@donmercutio.bsky.social
'Our time is on loan, only us to borrow
An' I know
But I can't be today, I can be tomorrow
Yea, all I see, the more I know
The more I know, the less I understand'
Ask for me tomorrow, and you'll find me a grave man.
An' I know
But I can't be today, I can be tomorrow
Yea, all I see, the more I know
The more I know, the less I understand'
Ask for me tomorrow, and you'll find me a grave man.
Pinned
No one owns A Cat.
A Cat might condescend to live with you, albeit on Their Own Terms & provided there is adequate food of tolerable quality & sufficient warm comfortable sleeping arrangements, but make no mistake, A Cat is not owned.
Sometimes companionable, often worshiped always their own Cat.
A Cat might condescend to live with you, albeit on Their Own Terms & provided there is adequate food of tolerable quality & sufficient warm comfortable sleeping arrangements, but make no mistake, A Cat is not owned.
Sometimes companionable, often worshiped always their own Cat.
UK budget. Heard that 22% of the working people would now be on the higher rate of tax.
That means 78% of us, e.g. most of us aren't.
This is 40% on anything over £50k.
Struggling to see how this is unfair really.
I am sure I will be told of my economic illiteracy but tax people who earn more ?
That means 78% of us, e.g. most of us aren't.
This is 40% on anything over £50k.
Struggling to see how this is unfair really.
I am sure I will be told of my economic illiteracy but tax people who earn more ?
November 26, 2025 at 7:21 PM
UK budget. Heard that 22% of the working people would now be on the higher rate of tax.
That means 78% of us, e.g. most of us aren't.
This is 40% on anything over £50k.
Struggling to see how this is unfair really.
I am sure I will be told of my economic illiteracy but tax people who earn more ?
That means 78% of us, e.g. most of us aren't.
This is 40% on anything over £50k.
Struggling to see how this is unfair really.
I am sure I will be told of my economic illiteracy but tax people who earn more ?
Reposted
On Truss & Kwarteng in ‘22. Allister Heath, Telegraph: “the best budget I have ever heard a British chancellor deliver". Alex Brummer, Mail: “a genuine Tory package elbowing to one side the Treasury's fiscal conservatism".
These men will now be paid actual money for their analysis of today’s budget.
These men will now be paid actual money for their analysis of today’s budget.
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
On Truss & Kwarteng in ‘22. Allister Heath, Telegraph: “the best budget I have ever heard a British chancellor deliver". Alex Brummer, Mail: “a genuine Tory package elbowing to one side the Treasury's fiscal conservatism".
These men will now be paid actual money for their analysis of today’s budget.
These men will now be paid actual money for their analysis of today’s budget.
Reposted
Boris Johnson allegedly took four days off as a holiday to ride his motorbike and host guests as the UK entered the deadly pandemic.
Boris Johnson 'took minibreak' as Covid pandemic ravaged UK
www.mirror.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Boris Johnson allegedly took four days off as a holiday to ride his motorbike and host guests as the UK entered the deadly pandemic.
Reposted
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:26 PM
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted
Gosh. What a surprise.
🚨 BREAKING: Kent County Council is hurtling towards financial oblivion under Reform.
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
November 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Gosh. What a surprise.
So Mahmood policy on asylum will address the toxic nature of debate around asylum?
The toxic nature of debate is because it is weaponized by the political right and reality of the situation e.g. it is a mess but not that big a number compared to legal migration is unknown by the majority of people
The toxic nature of debate is because it is weaponized by the political right and reality of the situation e.g. it is a mess but not that big a number compared to legal migration is unknown by the majority of people
November 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
So Mahmood policy on asylum will address the toxic nature of debate around asylum?
The toxic nature of debate is because it is weaponized by the political right and reality of the situation e.g. it is a mess but not that big a number compared to legal migration is unknown by the majority of people
The toxic nature of debate is because it is weaponized by the political right and reality of the situation e.g. it is a mess but not that big a number compared to legal migration is unknown by the majority of people
Reposted
The tone of an organisation is set from the leader on down, and the tone of Keir Starmer's leadership has always been 'say it if it is convenient'.
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
November 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The tone of an organisation is set from the leader on down, and the tone of Keir Starmer's leadership has always been 'say it if it is convenient'.
Asylum claims apparently jumped to 111,100 year to 2025. Up from a 25k a year. (Bets are new government clearing infamous backlog).
All this time, noise & upset, over 0.16% increase of the population at most.
Seriously you think that does economic harm?
