The author of a book on “muddling through” definitely not taking his own research seriously enough in relation to England’s utterly bizarre progress (so far) in the T20 World Cup.

Register to join us for an exciting event with Xavier Bettel (@xavierbettel.bsky.social),the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg 🎤 www.lse.ac.uk/european-ins...

A feature of the 2024 GE was a low three party (Lab/Con/LD) share. Something that has continued dramatically since and is perhaps the really important story not the rise of any one alternative but rather an electorate without binding party loyalties.

What I think UK politics needs (not only but) most of all is: not REF. So this is a great result in typicalish “between GE” conditions. In a GE (or other BEs) in different constituencies different voter configurations can bring about REF defeat. Each of those who came 3rd-5th might be 1st.

Tag line for philosophy as a discipline

I know the shit has hit the fan in a big way in the US - but Bluesky seems increasingly about nothing else. Even the bits that are not about the US are mostly about international responses to the US. I know, I know, it’s a massive world upheaval and really, really terrible, but…hey ho.

Imagine thinking Farage is the alternative to old party politics & will somehow make your life better, when you can’t state any of his policies, Brexit was a disaster that made everything dearer, he wants to defund the NHS, has stuffed his party full of tories & taken Russian money! FFS

Varun Chakaravarthy is my current favourite cricketer. He is 34 but has had a short international career. That is because he was an architect until he was 25. Like all great spin bowlers he is has a very idiosyncratic action. His googly is utterly brilliant. He also looks like a stoner.

Excellent, incisive analysis

According to Italy's former prime minister, the power games at play in today’s world require Europe to make a qualitative leap in integration. A pragmatic leap. https://bit.ly/4a7jY4Q

This is silly. A judgement “from the viewpoint of the planet” would seem to me way more likely to embrace wanting us (or most of us) gone as soon as possible - don’t unnecessarily extend the stay of current humanity on their account.

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I’m puzzled by the fact that an art exhibition today is basically indistinguishable from works in a museum. Is it: works of the clearly past and works of the nearly past?

I’ve talked for decades of a need for a Confederation of States of Europe That is a stronger political alliance but one that allows each state some self-determination and to protect its own culture, language and ways (whatever the latter means) A Federal state will only strengthen some 1/

I really like thinking about Tooze’s demand that we acknowledge the historically unprecedented character of whatever is happening. I also like thinking about his idea that you don’t know what shit you’re in when you are in it. I don’t think I agree though. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

And the UK not at the table because of an act of collective insanity.

Thinking a bit more on this, there is a symbolism in the fact that this warning to the US is issued at the margins of a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' to defend against Russia. Europe in 2026, under siege from two sides.

English cricket fans regretting the retirement of Chris Tavaré.

Yarvin: “Conservatives fail because they can never see that [USA] is actually not their country. Liberals win because they can never see that [USA] actually is their country.” He thinks there is a liberal hegemony. So GOP winning an election is not winning at all: the “underdog” DP has already won.

Merry Christmas from Rosa, @ppfideas.bsky.social team & me 😍! In the latest episode of the podcast, David & I discuss von Trotta's film "Rosa Luxemburg" & the life and politics of “the most brilliant intellect of all the scientific heirs of Marx and Engels Marx and Engels", as Franz Mehring put it.

Ok, this is nuts. Once you see it you cannot unsee it. Do you see it? (OP @drgbuckingham.bsky.social )

The details of the announcement reveal that Britain is not just rejoining Erasmus, but also the EU internal energy market, a first small step to reversing the economic damage of Brexit: ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Official confirmation of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027. As someone who studied in the UK (though not via Erasmus) very pleased to see this particuarly severing of connection at least partially rebuild:

'I'll play you Donald Trump lying, and the Met Commissioner doing what every patriotic Brit should be doing...' @mrjamesob.bsky.social cautions against 'treachery', as Sir Mark Rowley rubbishes Trump's claims about safety under Sadiq Khan last month.

