LonWon

@lonwon.bsky.social

292 Followers 605 Following

Curious about politics. Hoping for more than slogans.

Post by Caroline Lucas: "lt is shocking to discover that designating Al data centres as "National Critical Infrastructure" means water companies are prohibited from restricting water to them- even in times of drought. Households will lose water first." Below, a separate post: "Govt planning c. 100 new data centres by early 2030s, mostly in already water stressed areas. They have no legal obligation to disclose how much water they use. Meanwhile Govt launches £75m publicity campaign to urge us to reduce water use & privatised water companies waste 19% thro leaks. Madness"
Tweet by Andrew Neil @afneil "All next week London temperatures won't get above the late teens and it's forecast to rain everyday. It's called the British Summer. But at least we can expect some respite from the London-based media's climate hysteria." 12:15 PM. May 31, 2026 . 407.2K Views
Are we the baddies? meme
Instagram post by The Spectator, 3 Jul 2026 "On Wednesday night we hosted our annual Spectator Summer Party, sponsored by Allwyn UK. The Spectator's Summer Party is one of Westminster's most exclusive events. with New York Magazine calling it 'an unmissable event on the social and political calendar', This year's guests included Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch; Piers Morgan; Sir Lindsay Hoyle, House of Commons Speaker; Jeremy Vine; Mathias Döpfner, Axel Springer CEO and owner of the Telegraph; Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News UK; Kate Garraway; Morgan McSweeney and more."
Photo and news headline from The Guardian. Photo is of some Argentinian footballers holding up a sign reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas". Headline is "World Cup 2026. White House backs Argentina players over Falklands banner in World Cup semi final. White House Fifa taskforce chief defends Argentina footballers, saying US believes in free speech" https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/18/white-house-backs-argentina-team-falklands-banner-world-cup-semi-final
Quote by Ed Davey on the Clacton by-election: "We take elections seriously, so I can't back a joke candidate with ridiculous policies - so I hope Count Binface beats him."
Guardian headline with photo: "Washington DC's Fourth of July parade canceled due to soaring temperature. "National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning as high temperatures have paralyzed the east coast. Edward Helmore Sat 4 Jul 2026 14.31 BST"
Tweet from Andrew Neil @afneil Here's an existential question to which I don't know the answer. Is the whole global warming schtick over? 17 Mar 2013
Owen Jones
Guardian headline: "Burnham backs Mahmood's plans to tighten rules on immigration"
Bernard Woolley from Yes Minister says "Oh, that's another of those irregular verbs, isn't it?"
Lewis Goodall @lewis goodall posts on X a video of Andy Burnham in Makerfield, saying "One of the most effective bits of political communication on the left I've seen in a long time. A message and a powerful messenger." Andrew Neil @afneil comments "Except that it purports to claim that the area (Makerfield) has been a victim of 40 years of Thatcherism (that's what Burnham seems to be running against, which means he's also running against the Blair-Brown government, of which he was a part). "Yet the backdrop to his wandering shows rows of neat, well-kept substantial semi-detached homes, with plenty new cars in the driveways and a vibrant high street, despite all the road works improving it Oh ves and a state school so good he sent his kids to it. Put simply - the pictures clash with his words of victimhood and deprivation." https://x.com/afneil/status/2056631735647895650?s=20
The Ten Commandments on a stone tablet, with checkboxes. 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. 3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord. 4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not give false testimony. 10. You shall not covet. Checkboxes 1, 2, 4 and 6-10 are ticked.
