#UK Politician

[kropotkindersurprise]

October 20, 2022 - Good news everyone! The lettuce won!

[mywitchcultblr]

If you are an American artist/fan, change your pixiv account region! Because there's new censorship

Number 5. If your drawing has no 'educational/scientific/artistic value' it won't be allowed to exist. These new censorship are absolute nonsense pushed by credit card company and conservative politicians. Fucking bonkers

It's the same thing when Tumblr banned NSFW and they promised that 'artistic nudity' will still be 'allowed'. I hope every purist on the internet realized that when they whine over anime fan art they are repeating what conservative billionaires and politician are pushing:

The death of art...

[vashtijoy]

"both parties are the same"

A short demonstration.

This is Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party. (Okay, he's third from the left.) Today he announced he wants young people to able to vote at 16 and 17.

And this is Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party. Today he announced he, er, wants 18 year olds to be punished unless they join the military full time or volunteer for a year.

Remember to vote.

[misspeppermint2003]

⭐️ Weekly Fandom Vote (Round 5) ⭐️

[nando161mando]

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

I want to write a little bit about structural racism in the UK against Travellers, and the Labour Party's complicity with this because I think it might help explain why that letter from Diane Abbott disturbed me so much.

Romani and Irish Travellers in the UK experience discrimination all the time. They'll be barred from shops and pubs, they experience discrimination from the police, they experience racial abuse. If they are living a nomadic lifestyle, they struggle to access schools and hospitals. Educational outcomes for Romani students are the worst in England by a large margin, followed by Irish Travellers. They're also over represented in the prison population compared to the proportion of the general population they make up.

Irish Travellers are generally "white/white passing" although they are a distinct ethnic group from the settled Irish. However, not all Romani people are "white passing" and some see themselves as PoC. Both groups have fought for a long time to be recognised officially as ethnic minorities and to gain legal protections.

In 2022, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts act was passed. This is the "bill" that was the focus of the "kill the bill" protests, and lots was written about the restrictions it placed on protestors. However, part 4 of the bill related to unauthorised encampments. Although the law does not specifically name any ethnic groups, it effectively criminalises the traditional nomadic traveller lifestyle.

It creates an offence of residing in a vehicle (this would include a caravan) on land without permission. It allows the police to seize the vehicle, even prior to the offence being committed. It allows the police to impose fines and prison sentences.

Although the bill itself does not name any particular ethnic group, much of the advice and communication around the bill does. This is because it's clearly designed to target certain groups who live a traditional nomadic lifestyle. It's designed to make them homeless, and force them into housing- essentially forced assimilation. The British have been trying to do this to Romani and Irish Travellers for centuries.

This law was passed by the Tories, but one thing people don't know is that Starmer whipped the Labour party against most sections of the bill. He allowed a free vote on Section 4- the section that specifically related to "unauthorised encampments".

Around the same time, in 2021, his party produced local election leaflets which mentioned "traveller incursions"- eventually they admitted the leaflets were racist and destroyed them. It's not the first time, and won't be the last, that Labour use racism against these groups to win points with the electorate.

In this context, Abbott is part of a system which is systematically discriminating against Romani and Irish Travellers- yes, Labour aren't the party in power, but they are a part of the system enabling this to happen.

So, I read her letter in that context. I read her minimisation of the struggles of the most marginalised ethnic groups in our society in that context (I don't want to make this "who has things worst" but it's nonetheless true). At best, she's throwing them under the bus to make a point she thinks will be popular with her supporters. At worst, she's actively affirming her own party's racist policies.

"It doesn't matter if we criminalise their way of life, because it's not "real" racism".

She is someone seen to be on the left, seen to be anti-racist, and she's effectively saying this prejudice is acceptable.

[northern-punk-lad]

This is why it’s so important to have eye tests on the NHS

[regicidal-defenestration]

Amazing photos of Nigel Farage getting milkshaked today

[timebones]

The distant woman was sort of spooky, but there were 2 specific moments in 73 Yards where I genuinely felt the hairs on my neck standing up:

The campaign staffers talking about huge crowds and an event right after an election that’s “going to be wild”

Mad Jack commenting on Marti being a “boy’s name” after that eyeliner kid said “I’m the one he’d kill first, and you know why”

[superbeans89]

[tippenfunkaport]

If spinach can send emails, surely lettuce can be the prime minister, I'm just throwing that out there.

[mickstart]

There weren't riots after any of the tory bullshit moves but now people are fully setting hotels on fire because they're so islamophobic I hate this country more than ever I genuinely don't have the fucking words.

[paintsplash1712]

What I love about Hobbie as an English Person (TW: Flashing Lights)

God does it feel great to have a British character in a none British film that actually feels, well, British.

So to the rest of the world, you guys have this stereotype of us being poor ass Conservative assholes that only care about ourselves and its sad that stereotype is so common because (appropriately) its a tiny percentage of people.

Now I'm not from London (another thing guys we're not all from London! It's like saying every American is from California) so I don't know every reference Hobbie made and I was born far after the punk movement so take my observations with a pinch of salt but...

He feels so real!

I work in retail so I see a lot of unique colourful characters and I've met people similar to Hobbie, you'd think they'd be intimidating or stone-faced but they're so chill and more likely to treat people in our work place with more respect then others. And I totally believe Hobbie would too (he's punk he has to).

I love all the little references in the way he speaks, I find it hilarious that the film had to translate what a jumper is or other things I thought were universal.

I love how kind and open he is to Gwen and Miles. If his story is anything like the comics I would've expected him to act more douchy or angry but he doesn't give a toss he just wants to play his music and make Miguel angry (which I respect).

His art style is collage! My favourite medium!

(Also very appropriate from what I learned in college, where we analysed album covers and artwork by punk bands and artists and how it stood out in a time of same-y looking artwork) So very appropriate for Spiderverse.

Anyway I didn't have a structure to this. I just love having English representation that actually feels like the writers talked to actual British people (not posh assholes but actual people) and did their homework.

So Daniel Kaluuya got to use his actual accent for once! Yay!

[misspeppermint2003]

⭐️ Weekly Fandom Vote (Round 56) ⭐️

[britishtophatwithlondon]

Good night!

Today I am again publishing a cartoon about the relationship between Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair!

Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson hold hands. They have loving feelings for each other. Tony Blair holds Peter Mandelson's hand tightly. Mandelson is embarrassed by this, and looks a little anxiously at Tony Blair's hand. But Blair happily looks at Peter Mandelson's hand, and holds Mandelson's hand even tighter.

Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson are crazy about each other!