Niall Gooch
@niallgooch.bsky.social
Medium-sized bureaucratic cog. Also Christian, husband, father, writer, seaside dweller. Not sure what I'll do here but it will be more chill than my Twitter. I like cricket, history, the countryside, poetry, films, and classic detective stories.
The small boats are bad, actually.
Emma Yeomans@yeomans.bsky.social · last wk.Two Iranian nationals have been charged with a terror plot against Manchester's Jewish community, allegedly in contact with "overseas third-party" possibly in Iran. The Home Secretary has confirmed that both men arrived on small boats, in 2020 and 2023. www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "Over the past 20 years, Malcolm had 12 other convictions for burglary and attempted burglary and 10 for assault, including headbutting and biting part of a prison officer's ear off". A travesty Ashley Malcolm was free to do this. We don't imprison enough people.
Burglar jailed for killing 86-year-old man at Hackney flat
John Burke suffered a "devastating and irreversible" brain injury after he was headbutted.
bbc.co.uk
Not quite as "unlucky" as the dozens of Labour councillors across the country who turned a blind eye to organised rape of children and / or actively worked against the investigations.
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 3w agoReally is amazing how many Reform and UKIP elected officials have been arrested over years. So unlucky.
A very old but favourite #painting. "Four Courts, No Trees" was painted because I love Dublin's Four Courts. When you can see it. Felt a pang when it sold. Not the best photo of it because this was painted over 30 years ago when I freely roamed the city, but you get the idea. #SpéirGhorm #ArtYear
"Every single one of my political opponents has no theory of mind for people who disagree with them" is one of the all-time great self-owns. I'd bet serious money this person barely ever meaningfully interacts with people on the right.
Something very striking about Bluesky is that there is an awful lot of sanctimony about rightwingers and racists, but horrific migrant crime stories are almost never mentioned. Here are two Afghan rapes reported just yesterday: www.dailymail.com/news/article... and www.gbnews.com/news/london-...
dailymail.com
I think it’s been four years since I’ve last written anything for publication, life having taken a few turns over recent years, so it’s nice to be able to share my @plough.bsky.social debut: www.plough.com/articles/are...
Are Moving Statues Spiritual Junk Food? | Plough
What drove thousands of Irish Catholics to visit a shrine in hopes of seeing a statue move?
plough.com
Guy who is so concerned about academics being mobbed on social media that he posts a highly misleading contextless clip of an academic on social media.
Gregory Kohn@kohngregory.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn the wake of Arday's death, Nathan Cofnas (who led the X mob against him) states his motivation. Beyond whistleblowing, he states that after a 'revolution' removes professors like Arday, it will open opportunities for him to become 'head of the department of eugenics and race science at Harvard'.
A fun thing about a total solar eclipse is that we might plausibly be the only place in the galaxy that has one. For the moon to be exactly the same size as the sun as seen from the planet is impossibly rare.
Paul Byrne@theplanetaryguy.com · 2mo agoRemarkable photo from Reddit user u/karantza of the solar eclipse today in Mallorca. Ethereal.
Separately from the politics and optics of this situation, it would be fascinating to tease out the principles concerning repentant ex-criminals entering public life. What is it about ex-fascists specifically, as opposed to e.g. ex-burglars, that permanently excludes them?
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2mo agoBadenoch's two biggest flaws are that she's nowhere near as smart as she thinks she is and is incapable of admitting error. Both well illustrated by this fiasco.
He was right the first time. His initial response was humane and civilised, unlike the maladjusted fanatics who have bullied him into apologising for not being gleeful that a husband and father of three died before his time.
Ben Goldacre@bengoldacre.bsky.social · 2mo agoApologies: I’m not online much, I haven't paid any attention to Rod Liddle for a long time, I didn't really know his extremes. I do now: I wouldn’t have posted if I'd known. I’ve seen death of difficult people up close (and its impact on others): that’s the only reason it was on my mind as an issue.
Dipping a toe into BSky, I see the long-running "Whst happened to all the centre-right people?" discourse is off yet again. My question, if this post actually reaches anyone interested in replying, is what counts as "acceptable" right & how is it different from "doesn't disagree with us too much"?
