Halen

Halen

@halen80.bsky.social

Architecture, design, food, music, politics and cats.

119 followers519 following65 posts

Pinned

As an Indian (now with a British passport), transgender women in India regularly use women’s toilets all the time. India is hardly a panacea for equality, but I have to say I have never felt threatened by a trans in women’s toilets 1/…..

Halen reposted

🔴 REVEALED: Palantir led closed-door review of how MoD buys software The review was presented to defence minister Luke Pollard by Palantir UK boss Louis Mosley in Feb and has mostly been implemented None of this was made public New investigation🧵 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-p...

democracyforsale.substack.comRevealed: Palantir led secret review of how the MoD spends billionsThe Ministry of Defence asked the controversial US tech firm how to fix its procurement rules. Its answer? Fewer obstacles for companies like Palantir

Halen reposted

I mean, any time now would be good. If it's not too much trouble

Emma Yeomans@yeomans.bsky.social

Worrying scenes in the Channel today, for all interested in asylum policy and maritime tactics. A small boat from Normandy spent more than 30 hours at sea. Those on board now on their 2nd rescue vessel as Border Force forced to play cat and mouse with far-right activists who have their own boat.

Halen reposted

Halen reposted

Halen reposted

Just loving how John Cleese, now reduced to one of his own caricatures, rages about immigrants coming to the UK and failing to accept "our" culture, from his home in ... (checks notes) ... Nevis in the Caribbean.

Halen reposted

Spain watching Portuguese wildfires loom over the Bragança border shows how obsolete national boundaries are against extreme weather. Relying on emergency coordination after ignition is a failing strategy. 🔥 Are we underestimating this risk? #ClimateCrisis

euroweeklynews.comSpain once again on alert as Portugal battles wildfires threatening to cross the borderPortugal is battling a dangerous new wildfire emergency, and this time the flames are threatening to become Spain’s problem too. As firefighters continue battling devastating blazes on both sides of…

Halen reposted

Russia is inflaming the debate on immigration in Britain as part of “increasing ambitions to disrupt our way of life”, counter-terror police and experts say It has directly and indirectly paid right-wing influencers to spread messages that align with its political goals inews.co.uk/news/putin-i...

inews.co.ukHow Putin is inflaming immigration tensions to spark disorder in BritainCounter-terror leaders reveal the tactics Russia is using to sow division in the UK

Halen reposted

A House of Commons committee has concluded the Government should terminate NHS England's contract with Palantir, citing the company "supporting highly controversial policies & activities"

Halen reposted

"The Labour chair, Anna Turley, has given Nigel Farage 24 hours to report to security services the claim that his phone was hacked by Russia-linked actors or the Labour party will do it for him"

Halen reposted

80% of Reform's funding comes from people who avoid tax by hiding money offshore. Our idea of true patriotism is to hoard money while contributing nothing towards public services. Just ask Richard Tice.

Halen reposted

Many thanks to Laura Kuenssberg for not asking Robert Jenrick about my £5 million gift or dodgy house purchases and for not interrupting him while he spread our propaganda.

Halen reposted

Still remember the crushing moment as a young researcher when I realised that proving something through evidence had damn near no impact on social policy unless it was politically useful to believe it.

Halen reposted

Peacock Spider (genus Maratus), a group of tiny Australian jumping spiders famous for their vibrant colours and elaborate courtship dances to attract its mate. They are very tiny in size only between 2-5 millimetres ( the size of a pea)

Halen reposted

The United States government just agreed to pay $1.8 billion to the United States president, approved by the president's own personal lawyer who represented him when he was convicted of 34 criminal counts. This is the biggest scandal in all of American political history.

Halen reposted

I hope this isn’t true. There are times when it’s more important to put country before party. This is one of them. Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy & counter the dire threat of a Reform UK government elected on a minority of the vote

theguardian.comGreens suggest they will properly contest byelection in blow to BurnhamStatement follows speculation party would not field candidate in Makerfield or barely fight seat

Halen reposted

Survivor of Jeffrey Epstein breaks down in tears describing the moment she learned her name was revealed while the rich and powerful remained protected by redactions Roza: I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe. I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times.

Halen reposted

The media come at Polanski and miss big time! This is a scary example of media bias to the Greens. They took a badly researched story from a Labour supporting tax guy ran it without doing any of their own checking. Now they're all exposed as idiots. And that was their best attack against Zack😂

Halen reposted

Design legend Margaret Calvert is 90 today. Look at that cake! If you've ever admired a road, rail or metro sign in Britain it's likely she had something to do with it. One of Britain's design heroes - happy birthday to her. Photo by: @oshgallerylondon (IG) Cake by: mybaker.co

Halen reposted

I know there’s a lot going on with the Labour Party, but it is all in the bounds of democratic politics. This however, paid collusion between the leaders of two political parties in the run up to election, if true, is a scandal of staggering propositions

Halen reposted

"An ICE takedown caught on camera left a 19-year-old bleeding and requiring stitches to his head. Cellphone video showed the teen get tackled by agents. Once they figured out they had made a mistake, they dropped him off at a park, bloody and bruised..." www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/d...

nbcnewyork.comDHS responds to claim of wrongful ICE detentionThe Dept. of Homeland Security has responded after a Bronx man said he was injured during what he described as a case of mistaken identity involving immigration agents in Norwood. Jeury Concepcion tol...

Halen reposted

As I said (& I might have stolen this from someone else) when we were on strike trying to stop compulsory redundancies, universities are the steelworks of the UK's knowledge/skills economy. Right now both devolved & national govts seem completely indifferent to the massive crisis facing the sector

Charlotte Lydia Riley@lottelydia.bsky.social

Men are extremely keen to explain to me that Britain *needs* a domestic steel production plant and doesn't necessarily *need* universities. Okay. Steel contributed about £1.7bn to the UK economy in 2024. Universities contributed more than £200bn.

Halen reposted

Halen reposted

Not to excuse this, & it’s a while since I presented anything on the BBC, but I do recall noting an almost subconscious desire to disprove bogus allegations of bias by being particularly tough on Labour & Lib Dems (Ed Davey once complained!) This is another victory for right wing media gaslighting.

Alex Andreou@sturdyalex.bsky.social

If you like data, here is something interesting for you: Bridget Phillipson interview on LK: 9m 40" LK number of interruptions/talking over: 31 Richard Tice interview on LK: 8m 23" LK number of interruptions/talking over: 9

Halen reposted

At least three and maybe four years of the past decade have been spent with a PM grimly hanging to power having lost authority with their party. The opportunity cost is so high. We really need to find better ways to manage these transitions.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social

At least three and maybe four years of the past decade have been spent with a PM grimly hanging to power having lost authority with their party. The opportunity cost is so high. We really need to find better ways to manage these transitions.

Halen reposted

Yes, and even worse, I am quite sure the PM is being told that the Home Office view on migration is the single key obstacle to the closer ties he claims to want with the EU. So everyone in Brussels and Westminster can see the weakness when he can't apparently overcome this.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social

I mean - I agree with all of this, but Keir, you are not Shabana and Rachel’s minder to stop them coming to blows! If you agree with the Treasury view on this, intervene to remove the barriers the Home Office is putting to a deal! You are the prime minister!