Vicki J Merrick
@vickijo.bsky.social
Printmaker and happy grandma
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
BREAKING: Keir Starmer has launched a formal investigation into foreign election interference after a former senior Reform UK politician accepted bribes to promote Russian interests in the European Parliament
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reform’s Russian bribe case prompts election interference inquiry
The PM has ordered an investigation into foreign influence in politics after the ex-leader of Reform in Wales was jailed for taking cash to parrot Kremlin lines
www.thetimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:40 PM
BREAKING: Keir Starmer has launched a formal investigation into foreign election interference after a former senior Reform UK politician accepted bribes to promote Russian interests in the European Parliament
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
The government has launched an investigation into “countering foreign influence and interference in UK politics”.
Which is fantastic news but they need to crack on with it now.
www.thetimes.com/article/80cd...
Which is fantastic news but they need to crack on with it now.
www.thetimes.com/article/80cd...
Reform’s Russian bribe case prompts election interference inquiry
The PM has ordered an investigation into foreign influence in politics after the ex-leader of Reform in Wales was jailed for taking cash to parrot Kremlin lines
www.thetimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The government has launched an investigation into “countering foreign influence and interference in UK politics”.
Which is fantastic news but they need to crack on with it now.
www.thetimes.com/article/80cd...
Which is fantastic news but they need to crack on with it now.
www.thetimes.com/article/80cd...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
'It's hard to see how it gets more tasteless than that.'
@maitlis.bsky.social analyses Trump's 'narcissistic' reaction to Hollywood director Rob Reiner's death.
@maitlis.bsky.social analyses Trump's 'narcissistic' reaction to Hollywood director Rob Reiner's death.
December 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
'It's hard to see how it gets more tasteless than that.'
@maitlis.bsky.social analyses Trump's 'narcissistic' reaction to Hollywood director Rob Reiner's death.
@maitlis.bsky.social analyses Trump's 'narcissistic' reaction to Hollywood director Rob Reiner's death.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
While Amazon is investing billions of dollars to expand AI, independent bookstores are hosting community events, personally recommending books to readers, and providing a space that is safe and welcoming during a time when we need them most.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
December 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
While Amazon is investing billions of dollars to expand AI, independent bookstores are hosting community events, personally recommending books to readers, and providing a space that is safe and welcoming during a time when we need them most.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
He lived until 1980. A "misunderstood victim and hero" in his own mind to the end, and when he died, the obituaries in some quarters were downright gushing.
A truly appalling human being.
A truly appalling human being.
#OnThisDay 1943: wonderfully acidic Zec cartoon on the news that the British fascist leader, Oswald Mosley, was being released from prison on the grounds of ill-health...
November 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
He lived until 1980. A "misunderstood victim and hero" in his own mind to the end, and when he died, the obituaries in some quarters were downright gushing.
A truly appalling human being.
A truly appalling human being.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Footage shared on social media claims to show migrants stealing items from a graveyard in the UK.
This is false—the video actually shows a cemetery in Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves, however.
This is false—the video actually shows a cemetery in Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves, however.
Video does not show ‘migrants’ stealing items from UK graveyard – Full Fact
Footage shared on social media claiming to show migrants stealing items from a UK graveyard is actually from Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves, however.
fullfact.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Footage shared on social media claims to show migrants stealing items from a graveyard in the UK.
This is false—the video actually shows a cemetery in Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves, however.
This is false—the video actually shows a cemetery in Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves, however.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
"On another occasion, a BBC executive forbade me from writing for the New Statesman, imploring me to ask The Spectator instead, saying that would be perfectly fine."
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:42 PM
"On another occasion, a BBC executive forbade me from writing for the New Statesman, imploring me to ask The Spectator instead, saying that would be perfectly fine."
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
In these times of rancour & division, it’s comforting to find things on which we can all agree: Kent County Council, for example, really does provide a perfect illustration of how well Reform would run the country. I agree with Nigel!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Kent fire authority 'in disarray' amid Reform UK video leak row
A firefighters union claims Reform UK suspending councillors is impacting the local fire authority.
www.bbc.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
In these times of rancour & division, it’s comforting to find things on which we can all agree: Kent County Council, for example, really does provide a perfect illustration of how well Reform would run the country. I agree with Nigel!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Very Kenty.
Cornwall Reform UK branch mired in infighting over leadership change
www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwal...
www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwal...
Cornwall Reform branch mired in infighting over leadership change
After the spat at a Cornish branch, the party at national level pointed out that the complaint was inaccurate and misunderstood the rules
www.cornwalllive.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Very Kenty.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
That final point is absolutely crucial.
