David Hardstaff
@davidhardstaff.co.uk
You have to be joking ...
Reposted by David Hardstaff
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. Ate it.
December 1, 2025 at 8:27 AM
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. Ate it.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
“Ah, just one more thing, sir. You’re blowing up those boats, saying they’re filled with drugs headed for the US. But then you go and pardon the guy who brought in 400 tons of cocaine. That’s billions of doses. Help me understand that.”
November 30, 2025 at 3:25 AM
“Ah, just one more thing, sir. You’re blowing up those boats, saying they’re filled with drugs headed for the US. But then you go and pardon the guy who brought in 400 tons of cocaine. That’s billions of doses. Help me understand that.”
Reposted by David Hardstaff
I feel like one of the most underrated explanations for what's happening right now in global politics is that almost everyone has lost their minds.
November 30, 2025 at 2:59 AM
I feel like one of the most underrated explanations for what's happening right now in global politics is that almost everyone has lost their minds.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
One of my biggest fears is how the toughening up of restrictions directed at the many tens of thousands of people on Health and Care visas (both for extensions and settlement) will see increases in undocumented people. Instead of helping them, they are being demonised.
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:17 AM
One of my biggest fears is how the toughening up of restrictions directed at the many tens of thousands of people on Health and Care visas (both for extensions and settlement) will see increases in undocumented people. Instead of helping them, they are being demonised.
I have only watched the first two to date, but it's a compelling series and yes, it does have a focus on specific events, but for good reason - they happened.
One person's "pessimism" is another's "reality" ...
I recommend the series, anyway, if you are interested in actually learning something.
One person's "pessimism" is another's "reality" ...
I recommend the series, anyway, if you are interested in actually learning something.
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 10:59 AM
I have only watched the first two to date, but it's a compelling series and yes, it does have a focus on specific events, but for good reason - they happened.
One person's "pessimism" is another's "reality" ...
I recommend the series, anyway, if you are interested in actually learning something.
One person's "pessimism" is another's "reality" ...
I recommend the series, anyway, if you are interested in actually learning something.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
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
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
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
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
Reposted by David Hardstaff
This is one of the big accounts boosting Tommy Robinson, Farage and Reform and ‘English Patriots’.
It’s Russian.
It’s Russian.
November 24, 2025 at 9:29 AM
This is one of the big accounts boosting Tommy Robinson, Farage and Reform and ‘English Patriots’.
It’s Russian.
It’s Russian.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
November 19, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
Reposted by David Hardstaff
In Utah a literature review, far more thorough and evidenced than Cass, shows that gender affirming care improves the mental health of trans people with the effect most marked in the under18 age group.
Our government knows this but acts anyway. It feels criminal.
Report available here ⬇️
Our government knows this but acts anyway. It feels criminal.
Report available here ⬇️
Report Requirements
le.utah.gov
November 8, 2025 at 11:54 AM
In Utah a literature review, far more thorough and evidenced than Cass, shows that gender affirming care improves the mental health of trans people with the effect most marked in the under18 age group.
Our government knows this but acts anyway. It feels criminal.
Report available here ⬇️
Our government knows this but acts anyway. It feels criminal.
Report available here ⬇️
Of course, the tax speculation around the budget is important, but it misses the point that low earners are not so hard up in tax terms (paying less than some other countries) but that costs are absurdly high - I get that the outcome is the same, but even so ...
November 14, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Of course, the tax speculation around the budget is important, but it misses the point that low earners are not so hard up in tax terms (paying less than some other countries) but that costs are absurdly high - I get that the outcome is the same, but even so ...
Reposted by David Hardstaff
I'm not sure if others have noticed this, but interesting that one of the Prescott criticisms of the BBC is based on those of the 'History Reclaimed' group, which is also associated with the 'Restore Trust' group's attacks on & so far unsuccessful attempts to take control of the National Trust. 1/3
November 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I'm not sure if others have noticed this, but interesting that one of the Prescott criticisms of the BBC is based on those of the 'History Reclaimed' group, which is also associated with the 'Restore Trust' group's attacks on & so far unsuccessful attempts to take control of the National Trust. 1/3
Reposted by David Hardstaff
You honestly can't make this up. There was no way #Brexit was ever going to cut regulation or bureaucracy for exporters to the #EU, large or small, unless we opted to stay in the Single Market and Customs union. Many of us in business repeatedly made that point.
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Farage says small business owners who thought Brexit would cut regulation have been betrayed – UK politics live
Reform UK leader claims that burden of regulation is worse than before the referendum
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
You honestly can't make this up. There was no way #Brexit was ever going to cut regulation or bureaucracy for exporters to the #EU, large or small, unless we opted to stay in the Single Market and Customs union. Many of us in business repeatedly made that point.
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Let's hope the awakening is beginning ...
Are they finally catching on to his eternal grifting and gaslighting?
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Let's hope the awakening is beginning ...
Reposted by David Hardstaff
This is genuinely terrifying isn't it?
No one should be this rich. But when it's someone like Musk, it becomes truly dangerous. He's effectively above the law. He can bend the world to his will with this kind of money. He's a real-life Bond villain and there isn't a real-life Bond.
No one should be this rich. But when it's someone like Musk, it becomes truly dangerous. He's effectively above the law. He can bend the world to his will with this kind of money. He's a real-life Bond villain and there isn't a real-life Bond.
It is both ethically wrong & fundamentally anti-democratic for one man to command this much wealth and power.
