Julian Le Vay
@julianle.bsky.social
Retired public servant in Oxford. We tend our allotment, listen to Bach. I make glass. Our civilisation is crashing. Curse those who opened the gates to Evil.
Somebody said to me, "there's always hope". No: sometimes there isn't, not if you understand things clearly, & this is one of those times. I think most people know that, secretly. It's not a time for hope, but for endurance, & for knowing who you are, & staying true to that, no matter what.
February 18, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Somebody said to me, "there's always hope". No: sometimes there isn't, not if you understand things clearly, & this is one of those times. I think most people know that, secretly. It's not a time for hope, but for endurance, & for knowing who you are, & staying true to that, no matter what.
This government has the marks of death on it. Postponing elections was a gift to the opposition, now dropped because govt lawyers said they'd lose a legal challenge by Reform. Either govt went ahead without legal advice or the advice was crap or the advice was good but ministers ignored it. WHICH?
February 16, 2026 at 7:36 PM
This government has the marks of death on it. Postponing elections was a gift to the opposition, now dropped because govt lawyers said they'd lose a legal challenge by Reform. Either govt went ahead without legal advice or the advice was crap or the advice was good but ministers ignored it. WHICH?
Nothing illustrates the bankruptcy of the democrat party so much as the fact that they are now marginally ahead in polls for the midterms. Marginally ahead of a murderous, crackpot, racist, economically self-destructive government
February 16, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Nothing illustrates the bankruptcy of the democrat party so much as the fact that they are now marginally ahead in polls for the midterms. Marginally ahead of a murderous, crackpot, racist, economically self-destructive government
I support the Green Party, except for their policies
February 16, 2026 at 2:49 PM
I support the Green Party, except for their policies
She used to be a decent person. Now a robot
February 15, 2026 at 10:57 AM
She used to be a decent person. Now a robot
Remembering Alexei Navalny, fearless campaigner for democracy and against corruption in Russia, murdered by Putin in a Siberian prison on 16.2.24. A great loss to Russia. But Russia has always murdered its best.
February 15, 2026 at 7:10 AM
Remembering Alexei Navalny, fearless campaigner for democracy and against corruption in Russia, murdered by Putin in a Siberian prison on 16.2.24. A great loss to Russia. But Russia has always murdered its best.
Always good to know Simon Jenkins' views. He's so reliable, if he's against something, it's probably a good thing. If he's in favour it's almost certainly crap.
February 13, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Always good to know Simon Jenkins' views. He's so reliable, if he's against something, it's probably a good thing. If he's in favour it's almost certainly crap.
Out of 404 Labour MPs not one looks a credible Prime Minister, including the present occupant. Compare with Wilson's Cabinet: Dennis Healey, Roy Jenkins, Barbara Castle, Anthony Crossland, Richard Crossman, Jim Callaghan. Many wrote books about their political beliefs. Imagine Wes writing a book!
February 12, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Out of 404 Labour MPs not one looks a credible Prime Minister, including the present occupant. Compare with Wilson's Cabinet: Dennis Healey, Roy Jenkins, Barbara Castle, Anthony Crossland, Richard Crossman, Jim Callaghan. Many wrote books about their political beliefs. Imagine Wes writing a book!
Bach draws one to God just as Mahler draws one to Death
February 12, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Bach draws one to God just as Mahler draws one to Death
Politics is not a way of solving our problems: it is a way of making them worse.
February 11, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Politics is not a way of solving our problems: it is a way of making them worse.
I also have my criticisms of HM Treasury, but..... Birmingham? Cruel and unusual punishment
February 11, 2026 at 2:24 PM
I also have my criticisms of HM Treasury, but..... Birmingham? Cruel and unusual punishment
The worst of all worlds. An utterly discredited Starmer, who now commands the confidence of no one, staggers on, leading the party to catastrophic defeat at the hands of Farage. Finis.
February 10, 2026 at 8:32 AM
The worst of all worlds. An utterly discredited Starmer, who now commands the confidence of no one, staggers on, leading the party to catastrophic defeat at the hands of Farage. Finis.