2026 St. Loye’s election results - votes cast. https://exeterobserver.org/2026/05/07/exeter-city-council-2026-local-elections-results/
Results from St Loye's ward. Found at Exeter Observer https://exeterobserver.org/2026/05/07/exeter-city-council-2026-local-elections-results/
Results for Mincinglake & Whipton, found at Exeter Observer https://exeterobserver.org/2026/05/07/exeter-city-council-2026-local-elections-results/
Facebook post by Steve Race MP. 2 hours ago. "Congratulations to all the councillors elected last night in #Exeter, new or returning. Particular congratulations to @exeter.labour councillor @lucy4labour who is elected for the first time in #Alphington, #Pinhoe's @_duncan_wood #Topsham's James Cookson, and #Exwick's Pau Knott @knott7648 On a tough night for Labour councillors, I'm proud that in Exeter we won the support of so many voters and continue to be by far the largest party on the council Commiserations to all those candidates who weren't elected. and those Labour councillors who ost despite their hard work and dedication in making Exeter a better place to live, work, and grow up in. Looking at one narrow miss for us - Reform beat our sitting Councillor in Priory Ward by 12 votes, in no small part due to residents being fed false propaganda by the Green Party. Voting Green did deliver a Reform councillor in Priory - their only new win of the night"
Post by Exeter Labour Party 2 days ago. "Voting Green in Exeter could let Reform win in your area. Last year, Reform won in some of Exeter's wards by only a handful of votes - don't let Reform in through the back door by voting Green Vote Labour on Thursday 7 May THE GREENS ARE REFORM'S BIGGEST GIFT Voting Green in Exeter could let Reform win in your area There's too much at stake Vote Labour Promoted by Edie Walwyn on behalf of Exeter Labour, both at 26b Clifton Hill, Exeter EXI 2DJ."
Devon Live headline "Labour lose control of Exeter" illustrated by a smiling Reform candidate
Plymouth Live post: "Resident's anger as Reform banners torn down from Exeter home". Still image of a longhaired man carrying away a banner
Post by Andrew Neil on X: "My monologue from today’s The Times at One with ANDREW NEIL @TimesRadio SAY FAREWELL TO ENGLAND’S TWO PARTY SYSTEM Tomorrow’s various elections in England, Scotland and Wales will ignite yet more fires under Keir Starmer’s leadership as Labour goes down in flames in all three nations. But they will also mark something more significant: the demise of the century-old two-party system in England." https://x.com/afneil/status/2052014764964851767?s=20
Post by Keir Starmer on X: "Tomorrow for a party that's on your side. Vote Labour." Photo of a smiling Keir Starmer with happy activists.
Window in St Thomas, Exeter, on which are written the words "In January, men matched through Exeter carrying flags of "Blood & Honour", the Hitler Youth slogan. "Reform campaign manager Robert Sheridan supported them. Think before you vote"
How would Britain vote at the start of 2026: by education level. YouGov 14 December 2025 - 9 Januarv 2026. Chart showing (among other things) that support for RefUK is inversely related to level of education. Source: https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/53923-how-would-britain-vote-at-the-start-of-2026?hl=en-GB
Random people volunteering to staff concentration camps
Leaflet with the message "Only Labour can stop Reform here. Don't risk Reform. Vote Labour."
Labour South West Sponsored . Paid for by Labour South West . Nigel Farage's Reform beat Labour by 72 votes here at last year's local elections Don't let Reform win again - lend Labour's Lucy Findlay your vote to stop them Promoted by Edie Walwyn on behalf of Lucy Findlay, all at 26b Clifton Hill, Exeter, EX1 2DJ ONLY LABOUR CAN STOP REFORM WINNING in Alphington and Cowick A vote for the Greens or Lib Dems risks letting Reform win again here. Latest Alphington ward projection from independent forecaster PollCheck
Devon Conservatives Sponsored . Paid for by Devon Area Conservatives Exeter's MP, Steve Race voted to block scrutiny of the Prime Minister's role appointing Peter Mandelson. That's not accountability - that's complicity. YOUR LABOUR MP: Steve Race VOTED TO COVER UP KEIR STARMER'S MANDELSON SCANDAL Promoted by Sherldan Westlake on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 4 Matthew Parker Street. London, SW1H 9HC
Those local manifestos in brief. LibDems: End the vanity projects and private deals. Reroute developer money from arrogant politicians to the neighbourhoods where developments take place, and give local residents a meaningful say in what infrastructure and services are funded. Greens: Build more council houses; bring empty properties back into use; improve insulation to cut bills; protect green spaces; create a covered market. Conservatives: Um… what? Are we still a thing? OK. What are we planning? Now you're asking. Erm… Well obviously common sense policies… um… cutting wasteful expenditure… responsibility… law-and-order… pothole hotline… You know. All the usual stuff. Reform: No low-traffic neighborhoods! Freedom to Drive, baby! Fix the potholes! We'll cut your council tax! Don't ask us how! Maybe there's loads of woke stuff? Climate stuff? Hell, we don't know, but we'll pretend we do. Please don't look at what actual Reform councils do. Labour: It's us or Reform.
