Kate Macdonald πŸ“š 🧢's Avatar

Kate Macdonald πŸ“š 🧢

@kateem

Mover of words at peachfieldpress.uk. Latest story out now! https://fiction-fans-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp/products/solstitia-issue-4 Book reviews at katemacdonald.net. Recorder of🏺finds, organiser, Q clerk, knitter, academic aegis @OxfordBrookes.

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Latest posts by Kate Macdonald πŸ“š 🧢 @kateem

John Sweeney Writer and Broadcaster John Sweeney is a reporter, old school, and has written 12 books, his latest thriller is The Useful Idiot: "enthralling" - The Observer.

2/3 So I'm asking the Great British public to help because NF is seeking to be our master.

Were you at school with NF? Worked with him in the City when he was a tin trader? Met him through politics?

Do get in touch: johnsweeney.co.uk

06.03.2026 17:06 πŸ‘ 66 πŸ” 41 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

What have they done for you lately?

06.03.2026 17:27 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

So it should be stopping then? Not stoping.

06.03.2026 15:13 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Purple blue star-shaped anenomes on green grass in the sun.

Purple blue star-shaped anenomes on green grass in the sun.

Blue anenomes!

06.03.2026 13:38 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I suppose none of those responsible for this have ever served in a war where people get killed. They've only seen American films. Shoddy, shameless monstrosity.

06.03.2026 12:46 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Stoping?

06.03.2026 12:44 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Home Office may forcibly remove child asylum seekers from UK in handcuffs Move is part of scheme to target families for expedited voluntary removals before enforced removal proceedings

This is not the government I voted for.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

06.03.2026 11:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Westminster Meeting House raided by Metropolitan Police again. Statement: β€œFor Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life.

Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent.

That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.” – Oliver Robertson, Head of Witness and Worship
Quakers in Britain, 5 March 2026

Westminster Meeting House raided by Metropolitan Police again. Statement: β€œFor Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life. Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent. That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.” – Oliver Robertson, Head of Witness and Worship Quakers in Britain, 5 March 2026

Yesterday evening, for the second time in a year, the Met Police raided Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrested a number of young nonviolent activists.

STATEMENT: www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

06.03.2026 10:37 πŸ‘ 460 πŸ” 316 πŸ’¬ 26 πŸ“Œ 62

If it’s true that the United States bombed an elementary school and killed scores of children it is an unfathomable crime. I have never been more disgusted to be an American.

06.03.2026 04:42 πŸ‘ 20802 πŸ” 4075 πŸ’¬ 1310 πŸ“Œ 356
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Find the war zones below πŸ‘€

05.03.2026 03:17 πŸ‘ 441 πŸ” 120 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 5

That, as they say, is how you do it.

05.03.2026 17:08 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Shameless ignorant incompetence by swaggering braggadocio without fear of accountability. So angry.

05.03.2026 15:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Piracy at sea.

05.03.2026 14:18 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The last photo of Mikaeil Mirdoraghi, a third-grade student killed in the reported U.S./Israeli strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran.

He is waving goodbye to his mother.

05.03.2026 12:25 πŸ‘ 279 πŸ” 148 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 17
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04.03.2026 18:57 πŸ‘ 38 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
She Came Out of the Bathroom Naked, Employee Says Bank details, sex and naked people who seem unaware they are being recorded. Behind Meta’s new smart glasses lies a hidden workforce, uneasy about peering into the most intimate parts of other people’...

The data from your Meta Ray Bans is used to train Meta's AI, which most people don't understand means that humans are looking at the most intimate details of their lives. www.svd.se/a/K8nrV4/met...

04.03.2026 06:47 πŸ‘ 404 πŸ” 262 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 23

How I arrived on Bluesky.

03.03.2026 21:35 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Wow, this is alarming. Grammarly will scrape dead academic authors' work and spit words from it back at you to pretend that this is an 'expert' review. From a dead person. If you have Grammarly installed, I suggest you get rid of it before it takes your work too.

03.03.2026 18:06 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It has more links with the early 20thC spiritualism obsession than with the Golden Dawn, so that's an interesting dichotomy. Also, there was a RUSH of witchcraft fiction published in the UK from 1926, a generational backlash?

03.03.2026 14:08 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This made me laugh out loud: what a fabulous chap.

03.03.2026 14:04 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A bag embellished to look like an owl with a scary amount of applied bling.

A bag embellished to look like an owl with a scary amount of applied bling.

