Politics | Steve Woods

‘Tis the season to be triggered

12/12/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Politics, Social Media

For some reason beyond the wit of any rational person, a religious festival celebrating the birth two millennia ago of a man who advocated peace and love seems to call forth a wave of hate and bile from those on the right of the political spectrum, who become more than usually scathing, either bleating that the traditional festival has been cancelled or railing against alleged political correctness.

One of those who has taken to social media to vent her anger is one Susan Mary Hall, leader of the Conservative group in the Greater London Authority‘s London Assembly.

Note in particular the use of not one, but three exclamation marks. As for the biscuits being of a male persuasion, I see no evidence of genitalia in their depiction on the packet, Ms Hall!

Neverthless, have a happy Christmas, if you dare allow yourself such a luxury. 😀
EU Commission launches yet another investigation into a US tech giant

09/12/2025 Steve WoodsPolitics, Tech
After fining X €120 mn. last month for breaching the transparency obligations of the Digital Services Act, the European Commission has announced it has initiated a formal anti-trust investigation to assess whether Google has breached EU competition rules by using the content of web publishers and content uploaded to YouTube, for artificial intelligence (‘AI’) purposes.In particular, the investigation will examine whether Google is distorting competition by imposing unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators or by granting itself privileged access to such content, thereby disadvantaging the developers of rival AI models.

The Commission is concerned that Google may have:
- Used the content of web publishers to provide generative AI-powered services (‘AI Overviews’ and ‘AI Mode’) on its search results pages without appropriate compensation and without offering them the possibility to refuse such use of their content. AI Overviews shows AI-generated summaries responsive to a user’s search query above organic results, while AI Mode is a search tab similar to a chatbot answering users’ queries in a conversational style. The Commission will investigate to what extent the generation of AI Overviews and AI Mode by Google is based on web publishers’ content without appropriate compensation for that, and without the possibility for publishers to refuse without losing access to Google Search. Indeed, many publishers depend on Google Search for user traffic, and they do not want to risk losing access to it.
- Utilised video and other content uploaded on YouTube to train Google’s generative AI models without appropriate compensation to creators and without offering them the opportunity to reject such use of their content. Content creators uploading videos to YouTube are obliged to grant Google permission to use their data for different purposes, including training generative AI models. Google does not remunerate YouTube content creators for their content, nor does allow them to upload their content on YouTube without allowing Google to use such data. At the same time, rival developers of AI models are barred by YouTube policies from using YouTube content to train their own AI models.
If proven, the practices under investigation may breach EU competition rules that prohibit the abuse of a dominant position (Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’)) and Article 54 of the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) Agreement.

Commenting on the launch of the investigation, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition remarked as follows:

A free and democratic society depends on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape. These values are central to who we are as Europeans. AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies. This is why we are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage, in breach of EU competition rules.
Status milestone for Kernewek, plus Scots and Gaelic

01/12/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Politics

The last week has been a good one for specific regional languages in the Untied* Kingdom, namely Kernewek (Cornish), Scots and Gàidhlig (Scots Gaelic).

Firstly, Kernewek.

Cornwall County Council has announced that Kernewek will be recognised alongside Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic after the government recommended it for Part III status – the highest level of protection under European treaty.

This outcome is the result of years of hard work by Cornwall Council, community groups and cultural organisations dedicated to protecting Kernewek. It officially recognises the importance of Cornish as a living language and a core part of the county’s cultural identity.

Since 2002, there has been a Kernewek revival across the county.

In 2024-2025, over a million searches were made using the online Cornish dictionary and Cornwall Council’s Cornish Language Team received more than 650 requests, translating more than 32,000 words into Kernewek – up 22% from the previous year.

In addition, more than 200 people sign up for Kernewek classes each year and almost 6,000 schoolchildren are having fun with the Cornish language through the Go Cornish for Primary Schools programme, commissioned by Cornwall Council.

“This is brilliant news for Cornwall. Achieving Part III status reflects years of hard work by Cornwall Council, our partners and the many community groups who have fought to keep the Cornish language alive. To see Cornish recognised alongside Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic is something we can all be extremely proud of,” remarked council leader Leigh Frost.

Meanwhile in Scotland the Gaelic and Scots languages have gained official status in an “historic milestone”. Nation.Cymru reports that this one of a range of measures which come into force on November 30 (which also happens to be St Andrew’s Day. Ed.) through the Scottish Languages Act.

