A brief flicker of light amidst an ocean of darkness

“I need a father. I need a mother. I need some older, wiser being to cry to. I talk to God, but the sky is empty.” ― Sylvia Plath

[batboyblog]

Who is the best British Prime Minster of the 21st Century?

Tony Blair (1997-2007)

Gordon Brown (2007-2010)

David Cameron (2010-2016)

Theresa May (2016-2019)

Boris Johnson (2019-2022)

Liz Truss (49 days in 2022)

Rishi Sunak (2022-2024)

Keir Starmer (2024-present)

Remaining time: 2 days 13 hours

I was just reflecting that the last 26 years in the UK hasn't really thrown up many leaders people generally feel all that warm about so, what was the best?

[idratherhavefreedom]

[snazzynacho]

Sign the Petition

Investigate Judge Nicholas Rowland and Introduce a Judicial Accountability Framework Now

Every day in the UK survivors of sexual violence summon extraordinary courage to come forward.

They sit in police stations.

They endure cross examinations.

They relive their trauma in courtrooms.

And too often they watch perpetrators walk away with sentences that insult everything they endured.

This is not rare. This is not isolated. This is a pattern.

Fewer than 3 in 100 rapes reported to police in England and Wales result in a charge or summons.

Not a conviction. Just a charge.

And when convictions do happen sentences are repeatedly handed down that bear no relation to the severity of the crime.

The most recent example is the Fordingbridge case.

Three boys groomed, lured and attacked two girls aged 14 and 15 across two separate premeditated incidents in Hampshire. It was filmed.

The footage was shared online.

Judge Nicholas Rowland at Southampton Crown Court handed all three youth rehabilitation orders. They went home.

A youth rehabilitation order is not custody. It is not detention.

It means supervised activities in the community.

Those boys slept in their own beds that night.

While two children began the process of trying to rebuild their lives.

The victim described the sentence as a rock straight in her face. Her mother appealed directly to the Prime Minister.

And still the system shrugged.

This is not an isolated failure. It is a symptom of a justice system with no formal mechanism to hold judges accountable for sentencing decisions that repeatedly fail survivors.

Doctors can be struck off for repeatedly failing patients.

Teachers can be investigated for repeatedly failing children.

Police face formal proceedings for repeatedly failing the public.

Every public profession in this country manages both independence and accountability simultaneously.

But judges operate with almost complete immunity from consequences.

There is no automatic investigation triggered when a sentence falls significantly below guidelines.

No public record of judicial sentencing patterns. No transparency. No consequences.

Judicial immunity was designed to protect independence.

Not to shield judges from accountability when they repeatedly fail the most vulnerable people the justice system exists to serve.

Those are two completely different things.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme itself exists because the public refused to stay silent in 1986 when a rape was treated as less serious than burglary.

Public outrage changed the law then.

It will change it again now.

WHAT WE DEMAND

A formal investigation into Judge Nicholas Rowland and where findings warrant it his removal from the bench. His remarks — citing peer pressure, praising the defendants and expressing concern for criminalising them — demonstrate a fundamental failure to understand the lifelong impact of sexual violence. That is not judicial independence. That is judicial misogyny. And it has no place on our benches.

A formal judicial accountability framework including mandatory sentencing reviews, transparent judicial records and real removal powers that are actually used.

WHY THIS MATTERS

There was video evidence. There was a conviction. And still a judge decided it was worth a rehabilitation order.

One victim said what was the point in putting me through that. That question should stop every person in power dead in their tracks. If we cannot deliver justice when the evidence is undeniable what message does that send to every survivor watching?

Laws have been changed before by people who refused to accept no.

Stalking laws.

Coercive control laws.

Passed despite being told they were unnecessary.

They were necessary. And so is this.

We are trying.

Sign this petition.

Share it.

Make it impossible to ignore.

[sub-at-omicsteminist]

This is a long post and I’m going to put a TW here for discussions about SA and Rape.

I don’t know how much UK news everyone keeps up with, but there has been a horrific case that has made me so deeply angry. Three teenage boys were convicted of knife-point rape and serious sexual offences against two teenage girls. They physically overpowered them, planned it, and filmed it to share online.

And the judge let them walk free without a single day of jail time.

Why? Because they were given “Youth Rehabilitation Orders” under the guise of "not criminalising children unnecessarily."The court explicitly cited that the boys had ADHD, anxiety, a "limited understanding of consent," and that one had an IQ in the bottom 1%.

