Vivienne Pay
viviennepay.bsky.social
Vivienne Pay
@viviennepay.bsky.social
Retired lawyer, quite attached to the dear old rule of law. Also here for natural history, dogs and entertaining snark.
Reposted by Vivienne Pay
This year I’m doing something different - I’m only going to talk about this one appeal.

Please donate at the link here if you possibly can, or share this to beat the far right vigilante groups 👉 www.justgiving.com/campaign/tog...
December 6, 2025 at 1:20 PM
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Reform UK’s attack on nature protections risks destroying the UK's already fragile ecosystem | Stuart Spray
Reform plan to scrap nature protections would speed “demise” of UK countryside
Reform UK’s attack on nature protections risks destroying the UK's already fragile ecosystem
kentandsurreybylines.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
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Farage has been dismissing evidence of Russian ties to the Salisbury Novichok attack since 2018 🧐
December 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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Your reminder that political spending isn't regulated or recorded outside an election year

So public will probably have no idea how the biggest donation in British political history is spent

Why we urgently need political finance reform - sign petition here
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
December 4, 2025 at 11:31 AM
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Here is a list of reasons why some of my hearings and trials this year have been delayed and kicked off into the long grass, stuck in our record court backlog. Serious allegations which will now be tried *years* after the event. 🧵👇
November 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
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Today we’ll get latest net immigration figures - They’ll show immigration for work is plummeting.

Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth?

For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today
November 27, 2025 at 8:41 AM
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✨I always lose myself in this photo. 📷A moment of serenity: the jaw-dropping Gothic beauty of Salisbury Cathedral, mirrored in the shimmering reflection of William Pye’s font. 📷 #throwbackthursday
November 27, 2025 at 7:13 AM
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I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
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The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics and democracy has reached 30k. There are signs that the wall of silence protecting Farage is beginning to crumble. Let's keep sharing the petition.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 24, 2025 at 10:56 PM
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Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
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A couple more from me/most of us:

Do you deny, Farage, that Putin has been delighted with the Brexit result and ongoing damage to British and European interests?
What are your thoughts on these comments from Russia’s ambassador to the UK?

bsky.app/profile/13sa...
Russia's ambassador to the UK, Yakovenko, boasted about Brexit to another diplomat:
“We have crushed the British to the ground. They are on their knees and will not rise for a very long time”
Today, Farage’s close ally, leader of Reform in Wales, was sentenced to 10yrs for taking bribes from Russia.
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist
November 22, 2025 at 11:56 AM
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The root cause of the small boats challenge is Brexit.

Read my article in the New Statesman on the real political dividing line on border control between Labour and Reform, and my thoughts on how we restore it.

#asylum #immigration #ECHR

t.co/Cbh3ogqH7g
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2025/11/these-are-farages-boats-we-must-not-let-him-off-the-hook
t.co
November 21, 2025 at 10:29 AM
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BBC News: "the government believe refugees are deliberately bringing their children to avoid deportation"

As opposed to doing what with their children??
November 17, 2025 at 10:11 PM
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This statement not acceptable and I suspect not sustainable. Large majority of public support principle of asylum, support letting people stay permanently. Majority for that among Labour and other progressive parties’ voters is overwhelming. The Reform voters this is aimed at will never vote Labour
"The era of permanent protection is over"

Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Refugees from 7 decades gather to commemorate 70 years of refugee in protection in the UK
YouTube video by Refugee Council
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:49 PM
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Stasis, sanctimony and the liberal paradox. New post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog with such Brexit news as there is, but mainly analysis of what 'responsible Farage' tells us about the tensions in Reform and what the BBC row tells us about Brexitism: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2025/11/stas...
November 14, 2025 at 7:55 AM
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Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇
Housing secretary tells Labour MPs to vote down planning bill amendment
Amendment restricts protection for animals to allow faster house building
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
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The CURRENT sitting MP for Clacton earns £511,000 as a presenter for GB News and took £281,000 as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion.

So maybe sit this one out, you rancid herring.
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 PM
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At some level you have to admire the commitment to getting their vote share into single figures
UK to announce plans to emulate stringent Danish immigration system
Shabana Mahmood’s proposals draw scorn from some Labour MPs, while others want government to go further
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:34 PM
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Dear GOD if you want to save money in the asylum system

1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK

2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc

3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today
November 7, 2025 at 7:35 AM
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Idea for BBC R4: quality BBC journos, serious investigative reports, interviewers on top of subjects, balanced coverage of parties. No breathless reporting of Reform, journos as ‘experts’, book pluggers, pop song lyrics, football banter. Could be broadcast 06:00-09:00.
November 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
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Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.
October 25, 2025 at 7:38 AM
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Here Lam explicitly sets out her proposal - which is official Conservative Party policy - to deport long-standing legal permanent residents who have *ever* claimed any benefit, including the state pension or child benefit (even if the child is British), or who earn less than £39K.
October 21, 2025 at 8:57 PM
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To be clear: deportations to increase cultural homogeneity is the text book definition of ethnic cleansing. Demands that come even close to this are so far outside any democratic norm and the rule of law. What has happened to a country when this is not condemned in the strongest possible terms?
October 21, 2025 at 10:47 AM
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Brexit eruptions. New post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog looking at Tory madness, Labour’s ‘blame Farage’ strategy, the Brexit impasse and a suggestion of a way forward, and the latest ‘reset’ news. Bonus feature: a feeble new Brexit metaphor: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2025/10/brex...
October 17, 2025 at 6:02 AM
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"The day had begun with Robert Jenrick accused of racism. This is of course quite unfair. Racists believe in something." Absolutely fantastic sketch by @roberthutton.co.uk. Every line is a banger:
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…
thecritic.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM