Simon Rae-Scott
@simonraescott.bsky.social
Developer of business models and solutions across materials and information technologies and inveterate opponent of the slide into Fascism in the UK, the EU & the US.
Exceptional interview of the American Mezzo-Soprano Joyce Didinato by Tom Service. Her pain about the denial of all the US might stand for in its culture and humanity now playing out in real time. Whether to perform or join the demonstrators on the streets… www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Radio 3 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds
Listen live to Radio 3 on BBC Sounds
www.bbc.co.uk
January 31, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Exceptional interview of the American Mezzo-Soprano Joyce Didinato by Tom Service. Her pain about the denial of all the US might stand for in its culture and humanity now playing out in real time. Whether to perform or join the demonstrators on the streets… www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The UK government has agreed a Big Pharma deal with Donald Trump that limits controls on NHS drugs prices. The government is refusing to say how much this will cost or how it will be paid for. Wes Streeting needs to respond to freedom of information requests: act.globaljustice.org.uk/tell-wes-str...
Tell Wes Streeting: come clean on cost of Trump’s NHS deal
The UK government has agreed a deal with Donald Trump that will see the NHS pay pharma companies much higher drugs prices. But they won’t come clean on how much this agreement will cost the NHS. Estim...
act.globaljustice.org.uk
January 31, 2026 at 9:20 AM
The UK government has agreed a Big Pharma deal with Donald Trump that limits controls on NHS drugs prices. The government is refusing to say how much this will cost or how it will be paid for. Wes Streeting needs to respond to freedom of information requests: act.globaljustice.org.uk/tell-wes-str...
Trump seems to be reconsidering his policy of public executions on the streets of Minneapolis as Republicans on the Hill rue the damage. When even Lionel Shriver, the literary scene's own Lucretia Borgia with enough bile to poison most of us reviles him… BBC R4 #WATO www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - World at One, 26/01/2026
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Trump seems to be reconsidering his policy of public executions on the streets of Minneapolis as Republicans on the Hill rue the damage. When even Lionel Shriver, the literary scene's own Lucretia Borgia with enough bile to poison most of us reviles him… BBC R4 #WATO www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Suella goes full fascist! The erratic right wing ex-Tory Home Secretary completes her journey from liberal immigration lawyer to the latest bat-shit loony recruit to Farage's one man, end of the pier show, business opportunity for him, known for now as the Reform Party. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK
The MP was unveiled as Reform's latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally, bringing the number of the party's sitting MPs to eight.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Suella goes full fascist! The erratic right wing ex-Tory Home Secretary completes her journey from liberal immigration lawyer to the latest bat-shit loony recruit to Farage's one man, end of the pier show, business opportunity for him, known for now as the Reform Party. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
So many reasons not to make a fawning gift to the Fascist and Putin ally in the White House. Recent events simply corroborate what many of us have been saying since Trump chose to stand in 2016. Will you add your name to the petition to cancel this state visit? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ca...
Call off the King’s visit to the US for the 250th anniversary of America's independence
With the current political chaos in the US and Trump’s failure to adhere to international norms, and given his apparent obsession with the Monarchy, calling off this visit would send a powerful messag...
you.38degrees.org.uk
January 24, 2026 at 4:19 PM
So many reasons not to make a fawning gift to the Fascist and Putin ally in the White House. Recent events simply corroborate what many of us have been saying since Trump chose to stand in 2016. Will you add your name to the petition to cancel this state visit? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ca...
I'm in a slice of West London from W1 to W8 – The West End out to the North Circular – currently reduced to third world misery without running water courtesy of a burst water main in Thames Water's mismanaged, underinvested privatised hegemony. Thatcher Gotcha! www.thameswater.co.uk/network-late...
Holland Park - 21/01/2026 | Thames Water
www.thameswater.co.uk
January 21, 2026 at 12:18 PM
I'm in a slice of West London from W1 to W8 – The West End out to the North Circular – currently reduced to third world misery without running water courtesy of a burst water main in Thames Water's mismanaged, underinvested privatised hegemony. Thatcher Gotcha! www.thameswater.co.uk/network-late...