Should what are still called universities just admit that they are no longer that, abolish themselves and reopen as training schools? But simultaneously to create institutions where the uni goal is to displace humans into the sphere of influence of what is great? thecritic.co.uk/the-purpose-...

Nixon speaks of a “twin-pronged assault on Europe from America and Russia”. Europe (once more and still) “caught in a pincer between Russia and America” as Heidegger said in 1935. It seemed easier to understand back then - when the two appeared to be so clearly emanations from a declining Europe.

“The crowd was joyous, excited and mostly over 60.” — And already feuding. Are there any good accounts of the apparent tendency for the rate of party division to rise as you move left? www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

I wonder if anyone who is interested in LLMs (@leifw.bsky.social for example) has picked up on Heidegger's remark on machine thinking in Ponderings XIV (pp. 153-4). It's so good.

Typo: should be “reports that the BBC censored” not “accuses the BBC of censoring”. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

We are still buzzing from Tuesday night’s Maurice Fraser Annual Lecture with Sir John Major, former UK Prime Minister (1990–1997) 🇬🇧 🎥 Video and podcast out soon!

Sir John Major gave the Maurice Fraser Annual Lecture at LSE on Tuesday. He did not pull his punches on Brexit, calling it “an act of collective folly” and calling out the timidity of our political leaders who fail to speak out about the damage it has done to the UK, politically and economically.

Sir John Major: “Brexiteers predicted other countries would follow their lead and leave the EU. None have. All saw only too clearly that Brexit was packed with disadvantages. As we meet nine further nations now wish to join, which is an apt comment on how the world saw Britain's decision.

John Major yesterday at LSE: 1. “In an act of collective folly, the United Kingdom voted to lead to European Union across the world, our enemies celebrated and our friends despair.”1/

Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.

The splicing of Trump’s speech by the BBC is really shitty journalism. The airtime devoted to the Reform agenda on migration by the BBC is really dangerous journalism. #BBC - you are becoming a danger to this country. Lightweight and Lazy. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Read 'em and weep. (www.nber.org/system/files...)

Leader editorial in the Independent calls for students to be taken out of migration figures, describing UK government policy quite rightly as “asinine”. www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...

Shame on the BBC. Who is the more dangerous? An overpaid racist who should be as invisible as his sense of decency - or the publicly funded news organisation that has utterly lost its sense of public service? #BBC get a grip or you will take our democracy down.

The final was never likely to better India’s win vs Australia in the semifinal - but Harmanpreet Kaur asking the 21 year old opener Shafali Verma to bowl at a very difficult time, when the game was getting away from India, was a match winning leap in the dark. www.espncricinfo.com/story/women-...

I hope the BBC will challenge Nigel Farage today over the economic damage caused by the Brexit he championed. He needs to be held to account for the damage he's done instead of always being given an easy ride.

India chasing down Australia’s 338 total in the Women’s Cricket World Cup was utterly mind-blowing. BlueSky is really rubbish at moments like this…

MBOI to @simonhix.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social @alexcallinicos.bsky.social @catherinedevries.bsky.social @miguelpereira.bsky.social @denisakost.bsky.social @abbyinnes.bsky.social @ygursoy.bsky.social @donatodc.bsky.social @antvalentim.bsky.social @valentimvicente.bsky.social

It’s Marx day for me. Starting here. But what essential element is missing from this picture? Wrong answers welcome - but the right answer wins a copy of my book, “Europe:A Philosophical History” vol 1, in which I set it all out.

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After 20 years of involvement with academic studies of Europe, I have just published an article that sets out my view of its mainstream social science formation. I argue that such studies now stand in need of significant reformation. Read for free: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

"People who have come to the United Kingdom legally, played by the rules and made it their home do not need to ‘go home’. This is their home.” - @eddavey.libdems.org.uk on Conservative proposals to strip people of indefinite leave to remain & deport them www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Ah! Good morning, reality. And welcome. We’ve been expecting you…

This well-known aquatint by Goya came to mind as symbolising where we are right now. It’s called The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.