Crossing the divide: reaching Reform voters in a fractured Britain Winning back Reform voters starts with introspection - progressives must face their own role in Britain’s divide

"They perceive us, frankly, like we perceive them – as ill-informed, dangerously manipulated by propaganda, and a threat. This is a poor starting point for campaigning."

Election article by Claire Jones based on Hope Not Hate's research

Amiable goat staring at me through fencing

Goats were not often kept as livestock on Warwickshire farms because of a belief that they sometimes visited the Devil to have their beards combed.
#WyrdWednesday

Every day is “National Something Day” – on 21 April, it’s tea Once a luxury, arriving centuries ago on a slow boat from China, tea had its pivotal moment in 1784. With tea tax drastically reduced and poor malt and hop harvests, tea became cheaper than beer, supplanting it as our national drink.

Once a luxury, arriving centuries ago on a slow boat from China, tea had its pivotal moment in 1784. With tea tax drastically reduced and poor malt and hop harvests, tea became cheaper than beer, supplanting it as our national drink.  | Clarissa Killwick

30 people made the decision to award the Palantir contract.

@unison.org.uk represent 1.3m people and the BMA all doctors.

It's time the Labour government cleared up Tory mess and remove Palantir from NHS.

Phones to be banned in schools by law in England under government plans Education minister Jacqui Smith said the move would create

I suspect the government is going to get another crash course in the law of unintended consequences when pushing through overly restrictive knee-jerk policies without properly considering implications, especially, but not limited to, students with higher support needs.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

More than half of Britons support rejoining EU 10 years on from Brexit vote Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters

More than half of Britons support rejoining EU 10 years on from Brexit vote.

Brexit was secured with lies. It hasn't delivered any of the claimed economic benefits.

Post Trump world will be more polarized.

Nobody under the age of 28 had a say on Brexit.

Need another referendum.

#Oliverscampaign
I am looking forward to meeting with @zubirahmed to update him on the progress of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory training, I think he will be impressed.
Thank you @SKinnock for your support in safely passing Oliver’s training over to Minister Ahmed

Bluebell Woods

Lovely walk at Blackwood Forest. Carpets of bluebells.

Apologies but this looks likely to be nearer to £800k
H/t @sallyl.bsky.social

NEW: Richard Tice failed to pay almost £100,000 in corporation tax, benefiting his investment company which made large donations to Reform UK.

First time Reform's deputy leader's tax affairs can be directly linked to finances of Nigel Farage's party.

There’s a lot I could say about this piece - none of it particularly surprising given the source.

But the bit that really matters is the phrase “school refusal.”

Because that framing shifts the problem onto the child…
instead of asking what’s making school inaccessible in the first place.

Murdoch’s Times doubles down on anti-Green smear campaign Britain’s mainstream press are doubling down on a smear campaign against the Green Party in the run up to May’s local elections

Talking of our mainstream media…

Good morning, sun baked tulips at RHS Wisley ☺️

Have a wonderful Saturday 🙏

Morning Ted ☕️

⚽️ Congratulations to Coventry City on their promotion to the Premier League ⚽️

The application has remained stable since approximately 9 PM PDT, April 16 despite ongoing Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. We have not seen any evidence of unauthorized access to private user data. We will provide a further update by end of day.

BREAKING: We're taking the government to court over Palantir Peter Thiel's surveillance firm is embedded in the NHS. Wes Streeting won't show us the briefings - so we have launched a legal challenge.

BREAKING: We’re taking the government to court over Palantir.

The government is refusing to hand over important briefings given to Wes Streeting about the £330m NHS data contract with Peter Thiel’s surveillance firm

So we’re taking legal action.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-w...

GB News has accumulated losses of £140 million since its launch five years ago, The Telegraph reports.

Still nowhere near profitability. Accounts at March 2025, the most recent, show a loss of £22 million.

Former Doctor Who star to receive honorary doctorate from University of Glasgow The university will be recognising outstanding contributions in the fields of arts, politics, science and humanities

The Doctor becomes a doctor.

Photo of the top of a hedgerow so lots of green leaves and a bit of blue sky. Most importantly there are 2 Holly Blues seen butterflies perched in the middle of the photo.

Spot the blues! Okay so I did get one quick photo of the Holly Blues seen in Cubbington today 😀 Top of the hedgerow! And another reason hedges are fantastic for wildlife! #butterflies #blue @savebutterflies.bsky.social

I am incredibly proud to be one of those Editors-in-Chief and even more proud to be part of what Bylines Network stands for.
Join us as we discuss Women, Justice and Equality 👇🏻

Morning ☕️

Maybe take a look at what unscrupulous private providers are making from schools, utilities and social care, too. This is an endemic cultural problem in the U.K., it needs fixing from an overall perspective.

Morning Ted ☕️

Read our full letter to the Government here:https://carersuk.pulse.ly/8lxerrllhl

Britain's shadow workforce is paid as little as 65p an hour. Who cares for the carers? | Frances Ryan Carer’s allowance turns 50 this year, but it’s no reflection of the labour of the millions who cook, clean and nurse behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

“Carers are the hardest-working people you will ever meet,” Nessa says. “Who cares for the carers?”

My experience was “no one”

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Hen, chicks and bunny post-box topper in Warwick

Hen, chicks and hoopoe post box topper in Tredington

Easter post box toppers at Warwick (L) and Tredington (R).
#FolkloreSunday

(📷 by me. NB the Tredington pic was taken during yesterday's high winds)

Plain stone cross against a backdrop of trees

Some timely weather lore from Ilmington:
Wet on Good Friday and Easter Day
Means much good grass but little good hay
#GoodFriday