A really thoughtful summary review by Gary Marcus talking to Steve Eisman about the weaknesses of current AI constructs based on LLMs – from the propensity to hallucinate through to the corrosion of democracies if the authenticity of available information is debased. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI7X...
Gary Marcus on the Massive Problems Facing AI & LLM Scaling | The Real Eisman Playbook Episode 42
YouTube video by Steve Eisman
www.youtube.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:04 PM
A really thoughtful summary review by Gary Marcus talking to Steve Eisman about the weaknesses of current AI constructs based on LLMs – from the propensity to hallucinate through to the corrosion of democracies if the authenticity of available information is debased. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI7X...
Just vomiting after listening to Jenrick being interviewed by Kuenssberg. The vomiting largely caused by her saying, “He’s deadly, deadly serious!” He’s a grifting fascist. Where does “Serious” even begin to describe him. “Deadly”? Utterly, utterly toxic? Now we’re talking.
January 16, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Just vomiting after listening to Jenrick being interviewed by Kuenssberg. The vomiting largely caused by her saying, “He’s deadly, deadly serious!” He’s a grifting fascist. Where does “Serious” even begin to describe him. “Deadly”? Utterly, utterly toxic? Now we’re talking.
A mistake to catch the repeat of Any Questions on BBC R4, not because the mood of the discussion and the room wasn't entirely pro EU and anti Trump, but because I had to endure the moral bankruptcy of Gerard Baker and far worse his grotesque rewriting of recent history. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Any Questions?, Gerard Baker, Baroness Fall, Andrew Fisher, Baroness Hazarika
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from M Shed in Bristol.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
A mistake to catch the repeat of Any Questions on BBC R4, not because the mood of the discussion and the room wasn't entirely pro EU and anti Trump, but because I had to endure the moral bankruptcy of Gerard Baker and far worse his grotesque rewriting of recent history. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
An invaluable Democracy for Sale discussion with Kim Lane Scheppele about the state and potential still possible for a Rules Based World Order as we review the Trump craziness over Venezuela and his threats to Greenland, Mexico, Colombia and Cuba. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/from-epste...
From Epstein to empire: why Trump attacked Venezuela and threatens Greenland
I spoke with Kim Lane Scheppele about lawlessness, imperial power, and the global risks of MAGA
democracyforsale.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:23 AM
An invaluable Democracy for Sale discussion with Kim Lane Scheppele about the state and potential still possible for a Rules Based World Order as we review the Trump craziness over Venezuela and his threats to Greenland, Mexico, Colombia and Cuba. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/from-epste...
An interesting example discussed by Gary Marcus on his Substack of the inherent weakness of LLMs as a route to generative AI and here as a source of current breaking news and some oddly misplaced criticism of the user. garymarcus.substack.com/p/why-chatgp...
Why ChatGPT can’t be trusted with breaking news
A new case in point
garymarcus.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:43 AM
An interesting example discussed by Gary Marcus on his Substack of the inherent weakness of LLMs as a route to generative AI and here as a source of current breaking news and some oddly misplaced criticism of the user. garymarcus.substack.com/p/why-chatgp...
Followed a link from John Gruber's Daring Fireball. Intrigued by M G Siegler's argument that Pluribus is an analogy for the mind numbing LLM uniformity and group think induced by dependence on the half truths of ChatGPT. Particularly telling that its focus is an author: spyglass.org/pluribus-as-...
'Pluribus' as AI Allegory
Not sure that was the intent, but it feels like a commentary on LLMs...
spyglass.org
January 2, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Followed a link from John Gruber's Daring Fireball. Intrigued by M G Siegler's argument that Pluribus is an analogy for the mind numbing LLM uniformity and group think induced by dependence on the half truths of ChatGPT. Particularly telling that its focus is an author: spyglass.org/pluribus-as-...
