Peter McDade
@petermcdade.bsky.social
Scottish Labour councillor, MP staff member.
National Government - struggling finances. Local governments - going bankrupt. Households - struggling to make ends meet. 6th richest country in the world…so who has all the wealth that exists in our society?
Ministers could allow council tax to rise by up to 25% to prevent bankruptcies
Ministers could allow council tax to rise by up to 25% to prevent bankruptcies
Experts say it is inevitable government will let English local authorities exceed 5% cap if they are likely to go bust
Ministers are under pressure to allow cash-strapped English local authorities to increase council tax by as much as 25% to prevent them…
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2025 at 10:17 AM
National Government - struggling finances. Local governments - going bankrupt. Households - struggling to make ends meet. 6th richest country in the world…so who has all the wealth that exists in our society?
Reposted by Peter McDade
The challenge is now for those who - rightly - talk about oligarch media in places like Hungary to now start talking about oligarch media in the US (and elsewhere in ‘the West’)
My first and definitely last time working with the Los Angeles Times. Editing out the most urgent point of an OpEd in the minutes before sending to press while then also assigning a title and image that suggest an argument entirely opposite to the author’s clear intent is pretty shitty.
January 31, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The challenge is now for those who - rightly - talk about oligarch media in places like Hungary to now start talking about oligarch media in the US (and elsewhere in ‘the West’)
Reposted by Peter McDade
Musk is unelected and hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate to any official position. His aides are not government employees.
What the hell is going on here? Oligarchy is a big understatement at this point.
What the hell is going on here? Oligarchy is a big understatement at this point.
New - Elon Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say www.reuters.com/world/us/mus...
Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say
Aides to Elon Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.
www.reuters.com
January 31, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Musk is unelected and hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate to any official position. His aides are not government employees.
What the hell is going on here? Oligarchy is a big understatement at this point.
What the hell is going on here? Oligarchy is a big understatement at this point.
Reposted by Peter McDade
Every single aspect of human life is being reoriented around the pursuit of attention, the MSNBC host @chrislhayes.bsky.social writes. And “the constant pursuit of others’ attention is no longer just for professionals like myself.”
January 24, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Every single aspect of human life is being reoriented around the pursuit of attention, the MSNBC host @chrislhayes.bsky.social writes. And “the constant pursuit of others’ attention is no longer just for professionals like myself.”
Reposted by Peter McDade
For self styled masters of the universe, the tech bros really are incredibly craven
Exhibit #3624
Exhibit #3624
January 24, 2025 at 8:39 AM
For self styled masters of the universe, the tech bros really are incredibly craven
Exhibit #3624
Exhibit #3624
Reposted by Peter McDade
Hugh Grant urges POLICE to investigate Sun owners
And he’s absolutely right
www.bbc.com/news/article...
And he’s absolutely right
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Hugh Grant calls for police to investigate Sun owners
He also wants to see the government launch part two of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.
www.bbc.com
January 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Hugh Grant urges POLICE to investigate Sun owners
And he’s absolutely right
www.bbc.com/news/article...
And he’s absolutely right
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Peter McDade
Wealth of world’s billionaires grew by $2tn in 2024, with UK leading the way in G7!
Number of billionaires rose by 204 to 2,769.Their wealth jumped from $13tn to $15tn – the second-largest annual increase since records began.
TAX THE SUPER RICH
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ja...
Number of billionaires rose by 204 to 2,769.Their wealth jumped from $13tn to $15tn – the second-largest annual increase since records began.
TAX THE SUPER RICH
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ja...
Wealth of world’s billionaires grew by $2tn in 2024, report finds
Rate of wealth growth last year was three times faster than 2023, Oxfam inequality research reveals
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Wealth of world’s billionaires grew by $2tn in 2024, with UK leading the way in G7!
Number of billionaires rose by 204 to 2,769.Their wealth jumped from $13tn to $15tn – the second-largest annual increase since records began.
TAX THE SUPER RICH
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ja...
Number of billionaires rose by 204 to 2,769.Their wealth jumped from $13tn to $15tn – the second-largest annual increase since records began.
