Ian Leslie
@ianleslie.bsky.social
Author. Latest book: 'John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs'. Available now: https://www.ian-leslie.com/p/introducing-john-and-paul-a-love
Absolutely terrific piece about this sorry, desperate, astonishing saga. Most of the left see it as giving oxygen to far right rabble rousers. The biggest losers are EDI (deservedly so), academia and its current and future students. What a mess, but what a story!
Ian Leslie@ianleslie.bsky.social · last mo.The Ruffian has LANDED. This week: the Jason Arday scandal. What the hell happened, and what does it all mean? www.ian-leslie.com/p/the-great-...
The Ruffian has LANDED. This week: the Jason Arday scandal. What the hell happened, and what does it all mean? www.ian-leslie.com/p/the-great-...
The Great and Unfortunate Story of Jason Arday
A One-Stop Shop For the Craziest Scandal of 2026
ian-leslie.com
The Ruffian has LANDED. This week: the Jason Arday scandal. What the hell happened, and what does it all mean? www.ian-leslie.com/p/the-great-...
The Great and Unfortunate Story of Jason Arday
A One-Stop Shop For the Craziest Scandal of 2026
ian-leslie.com
I’m just finishing it myself and a measure of how brilliant this book is must be that I am slowing down to drag out the pleasure, like a box of the most delicious chocolates. Even if you’re not a Beatles fan this is remarkable on so many levels - thank you @ianleslie.bsky.social
jabberwocky11.bsky.social@jabberwocky11.bsky.social · 2mo agoWhat a beautiful book. Many thanks to my friend Neil for recommending it & to @ianleslie.bsky.social for writing it.
Loved this piece bsky.app/profile/kate...
Kate Allen@kateallen.ft.com · last mo.Am late to promoting this but here’s a piece on the joy to be found in the bountiful array of online education that is now available. Featuring a cameo appearance from me in the comments section, promoting my favourite: the Yale MOOC (do we even call them that anymore?!) www.ft.com/content/f946...
The Ruffian has LANDED. This week: on Churchill's early life and extraordinary personality. Plus a bumper Rattle Bag of links and notes. www.ian-leslie.com/p/young-chur...
Young Churchill
Twentieth Century Victorian
ian-leslie.com
I've read a lot of articles about England's performance against Argentina. This one by @ianleslie.bsky.social resonates... www.ian-leslie.com/p/dear-me-en...
Dear Me, England
What England's Defeat Tells Us About the Mysterious Power of Culture
ian-leslie.com
I would like to carefully separate complaining about Burnham’s inadequacy from sneering at any parts of the country or at policies to spread prosperity outside the SE; indeed it’s possible that caring about the latter would increase your frustration with him.
Jennifer Williams@jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 2mo agoBut the reason a lot of people I know are giving him a chance - despite their own concerns - comes back to the sneering. You cannot afford, politically, to give up on large parts of the country. I can’t defend a policy agenda I’ve not seen, but I would defend that sentiment
I have reached the stage where I can now read about England’s defeat and I found this from @ianleslie.bsky.social perceptive and thought-provoking. One thought it provoked was does this collective psyche apply to the Lionesses and, if not, why not? open.substack.com/pub/ianlesli...
Dear Me, England
What England's Defeat Tells Us About the Mysterious Power of Culture
open.substack.com
An essay on collaboration, AI, and The Beatles! What's not to like? Seriously, I enjoyed @ianleslie.bsky.social Ian's take on the nuances of human collaboration. My take with AI: We have to be intentional in everything we do with AI. It is our responsibility. humanistreview.ai/issue-1/lesl...
What Lennon and McCartney Can Teach AI About Collaboration
The greatest creative partnerships ran on friction, ego, and love. Author Ian Leslie asks whether AI can ever get there.
humanistreview.ai
What a beautiful book. Many thanks to my friend Neil for recommending it & to @ianleslie.bsky.social for writing it.
I don't usually write personal stuff, but a few words about my experience of being interviewed by Gary Stevenson. It started with a nice chat, comparing taste in hoodies... then the tone changed. He demanded to know why I'd deleted a tweet criticising him.
I suppose it was a rush job but I can't believe how bad Starmer's resignation speech was (stylistically)
The ‘valence’ issue here being ‘Get rid of Starmer’
Jane Green@profjanegreen.bsky.social · 3mo agoWe argue that Burnham's victory shows what can happen when appeals aren't primarily about ideology, but 'valence'; bridging issues where left and right bloc voters both feel disillusioned (the economy). Burnham takes this 'valence' into Westminster but he'll have an uphill challenge to maintain it.
This is a lovely piece by Pete Paphides and like all the best writing it manages to put its finger on something that you realise you’ve been trying to explain yourself.
Pete Paphides@petepaphides.bsky.social · 3mo agoI made a playlist. Then I realised that the playlist was trying to tell me something. And this was the result.
Amongst the countless pearls in @ianleslie.bsky.social’s wonderful John & Paul is the observation that: 26 months separate The Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 from the first sessions recording Tomorrow Never Knows in April 1966. 26 months. 🧵/1
What I don’t really understand about this is why you’d do this interview at this point.
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 3mo agoBurnham backing the triple lock *and* tax cuts for pensioners suggests a complete lack of familiarity with the UK’s fiscal position. inews.co.uk/news/politic...
"Curiosity is a life force. If depression involves a turning inward, a feeling that there’s nothing in the world that is worthy of our attention..., then it is curiosity..., that reminds us that the world is an inexhaustibly...fascinating place." - @ianleslie.bsky.social #booksky 📚💙 #books
open.substack.com/pub/ianlesli... @ianleslie.bsky.social is right about the fundamental point of Blair's intervention: that we need Labour to think clearly. Blair says there's no point in changing leader until we've done the thinking. I fear we're committed now.
Labour Isn't Thinking
The Real Point of Blair's Essay
open.substack.com
kilntheatre.com/whats-on/ple... Very good, and glad I read the excellent @ianleslie.bsky.social book beforehand
Please Please Me
Brian Epstein and The Beatles. Their rise. His fall. A new play at Kiln Theatre.
kilntheatre.com
Removing Starmer is a necessary first step but someone needs to get a grip; explaining to Labour MPs & the public how economics works. We've had five years of politicians continuing to borrow billions in the face of high inflation & high interest rates & it's just made everyone miserable.
Colm Murphy@colmpm.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe should view these reports - Tribune and LGG, Haigh-Yang and Curtis - as indicative of the kind of economic policy arguments candidates may have in any leadership election.
Deliverism is dead Did you deliver anything No. Nevertheless,
Matthew Holehouse@matthewholehouse.bsky.social · 4mo ago“Stories beat spreadsheets” if your spreadsheet looks like this
For your Sunday reading: on robots, running, maths, AI and jobs www.ian-leslie.com/p/why-do-peo...
Why Do People Run Marathons, Write Songs, and Do Maths?
Runners, Robots, AI and Jobs
ian-leslie.com
This is an incredible piece bsky.app/profile/chri...
Christopher Miller@christopherjm.ft.com · 4mo ago‘I’m fighting two wars. One against the Russians. And one inside myself.’ Ukraine is reshaping warfare through its use of drones. Yet human operators remain at the controls. For @ftweekend.com, I profiled one Ukrainian FPV drone pilot to examine the personal costs. www.ft.com/content/95f5...