“St Andrew’s Day is a fitting time to celebrate Scotland’s identity by recognising Gaelic and Scots as official languages,” said Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

Ms Forbes also stated: “To support the continued growth of both languages the Scottish Government has already allocated £35.7 million for Gaelic and Scots initiatives this year, ensuring that this milestone translates into meaningful change for communities across the country.”

Other measures in the Act include supporting the creation of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities so that ministers can better target policies to support the language.

Latest census statistics show that 130,161 people in Scotland had some Gaelic skills in 2022, an increase of 43,105 from 2011, whilst the same source also reveals that 2,444,659 people in Scotland had some Scots skills in 2022, an increase of 515,215 from 2011.

* = Not a typographical error.
Commission eyes up Microsoft and Amazon – again

27/11/2025 Steve WoodsPolitics, Tech

Last week the EU Commission announced it had opened three market investigations into cloud computing services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Two of these investigations will assess whether Amazon and Microsoft should be designated as gatekeepers for their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure under the DMA, i.e. whether they act as important gateways between businesses and consumers, despite not meeting the DMA gatekeeper thresholds for size, user number and market position. The third market investigation will assess if the DMA can effectively tackle practices that may limit competitiveness and fairness in the cloud computing sector in the EU.

Market investigations into Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure

Recent analyses of cloud markets seem to indicate that tMicrosoft Azure and Amazon Web Services occupy very strong positions in relation to businesses and consumers. The Commission will also assess if certain features of the cloud sector may further reinforce the position of Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.

If the Commission finds that Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services qualify as important gateways under the DMA, these would be added to the list of core platform services for which Amazon and Microsoft have already been designated as gatekeepers.

Market investigation on the DMA’s application to cloud markets

Furthermore, the Commission is also gathering information from relevant market players to assess whether the current obligations under the DMA are effective in addressing practices that limit competitiveness or are unfair in the cloud sector. Amongst other things, the investigation will cover obstacles to interoperability between cloud computing services, limited or conditioned access for business users to data, tying and bundling services and potentially unfair contractual terms.

Next Steps

Should the Commission conclude Microsoft and Amazon meet the criteria to be designated as gatekeepers for their cloud computing services under the DMA, Amazon and Microsoft would have six months to ensure full compliance of their designated cloud computing services with the DMA obligations.
The market investigation on the DMA’s application to cloud markets will result in a final report to be published within 18 months, which may propose the update of DMA obligations in respect to cloud by way of a delegated act pursuant to Article 12 and 49 DMA.
Advice to an elderly aunt in legal difficulties

11/11/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Media, Politics

Panorama is a current affairs documentary news programme broadcast by the BBC. First aired in 1953, it is the world’s longest-running television news magazine programme.

However, Panorama’s longevity has not shielded it from controversy, especially when it has committed a foolish act, as has come to light in the past few days.

A Panorama programme broadcast in Novermber 2024 about one of the runners’ suitability as a candidate for the presidency of the United States touched on the storming of the US Capitol on 6th January 2021 following an inciteful speech given to rioters by the disgraced former 45th president and current disgraceful 47th president of the United States of America, insurrectionist, convicted felon, adjudicated sexual predator, business fraudster, congenital liar and golf cheat commonly known as Donald John Trump, who is on a personal mission to Make America Grate Again (or something similar. Ed.).

Panorama’s great sin was to edit Trump’s speech (a necessity for the sake of coherence in most instances whenever President Felon opens his north and south for more than 10 seconds. Ed.) so it appeared even more inciteful than it already was, even though the hardcore MAGA louts had no intention of peacefully protesting. The editing was criticised in an internal BBC report, which somehow found its way into the hands of the Telegraph. Often regarded as the in-house journal of the Conservative Party, the Telegraph is no great fan of Auntie.

Once the leaked memo’s contents became known the media, media spokespeople and politicians all reacted. In particular, Karoline Leavitt (President Rapist’s Mouth of Sauron. Ed.) characterised the BBC as “100% fake news”.

Heads rolled as a consequence of the subsequent furore, namely those of the Director General Tim Davie and the broadcaster’s head of news, Deborah Turness.

However, that was not the end of the fallout. tRump, a man with a very thin skin and a vindictive lust for vengeance against every perceived slight, has threatened the BBC with a lawsuit for $1 bn. if there is no retraction of the “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading, and inflammatory statements” allegedly made by Panorama.

The letter from President Golf Cheat’s lawyers state that the demand is being made under Florida Statute § 770.011, which as far as your ‘umble scribe’s limited legal knowledge stretches, is not applicable under the law of England and Wales. If defamation litigation is planned in Florida, it would not stand a chance if the Panorama programme in question – Trump: A Second Chance? – has not been broadcast in Florida itself.

