George Potter 🔶

@georgepotter

Liberal Democrat politician. Local councillor in Guildford. Working in software engineering. My views are my own and aren't on behalf on anyone else. Pronouns: he/him

306 Following776 Followers2,468 Posts

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George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· 23d

This entire discussion started with a baseless accusation against me, that you are purporting to have evidence of which is literally just repeating the baseless accusation. I'm not even actually making a baseless accusation against you, yet you still think it's unfair. Uncropped screenshot:

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· 25d

This graph shows the maternal mortality rate (deaths in childbirth) per 1,000 births from 1850 to 1970 in Britain. 55 women in every thousand pregnancies died. Even dated 1970s medicine reduced it to just 1.

Chart showing maternal mortality per thousand births every decade from 1850 to 1979. Starting at 55 deaths per 1,000 in 1850, dropping to 45 by 1940, and then dropping to 1 by 1970.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· 26d

Sigh. This is an utter lie by Erin Biba. Don't take my word for it, ask for receipts, because this wasn't what happened. It wasn't hours, it wasn't harassing, it wasn't misogyny, it wasn't being vile, it wasn't obsessive, and it wasn't violating boundaries.

Screenshot of post by Erin Biba saying:

I truly, deeply concerned about a person who would go to bat for a man, George potter, that has spent literally HOURS in my mentions harassing me, violating my boundaries with misogyny, screaming at my followers, and being truly vile and frankly scarily obsessive about me.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jun 30

Yet another example of BBC political journalists pickling their brains in right-wing memes on X. Political editor Chris Mason talking in passing about a "spiralling benefits bill" even though in reality welfare is steady as a share of GDP. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...

And — as he has regularly reflected — the brutal trade offs that confront any prime minister — and particularly so in an era of low economic growth, a high average tax burden, spiralling benefits bill and demands for vastly more for defence.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Apr 22

There's not been much coverage, anywhere, of the insane debt crisis facing the new West Surrey Council, apart from my facebook post. So, to reiterate, this new council will start out in its first year spending *40%* of its budget simply on servicing debt. www.facebook.com/georgepotter...

Table showing the gross debt financing costs for the existing councils due to make up the future West Surrey and East Surrey councils. The table shows that West Surrey will be spending £320 million, or 39.9%, of its 2026/27 net revenue budget, on debt financing costs.

East Surrey will be spending £52 million, or 7.6%, on debt financing costs.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Apr 3

This meme is itself now 14 years old. It has itself become an older meme that checks out. What the fuck happened to my youth.

Star Wars meme where an Imperial officer says "It's an older meme, sir, but it checks out"

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Dec 8

Brilliant to see the BBC actively misrepresenting what the Peggie v Fife ruling means in a way which will doubtless encourage and create more illegal discrimination against trans people. Again, what this journalist is saying is *not at all what the ruling says or means*!

Screenshot of an 'Analysis' section on the BBC website by journalist David Henderson, the BBC Scotland correspondent.

He writes:

This ruling suggests employers will have to be even-handed in the way they deal with cases like this in future.

We now know that Sandie Peggie was entitled to complain in a reasonable way, when she found herself sharing a changing room with a transgender colleague.

It wasn't necessarily instantly bigoted, or illegal, or a sacking offence to speak out, as some senior colleagues at NHS Fife seemed to think.

Instead, she was entitled to complain to her manager - and at that point action should have been taken to reflect her concerns.

According to the tribunal, the law says that it is neither legal OR illegal for a transgender woman to use female changing rooms.

It only becomes an issue - as in this case - when a complaint is made.

The ruling also makes clear that what followed Sandie Peggie's suspension was unfair and unjust.

She was harassed by NHS Fife health board.

Bosses across the UK will take heed of today's ruling.

They know they can't immediately take sides - even if they want to.

Instead, they will have to strike a balance to ensure everyone's rights are respected.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Oct 30

In case one wondered how right-wing journalists are reacting to the Lib Dems voting down Farage's opposition day motion to leave the ECHR: Apparently this is all a conspiracy "funded by open-border-loving Quakers"???

Screenshot of tweet by Charlotte Gill (@CharlotteCGill) quote-tweeting Ed Davey to say:

"Lib Dems are majorly funded by open-border-loving Quakers

They want you to think they’re a middle class centrist party for dads who like gardening but they are as radical as the Greens"

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Oct 23

I was pleased with the response this evening when asking the Lib Dem leader of Guildford Borough Council questions about how the council was responding to the recent transphobic guidance by the EHRC. Not as strident as I would ideally like, but clearly standing with the trans community.

(1) “Guildford Borough Council has not adopted and will not adopt the withdrawn interim guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) earlier this year.

We are aware that a new Code of Practice has been submitted to the Government by the EHRC but is has not yet been laid before Parliament. Following ministerial approval, the government must lay the updated code of practice before Parliament for 40 days before it can become statutory guidance. The updated Code of Practice will provide clear guidance on how services and public functions should comply with the Equality Act, superseding all previous guidance from the EHRC.

(2) As part of our Corporate Strategy, Guildford Borough Council remains firmly committed to upholding the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion for all members of our community and workforce, including our LGBTQ+ community, and our trans and non-binary people. Guildford Borough Council will continue to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, human rights law, and our own values of fairness and inclusion. We will always assure ourselves of our legal responsibilities and will seek independent legal advice where necessary. We are developing an Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Delivery Plan, and this is currently out for consultation with our networks and Improvement Champions. We welcome and will continue ongoing dialogue with staff, residents and advocacy groups to ensure our policies remain inclusive, lawful, and compassionate.

