Jon Bloomfield
@jonbloomfield.bsky.social
Rooted cosmopolitan. London, Arsenal, Birmingham. Writes on cities, EU, national populism,climate change. Latest The Little Black Book of the Populist Right with co-author David Edgar, a short accessible guide to today's dangers.
@nixonsimon.bsky.social exposing the shameful response of Meloni, Frederiksen and other EU leaders to Morocco's Cueta migrant invasion.
Simon Nixon@nixonsimon.bsky.social · 3d agoHow Europe lost the Battle of Ceuta; the four horsemen of the summer apocalypse; why Europe faces a climate sovereign doom loop; and why the Clacton by-election is not a joke - latest edition of Wealth of Nations just published open.substack.com/pub/nixons/p...
A sign that some parts of European left understand the significance of Burnham.
Andrew Watt@andrewwatteu.bsky.social · 7d agowww.socialeurope.eu/burnhams-bre... There has been much analysis by British commentators on the Andy Burnham phenomenon. Here is an interesting take from a continental social-democratic perspective, by Laszlo Andor. 1/2
Ppl always talking about radicalisation via social media echo chambers etc etc. Can we talk about how our *national newspapers* are now advocating for the kind of “white is right” ethnonationalism previously only espoused by the National Front & BNP?
Jonathan Portes@jdportes.bsky.social · last wk.Peak Goodhart: literally the first citation in this is to Matt Goodwin's discredited "Great Replacement" fantasy. If you're trying to push your sanitised "non-racist" preference/ethnonationalism, perhaps don't start by linking to a far-right racist grifter? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07...
action.compassonline.org.uk/news_agents?... A must listen. Lawson and Goodall in sparkling form discussing what will be needed if Burnham is to topple Thatcherism.
Join Compass to end neoliberalism
action.compassonline.org.uk
Today experienced the 24th day of year hitting 30C in London. For perspective in whole of 1980s we had 21 days.
The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
ALT: The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
static.klipy.com
open.substack.com/pub/vicderby.... Very moving piece on breast cancer and Mrs. Burnham.
Solidarity with Mrs Burnham
I doubt Marie-France Van Heel will give two hoots about what people think of her or of the dresses she chooses to wear. Like me, she will have a perspective many simply don't...
open.substack.com
“[Elon Musk] is an anti-Muslim bigot. And that's not me calling him that. That's him embracing it.” I was on 'Piers Uncensored' today, discussing, among oher things, Musk's car-crash and bigoted interview with The Economist. Clip below. Full debate here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbT0...
Listen to Compass Director Neal Lawson on the latest episode of The News Agents podcast - discussing all things on the new Prime Minister. Out now wherever you get your podcasts!
The News Agents@thenewsagents.co.uk · 2w ago“John Healey is not the first person you think of as your Chancellor.” Did Andy Burnham give the top job to the wrong person?
tfw you say you're willing to work cross-party on a total reform of social care but then rule out any of the revenue-raising steps needed to pay for it. #Cakeism is clearly alive and well.
Kemi Badenoch tells PM not to raise taxes to fund social care
In a letter to the PM, the Conservative leader offers to work with him on adult social care reform.
bbc.com
Pornainen, Finland (pop 5,000) is now heated by a silo of crushed soapstone. I spoke to CNBC about it. 100 MWh, charged when power is cheap, emissions down ~70%. Days to weeks of storage, no critical minerals. www.cnbc.com/2026/07/25/f...
Finland’s radical answer to renewable energy’s biggest headache: The world’s largest sand battery
A small Finnish town has turned to the world's largest commercial sand battery to tackle a major hurdle in the energy transition: intermittency.
cnbc.com
Burnham is a fan of Orwell's advice on style in Politics and the English Language. (Though I bet he will often break rule one on familiar metaphors + cliches: sometimes the familiarity can make them useful). But he is consciously committed to the next four rules for clarity and communication.