Furthermore, if the case were held in England and Wales under the applicable law, there’s a further snag: a term limiting litigation for libel cases. The Independent notes that when interviewed by the BBC, British media lawyer Mark Stephens explained as follows:

The UK defamation claim is now out of time. He had one year from Monday October 28, 2024, when Panorama aired so he is 14 days out of time or so in the UK.

President Business Fraud’s lawyers’ letter to the BBC merits a reply, of course. Your correspondent’s opinion is that Auntie’s legal advisers should reply along the lines of the 1971 Arkell vs. Pressdram case. Pressdram is the proprietor of the satirical magazine Private Eye and its reply in this matter was as follows.

We acknowledge your letter of 29th April referring to Mr J. Arkell. We note that Mr Arkell’s attitude to damages will be governed by the nature of our reply and would therefore be grateful if you would inform us what his attitude to damages would be, were he to learn that the nature of our reply is as follows: fuck off.

The case was subsequently dropped.
ICC to ditch Microsoft

30/10/2025 Steve WoodsOpen Source, Politics, Tech

The International Criminal Court (ICC/CPI) in The Hague wants to become independent of US technology out of fear of reprisals from Donald Trump, the vindictive and bullying forty-seventh president of the United States (who is on a mission to Make America Grate Again, or something similar. Ed.), German news site heise reports.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The institution plans to replace the Microsoft software currently used in its workplaces with OpenDesk, an open source software suite currently being developed by Zendis, a company owned by the German Federal government.

The decision was taken due to the sanctions imposed by the current US Trump regime against court employees such as Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, under which Microsoft simply blocked Mr Khan’s access to email account. He was therefore forced to switch to the Swiss email service Proton. Back in May the ICC/CPI stated its work had virtually been paralysed due to its heavy reliance on service providers like Microsoft.

Furthermore, it is believed the US government in Washington is considering further measures against the International Criminal Court, which could also severely restrict its ability to function.

Achieving Digital Sovereignty

While the International Criminal Court only has 1,800 employees that need to be freed from dependency on US software, this can be regarded as a sign that geopolitics is increasingly concerned with technology. Business and politics recognise the dependence on US tech companies is a problem, particularly because the current US regime is using technology as a bargaining chip.

The ICC/CPI is not alone in moving away from the Beast of Redmond: for example, the German Army has also concluded a framework agreement with Zendis for “sovereign communication and collaboration solutions” such as OpenDesk.
High gains grifter

29/10/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Media, Politics, Social Media

In the May 2024 general election, the constituency of Clacton returned a member of parliament to the House of Commons, not just an ordinary MP, but a party leader, in this instance one Nigel Paul Farage, head honcho of Reform UK, the latest incarnation of the Farage Fascist Fan Club (see also UKIP and the Brexit Party. Ed.).

During his days as a member of the European Parliament, Farage was not the most regular attendee in the debating chamber, although he was more than prepared to take the parliament’s generous salary and allowances, even misusing the latter for his own ends rather than those for which they were intended.

Anyway, enough of past history, let’s come up to the present. Since being elected to the green leather benches, Farage has had difficulty finding the Palace of Westminster to do the job he’s supposed to do for the good burghers of Clacton. Furthermore, he’s also had problems finding Clacton, although his partner has bought a house in the constituency, although the source of the funds for the deal is unsure.

However, just because he’s happy to take his MP’s salary of nearly £94,000 per year for the work he is expected to do for his electorate and mostly manages to avoid, this does not mean Farage is workshy. Indeed, one glance at his Register of Financial Interests (which runs to two pages. Ed.) reveals the Reform leader is earning over £1m from sources other than the largesse he receives courtesy of the taxpayer.

This has prompted the Led By Donkeys collective (posts passim) to film a video of his extra-parliamentary earnings and trundle it around the streets of Clacton, as well as its being circulated on social media.

This latest activity has not escaped the attention of the local media, including the Clacton Gazette, which prefers to refer to Farage’s income declared in the parliamentary register as a claim from Led By Donkeys. This places the Clacton Gazette in clear breach of article 1 – accuracy – of the IPSO guidelines. The Gazette claims (their word. Ed.) to be regulated by IPSO, another of the UK’s regulators, all of whom seem to come with rubber teeth as standard equipment.

Furthermore, in the comments below the piece most of the constituents of Nigle, as some call their dishonourable member, seem to believe he can do no wrong.
News of Irish independence bypasses Shropshire

28/10/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Media, Politics

In December 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty established the Irish Free State as a largely self governing and autonomous dominion within the British Empire. It came into existence one year later on 6th December 1922. This marked the first step towards Irish independence and the beginning of the end of English meddling on the island of Ireland which had started with the Anglo-Norman invasion back in the 12th century, i.e. some eight centuries.

