George Potter
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georgepotter.bsky.social
George Potter
@georgepotter.bsky.social
510 followers 260 following 1.5K posts
Liberal Democrat politician. Local councillor in Guildford. Working in software engineering. My views are my own and aren't on behalf on anyone else.

Pronouns: he/him
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georgepotter.bsky.social
In case one wondered how right-wing journalists are reacting to the Lib Dems voting down Farage's opposition day motion to leave the ECHR:

Apparently this is all a conspiracy "funded by open-border-loving Quakers"???
Screenshot of tweet by Charlotte Gill (@CharlotteCGill) quote-tweeting Ed Davey to say: "Lib Dems are majorly funded by open-border-loving Quakers They want you to think they’re a middle class centrist party for dads who like gardening but they are as radical as the Greens"
October 30, 2025 at 11:03 AM
georgepotter.bsky.social
I was pleased with the response this evening when asking the Lib Dem leader of Guildford Borough Council questions about how the council was responding to the recent transphobic guidance by the EHRC. Not as strident as I would ideally like, but clearly standing with the trans community.
(1) “Guildford Borough Council has not adopted and will not adopt the withdrawn interim guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) earlier this year. We are aware that a new Code of Practice has been submitted to the Government by the EHRC but is has not yet been laid before Parliament. Following ministerial approval, the government must lay the updated code of practice before Parliament for 40 days before it can become statutory guidance. The updated Code of Practice will provide clear guidance on how services and public functions should comply with the Equality Act, superseding all previous guidance from the EHRC. (2) As part of our Corporate Strategy, Guildford Borough Council remains firmly committed to upholding the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion for all members of our community and workforce, including our LGBTQ+ community, and our trans and non-binary people. Guildford Borough Council will continue to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, human rights law, and our own values of fairness and inclusion. We will always assure ourselves of our legal responsibilities and will seek independent legal advice where necessary. We are developing an Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Delivery Plan, and this is currently out for consultation with our networks and Improvement Champions. We welcome and will continue ongoing dialogue with staff, residents and advocacy groups to ensure our policies remain inclusive, lawful, and compassionate. (3) We will continue to ensure that everybody’s rights are protected in line with the law, so that no one experiences discrimination or harassment as a result of their protected characteristic when using our buildings facilities. We are committed to developing guidance that provides clarity in collaboration with our legal colleagues following any government approval in the foreseeable future.”
October 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
With alt text.

Happy Mean Girls Day!
Two stills from the Mean Girls movie. Cady is sitting behind Aaron in class. The dialogue from the scene is shown as subtitles: Narration (by Cady): On October 3rd he asked me what day it was. Cady: It's October 3rd.
October 3, 2025 at 9:55 AM
georgepotter.bsky.social
Interesting to see this from Reform in a local council by-election (but sent as a national campaign item to bypass expenses limits). Very much supports the Local Government Theory of Everything (h/t @duncanrobinson.bsky.social & @oldtrotter.bsky.social): The message is bin collections and potholes.
Photograph of a letter sent to a resident in a council by-election. The letter head says "Britain Needs Reform" and underneath there is a banner image of Nigel Farage and a dog with the Reform UK party logo. The letter itself reads: Britain is broken. That is the legacy of 15 years of Conservative and Labour governments. This once-great country is now a place where nothing works, where you can't get an NHS appointment or find an affordable home. Where taxes and the cost of living have increased while wages stagnate. Britain has been let down by Labour and the Conservatives. It is now a lawless society where criminals are set free after serving less than half their sentence but ordinary British citizens are punished for expressing the "wrong" opinion. Potholes go unfixed and your bins go uncollected while your council tax rises. It is not right that it is always hard-working and law-abiding people who bear the brunt of politicians' failures. [Talks about Conservative failures] [Talks about Labour failures] Reform UK, the party I lead, has seen its support soar as people recognise that Britain needs Reform. If you support Reform UK, you will get a party that will freeze immigration and stop the boats, restore law and order, scrap Net Zero to reduce energy bills for homes and businesses, restore the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and make sure that your bins are collected and your potholes are fixed. I have always stood by my principles and, unlike the old political establishment, I will not let you down. In May Reform UK won the national elections, and we now run councils all over the country. In a few short months we are already showing that if you vote Reform, you get Reform. This once-great country can be turned around, but we have no time left to waste.
September 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
Okay, so this is a great birthday celebration day. Just popped into Guildford's first independent bookshop in 20 years (Paper Moon) and right in their window was a copy of @tkingfisher.com's Hemlock & Silver which I've been meaning to get for weeks!
Photograph of a book, Hemlock & Silver, being held in a hand in front of a shop's chalkboard which says "Welcome to Paper Moon bookshop" with "Paper Moon" written in pink next to a blue crescent moon.
September 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
So what you're actually referring to here is a fringe event organised by the Lib Dem Friends of Israel group (the counterpart to the Friends of Palestine group), about the upcoming Israeli election.