(If you are in the Uk there is a petition going around about this case which I have linked at the end of this post)

I am so, so incredibly angry.

AuDHD women, neurodivergent women, and disabled women in general are statistically at a drastically higher risk for being victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse. Yet society and the justice system completely ignore us, while doing gymnastics to protect and humanise violent men.

When I started therapy to process my own assault, my therapist spent time trying to make me sympathise with my rapist. I was 13, he was 14 when it happened. She told me how he "must have been traumatised" to do something like that to me, and how he was clearly "struggling with something."

He is not the one in therapy. He is not the one living with severe disabilities that were likely caused but definitely exacerbated by that trauma. Last I saw, he’s a bassist in some shitty band, still getting high, living his life completely unbothered. Yes he had his trauma but I had mine so what’s the excuse??

Before I ever met my rapist, I was living in a domestic abuse situation. I was living in poverty. I was acting as a primary caregiver for my severely disabled mum. I was coping with undiagnosed health issues of my own, and I was already a survivor of CSA.

My trauma did not turn me into a rapist.

Having a difficult life, a mental health condition, or a neurodivergence does not erase your underlying humanity. It does not erase your ability to understand that you are hurting another human being. And in the case of these boys, if there needs are so severe it did actually impact their ability to understand they still should not be allowed free running around with a “limited understanding” as they will likely cause harm to more people, at the minimum they need to be extensively educated and rehabilitated. However If disabled, neurodivergent, and deeply traumatised victims can carry the weight of immense suffering without violating, assaulting, and raping other people, then there is absolutely no excuse on earth for a perpetrator’s diagnosis to shield them from accountability.

Stop centering the feelings of abusers. Start protecting the victims.

Sign the Petition

Investigate Judge Nicholas Rowland and Introduce a Judicial Accountability Framework Now

[xerneaszeraora]

Reading about how the Canary is starting a print edition in the UK from this week and just seeing it said that "left wing politics is inaccessible for many people" just reminds me that this shit really does start with just exposing people to leftist ideas. That's it. Most people never interrogate the beliefs and values they were brought up with and just starting with giving people the option of the alternate viewpoint can change everything.

[idratherhavefreedom]

[changing-my-username]

Job market: *Little to no vacancies, with lots of fake job adverts by shady companies like Studysmarter being advertised, employers offer no feedback as to why candidates haven't gotten the job, or say it's because you lack experience, even when you have plenty of experience in that sector.*

People: Why are so many people unemployed?!

[idratherhavefreedom]

[twitterexile]

Parliament to Debate Israeli Influence in UK

After 116k Sign Petition

The government has refused to launch an inquiry.

Parliament will debate the need for an inquiry into Israeli influence on UK politics next month, after more than 116,000 people signed a petition calling for a probe.

The 22 June debate, which will be broadcast on the UK Parliament YouTube channel, comes after the Labour government said it does not support a public inquiry.

The petition raises concerns "about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns."

It adds: "We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK's political response underline the urgent need to scrutinise how pro-Israel organisations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate."

In a response on 17 April, the government said: "There is an existing framework for transparency around lobbying of the UK government and Parliament."

Petition author Andy Kalil told the National that the government's response was "a whole load of hot air and deflection"

", adding that there is an "extreme conflict of

interest between pro-Israel lobbying donations and the government's positions on Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, and southern Lebanon".

Current and former members of the Labour cabinet have received over £300k in donations from pro-Israel groups and individuals since 2013, figures compiled by Declassified UK show. Prime minister Keir Starmer received a £50k donation from pro-Israel tycoon Trevor Chinn for his 2020 Labour leadership campaign.

Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed, at a conservative estimate, more than 73,000 people. The UK government has supported Israel's military throughout, including by flying surveillance drones above Gaza.

In 2023 Starmer said that Israel had the right to deny water, food and electricity to the besieged enclave's civilian population.

[northern-punk-lad]

Honestly all cops are basterds but i would argue the DWP is way more evil

[changing-my-username]

The media would smear Jeremy Corbyn over the smallest thing when he was Labour leader, when they could have just mentioned his brother.

