Helen Gilbert
@helencg.bsky.social
Horse and dog lover. Really sad about what has happened to Twitter and hope this is better.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Right, this is the thing, "the Budget is not honest", okay, sure, I'm with you, "because they made things seem worse than they are" - are you on glue?
There is an actual interesting little deceit in the budget, namely ther have the OBR still forecasting based on increasing net immigration back to 300-350k whilst the Home Secretary is promising to bring it down from 200k, which does dissolve about half the headroom, but somehow we're doing vibes.
Think this is exactly right - political journalism that is completely abstracted from policy, which was not the norm before 2017, has become the default. Impossible to have a serious attempt to either shrink what the state does or widen the tax base (have to do at least one) on that basis.
December 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Right, this is the thing, "the Budget is not honest", okay, sure, I'm with you, "because they made things seem worse than they are" - are you on glue?
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
🚨 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 11:46 AM
🚨 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. 🔶
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
It's obviously a bad thing if any prisoner is released by mistake, but why is it worse if it's an asylum-seeker?
It seems just to be taken for granted now that someone is more dangerous because they're an asylum-seeker than because they're a criminal.
Something very dangerous is building here.
It seems just to be taken for granted now that someone is more dangerous because they're an asylum-seeker than because they're a criminal.
Something very dangerous is building here.
Well, that was a very weird deputy PMQs. James Cartlidge asking the same question five times – could David Lammy guarantee no other jailed asylum seekers have been accidentally released rather than deported – and Lammy each time instead condemning the Tories' record on prisons and justice.
November 5, 2025 at 1:26 PM
It's obviously a bad thing if any prisoner is released by mistake, but why is it worse if it's an asylum-seeker?
It seems just to be taken for granted now that someone is more dangerous because they're an asylum-seeker than because they're a criminal.
Something very dangerous is building here.
It seems just to be taken for granted now that someone is more dangerous because they're an asylum-seeker than because they're a criminal.
Something very dangerous is building here.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
“Travelling at about 100kmh (62mph), he ploughed through several warning markers and traffic signs before crashing into a slanted guardrail. “The collision with the guardrail launches the vehicle into the air, where it flips several times before landing,”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘The vehicle suddenly accelerated with our baby in it’: the terrifying truth about why Tesla’s cars keep crashing
Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops o...
www.theguardian.com
July 5, 2025 at 7:28 AM
“Travelling at about 100kmh (62mph), he ploughed through several warning markers and traffic signs before crashing into a slanted guardrail. “The collision with the guardrail launches the vehicle into the air, where it flips several times before landing,”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
June 14, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Jeremy Bowen BBC News, "What the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to do is associate very strongly criticism of Israel and the way it conducts the war in Gaza, with anti semitism, essentially trying to make it the same thing"
May 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Jeremy Bowen BBC News, "What the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to do is associate very strongly criticism of Israel and the way it conducts the war in Gaza, with anti semitism, essentially trying to make it the same thing"
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Make this make sense. 🤷🏼♂️
May 23, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Make this make sense. 🤷🏼♂️
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Bravo, Greenland. 👏 🇬🇱🇪🇺
“Greenland dumps Donald Trump, signs lucrative minerals deal with Europe in a major blow to the president.”
“Greenland dumps Donald Trump, signs lucrative minerals deal with Europe in a major blow to the president.”
Greenland dumps Donald Trump, signs lucrative minerals deal with Europe in a major blow to the president
Greenland has signed a 30-year mining permit with a Danish-French consortium to extract minerals, marking a significant setback for President Trump's attempts to secure a strategic foothold in the Arc...
m.economictimes.com
May 23, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Bravo, Greenland. 👏 🇬🇱🇪🇺
“Greenland dumps Donald Trump, signs lucrative minerals deal with Europe in a major blow to the president.”
“Greenland dumps Donald Trump, signs lucrative minerals deal with Europe in a major blow to the president.”
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
An independent review of sentencing will tomorrow recommend scrapping short prison sentences. The review has been led by David Gauke, who has said that sentences under 12 months do not work and should only be used in exceptional circumstances. www.itv.com/news/2025-05...
www.itv.com
May 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
An independent review of sentencing will tomorrow recommend scrapping short prison sentences. The review has been led by David Gauke, who has said that sentences under 12 months do not work and should only be used in exceptional circumstances. www.itv.com/news/2025-05...
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
I’ve learned some arcane nerdery about metro mayors in my time and it won’t be the first time I watch one of them learn what they can’t do
May 3, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I’ve learned some arcane nerdery about metro mayors in my time and it won’t be the first time I watch one of them learn what they can’t do
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Remember this one. In five years, or ten, or twenty. When we're a weird, dirty, backward nation that still sets fire to stuff, and places like China and India start to ask us why.
