Holy shit, these people have no idea: The people launching the pogroms against immigrants in Belfast are loyalists, i.e. loyal to the British crown. They hate the concept of being Irish.

This is very good, and what always strikes me as particularly extraordinary is that British Universities aren't even asking for extra support from Government, pretty much all that's needed to avert crisis is for them not to regulate as heavily.

Media: Stop calling the people setting fire to the homes of people of colour in Belfast “protesters”. This is a pogrom.

Very spikey reply …..

Very spikey reply …..

Farage’s dismal voting record set out on the theyworkforyou.com website. He gets an MP’s salary. He does no clinics. He barely ever votes. He does not work for you. He works for his crypto/fossil fuel owners. And they pay him to take the piss out of you. votes.theyworkforyou.com/person/26352...

big victory for the anti-bedtime left

"This Farage parody account on X is more factual and truthful than Farage himself, which is hilarious in itself." via Susan Kovbasyuk

🔴 Anger Over Oxford Union’s Tommy Robinson Invite Amid Suggestions of GB News Deal GB News— whose presenter Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg sits as a trustee of the Union’s governing charity — is set to film the far-right activist’s appearance, @bylinetimes.bsky.social is told bylinetimes.com/2026/05/29/a...

Good points from 2024. Another thing that I believe is worth mentioning is the human element of institutional collapse. You can run services with substandard infrastructure if the people are highly experienced, but only to a point. They become overworked, stressed and retire. You can't rebuild ->

Does the BBC still get its weather data from a cheap as chips American outfit, or is it back using the MetOffice?

The reactions to this are mainly focused on the move to the right, but what's really striking in reading Blair's essay in full, is how little Labour's most electorally successful politician understands the current electorate. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The BBC weather app says 0% chance of rain. IRL the heavens have opened and a river is falling from the sky. Accompanied by lots of thunder and lightning. 🌧️☔️⚡️

Deeply pathetic that BBC is reporting this as a Reform power struggle rather than explaining that Reform's policies would require deporting people -including pensioners - who have lived and worked here legally for decades. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Suzanne Vega releases “Luka” 39 years ago this weekend. She said she once received a fan letter about it: “Dear Suzanne, Luka is the most compelling piece of music I’ve heard in a long time. There are no words 2 tell U all the things I feel when I hear it. I thank God 4 U, Prince”

Sympathies. I was struck down on the Irish ferry on my way to a conference in Cork. Took six months to get to the top of the list for gall bladder removal but, after that, I felt almost entirely better in less time than you've spent in hospital.

Huge sympathies. Had biliary colic epidodes for 18 months, diagnosed after hospitalisation in November. Currently on waiting list for surgery. Despite nutrition qualifications I had no understanding about the pain and numerous associated difficulties either. Hope you get resolution soon.

Yikes! Huge sympathy. I had gall stones a few years ago and it was the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced. Having a kidney transplant was a cakewalk in comparison. I hope you're feeling fully recovered soon.

PERSONAL UPDATE: after my unexpected 3 days in hospital last week (gall stones) slowly getting back to what passes for normal. Had no idea these little blighters could cause so much pain and other trouble (infection)?

The Lad (24) has grown up a mad keen Arsenal fan, despite my best attempts and quite reasonably, since he's lived his whole life within earshot of the ground. So I did have some skin (and many £££ over the years) in the game.

PERSONAL UPDATE: after my unexpected 3 days in hospital last week (gall stones) slowly getting back to what passes for normal. Had no idea these little blighters could cause so much pain and other trouble (infection)?

A little thought experiment. What if ‘opinion’ is always substituted for knowledge? What, then, if, over time, opinion and knowledge become indistinguishable?

Yeah it borders on intellectual absurdism: the maladie anglaise — the confusion of opinion and intellectual rigour.

It was never really an issue here until we started having mayors etc with lots more power and profile. Makes more sense now. And we could allow them into the Lords briefly until they get a Commons seat.

Yeah, good point!