Headline from the Daily Mail. "Farage: I'll wage 'war' on benefits culture"
Starmer may take heart from some backbench MPs going in to bat for him. Southport’s Patrick Hurley called it a “fuss over nothing”, saying: “By an order of magnitude, the bigger problem for us is the shock from the Iran war, the ongoing challenge on prices of consumer goods, and the very long shadow of Liz Truss’s mini-budget. Everything else is a sideshow.”
Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons, starting to transition into the Incredible Hulk.
Kevin the Teenager says "It was the bigger boys"
Illustrated poster with the text: "Many of the same people who broke Britain in 2016 have stopped us dealing with the climate and biodiversity emergencies, and stopped us making our cities livable, and are spreading hate."
"I used to read the Book of Revelation and wonder how it was possible that the Antichrist could deceive so many Christians despite openly mocking God and impersonating Christ. don't wonder anymore." AI images of Trump as Jesus and the Pope.
You're fired
Title page of "Suicide of a Nation" by Matt Goodwin, signed by Matt GPT.
Facebook post by Plymouth Live About 60 protesters and 20 counter-protesters were kept apart by a significant police presence. Protesters fill city centre with chants of 'USA!'
Facebook post by Neil Stevens "This is what's coming through your doors right now in Exeter Leafets. Claims. Promises. Attacks Different parties, but a lot of the same old politics So I took the time to actually go through them properly" Picture of a variety of political leaflets
"We didn't remove the comment" message from Facebook
Neil criticising Starmer over Iran
Bar chart of YouGov GE29 opinion poll with Greens and Tories scrubbed out and the caption added: "Only Labour can stop Reform!"
If stopping Reform were the overriding aim, Labour would also deploy what research shows is the killer attack line against that party. A survey of 6,000 people by the group Persuasion UK found that by far the most effective message of five options was focused on corporate interests and went as follows: “Nigel Farage says he’s on people’s side – but when you take a closer look it’s pretty clear who he’s really fighting for, isn’t it? It’s the rich, the powerful, his mates in big business.” It explained that Reform UK has taken vast donations from fossil fuel investors and climate science deniers. This, Persuasion UK said, is why Farage wants to cut public services, workers’ rights and taxes for the richest. “He’s not smashing the system. He and his rich friends basically are the system.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/25/reform-matt-goodwin-labour-gorton-and-denton-byelection-greens
FB post by Jeremy Corbyn: "There is only one way we will defeat Reform: together. That’s why I’m backing the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election. We are a mass movement of all ages, backgrounds and faiths — united in a belief that things can, and will, change."
"Streeting, regarded as a potential leadership contender should Starmer go, had a close friendship with Mandelson that, after the scandal that erupted last week, threatened to be a significant liability to his ambitions." written by Pippa Crerar and Peter Walker. Inset: "'Ignore the smears: I was never a close friend of Peter Mandelson. AndI fully understand the lessons we must learn' Wes Streeting" https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/09/streeting-wrote-off-his-re-election-chances-in-whatsapp-exchanges-with-mandelson
"Streeting, regarded as a potential leadership contender should Starmer go, had a close friendship with Mandelson that, after the scandal that erupted last week, threatened to be a significant liability to his ambitions." written by Pippa Crerar and Peter Walker. Inset: "'Ignore the smears: I was never a close friend of Peter Mandelson. AndI fully understand the lessons we must learn' Wes Streeting" https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/09/streeting-wrote-off-his-re-election-chances-in-whatsapp-exchanges-with-mandelson
Facebook post by The Labour Party "REVEALED: leaked messages from Green Party campaigners admit that they have "no actual policies" and "no one believes" they can win in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Now they need to come clean with the voters of Gorton and Denton in public If you want to stop Reform, vote Labour" Plus various images https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17xxj3ZNPu/
Facebook post (author redacted): "Amazing how illegal immigrants get to stay at hotels and barracks and now being rehomed into our society and yet local homeless and those up and down the country including homeless ex military get no help..its disgraceful the state this country is in." Response by Ed Tyldesley - County Councillor for Chulmleigh and Landkey: "None of that is true."