(3) We will continue to ensure that everybody’s rights are protected in line with the law, so that no one experiences discrimination or harassment as a result of their protected characteristic when using our buildings facilities. We are committed to developing guidance that provides clarity in collaboration with our legal colleagues following any government approval in the foreseeable future.”

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Oct 3

With alt text. Happy Mean Girls Day!

Two stills from the Mean Girls movie. Cady is sitting behind Aaron in class. The dialogue from the scene is shown as subtitles:

Narration (by Cady): On October 3rd he asked me what day it was.
Cady: It's October 3rd.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Sep 24

Interesting to see this from Reform in a local council by-election (but sent as a national campaign item to bypass expenses limits). Very much supports the Local Government Theory of Everything (h/t @duncanrobinson.bsky.social & @oldtrotter.bsky.social): The message is bin collections and potholes.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Sep 21

Okay, so this is a great birthday celebration day. Just popped into Guildford's first independent bookshop in 20 years (Paper Moon) and right in their window was a copy of @tkingfisher.com's Hemlock & Silver which I've been meaning to get for weeks!

Photograph of a book, Hemlock & Silver, being held in a hand in front of a shop's chalkboard which says "Welcome to Paper Moon bookshop" with "Paper Moon" written in pink next to a blue crescent moon.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Sep 18

So what you're actually referring to here is a fringe event organised by the Lib Dem Friends of Israel group (the counterpart to the Friends of Palestine group), about the upcoming Israeli election. By definition, the Lib Dem party therefore did not invite We Believe In Israel to conference.

Screenshot reading:
Fringe Sunday lunchtime 13.00–14.00 cont.
Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
The forthcoming Israeli General Election: why it matters and what will
happen.
Join us for an exclusive event discussing and analysing the crucial
upcoming Israeli General Election. We will be joined by Shelly Bar
Merron MK (Member of the Knesset/Parliament) from our Israeli sister
party, Yesh Atid. Chair, Gavin Stollar OBE.
Highcliff Marriott, Sandbanks Room

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jul 29

I pointed that out to this person in the replies and they blocked me. Interesting...

Screenshot of a reply to a post which shows as 'Post Blocked'. The reply says:

I mean it's not recorded on twitch though. Valens only recorded her part of the dialogue, not what the employee said to her. And that was done as a demo of how to make a call to the payment processors.

Maybe get your facts straight?

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jun 21

Nothing fancy, just a cool snail I saw this morning in Wales

Photo of a garden snail sat in the middle of a plant with dark green leaves with raindrops in them. The snail has a dark grey body and a spiral shell with a tortoiseshell-cat colour pattern.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jun 18

What I appreciate most about travelling to Wales is that they don't insist on giving you a limp, stale salad with a meal like this.

Photo of a ham and cheese toastie on a plate with accompanying crisps, there is also a can of Oasis behind the plate and a glass full with a purple liquid.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jun 6

In case anyone's wondered how the Conservatives are doing, one of their councillors has just written an article in the fake working class voice of an imaginary East End greasy spoon café: conservativehome.com/2025/06/06/e...

Screenshot of a section of the article reading as follows:

I’ve been ‘ere since the 1950s — tucked down a side street in the East End, next to the dry cleaners and opposite the corner shop. I’ve seen this little patch of London shift and shuffle over the years. New faces come, old ones drift back like clockwork. But me? I’ve always been here — fry-ups on the griddle, tea in the pot, door open early. I’m your local caff — no frills, no fuss, just builders’ breakfasts, mugs o’ tea and the same black-and-white photo of our late Queen that’s hung on the back wall since 1953. What sets us apart is our value — proper meals that fill you up, served with a smile and a bit of chat. That’s our way.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Apr 22

Trans rights are human rights. It's vital that cis allies speak up now before it's too late. And as the councillor responsible for public toilets in Guildford borough I will be doing all I can to make sure our public toilets remain trans inclusive regardless of what this bigoted government says.

Screenshot of a statement which says:

It feels like we live in an age of terrifying backsliding. Whether it's climate change, fascism or equal rights, especially trans rights, battles which were half-won in my twenties are now in danger of being lost for good, to the detriment of us all.

Today's news has made it clear that the official position of both the UK's government and courts is that trans people should not be allowed to exist in public and that thirty years of acceptance and progress is being thrown in the bin in favour of listening to the bigotry of a tiny minority who have wildly disproportionate influence amongst the political and media elite. Trans rights are human rights and an attack on the human rights of anyone is an attack on the human rights of everyone - as shown by the fact that so called 'gender critical' campaigners have already moved on to targeting racial equality as their next claimed 'threat to women'.

In this dangerous time I think it's more important than ever that we all show courage however we can and stand up to fight against forces of hate, conformity and authoritarianism in whatever way we can, because courage calls to courage everywhere.

And personally, since I'm portfolio holder for environmental services at Guildford Borough Council, which includes responsibility for public toilets, part of how I will be standing up and doing what I can is by not wavering from my belief that men (cis and trans alike) belong in men's toilets and that women (cis and trans alike) belong in women's toilets. And I will be doing everything I can to try to get GBC to take the same position; because it's the right thing to do, because it's what we've been doing for the past thirty years, and because it's the least we can do to ensure that fascists and bigots don't succeed in their goal of making it impossible for trans people to exist safely in public spaces.

Screenshot of a trans flag with writing that says 'TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS'

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Apr 18

This is the easiest one to find a receipt for. The others are nigh impossible to provide context for given her penchant for quote posting and then blocking so that it's no longer possible to see what specifically she was responding to, and without context it doesn't work as a receipt.

Screenshot of Tressie quote posting someone asking "Have you ever had a curry?" and saying "You mean like the Indian people who make it? Yes, I have." Replies to the post are disabled.

George Potter 🔶@georgepotter· Jan 21

Reposted with alt text: