sasha baker
@sasha98.bsky.social
freelance investigative journalist, 2024 British Journalism Awards nominee
fact-checker & subeditor @tbij.bsky.social
they/them
fact-checker & subeditor @tbij.bsky.social
they/them
Pinned
sasha baker
@sasha98.bsky.social
· Jul 22
transsafety.network/posts/my-par...
@sasha98.bsky.social and Valeria Rocca spoke to several children of Bayswater members who highlighted the harm the group do to young trans people and the gateway into broader far-right politics that they provide.
Content warning: discusses conversion abuse
@sasha98.bsky.social and Valeria Rocca spoke to several children of Bayswater members who highlighted the harm the group do to young trans people and the gateway into broader far-right politics that they provide.
Content warning: discusses conversion abuse
“My parents very clearly do not love me”: Children of Bayswater Speak Out
We speak to several children of Bayswater Support Group members. Their experiences highlight the harm groups like Bayswater do to young trans people, and the gateway they provide to broader far-right ...
transsafety.network
As the political influence of pro-conversion therapy parents continues unabated, @vrocca.bsky.social and I spoke to some of the children and young adults who have been victimised by Bayswater members. CW: child abuse.
Reposted by sasha baker
It's devastating to me how much public money is being wasted in the British legal system purely on maintaining maximally destructive stances on human rights in service to the political ideology of the regime.
February 13, 2026 at 11:29 AM
It's devastating to me how much public money is being wasted in the British legal system purely on maintaining maximally destructive stances on human rights in service to the political ideology of the regime.
Reposted by sasha baker
The High Court has ruled on our challenge to the EHRC’s interim guidance.
The judgment contains some good news for trans rights – but plenty of bad.
Read our analysis
goodlawproject.org/update/high-...
The judgment contains some good news for trans rights – but plenty of bad.
Read our analysis
goodlawproject.org/update/high-...
High Court rules on lawfulness of the EHRC’s interim guidance
High Court decides services may lawfully allow trans women to use women’s facilities – but the fight for trans rights continues
goodlawproject.org
February 13, 2026 at 10:59 AM
The High Court has ruled on our challenge to the EHRC’s interim guidance.
The judgment contains some good news for trans rights – but plenty of bad.
Read our analysis
goodlawproject.org/update/high-...
The judgment contains some good news for trans rights – but plenty of bad.
Read our analysis
goodlawproject.org/update/high-...
I wrote about the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Jews it doesn't want you to hear from and the right-wing antisemitism it ignores for @vashtimedia.bsky.social
www.vashtimedia.com/the-campaign...
www.vashtimedia.com/the-campaign...
The campaign against the Jewish left
With aggressive tactics, double standards, and its charity status under investigation, the Campaign Against Antisemitism fails to live up to its name
www.vashtimedia.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:02 PM
I wrote about the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Jews it doesn't want you to hear from and the right-wing antisemitism it ignores for @vashtimedia.bsky.social
www.vashtimedia.com/the-campaign...
www.vashtimedia.com/the-campaign...
Reposted by sasha baker
Love that the High Court ruled that prescribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group was unlawful but as they also ruled the ban must remain in place until a future hearing, the BBC must remind its reader that expressing support for them will get you arrested.
Normal country.
Normal country.
February 13, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Love that the High Court ruled that prescribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group was unlawful but as they also ruled the ban must remain in place until a future hearing, the BBC must remind its reader that expressing support for them will get you arrested.
Normal country.
Normal country.
Reposted by sasha baker
Massive vindication for Palestine Action and for all of us who pointed to this huge government overreach. Those held for many months without bail must be released today. Time for a total reset away from this authoritarian bullsh*t www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live...
High court rules ban on Palestine Action is unlawful – live
Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Massive vindication for Palestine Action and for all of us who pointed to this huge government overreach. Those held for many months without bail must be released today. Time for a total reset away from this authoritarian bullsh*t www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live...
Reposted by sasha baker
The state must now back down and end the ban on Palestine Action. The continuing proscription is an abuse of freedom of expression and assembly
Breaking: on two counts, the High Court has ruled that the Labour government's proscription of the campaign group Palestine Action was unlawful – a win for its co-founder Huda Ammori, who sought a judicial review of the ban
February 13, 2026 at 10:18 AM
The state must now back down and end the ban on Palestine Action. The continuing proscription is an abuse of freedom of expression and assembly
Reposted by sasha baker
May Labour's Yvette Cooper, the former Home Secretary, be remembered always as the politician who imposed the ban at the behest of Britain's powerful weapons industry, so it could continue to profit from the deliberate massacre of the people of Gaza
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
May Labour's Yvette Cooper, the former Home Secretary, be remembered always as the politician who imposed the ban at the behest of Britain's powerful weapons industry, so it could continue to profit from the deliberate massacre of the people of Gaza
Reposted by sasha baker
Today's decision is, however a massive vindication of all those who argued the ban was a deliberate attempt to silence and criminalise the dissenting voices of campaigners trying to save lives by shutting down the suppliers of Israeli genocide.
