Andrew

Andrew

@andydownie.bsky.social

Husband, Dad, and Grampy; Woking FC, cyclist, a bit of drawing/painting, tai chi learner, modelmaker, trams, left leaning and a bit green.

2.2K followers1.3K following3K posts

Andrew reposted

The lessons from Brazil and Serbia? Don't concede one inch of ground to the far right. Don't appease. Don't triangulate. Don't grovel. Don't say they have "legitimate concerns". Mobilise your base, and fight them with all the democratic means at your disposal.

Andrew reposted

A report released Monday by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on President Donald Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein included new details from a young Swiss woman raped by Trump in an Atlantic City hotel room in 1993, whose meeting was arranged by Jeffrey Epstein. time.com/article/2026...

time.comNew Details of Rape Allegation Against Trump Revealed in House Democrats’ Epstein ReportA woman who had accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her told congressional staff it was rape, according to a new report

Andrew reposted

The achievements of the Serbian student movement will be studied for decades. This was their blueprint for revolution. The recipe for throwing a corrupt authoritarian from office. Read, learn, implement. (📸 Save and Saclony)

Andrew reposted

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s strongman leader Aleksandar Vucic has conceded defeat to a student-led movement in a seismic political shift.

Why when 1.There are no boat crossings for 2weeks 2.The Parliamentary committee is due to report on bungs 3.They have lost countless elections on the bounce 4. Farage is criticising others working hours 5. Yet more councillors have ‘resigned’ for being racist That no Reform ‘politician’ is on TV?

Andrew reposted

Andrew reposted

We literally have the largest bike-touring event in the world which has been an annual summer state tradition for FIFTY YEARS. There's a giant exhibit in the state historical museum about it. This is comical.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Joe Mitchell: "Thank God you're building the ballroom. Thank God you're getting rid of those awful bike lanes. We don't ride bicycles in Iowa."

Andrew reposted

Ranvir Singh this morning: "9 million people in the UK, I find it obscene, in 2026 are on the verge of or already using foodbanks" Meanwhile the richest 50 families have more wealth than half the population. The levels of inequality in this country are staggering.

Andrew reposted

The Government has until the end of the year to scrap the NHS-Palantir deal. Do you want Palantir out of the NHS? RT if you do. Lets get them out.

Andrew reposted

Replying to @bladeofthes.bsky.social

BladeoftheSun@bladeofthes.bsky.social

The Government has until the end of the year to scrap the NHS-Palantir deal. Do you want Palantir out of the NHS? RT if you do. Lets get them out.

Andrew reposted

Danny Tommo's 'patriot platform' vigilantes were refused service in The George Inn, Portsmouth. They demanded to know why, despite the fact they do not have to be given a reason. Always make bigots feel unwelcome. Show the pub some love for doing the right thing. Things you love to see ✊❤️

Andrew reposted

UK Tory govt failures led to Covid spreading ‘like wildfire’ in care homes. Ministers lied. Residents sent home without protection. 43,000 died from Covid-19 in UK care homes between March 2020 and July 2022. 2016 Exercise Cygnus showed NHS couldn't cope with a flu pandemic. Govt did nothing.

theguardian.comUK government failures led to Covid spreading ‘like wildfire’ in care homes, inquiry findsInquiry chair says failure to advise care homes to isolate people discharged from hospital was ‘significant oversight’

Andrew reposted

🇺🇦🇺🇸 Zelensky says the U.S. is delivering just 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month to Ukraine, roughly a quarter of the amount supplied under Biden, - Bloomberg "We have paid for the weapons." "A part of supplies has been authorized, while the rest haven't been. This is not a technical issue."

