Westminster Voting Intention: RFM: 33% (-1) LAB: 17% (+1) LDM: 16% (+3) CON: 14% (-2) GRN: 12% (=) Via @findoutnow.bsky.social, 24 Sep. Changes w/ 17 Sep.

Pope Leo is said to have accepted Cardinal Dolan's resignation and to have picked his successor as New York archbishop. Will Dolan serve in retirement as spiritual advisor to Turning Point USA? In any event, his adherence to the GOP is far stronger than his adherence to the Catholic Church.

my shame is endless (Catholic) my shame is endless + what the fuck are we doing dude (American)

How’s the Rapture going everyone ?

Being holy isn’t about being hard on people. It’s about love. That’s it.

I generally rate Chris Mason but it would make things easier for all if Robbie Gibb - Brexiter & Theresa May’s director of comms at Number 10 - were not still a non-executive director of the BBC. Everything he touches turns to shit. Including, at the moment, a lot of the Beeb’s political journalism.

"I have spent the last few weeks addressing and preparing for a military invasion by the President of the United States. No, I’m not a soldier or a foreign adversary. I’m the Governor of Illinois"

It’s worth asking the question why British politics is trying so hard to copy American politics when the same policies aren’t even popular there, let alone here.

Nick Robinson to Ed Davey - why can’t you be more like Farage as we like him #bbcr4today …

Sarah Smith’s report on the Kirk memorial for #r4today was so laughably one sided and selective it’s as if she’s auditioning for Fox News. This sort of Trump sycophancy might work in the US but has no justification in the UK where Kirk is unknown beyond the right wing fringe…

This morning, courtesy of Coretta Phillips, I’m being introduced to the Portuguese flautist, Rao Kyao, and his 1976 album, Malpertuis. Wonderful thus far. Accompanied by strong, fresh coffee. Banging

The media - no, we're not going to report on serious Lib Dem policies The media - yes, we will report on fun stunts The media, also - the Lib Dems need to show they've got serious policies

To hear a member of the Sacred College venerate a serial race-baiter is disheartening, to say the least. Showing respect for someone so tragically murdered does not require this.

"Yes, Shapiro did just suggest that he is to intellectual pursuits as LeBron James is to basketball, despite, as we have noted, showing clear evidence that he doesn’t read the books he writes about. "

In less jest - yes, it's good if universities can help students develop skills for the labour market. However, the pointless venom of the current government about one of the few world class sectors in the British economy is tiring, enervating and just plain sad. Get a grip lads.

That's a Labour government minister berating university students and staff by saying that 'too often people go to university to "explore research and knowledge"'. I'm very glad of our students who study history to explore research and knowledge.

Brilliant from @privateeyenews.bsky.social

my latest in Commonweal magazine: "Continent at a Crossroads? Europe & the rise of right-wing Catholicism" www.commonwealmagazine.org/massimo-euro...

Wonderful to see the right wing owners of three main UK papers taking the side of a foreign power over an elected UK PM. So much for the sovereignty and patriotism bollocks they have championed since Brexit. And UK news editorial taking its lead from these people.

Still not happy about BBCradio4 between 5 and 6 am but this morning there was a great @benansell.bsky.social programme on aircraft fuel taxes, this morning- maybe I will come around I am up…

David Letterman on his career mocking presidents: “Beating up on these people, rightly or wrongly, accurately or perhaps inaccurately, in the name of comedy—not once were we squeezed by anyone from any governmental agency, let alone the dreaded FCC.” Watch more: bit.ly/4n0Uv2p

This is the standard approach through history: The community of the free. We've always had people insist on liberty, but only for their group, typically white men with property. Progressive liberalism was about rolling out those rights for everyone, a process that is now being reversed.

Bit strange to hear the Today programme interviewing the CEO of Newsmax like he's a public intellectual, then interviewing a Labour minister like he's a war criminal

#r4Today - no one cares what Nick Clegg thinks or has to say…

A must read in a world of endless AI hype - it starts from the important question of what is AI and as you would expect it turns out to be a catch all term for very different things. Some of these are undoubtedly good others less so. A brilliant antidote to those who claim AI can make us healthy…

Ukraine: Hundreds of Russian troops are trapped in two pockets north of Pokrovsk. Command has refused their retreat requests, leaving them cut off. A mass surrender may follow in the coming days, as Ukraine’s counteroffensive threatens to encircle a larger 40 km² salient.

We're back sixty years to Macmillan's concept of the UK being Greece to America's Rome. Unfortunately this time round Rome is ruled by Caligula.

In fairness I bet no-one is using Party McPartyface…

Elon Musk’s dangerous rhetoric is an attack on our democracy. No one—no matter how wealthy or powerful—should get away with using their platform to incite violence or inflame division.

Trump is coming to the UK to AVOID the EPSTEIN story. Unfortunately the British public just crowdfunded the WORLD’S BIGGEST PHOTO of Donald with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. And here is right outside Windsor Castle, where Trump is staying with the King this week.

Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong on.ft.com/4pq97dk | opinion

Vancouver airport appears to be what happens when you build an airport in line with the revolutionary idea that it’s going to be used by humans

Well done to all who were involved in handing out the flags at Last night of the Proms yesterday, including our own Chair @suewilson91.bsky.social 🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺

horrified they weren’t quick enough to keep her from spreading this kind of vile hate speech on TV. for those who don’t know, “go birds” is a coded expression of support for the Philadelphia Eagles

A man in Washington, DC, plays the Imperial March from Star Wars while following patrolling soldiers. One of the soldiers threatens to call the police.

🤘Not today Satan🤘 Fr David Gierlach. I’m an Episcopal priest in the diocese of Hawai’i and part of the diocesan Social Justice Task Force

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.

Bluesky isn’t perfect but at least its owner isn’t demanding violent insurrection in the UK from thousands of miles away

I've written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, urging them to join me in condemning Elon Musk's dangerous remarks inciting violence yesterday. As leaders, we must stand together and make clear Musk will face serious consequences for these actions.

#APSA only the hardcore remaining as things come to an end. Next year Boston - how convenient…

See also the *massive* cocaine epidemic among 40- to 50-something men. The media keeps talking about young people and drugs but peak deaths are among 40-49 year olds now.

Today’s #APSA haul…

Given the context and the crowd, despite Musk’s weasel words, this was a call for violence against the British state, from a foreign national who controls a major propaganda engine, and has engineered it to monetise hate

Is Starmer auditioning for the role of the new Ramsay MacDonald - such a shame …

Looked at my data collections for state-backed activity. If the report were a picture:

A Prime Minister whose party wants him out, with opinion polls through the floor, and who cannot bring himself to denounce the dark ethnonationalist turn against non-white British citizens… how does he come back from this?

#APSA25 - classic gin martini and Cass Sunstein’s new book @lsegovernment.bsky.social - will be chairing his lecture at LSE later in October

Another free link to this, in case people have going to bed reading requirements on.ft.com/3K1ZFg3