All this time, noise & upset, over 0.16% increase of the population at most.
Seriously you think that does economic harm?
November 17, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Asylum claims apparently jumped to 111,100 year to 2025. Up from a 25k a year. (Bets are new government clearing infamous backlog).
All this time, noise & upset, over 0.16% increase of the population at most.
Seriously you think that does economic harm?
All this time, noise & upset, over 0.16% increase of the population at most.
Seriously you think that does economic harm?
Reposted
My granddad was a refugee, my wife, our close friends and those of our kids are either immigrants or the children of immigrants.
Do ministers ever think about the message their rhetoric on "handouts" and "golden tickets" for migrants sends about whether this is a government for people like us?
Do ministers ever think about the message their rhetoric on "handouts" and "golden tickets" for migrants sends about whether this is a government for people like us?
November 16, 2025 at 4:02 PM
My granddad was a refugee, my wife, our close friends and those of our kids are either immigrants or the children of immigrants.
Do ministers ever think about the message their rhetoric on "handouts" and "golden tickets" for migrants sends about whether this is a government for people like us?
Do ministers ever think about the message their rhetoric on "handouts" and "golden tickets" for migrants sends about whether this is a government for people like us?
Reposted
Immigration is NOT tearing this country apart.
Politicians like Farage and Mahmodo are tearing it apart by their divisive rhetoric and dishonest framing of the known facts behind immigration.
I despise them for it.
Now 10 years here isn’t long enough. It has to be 20 years.
What a disgrace.
Politicians like Farage and Mahmodo are tearing it apart by their divisive rhetoric and dishonest framing of the known facts behind immigration.
I despise them for it.
Now 10 years here isn’t long enough. It has to be 20 years.
What a disgrace.
November 16, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Immigration is NOT tearing this country apart.
Politicians like Farage and Mahmodo are tearing it apart by their divisive rhetoric and dishonest framing of the known facts behind immigration.
I despise them for it.
Now 10 years here isn’t long enough. It has to be 20 years.
What a disgrace.
Politicians like Farage and Mahmodo are tearing it apart by their divisive rhetoric and dishonest framing of the known facts behind immigration.
I despise them for it.
Now 10 years here isn’t long enough. It has to be 20 years.
What a disgrace.
So certain people go 'civil war' is inevitable are also pushing for Reform? So to be clear if Reform win we still have a civil war then? Why would I want a government who thought Liz Truss budget a good thing in charge during a civil war? Or are they the cause of the civil war? Sorry very confusing
November 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM
So certain people go 'civil war' is inevitable are also pushing for Reform? So to be clear if Reform win we still have a civil war then? Why would I want a government who thought Liz Truss budget a good thing in charge during a civil war? Or are they the cause of the civil war? Sorry very confusing
Reposted
Reposted
The cool thing about having a political world view that's not a weird personality cult tied to one old man is that there's no one so integral to your policy preferences that whether or not to overlook and conceal their complicity in mass paedophilia is a hard choice.
I really recommend it.
I really recommend it.
November 15, 2025 at 11:12 AM
The cool thing about having a political world view that's not a weird personality cult tied to one old man is that there's no one so integral to your policy preferences that whether or not to overlook and conceal their complicity in mass paedophilia is a hard choice.
I really recommend it.
I really recommend it.
The thing with "BBC is institually bias" is well a) BBC is not just BBC news b) what about Steve Rosenberg, Lyse Doucet, Kate Adie, Fergal Keane, Jeremy Bowen, Orla Guerin etc etc
Yeah Kusenberg & Mason are painful blatant but ignores a lot of good journalists especially word service.
Yeah Kusenberg & Mason are painful blatant but ignores a lot of good journalists especially word service.
November 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The thing with "BBC is institually bias" is well a) BBC is not just BBC news b) what about Steve Rosenberg, Lyse Doucet, Kate Adie, Fergal Keane, Jeremy Bowen, Orla Guerin etc etc
Yeah Kusenberg & Mason are painful blatant but ignores a lot of good journalists especially word service.
Yeah Kusenberg & Mason are painful blatant but ignores a lot of good journalists especially word service.
