Rule 1: You don't need to justify your decision to block someone. 20 top tips for staying sane on social media. www.edrith.co.uk/p/staying-sa...

Increasingly think abolishing real interest rates on Plan 2 Student Loans is the obvious 'olive branch' for Tories/Reform looking to outreach to the 25-35 crowd (and please their parents). It doesn't even require any extra borrowing over the next 5 years (though reduces govt income in 15-30 years).

Agree with most of these. My one addition would be: If you spot a follower re-posts or writes a lot nasty stuff or views you view as beyond the pale, block them. Even if they never post them in reply to you. Because they'll be pushing YOUR posts to other people with those views, who may reply.

12 and 20 are particularly relevant here. I hope one day 8 will be superseded. And even without the algorithmic feed, social media has inherent positive feedback loops

Number 9 here is linked very closely to number 10. Some people have insight and knowledge even when you disagree.

Good tips

I hope everyone is following a version of these already, but if not here they are.

Deeply, deeply irresponsible behaviour - which may bring a backlash down upon the whole sector.

All good thoughts. My own additions would include - some people just don't like your posts and that's normal, have a little fun on the way, don't be a reply guy, and right back when I started doing this in government - be prepared to delete lots of the posts you draft as just not quite right...

Rule 8 is the one for me - avoid the algorithm feed. I occasionally venture into it but always regret it.

Rule 1: You don't need to justify your decision to block someone. 20 top tips for staying sane on social media. www.edrith.co.uk/p/staying-sa...

Utterly depressing.

Twenty top tips for navigating X and BlueSky. www.edrith.co.uk/p/staying-sa...

Worth a read.

This is very good.

Very good list. I tend to merge point 9 and 12 into one thing. Follow people you disagree with, not people you find disagreeable.

Twenty top tips for navigating X and BlueSky. www.edrith.co.uk/p/staying-sa...

There are fundamental questions to be asked over whether these universities are maintaining standards. The combination of lower entry standards, more online provision and grade inflation would suggest not.

It is fantastic that in today's society that large numbers of people will pay to come here a pair of historians explaining history in detail. Yes, short-form video, falling attention spans, etc are real and bad. But also, let's celebrate things such as this.

This very good article by @jimdickinson.bsky.social shows how much has been sacrificed to the god of expansion. Mass expansion of university to those not academically qualified, on courses that should never have been 'degrees', has meant brutal cuts all round. wonkhe.com/blogs/gradua...

I love the Thursday Murder Club, but the books basically exemplify the UK's current 'crime paradox' - where serious violent crime is down but public disorder is sky-rocketing. Bear with me here... 🧵

Good point. Not many people know this, but I actually have access to a special, *secret* version of the global economy where I, and I alone, suffer absolutely no ill consequences to the global spike in food or energy costs, by using the special password 'are you nuts?' at the supermarket.

I knew I'd get some grief for making a right-wing starter pack, but you have to laugh at the guy whose objection to it was not the 'right-wing' element, but to the concept of a 'starter pack' itself, accusing me of believing people couldn't think for themselves about who to follow.

Final call: Forecasting Contest closes today. 12 hours to go, 22 more entries needed to reach a number divisible by 100... www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

Final call: Forecasting Contest closes today. 12 hours to go, 22 more entries needed to reach a number divisible by 100... www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

The 2026 Forecasting contest closes tomorrow. If you forecasted high on question 50, you know what you need to do! www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

The 2026 Forecasting contest closes tomorrow. If you forecasted high on question 50, you know what you need to do! www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

One of the most astounding things about this government is their failure to grasp the primary lesson from the last one was so obviously "Don't mess about with Comms all the time, just do stuff that will probably work".

If, like me, you are a fan of Dilbert, this is a really lovely obituary of Scott Adams, a fascinating and complicated man. Scott Alexander on top form, as ever. open.substack.com/pub/astralco...

For those who want a broader perspective in their feed, a right-wing starter pack. Includes the six Tory MPs currently on BlueSky and a range of other think-tankers, ex-SpAds and journalists. go.bsky.app/JvKL6aE

For those who want a broader perspective in their feed, a right-wing starter pack. Includes the six Tory MPs currently on BlueSky and a range of other think-tankers, ex-SpAds and journalists. go.bsky.app/JvKL6aE

An underrated factor in "why don't people in wealthy societies have more kids" is changing societal norms that now expect even older kids to be chaperoned by an adult any time they are in public, and to be chauffeured by a parent as their only means of transportation

Gotta collect them all!

Ask me Anything: 2000 subscribers edition. www.edrith.co.uk/p/ask-me-any...

Ask me Anything: 2000 subscribers edition. www.edrith.co.uk/p/ask-me-any...

A market with no price signals that has created some of the highest fees in the world that hasn’t secured university funding. A policy that achieves literally none of its aims!

Feels like an appropriate day to reshare this one! www.edrith.co.uk/p/the-five-h...

So far just 16% of entrants are women - and last year only one woman finished in the top 30. Calling on all the smart, politically interested women I know are out there to enter and even up the score! www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

Though students say they support free speech, this @hepi-news.bsky.social survey series shows students are becoming steadily more censorious. One might have hoped that events in the US would have opened eyes to how easily censorship can be turned against universities - but clearly not.

So far just 16% of entrants are women - and last year only one woman finished in the top 30. Calling on all the smart, politically interested women I know are out there to enter and even up the score! www.edrith.co.uk/p/2026-forec...

A list of good and sensible suggestions here from @samfr.bsky.social. samf.substack.com/p/troublesho...

An enjoyable post by someone on the right segmenting the right.

I’m with the public here. But also: we do love banning things.

Great analysis of the right: Free Marketeer Libertarian Social Conservative Traditionalist Nativist The Tory broad church has splintered leaving a trail that’s being hoovered up by other parties. But the same is happening to Labour, when you don’t know what it stands for voters find other homes.

Debate about London is obscured by the false binaries both sides put on it. Best on it is @jburnmurdoch.ft.com who shows it is both case violent crime down (an undisputed good) & crimes of disorder (shop lifting, snatching) up which affects/is visible to more but far less devastating consequences

Bloc totals from recent polling: YouGov: Right 44, Left 49 Opinium: Right 49. Left 45 More In Common: Right 54, Left 41 Each of those would give wildly differing results!

LC: "At whatever point we decided that the only way you could get £500 a year pay rise was a promotion. Well they were wrong. So fix it." Yep. Gov needs to allow pay progression in role. It might sound small, but this stuff matters. New report out today makes the case for this change among others.

This is excellent for understanding the tensions & arguments on the right of politics, & why policy positions often seem to veer all over the place. bsky.app/profile/igma...

Very good blog - not just an interesting way to look at particular content in terms of the political right, but also that rarity of being well constructed so that the reader doesn't have to wade through huge amounts of text to pick up the key points.