By David Guttenfelder and Thomas Gibbons-Neff. Described at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/minneapolis-nicollet-avenue-alex-pretti.html
UKIP Facebook post with a still from a video showing a sparse protest by white men with flags. Text: "The people of Exeter demand mass-deportations!"
Journalist in the rain representing the old adage. Chyron reads "'We're entitled to our opinion' say both sides"
The image is a news-style graphic combining a photograph and a headline. At the top is a photo of several older women dressed flamboyantly in sequins, faux fur, pearls and tiaras, holding champagne flutes as if toasting. They appear to be protesting or staging a demonstration outside a formal-looking building. One woman holds a placard reading “Tax Day is my favorite holiday!”, while another sign partially visible refers to taxes and funding. The mood is ironic and theatrical rather than celebratory. Below the photo is a bold headline and subheading: “The super-rich” “Billionaires added record $2.2tn in wealth in 2025” The subheading continues: “Just eight billionaires accounted for a quarter of the gains, led by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and Larry Page.” Overall, the image juxtaposes satirical, champagne-wielding protesters with stark reporting on extreme wealth accumulation, visually reinforcing a critique of inequality and taxation.
NYTimes 1:19 pm Breaking News Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, agreed to merge with a nuclear fusion company in a deal worth $6 billion.
Headline from The Guardian: "Richard Tice refuses to condemn Reform UK candidate who said David Lammy should 'go home UK politics live. "Mayoral candidate Chris Parry had previously said the deputy prime minister should go home to the Caribbean" https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/dec/16/donald-trump-bbc-lawsuit-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-reaction-latest-news-updates
https://x.com/i/status/2000289743846666316
https://x.com/i/status/2000314224552415358
Partisan politics contributes to corruption by creating a system where loyalty to a political party is prioritized over the public interest, leading to a variety of detrimental behaviors. This can manifest in numerous ways, from financial misconduct to policy manipulation and erosion of public trust. Key Ways Partisanship Fuels Corruption: Abuse of Power for Private/Party Gain: Political corruption is fundamentally defined as the "abuse of entrusted power for private gain". In a highly partisan environment, the "private gain" can be interpreted as the gain for the political party, its members, or key donors, rather than the public as a whole. Voter Bias and Impunity: Extreme partisanship can create a "perceptual screen" where voters interpret information about corruption through a party lens. Voters are less likely to perceive the actions of their own co-partisans as corrupt and may be reluctant to punish them electorally, even when presented with clear evidence of misdeeds. This lack of accountability can enable corrupt behavior to persist.
Lib-Dem/Green-led Devon County Council is cutting its homelessness budget from £1.4m last year, to £500,000 next year. This was a Tory decision in the last administration, carried on by this new administration. It claims this followed a public consultation - I’m not sure the people of #Exeter want to see a reduction in support for people most in need. I’m calling on Devon County Council to reverse this decision. Meanwhile, the government has increased Exeter City Council’s funding for this winter through the Rough Sleeping Prevention & Recovery Grant, and I’ve been discussing the new homelessness strategy with Ministers, which is being published imminently. We can end the scourge of homelessness and support people with complex needs into rebuilding their lives. But we must work together to achieve that.
"Europe a 'decaying group of nations led by 'weak' people, Trump says. "US president blames leaders for being ppllitically correct' and says migrationis 'unchecked, unvetted' in interview with Politico"
How did we reclaim the language of the far right? This year, those who put together the Guardian’s Christmas campaign had a clever idea about how to market it. What if they re-purposed slogans regularly used by the far right, and subverted them so that they had a more hopeful message? So it will run with messages like “Our country is full – of people who can heal division” and “Bring back good old-fashioned British values – like empathy and compassion.”