📣 NEW REPORT launching today! 40 years of Thatcher's privatisation policies have failed at your expense 💧💡🚅🚌🏥📮 Time for public OWNERSHIP (not just public control) 👇 weownit.org.uk/research-and-…

The old saying needs updating: if you want to keep a secret, don’t tell a Rutte. 🇪🇺🇺🇸🇮🇷 NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has rather inconveniently lifted the curtain on Europe’s role in the war on Iran. Rutte says between 4,000 and 5,000 US flight missions operated from bases across Europe during Operation Epic Fury, including around 500 US aircraft movements from bases in Italy. He also said “country after country, ally after ally” made bases available to support the operation. That sits rather awkwardly beside the public insistence from some European governments that they weren’t participating in the war. Italy, for example, disputes the suggestion that it authorised combat operations, saying its support was limited to technical and logistical activity. Apparently Europe wasn’t involved. It merely supplied the runways, bases, logistics and thousands of flight missions.

Full public ownership (not "public control") of water supply is the obvious solution. It's right in principle and overwhelmingly popular. So why won't this Labour government do it? One wonders what the real problem is here.

"I N T E R A C T I O N S" 🙃

43% of Americans now have a positive view of socialism, marking the first time this figure has exceeded 39% in Gallup’s trend since 2010. Socialism still trails capitalism and free enterprise in public favorability but now ranks ahead of big business.

Southend to Windsor is 77 miles Southend to Kensington palace is 57 miles Are you beginning to think it is all a con? #laziekatie

Since 1967, the monarchy has opted out of at least 160 pieces of legislation. King Charles has the power to exempt himself from any laws that affect him. But should that be the case?

Kate Middleton treats the royal helicopter like an Uber after a Southend jolly. William will be on stage tomorrow telling the rest of us to freeze, fly less and “save the planet.” Private choppers for them. Lectures and guilt for everyone else. They’re just expensive hypocrites with a megaphone. #AbolishTheMonarchy

Around 40% of the world's dirty money, proceeds of corruption and crime, is laundered through the UK, its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. Successive govts promise new laws but they make little impact. Why do govts continue to fail? Watch the Minister's reply.

An exclusive without anything to enlighten readers and this story, tragically continues to be a tale of woe and intransigence @Craig_Simpson_ @Telegraph. There is so much more to be gained, especially for the @britishmuseum by moving the dial in the direction of reunification

The Sovereign Grant is a scam - why are the billionaire royals getting another £50 million added to their half billion budget? #AbolishTheMonarchy