All of the faff around Burnham does make me think that the Canadian system — anyone can be party leader and PM but there an expectation that you find a seat ASAP — is a better approach.

Reminder - can the UK change Prime Ministers between elections? Yes: Blair > Brown 2007 Cameron > May 2016 May > Johnson 2019 Johnson > Truss 2022 Truss > Sunak 2022 The criteria for being PM is being able to command a majority in the HoC - not winning an election as leader.

Three PPSs have resigned - - Joe Morris in DHSC - Sally Jameson at Home Office - Tom Rutland at Defra

A lovely surprise from my PhD student Karry

One of the sillier memes atm: David Lammy warning "you don’t change the pilot during a flight” Actually, on long haul flights you do. Usually between two humans and an auto-pilot. (#1 stepson is an airline pilot)

"There is little to no statistical relationship between Reform performance and Labour performance, but a very strong (negative) relationship between Labour and Green performance." @patrick-pme.bsky.social

The evidence that changing prime minister can help win you a majority at the next general election is, shall we say, mixed. Yes: Eden to Macmillan, Thatcher to Major, May to Johnson. No: Macmillan to Home, Wilson to Callaghan, Blair to Brown, Cameron to May, Johnson to Truss, Truss to Sunak.

REBALANCING BRITAIN? The UK economy, society, constitution and politics are seriously unbalanced. And the old private vs public, market vs state contest no longer works. We need much more ‘pluralism’ (Mintzberg) and ‘association’ (Hirst) - in economics and politics.

I fear Labour people risk falling into an ecological fallacy visible from space when reacting to these results. Here is what is very clear in results so far: Labour are losing *seats* to Reform, but... Labour are losing *votes* to the Greens Greens split the vote, Ref comes thru middle

It must be to some degree because our not-for-profit CIC has to pay Corporation Tax on any surplus at the end of the year. Being taxed to volunteer is very demoralising!

We Also volunteer running a building preservation trust trying to save a local listed building all to it being owned by a farmer who thinks of nothing but money- unfortunately, wants it down so he can graze more cattle to sell to Tesco 😡

Just did an interview for @hitsradiouk.bsky.social on Englands local elections (with little Andy Burnham thrown in 😉) Broadcast tomorrow morning

We’ve itemised and mapped it all here 👇🏻👇🏻

Arsenal vs PSG for the Champions league final? So that’s No2 (London) vs No1 (Paris) grandsons No1 has even been a mascot at a PSG match.

My review of fascinating new book on worker cooperatives www.thenews.coop/heavyweight-...

I’m a Full Time carer for my husband who is wheelchair bound with advanced MS, I can’t claim anything as I’m retired, apparently we don’t count.

I'm a carer and volunteer! 😇

Yet we are called "unproductive members of society". 😤

“Government cannot do this by itself” Steve Reed talking about defeating antisemitism. He’s right. But it’s a pity Govt doesn’t apply that to all the other policy areas where they cannot do it by themselves. They have mostly fallen into the Whitehall trap of thinking they can.

“Government cannot do this by itself” Steve Reed talking about defeating antisemitism. He’s right. But it’s a pity Govt doesn’t apply that to all the other policy areas where they cannot do it by themselves. They have mostly fallen into the Whitehall trap of thinking they can.

Why is Jimmy Kimmel being held to a higher standard than Donald Trump? | Jesse Hassenger

ACOBA and out! @colintalbot.bsky.social reviews the legacy of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments in our latest blog post. Read it now at: https://consoc.org.uk/farewell-acoba/

So RIP then ACOBA. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments died peacefully last October. Aged 50. consoc.org.uk/blog/

So RIP then ACOBA. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments died peacefully last October. Aged 50. consoc.org.uk/blog/

🔍🔍🔍 There's just over a month left to apply for our summer research fellowship on protest and the constitution. Full details at: https://consoc.org.uk/protest-fellowship-2026/ Please share widely and consider applying! 🔍🔍🔍