TAX THE SUPER RICH
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ja...
Reposted by Peter McDade
‘Jeff Bezos sat there next to Donald Trump junior’.
America’s tech/political oligarchy complex in a line
America’s tech/political oligarchy complex in a line
January 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
‘Jeff Bezos sat there next to Donald Trump junior’.
America’s tech/political oligarchy complex in a line
America’s tech/political oligarchy complex in a line
Reposted by Peter McDade
Why is our taxpayer's money going to the Royals in so many ways?
Empty Dartmoor prison pays Prince William’s Duchy £1.5m a year & has another 24 years left on its lease
Charities which the Royals are patrons of also pay millions to them in rent
Make it make sense
www.thetimes.com/article/ddf3...
Empty Dartmoor prison pays Prince William’s Duchy £1.5m a year & has another 24 years left on its lease
Charities which the Royals are patrons of also pay millions to them in rent
Make it make sense
www.thetimes.com/article/ddf3...
Dartmoor jail that pays Duchy £1.5m a year may never reopen
Riddled with rats, HMP Dartmoor, which closed in August over toxic gas fears, has 24 years left on its lease
www.thetimes.com
January 18, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Why is our taxpayer's money going to the Royals in so many ways?
Empty Dartmoor prison pays Prince William’s Duchy £1.5m a year & has another 24 years left on its lease
Charities which the Royals are patrons of also pay millions to them in rent
Make it make sense
www.thetimes.com/article/ddf3...
Empty Dartmoor prison pays Prince William’s Duchy £1.5m a year & has another 24 years left on its lease
Charities which the Royals are patrons of also pay millions to them in rent
Make it make sense
www.thetimes.com/article/ddf3...
Reposted by Peter McDade
Breaking: British people want ill-informed, foreign, destructive, abusive rich blokes to stay out of the UK’s politics. Great British Common Sense prevails.
Most Brits, across political divides, want Elon Musk to stay out of UK politics, according to a new focaldata poll for @britishfuture.bsky.social
January 14, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Breaking: British people want ill-informed, foreign, destructive, abusive rich blokes to stay out of the UK’s politics. Great British Common Sense prevails.
Reposted by Peter McDade
Takeaway from crazy news day: need to relearn lessons of Trump 2016
Ignore vast swathes of what passes for ‘news’
Trump wanging on about Greenland and Panama is noise. Ditto Musk’s latest disorientation post on X.
Zuckerberg gutting content moderation and kissing the ring is signal though.
Ignore vast swathes of what passes for ‘news’
Trump wanging on about Greenland and Panama is noise. Ditto Musk’s latest disorientation post on X.
Zuckerberg gutting content moderation and kissing the ring is signal though.
January 7, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Takeaway from crazy news day: need to relearn lessons of Trump 2016
Ignore vast swathes of what passes for ‘news’
Trump wanging on about Greenland and Panama is noise. Ditto Musk’s latest disorientation post on X.
Zuckerberg gutting content moderation and kissing the ring is signal though.
Ignore vast swathes of what passes for ‘news’
Trump wanging on about Greenland and Panama is noise. Ditto Musk’s latest disorientation post on X.
Zuckerberg gutting content moderation and kissing the ring is signal though.
Reposted by Peter McDade
The state of this. The Tories introduced voter ID specifically because they believed they’d help them (spoiler they didn’t)
Idea that making it easier for people to vote is ‘rigging’ an election is ridiculous
Idea that making it easier for people to vote is ‘rigging’ an election is ridiculous
January 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
The state of this. The Tories introduced voter ID specifically because they believed they’d help them (spoiler they didn’t)
Idea that making it easier for people to vote is ‘rigging’ an election is ridiculous
Idea that making it easier for people to vote is ‘rigging’ an election is ridiculous
Reposted by Peter McDade
Another argument for political finance reform - not having five years of this from Musk.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Elon Musk turns on Nigel Farage and calls for new leader of Reform
It is unclear what prompted Musk to post message on X saying Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’ to be Reform UK’s leader
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Another argument for political finance reform - not having five years of this from Musk.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Peter McDade
Kemi Badenoch defends the right to speak freely and air a different point of view, by insisting those who disagree must stop.