‘As well as the ageing format, Live at the Apollo has another, unavoidable problem: it has become very uneven and often downright unfunny, as its contributors prioritise progressive political messaging over laughs.’ | Niall Gooch
Live at the Apollo deserves to die
Another round of BBC cuts, and yet more familiar names on the chopping block. This time it’s Live at the Apollo, which has run for more than two decades and has given exposure to many up-and-coming…
unherd.com
Donations remain open, if you would still like to contribute: www.donorbox.org/johnoxleydu
Support John and Natalie's Mission: Buy and Drive an Evacuation Vehicle to Ukraine 🇺🇦 011 | Driving Ukraine (Powered by Donorbox)
Help John and Natalie to Drive and Deliver a Life-Saving Evacuation Vehicle to Ukraine 🇺🇦In July 2026 John and Natalie Oxley will drive 1,318 miles across Europe in 3 days to deliver an evacuation veh...
donorbox.org
Even leaving aside how simply unpleasant some people are, it’s a striking illustration of how effective mis (or maybe dis) information can be that some people still repeat false claims 30 years after they were first made up.
The "handcuffing women in labour" thing from Widdecombe's time at the Home Office is a lie, anyone who repeats it is a bad faith actor or too lazy / stupid to fact-check a propaganda smear.
Giving this a little bit of a payday bump. So overwhelmed by the support we've had - and every little extra makes a difference. Beyond the vehicle, we can fund drone detectors, unmanned evac vehicles and more. If you can spare anything at all, it is massively appreciated and will save lives.
John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 4mo agoSome news: 🇺🇦 Next month I'm driving to Ukraine. 🇺🇦 I'll be delivering an evacuation vehicle, specially modified for saving lives in areas of the highest danger. But that's only possible if I can fundraise enough - £3,500. I'd be so grateful for any support you can give. donorbox.org/johnoxleydu
It’s striking that even now the phrase being used is “previously purchased Studio Canal content”. Not “previously purchased licenses to view Studio Canal content”. If the words “purchase” and “own” mean anything they surely exclude this kind of shenanigans, and I’m not sure how it’s legal.
Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 3mo agoPlayStation is deleting over 500 purchased movies from its customers' accounts 🎞️ • Includes films like 'Terminator 2', 'Rambo', 'Apocalypse Now', 'Hot Fuzz', and 'Moonlight' • No mention of refunds • Comes after a licensing deal ended
‘There is now a serious and fundamental divide between the national and post-national visions of Britain’ | Niall Gooch
unherd.com
Bluesky - you raised funds to pay for a vehicle and then some. I wanted a way to acknowledge that... so you get to name it. Enter suggestions in the website below. The best* will go into a vote nearer the time. car.jmoxley.co.uk (Determined by me, so no "Carie McCarFace")
Name the Car
car.jmoxley.co.uk
John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 4mo agoSome news: 🇺🇦 Next month I'm driving to Ukraine. 🇺🇦 I'll be delivering an evacuation vehicle, specially modified for saving lives in areas of the highest danger. But that's only possible if I can fundraise enough - £3,500. I'd be so grateful for any support you can give. donorbox.org/johnoxleydu
I don’t use Bluesky really, but as I have some former mutuals from the other place that are now only here, I thought I would share why I am worried about Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister. marlowe1939.substack.com/p/im-worried...
I’m worried about Andy Burnham
Judge him on his record? Ok then.
marlowe1939.substack.com
‘Land retains a kind of spiritual power and significance in Britain, representing stability and history’ | Niall Gooch
Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall sale could harm the monarchy
The Prince of Wales has given many nervous moments to those of a more conservative bent. From his apparent lack of interest in Christian faith to his advocacy for fashionable approaches to men’s…
unherd.com
23 Strand on the Green, Chiswick 1966 Timothy Rendle www.modernism-in-metroland.co.uk/23-strand-on...
I wrote about how two religious revolutions inadvertently rewired how England and Ireland drink postliberal.substack.com/p/the-drying...
THE DRYING OF THE ISLES
The specific historical conditions that produced the binge-drinking cultures of England and Ireland
postliberal.substack.com