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Today's decision is, however a massive vindication of all those who argued the ban was a deliberate attempt to silence and criminalise the dissenting voices of campaigners trying to save lives by shutting down the suppliers of Israeli genocide.
Reposted by sasha baker
With a crushing sense of inevitability.
Thousands - literally thousands - arrested, people imprisoned for months. All for - optics?
Thousands - literally thousands - arrested, people imprisoned for months. All for - optics?
Breaking: on two counts, the High Court has ruled that the Labour government's proscription of the campaign group Palestine Action was unlawful – a win for its co-founder Huda Ammori, who sought a judicial review of the ban
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
With a crushing sense of inevitability.
Thousands - literally thousands - arrested, people imprisoned for months. All for - optics?
Thousands - literally thousands - arrested, people imprisoned for months. All for - optics?
Reposted by sasha baker
This is state-mandated child abuse, insisted upon by the Labour Party.
So, it looks like the new DfE guidance on trans students in schools incorporates recommendations from the Cass report. Suffice to say that is an *incredibly awful* decision.
Here's a thread with my analysis of Cass on social transition from back in 2024.
Here's a thread with my analysis of Cass on social transition from back in 2024.
In Chapter 12, Cass considers social transition.
As per §12.2, this might include haircuts, clothing, name change, and pronoun usage.
As per §12.2, this might include haircuts, clothing, name change, and pronoun usage.
February 12, 2026 at 6:15 PM
This is state-mandated child abuse, insisted upon by the Labour Party.
Reposted by sasha baker
We need to build a body of energy to support non-compliance with this hateful guidance.
We need to build pockets of protection & safety for trans pupils.
We are in 'try & help trans kids survive' mode.
We need to build pockets of protection & safety for trans pupils.
We are in 'try & help trans kids survive' mode.
February 13, 2026 at 9:37 AM
We need to build a body of energy to support non-compliance with this hateful guidance.
We need to build pockets of protection & safety for trans pupils.
We are in 'try & help trans kids survive' mode.
We need to build pockets of protection & safety for trans pupils.
We are in 'try & help trans kids survive' mode.
Reposted by sasha baker
Trans kids are already pushed out of education. Denied qualifications. Denied a future.
This will push so many more trans kids out of education entirely.
How can I send my own daughter to school with this law in place? She would not cope.
This will push so many more trans kids out of education entirely.
How can I send my own daughter to school with this law in place? She would not cope.
February 12, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Trans kids are already pushed out of education. Denied qualifications. Denied a future.
This will push so many more trans kids out of education entirely.
How can I send my own daughter to school with this law in place? She would not cope.
This will push so many more trans kids out of education entirely.
How can I send my own daughter to school with this law in place? She would not cope.
Reposted by sasha baker
I am one of the most published academics on the childhood social transition, with 5 peer reviewed articles that relate to the topic.
There is so much evidence of benefit of social transition.
There is no evidence of harm. Not one jot.
This will literally kill trans kids. No exaggeration.
There is so much evidence of benefit of social transition.
There is no evidence of harm. Not one jot.
This will literally kill trans kids. No exaggeration.
February 12, 2026 at 5:51 PM
I am one of the most published academics on the childhood social transition, with 5 peer reviewed articles that relate to the topic.
There is so much evidence of benefit of social transition.
There is no evidence of harm. Not one jot.
This will literally kill trans kids. No exaggeration.
There is so much evidence of benefit of social transition.
There is no evidence of harm. Not one jot.
This will literally kill trans kids. No exaggeration.
Reposted by sasha baker
It announces:
Heavy restrictions on any social transition (which in any case would be very limited, see above).
Social transition to be hardly ever allowed at primary school.
Heavily pushed under psychological scrutiny.
Supportive parents deemed suspect & linked to need for safeguarding.
Heavy restrictions on any social transition (which in any case would be very limited, see above).
Social transition to be hardly ever allowed at primary school.
Heavily pushed under psychological scrutiny.
Supportive parents deemed suspect & linked to need for safeguarding.
February 12, 2026 at 5:50 PM
It announces:
Heavy restrictions on any social transition (which in any case would be very limited, see above).
Social transition to be hardly ever allowed at primary school.
Heavily pushed under psychological scrutiny.
Supportive parents deemed suspect & linked to need for safeguarding.
Heavy restrictions on any social transition (which in any case would be very limited, see above).
Social transition to be hardly ever allowed at primary school.
Heavily pushed under psychological scrutiny.
Supportive parents deemed suspect & linked to need for safeguarding.
Reposted by sasha baker
New School Guidance announces:
Full bathroom ban.
Full PE ban.
Full school trip accommodation ban.
Trans kids will not go to the bathroom, do PE or go on any school trips. 1/
Full bathroom ban.
Full PE ban.
Full school trip accommodation ban.
Trans kids will not go to the bathroom, do PE or go on any school trips. 1/
February 12, 2026 at 5:48 PM
New School Guidance announces:
Full bathroom ban.