January 6, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Kemi Badenoch defends the right to speak freely and air a different point of view, by insisting those who disagree must stop.
Reposted by Peter McDade
You have to admire how on brand the Musk-Farage storyline has been today.
Basically a morality tale illustrating the danger of letting far-right, unstable, billionaires control a major worldwide communications network.
Basically a morality tale illustrating the danger of letting far-right, unstable, billionaires control a major worldwide communications network.
January 5, 2025 at 6:22 PM
You have to admire how on brand the Musk-Farage storyline has been today.
Basically a morality tale illustrating the danger of letting far-right, unstable, billionaires control a major worldwide communications network.
Basically a morality tale illustrating the danger of letting far-right, unstable, billionaires control a major worldwide communications network.
Reposted by Peter McDade
U.K. government and public bodies should all close their X/Twitter accounts. Immediately.
Elon Musk, owner of X, tweeted that Home Office Minister Jess Phillips "deserves to be in prison" and labelled her a "rape genocide apologist"
This is the type of radicalised content that socialises people towards violence against Ministers and MPs
www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/starmer...
This is the type of radicalised content that socialises people towards violence against Ministers and MPs
www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/starmer...
Starmer urged to take action as 'out of control' Musk targets Jess Phillips
Days after calling for X posts to be "more positive", Musk has dubbed Jess Phillips a "rape genocide apologist".
www.thelondoneconomic.com
January 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
U.K. government and public bodies should all close their X/Twitter accounts. Immediately.
Reposted by Peter McDade
Let’s clean-up our rivers👇
✅New harsher penalties, including imprisonment for water executives when companies fail to co-operate
✅Ban bonuses for CEOs unless high standards are met
✅New cost recovery powers for regulators
✅The largest review into the sector since privatisation
✅New harsher penalties, including imprisonment for water executives when companies fail to co-operate
✅Ban bonuses for CEOs unless high standards are met
✅New cost recovery powers for regulators
✅The largest review into the sector since privatisation
December 23, 2024 at 11:27 AM
Let’s clean-up our rivers👇
✅New harsher penalties, including imprisonment for water executives when companies fail to co-operate
✅Ban bonuses for CEOs unless high standards are met
✅New cost recovery powers for regulators
✅The largest review into the sector since privatisation
✅New harsher penalties, including imprisonment for water executives when companies fail to co-operate
✅Ban bonuses for CEOs unless high standards are met
✅New cost recovery powers for regulators
✅The largest review into the sector since privatisation
Reposted by Peter McDade
2025 is going to be a crucial year in fight against dark money and hidden influence - can you help?
Democracy for Sale is fundraising to bring in another investigative journalism so we can dig up more cronyism, corruption and dodgy donors.
Thanks! 🎉
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-need-mo...
Democracy for Sale is fundraising to bring in another investigative journalism so we can dig up more cronyism, corruption and dodgy donors.
Thanks! 🎉
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-need-mo...
December 17, 2024 at 9:00 AM
2025 is going to be a crucial year in fight against dark money and hidden influence - can you help?
Democracy for Sale is fundraising to bring in another investigative journalism so we can dig up more cronyism, corruption and dodgy donors.
Thanks! 🎉
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-need-mo...
Democracy for Sale is fundraising to bring in another investigative journalism so we can dig up more cronyism, corruption and dodgy donors.
Thanks! 🎉
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-need-mo...
The concentration of wealth in fewer & fewer hands is a major (probably the main) factor in why investment in the western world is obscenely below the level it should be. Health services, energy production, transport, everything is suffering as a result.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...
Oxfam says wealth of richest 1% equal to other 99%
The richest 1% now has as much wealth as the rest of the world combined, according to Oxfam.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 14, 2024 at 4:32 PM
The concentration of wealth in fewer & fewer hands is a major (probably the main) factor in why investment in the western world is obscenely below the level it should be. Health services, energy production, transport, everything is suffering as a result.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...
