niko_himself
@niko-himself.bsky.social
I care about languages, politics, housing, and trains. YIMBY, Social Democrat. | 🇬🇧🇬🇷🏳️🌈
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niko_himself
@niko-himself.bsky.social
· Sep 18
I have a good friend, he used to be a hasan fan before the war, and an active guy in his community, in 2022 he asked “why can’t you get me or any other Ukrainian leftist on stream so we can tell you our side of the story” and got banned everywhere
The end
The end
Very unusual for US leftists to overlook imperial oppression when the perpetrator isn't a Western country /s
Reposted by niko_himself
This is the key point. It gets Tory/Reform to 35% and delivers a huge, country-changing majority that brings us out of the ECHR, tears up our relationship with the EU, initiates mass deportations, ends judicial independence, takes control of the Electoral Commission etc. We'd be totally screwed.
But those Conservative voters who dislike Reform also *hate* Labour. So I'd guess plenty would be willing to hold their nose and back Farage
December 2, 2025 at 11:08 PM
This is the key point. It gets Tory/Reform to 35% and delivers a huge, country-changing majority that brings us out of the ECHR, tears up our relationship with the EU, initiates mass deportations, ends judicial independence, takes control of the Electoral Commission etc. We'd be totally screwed.
Reposted by niko_himself
I will never forget Grace Blakeley sitting alongside Maurice Glasman and making the case for Brexit at a New Statesman event in 2019. They were up against Paul Mason and Stella Creasey and arguing that the EU was a barrier to international socialism and that Brexit would be the start of something.
December 2, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I will never forget Grace Blakeley sitting alongside Maurice Glasman and making the case for Brexit at a New Statesman event in 2019. They were up against Paul Mason and Stella Creasey and arguing that the EU was a barrier to international socialism and that Brexit would be the start of something.
Reposted by niko_himself
This is a borderline psychotic thing to put in a newspaper.
This is the point where the anti-Reeves stories tip into madness. Criticise her performance all you like but what the hell is this?
December 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
This is a borderline psychotic thing to put in a newspaper.
Reposted by niko_himself
This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started
November 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started
Reposted by niko_himself
In a grim world, this story is a necessary source of joy and laughter.
news.sky.com/story/jeremy...
news.sky.com/story/jeremy...
Jeremy Corbyn declines to call Zarah Sultana a friend as Your Party holds first conference
Ms Sultana had previously claimed she was being "sidelined" by a "sexist boys' club" within the fledgling party.
news.sky.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:20 PM
In a grim world, this story is a necessary source of joy and laughter.
news.sky.com/story/jeremy...
news.sky.com/story/jeremy...
Reposted by niko_himself
Most first-term governments have a disastrous first year. It's the 'not visibly having learnt any lessons from it' that is new.
If the Government do go ahead with the mooted plan in here to (effectively) remove workplace pensions from salary sacrifice schemes I am genuinely a little in awe of how bad their "growth strategy is."
www.ft.com/content/ca5e...
www.ft.com/content/ca5e...
The four audiences Reeves’ ‘high-wire’ Budget must satisfy
Chancellor needs a lot to go right if she is to somehow reconcile interests of Labour MPs, markets, business and the public
www.ft.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Most first-term governments have a disastrous first year. It's the 'not visibly having learnt any lessons from it' that is new.
Reposted by niko_himself
A source close to Rachel Reeves commented: “People are going to love this budget. She’s really done it this time and she will definitely, positively, not have to do another one like this.”
A market analyst said: “Hmmmmmmmmmmm.” 2/2
A market analyst said: “Hmmmmmmmmmmm.” 2/2
November 23, 2025 at 11:18 PM
A source close to Rachel Reeves commented: “People are going to love this budget. She’s really done it this time and she will definitely, positively, not have to do another one like this.”
A market analyst said: “Hmmmmmmmmmmm.” 2/2
A market analyst said: “Hmmmmmmmmmmm.” 2/2
Reposted by niko_himself
Summarised all the Budget preview pieces to save you time:
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
November 23, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Summarised all the Budget preview pieces to save you time:
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
Reposted by niko_himself
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Reposted by niko_himself
After you help your boss convert a doc to PDF
November 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
After you help your boss convert a doc to PDF
Reposted by niko_himself
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
Unzoomed #675 5/6 🟡🔴🟡🔴🟢⚪️
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Unzoomed
Identify cities using satellite images in this daily puzzle game, where each guess zooms out for enhanced clues.
unzoomed.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Unzoomed #675 5/6 🟡🔴🟡🔴🟢⚪️
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Reposted by niko_himself
This (from: www.ft.com/content/75ce...) is something you can *feel* if you are in the UK, especially if you've experienced living abroad. But infuriatingly successive governments and our entire media are somehow absolutely committed to suggesting anyone who wants to change this is the devil...
