I still wonder why so few children are called Pancake...

The main text reads: "WHEN NEOLIBERALISM PREVAILS, ONLY THE RICH PROSPER. WHEN DEMOCRACY PREVAILS, THE PROSPERITY OF THE POOR, AND OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, IS ENHANCED." Below the quote, it attributes the words to "George Monbiot in his book The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism." At the bottom is the "make hope possible" logo,.

In his latest book, George Monbiot takes down the dominant ideology of our time: neoliberalism.

In our forthcoming series of 'Evenings with George Monbiot', we'll dissect what's wrong with neoliberalism - and what hopeful politics could look like.

Find out more at: makehopepossible.org/tickets

I'm so sorry. I can't fathom why we're still dealing with doctors dismissing women's symptoms.

Universities are having the wrong debate about freedom of speech With universities treating free speech as a compliance problem, Peter McColl argues the sector is missing a chance to improve the culture of debate itself

Wrote a thing for @wonkhe.bsky.social on how the debate about free speech in Higher Education (and beyond) misses *how* we speak, and that is really important. wonkhe.com/blogs/univer...

Image of Caroline Lucas with details of the events in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

💚 Exciting event this month 💚

Former Green MP Caroline Lucas in conversation with Adam Ramsay on how to beat far-right populism
Very timely given the rise of hate on our streets!

🗓️ Tue 10 March, 7pm, Edinburgh
🗓️ Wed 11 March, 7pm, Glasgow

Info/tickets: makehopepossible.org...

Gorton and Denton: Labour's Strategy is political self destruction.... - Ungagged! ​by Peter McColl The old two-party system isn’t just broken; it is actively collapsing under the weight of its own cynical strategy. While the Tories are in a death spiral, Labour’s attempt to manipul...

Labour are writing their final chapter... by @petermccoll.bsky.social

leftungagged.org/2026/02/27/g...

Jen Stout · Short Cuts: Winter in Kyiv It was -10ºC outside and only 10ºC in Yulia’s flat, but she told me this was a good day: the radiators weren’t...

‘District heating supplies a large proportion of Kyiv’s 1600 high-rise blocks. In a cold climate, it’s an efficient way to deliver heating and hot water to a large number of people. But in war the system is horribly vulnerable.’

@jenstout.bsky.social in Kyiv.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Is participatory budgeting the answer to the budget conundrum? A radical proposal for a tough situation

We need richer processes to sort the budget crisis, here I suggest we use participatory budgeting to let the Chancellor actually change things that need to be changed
open.substack.com/pub/petermcc...

I don't know that they recalculate committee seats, except SPCB and Bureau. There will be more speaking time for LDs though I think.

It's 5

Just realised where I've seen the Trump delusion before: a pyramid scheme.

People are so bought into it that they can't see out until it's too late.

Now it's too late.

Very happy to talk about Paisley any time

Person in pink top and with long blonde hair walking in between two groups. Walking towards a line of people holding pride, BLM, peace, trans, and progress signs who stand shoulder to shoulder to protect vulnerable people behind them. The person in the middle is looking over their shoulder to a group which seems angry with many carrying bricks, baseball bats or flags representing various extreme right ideas.

Person in pink top and with long blonde hair walking in between two groups. Walking to a group which seems angry with many carrying bricks, baseball bats or flags representing various extreme right ideas. The person in the middle is looking over their shoulder to a line of people holding Pride, BLM, peace, trans, and progress signs who stand shoulder to shoulder to protect vulnerable people behind them.

This is a depiction of a repeating dream/vision I've been having over the last three decades with basically three messages I'll mention below.
Feel free to tweak and share, it's the message that counts, not the exact pictures or words.

Designed without any thought for the safety of other road users. Musk's philosophy in steel and glass.

Niche. Though the cybertruck does look like something out of scifi, albeit not the cuddly sort that Dunmurray's finest autos graced.

I see a lot of posts saying that Musk's cost cutting in the US government hasn't cut that much. The point isn't actually to cut things, it's to create a pretext for more massive tax cuts for billionaires and to give Republican deficit hawks cover to vote for those cuts.

Bella is supported only by its readers. We don’t have corporate backers and we don’t take advertising, so we rely entirely on your support. Please give what you can. Go here and support independent Scottish journalism [please share on your networks - thanks!]

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/backing-be...

With the far-right flooding your channels with shit all day, progs in Scotland need an indy-minded media outlet that afflicts the comfortable, comforts the afflicted—and inspires us too. You know that’s @bellacaledonia. Support them as best you can, below www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/backing-be...

This is so brilliantly written that it rewards reading even if you have no interest in the subject(s). But the depth and breadth of argument on Nan Shepherd and the palimpsest account of Cults is especially good if you're interested in nature writing or writing about place.

Fraser MacDonald · Diary: Remembering Nan Shepherd The novels weren’t the point. The point of Nan Shepherd was herself. My mother described what a thrill it was to be...

My recollection of Nan Shepherd is rather faint but I wrote about the quiet late life (and literary afterlife) of my mother’s friend and teacher, prompted by the new correspondence edited by @kerriandrewsuk.bsky.social

Was it that bad??

Yes! It was my university id for 6 years!

Should I be nervous??

4
I get down on my knees and do what must be done
And kiss Achilles’ hand, the killer of my son.

3
When they had eaten together, it pleased them both
To stare at each other’s beauty as lovers might,
Achilles built like a god, Priam good-looking still
And full of conversation, who earlier had sighed:

2
Taking Hector’s corpse into his own hands Achilles
Made sure it was washed and, for the old king’s sake,
Laid out in uniform, ready for Priam to carry
Wrapped like a present home to Troy at daybreak.

Sad to hear of the death of Michael Longley.

Ceasefire:

1
Put in mind of his own father and moved to tears
Achilles took him by the hand and pushed the old king
Gently away, but Priam curled up at his feet and
Wept with him until their sadness filled the building.

1/4

The Irish Government is having some trouble getting installed, but the fact they're in that position at all is extraordinary. The first democratic government to get reelected since the end of the pandemic, seeing off the hard right, and all because they ended austerity, even if they didn't mean to.

Wrote a thing about growing up in Belfast and how people find the city now. Also my first Substack. Do subscribe for myoccasional thoughts and analysis. open.substack.com/pub/petermcc...

6th Day of Research: Six key areas of @ScotGov Women’s Health plan supported by #CRH researchers 👩‍🔬

The final report includes the FlowRight project and various IRR engagement and research.

📰: gov.scot/publications/w…