The vibes of British politics & press today [Colourised].

Ohhh is this a potential record for someone winning a constituency election and speedrunning into No.10? 👀

Everyone in Britain right now: "I had plans this morning, I promise"

Did nobody told Al about the Rishi Sunak National Service memes during the 2024GE? Nobody?!

Keir Starmer keeps referring to the consultation as evidence for why the social media ban isn't a last gasp by-election gambit in his answers to the press. The consultation had 116,211 responses to 54 questions. The government has published a single percentage of answers to just two questions

I put some words on if the big phone OS providers can stop children from sharing explicit images in this article by @stokel.bsky.social. Also some excellent words by @bloggeronpole.bsky.social & Julian Hayes. Overall, great collection of words. Go read. www.newscientist.com/article/2529...

In this blog we argue that blanket social media bans (like in Australia) conflate restricted access with safer access, and frame young people as vulnerable objects for protecting - rather than as rights-bearing participants in digital society @uofgsocsci.bsky.social

With the UK's Government moving ever closer towards banning social media content for under 16s, @maia-aa.bsky.social & @ariadnevromen.bsky.social share their thoughts on "Why an under 16s social media ban won’t improve online safety" in the TIP Blog. 👇 technologypolicy.substack.com/p/why-an-und...

I'd like to say I've been a a productive researcher this week. Instead I've created MandelsonMail.com 👀 View 1,500+ pages of the Peter Mandelson files as his email box and WhatsApp chats. Today's @politico.eu London Playbook described it as "a lot of fun, so it should probably be avoided".

Every single time a @richersounds.com newsletter hits my email.

Women are beating men at the ballot box, but we’re far off gender equality in local government. I followed-up my last analysis back in April with the updated @democracyclub.org.uk 2026 Local Election results. 👇👇 leelum.com/politicsmedi...

The horse op-ed is an instant classic. I can't tell you how much joy this piece gives me. It should be taught in every introductory writing class in no small part because the horse arguments are so compelling. "I have noticed that human children get to eat cake. But I am bigger than the children."

Local Council website having a bit of a wobble with the election results.

So me and my partner have been going through the Fast & Furious films as an ironic watching. I'm still angry they did this to Whitehall in Fast 6.

So, I've been slowly prototyping a little screen which replicates the Houses of Parliament's Annunciator system and pulls live data to it. Through the process I've learned that they regularly post the current threat level. A regular, but scary, reminder for staff I suppose?

I took the full list of candidates in the Local Elections in May & undertook an approach to infer gender. The analysis suggests little movement in the % of women standing for each party, but recent polls suggest a decline in the total % of women in local government. leelum.com/politicsmedi...

2010: massive Orbán win 2014: massive Orban win 2018: massive Orban win 2022: massive Orban win 2024: Goodwin visits, starts promoting Orban regime 2026:

I've been saying for a long time that AI tools promote shortcuts and by doing so skip the learning experience which involves persistence (like the article linked here suggests), but also making mistakes and learning how to solve a problem in a way that makes sense to you -> arxiv.org/pdf/2604.04721

Coming up next: "Errr, Huston, it's asking for the authenticator code from the mobile app, and our phone does not have signal in space"

Important update from my mum's hedgehog cam 🦔. Now there's Owls.

This has to be the most unique academic panels I've ever seen. I wouldn't have even been mad. Quite impressed really.

This is *today*! There's still time to sign up ⏰ 🔗 www.tickettailor.com/events/techn...

So while my mother is away, I'm tasked with feeding her rescue hedgehogs. Worth it.

I'm no legal expert. But are calls for the former Prince Andrew's (alleged*) crimes of being a nonce to be sent to an American prison forgetting that under Section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, he could perfectly also be tried and sent to prison here?

Another fantastic coffee worthy newsletter by @sarahledoux.bsky.social It's too action packed to draw out all the amazing features this month in one post. So I'm just going to demand you read it!

The Nigel Farage's Cameo gaff probably shouldn't be the highlight here. The real interesting story, to me at least, is how much it's earning him - which is viable in the register of MPs interests. Since becoming an MP, he has declared earnings of £126,330.89 from the platform. 🧵

UK police have blamed Microsoft Copilot for an intelligence mistake. Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant made up a non-existent football match and British police included the mistake in an intelligence report. Yikes. Details on the Copilot mistake here👇 www.theverge.com/news/861668/...