Reposted by Peter McDade
Morning BlueSkyers
If any of you enjoy The Trawl @thetrawl.bsky.social please can you repost this request to @bsky.app for a bookmark tab
Would hugely help not having to look at the hellhole that is X
🙏🏻
If any of you enjoy The Trawl @thetrawl.bsky.social please can you repost this request to @bsky.app for a bookmark tab
Would hugely help not having to look at the hellhole that is X
🙏🏻
November 26, 2024 at 6:46 AM
Morning BlueSkyers
If any of you enjoy The Trawl @thetrawl.bsky.social please can you repost this request to @bsky.app for a bookmark tab
Would hugely help not having to look at the hellhole that is X
🙏🏻
If any of you enjoy The Trawl @thetrawl.bsky.social please can you repost this request to @bsky.app for a bookmark tab
Would hugely help not having to look at the hellhole that is X
🙏🏻
Reposted by Peter McDade
Difficult to describe what a dangerous moment we are in.
The owner of Twitter/richest man in the world/closest adviser to the next US president is promoting a far-right Tommy Robinson (!) documentary to his 200 million followers.
This is the mainstreaming of violent, Islamophobic fascism.
The owner of Twitter/richest man in the world/closest adviser to the next US president is promoting a far-right Tommy Robinson (!) documentary to his 200 million followers.
This is the mainstreaming of violent, Islamophobic fascism.
November 24, 2024 at 7:58 PM
Difficult to describe what a dangerous moment we are in.
The owner of Twitter/richest man in the world/closest adviser to the next US president is promoting a far-right Tommy Robinson (!) documentary to his 200 million followers.
This is the mainstreaming of violent, Islamophobic fascism.
The owner of Twitter/richest man in the world/closest adviser to the next US president is promoting a far-right Tommy Robinson (!) documentary to his 200 million followers.
This is the mainstreaming of violent, Islamophobic fascism.
Reposted by Peter McDade
Climate multilateralism clings on, just
https://www.ft.com/content/0559f24a-bfc1-4758-9adc-56f78b3639c7
https://www.ft.com/content/0559f24a-bfc1-4758-9adc-56f78b3639c7
Climate multilateralism clings on, just
COP29 has produced a new global finance deal against considerable odds
www.ft.com
November 24, 2024 at 12:45 PM
Climate multilateralism clings on, just
https://www.ft.com/content/0559f24a-bfc1-4758-9adc-56f78b3639c7
https://www.ft.com/content/0559f24a-bfc1-4758-9adc-56f78b3639c7
Reposted by Peter McDade
They're such whiny victims, even when they have all the power they still complain about being supposedly victimized, so now they're trying to rig the rules of broadcast TV to protect themselves, and promote themselves, further.
Brian Lowry for Zeteo:
Brian Lowry for Zeteo:
Protecting Trump's Thin Skin: The New GOP Push to Regulate Network Television in the US
Trump wants to make Brendan Carr, who wrote for Project 2025, the head of his FCC – and Carr wants to go after NBC and the other big broadcasters.
zeteo.com
November 23, 2024 at 5:42 PM
They're such whiny victims, even when they have all the power they still complain about being supposedly victimized, so now they're trying to rig the rules of broadcast TV to protect themselves, and promote themselves, further.
Brian Lowry for Zeteo:
Brian Lowry for Zeteo:
Reposted by Peter McDade
Biden aims to Trump-proof his legacy with policy blitz in final days
https://www.ft.com/content/31429c63-70ef-4213-9732-f05ef4422dae
https://www.ft.com/content/31429c63-70ef-4213-9732-f05ef4422dae
Biden aims to Trump-proof his legacy with policy blitz in final days
Outgoing president makes last push on Ukraine and seeks new judicial appointments and manufacturing subsidies
www.ft.com
November 23, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Biden aims to Trump-proof his legacy with policy blitz in final days
https://www.ft.com/content/31429c63-70ef-4213-9732-f05ef4422dae
https://www.ft.com/content/31429c63-70ef-4213-9732-f05ef4422dae