As a political entity, the Irish Free State endured until the end of December 1937 when a new Irish constitution was adopted and the state became a de facto republic.

However, news of these events between eighty and one hundred years ago still seem not to have reached some remote areas of Englandshire, like the county of Shropshire and its main local newspaper, the Shropshire Star, which today published this story under the UK News category (screenshot below).

It’s clearly going to take centuries for the British/English to lose their tendency to regard large swathes of the world and other peoples’ countries as belonging to the British/English state.
For British read English?

14/10/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Media, Oddities, Politics

Yesterday’s Guardian carried a piece entitled Most of Great Britain’s major rail operators are back in public hands – is it working?.

At this point it would be easy – and flippant – to refer to Betteridge’s Law of Headlines, but your ‘umble scribe wishes to delve further into the substance of the article without invoking said law and saying no.

Given that the map handily provided to illustrate the article manages to miss the line to Oban, one might question the accuracy and utility of the entire piece.

Rail privatisation was a project undertaken with subsequent disastrous results by the Conservative government of John Major. It separated management of the track from the running of rail services of said track. It has resulted in services that no longer serve the travelling public (e.g. no holding a local service if the train from London is running late, especially if they services involved are provided by different operating companies. Ed.).

Ever since the end of the Covid pandemic some renationalisation has been undertaken. As train operating company franchises have expired, the services themselves have been taken back into public ownership, mainly due to concerns over financial woes and poor performance. This process started under the last Conservative government. In Cymru and Scotland, where transport is a devolved matter, Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport for Wales and ScotRail were both nationalised by the Welsh and Scottish devolved governments in 2021 and 2022 respectively, since when the latter abolished peak fares on its services in September 2025.

Withing England the pace of renationalisation has accelerated under the present Labour government, with three operators appearing in the public books since May: South Western Railway, C2C and Greater Anglia.

The next stage, according to the Guardian article, is the establishment of a new state-controlled company called Great British Railways, expected next year, which will manage rail infrastructure and services.

The logo for Great British Railways is a real dog’s dinner, consisting principally of the old British Railawy InterCity logo from 1966, combined with that Bloody Butcher’s Apron that some call the Union Jack.

Given that services are already nationalised in Cymru and Scotland, your ‘umble scribe wonders if what is being proposed is actually applicable to those devolved administrations. Although the information the government has released to date states it is applicable to England, Cymru and Scotland, all the announcements made to date all relate to train services provided solely in England.

Your correspondent believes this indicative of the centuries-old English colonial attitude to the island of Great Britain and perhaps a more apposite name for the government’s intentions would be English Railways minus the Great (which frequently happens to be grate. Ed.) with the corresponding logo in the colours of the flag of St George.

If any passing readers can supply more details about the ownership of infrastructure and provision of services in either Scotland or Cymru or how Great British Railways is likely to develop, kindly comment below.
Rachel embraces her inner racist

29/09/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Media, Politics

The Labour Party under ‘Sir’ Keir Starmer appears to be abandoning its egalitarian attitudes in an effort to out-Reform the racists, xenophobes and bigots of Reform UK, the latest incarnation of the Nigel Farage Fan Club.

This has been very clear in recent days.

Last week Farage announced a Reform government (God forbid! Ed. would abolish indefinite leave to remain for foreigners in Britain, including those who already benefit from it.

This policy announcement was condemned by Starmer who is reported to have described it as racist and immoral.

However racist and immoral the prime minister may consider Reform’s policy to be, this has not stopped his own Home Secretary from taking a leaf out of Reform’s playbook: yesterday Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain would be doubled from the present five to ten years.

Today saw yet another disappointing utterance from what passes for the government of the day. Kindly step forward with no shame at all the Chancellor of the Exchequer, one Rachel Jane Reeves.

Having allegedly studied Politics, Philosophy and Economic (also known as PPE. Ed.) at New College, Oxford, an alleged elite university, Rachel should really know better. Supporting racist policies makes one racist. To deny that simple fact is equivalent to someone saying ‘I’m not racist, but (insert_instance_of_racism_here).

Your ‘umble scribe has been on this earth for seven decades, but never can he remember a time when the calibre of both the world’s and the country’s politicians has been so abysmal.

Market investigations into Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure

Market investigation on the DMA’s application to cloud markets

Next Steps

Achieving Digital Sovereignty

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