Reposted
Exclusive: Reform’s flagship Kent administration is planning to shut down multiple council committees as it struggles to fill posts after losing nine of its own councillors
Reform Council in Chaos as It Prepares to Slash Scrutiny Committees Following Wave of Councillor Suspensions
EXCLUSIVE: Reform's flagship Kent administration is planning to shut down multiple council committees as it struggles to fill posts after suspending nine of its own councillors
bylinetimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Exclusive: Reform’s flagship Kent administration is planning to shut down multiple council committees as it struggles to fill posts after losing nine of its own councillors
Reposted
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
emptycity.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
Reposted
The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:22 PM
The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
New piece from me.
open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
Reposted
In these times of rancour & division, it’s comforting to find things on which we can all agree: Kent County Council, for example, really does provide a perfect illustration of how well Reform would run the country. I agree with Nigel!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Kent fire authority 'in disarray' amid Reform UK video leak row
A firefighters union claims Reform UK suspending councillors is impacting the local fire authority.
www.bbc.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
In these times of rancour & division, it’s comforting to find things on which we can all agree: Kent County Council, for example, really does provide a perfect illustration of how well Reform would run the country. I agree with Nigel!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted
Honestly, I did NOT have "punching the air and going HELL YES to Chris Patten" on my bingo card today. But what he says is SO rarely said and needed saying SO badly!
"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"
"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Honestly, I did NOT have "punching the air and going HELL YES to Chris Patten" on my bingo card today. But what he says is SO rarely said and needed saying SO badly!
"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"
"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"
Reposted
The Telegraph had to correct its multiple lies about "illegal immigrants" in London at least three separate times.
It takes an obscene amount of hubris to lecture the BBC when you have The Telegraph’s record on truth-telling.
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
The Telegraph’s BBC hypocrisy
A paper that knows a thing or two about editorial f*ck-ups...
writesbright.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The Telegraph had to correct its multiple lies about "illegal immigrants" in London at least three separate times.
Reposted
Seeing so many posts about who “Starmer and Nandy” will appoint as director general. Easy mistake but the government does not appoint the director general! The BBC board, whose members are appointed for rolling terms by the culture secretary, appoints the director general.
November 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Seeing so many posts about who “Starmer and Nandy” will appoint as director general. Easy mistake but the government does not appoint the director general! The BBC board, whose members are appointed for rolling terms by the culture secretary, appoints the director general.
Reposted
The more the media pursue the Government for yet another mishap within a public organisation, the more I realise the total shitshow inherited by Labour was worse than we could possibly have known - because the media didn't do anything like their job for at least 9 years.
November 9, 2025 at 12:04 AM
The more the media pursue the Government for yet another mishap within a public organisation, the more I realise the total shitshow inherited by Labour was worse than we could possibly have known - because the media didn't do anything like their job for at least 9 years.
Reposted
www.tetleystldr.com/tetleystldr-... @leftsky.bsky.social @doubledown.news @antinazi.org @yourparty.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social @thecanaryuk.bsky.social @opendemocracy.net @kernowdamo.bsky.social @theleftbible.bsky.social @greenparty.org.uk @zackpolanski.bsky.social @dirtypj.bsky.social
The PR company for Reform UK Ltd is not supposed to be the BBC - TetleysTLDR
9th Nov 25: Reform UK are a minority party. They have 5 MPs, yet if you listened to the BBC you'd think they were the Government in waiting. This has to stop.
www.tetleystldr.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted
Sweet sustenance and symbol: Rosemary Remembrance Cake is #RecipeOfTheDay www.nigella.com/recipes/rose...
Rosemary Remembrance Cake
The food we eat connects us so deeply to those we love and, perhaps, especially so when they are no longer with us. And this recipe is really in honour of my maternal grandmother, and not just because...
www.nigella.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Sweet sustenance and symbol: Rosemary Remembrance Cake is #RecipeOfTheDay www.nigella.com/recipes/rose...
Reposted
Performing desirable behaviour and "virtue signalling" is also absolutely core to human society.
It's why we tell kids that stealing is wrong, rather than just that it's illegal and punishable by law.
Living in a place where people only treat each other well when forced to by rules would be AWFUL.
It's why we tell kids that stealing is wrong, rather than just that it's illegal and punishable by law.
Living in a place where people only treat each other well when forced to by rules would be AWFUL.
Performative decency is actually *so* important for this reason.
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
November 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Performing desirable behaviour and "virtue signalling" is also absolutely core to human society.
It's why we tell kids that stealing is wrong, rather than just that it's illegal and punishable by law.
Living in a place where people only treat each other well when forced to by rules would be AWFUL.
It's why we tell kids that stealing is wrong, rather than just that it's illegal and punishable by law.
Living in a place where people only treat each other well when forced to by rules would be AWFUL.