Alt text: A yellow poster with black text reads, “Over 1,000 Jews in the UK are speaking up against Israeli apartheid. Join us and sign the open letter.” A small black Na'amod logo appears in the top right corner.

Over 1,000 Jews in the UK have called on our institutions to name Israeli apartheid for what it is and take a stand against its injustices.

Join them and add your name to the open letter.

forms.gle/JDHQorh6Ypg5...

Israel’s death penalty law marks a new phase in its dehumanisation of Palestinians | Yuli Novak A government that openly embraces violence against Palestinians has now enshrined into law a policy of lethal force, says B’Tselem’s executive director, Yuli Novak

Israel’s death penalty law marks a new phase in its dehumanisation of Palestinians | Yuli Novak

Mixed in amongst the usual groups I noticed lots of small community groups - local swimming clubs and choirs and the like - who had seemingly come to say ‘no to racism and hate and division’ In many ways the most hopeful part of the march.

Despite what BoD would have everyone believe, it does not in fact represent the full spectrum of Jewish opinion. It certainly does not, for example, speak for me. Nor I imagine for many in the reasonably sizeable Jewish bloc that I joined on today’s march.

I entirely agree. Parliament would hugely benefit from more representatives who bring her life experience and perspective.

This is a really helpful and even-handed diagnosis of how we got here and distillation of the proposals and their risks. I get that the devil is in the detail but if you were advising gov- in broad principle does this seem like the right approach or would you tackle it profoundly differently?

I realise that you aren’t someone I actually know but I did so feel your loss and am now ludicrously delighted to see that you have a beautiful new puppy.

How tech turned against women [FREE TO READ] As AI-generated sexualised images proliferate and app-facilitated abuse spreads, we are sleepwalking into a new age of gender inequality. It is time to regulate properly

This felt urgent and it is as powerful and galvanising as maddening and incredible. How did we get here? Why has big tech turned against women by author and campaigner Laura Bates as.ft.com/r/9a009af2-d...

What a remarkable woman! A study in integrity and moral clarity and … I want to say courage but it feels like perhaps words like ‘brave/courageous’ just piles pressure onto survivors of abuse. Anyway she is exactly right.

No idea how this might find traction compared to the mixed medieval/Darwinian current approach but there is a ‘crazy’ world in which parties actively manage their talent - tackling the cookie cutter route into politics, seeking & nurturing talent from unexpected sources, developing capability etc

Churchwarden linked to foreign-born billionaire is behind £200k Reform gift The man whose firm made the donations will not discuss where the money came from, nor his ties to wealthy Farage allies who may not hold citizenship Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor Saturday January 31 2026, 8.00pm, The Sunday Times Share A churchwarden from Potters Bar who works for the family of a highly secretive, Kazakhstan-born billionaire can be revealed as the man behind £200,000 of donations to Reform UK., John Richard Simpson is a 59-year-old

Why isn't this a major news story?

If civil servants and ministers spent as much time using the powers they already have rather than dreaming up new ones then they wouldn't be in the mess they are in today. Discuss.

Oh well - as we used to say in the part of the world that I come from ‘aluta continua’

You would really bloody hope that this resounding result would put an end to the confected nastiness but sadly I don’t think it will.

Worth remembering when looking at the horrific scenes in the US right now that both Reform and the Tories have pledged to bring in ICE-style organisations to the UK if they win power

Amongst so very many books that should have been articles!

Power to the People How Labour can restore civic life and counter the "Britain is broken" narrative

New post just out:

"Power to the People"

Today we have a guest post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social on how Labour can counter the "Britain is Broken" narrative by investing in civic life and giving people more control over their community.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...

Completely agree. Excellent identification of problems (amenable to solution) as opposed to dilemmas (things that will just always need managing). Regrettably politicians (actually other leaders too tbf) too often end up ‘managing’ their problems and trying to ‘solve’ their dilemmas!

One of my best reads so I worried about how it might translate. Especially because the adaptation to the stage really didn’t succeed in my opinion. But the film was careful and tender and just beautiful.

I think it's very important that Rupert Lowe's "Million Nonce March" gets widespread media coverage. Critical to amplify diverse voices.

Perhaps not. But it’s still a valid suggestion.

Or he simply suggested that there is power/agency in what we choose to give attention to. Amplifying fatalism by definition does not serve progressive politics and it is psychologically protective to try to locate a ‘choice’ even in extremis. This is not the same as saying ‘pull yourself together’

Former minister says government should quit X over child sexual abuse imagery – UK politics live Louise Haigh says use of Elon Musk’s social media platform ‘unconscionable’ amid proliferation of abuse imagery

As reported by @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Another brilliant pharmacy prescribing option - your pharmacist can prescribe anti- viral medication (which you need prescribed within 72 hours) if you have shingles.

If ever there was a situation in which the ‘phone snatching’ that he’s wailing about would be an act of public service…

Liberalism can win back the working class. Here’s how Nobel-winning economist Daron Acemoglu on Zohran Mamdani’s rise, the problem with cultural politics — and the case for pro-worker AI

I notice that this thoughtfully argued, nuanced piece has generated snarky SM posts extracting single sentences. I thought the whole article was really worth reading. www.ft.com/content/96aa...

Would ‘day one’ rights have made it unlawful for employers to write probation periods into employment contracts?

Congratulations. How lovely.

‘It’s wrong’: the Labour MP speaking out against the party’s asylum policy As a well-informed MP on the frontline of the debate, Tony Vaughan’s views are particularly unwelcome to government

I believe the majority of my constituents in #Folkestone #Hythe & #RomneyMarsh agree we should grant asylum to those fleeing war and persecution – provided the system is fair and managed.

I spoke to one constituent, Janice, this week, who thinks that... 1/2

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Even at the time I was astounded that the summer was not taken as an opportunity to get really bold and creative about how to keep schools safely open - even if children were not all in every day. I was a trustee of a MAT desperate to support families in our poor part of London