States spent centuries trying to tame the power of over-mighty subjects. The rise of the global barons is not compatible with democracy as we've understood it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
States spent centuries trying to tame the power of over-mighty subjects. The rise of the global barons is not compatible with democracy as we've understood it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Elon Musk's $1tn pay deal approved by Tesla shareholders
The richest man in the world will get hundreds of millions of new shares if he hits his targets.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 AM
This is genuinely terrifying isn't it?
No one should be this rich. But when it's someone like Musk, it becomes truly dangerous. He's effectively above the law. He can bend the world to his will with this kind of money. He's a real-life Bond villain and there isn't a real-life Bond.
No one should be this rich. But when it's someone like Musk, it becomes truly dangerous. He's effectively above the law. He can bend the world to his will with this kind of money. He's a real-life Bond villain and there isn't a real-life Bond.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
School pupils are to be taught how to tackle conspiracy theories, spot 'fake news' & root out misinformation. The Daily Mail, ajudged by Wikipedia to be an unreliable new source, is furious. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out why.
November 5, 2025 at 9:05 AM
School pupils are to be taught how to tackle conspiracy theories, spot 'fake news' & root out misinformation. The Daily Mail, ajudged by Wikipedia to be an unreliable new source, is furious. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out why.
For anyone in the US:
I live in a small English village and, like most such places, a key feature is that there are few hobbits and also a very small number of non-white faces, despite us being half an hour from London.
Certainly no asylum seekers, and the kids are safe enough.
Musk is a moron.
I live in a small English village and, like most such places, a key feature is that there are few hobbits and also a very small number of non-white faces, despite us being half an hour from London.
Certainly no asylum seekers, and the kids are safe enough.
Musk is a moron.
November 3, 2025 at 10:15 AM
For anyone in the US:
I live in a small English village and, like most such places, a key feature is that there are few hobbits and also a very small number of non-white faces, despite us being half an hour from London.
Certainly no asylum seekers, and the kids are safe enough.
Musk is a moron.
I live in a small English village and, like most such places, a key feature is that there are few hobbits and also a very small number of non-white faces, despite us being half an hour from London.
Certainly no asylum seekers, and the kids are safe enough.
Musk is a moron.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
Even a big far-right vote couldn’t give the far-right total control, because the Dutch democracy promotes cooperation.
Here in the UK, just one-third of the vote could give Nigel Farage a huge majority of MPs.
Our democracy isn't fit for 21st-century politics. We need Proportional Representation.
Here in the UK, just one-third of the vote could give Nigel Farage a huge majority of MPs.
Our democracy isn't fit for 21st-century politics. We need Proportional Representation.
October 31, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Even a big far-right vote couldn’t give the far-right total control, because the Dutch democracy promotes cooperation.
Here in the UK, just one-third of the vote could give Nigel Farage a huge majority of MPs.
Our democracy isn't fit for 21st-century politics. We need Proportional Representation.
Here in the UK, just one-third of the vote could give Nigel Farage a huge majority of MPs.
Our democracy isn't fit for 21st-century politics. We need Proportional Representation.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
Reform very unhappy with the coverage they got from Welsh media. The message is clear: the far-right can only succeed when they enjoy the fawning treatment that English media provide.
Reform Wales regional director blasts Welsh media over Caerphilly coverage
Emily Price Reform UK’s regional director for Wales has accused the Welsh media of “anti-Reform” attacks following the party’s by-election defeat in Caerphilly last week. Torfaen Councillor David Tho...
nation.cymru
October 29, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Reform very unhappy with the coverage they got from Welsh media. The message is clear: the far-right can only succeed when they enjoy the fawning treatment that English media provide.
It's not an issue, but something I have noticed - is it my imagination, or is there a lot of Australian politics here on BlueSky?
We're used to seeing the UK and US stuff, but I keep seeing posts and then realising that it's Australia-related ...
We're used to seeing the UK and US stuff, but I keep seeing posts and then realising that it's Australia-related ...
October 28, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It's not an issue, but something I have noticed - is it my imagination, or is there a lot of Australian politics here on BlueSky?
We're used to seeing the UK and US stuff, but I keep seeing posts and then realising that it's Australia-related ...
We're used to seeing the UK and US stuff, but I keep seeing posts and then realising that it's Australia-related ...
Reposted by David Hardstaff
We need the BBC to be properly functioning again. It is essential for our democracy.
I used to staunchly defend the BBC. I don't recognise them as journalists any more. Pathetic.
BBC did not clarify the Philp policy much: failed to ask any of the key questions
- One reading "we have updated our policy at conference" is that the Conservative Party is ditching large parts of the May deportation bill
- Another reading "we would apply that retrospectively" is it stands
- One reading "we have updated our policy at conference" is that the Conservative Party is ditching large parts of the May deportation bill
- Another reading "we would apply that retrospectively" is it stands
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
We need the BBC to be properly functioning again. It is essential for our democracy.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
October 27, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
I found a capybara pebble🤎
October 26, 2025 at 9:53 AM
I found a capybara pebble🤎
There is only one correct response to being asked a question about Sarah Pochin, and that is to say that she is an idiot who should learn to keep her foul mouth shut, and stay out of public life.
Any other response is mealy-mouthed, and tacit approval of her words.
It's not difficult.
Any other response is mealy-mouthed, and tacit approval of her words.
It's not difficult.
October 26, 2025 at 12:26 PM
There is only one correct response to being asked a question about Sarah Pochin, and that is to say that she is an idiot who should learn to keep her foul mouth shut, and stay out of public life.
Any other response is mealy-mouthed, and tacit approval of her words.
It's not difficult.
Any other response is mealy-mouthed, and tacit approval of her words.
It's not difficult.
Reposted by David Hardstaff
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
Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.