Ok, we now have the actual text of the Greenland deal (whitehouse.gov/briefings-sta…), so we can say how it compares to the existing 1951 arrangement and who, between Trump and Denmark, lied the most in their framing of it. Long story short - which may surprise some - the Danes lied the most: Trump is pretty much correct in saying that this new deal grants the US control of Greenland. Let's look into what changed compared to the 1951 deal. 1) This is now a permanent arrangement: whereas the existing 1951 deal only lasted as long as NATO existed, this one "does not have an end date and may only be amended by mutual consent." It even survives a hypothetical future independence of Greenland: in that event, Denmark and Greenland must ensure that the independent Greenlandic state "affirmatively assume[s] all of the rights and obligations of the Kingdom of Denmark specified in this Agreement." 2) In the 1951 agreement, the US could set up bases only where both governments agreed, and only on the basis of NATO planning. The new deal locks in three bases: the US can "modernize and expand its activities" at Pituffik, its only base in Greenland until now, and "shall be allowed to establish an additional Defense Area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig." Further bases beyond these 3 can be justified by the defense of "the American continent," a US interest rather than a NATO one. Also, quite subtle but this is interesting: Article IV(iii) says that "the United States may establish additional defense areas in Greenland" and that consultations are then held "to decide implementation details based on mutual agreement." What this means is that the principle of a new base is automatically granted and only the implementation details require agreement. Article VII also gives the US "the right to raise concerns regarding construction, or change of use" of any building near a US base, after which the parties decide together what to do. Which means that the US has a say over civilian planning around its bases. 3) On US military movement across Greenland, the wording change between the 1951 agreement and this new one is quite funny. The 1951 text said (Art. V(3)): the US "may enjoy... the right of free access to and movement between the defense areas through Greenland, including territorial waters, by land, air and sea," but only "in accordance with general rules mutually agreed upon and issued by the appropriate Danish authority in Greenland." The new one says: "the United States of America shall enjoy... the right of free access to and movement between the Defense Areas through Greenland, including the Territorial Waters, by land, air and sea." That's it: "May" becomes "shall," and the US military movement no longer has to follow rules "issued by the appropriate Danish authority in Greenland." The US also gets something new on top: "undersea access to and movement within the Territorial Waters," i.e. submarines. 4) Non-NATO exclusion: non-NATO states are barred from military installations or a persistent presence in Greenland unless all three parties approve, giving the US an effective permanent veto. The 1951 deal had no equivalent clause. 5) Investment screening: this is entirely new. "States or investors from a state that is not a member of NATO, a NATO partner, or an EU member state" (i.e. Russia, China, India, the Gulf States, etc.), "shall not be allowed to have (i) control, (ii) significant influence, or (iii) access to non-public information...within Particularly Sensitive Sectors or Activities in the territory of Greenland (including the Territorial Waters), unless agreed between the Parties." Again, it basically means that the US has a permanent veto over who can invest in strategic sectors in Greenland, as far as non-NATO or EU states are concerned. 6) Lastly, in stark contrast with the 1951 deal, the framing of the deal changes significantly: this new deal is largely framed around the US. The 1951 agreement existed only "for the benefit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization." The new one lists the defense of "the American continent" as an objective, celebrates "the irreplaceable role" of the United States military as well as "the United States' indispensable historical and ongoing contributions to the security and defense of Greenland," and names the establishment of Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense system as a key goal. So, to sum up: - The US secured a permanent military foothold that even an independent Greenland would inherit whether it likes it or not - The US now has veto power over any non-NATO military presence in Greenland, and over who can invest in its strategic infrastructure and resources (beyond NATO and the EU) - Denmark signed away its say over the principle of new US bases, with only the right to discuss the "implementation details" - Danish authorities no longer set the rules for US military movement across the island - And all of it is now justified by the defense of "the American continent" I don't know in which universe this even remotely "recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination," as Danish PM Mette Frederiksen put it (stm.dk/en/press/press-releas…). Yes, the preamble of the text cynically "reaffirms" Danish sovereignty but, in my book, when you let a foreign country put bases on your soil, move its troops without following your rules and veto who else can come in, in perpetuity, after it spent two years threatening to take you by force, the word for that is anything but "recognized sovereignty" 🤷

It's the only example of cooperative male-male displays ever discovered in nature. Surprising as it may sound, the Blue Manakin dominant male has a team of subordinate males who help him attract females [📹 Kenny Neal]

The Sovereign Grant is going up by £50 million. That's another £50 million in royal funding, on top of the half a billion we already give them. It's time to scrap the grant, plain and simple. #AbolishTheMonarchy

Abacus Data:🍁"Would you support closer integration between Canada & the European Union, while Canada remains outside the EU, including measures to make it easier to trade, travel, work, study, and cooperate on security?" 🟢81% Support 🔴10% Oppose 338canada.ca/p/338-sunday-up…

Swathes of UK economy are foreign-owned. No tax is deducted from billions paid to them in dividends. USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden have a dividend withholding tax for foreign investors. UK could do the same, generate billions. leftfootforward.org/2026/09/…

The tongue of a woodpecker wraps around its skull to protect its brain while pecking

Revolving doors. Labour peer and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joins Palantir. Palantir is trying to save its £330m NHS contract, wants more public contracts. Nick Clegg, Rishi Sunak, George Osborne and others have taken similar jobs. theguardian.com/politics/202…

The Sovereign Grant is going up by £50 million. That's another £50 million in royal funding, on top of the half a billion we already give them. It's time to scrap the grant, plain and simple. #AbolishTheMonarchy

Thousands of you have told your MP to scrap the Sovereign Grant. Will you donate to our Scrap the Grant Appeal and help us continue to fight the Sovereign Grant scam? #AbolishTheMonarchy republic.org.uk/scrapthegran…