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
November 12, 2025 at 8:09 AM
That final point is absolutely crucial.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
I've always felt that Johnson and Farage put self-interest over the national interest - hence their dallying with Putin and his oligarchs. But directly colluding with a foreign government to take down the BBC feels like an act of supreme treachery
November 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I've always felt that Johnson and Farage put self-interest over the national interest - hence their dallying with Putin and his oligarchs. But directly colluding with a foreign government to take down the BBC feels like an act of supreme treachery
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Labour buys back 36,000 defence houses which the Conservatives privatised and will invest £9 billion to upgrade them
Labour to also fast track housebuilding on defence land, building houses for defence, veterans, and the public
Labour to also fast track housebuilding on defence land, building houses for defence, veterans, and the public
November 2, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Labour buys back 36,000 defence houses which the Conservatives privatised and will invest £9 billion to upgrade them
Labour to also fast track housebuilding on defence land, building houses for defence, veterans, and the public
Labour to also fast track housebuilding on defence land, building houses for defence, veterans, and the public
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Obama: "The weird videos of a US president with a crown on his head flying a fighter jet & dumping poop on American citizens - that's not even worth booing about. Because all of that is a distraction from the fact that your situation, your life has not gotten better. They do it so you won't notice"
November 1, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Obama: "The weird videos of a US president with a crown on his head flying a fighter jet & dumping poop on American citizens - that's not even worth booing about. Because all of that is a distraction from the fact that your situation, your life has not gotten better. They do it so you won't notice"
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
manchestermill.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 8:18 AM
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Great to talk with Harry Corin, who lost his Dad to suicide, and has started his own mental health podcast. Full, frank and found myself talking about all
Manner of things I didn’t expect to
www.youtube.com/@questionthe...
Manner of things I didn’t expect to
www.youtube.com/@questionthe...
Question the Default
Challenging societal norms and imagining better ways forward.
www.youtube.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Great to talk with Harry Corin, who lost his Dad to suicide, and has started his own mental health podcast. Full, frank and found myself talking about all
Manner of things I didn’t expect to
www.youtube.com/@questionthe...
Manner of things I didn’t expect to
www.youtube.com/@questionthe...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
BBC News explain that because of Brexit, Brits will be photographed and have their fingerprints taken when going into the EU, as the UK now is a third country
BBC News forget to explain that the UK helped create these rules when we were part of the EU because we wanted stronger border control
BBC News forget to explain that the UK helped create these rules when we were part of the EU because we wanted stronger border control
October 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
BBC News explain that because of Brexit, Brits will be photographed and have their fingerprints taken when going into the EU, as the UK now is a third country
BBC News forget to explain that the UK helped create these rules when we were part of the EU because we wanted stronger border control
BBC News forget to explain that the UK helped create these rules when we were part of the EU because we wanted stronger border control
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
A video being shared online is claiming that a new monthly £27 WiFi charge is being introduced for all households across the UK to fund ‘digital infrastructure’.
But this isn’t happening. The government confirmed this is “completely false”.
But this isn’t happening. The government confirmed this is “completely false”.
A £27 monthly ‘WiFi charge’ is not being introduced in the UK – Full Fact
Contrary to a video being shared on social media, the government is not bringing in the fee for UK residents.
fullfact.org
October 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A video being shared online is claiming that a new monthly £27 WiFi charge is being introduced for all households across the UK to fund ‘digital infrastructure’.
But this isn’t happening. The government confirmed this is “completely false”.
But this isn’t happening. The government confirmed this is “completely false”.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Stay strong, stay beautiful, Chicago. c
October 11, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Stay strong, stay beautiful, Chicago. c
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Most people seem to have missed who retweeted this picture of Farage in Gill’s office a few days after Gill began receiving his first bribes from Oleh Voloshyn (Oleg Voloshin). None other than…
October 11, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Most people seem to have missed who retweeted this picture of Farage in Gill’s office a few days after Gill began receiving his first bribes from Oleh Voloshyn (Oleg Voloshin). None other than…
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
You *really* should be by now but you don’t *actually* have to call them liars or racists, if it offends your commitment to now almost entirely redundant BBC principles of ‘objectivity’ & ‘ balance’. You just have to ask them again & again & again to justify their words & explain their exact meaning
I’ve been saying this for ten years now but possibly not often enough: Ask Them What They Think The Words They’re Using Mean. And then ask them to name the ‘problematic’ people. We had ‘sovereignty’, ‘laws’ & ‘unelected bureaucrats’. The US now has ‘Antifa’, the ‘radical left’ & ‘insurrection’. Ask!
October 9, 2025 at 7:11 PM
You *really* should be by now but you don’t *actually* have to call them liars or racists, if it offends your commitment to now almost entirely redundant BBC principles of ‘objectivity’ & ‘ balance’. You just have to ask them again & again & again to justify their words & explain their exact meaning
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Twelve Jobs Nigel has earned over £1 million in additional income since the general election.
To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
Nigel Farage earns over £1m from 12 'second jobs' - check how much your MP earns
The Reform UK leader's most lucrative second jobs include hosting on GB News, serving as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion and recording videos for Cameo
www.mirror.co.uk
October 9, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Twelve Jobs Nigel has earned over £1 million in additional income since the general election.
To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
I sometimes worry I exaggerate the collective madness of our media but the people who cheered Brexit, Boris Johnson & Liz Truss's mini-budget are now applauding Kemi Badenoch's speech. 'Parallell universe' doesn't come close. I suppose her not falling over is a win of sorts for them at the moment.
October 9, 2025 at 8:28 AM
I sometimes worry I exaggerate the collective madness of our media but the people who cheered Brexit, Boris Johnson & Liz Truss's mini-budget are now applauding Kemi Badenoch's speech. 'Parallell universe' doesn't come close. I suppose her not falling over is a win of sorts for them at the moment.
Reposted by Vicki J Merrick
Who benefits from the abolition of stamp duty land tax?
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
October 9, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Who benefits from the abolition of stamp duty land tax?
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.