May 3, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Remember this one. In five years, or ten, or twenty. When we're a weird, dirty, backward nation that still sets fire to stuff, and places like China and India start to ask us why.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
‘Free Speech’ latest.
The New York Times found three users on X who feuded with Mr. Musk in December only to see their reach on the social platform practically vanish overnight.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
They Criticized Musk on X. Then Their Reach Collapsed.
Three users who disagreed with the site’s owner saw views for their posts plummet.
www.nytimes.com
April 23, 2025 at 3:17 PM
‘Free Speech’ latest.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Elon Musk attacked White House trade counselor Peter Navarro as “dumber than a sack of bricks” as a fight over President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff regime spilled onto social media
Musk Calls Navarro a ‘Moron’ as Trump Tariff Spat Gets Messy
Billionaire presidential adviser Elon Musk attacked White House trade counselor Peter Navarro as “dumber than a sack of bricks” as a fight over President Donald Trump’s tariff regime spilled onto soci...
www.bloomberg.com
April 8, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Elon Musk attacked White House trade counselor Peter Navarro as “dumber than a sack of bricks” as a fight over President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff regime spilled onto social media
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Well, 5 years- it's a slow start but better than nothing. Now let's see some of the other carpetbaggers arrested... AND I include MPs and Tory Ministers in that, for misconduct in public office.
Good news - Arrested on suspicion of fraud
5 years after the pandemic reached UK, 4 years after Good Law Project revealed Luxe Lifestyle Ltd bagged a £25.7m PPE contract with no employees & thousands of pounds of debts, two people involved with the troubled company are being investigated by HMRC
5 years after the pandemic reached UK, 4 years after Good Law Project revealed Luxe Lifestyle Ltd bagged a £25.7m PPE contract with no employees & thousands of pounds of debts, two people involved with the troubled company are being investigated by HMRC
VIP lane: Arrest in fraud investigation | Good Law Project
Good Law Project can reveal that two people involved with VIP lane firm Luxe Lifestyle are under investigation for tax evasion relating to a £25.7m contract for useless PPE.
goodlawproject.org
April 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Well, 5 years- it's a slow start but better than nothing. Now let's see some of the other carpetbaggers arrested... AND I include MPs and Tory Ministers in that, for misconduct in public office.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
Canada initiates WTO dispute on US duties on cars and car parts
www.wto.org/english/news...
www.wto.org/english/news...
Canada initiates WTO dispute regarding US duties on automobiles and auto parts
Canada has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States concerning US measures imposing a 25 percent duty on automobiles and automobile parts from Canada. The request was circulated to W...
www.wto.org
April 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Canada initiates WTO dispute on US duties on cars and car parts
www.wto.org/english/news...
www.wto.org/english/news...
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
A quick 🧵of the incredible sights in cities across the USA right now.
Millions are on the street speaking out against Trump & Musk trampling the Constitution.
Let’s start here with Salt Lake City 😳👏
#HandsOff #HandsOff2025 #FiftyFiftyOne
(📸Nate Blouin)
Millions are on the street speaking out against Trump & Musk trampling the Constitution.
Let’s start here with Salt Lake City 😳👏
#HandsOff #HandsOff2025 #FiftyFiftyOne
(📸Nate Blouin)
April 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
A quick 🧵of the incredible sights in cities across the USA right now.
Millions are on the street speaking out against Trump & Musk trampling the Constitution.
Let’s start here with Salt Lake City 😳👏
#HandsOff #HandsOff2025 #FiftyFiftyOne
(📸Nate Blouin)
Millions are on the street speaking out against Trump & Musk trampling the Constitution.
Let’s start here with Salt Lake City 😳👏
#HandsOff #HandsOff2025 #FiftyFiftyOne
(📸Nate Blouin)
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
As Trump’s tariff policy melts down, I’m running a competition for the dumbest things members of his administration say in defence of it.
Treasury Sec Scott Bessent is currently winning. He says the global market collapse was kickstarted by China announcing DeepSeek AI , not by Trump’s tariffs.
Treasury Sec Scott Bessent is currently winning. He says the global market collapse was kickstarted by China announcing DeepSeek AI , not by Trump’s tariffs.
April 5, 2025 at 12:25 PM
As Trump’s tariff policy melts down, I’m running a competition for the dumbest things members of his administration say in defence of it.
Treasury Sec Scott Bessent is currently winning. He says the global market collapse was kickstarted by China announcing DeepSeek AI , not by Trump’s tariffs.
Treasury Sec Scott Bessent is currently winning. He says the global market collapse was kickstarted by China announcing DeepSeek AI , not by Trump’s tariffs.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
The clearest formulation of the Trump administration pitch to the average American I can articulate is:
"You should accept an indeterminate but significant amount of economic pain short term, and higher prices and less choice long term, in order to live in a country that has more factories in it."
"You should accept an indeterminate but significant amount of economic pain short term, and higher prices and less choice long term, in order to live in a country that has more factories in it."
a 'your possessions and money don't actually matter' approach is sure to work with Americans, a public notoriously amenable to sacrificing for the greater good, as Jimmy Carter's second term attests.
April 5, 2025 at 11:42 AM
The clearest formulation of the Trump administration pitch to the average American I can articulate is:
"You should accept an indeterminate but significant amount of economic pain short term, and higher prices and less choice long term, in order to live in a country that has more factories in it."
"You should accept an indeterminate but significant amount of economic pain short term, and higher prices and less choice long term, in order to live in a country that has more factories in it."
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
🚨So, why are uninhabited islands tariffed?
A: The White House is even more stupid than you thought.
Tariffs have been done by internet domains, not by country!
So Heard & McDonald Islands (.hm) has a different domain to Australia (.au). So the penguins are considered a separate trading nation. 🤯
A: The White House is even more stupid than you thought.
Tariffs have been done by internet domains, not by country!
So Heard & McDonald Islands (.hm) has a different domain to Australia (.au). So the penguins are considered a separate trading nation. 🤯
April 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
🚨So, why are uninhabited islands tariffed?
A: The White House is even more stupid than you thought.
Tariffs have been done by internet domains, not by country!
So Heard & McDonald Islands (.hm) has a different domain to Australia (.au). So the penguins are considered a separate trading nation. 🤯
A: The White House is even more stupid than you thought.
Tariffs have been done by internet domains, not by country!
So Heard & McDonald Islands (.hm) has a different domain to Australia (.au). So the penguins are considered a separate trading nation. 🤯
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
On the tariffs @strangeloopcanon.com over at the other place has pretty convincing evidence that the White House may have used LLMs to come up with its tariff model and that that evidence may have come from LLM scraping of a Peter Navarro book. We are in the dumbest AI timeline.
April 3, 2025 at 10:46 AM
On the tariffs @strangeloopcanon.com over at the other place has pretty convincing evidence that the White House may have used LLMs to come up with its tariff model and that that evidence may have come from LLM scraping of a Peter Navarro book. We are in the dumbest AI timeline.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
🔥OUCH! Farage’s "biggest rally in history" flopped.
- empty seats, protests, and ejections marked the weird night in Birmingham.
- empty seats, protests, and ejections marked the weird night in Birmingham.
The Reform Rally: inside out
Farage’s "biggest rally in history" flopped - empty seats, protests, and ejections marked the night at Utilita Arena, Birmingham
northeastbylines.co.uk
March 30, 2025 at 7:57 PM
🔥OUCH! Farage’s "biggest rally in history" flopped.
- empty seats, protests, and ejections marked the weird night in Birmingham.
- empty seats, protests, and ejections marked the weird night in Birmingham.
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
This from Der Spiegel - if confirmed - suggests that Trump’s key appointments are all seriously compromised … www.spiegel.de/internationa...
Hegseth, Waltz, Gabbard: Private Data and Passwords of Senior U.S. Security Officials Found Online
Donald Trump's most important security advisers used Signal to discuss an imminent military strike. Now, reporting by DER SPIEGEL has found that the contact data of some of those officials, including ...
www.spiegel.de
March 26, 2025 at 9:53 PM
This from Der Spiegel - if confirmed - suggests that Trump’s key appointments are all seriously compromised … www.spiegel.de/internationa...
Reposted by Helen Gilbert
No wonder there’s *bed blocking* in the NHS
Just 86 new care beds created in 2024 and, over the past 10 years, the supply of care home beds has risen just 2.9%, while the over-65 population has grown 20.7%.
www.ft.com/content/1d00...
Just 86 new care beds created in 2024 and, over the past 10 years, the supply of care home beds has risen just 2.9%, while the over-65 population has grown 20.7%.
www.ft.com/content/1d00...
Just 86 extra UK care home beds created in 2024, data shows
Declining availability highlights challenges for care home sector
www.ft.com
March 26, 2025 at 8:32 AM
No wonder there’s *bed blocking* in the NHS
Just 86 new care beds created in 2024 and, over the past 10 years, the supply of care home beds has risen just 2.9%, while the over-65 population has grown 20.7%.
www.ft.com/content/1d00...
Just 86 new care beds created in 2024 and, over the past 10 years, the supply of care home beds has risen just 2.9%, while the over-65 population has grown 20.7%.
www.ft.com/content/1d00...