Playwright and actor, former teacher and member of Rotary
North Lincolnshire
Joined March 2011
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Richard Vergette retweeted
No Mr Farage you cant just turn up at sensitive military bases either in the UK or abroad. No MP can - no matter what Party you represent. We don’t do open days around the trident warhead or open house for the SAS either. @bbc @thetimes @Telegraph
Richard Vergette retweeted
Powerful and much needed framing from Andy Burnham in the Guardian..should be repeated every day by ministers or they will find they are blamed for ‘broken Britain’:
“If the question at the centre of British politics is “who broke Britain?”, let’s be clear and unequivocal. The four horsemen of Britain’s apocalypse are deindustrialisation, privatisation, austerity and Brexit.
In my time in politics, there has been a tendency for too many in Labour to accept too much of the framing of the right, but we must firmly reject its narrative and call it out in no uncertain terms. Figures on the British right talk of taking back control, but people can see that they are the ones who gave it away.”
Richard Vergette retweeted
Trumps tariffs today brings into sharp relief how our isolated status post Brexit leaves us vulnerable - We must urgently and ambitiously reset our relationship with the EU as part of strengthening NATO so we can stand up to bullies wherever they are and whatever they threaten.
I thought this might have come from @MichaelTakeMP but no it’s a heartfelt comment from @montie. Honest Bob is so “deeply thoughtful” he removed cartoon murals from children’s asylum centres so they didn’t feel too welcome.
Richard Vergette retweeted
#Minneapolis
Bullet holes in windscreens.
This is Riath Hussein, a gas station attendant blinded by US forces in Iraq when he misunderstood their orders to stop his car.
His daughter Nour aged 4 is confused.
Rana aged 6 is visibly angry.
#ReneeNicoleGood's children too.
See ALT.
ALT Riath Hussein, Hillah, Iraq, 2003, with his daughters Nour aged four and Rana aged six. Riath and his brother Faris were driving home one night when a US army patrol shouted at them - in English - to "Stop!". Arabic for stop is Keff. They didn't stop. Riath was shot in the head and blinded. His brother Faris was shot dead. I counted thirteen bullet holes in their Toyota saloon. Photo: Hugh Sykes
Richard Vergette retweeted
Sad thoughtless omission from @BBCRadio4 Archive Hour on 70 years of @BBCFooC (From Our Own Correspondent):
@tonyhgrant, its editor for 20 years. He was frequently the essential catalyst for correspondents' inspiration, & stern scrutineer of their scripts.
share.google/PzykGE0yY1YKbgA…
Richard Vergette retweeted
45 years ago I made a pitch for the Director-General job. Didn’t get it – mind you, I was only 13. But I did get a reply from Ian Trethowan, who was DG at the time. All these years later I’m proud to work for the BBC.
Coming to a pass when the former editor of The Sun nails it!
BBC accused of ‘lockdown propaganda’ during Covid by Toby Young. The actual reality is millions turned every night to @BBCHughPym and @BBCFergusWalsh for comfort and facts in a global health crisis that killed swathes of victims, these BBC journalists risked their lives inside covid wards, it was public service broadcasting at its best but Young gets put in the Lords by scoundrels and they get pilloried as does their news director.
Richard Vergette retweeted
🌹Here's a list of all 100+ Labour MPs who have signed a "reasoned amendment" seeking to thwart the government's controversial welfare reform bill, in one of the most significant rebellions of Keir Starmer's premiership to date.
Read the full text too:
labourlist.org/2025/06/welfa…
Really looking forward to taking #BornintheUSA on tour this Spring. First stop is Lowther Pavilion on 12 April
Marco seems to have a rather short memory
Richard Vergette retweeted
The events this week confirm for me the opinion I expressed in my last post.
Pleased as I am that our PMs visit to Washington seemed to be reasonably successful, it is hard not to see the entire week as a performative pantomime orchestrated by Trump. He placated France and the U.K., whilst preparing for a deliberate and choreographed attack on President Zelensky, a visiting head of state, that guaranteed the failure of his visit. The behaviour of Trump and vice President Vance was outrageous-as a piece of theatre it was straight from the playbook of Hitler's summons of President Hacha of Czechoslovakia to Berlin in 1939 to sign away its independence. Zelensky was entitled to say what he did. There was nothing remotely disrespectful about it. He stood up to the crude bullying that now seems the hallmark of the Trump administration.
Even more chilling is the sense that we are seeing much more clearly Trump's motives. It is not about "peace" but doing a deal with Putin's Russia-Ukrainian land and people to be traded for the benefit of Russian raw materials. Just like the Hitler-Stalin Pact and we know how that ended.
I pledged a paid subscription to Goodall and Good Luck goodallandgoodluck.substack.…
Richard Vergette retweeted
I hold @jessphillips in the highest regard - a fantastic backbench MP, and now Minister, and a powerful advocate for the safety and rights of women and children. The attacks on her are baseless, shabby and misogynistic.
Richard Vergette retweeted
As we remember all women and girls who have been affected by men’s violence, we're asking all men to take responsibility and recognise that change starts with them by making the White Ribbon Promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men's violence against women -- in all its forms. #WhiteRibbonDay