Yearly Archives: 2025

UK government withholding details of Palantir contract

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https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-government-withholding-details

KPMG is being paid £8 million to promote Peter Thiel’s tech in NHS hospitals – but we’re being forced to fight for information about this public contract.

It’s been a good week for Palantir. The controversial spy-tech company, co-founded by Trump donor Peter Thiel, looks set to secure even more UK government work after the defence secretary pledged to expand the role of AI in the military.

Palantir already holds a £330 million NHS data contract. But as Democracy for Sale revealed last week, most hospitals in England are not using the software, with many complaining that it simply isn’t up to scratch.

To encourage hospitals to take it up, the government signed an £8 million deal with consultancy giant KPMG to “promote the adoption” of Palantir’s tech in the NHS.

We wanted to know more about how this money is being spent. How exactly has KPMG been promoting Palantir’s software to hospitals? And has it worked?

So, we submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), asking for reports produced by KPMG under its contract, as well as briefings prepared for Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who publicly supported the deal.

The government’s response? Silence. They’re refusing to release the information—so now we’re fighting for transparency.

Sue Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, told us the government’s “impulse to secrecy around public money and public contracts” is “deeply concerning.”

“KPMG’s contract raises a real question: if [Palantir’s] software is so good, why does the government need to give £8 million of taxpayers’ money to a management consultancy to encourage NHS hospitals to use it?,” she added.

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Article continues at https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-government-withholding-details

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Protesters who planned airport disruption jailed

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewd4g0nvx5o

The four protesters were found guilty of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance

Four Just Stop Oil protesters who were planning to glue themselves to the taxiway at Manchester Airport have been jailed.

Officers arrested Indigo Rumbelow, Margaret Reid, Leanorah Ward and Daniel Knorr as they were making their way to the airport on 4 August 2024.

They were equipped with heavy-duty bolt-cutters, angle grinders, glue, sand, Just Stop Oil high-visibility vests and a leaflet containing instructions to follow when interacting with police.

All four were found guilty of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance and jailed at Manchester Minshull Crown Court for between 18 and 30 months. Additionally, they were each fined £2,000.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewd4g0nvx5o

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Thames Water fined £122.7m in biggest ever penalty

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgeg5vy9q8eo

Thames Water has been fined £122.7m for breaching of rules relating to its sewage operations and shareholder payouts.

It is the biggest ever penalty issued by the water regulator Ofwat.

The regulator said the fines followed its “biggest and most complex investigation” and confirmed it would be paid by the company and its investors, not by customers.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We take our responsibility towards the environment very seriously.”

The fine issued by the water industry watchdog has ordered Thames Water to pay a £104.5m penalty for breaches of rules connected to its sewage operations.

That is on top of an additional penalty of £18.2m for breaches relating to shareholder payouts – known as dividends. It is the first time Ofwat has fined a water company over “undeserved dividends”.

Thames Water is currently in “cash lock up” and no further dividend payments can be paid without approval from Ofwat.

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Original article at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgeg5vy9q8eo

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Global temperatures could break heat record in next five years

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/28/global-temperatures-break-annual-heat-record-next-five-years-world-meteorological-organization

Rising temperatures will increase the risk of extreme droughts like the one currently affecting Yemen. Photograph: Yahya Arhab/EPA

Data also shows small but ‘shocking’ likelihood of year 2C hotter than preindustrial era before 2030

There is an 80% chance that global temperatures will break at least one annual heat record in the next five years, raising the risk of extreme droughts, floods and forest fires, a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has shown.

For the first time, the data also indicated a small likelihood that before 2030, the world could experience a year that is 2C hotter than the preindustrial era, a possibility scientists described as “shocking”.

Coming after the hottest 10 years ever measured, the latest medium-term global climate update highlights the growing threat to human health, national economies and natural landscapes unless people stop burning oil, gas, coal and trees.

The update, which synthesises short-term weather observations and long-term climate projections, said there was a 70% chance that five-year average warming for 2025-2029 will be more than 1.5C above preindustrial levels.

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The Met Office’s Leon Hermanson, who led the production of the report, said 2025 is likely to be one of the three warmest years on record.

Chris Hewitt, director of climate services at the WMO, described a “worrying picture” for heatwaves and human health. However, he said it was still not too late to limit warming if fossil fuel emissions are cut.

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See the original article at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/28/global-temperatures-break-annual-heat-record-next-five-years-world-meteorological-organization

Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.
Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Continue ReadingGlobal temperatures could break heat record in next five years

Nigel Farage blasted for ‘fantasy economics’ as Reform claims £225billion savings by axing net zero projects

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Nigel Farage explains the politics of Reform UK: Racism, Fake anti-establishmentism, Deregulation, Corporatism, Climate Change Denial, Mysogyny and Transphobia.
Nigel Farage explains the politics of Reform UK: Racism, Fake anti-establishmentism, Deregulation, Corporatism, Climate Change Denial, Mysogyny and Transphobia.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/farage-reform-net-zero-tax-labour-child-winter-fuel-b1229834.html

He is calling for the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap and restoring the winter fuel payment to all pensioner

Nigel Farage’s tax and spend plans were slammed as “fantasy economics” as Reform UK claimed it could save a massive £225 billion over five years by scrapping net zero projects.

The Reform UK leader was seeking to march onto Labour territory by making a series of pledges including axing the two-child benefit limit and restoring the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners.

Mr Farage’s party also wants the threshold for paying the basic rate of income tax to be dramatically increased from £12,570 to £20,000.

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Reform sources said the £225 billion figure of savings from ditching net zero projects was based on a report by the Institute for Government.

But the IfG stressed that the bulk of this green investment, highlighted in the paper called “Paying for Net Zero” was due to come from the private sector, not public funds.

Jill Rutter, senior fellow at the IfG, told The Standard: “Cancelling private investment does not save the Government money.”

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Nigel Farage reminds you that he's the man that brought you Brexit and asks what could possibly go wrong.
Nigel Farage reminds you that he’s the man that brought you Brexit and asks what could possibly go wrong.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Continue ReadingNigel Farage blasted for ‘fantasy economics’ as Reform claims £225billion savings by axing net zero projects