@lemondifficult.bsky.social
Please adopt my hobby-horses as your own
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Remember when everyone was like "why are PIP claims going up" and I was like "isn't it obvious? People have no money, and disabled people are poorer on average" and some people tried to roast me for it
Well...
Well...
November 26, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Remember when everyone was like "why are PIP claims going up" and I was like "isn't it obvious? People have no money, and disabled people are poorer on average" and some people tried to roast me for it
Well...
Well...
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can't believe this was because of the cost of living crisis and the pandemic rather than a bunch of 50-something guys with musculoskeletal disease watching "sickfluencers" on tiktok
November 26, 2025 at 1:03 PM
can't believe this was because of the cost of living crisis and the pandemic rather than a bunch of 50-something guys with musculoskeletal disease watching "sickfluencers" on tiktok
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This has my full agreement: bsky.app/profile/nadi...
The OBR says the rise in claims was linked to the cost of living crisis
The way disabled people have been vilified over PIP, as if they were trying to play the system, was disgusting & shameful
Hacks & commentators that engaged in the grotesque demonisation of disabled people should be ashamed.
The way disabled people have been vilified over PIP, as if they were trying to play the system, was disgusting & shameful
Hacks & commentators that engaged in the grotesque demonisation of disabled people should be ashamed.
New PIP claims are starting to decline
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
This has my full agreement: bsky.app/profile/nadi...
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Another way of looking at this, of course, is that if you took the triple lock out of the equation, the benefits bill would very likely roughly be increasing in line with projected inflation *if that*
November 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Another way of looking at this, of course, is that if you took the triple lock out of the equation, the benefits bill would very likely roughly be increasing in line with projected inflation *if that*
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Before she died, Alice Wong was kind enough to give me an interview for my book, Who Wants Normal?
Here’s her wonderful advice to disabled women (from the Guardian extract): www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Here’s her wonderful advice to disabled women (from the Guardian extract): www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
November 17, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Before she died, Alice Wong was kind enough to give me an interview for my book, Who Wants Normal?
Here’s her wonderful advice to disabled women (from the Guardian extract): www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Here’s her wonderful advice to disabled women (from the Guardian extract): www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
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I can speak only for 'elderly long-time Labour voters in the Northwest' - i.e. my relatives - but there is a real and deep feeling of rage about his adoption of the right's language on immigration and race among them.
November 14, 2025 at 11:21 PM
I can speak only for 'elderly long-time Labour voters in the Northwest' - i.e. my relatives - but there is a real and deep feeling of rage about his adoption of the right's language on immigration and race among them.
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BBC really burying the lede there
November 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
BBC really burying the lede there
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www.facebook.com/share/p/19C1...
My friend Mark Mardell was chucked off his Turkish Airlines flight at the weekend because he had Parkinson’s and his son had asked for assistance for him. (He’s written about it as a public post on Facebook but the link is proving hard to share outside,)
My friend Mark Mardell was chucked off his Turkish Airlines flight at the weekend because he had Parkinson’s and his son had asked for assistance for him. (He’s written about it as a public post on Facebook but the link is proving hard to share outside,)
October 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM
www.facebook.com/share/p/19C1...
My friend Mark Mardell was chucked off his Turkish Airlines flight at the weekend because he had Parkinson’s and his son had asked for assistance for him. (He’s written about it as a public post on Facebook but the link is proving hard to share outside,)
My friend Mark Mardell was chucked off his Turkish Airlines flight at the weekend because he had Parkinson’s and his son had asked for assistance for him. (He’s written about it as a public post on Facebook but the link is proving hard to share outside,)
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Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?
Reform’s Sarah Pochin forced to apologise after claiming adverts 'full of black people' drive her 'mad’ | LBC
The Runcorn and Helsby MP was responding to a viewer live on air who complained about the demographics of advertising.
www.lbc.co.uk
October 26, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?
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The quotes in this are so fucking bad I had to check several times it wasn’t a deep fake
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform UK MP says seeing adverts 'full of Black people' drives her 'mad'
Sarah Pochin was responding to a question about whether her party will do anything about the 'representation of demographics in TV adverts', and claimed white people were 'demonised'
www.mirror.co.uk
October 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The quotes in this are so fucking bad I had to check several times it wasn’t a deep fake
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
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You may have heard about UK ministers' plan to double to 10 years the time needed to reached settled status in the UK. But did you realise that it threatened access to pensions for the 180,000 people who came from Hong Kong on the UK government's visa scheme? My dispatch: www.ft.com/content/8b91...
UK Hongkongers rue the rockiness of their ‘lifeboat’ after threatened visa changes
People who fled Chinese territory are angry after London looks at doubling length of time required to gain citizenship
www.ft.com
October 22, 2025 at 6:21 AM
You may have heard about UK ministers' plan to double to 10 years the time needed to reached settled status in the UK. But did you realise that it threatened access to pensions for the 180,000 people who came from Hong Kong on the UK government's visa scheme? My dispatch: www.ft.com/content/8b91...
