SPEAKING OFFER: My periodic offer to do (online) sessions for schools, universities or any other interested group. Free. My main topics are around government and public admin; the evolution of cooperation; the cooperative movement. And lots more - so just ask. 😃 Engaged in politics since 1967!

SPEAKING OFFER: My periodic offer to do (online) sessions for schools, universities or any other interested group. Free. My main topics are around government and public admin; the evolution of cooperation; the cooperative movement. And lots more - so just ask. 😃 Engaged in politics since 1967!

Co-operative enterprises are a significant part of the global economy. Yet business schools, especially in the UK, largely ignore them. Why? (graphic from International Cooperative Alliance)

Just how co-operative do we want the economy, state and society to be? Colin Talbot turns to the work of John Restakis as he considers efforts to grow the co-op sector and rethink and revive struggling economies www.thenews.coop/just-how-co-...

This looks interesting. How care and solidarity can emerge amidst disaster….

Just how co-operative do we want the economy, state and society to be? Colin Talbot turns to the work of John Restakis as he considers efforts to grow the co-op sector and rethink and revive struggling economies www.thenews.coop/just-how-co-...

Reminded of this "Some party hack decreed that the people had lost the government's confidence and could only regain it with redoubled effort. If that is the case, would it not be simpler, If the government simply dissolved the people And elected another?"

This would be great, if only to watch Fox et al explain ever so seriously why it was fine for Trump to run again but not Obama.

What he said: 💯 🎯

Obama: As for the president, he has been focused on critical issues like paving over the rose garden so folks don't get mud on their shoes and gold plating the Oval Office and building a ballroom… If you can't visit a doctor, don't worry. He will save you a dance.

In mild defence of Rachel Reeves, I think if Southwark Council expects landlords to pay for a license, it ought to mention this prominently on its "guidance for landlords" web page: www.southwark.gov.uk/housing/priv...

Reform want to slash the civil service if they come to power.. Which being as their flagship Council KCC is the biggest sh*t show Kent ever saw shows how far out of their depth & unhinged they are❗️ What they haven’t publicly announced is their penchant for spending public £’s.. on themselves

And Nemo has returned from his walk and is also resting.

Rory has been playing with his ball. But is having a break.

Don’t share this image. Donald won’t like it.

Beth Rigby: "Keir Starmer has changed his top team more than I've had hot dinners." In two years before Starmer we had 3 PMs, 4 Chancellors, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 5 Home Secretaries, 5 Education Secretaries, 5 Cabinet Secretaries, etc. - total 221 ministerial departures. Maybe Beth is on a diet.

SUMO at the Royal Albert Hall. I was there in 1991 for the first ever SUMO tournament outside of Japan. It was awesome.

Personal news: I’m now Chair of Luton & Beds branch of the Co-operative Party. Given how invisible the Party, and Co-ops in general, are, it’s going to be interesting to see if we can generate more engagement? Our Beds PCC, John Tizard, is a member. But not our 5 Beds Labour MPs.

I don't think anyone is proposing larger charges for the majority of people. Both from an economic (inflationary) and popularity point of view that wouldn't work. Surely the purpose is to make someone with a £10m house pay more than £1m house ? Would have the same right of appeal as anyone else 🤔

You've just spurred me on to join, Colin. It's something I've toyed with in the past during my 35+ year on & off membership of the Labour Party. I was going to do it back in May when I left the LP but never got round to it. Cheers.

Personal news: I’m now Chair of Luton & Beds branch of the Co-operative Party. Given how invisible the Party, and Co-ops in general, are, it’s going to be interesting to see if we can generate more engagement? Our Beds PCC, John Tizard, is a member. But not our 5 Beds Labour MPs.

Einstein: it’s all relative Freud: no, it’s all relatives

Einstein: it’s all relative Freud: no, it’s all relatives

New Yorker, naturally

The executive branch calling the enforcement of the law by judges "insurrection" is a five-alarm fire for democracy.

Nathan Gill is no fringe politician. He was the leader of the Reform Party and before that UKIP in Wales. A Brexit Party MEP. A friend and ally of Nigel Farage, who in 2016 called him: "terrific," and "as honest as the day is long." This is a MASSIVE story www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Kind of feels like a big deal that a Reform/Brexit Party former MEP has been convicted of taking bribes to promote Russian interests in Ukraine, and it feels like a bigger deal that this isn’t being treated as the major scandal that it clearly is.

Would be good if The Government set out what its policy-making process is, and then *publicised it* - and then referred back to it regularly when political correspondents try to get them to go against that process for that ‘exclusive’ eg for the TV show.

Comment: As Parliament reviews its Standing Orders, Jonathan Boston suggests potential reforms to protect democratic governance in NZ.

If it’s the episode I’m thinking of, seems weird they’d label one town with another’s name, when they’re both mentioned in the filming locations on IMDb 🫣 (& I think the only two locations in the entire episode?) Shoddy 🎬

A comment from @colintalbot.bsky.social on a post I wrote 14 years ago. The image of the 'giant sheet anchor' is a powerful one.

They also used Finsbury Circus and Leadenhall Market as Paris.

This sort of thing really annoys me. This is a still from an episode of the INVASION tv series. That is Dover Harbour. Not Folkestone, I was born and grew up in Dover. My Dad ran boats out of there, with me on them. And they don’t even have the excuse it’s a US production.

This sort of thing really annoys me. This is a still from an episode of the INVASION tv series. That is Dover Harbour. Not Folkestone, I was born and grew up in Dover. My Dad ran boats out of there, with me on them. And they don’t even have the excuse it’s a US production.

Name that movie?

“Experts say parents must lead the way in helping them (kids) understand the technology.” Surely they’ve got this the wrong way round?

Keeping Mandelson would mean Number 10 thinks not following a recommendation to take specialist tax advice is a resigning matter, but believing the world’s most notorious paedophile over his victims and lying about your post-conviction contact with him isn’t. That’s…not a sustainable position.

Advancing Co-op policies should not be dependent upon two Ministers or one political party. Let’s build upon what has been have achieved. Crucially focus attention on the role of UK Education Ministers driving active citizenship/coop education in the school curriculum /examining bodies!

One of the weaknesses of modern liberalism is not realising this and so not using state power in a responsible way to regulate companies.

Excellent piece by Ezra Klein: if Dems really believe that Trump is creating an authoritarian government they should not continue to fund it. The shutdown is their only leverage right now to draw attention to what is happening and maybe force change. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...

I am wondering if it might be more about inertia than a conscious decision. Tbh, I don't know anything about the Cooperative Party, except that it is tied to Labour, which is not currently in great shape.

Honestly, I don’t believe they ever have been. As someone with a background in worker co-ops and a general preference for mutual (rather that state) solutions, I’ve never had any sense that the Co-Op Party is anything other than a vehicle for wannabe Labour MPs. And I’m a member!

Actually I’m a member of both

I joined the @coopparty.party.coop as a (probably misguided) moderate escape route when Corbyn took over Labour. Now it seems to be overtaken from the right.

Strangely mirrored my own thinking, the Mancunian exodus from Ministerial positions was a bit obvious...

The co-op MP’s need to start acting like they are in a party. as well as being in Labour.

It definitely shows a lack of commitment. As it takes weeks if not months to understand the brief and the civil servants it will push the agenda way down. Then they have to get it past the focus groups…

Co-op policy advance? Lab/Co-op MP Steve Reed becomes MHCLG Secretary of State - keen on community right to buy (he talked about it in election campaign even though not in his policy brief), authored report on community empowerment, background in local govt

My main thought is: what is the point of the Cooperative Party, if it is joined at the hip to Labour? I doubt how many voters even consider it to be a party. And I wonder...how would it do standing on its own two feet in election. It might do well against Labour. Currently 4th largest by MPs

CO-OP POLICY SET BACK? Two moves of Co-op MPs may signal setback for @CoopParty policies in Govt? (Hope not?) ▪️Jim McMahon MP sacked. He was steering community empowerment bill. ▪️Jonathan Reynolds moved from Biz Sec to Chief Whip. He was overseeing expansion of Co-op sector policy Thoughts?