Chlorinated Chicken? Hormone fed beef? Importing Trumpism neat via food imports as a price for tech collaborations with a jurisdiction under Trump that has proposed no regulation of AI for ten years? In what universe are these benign, rational decisions in an advanced liberal democracy? 38d.gs/cc-df
Sign the petition to keep chlorine-washed chicken off our shelves
Here we go again. Trump has told the UK that if we want a UK-US tech deal, we need to buy chlorinated chicken from the US! 🤢🐔 How dare he try to impose poor food standards in Britain. Sign the petitio...
38d.gs
December 30, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Chlorinated Chicken? Hormone fed beef? Importing Trumpism neat via food imports as a price for tech collaborations with a jurisdiction under Trump that has proposed no regulation of AI for ten years? In what universe are these benign, rational decisions in an advanced liberal democracy? 38d.gs/cc-df
Appalling case from Sir Alan Moses, 1st IPSOchair, for not pursuing Leveson 2 on R4 Today. It's not a call for "Legislating in tears". Nor is the price of a free press, the frequent outrage of our press monstering our citizens. Malevolence of the powerful in a mannered voice is still Malevolence.
December 11, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Appalling case from Sir Alan Moses, 1st IPSOchair, for not pursuing Leveson 2 on R4 Today. It's not a call for "Legislating in tears". Nor is the price of a free press, the frequent outrage of our press monstering our citizens. Malevolence of the powerful in a mannered voice is still Malevolence.
"Press barons can meet the prime minister, but the people who have suffered at the hands of them can't." It is the moment to demand the PM commits to the manifesto promise for Leveson 2 and restarts the inquiry that can hold the press barons to account. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/do...
Don’t bow down to media billionaires: protect victims!
Madeleine McCann’s parents, the families of Hillsborough victims, and Caroline Flack’s mum all know what it is like to be targeted by an intrusive press. That’s why over 30 high-profile victims wrote ...
you.38degrees.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 7:52 AM
"Press barons can meet the prime minister, but the people who have suffered at the hands of them can't." It is the moment to demand the PM commits to the manifesto promise for Leveson 2 and restarts the inquiry that can hold the press barons to account. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/do...
Pre-mortem for ChatGPT and AI generally: open.substack.com/pub/garymarc...
Three years on, ChatGPT still isn't what it was cracked up to be – and it probably never will be
A skeptic’s pre-mortem
open.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Pre-mortem for ChatGPT and AI generally: open.substack.com/pub/garymarc...
Anything but a Brexit benefit then that we made this agreement independent of EU action to contain the Trump administration's tariff pressures on key economic sectors such as pharmaceuticals. Our historical UK-US links may have enabled it to happen quickly but we're "Back of the Queue" in reality.
December 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Anything but a Brexit benefit then that we made this agreement independent of EU action to contain the Trump administration's tariff pressures on key economic sectors such as pharmaceuticals. Our historical UK-US links may have enabled it to happen quickly but we're "Back of the Queue" in reality.
For those wondering whether AI is just a damp squib behind the trillion dollar investment bubble now about to burst: "Three years on, ChatGPT still isn't what it was cracked up to be – and it probably never will be…" open.substack.com/pub/garymarc...
Three years on, ChatGPT still isn't what it was cracked up to be – and it probably never will be
A skeptic’s pre-mortem
open.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:05 AM
For those wondering whether AI is just a damp squib behind the trillion dollar investment bubble now about to burst: "Three years on, ChatGPT still isn't what it was cracked up to be – and it probably never will be…" open.substack.com/pub/garymarc...
