Mastodawn

We spend ~£20bn a year dealing with the consequences of illegal drugs in England & Wales — while ~ £10bn flows to criminal markets.
What happens if we stop pretending the market will disappear?
🧵 Filthy Lucre
#UKPolitics #LetsRethink #PolicyMaking #SystemsThinking #EvidenceNotPanic

https://hysnapsmusicandmentalhealth.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/lets-rethink-policy-making-filthy-lucre-getting-real/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Lets Rethink Policy-Making: Illegal Drugs – A cheaper alternative.

Let’s Rethink Policy-Making: Filthy Lucre What happens if we stop pretending the illegal drugs market will disappear? Using conservative figures for England & Wales, this post explores how cost…

Hysnaps Politics, Gaming, Music and Mental Health

Steve Loughran 2h ago

He died for his country. That or he was a racist fuckwit whose own hate destroyed him
#bristol #ukpolitics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74ww90v9gyo

Bristol man died in ladder fall tying Union flags to lampposts

Paul Lumber was putting up flags in Bristol when he fell and suffered a fatal head injury.

BBC News

&2i 4h ago

The Gov't is planning legislation that could lock us into decades more of failed, privatised water: Its new plan to ‘fix’ water confines itself to regulatory tweaks, leaving in place a privatised system that has ripped us off for decades. And they're preparing to push these plans into law without any public consultation. More than 8 in 10 Brits support public ownership of water. No consultation means we don’t get a say on the future of our most basic and precious resource. Meanwhile, regulators, investors and water execs who have every interest in keeping their cash cow have the Government’s ear. A real public consultation is needed to stop this stitch-up, but we’ve not got much time. Before any new laws are passed, the public must be heard regarding the future of our water system, including the option of public ownership. Add your name to demand a full public consultation on the Government’s new plans.
Take action?- https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-water-stitch-up
#UKpolitics #watercompanies

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&2i 4h ago

A letter to a #UKparliament MP:
"I strongly encourage you to support the EDM 2650, which calls on the government to devise a UK digital sovereignty strategy. This is a really important matter to me as I've become aware of just how vulnerable we've become at this level of infrastructure.
An example of why I and others are now concerned: When President Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, Microsoft was forced to shut down the court’s email system. In the UK, Huawei is being removed from our 5G network by 2027 after security warnings from the National Cyber Security Centre. These demonstrate a real risk: essential services can be disrupted by decisions made outside the UK.
With international tensions over Greenland raise the issue more urgently and strongly: we need a UK digital sovereignty strategy, and quickly.
So, I implore you to support this EDM. We cannot have critical infrastructure dependent on foreign countries."
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/protect-britain%E2%80%99s-digital-backbone-%E2%80%94-ask-your-mp-act
#UKpolitics

Protect Britain’s Digital Backbone — Ask Your MP to Act

Take action! What’s the problem? The UK’s digital backbone. The cloud services, data systems, and platforms that underpin government, public services, and democratic processes is dangerously reliant on a small number of foreign tech companies. Much of this critical digital infrastructure is controlled by US-based firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, whose services are embedded across government and the public sector. Other key providers are based in Israel and China. Together, these companies operate systems that are essential to how the UK state functions day to day.

Open Rights Group

&2i 5h ago

"The UK’s digital backbone. The cloud services, data systems, and platforms that underpin government, public services, and democratic processes is dangerously reliant on a small number of foreign tech companies.
Much of this critical digital infrastructure is controlled by US-based firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, whose services are embedded across government and the public sector. Other key providers are based in Israel and China. Together, these companies operate systems that are essential to how the UK state functions day to day.
MPs have previously taken action over Huawei’s links to the Chinese government. But far more needs to be done to address the UK’s wider dependence on foreign-controlled companies for the digital backbone of our democracy... "
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/protect-britain%E2%80%99s-digital-backbone-%E2%80%94-ask-your-mp-act
#UKpolitics #petition #DigitalInfrastructure

Protect Britain’s Digital Backbone — Ask Your MP to Act

Open Rights Group

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Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈12h ago

@StefanAlvemo I live in London and I think of this picture when I hear the news of Russia's attacks on Kyiv.
The Americans never saw the consequences of WWII in their lives, but we in Europe live it everyday, ....the hell is some Coward child rapist going to lecture us about ANYTHING!

#Trump #London #Kyiv #WWII #WWIII #Trump #EUPOL #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS

MiniMia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇵🇸 🏴14h ago

So apparently there was an episode of Dispatches entitled "Palestine Action: The Truth Behind The Ban" due to be aired last night at 10pm, but it was mysteriously pulled at the last minute with no explanation 🧐

#UKPolitics #FreePalestine

MiniMia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇵🇸 🏴14h ago

"Time to step on another rake" 🤣

https://novaramedia.com/2026/01/23/labour-would-rather-lose-elections-than-give-an-inch-to-the-left/

#UKPolitics