November 21, 2025 at 7:38 AM
This (from: www.ft.com/content/75ce...) is something you can *feel* if you are in the UK, especially if you've experienced living abroad. But infuriatingly successive governments and our entire media are somehow absolutely committed to suggesting anyone who wants to change this is the devil...
Reposted by niko_himself
The Tories made the same mistake with the Red Wall fixation on Lee Anderson types rather than "estate agent in Workington" or "Woman who shops at the new(ish) M&S Food in Leigh". But at least they had an excuse for not understanding those voters.
November 16, 2025 at 4:18 PM
The Tories made the same mistake with the Red Wall fixation on Lee Anderson types rather than "estate agent in Workington" or "Woman who shops at the new(ish) M&S Food in Leigh". But at least they had an excuse for not understanding those voters.
Reposted by niko_himself
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
On incompetence
Much of our political culture is fundamentally incompetent.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
Unzoomed #664 1/6 🟢⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️
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unzoomed.com 😏
Unzoomed
Identify cities using satellite images in this daily puzzle game, where each guess zooms out for enhanced clues.
unzoomed.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Unzoomed #664 1/6 🟢⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️
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Unzoomed #659 3/6 🔴🟡🟢⚪️⚪️⚪️
unzoomed.com
unzoomed.com
Unzoomed
Identify cities using satellite images in this daily puzzle game, where each guess zooms out for enhanced clues.
unzoomed.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Unzoomed #659 3/6 🔴🟡🟢⚪️⚪️⚪️
unzoomed.com
unzoomed.com
Reposted by niko_himself
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
November 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
Reposted by niko_himself
A world without Keir Starmer: Is it time to change the Labour leader? iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
A world without Keir Starmer
Is it time to change the Labour leader?
iandunt.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 AM
A world without Keir Starmer: Is it time to change the Labour leader? iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
Unzoomed #652 5/6 🔴🟡🟡🟡🟢⚪️
unzoomed.com 😅
unzoomed.com 😅
Unzoomed
Identify cities using satellite images in this daily puzzle game, where each guess zooms out for enhanced clues.
unzoomed.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Unzoomed #652 5/6 🔴🟡🟡🟡🟢⚪️
unzoomed.com 😅
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Reposted by niko_himself
"To say 'Zelenskyy is no friend of the working class' is an insulting, facile distraction from the fact that Sultana refuses to support the Ukrainian people’s fight for existence."
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Coventry South needs a by-election soon
Zarah Sultana has no mandate for disarming the people of Britain and betraying Ukraine
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
"To say 'Zelenskyy is no friend of the working class' is an insulting, facile distraction from the fact that Sultana refuses to support the Ukrainian people’s fight for existence."
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Reposted by niko_himself
A strategy based on 'well, what if everything political science tells us, everything economics tells us and everything history tells us is wrong?' is ending in a predictable fashion.
It's increasingly obvious that Labour's strategy - call it Starmerism, Blue Labour, whatever - has got it badly wrong. It has alienated the party's core vote while failing to win over those leaning to Reform. There was no shortage of people warning them they were getting it wrong either.
Three years ago, Labour was polling in the 50s.
October 28, 2025 at 12:07 PM
A strategy based on 'well, what if everything political science tells us, everything economics tells us and everything history tells us is wrong?' is ending in a predictable fashion.
Reposted by niko_himself
I'm quite happy to "take" a small contribution to stopping Ukrainian citizens being slaughtered in their hundreds of thousands.
There is always money for war, never for the poor.
Every penny spent on bombs, tanks and missiles is stolen from our homes, schools and hospitals.
We are not going to take it anymore.
Every penny spent on bombs, tanks and missiles is stolen from our homes, schools and hospitals.
We are not going to take it anymore.
October 28, 2025 at 8:12 AM
I'm quite happy to "take" a small contribution to stopping Ukrainian citizens being slaughtered in their hundreds of thousands.
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
Pay Manchester Pride workers what they're owed
After the collapse of the organisation running Manchester Pride, dozens of workers have been left unpaid for the work they have already done during the festival, to the tune of £50,000 (and counting)....
www.megaphone.org.uk
October 28, 2025 at 9:51 AM
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
Reposted by niko_himself
one of the most quietly damning things I've read in ages, this
October 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
one of the most quietly damning things I've read in ages, this