You see this frontpage and do genuinely wonder what on earth the conversation must have been between the senior editors when they were laying it out...
Quarter of a million people now fleeing out of control wildfires in France and Spain, and it is still acceptable for leaders of apparently mainstream political parties (Badenoch, Trump, Farage) to deny climate science, cheered on by the Murdoch press.
Annaliese Dodds completely unable to define neoliberalism - free markets strong state - or challenge Danny Finkelsteins simplistic 'private good, public bad' mantras on BBCToday. Until progressives can do that Burnham will struggle to get a proper hearing. @compassoffice.bsky.social
For @theguardian.com, I wrote about Trump and Rubio's plan to "dismantle" the International Criminal Court, why it's so dangerous, and what the rest of the west should do to protect it www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump says he will dismantle the ICC ‘brick by brick’. It could be his most chilling move of all | Steve Bloomfield
The US is aligning itself with dictators and autocrats to prevent those accused of genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes from ever facing justice, says Steve Bloomfield, former international edito...
theguardian.com
Brilliant and far-reaching new investigation into George Cottrell and former Reform treasurer Mehrtash A’zami by @nafeez.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/07/23/p...
‘Posh George’, Two Passports, and a Fraudulent Identity: Convicted Fraudster and Nigel Farage Funder's Connections to Reform UK’s Murky Financial Structures
Why did Reform UK change from being a privately-owned company to a non-profit company limited by guarantee in 2025? Nafeez Ahmed investigates a fraudulent identity used by George Cottrell – and how hi...
bylinetimes.com
Draws on Andrew Gamble's definition of Thatcherism: free market,strong state which Marxism Today and Stuart Hall expanded on.
Anthony Barnett@anthonybarnett.bsky.social · 2w agoThread on Burnham. He has drawn a historic line on 40 years of Thatcherism, New Labour efforts to humanise it and Brexit’s lung at ‘Thatcherism in one country’. Political centralisation and economic privatisation as he put it in a neat phrase. It means that
With an exciting World Cup reaching its climax a few hopeful reflections on the politics, especially as regards integration. @sundersays.bsky.social @stephenkb.bsky.social @jdportes.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/bylineti...
What the World Cup Showed Us About Politics
As the tournament comes to its final game, Jon Bloomfield and David Edgar reflect on what it has demonstrated about nationhood, identity and the global rules-based order
open.substack.com
Didn't watch the match but woke up to hilarious family whatsapp chat between my brothers, sons and my Anglo-french nephews. Just seems joyful, and in my completely uneducated opinion the kind of thing that happens when pressure is off and some lads play a game just for fun.
"If Burnham does push ahead with the appointment of Mahmood, it would be the second time that Labour left-wingers felt duped by a leadership candidate promising left-wing policies, only to deliver the complete opposite once in power." ✍️ @adambienkov.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/07/17/a...
Andy Burnham Making Shabana Mahmood Chancellor Would Resurrect the Failed Politics of Morgan McSweeney
If the incoming Prime Minister does buckle to media and city pressure not to appoint Ed Miliband as Chancellor it will be an ominous sign of things to come, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
📌 ICYMI — The Far-Right Billionaire Who Is Buying Up French Culture — Olly Haynes Vincent Bollore is helping push France to the right as he gathers a growing empire of publishing houses, newspapers, and film studios across the country
The Far-Right Billionaire Who Is Buying Up French Culture
Vincent Bollore is helping push France to the right as he gathers a growing empire of publishing houses, newspapers, and film studios across the country
bylinetimes.com
South Africa’s xenophobic violence is a warning for a world searching for someone to blame Anti-migrant sentiment is being exploited by elites to deflect from their own role in economic hardship ✍️ @kenanmalik.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4fjFAOm
South Africa’s xenophobic violence is a warning for a wor...
Anti-migrant sentiment is being exploited by elites to deflect from their own role in economic hardship
bit.ly