By definition, the Lib Dem party therefore did not invite We Believe In Israel to conference.
Screenshot reading: Fringe Sunday lunchtime 13.00–14.00 cont. Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel The forthcoming Israeli General Election: why it matters and what will happen. Join us for an exclusive event discussing and analysing the crucial upcoming Israeli General Election. We will be joined by Shelly Bar Merron MK (Member of the Knesset/Parliament) from our Israeli sister party, Yesh Atid. Chair, Gavin Stollar OBE. Highcliff Marriott, Sandbanks Room
September 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
I pointed that out to this person in the replies and they blocked me. Interesting...
Screenshot of a reply to a post which shows as 'Post Blocked'. The reply says: I mean it's not recorded on twitch though. Valens only recorded her part of the dialogue, not what the employee said to her. And that was done as a demo of how to make a call to the payment processors. Maybe get your facts straight?
July 29, 2025 at 1:24 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
Nothing fancy, just a cool snail I saw this morning in Wales
Photo of a garden snail sat in the middle of a plant with dark green leaves with raindrops in them. The snail has a dark grey body and a spiral shell with a tortoiseshell-cat colour pattern.
June 21, 2025 at 11:54 AM
georgepotter.bsky.social
What I appreciate most about travelling to Wales is that they don't insist on giving you a limp, stale salad with a meal like this.
Photo of a ham and cheese toastie on a plate with accompanying crisps, there is also a can of Oasis behind the plate and a glass full with a purple liquid.
June 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
In case anyone's wondered how the Conservatives are doing, one of their councillors has just written an article in the fake working class voice of an imaginary East End greasy spoon café:

conservativehome.com/2025/06/06/e...
Screenshot of a section of the article reading as follows: I’ve been ‘ere since the 1950s — tucked down a side street in the East End, next to the dry cleaners and opposite the corner shop. I’ve seen this little patch of London shift and shuffle over the years. New faces come, old ones drift back like clockwork. But me? I’ve always been here — fry-ups on the griddle, tea in the pot, door open early. I’m your local caff — no frills, no fuss, just builders’ breakfasts, mugs o’ tea and the same black-and-white photo of our late Queen that’s hung on the back wall since 1953. What sets us apart is our value — proper meals that fill you up, served with a smile and a bit of chat. That’s our way.
June 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
georgepotter.bsky.social
Trans rights are human rights. It's vital that cis allies speak up now before it's too late. And as the councillor responsible for public toilets in Guildford borough I will be doing all I can to make sure our public toilets remain trans inclusive regardless of what this bigoted government says.
Screenshot of a statement which says: It feels like we live in an age of terrifying backsliding. Whether it's climate change, fascism or equal rights, especially trans rights, battles which were half-won in my twenties are now in danger of being lost for good, to the detriment of us all. Today's news has made it clear that the official position of both the UK's government and courts is that trans people should not be allowed to exist in public and that thirty years of acceptance and progress is being thrown in the bin in favour of listening to the bigotry of a tiny minority who have wildly disproportionate influence amongst the political and media elite. Trans rights are human rights and an attack on the human rights of anyone is an attack on the human rights of everyone - as shown by the fact that so called 'gender critical' campaigners have already moved on to targeting racial equality as their next claimed 'threat to women'. In this dangerous time I think it's more important than ever that we all show courage however we can and stand up to fight against forces of hate, conformity and authoritarianism in whatever way we can, because courage calls to courage everywhere. And personally, since I'm portfolio holder for environmental services at Guildford Borough Council, which includes responsibility for public toilets, part of how I will be standing up and doing what I can is by not wavering from my belief that men (cis and trans alike) belong in men's toilets and that women (cis and trans alike) belong in women's toilets. And I will be doing everything I can to try to get GBC to take the same position; because it's the right thing to do, because it's what we've been doing for the past thirty years, and because it's the least we can do to ensure that fascists and bigots don't succeed in their goal of making it impossible for trans people to exist safely in public spaces. Screenshot of a trans flag with writing that says 'TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS'
April 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
This is the easiest one to find a receipt for. The others are nigh impossible to provide context for given her penchant for quote posting and then blocking so that it's no longer possible to see what specifically she was responding to, and without context it doesn't work as a receipt.
Screenshot of Tressie quote posting someone asking "Have you ever had a curry?" and saying "You mean like the Indian people who make it? Yes, I have." Replies to the post are disabled.
April 18, 2025 at 4:29 PM
georgepotter.bsky.social
Reposted with alt text:
Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
January 21, 2025 at 9:46 AM