I've rarely read legislation so lacking in underlying coherence and logic as today's bill from the government that would significantly restrict the right to strike - and I quote - in "health services, fire and rescue services, education services, transport...

services, decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, and border security". The first thing to note is the sheer breadth of the services that would be affected, and - by implication - the millions of employees whose...

right to withdraw their labour could be restricted. The government says that in the first instance it will use the proposed new powers in the bill to impose "minimum service regulations" for "fire, ambulance and rail services", and nothing else. But that is not what the bill...

would put into law. It gives the business secretary the right to draw up minimum service levels in all of the industries I cite above, on pain of costly damages for trade unions that fail to provide those service levels. So presumably, since the act...

specifies the whole of "transport", bus and tram drivers could be told not all of them can strike at any one time. And both cab drivers and the DVLA seem to be in scope, whatever the government says is its intention. Similarly "health services" could mean...

public and private, or even pharmacies. And "education" presumably means Eton as much as Gasworks Comp. Also what is meant by "border security'? Does it include the passport office, as well as border officers? And why is only nuclear decommisioning specified? Why not operators...

of nuclear plant? Which gets me to the nub of what's weird - and some would say unnerving - about the bill. It's simply not clear whether it's designed to protect our safety, our prosperity or simply our convenience. The right to strike is a basic human right. And perhaps...

it should be restricted if lives are potentially put at risk by industrial action - though all the public service unions, especially those representing ambulance workers, are at pains to stress that as a matter of practice they never strike in the absence of agreeing...

Rishi Sunak now says he’s registered with an NHS GP. Something he’s suspiciously excited to reveal all of a sudden. I wonder if anyone had to help him fill the form in yesterday, and how many times did he ask, “…but I don’t actually have to use them do I?”

Who’s willing to bet money on what Rishi’s next PR stunt will be…

A pay rise in line with inflation for ALL public sector workers would cost around an extra £12-15bn. An annual 1.5% tax on any wealth above £5m would raise £16bn. We can afford to give people a proper pay rise. The Tories' refusal to do so is a political choice.

Apologies for not wearing a seatbelt, but I thought that rule only applied to other people and not to us. You know, like all the other rules. #LevellingUpFund

Great article outlining why the BBC became the mouthpiece for a dishonesty Leave campaign & corrupt government

The Tory Investigations, still waiting: 1. Sunak Tax Return 2. Johnson inquiry 3. Covid Inquiry 4. Raab Inquiry 5. Russian Report 6 Gray Report 7. VIP Lane Inquiry 8. Covid Fraud Inquiry 9. Truss and Kwartang Inquiry, and finally 10 Overall Competence.

I think this is about the most depressing thing about UK politics I've ever read. Not because it tells us anything we didn't know or suspect, but because it confirms everything we knew or suspected. theguardian.com/books/2023/apr…

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Please listen to this speech by Governor JB Pritzker. It perfectly explains both the cruelty and stupidity of the people now ruling Brexit Britain. #BrexitHasFailed

Brilliant day 😎 Fab weather & a fitting end to another super season. Thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers 👏👏👏

Plans to close most UK railway ticket offices. Disgraceful. Staff culled for higher profits. Machines don't always work and have long queues. Last year, rail companies got £13.3bn subsidy, we still get high fares, Privatisation is a scam. theguardian.com/politics/2023/…