I *really* enjoyed talking Project 2025, Trump, Reform and Farage with @alisonjourno.bsky.social and @jonnelledge.bsky.social Listen in link below!

First they came for Jimmy Kimmel, because I wasn’t paying attention to any of the people they came for before that

There should be a high bar for politicians attacking the media, but maybe Ed Davey has half a point here? For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)

Something very Neil Postman in all this. Having amused themselves to death/Trump, turns out that TV personalities are about the only thing that might cause autocratic pauses

‘That Reform’s initial incarnation, the Brexit Party, topped the polls in the 2019 European elections – with the Conservatives winning less than a tenth of the vote – no longer looks like an aberration.’ @petergeoghegan.bsky.social at the Reform UK conference: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

The maddest part of this is that the political chatter in the UK about next general election has been off the hook since c. September 2024

I wrote my first investigative piece raising concerns about Covid contracts in *April 2020*. Great to see this finally on screen

If Labour and other parties can't find a way to scrutinise, criticise and condemn a policy like this, they give Reform a free ride and make the future less safe & certain for those who come here, work hard and contribute.

‘As an act of good faith, I will not be issuing legal proceedings’ 😬

‘An idealistic, handsome, and charismatic new comer runs for office’ For the weekend that’s in it, tonight’s viewing 😊

Awful news. Had so many amazing Optimo nights in Glasgow (and Edinburgh) mixmag.net/read/optimo-...

R.I.P. Conor Gearty (1957-2025). “A force of light, humour and insight has gone from our world, just when we need him most” — David Dyzenhaus

Populist movements across West are being driven by groups of people who don't all believe the same thing - but all share a huge distrust of institutions, fed by social media's algorithms Must watch with @eliothiggins.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-algori...

Listen to this and weep for who we have lost. Just before he died the great Conor Gearty spoke with learning & passion about what his friend K Starmer must do to defend democracy. Try from about 35’ in if you’re pressed for time - but the whole episode is worth it open.spotify.com/episode/27xX...

Conor Gearty obituary - The Guardian www.theguardian.com/law/2025/sep...

The main story on BBC 6 Music News this morning is that a ‘boat carrying migrants is on its way to France’ Delivered in the same upbeat tone as England winning the women’s Euros. The migration ‘debate’ in this country is unmoored from reality, and the media-political complex is feeding it

How are we to understand the Information Disordered Landscape created by #SocialMedia ? Is Western Democracy being degraded by #algorithms ? Excellent conversation hosted by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social in conversation with @eliothiggins.bsky.social #USPolitics substack.com/home/post/p-...

Superb and alarming here from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on Reform UK and his experiences at their conference: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

🔴 NEW: How disinformation spreads, why trust in institutions is collapsing, and how social media platforms fuel conspiracy movements and populist surges. Highly recommend this conversation with @eliothiggins.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-algori...

Call me a 'liberal', but I think I preferred the capitalism in which if a US corporation wanted to do some FDI, you didn't have to get the King involved

"An overarching Reform theory of government is emerging: Monday Club Toryism allied with the deracination of what Trumpists call ‘the administrative state’." My trip to the Reform conference in Birmingham, in the latest @lrb.co.uk www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

The British right has amused itself to death. Example number 13,285.

Beyond belief. Downing Street pandering to Trump by literally shutting down UK free speech. Shame on the government for its spinelessness. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/s...

On Spiked’s home page and can’t see anything about Jimmy Kimmel being cancelled. Funny that www.spiked-online.com

The police have arrested a man filmed calling for the assassination of Keir Starmer, citing malicious communications (which suggest the online dissemination of the call is the issue). But no news about the billionaire who called for violence from the main stage www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

‘Britain is on the cusp of race war, he told me. If that prospect saddened him, it didn’t show. “We are talking about inter-ethnic violence.” He compared the situation to the Troubles. “It’s already happening.”’ @petergeoghegan.bsky.social at the Reform UK conference: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

"Britain is on the cusp of race war, he told me. If that prospect saddened him, it didn’t show. ‘We are talking about inter-ethnic violence.’" I went to Reform UK's conference, for @lrb.co.uk www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Reupping this by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social in honour of Trump's visit www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/684...

🔴 More than 30 ex Tory defence ministers and senior civil servants have taken lucrative jobs in the booming defence industry in past year New @lucasamin.bsky.social investigation on Democracy for Sale raises serious questions about 'revolving door' democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantir-a...

Badenoch is a terrible, terrible politician.

Would recommend reading some of the beautiful tributes to Conor Gearty on Matrix chambers' website. Really capture what an incredible person he was. www.online-tribute.com/ProfessorCon...

I just think there are specific reasons why, however hard she tries, Kemi Badenoch is never going to get the votes of racists.

👇 Great piece by @lucasamin.bsky.social highlighting the 'revolving door' between the 🪖 Ministry of Defence and the 💥 arms companies that compete for its business. Here's our executive director @suehawley.bsky.social's quote:

🔴 More than 30 ex Tory defence ministers and senior civil servants have taken lucrative jobs in the booming defence industry in past year New @lucasamin.bsky.social investigation on Democracy for Sale raises serious questions about 'revolving door' democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantir-a...

Not that anyone in politics listens to research, but there is a bucket of research (including some excellent recent studies) which show exactly this. Voters listen to leaders and respond to what they say.

Can almost smell the Reichstag fire from thousands of miles away www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

Big money is warping our democracy. As Peter Geoghegan from Democracy for Sale explains, donations that were once £50k are now millions - buying access, influence, and even government contracts. The government must cap political donations so our politics can’t be bought by the super-rich.

*PSA PUBLICATIONS* NEW issue of #Political Insight is out now! PSA members can access ALL articles online, and a few are #OpenAccess including #The Authoritarian Age' by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social ➡️ Read article

The Central Line’s evidently won’t be tuning into the Spectator’s new podcast

The cognitive dissonance (which is perhaps generous) from the government on the state of free speech comparing its response to the far-right against those protesting the proscription of Palestine Action is increasingly hard to comprehend, as govt belief moves into govt (in)action.

‘Business secretary Peter Kyle was asked by Sky News’ Trevor Phillips this morning if the demonstration – organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson – “disturbed” him. Kyle said the number of people who turned out for the protest shows free speech is “alive and well” in the UK.’ For shame

The view this morning. Hate can be defeated, by ordinary, decent people. But it also needs political leadership standing up to it. Which Britain doesn’t seem to have right now

If you can’t comment on a foreign billionaire calling for your government to be brought down, what is the point of you?

Shot, chaser Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men

Today people went around my neighborhood in north east London spray painting St George’s crosses onto people’s homes. Many of these houses have non British people living in them. This is getting very dark, very quick.

*More* questions about Peter Mandelson Really important story about Mandelson and lobbying from @catneilan.bsky.social in the Observer observer.co.uk/news/politic...

‘Inspirational’ human rights lawyer Conor Gearty dies aged 67. President Michael D Higgins leads tributes for Longford-born law professor and author www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Wonderful tributes from colleagues at Matrix chambers for Professor Conor Gearty.

This was Conor Gearty only a week or so ago at @prospectmagazine.co.uk on ECHR withdrawal and the Palestine Action ban.

Awful news about the death of the great Conor Gearty. Perhaps the kindest and most encouraging law professor imaginable. A dreadful loss to the study of civil liberties and constitutional law.