Sir Almaviva
@ilcontealmaviva.bsky.social
Lover of trams, classical music, maths, tea and cats. Member of the cycling lobby. 🇮🇹 immigrant in 🇬🇧. Refugees are welcome, racists are not.
Lover of "Italian Effeminacy and Italian Nonsense" (i.e. opera, according to Jonathan Swift)
Lover of "Italian Effeminacy and Italian Nonsense" (i.e. opera, according to Jonathan Swift)
Pinned
Let's see if I can keep it up, but I am going to try to do a thread with all the books I read in 2025, starting from the following post.
Curbing human rights to stop the rise of the far right sounds like a brilliant idea, Keir.
December 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Curbing human rights to stop the rise of the far right sounds like a brilliant idea, Keir.
December 9, 2025 at 8:36 PM
December 9, 2025 at 8:32 PM
As a side effect, using a language which is not my native one 99% of the time makes me look at my native language with different eyes. I was just now appreciating the Italian expression "è farina del mio sacco" (it's my bag's flour) which means "it's my own idea/my own work, without anyone's help".
December 9, 2025 at 6:16 PM
As a side effect, using a language which is not my native one 99% of the time makes me look at my native language with different eyes. I was just now appreciating the Italian expression "è farina del mio sacco" (it's my bag's flour) which means "it's my own idea/my own work, without anyone's help".
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
December 7, 2025 at 4:16 PM
"Making people's lives worse is ok if we get fewer foreigners" has been the guiding principle of British governments for at least a decade
Home Office Ministers state publicly, on the record, that they are deliberately making life worse for older people and people with disabilities who depend on care services, but it's worth it because it reduces net migration.
December 9, 2025 at 3:20 PM
"Making people's lives worse is ok if we get fewer foreigners" has been the guiding principle of British governments for at least a decade
How are they so bad?
Asked repeatedly about Donald Trump calling Sadiq Khan "disgusting" and suggesting that he was only elected because of immigrants, Keir Starmer's spokesman says only that the PM has a "strong relationship" with the President which has "yielded positive results for this country"
December 9, 2025 at 12:49 PM
How are they so bad?
😶
Keir Starmer’s spokesman refuses to criticise Trump for calling Europe a group of “decaying” nations led by “weak” leaders
Asked about Trump saying European countries will no longer be “viable" thanks to migration, Keir Starmer’s spokesman says the UK is “returning control to our asylum system”
Asked about Trump saying European countries will no longer be “viable" thanks to migration, Keir Starmer’s spokesman says the UK is “returning control to our asylum system”
December 9, 2025 at 12:44 PM
😶
These are empty words when Labour has adopted xenophobia as one of their core principles. Britain cannot be united as long as we vilify and scapegoat immigrants, while making their (well, our) lives harder.
At this time of growing division and anger, we should remember what defines and unites Britain.
Our country is strongest when we're united.
When our different communities come together to build a common nation.
When we draw
renewal.org.uk/blog/a-unite...
Our country is strongest when we're united.
When our different communities come together to build a common nation.
When we draw
renewal.org.uk/blog/a-unite...
A united Britain
Britain faces a moment of crisis. Stagnant living standards, the rise of the far-right, environmental breakdown, and war in Europe all threaten our democracy. Yet rather than face these threats as a…
renewal.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 9:03 AM
These are empty words when Labour has adopted xenophobia as one of their core principles. Britain cannot be united as long as we vilify and scapegoat immigrants, while making their (well, our) lives harder.
When your own party has made xenophobia the pillar of its policy, and promotes anti-immigrant policies and sentiment every single day maybe you should do something about that before accusing other parties of not being progressive.
(1/2) T he Greens are sadly not supporting progressive policies, it's just populism for the sake of it. So, I'm glad the Greens’ policies and leadership have been getting more scrutiny in recent days...
December 9, 2025 at 8:10 AM
When your own party has made xenophobia the pillar of its policy, and promotes anti-immigrant policies and sentiment every single day maybe you should do something about that before accusing other parties of not being progressive.
December 9, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
It is not helped by Starmer flipping between soundbites of "we will fight racism" before then doing the whole "nudge nudge wink wink, we don't mean you. We understand you" to far right protesters. All while government policies, reports and consultations repeat actual far right misinformation.
December 9, 2025 at 6:48 AM
It is not helped by Starmer flipping between soundbites of "we will fight racism" before then doing the whole "nudge nudge wink wink, we don't mean you. We understand you" to far right protesters. All while government policies, reports and consultations repeat actual far right misinformation.
I should buy a bottle of champagne for the day the Conservative party will vanish into oblivion.
The Conservative party’s policy also includes stripping people of their British citizenship when they are found guilty of a crime ⬇️
All criminals with dual nationality must be deported, say Tories
The Conservative party’s policy also includes stripping people of their British citizenship when they are found guilty of a crime
www.thetimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:08 PM
I should buy a bottle of champagne for the day the Conservative party will vanish into oblivion.
I had a joke about Ulysses, but Nobody could understand it.