Andrew reposted

Our NHS has been hollowed out over the last few decades. Thank you @premnsikka.bsky.social The UK has 2.4 NHS beds PER 1,000 people Japan: 12.6 Germany: 7.7 Austria: 6.6 France: 5.4 OECD average: 4.2 This is why we have the disgrace of corridor care. It's time to invest and rebuild our NHS

Andrew reposted

Trump has ripped the heart out of the Endangered Species Act Changed meaning of harm under the Act so that the habitat of trees forests ocean in which endangered species live can be destroyed Changed meaning of take so that accidental killing of whales Owls etc is allowed

Andrew reposted

'The government’s £15bn warm homes plan – insulating Britain’s homes and investing in heat pumps – which is currently under threat of cuts, would do more to cut the cost of living, create jobs and boost the UK’s economy than drilling for new oil.' www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comHeat pumps and insulation would cut UK living costs more than new oilfields, study suggestsWarm homes plan would create 50,000 jobs, compared with about 1,100 for Rosebank oilfield, thinktank finds

Absolutely. Most who fought in the war were grateful for the military personnel from Europe and the commonwealth. They retained that appreciation despite the vilification of ‘others’ by the fascist press.

Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social

My dad fought in the war and he wasn't a racist. My late mother was a teenager and dedicated her life to helping refugees. My cousin is in her 80s and "fucking hates racists". You don't get a get out of racist jail free card simply for being old and having happened to have lived during a war.

Andrew reposted

Sharing the video of violent attacks on young women at Farage's conference again to remind people that he encouraged the bullies and laughed. The same disgusting behaviour as Trump who praises his MAGA thugs at rallies. Please don't be fooled. This level of hideous abuse and cruelty is the point.

Reform and MAGA are the same animals. This is how they both treat young women. #RefUKkers

Andrew reposted

What odds this apology doesn't get the same headline coverage as the lying smear ... "GB News presenter Alex Armstrong & commentator Bernadette Spofforth have been ordered to apologise & pay damages to MothinAli after suggesting he took part in the 2024 Leeds racist riots" via The Daily Politik

Andrew reposted

Good, but wouldn’t it be nice if we all had the right to live, work, and retire anywhere on the vast continent we share? Time to #Rejoin

Andrew reposted

Friends, Sad news! Our dear friend #MajorJasonWatson will face a historic general court-martial, the military's most severe trial! He remains in pretrial confinement. His attorney told @cnn.com the conditions amount to "cruel and unusual" solitary confinement. Want to help? Keep posting about him!

edition.cnn.comAttorney: US moving forward with general court martial of airman | CNN PoliticsAir Force Major Jason Watson will face a historic general court-martial—the military’s most severe trial—following his high-profile July arrest for calling for President Trump’s impeachment in uniform...

Andrew reposted

A government spokesperson told Byline Times that ministers were now "exploring what action to take" against MPs like Nigel Farage double-jobbing as presenters on GB News, as Ofcom's former standards chief tells us the watchdog has taken a "two tier" approach to the channel

bylinetimes.comFormer Ofcom Standards Chief Condemns Watchdog's 'Two Tier' Approach to GB NewsFormer regulator calls for a clampdown as Andy Burnham's Government tells Byline Times that ministers are now ‘exploring what action to take’ about MPs like Nigel Farage double-jobbing as presenters o...

Andrew reposted

Usual hand-wringing about returning to division and inaction, not getting the same opt-outs etc… but arguments to rejoin trump those what-ifs. Going it alone in a world dominated by Putin, Trump and China is strategically idiotic and economically ruinous. Shaking your head at that is red-flag-dim.

Farrukh@implausibleblog.bsky.social

George Monbiot explains why the UK should rejoin the EU, "There's a reason why Russia tried to intervene in the Brexit vote, they knew that it would harm the UK and the EU if we left" "They were very clear about that and boy have they been proved right"

Andrew reposted

Jenrick on #r4today trying to downplay the raging racism of Reform… by saying “Farage has done more than anyone else to stand up against racism and the far right”. Farage the schoolboy Nazi. Farage the ‘breaking point’ Brexiter. Farage the mass-deportations champion. Farage the far right racist.

Andrew reposted

Replying to @adamjschwarz.bsky.social

Before meeting Burnham in Downing Street, Zelenskyy had an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.