[idratherhavefreedom]

[northern-punk-lad]

I would rather debate a conservative than a centrist because at least a conservative stands for something i don’t agree with what they stand for but it’s still some they have a belief system

[cranberry-branflakes]

which heart did you get when you liked this post?

rainbow flag

lesbian flag

gay flag

bisexual flag

pansexual flag

asexual flag

aromantic flag

transgender flag

non binary flag

intersex flag

Remaining time: 4 days 10 hours

when reblogging, please add the pride tags I've included! if not, anybody liking your reblog will only see regular tumblr hearts :)

[catchymemes]

everyone: happy pride month 🌈

my brain at 12:00 am on june 1st:

[1nvalidsyntax]

Had a conversation with one of my really old neighbours who was talking about voting Reform. It really is true that for a lot of people voting for these far right parties are just falling prey to fear mongering genuinely.

She was genuinely worried about people coming over the boarders was going to put too much strain on the economy. She didn't really hate them at all, it's mostly just her being fed catchy headlines and stories meant to scare her. Though I don't doubt she has some racist prejudices from propaganda.

I explained why I didn't think Farage was being genuine and his connections to the super rich and how their actions are far more damaging to the country. It went pretty well it was pretty calm. No shouting or anything.

When I told her about the transphobia (she didn't even know what that word was) that was prevalent in modern British politics she actually agreed that the recent acts not letting trans people in their preferred toilets was a bad thing. She also was against most of the anti-transgender laws that have passed in recent years.

This isn't anything new but in most cases people who are voting for these dangerous parties are just scared and misinformed. This can lead to them believing and voting for dangerous things. But the way to stop this is by talking to them if you have the chance. Especially if you're in a position of privilege.

She walked away feeling a bit more doubt about Reform and I hope that she doesn't vote for them in the next election.

[idratherhavefreedom]

[probablyasocialecologist]

UK river granted legal rights in landmark move - Oceanographic

A new charter formally recognises the entire catchment of the River Wye as a living ecosystem with intrinsic rights

The River Wye, which runs through Wales and England, has become the first river in the UK to be granted cross-border rights from source to sea. The charter means the river is valued with intrinsic rights, and means the river’s right to flow, maintain biodiversity, remain free from pollution, regeneration, to be supported by a healthy catchment, and have representation in decision-making processes are specifically protected. This landmark decision covers the river’s entire 130-mile catchment, from its source in the Cambrian mountains to the Bristol Channel. This Sunday, the charter was celebrated by a community event at the Hay-on-Wye festival. Jackie Charlton, the county council’s cabinet member for a greener Powys, said: “The River Wye is central to our environment, communities and heritage. By adopting this charter, we are making a clear statement that the river’s health matters and must be protected. The Wye is also at the centre of one of the UK biggest pollution cases, as locals have reported that in recent years the river turns regularly green in the summer and has become smelly and slimy. The status of the river has been downgraded to “unfavourable – declining” by Natural England. The charter has been endorsed by the councils of Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, the  Bannau Brycheniog National Parks Association and the Wye Valley National Landscape.  “The river has a right to perform its natural functions and be free from pollution,” said Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, who signed the charter on behalf of Herefordshire Council. 

26 May 2026

[idratherhavefreedom]

[northern-punk-lad]

It’s not just uk building that ain’t made for the heat the country itself isn’t we’re pretty deep into the northern hemisphere we are not meant to get this level heat especially not in spring

[idratherhavefreedom]

[geckonomics]

how fucking unbelievable is it that the Liz Truss was prime minister for 44 days, she got to be PM and then the queen died and then she fucked the entire economy for a bit then she instantly quit

everyone calling it well in advanced to the point where a news paper set up a cabbage on camera which turned out to outlast Liz Truss

nobody was expecting anything of her, the bar was on the floor and then she dug a tunnel

[starlightshadowsworld]

Country roads..

…TAKE ME HOME!

“We wouldn’t see it as a victory for the EU over the UK – but as a victory for Europe as a whole” me too man me too.

And yet our lot are trying to convince us that it is impossible and the EU wouldn’t want us (video by Femi_sorry on tik tok)

One day…one fucking day…

[fagseal]

British people have the grumpy bastard stereotype because we live in a country where cigarettes have pictures of cancer from them unless you buy them illegally, you need to use a VPN to jerk off, any time it gets above 25 degrees it gets so humid that everyone becomes coated in a film of sweat, in winter it's pitch black by like half 3 in the afternoon, being a children's author to a shockingly bigoted book series allows you to shape culture and law just because and our government is ran by a lobotomised piece of ham, leaving us in constant limbo between man who is kind gaining power versus temu Donald trump.

That being said I am rather fond of mister JD Whetherspoon and mister Greggs... And lest we forget queen Vic.... No not the fat old lady, this queen Vic