So the Lords think it's acceptable to inflict an Unfair Dismissal on a worker simply because she or he is a new member of staff. Be clear that this is nothing to do with a probationary period – it's just a licence to bad employers to transgress for a six month period. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Labour ditches day-one protection from unfair dismissal in U-turn
The right will now be introduced after six months, in a breach of Labour's election manifesto.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 8:51 AM
So the Lords think it's acceptable to inflict an Unfair Dismissal on a worker simply because she or he is a new member of staff. Be clear that this is nothing to do with a probationary period – it's just a licence to bad employers to transgress for a six month period. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
News on Ukraine is depressing enough this weekend without having to listen to Jonny Dymond trumpeting Russian talking points to Ukraine's Arseniy Petrovych and cravenly failing to challenge Trump apologist K T McFarland. Sanity came from Bronwen Maddox and Ian Bremmer. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
BBC Radio 4 - The World This Weekend
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 3:17 PM
News on Ukraine is depressing enough this weekend without having to listen to Jonny Dymond trumpeting Russian talking points to Ukraine's Arseniy Petrovych and cravenly failing to challenge Trump apologist K T McFarland. Sanity came from Bronwen Maddox and Ian Bremmer. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
Johnson – responsible for a catastrophic failure of focus and decision making in spite of all the evidence sent by suffering nations ahead of the arrival of Covid-19 in the UK. 38º is proposing one form of sanction. Many will prefer legal redress for his failures in office as PM. 38d.gs/bojo_all_df
Sign the petition: Strip Boris Johnson of his annual former PM allowance
23,000. That's how many deaths can be blamed on Boris Johnson's chaotic Covid decisions and delays. Enough is enough, he must be stripped of his annual £115,000 handout. Sign the petition today:
38d.gs
November 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Johnson – responsible for a catastrophic failure of focus and decision making in spite of all the evidence sent by suffering nations ahead of the arrival of Covid-19 in the UK. 38º is proposing one form of sanction. Many will prefer legal redress for his failures in office as PM. 38d.gs/bojo_all_df
Before we pile in to condemn Gill, Farage's MEP deputy in the EP, let's not forget those Tory connections to Russians, not least Johnson as Foreign Secretary in 2018 leaving a NATO meeting to join the KGB's Alexander Lebedev at his villa in Italy alone – sans security. news.sky.com/story/boris-...
'Unthinkable' that Boris Johnson met ex-KGB agent Alexander Lebedev alone after Salisbury poisonings, Yvette Cooper says
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper tells Sky News it was "irresponsible" and "unthinkable" that Mr Johnson, who was then foreign secretary, would have such an encounter without officials being presen...
news.sky.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Before we pile in to condemn Gill, Farage's MEP deputy in the EP, let's not forget those Tory connections to Russians, not least Johnson as Foreign Secretary in 2018 leaving a NATO meeting to join the KGB's Alexander Lebedev at his villa in Italy alone – sans security. news.sky.com/story/boris-...
Shabana Mahmood going full fascist in her proposed treatment of refugees seeking asylum needs to be a moment of deep shame for the country and most especially for this Labour government. The chance of my ever voting Labour again hangs in the balance. I expect MPs and Ministers to express outrage.
November 17, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Shabana Mahmood going full fascist in her proposed treatment of refugees seeking asylum needs to be a moment of deep shame for the country and most especially for this Labour government. The chance of my ever voting Labour again hangs in the balance. I expect MPs and Ministers to express outrage.
Great analysis of the current BBC imbroglio – 'Cannons to the right of them, cannons…' etc. – by Alan Rusbridger in Prospect Magazine: "Who, bluntly, would you trust more to be impartial on the Middle East—Robbie Gibb, Michael Prescott or Lyse Doucet?" www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
The BBC has bigger impartiality problems than its coverage of Trump
It is the BBC’s entire governance structure–rather than individual stories–that should cause most concern
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Great analysis of the current BBC imbroglio – 'Cannons to the right of them, cannons…' etc. – by Alan Rusbridger in Prospect Magazine: "Who, bluntly, would you trust more to be impartial on the Middle East—Robbie Gibb, Michael Prescott or Lyse Doucet?" www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
BBC R4: A very grown up Desert Island Discs this morning with the Photographer Sally Mann – very much "The Poet's Eye" – a difficult and emotional listen as she talks about her exploration of life, death and transfiguration and her journey from growing up in the Deep South – the art to fight for.
November 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
BBC R4: A very grown up Desert Island Discs this morning with the Photographer Sally Mann – very much "The Poet's Eye" – a difficult and emotional listen as she talks about her exploration of life, death and transfiguration and her journey from growing up in the Deep South – the art to fight for.