is falling—more users, less activity
It risks becoming a ghost town with a loyal but shrinking core
#bluesky #fediverse
Bluesky has hit 38M monthly users, up 8M since March
Once adding 5M users per month, it’s now slowed to 1.6M. A 60% drop
But post volume is falling—more users, less activity
It risks becoming a ghost town with a loyal but shrinking core
#bluesky #fediverse
Bluesky Reaches 38 Million Users, Though Post Volume is Declining
Bluesky’s growth momentum has slowed, but it is still growing.
www.socialmediatoday.com
August 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I love using Bluesky but it is full of people (in the comments of this post) who inexplicably believe that declining activity rates would apparently be a _good thing_ rather than a long-term existential threat to a community.
Reposted by John Lyle
It's hard to write stories about chilling effects, because... how do you write about the absence of something? But the silence is also deafening, and notable.
Good piece by @caseynewton.bsky.social
www.platformer.news/trustcon-tru...
Good piece by @caseynewton.bsky.social
www.platformer.news/trustcon-tru...
Is anyone left to defend trust and safety?
It’s under assault this year from users, politicians, and their own executives — but the industry has responded with silence
www.platformer.news
July 25, 2025 at 5:33 PM
It's hard to write stories about chilling effects, because... how do you write about the absence of something? But the silence is also deafening, and notable.
Good piece by @caseynewton.bsky.social
www.platformer.news/trustcon-tru...
Good piece by @caseynewton.bsky.social
www.platformer.news/trustcon-tru...
Remove the two-child cap. Raise income taxes slightly. There are a lot of tough trade-offs in politics but this isn’t one of them.
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Two-child cap 'to stay' despite welfare retreat #TomorrowsPapersToday
July 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Remove the two-child cap. Raise income taxes slightly. There are a lot of tough trade-offs in politics but this isn’t one of them.
I heard there were going to be lots of shortages of things in America due to the tariffs (and empty container ships) particularly from Chinese imports. Did that ever happen? Or did the subsequent reductions calm everything down?
E.g., follow-ups to articles like this:
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/u...
E.g., follow-ups to articles like this:
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/u...
June 28, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I heard there were going to be lots of shortages of things in America due to the tariffs (and empty container ships) particularly from Chinese imports. Did that ever happen? Or did the subsequent reductions calm everything down?
E.g., follow-ups to articles like this:
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/u...
E.g., follow-ups to articles like this:
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/u...
Bloody hell, Sinners is a great film.
April 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Bloody hell, Sinners is a great film.
Reposted by John Lyle
Farage echoes JFK Jrs sick, twisted rhetoric re autism/SEND👇🏼🤬
There’s no depths the toxic, little turd won’t plunge, chasing attention, power and to please his right wing financial backers❗️
He claims learning difficulties are hugely over diagnosed in the UK
Well I diagnose him a parasitic pr*ck 🤷🏼♂️
There’s no depths the toxic, little turd won’t plunge, chasing attention, power and to please his right wing financial backers❗️
He claims learning difficulties are hugely over diagnosed in the UK
Well I diagnose him a parasitic pr*ck 🤷🏼♂️
Farage Slammed Over 1 'Wildly Inaccurate' Claim About Children's Health
The Reform UK leader previously insisted: "I’m not being heartless, I’m being frank."
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
April 24, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Farage echoes JFK Jrs sick, twisted rhetoric re autism/SEND👇🏼🤬
There’s no depths the toxic, little turd won’t plunge, chasing attention, power and to please his right wing financial backers❗️
He claims learning difficulties are hugely over diagnosed in the UK
Well I diagnose him a parasitic pr*ck 🤷🏼♂️
There’s no depths the toxic, little turd won’t plunge, chasing attention, power and to please his right wing financial backers❗️
He claims learning difficulties are hugely over diagnosed in the UK
Well I diagnose him a parasitic pr*ck 🤷🏼♂️
Reposted by John Lyle
Being disabled does not make someone “a victim”, Nigel Farage. Having state support to go to school does not make someone “a victim” either.
These kind of remarks are in many ways why I wrote Who Wants Normal? Disabled young people deserve more than this vile narrative.
These kind of remarks are in many ways why I wrote Who Wants Normal? Disabled young people deserve more than this vile narrative.
![Asked at this press conference about the rising number of children diagnosed with Send, and what could be done to help them, Farage replied:
It’s a massive problem. I have to say, for my own money, when you get to 18 and you put somebody on a disability register, unemployed, with a high level of benefits, you’re telling people aged 18 that they’re that they’re victims. And if you are told you’re a victim, and you think you’re a victim, you are likely to stay [a victim].
So many of these diagnoses, for Send before 18, for disability register after 18 – so many of these have been conducted on Zoom, with the family GP.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dckjoluraublavhlr4a2lirv/bafkreigfvddmol7sp6pnixnej3bwyj6gp5upnhxhdcqj6ubgbs6iqelmya@jpeg)
April 24, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Being disabled does not make someone “a victim”, Nigel Farage. Having state support to go to school does not make someone “a victim” either.
These kind of remarks are in many ways why I wrote Who Wants Normal? Disabled young people deserve more than this vile narrative.
These kind of remarks are in many ways why I wrote Who Wants Normal? Disabled young people deserve more than this vile narrative.
It takes a true arsehole to decide that the REAL problem is children with special educational needs.
If you know how expensive and hard it is to get a diagnosis for a child, you will also know how WILDLY fucked up this is.
If you know how expensive and hard it is to get a diagnosis for a child, you will also know how WILDLY fucked up this is.
Farage sparks furious backlash after claiming children with special educational needs are ‘over diagnosed’
Farage sparks furious backlash over children’s mental health jibe
www.independent.co.uk
April 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
It takes a true arsehole to decide that the REAL problem is children with special educational needs.
If you know how expensive and hard it is to get a diagnosis for a child, you will also know how WILDLY fucked up this is.
If you know how expensive and hard it is to get a diagnosis for a child, you will also know how WILDLY fucked up this is.
Stand up for trans rights 🏳️⚧️
Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollback of trans rights in the UK.
goodlawproject.org/s/851fc4
Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollback of trans rights in the UK.
goodlawproject.org/s/851fc4
Fighting fund for trans rights | Good Law Project
Stand up for trans rights 🏳️⚧️ Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollbacks on trans rights in the UK.
goodlawproject.org
April 18, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Stand up for trans rights 🏳️⚧️
Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollback of trans rights in the UK.
goodlawproject.org/s/851fc4
Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollback of trans rights in the UK.
goodlawproject.org/s/851fc4
“The Trump administration intends to terminate US financial support for Gavi, an organization that saved millions of lives over the past 25yrs by helping purchase vaccines for children in developing countries, as well as to significantly scale back support for efforts to combat malaria”.
Today's news roundup:
-EU rejects Russia's demand for truce sanctions relief
-Trump admin floats banning some colleges from having foreign students over Gaza protests
-Bolsonaro to stand trial over alleged coup plot
-Sudan's army recaptures Khartoum from RSF
👇
www.justsecurity.org/109664/early...
-EU rejects Russia's demand for truce sanctions relief
-Trump admin floats banning some colleges from having foreign students over Gaza protests
-Bolsonaro to stand trial over alleged coup plot
-Sudan's army recaptures Khartoum from RSF
👇
www.justsecurity.org/109664/early...
Early Edition: March 27, 2025
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours.
www.justsecurity.org
March 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
“The Trump administration intends to terminate US financial support for Gavi, an organization that saved millions of lives over the past 25yrs by helping purchase vaccines for children in developing countries, as well as to significantly scale back support for efforts to combat malaria”.