Thomas Gardiner

Socialist, democrat, trade unionist, campaigner, ginger. Tweets personal.

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Occasionally I think our country might be a little odd, as I watch a piece of (very fancy) headgear ride in its own horse drawn carriage, accompanied by a ceremonial military parade.

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Just to be clear, despite how it sounds, this is NOT a pledge to nationalise the entire British steel industry.

This is only a pledge to legislate for powers to buy ONE COMPANY that owns the Scunthorpe steel works. Even then it's still subject to a further public interest test

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

@DouglasBeattie4 But yes, agree important break to recognise nationalisation as most effective option to protect some vital national sectors.

I'd say water would be more natural immediate move, given extreme price rises in last 2yrs & appallingly run companies, directly impacting every household

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

@DouglasBeattie4 Making it conditional, even specifically emphasising the conditional element in his speech, shows he hasn't faced up to one of his fundamental problems: many people just do not trust that he truly means the things that he says.

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

@SinaToossi Conversely, if deal was reached to lift sanctions, increased Iranian oil production could drive downward inflation pressure.
Iran has >10% proven reserves but <5% of production - even modest move to long term potential capacity could be significant contribution to global supply

[TSSA @TSSAunion]

TSSA General Secretary @MEslamdoust responds to new cabinet committee dealing with the fallout for Iran crisis -

“We welcome the government taking steps in response to the cost of living crisis. They must now consider making public transport free to provide immediate relief."

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Top trolling by Al Jazeera.

Hegseth claims all Iran's leaders have disappeared to hide underground, so editors immediately flash up footage of Iran's President Pezeshkian strolling around Tehran today, taking selfies with ordinary Iranians.

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Most reporting: "Iran is randomly lashing out at neighbours for revenge" without any thought that striking all nearby hostile military bases & early warning sites is entirely rational initial military strategy.

Just another version of the racist "Iranians are lunatics" narrative

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Everyone's rightly focused on Mandelson's heinous & traitorous past crimes, but could someone maybe check on what he did to imperil UK national interests in last 2 years as ambassador & advisor to PM?

What information did he access?

Has he shared it with his current contacts?

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Everyone's rightly focused on Mandelson's heinous & traitorous past crimes, but could someone maybe check on what he did to imperil UK national interests in last 2 years as ambassador & advisor to PM?

What information did he access?

Has he shared it with his current contacts?

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

The British left today:
"Zohran Mamdani is amazing, we MUST emulate everything about him - his policies, his comms, his focus, his mobilisation..."

The British left this time next week:
"So maybe we just copy his circus-style typeface and keep everything else the same?"

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

The British left today:
"Zohran Mamdani is amazing, we MUST emulate everything about him - his policies, his comms, his focus, his mobilisation..."

The British left this time next week:
"So maybe we just copy his circus-style typeface and keep everything else the same?"

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

@AaronBastani It's actually worse than that Aaron - this BBC piece deliberately lies about the level of purity required for weapons grade uranium.

BBC states 60% purity required (presumably because it's the level of purity Iran enriches to) when in fact over 90% purity is required for weapons

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

IAEA say "no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme" in Iran & find precisely ZERO grams of weapon grade uranium.

Yet yesterday in Parliament several MPs falsely claim IAEA think weaponisation imminent.

How can such lies stand unchallenged?

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Here's the minister introducing Gender Recognition Bill in 2003 saying it'd amend equality legislation to protect trans people in acquired gender.

But Supreme Court judgment somehow concluded there was no evidence that Parliament wanted to protect trans people in acquired gender

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

In short:

Supreme Court says Parliament definitely did not intend to amend definition of "sex/woman/man" to protect trans people in their acquired gender.

But ministers explicitly stated on record that this would be the effect when taking the legislation through Parliament 🧵

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

ONE LAST REMINDER: Don't direct your anger at me, this thread isn't my view of what's "right" or "wrong", it's just based on what I could find by comparing Supreme Court judgment with Parliamentary records

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

Reluctant to post on trans judgment, as feelings run so high, but I can't shake the observation that the Supreme Court has made some major errors, particularly around the court's assessment of parliament's intent. A lengthy 🧵

[Thomas Gardiner @thomaskgardiner]

A long and pos confusing thread, but seems hard to ignore that Supreme Court failed to consider Parliamentary record of Parliament's intent and instead inserted the Court's own view, which is contrary to what ministers told Parliament when key equality legislation was passed