My local DIY store might have needed to spend a few more seconds on these door signs...

The Out of Office is on!

Which of these robot dogs is your sprit animal today?

📣 Join us 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 📣 (2 Dec) to discuss "The Politics of Platform Regulation" 📖 with Robert Gorwa @gorwa.ca 3:00-4:15pm GMT! Looking forward to a thought-provoking discussion on how govs shape content moderation & strategies to combat harmful content Sign up 👉 www.tickettailor.com/events/techn...

ONLINE EVENT: Content Moderation Book, 2nd December 3:00-4:15pm GMT with @gorwa.ca www.tickettailor.com/events/techn... This is looking like an interesting one, so get signed up!

📬 Our Nov newsletter is out 📬 - Roundup on this month's tech & policy news - TIP top story on how to 'opt-out' from apps' training AI clauses in their T&Cs, and why it matters - Jobs & opportunities! Link: technologypolicy.substack.com/p/the-tip-ne...

Another newsletter dropped by @techpolicy.bsky.social 📰 👇 . Amongst all the normal amazing content, @sarahledoux.bsky.social goes into into ten platforms that are using your data to train their LLMs, and how to opt out! technologypolicy.substack.com/p/the-tip-ne...

Trying out Meta's new SAM model, which turns 2D Photos into 3D objects. 'Look how they massacred my boy'

It's our Open Day at Edge Hill, which is a great time to display all my historical political oddities!

💥Upcoming event! 💥"The Politics of Platform Regulation" 🕒 2 Dec @ 3-4:15pm GMT Join us in our discussion w Robert Gorwa @gorwa.ca to talk about his recent book on "how governments shape online content moderation" + strategies to combat harmful content Sign up 👉 www.tickettailor.com/events/techn...

In 2023, I figured out a repair workflow for DJI drone batteries, and wrote a small blog about it. In the last 12-months, it's gotten 11.6k views, and 78 confirmed battery repairs, probably many more. That's at least £6k out of DJI's pocket. That's a nice feeling. leelum.com/projects/rep...

Happy Halloween 👻🎃!

The @houseofcommons.parliament.uk Christmas jumper is my version of hearing Mariah Carey on the radio for the first time in the year. Christmas is returning.

Politico: "MPs should consider deleting X, according to a committee led by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle... "On social media, the report said MPs should feel “empowered to step away from platforms that pose more harm than benefit.” Absolutely. Please get on with it.

AI chatbots offer vote advice ahead of elections. Unreliable, non-transparent. And are these applications high risk AI? Dutch data protection authority warns voters not to rely on chatbots ahead of October 29 elections. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

MPs profiles now have a 'Committees / APPGs' section with more information about their current committees and APPG memberships.

It turns out Prince Andrew, the still Duke of York but has pinky promised not to use the title, is in fact, a gamer. Internet, you have two jobs: 1) Predict what games he is playing 2) Find his Steam profile 3) Get the 'deets on what mods he's using. www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...

Something something stones in glass houses, something something?

Babe, Handforth Parish Council 2 just dropped. Much like other sequels, same formula, missed some of the original’s magic, but still worth a watch.

Robert Jenrick sounds like he's planning a fun night in. Seriously tho' he's talking about Xbox's here and using a 30 year old N64 controller as a prop. Not quite sure what angle he's going for here.

Universities: please don't print in-class materials. Me: For one of my intro to politics classes, I've designed a game where students have to use these policy coins to understand the different concepts of the state. Hopefully it goes down well!

We love a good borrowed German word for very specific scenarios: Schadenfreude, wanderlust, Zeitgeist etc Internet, is there a German word which perfectly describes trying to use a handdryer which then spits out a weak breath of tepid air so you give up and wipe your hands on your trousers instead?

Feels weird going to work on a Sunday. But I've discovered an amazing walk that's part of the campus property and goes off into a quarry. Best of all, it's called RUFF WOODS. Damn right had to take the dogs.