Full PE ban.
Full school trip accommodation ban.
Trans kids will not go to the bathroom, do PE or go on any school trips. 1/
Full bathroom ban.
Full PE ban.
Full school trip accommodation ban.
Trans kids will not go to the bathroom, do PE or go on any school trips. 1/
Reposted by sasha baker
Early resistance matters.
February 12, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Early resistance matters.
This whole thread.
It's worth noting that this was also a pretext to open up new services designed and run by people who push an unproven pseudoscientific "Gender Exploratory Therapy" model that has been likened to conversion therapy by international experts.
In a functional country, this would be a scandal. A service suffering only from chronic underfunding was ripped apart because the media created a myth of 1000s of complaints of malpractice. The truth - as in my family’s experience - was very different.
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
February 12, 2026 at 1:34 PM
This whole thread.
Reposted by sasha baker
In a functional country, this would be a scandal. A service suffering only from chronic underfunding was ripped apart because the media created a myth of 1000s of complaints of malpractice. The truth - as in my family’s experience - was very different.
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
NHS closed Tavistock over care complaints – there were only eight
An eye-opening FOI report has revealed that just eight people complained about the Tavistock gender clinic's care provision in 10 years.
www.thepinknews.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:19 PM
In a functional country, this would be a scandal. A service suffering only from chronic underfunding was ripped apart because the media created a myth of 1000s of complaints of malpractice. The truth - as in my family’s experience - was very different.
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/11/n...
Reposted by sasha baker
The brief mention of Farage's extensive antisemitic harassment of Dulwich students elides testimony of 24+ ex-students, e.g. Farage calling Peter Ettedgui a 'stupid Yid', goose-stepping around the playground chanting 'Oswald Ernald Mosely' (then-leader of the British Union of Fascists), and so on.
February 11, 2026 at 8:25 AM
The brief mention of Farage's extensive antisemitic harassment of Dulwich students elides testimony of 24+ ex-students, e.g. Farage calling Peter Ettedgui a 'stupid Yid', goose-stepping around the playground chanting 'Oswald Ernald Mosely' (then-leader of the British Union of Fascists), and so on.
I bet if Labour had a 1922 committee-equivalent Starmer would be gone by now. Seems unlike them not to to create a mechanism for anonymous backstabbing. Then again, maybe if they did no leader would last a fortnight
February 10, 2026 at 4:53 PM
I bet if Labour had a 1922 committee-equivalent Starmer would be gone by now. Seems unlike them not to to create a mechanism for anonymous backstabbing. Then again, maybe if they did no leader would last a fortnight
Reposted by sasha baker
This is incredibly funny to try because even if it *was* true, then it would mean Streeting was defending Mandleson in September for the love of the game.
February 9, 2026 at 7:05 PM
This is incredibly funny to try because even if it *was* true, then it would mean Streeting was defending Mandleson in September for the love of the game.
Reposted by sasha baker
Right, but just to clarify, you did not appoint Peter Mandelson, because you were not Prime Minister.
NEW: PM’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigns
“After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”
“After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”
February 8, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Right, but just to clarify, you did not appoint Peter Mandelson, because you were not Prime Minister.
Reposted by sasha baker
Exclusive: Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons was provided with intelligence files gathered on journalists (including me) who had reported on Labour Together, the thinktank he chaired at the time (before he became an MP), sources say.
Know more about this story? Contact me, Signal: henrydyer.01
Know more about this story? Contact me, Signal: henrydyer.01
Labour minister was provided with intelligence files on journalists
Exclusive: Material gathered was personally given to Josh Simons when chair of pro-Starmer thinktank, say sources
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Exclusive: Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons was provided with intelligence files gathered on journalists (including me) who had reported on Labour Together, the thinktank he chaired at the time (before he became an MP), sources say.
Know more about this story? Contact me, Signal: henrydyer.01
Know more about this story? Contact me, Signal: henrydyer.01
Reposted by sasha baker
This is unconscionable. Palestinian immigrants to the U.S., like all immigrants, should never be detained and deported without due process, or denied the right to communicate with their loved ones and with lawyers.
U.S. secretly deporting Palestinians to West Bank in coordination with Israel
Palestinians arrested by ICE are being flown, bound and shackled, on private jet belonging to Israeli-American tycoon close to Trump, investigation reveals.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 7:07 PM
This is unconscionable. Palestinian immigrants to the U.S., like all immigrants, should never be detained and deported without due process, or denied the right to communicate with their loved ones and with lawyers.
Reposted by sasha baker
THREAD 🧵:
The Epstein files are real. The antisemitism they're fueling is also real.
And right now, the second part is getting almost no attention.
The Epstein files are real. The antisemitism they're fueling is also real.
And right now, the second part is getting almost no attention.
February 4, 2026 at 7:04 PM
THREAD 🧵:
The Epstein files are real. The antisemitism they're fueling is also real.
And right now, the second part is getting almost no attention.
The Epstein files are real. The antisemitism they're fueling is also real.
And right now, the second part is getting almost no attention.