This is either the cutest bag ever, or evidence that just because something could be designed does not mean that it should. Seen at an emporium of overdesigned tat at Schiphol airport. 🧡 πŸ›οΈ πŸ¦‰

03.03.2026 11:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Dear Prime Minister,
In recent days we have seen a deeply concerning escalation in conflict in the Middle East 
following a series of illegal and dangerously irresponsible airstrikes on Iran by the United States 
and Israel.
You have now confirmed that UK bases will be used by the US for their operations in the area. 
This is a significant concession to President Donald Trump and one which risks drawing the UK 
into a dangerous conflict.
During your campaign to be elected leader of the Labour Party, you spoke compellingly about 
learning the lessons of the Iraq war. In particular, you set out legislation you would pass as 
Prime Minister, ensuring that military action is only taken if:
β€’ The lawful case for it is made
β€’ There is a viable objective
β€’ Consent is given by the House of Commons.
We agree that such legislation is needed to prevent the UK from being dragged into destructive, 
illegal and dangerous wars abroad, and so we have today tabled the Armed Conflict 
(Requirements) Bill.
The Bill requires that
1. Before armed forces may be deployed for armed conflict, a Minister of the Crown must 
publish a statement setting out the reasons for the deployment, an assessment of its 
compliance with international law, the objective of the deployment and an assessment 
of the viability of that objective, and
2. Any such deployment must be approved in advance by a resolution of the House of 
Commons

Dear Prime Minister, In recent days we have seen a deeply concerning escalation in conflict in the Middle East following a series of illegal and dangerously irresponsible airstrikes on Iran by the United States and Israel. You have now confirmed that UK bases will be used by the US for their operations in the area. This is a significant concession to President Donald Trump and one which risks drawing the UK into a dangerous conflict. During your campaign to be elected leader of the Labour Party, you spoke compellingly about learning the lessons of the Iraq war. In particular, you set out legislation you would pass as Prime Minister, ensuring that military action is only taken if: β€’ The lawful case for it is made β€’ There is a viable objective β€’ Consent is given by the House of Commons. We agree that such legislation is needed to prevent the UK from being dragged into destructive, illegal and dangerous wars abroad, and so we have today tabled the Armed Conflict (Requirements) Bill. The Bill requires that 1. Before armed forces may be deployed for armed conflict, a Minister of the Crown must publish a statement setting out the reasons for the deployment, an assessment of its compliance with international law, the objective of the deployment and an assessment of the viability of that objective, and 2. Any such deployment must be approved in advance by a resolution of the House of Commons

I invite your support to pass this bill.
In an increasingly unstable world, it is more important than ever that decisions about the UK’s 
involvement in military action abroad are taken carefully, soberly, and with the best interests of 
the British people at heart. We believe this piece of legislation would ensure that.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ellie Chowns MP

I invite your support to pass this bill. In an increasingly unstable world, it is more important than ever that decisions about the UK’s involvement in military action abroad are taken carefully, soberly, and with the best interests of the British people at heart. We believe this piece of legislation would ensure that. Yours sincerely, Dr Ellie Chowns MP

Today I tabled a bill which would require any UK military intervention to have a lawful basis, viable objective, and approval by MPs - legislation the PM once said he himself would pass when he was running for Labour leader.

He supported it then, and he should support it now.

03.03.2026 10:59 πŸ‘ 513 πŸ” 171 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 7

tl;dr: more people should watch this gentleman's speech and think seriously about what he is saying

bsky.app/profile/slcl...

03.03.2026 03:43 πŸ‘ 1678 πŸ” 424 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 3

One of ours! I commisioned Women's Weird! Squeee!

02.03.2026 18:50 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Penelope Fitzgerald's group biography of the Knox Brothers (and Sister); Bea Howe's Galaxy of Governesses, and her Arbiter of Elegance; Adam Smyth's The Bookmakers; Breeze Barrington's The Graces; Susannah Gibson's Bluestockings; Leah Broad's Quartet; Sarah LeFanu's Talking to the Dead.

02.03.2026 15:39 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Join us live at the IHR and online. Free registration.
More info and book here: tinyurl.com/29nn4z33
@ihr.bsky.social @carmenmangion.bsky.social @clairelanghamer.bsky.social @dralanagharris.bsky.social @lauragowing.bsky.social @womenshistnet.bsky.social @womenshistoryrev.bsky.social

02.03.2026 15:32 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

But this vegetarian (since 1987) got multiple myeloma in 2012 completely out of the blue, and very luckily wasn't killed by it. So the stats need to be looked at more carefully than at the level of a newspaper article.

02.03.2026 14:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The orange and Netanyahu are so chaotic in their violent display of force against Iran that they have killed everyone that they supposedly planned would form the replacement government.

They also killed 165 schoolgirls. Today, Melania chairs a UNSC session on Children and Education in Conflict.

02.03.2026 05:11 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Have just realised that the film of me acting in a two-hander play by Ali Smith when we were students at Aberdeen University may still exist.🎭

01.03.2026 20:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I have no idea! Look at the Ravelry link in my post for the pattern. You could contact the designer that way?

01.03.2026 19:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0