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But on top of that - these figures are *net* figures - they're not all-or-nothing. People who pay lots in tax still use some public provision, while people out of work and on benefits still pay some tax. There's no "something for nothing" here .
samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
October 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
But on top of that - these figures are *net* figures - they're not all-or-nothing. People who pay lots in tax still use some public provision, while people out of work and on benefits still pay some tax. There's no "something for nothing" here .
samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
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"There is no universe in which Sam Ashworth-Hayes – or any of Britain’s array of overpaid columnists, commentators and ideological wonks – is more valuable to this country than a care worker"
I wrote for @samfr.bsky.social's Substack on benefits and "contribution" samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
I wrote for @samfr.bsky.social's Substack on benefits and "contribution" samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
The "something for nothing" myth
How should we value people's contribution to the country?
samf.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
"There is no universe in which Sam Ashworth-Hayes – or any of Britain’s array of overpaid columnists, commentators and ideological wonks – is more valuable to this country than a care worker"
I wrote for @samfr.bsky.social's Substack on benefits and "contribution" samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
I wrote for @samfr.bsky.social's Substack on benefits and "contribution" samf.substack.com/p/the-someth...
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+/ I am a prime example of somebody with quite significant mental health/neurodiversity issues who can work with certain adjustments, the right medication and medical support
And I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing people mock others like me because they don’t have a voice or are easy targets
And I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing people mock others like me because they don’t have a voice or are easy targets
October 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
+/ I am a prime example of somebody with quite significant mental health/neurodiversity issues who can work with certain adjustments, the right medication and medical support
And I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing people mock others like me because they don’t have a voice or are easy targets
And I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing people mock others like me because they don’t have a voice or are easy targets
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I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
October 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
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It's quite wrong to suggest Robert Jenrick is a racist. Racists believe in something. My SKETCH.
Rob whistle | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine
The day had begun with Robert Jenrick accused of racism. This is of course quite unfair. Racists believe in something. Some of us remember Jenrick as a chubby-cheeked fan of David Cameron fighting the…
thecritic.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
It's quite wrong to suggest Robert Jenrick is a racist. Racists believe in something. My SKETCH.
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It does just feel like there's something Jenrick is trying to say.
thecritic.co.uk/rob-...
thecritic.co.uk/rob-...
October 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
It does just feel like there's something Jenrick is trying to say.
thecritic.co.uk/rob-...
thecritic.co.uk/rob-...
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The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth
October 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth
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Current proposals will make it even harder for people with cancer to get financial support for the extra costs it brings. Scrapping WCA means many patients will have to meet PIP criteria instead. PIP currently fails to recognise the specific and unique ways cancer treatment disables people.
"Abolishing the WCA without ensuring the PIP assessment is more inclusive could result in people receiving no support," said @rachaelmaskell.bsky.social.
"This will particularly impact, for example, someone recovering from cancer or a serious accident." www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
"This will particularly impact, for example, someone recovering from cancer or a serious accident." www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
Labour faces another mass rebellion over reforms to universal credit
Welfare secretary Pat McFadden plans further reforms to the benefits system, expected to include abolishing the work capability assessment.
www.bigissue.com
October 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Current proposals will make it even harder for people with cancer to get financial support for the extra costs it brings. Scrapping WCA means many patients will have to meet PIP criteria instead. PIP currently fails to recognise the specific and unique ways cancer treatment disables people.
Is the NHS run in patients' interests? This surgeon is currently working as a mentor to other surgeons at the hospital where she can contributed to seven deaths. The hospital plans to allow her to resume her surgical career shortly www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Surgeon whose failures contributed to several deaths continues to work for NHS
Karen Booth carried out operations she wasn’t skilled enough to perform, an investigation found.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Is the NHS run in patients' interests? This surgeon is currently working as a mentor to other surgeons at the hospital where she can contributed to seven deaths. The hospital plans to allow her to resume her surgical career shortly www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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First time this guy has ever made me laugh
September 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
First time this guy has ever made me laugh
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‘I’m not racist but went on a Tommy Robinson march’.
September 29, 2025 at 9:55 AM
‘I’m not racist but went on a Tommy Robinson march’.
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Can we stop doing this? There is no sense in debating whether people are themselves racist, or sexist, or homophobic, if the context for this debate is how these people have done racist, sexist or homophobic things
Supporting Reform’s ‘racist policy’ does not make voters racist, says Rachel Reeves – UK politics live
Supporting Reform’s ‘racist policy’ does not make voters racist, says Rachel Reeves – UK politics live
Chancellor backs Keir Starmer’s statement that policy to end indefinite leave to remain is racist, but says many Reform supporters would be ‘horrified’ by it
Q: You are saying you don’t call supporters of Reform racist. But it looks as if you don’t understand people’s concerns.
Reeves says the government should call out policies that are wrong. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 29, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Can we stop doing this? There is no sense in debating whether people are themselves racist, or sexist, or homophobic, if the context for this debate is how these people have done racist, sexist or homophobic things
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Welfare spending is 10.8% as a proportion of GDP and was 10% in 2001. (And the increase is nearly all pensions). Apparently it's now out of control. It's just absolutely bog standard right wing paper talking points.
September 29, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Welfare spending is 10.8% as a proportion of GDP and was 10% in 2001. (And the increase is nearly all pensions). Apparently it's now out of control. It's just absolutely bog standard right wing paper talking points.
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Welfare spending was only fractionally lower as a proportion of GDP than now. Asylum numbers were almost as high. The triple lock was introduced by the party he's now joining for their fiscal probity...
It's just wrong.
It's just wrong.
September 29, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Welfare spending was only fractionally lower as a proportion of GDP than now. Asylum numbers were almost as high. The triple lock was introduced by the party he's now joining for their fiscal probity...
It's just wrong.
It's just wrong.