Read this and weep for base, vile humanity.
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 10, 2026 at 6:57 AM
Read this and weep for base, vile humanity.
Seriously, does anyone really believe anymore that a decent future is possible for this country?
February 9, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Seriously, does anyone really believe anymore that a decent future is possible for this country?
The story is old as history: the King tries to save himself by sacrificing an over-mighty courtier to his uppity barons, now the barons demand he listens to them, but they don't speak with one voice. Eventually a new courtier rises.... For the peasants, of course, nothing ever changes.
February 9, 2026 at 7:57 AM
The story is old as history: the King tries to save himself by sacrificing an over-mighty courtier to his uppity barons, now the barons demand he listens to them, but they don't speak with one voice. Eventually a new courtier rises.... For the peasants, of course, nothing ever changes.
I'm not a party supporter nor an ideologue and if I vote, it's because of the person not the label. I'd settle for a PM who won't take a penny from anyone nor allow his staff to do so, is clear what he stands for and shows it every day, who understands what the world is and what are problems are,
February 8, 2026 at 3:37 PM
I'm not a party supporter nor an ideologue and if I vote, it's because of the person not the label. I'd settle for a PM who won't take a penny from anyone nor allow his staff to do so, is clear what he stands for and shows it every day, who understands what the world is and what are problems are,
"Speak, hands, for me! Oh - on second thoughts -not just yet." Understandable that Labour leadership hopefuls prefer to wait for an electoral disaster before declaring themselves. But it looks much like the same sort of cowardly non-leadership we've got now, doesn't it?
February 8, 2026 at 8:25 AM
"Speak, hands, for me! Oh - on second thoughts -not just yet." Understandable that Labour leadership hopefuls prefer to wait for an electoral disaster before declaring themselves. But it looks much like the same sort of cowardly non-leadership we've got now, doesn't it?
A reminder that Trump remains far more popular in America than Starmer or Macron are in their countries. In a room of 10 Americans, four of them today think that Trump is doing a great job. That essentially is why America can never recover.
February 5, 2026 at 8:28 AM
A reminder that Trump remains far more popular in America than Starmer or Macron are in their countries. In a room of 10 Americans, four of them today think that Trump is doing a great job. That essentially is why America can never recover.
What keeps me sane: Bach. Recent CD by Vikingur Olafsson is stupendous, and also, as O. says, shows how Bach is endlessly being reinterpreted, reworked. I came very late to Bach, but it's changed everything. To think that Beethoven was once the centre of my universe!
February 4, 2026 at 9:03 PM
What keeps me sane: Bach. Recent CD by Vikingur Olafsson is stupendous, and also, as O. says, shows how Bach is endlessly being reinterpreted, reworked. I came very late to Bach, but it's changed everything. To think that Beethoven was once the centre of my universe!
Morgan McSweeney. Of course, he must go. But why are there ALWAYS creeps like that in Labour, control freaks, anti democrats, anti radical, secretive, without values, without integrity, full time professional SHITS?
February 4, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Morgan McSweeney. Of course, he must go. But why are there ALWAYS creeps like that in Labour, control freaks, anti democrats, anti radical, secretive, without values, without integrity, full time professional SHITS?
This is wonderful news and a body blow against the Zionist lobby in government and media.
February 4, 2026 at 2:41 PM
This is wonderful news and a body blow against the Zionist lobby in government and media.
I've just summarised the Mandelson saga for a friend who blessedly does not follow the news. She listened patiently then asked simply 'What does it mean?". I had to think. I said, it means that we've been wrong about our society for a long time perhaps forever. We thought that the rich and
February 3, 2026 at 2:53 PM
I've just summarised the Mandelson saga for a friend who blessedly does not follow the news. She listened patiently then asked simply 'What does it mean?". I had to think. I said, it means that we've been wrong about our society for a long time perhaps forever. We thought that the rich and
The real problem with America
February 2, 2026 at 9:51 AM
The real problem with America