I had a joke about Medusa....but I just couldn't face it....
I had a joke about Prometheus but i couldn’t get it over the hill ✨
December 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
I had a joke about Ulysses, but Nobody could understand it.
December 8, 2025 at 8:28 PM
It arrived today! Looking forward to reading it @amwilson.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 7:40 PM
It arrived today! Looking forward to reading it @amwilson.bsky.social
I've not been very good at my resolution, so let me try again.
My bike at Kersal Wetlands, Salford.
#photography
My bike at Kersal Wetlands, Salford.
#photography
December 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I've not been very good at my resolution, so let me try again.
My bike at Kersal Wetlands, Salford.
#photography
My bike at Kersal Wetlands, Salford.
#photography
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
The chief horror is the rewriting of the human rights gains we've made since WWII to frame only 'contributing' migrants (whether asylum seekers or not) as worthy of life & safety.
But I'm also here to call BS on the 'Britain welcomes high-skilled migrants' thing. I do not feel welcome here.
But I'm also here to call BS on the 'Britain welcomes high-skilled migrants' thing. I do not feel welcome here.
December 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The chief horror is the rewriting of the human rights gains we've made since WWII to frame only 'contributing' migrants (whether asylum seekers or not) as worthy of life & safety.
But I'm also here to call BS on the 'Britain welcomes high-skilled migrants' thing. I do not feel welcome here.
But I'm also here to call BS on the 'Britain welcomes high-skilled migrants' thing. I do not feel welcome here.
Sums up the underlying theme of a large part of British politics. Making everybody's lives more miserable because someone, out there, might get something for free.
A constant blazing terror that somewhere, somebody might be getting a free cheese sandwich. Or indeed brief use of a wheelchair.
December 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Sums up the underlying theme of a large part of British politics. Making everybody's lives more miserable because someone, out there, might get something for free.
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
Comes part and parcel with their refusal to acknowledge that Labour’s policies are doing real, *life-changing* harm to people who have done nothing wrong but be part of a political out group.
When the happens to you or someone you love, it’s not that you *wont* vote Labour it’s that you *cant*
When the happens to you or someone you love, it’s not that you *wont* vote Labour it’s that you *cant*
December 8, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Comes part and parcel with their refusal to acknowledge that Labour’s policies are doing real, *life-changing* harm to people who have done nothing wrong but be part of a political out group.
When the happens to you or someone you love, it’s not that you *wont* vote Labour it’s that you *cant*
When the happens to you or someone you love, it’s not that you *wont* vote Labour it’s that you *cant*
I am *quite* frightened of a Reform government. That's why I'd prefer if Labour wasn't going all in with the anti-immigrant stuff and threatening to make my family's life harder.
Listen, if you're no more frightened of Reform than you are of Starmer, let alone the Tories, then that's up to you. But I don't think we're going to agree. And it's hardly surprising that Starmer himself doesn't agree, either.
December 8, 2025 at 8:18 AM
I am *quite* frightened of a Reform government. That's why I'd prefer if Labour wasn't going all in with the anti-immigrant stuff and threatening to make my family's life harder.
Labour, Reform and the Tories are now fundamentally anti-immigrant parties. Criticise the other parties all you want (and all parties deserve scrutiny and criticism) but if you're a party member maybe also look at the huge issues in your own party. Just a bit of advice from a member of no party.
December 8, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Labour, Reform and the Tories are now fundamentally anti-immigrant parties. Criticise the other parties all you want (and all parties deserve scrutiny and criticism) but if you're a party member maybe also look at the huge issues in your own party. Just a bit of advice from a member of no party.
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
“We’re cracking down on family reunion”.
Can they even hear themselves?
Have they tried saying it this stuff out loud?
Did they not go “Jesus Christ, I sound like a fucking comic book villain.”
Can they even hear themselves?
Have they tried saying it this stuff out loud?
Did they not go “Jesus Christ, I sound like a fucking comic book villain.”
The Government says these reforms are “for councils”, but councils themselves are warning they will cause real harm.
Southwark Council’s leader has said the Government’s new asylum plans are “deeply concerning” — increasing homelessness, traumatising children, and separating families.
Southwark Council’s leader has said the Government’s new asylum plans are “deeply concerning” — increasing homelessness, traumatising children, and separating families.
December 7, 2025 at 10:31 AM
“We’re cracking down on family reunion”.
Can they even hear themselves?
Have they tried saying it this stuff out loud?
Did they not go “Jesus Christ, I sound like a fucking comic book villain.”
Can they even hear themselves?
Have they tried saying it this stuff out loud?
Did they not go “Jesus Christ, I sound like a fucking comic book villain.”
Wonderful performance of Prokofiev's L'amour des trois oranges at the Royal Northern College of Music. An opera I didn't know, very funny and with beautiful music, but a bizarre plot.
December 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Wonderful performance of Prokofiev's L'amour des trois oranges at the Royal Northern College of Music. An opera I didn't know, very funny and with beautiful music, but a bizarre plot.