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Craig Mitchell

@crm86.bsky.social

I write about politics here: https://politicsanalysed.substack.com/

83 Posts284 Follower1995 Folgt
Adam Serwer@adamserwer.bsky.social · 2w ago

It is genuinely bizarre that we’ve become acclimatized to right wingers throwing a tantrum every time a black person (particularly a black woman) is cast in something, but are also supposed to pretend that this is not racism but related to some other substantive concern.

Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 2w ago

1/ Numerous journalists and political commentators apply the term "populist" to Andy Burnham. Populism is an overused and widely misunderstood political concept, so, unsurprisingly, this is an example of misapplication. Some appear to think that "populism" is a synonym for "popular".

Ian Dunt@iandunt.bsky.social · last mo.

The problem with Today is not the race of the presenters. It's that they are chronically under-briefed. The advantage of having Mishal Husain was not that she was brown. It was that she was well-briefed. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

‘Four white presenters feels retro’ – is the BBC Today programme doomed?

With bosses at the BBC prioritising social media platforms over radio, things feel apocalyptic at the broadcaster’s flagship news show – especially given the lack of diversity. Is this it?

theguardian.com

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · last mo.

I am genuinely excited about a PM who will be serious about devolution. If done right it could give people more sense of control about their locality; free up Whitehall to focus on big strategic issues; and make it harder for a future national govt to burn everything down.

JWexTheSpa@jwsidders.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A shirtless white man, in the street with a knife in his hand, having attacked and wounded five people, allegedly shouting anti-Muslim slogans is the sixth story on the BBC UK news page. There is absolutely no doubt at all this would be the lead story if attacker and intended victims were reversed.

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Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It's not just McTernan, but I'm dissatisfied with the inattention to the foundational question of state capacity and effective governance. Matters of coherence, fragmentation, institutional and relational capability, and contradictions within the British approach to governance.

John McTernan@johnmct.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Labour needs a leader who actually enjoys the job Andy Burnham might be a “people pleaser” – but what’s wrong with that? Me in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social : www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... Labour needs a leader who actually enjoys the job - New Statesman

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 2mo ago

Core benefit rates for young people have fallen considerably compared to wages since 2013-14. work incentives have actually increased for young people in receipt of benefits in recent years. So, UC rates are unlikely to be incentivising more young people to remain out of work. ➡️ buff.ly/gABGpwv

figure 14 shows that core benefit rates for young people have fallen considerably compared to wages since 2013-14: the proportion of earnings at 35 hours per week at the National Minimum Wage (NMW) covered by unemployment support for 21-to-24-year-olds has fallen from 26 per cent when UC was introduced in 2013-14 to 18 per cent in 2026-27, driven both by a real-terms fall in the UC standard allowance and real-terms increase in youth NMW rates. Likewise, the proportion of the full-time NMW covered by UCH (the UC standard allowance plus the LCWRA element) fell from 57 per cent to 40 per cent for this age group between 2013-14 and 2025-26, and will fall further to 29 per cent for new claimants in 2026-27. These replacement rates are already lower for young people than for those aged 25 or more, and the fact they have fallen over time means that benefit rates are unlikely to be a cause of a rising NEET rate.
Robert Saunders@robertsaunders.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Why not relax on a hot, bank holiday weekend with a pair of podcasts on why British politics is such a mess? Featuring great contributions from @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @dmk1793.bsky.social and @robfordmancs.bsky.social, plus some burbling from me. Episode 1 here: www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...

The Starmer Crisis in Historical Perspective – Part 1

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ppfideas.com

Past Present Future Podcast@ppfideas.bsky.social · 3mo ago

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! David gets 5 perspectives on the deeper causes behind the current crisis: historians @robertsaunders.bsky.social, Anthony Seldon and @dmk1793.bsky.social, @drhannahwhite.bsky.social from the IfG and political scientist @robfordmancs.bsky.social. Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I've seen a few people here denying that antisemitic hate crimes are still a major or widespread problem in this country. This denial does no one any favours. We must be rock-solid against all hate and prejudice.

Chart showing recorded hate crimes by perceived religion of victim per 10,000 population in 2024-25. Published in The Guardian
Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 5mo ago

1/4 I am deeply moved by the scenes of jubilation and hope among the Iranian people. I cannot imagine life under a murderous theocracy. What follows is not directed at them. I hope these events lead to long-term emancipation and the opportunity for Iranians to flourish.

Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Currently reading the excellent 'Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America' by Jonathan Karl which covers the 2024 presidential election campaign and Trump’s ascent to a second presidential term.

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Rob Manuel@robmanuel.b3ta.com · 6mo ago

The sooner Keir Starmer resigns, the sooner he relaxes and becomes quite insightful and affable in media appearances and we can all go "why wasn't *THAT* guy PM?"

Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 6mo ago

An impoverished view of morality and the state concludes that maintaining half a million children below the poverty line is acceptable. Removing the two-child cap lifts hundreds of thousands of children above the poverty line. That is not insignificant.

Rob Ford@robfordmancs.bsky.social · 6mo ago

100% agree with this and the British Election Study bot provides plenty of evidence for it - regularly spitting out actual voters with combinations of beliefs which the terminally online would regard as impossible

Marie Le Conte@youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 6mo ago

oh I've written about this before! one of the big problems with people developing those assumptions is also that they become entirely unable to then engage with normies who represent like.....98% of the population, and whose beliefs are formed on a much more case-by-case basis

Craig Mitchell@crm86.bsky.social · 6mo ago

"Important progress has been made with new fiscal rules, planning reform and public investment, yet delivery has often been too cautious given the scale of the challenge."

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 6mo ago

Growth has weakened *further* since the pandemic. Towards the end of last year the economy has taken six YEARS to grow as much as it would have in seven MONTHS, if it was still growing as fast as its pre-pandemic trend. Find out more ➡️ buff.ly/VWHNFCb

chart showing that As of Q3 2025, GDP per person is only 0.8 per cent above its pre-pandemic peak, with all of this growth taking place in the past year. By way of comparison, GDP per person grew at an average rate of 1.3 per cent a year in the decade to the pandemic. So the economy has taken six years to grow as much as we would have expected in roughly seven months on the previous pre-pandemic trend
Jan-Werner Mueller@jwmueller-pu.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Putin pioneered this. No opposition is legitimate. Regular, decent, “ordinary” people cannot possibly be against us because only we represent “the real people.” Tell-tale sign of authoritarianism.

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