Mark Thompson
@markreckons.bsky.social
Politics (mainly UK and a bit of US), comedy and popular culture more generally. Hear me on a radio near you blathering about Burnham or Farage. Probably. Substack Political Sandbox here: https://substack.com/@politicalsandboxmark
Well the first time I heard Higher Love by Steve Winwood (it was on Now 8 - the first LP record I ever owned) I never thought it would end up being a banger that has grown on me over 40 years. I thought it was tedious MOR pap that justified a quick lift and drop of the needle. Not any more.
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: Find Me Twenty Quid, Minister I've been asked where the money is coming from on air more times than I can count, and I never knew. Here's the secret. Nobody does. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/find-me-twenty-quid-minister
For anyone who needs encouragement this is precisely how to fight fascism! #SheShed #ImpeachIndictRemove
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: What’s That in Old Money? A Labour MP compared the British state to the wiring at Westminster. After 35 years in software, I am afraid it is worse than that. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/whats-that-in-old-money-c4d
Intending to switch away from Substack soon because Nazis but am struggling to find something that will allow my workflow (that requires ability to push edits via API) that won't charge me $$$ every month. Any ideas?
Anyone who has worked with domestic violence victims know the answer to this is too often yes.
Mark Thompson (@markreckons.bsky.social) joins me for a chat about Pizzicato Five, Your Party Needs You, Lost In Austen, Society, Shadow Chasers, Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo, Jasper Carrott's I've Got This Mole and more... timworthington.org/2025/03/18/l...
Looks Unfamiliar: Mark Thompson – I’m Almost Certain No Battle Elves Appeared In This
Looks Unfamiliar with Mark Thompson talking to Tim Worthington about Twiggy Twiggy (Twiggy Vs. James Bond) by Pizzicato Five, Your Party Needs You, Jasper Carrott’s’ I’ve Got This…
timworthington.org
And exactly as I expected. A few hours on and the story is nowhere on the BBC website. Had Reform won it it would still be the top story.
Mark Thompson@markreckons.bsky.social · 4d agoCan you imagine how much of a story it would have been if Reform had won the Manchester mayoral contest. And for a while it looked not only possible but in some ways probable looking at the polls a few months back. And yet they were trounced. They got nowhere near. That should be a big story.
This is exactly my point. If Reform had won they'd have led with it for sure. They come a distant second. Tumbleweeds.
Fincky McFinck Face@finckymcfinckface.bsky.social · 4d agoIt wasn't mentioned in the news headlines at the start of the R4 Today show this morning. It was mentioned later in the programme. Yesterday they were talking about "the most important election outside Westminster". Reform get trounced 🦗🦗
Can you imagine how much of a story it would have been if Reform had won the Manchester mayoral contest. And for a while it looked not only possible but in some ways probable looking at the polls a few months back. And yet they were trounced. They got nowhere near. That should be a big story.
Quick quick, our stupid readers may notice that we're wrong about Reform storming to victory for Manchester mayor. Turns out that Labour wins by a huge margin. Get someone from entertainment to write some bollocks about Africans trying to invade the country. Hate don't think.
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: Your Paddling Pool Is on the List A water company can fine you £1,000 for watering your child's paddling pool. It has no power to stop a golf course doing the same. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/your-paddling-pool-is-on-the-list
This is absolutely gross. It smacks of the pandemic, when the only recreation that was sanctioned included everything the super-rich made a fuss about. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘It’s alright for them’: private schools and golf courses stay green despite England’s hosepipe bans
As parks turn brown and paddling pools go unfilled, exemptions mean sports pitches can stay lush – even in school holidays
theguardian.com
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: We Shape Our Buildings Parliament can move out for 25 years and spend £15.6bn, or stay put for 60 and spend nearly £40bn. It will stay put, and the reason is neither money nor heritage. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/we-shape-our-buildings
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: We Shape Our Buildings 6 billion, or stay put for sixty and spend nearly forty. It is going to stay put. The reason is not money, and it is not the heritage either. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/we-shape-our-buildings
'Honest' Bob will surely be outraged when he finds out the things Farage has refused to apologise over.
Remember that "caravan" that was "moving up through South America" and was due to "invade any day now" before one of the elections at some point? Whatever happened to that?
Tom from Temecula@tomfromtemecula.bsky.social · last wk.
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: Not in My Lifetime Parliament has decided that inheriting a seat in the legislature is indefensible. But is still convinced that have the same rule for the head of state is just peachy. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/not-in-my-...
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: Not in My Lifetime Parliament has decided that inheriting a seat in the legislature is indefensible, and removed the last hereditary peers by 435 votes to 73. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/not-in-my-lifetime
“The architect of the German V-2 rockets, Werner von Braun, entitled his autobiography ‘I Aim for the Stars’. Londoners, however, will remember that he usually hit London” Easily the most stone-cold zinger I’ve encountered all year.
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: Proud to Be No Good at It Seventeen years ago I asked why Britain undervalues numeracy. The good news is that our maths has got better. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/proud-to-be-no-good-at-it
New from me on my Political Sandbox Substack: The Dark Arts Nobody elects the whips. Nobody can hold them to account. And every single person in a position to change that has a reason not to. https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/the-dark-arts
Ruin a book by adding a word: Station Seven Eleven
Dan Kaszeta FRHistS@dankaszeta.bsky.social · 2w agoRuin a book by adding a word: Source Code of the Woosters
I met the other Healey at a Politics Association event for A-Level students. Norman St John Stevas and Cyril Smith also on the panel. Q&A and a lad says “What you’ve said is very interesting, Mr Healey, but what everyone really wants to know is how big is your plonker…”
‘It beggars belief’ as DWP ‘drags its heels’ over subpostmaster prosecutions reviews. After a statement to parliament and a 17 months wait, zero action over DWP prosecution of postmasters. Govt lethargy is prolonging the pain and misery. If they had been political donors, wheels would have moved.
‘It beggars belief’ as DWP ‘drags its heels’ over subpostmaster prosecutions reviews | Computer Weekly
Government department prosecuted about 100 subpostmasters in relation to benefits fraud, with support from the Post Office
computerweekly.com
