I was at a meeting recently about the politics of "Gen Z". One of the contributors had some serious concerns about banning the under 16 digital ban and suggested that society/ politics would be better safeguarded by banning the over 60s from using social media. I can't stop thinking about this.

Grownups: "People need to see a balance between long-term reforms and immediate, tangible changes" Also Grownups: "MAKING BUSES AND ELECTRICITY A BIT CHEAPER IS THAT ALL YOU CAN DO" I'm sure I'll find many reasons to be critical soon but there's real cognitive dissonance/ bad faith at work here.

This just strikes me as such a good way to build long-term campaigning capacity. The DSA, the Bloc (RIP) and other groups prioritise building long-term infrastructure for communities but it's rare to actually see a candidate consciously do this in a Global North context.

Kat Abughazaleh@katmabu.bsky.social · 2w ago

People always ask what comes after a campaign. For me, the answer was starting KAPOW. Earlier this year on Morning Joe, I talked about why campaign infrastructure shouldn’t disappear after Election Day. The people, resources, and momentum we build should stay in our communities. Here’s how:

Miatta!

For a whole bunch of reasons, both personal and professional, I was properly moved hearing the Prime Minister use his first address to say: “I will place the care of people at the heart of everything I do”.

I think after this Britain should give the Falklands to Spain, as a treat

I forgot the Bronze match was happening. Switched it on at 24 minutes and it seems like maybe the French team also forgot?

Happy Flying Ant Day to all who observe.

One of the biggest misunderstandings of politics in our time is that the Left has become all about identity politics. The opposite is the case. The Left has (nearly everywhere) completely given up on shaping, representing, and mobilizing identities. Instead, the far right has successfully done it.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 3w ago

"The right rarely starts with ideology. It starts with identity. It starts with the feeling that somebody understands your frustrations. Agreement comes later. The right isn’t just building audiences. It’s building participants. It isn’t trying to persuade. It’s trying to join them."

Consequences for Farage are objectively a good thing. But if you need proof that we won't get far by going after only the most visible parts of an ecosystem, consider this: The *Labour party* is unable to decide whether a strong commitment to net-zero is disqualifying for the role of Chancellor.

Satbir Singh@satbirsingh.bsky.social · 3w ago

To use a football metaphor (rare for me), we need to play both the ball and the man. Men like Farage can be exposed as corrupt, recalled and booted out of office. But we *also* have to understand and dismantle the much larger ecosystems and agendas behind them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Or much of a drop in public support. Fascinating example of elite consensus switching despite popular opinion.

Arieh Kovler@ariehkovler.com · 3w ago

In two years Net Zero went from broad political consensus to politically toxic, without any particular scandal over the policy.

A backbencher recently told me they were worried that swathes of the PLP would see Burnham's coronation as enough *on its own* to change the party's fortunes, to "change the vibes a bit" without a substantively different policy offer. The new govt has less time than it thinks to prove this wrong.

Jonathan Portes@jdportes.bsky.social · 3w ago

Starmer and Reeves' legacy is stabilisation without a strategy. My unsolicited advice to Andy Burnham and the new Chancellor. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Next week, deep in the Treasury: “Claude, what are my options if I want to proscribe, detain or deport ‘productivity growth’?”

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 3w ago

Shabana Mahmood set to be named UK chancellor by Andy Burnham ft.trib.al/B8BshzA

Saladin in 1189:

Katelyn Burns@katelynburns.com · 3w ago

The English crosses are weak

Simeone is what happens when the international rules based system breaks down.

Take a minute for this Sam Neill clip, reuniting with his JP co-stars.

There is always another frontier. ¡No pasarán!

James Goodwin@jamesgoodwin.bsky.social · 3w ago

My god. The Heritage Foundation, which mercilessly attacked transgender kids in order to protect the "integrity of women's sports," is now attacking the legal basis for women's sports. The transgender student decision is barely 2 weeks old.

To use a football metaphor (rare for me), we need to play both the ball and the man. Men like Farage can be exposed as corrupt, recalled and booted out of office. But we *also* have to understand and dismantle the much larger ecosystems and agendas behind them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nigel Farage: The mysterious crypto firm backed by Reform's biggest donor

Tether is a giant in crytocurrency, an industry that Nigel Farage believes the UK should be embracing.

bbc.co.uk

Strong causal evidence that not cooperating with the radical right strengthens the mainstream right.

Werner Krause@krausewe.bsky.social · 3w ago

New working paper w/ @denis-cohen.bsky.social @rantuna.bsky.social & @turnbulldugarte.com! *Does publicly refusing to cooperate with the far right only strengthen it?* A widespread belief says yes. In this paper, we test it based on a natural experiment from Spain. tinyurl.com/5azkfnas [1/6]

Every project of ethnic cleansing has aimed not only to destroy a population but to destroy its soul, its power to create or experience joy and the spaces in which those who survive trauma can experience normality. Another terrible, tragic day in Gaza. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Palestinians mourn Gaza World Cup screenings organiser killed in Israeli strike

Aid worker Mohammed al-Wahidi had become a prominent humanitarian figure during the Israel-Hamas war.

bbc.co.uk

Constitution nerds: As I understand it, there is no 'resignation' from Parliament, you just have to take one of these weird ancient jobs with a title that bars you from being an MP. Who makes those appointments and is there any precedent for the appointment not being made when requested?

Farage goes full Trump with the endless self pity. A few immediate thoughts: - Sidesteps IPSO - Challenge to Burnham framing new PM as afraid of electorate for next 2 years - Depending on timeline, if he holds Clacton it makes him the main character/story again during Burnham’s first 100 days.

What do we think the Farage announcement will be? Wrong answers only. I'll go first: "Nigel Farage" was a 30-year satirical performance art piece funded by the European Union to test the limits of British irony.

LePen appeal decision being handed down imminently. Farage making an announcement on his future at 2PM. Big day for corrupt would-be autocrats.

If there isn’t at least one newspaper with the words “Trump Card” on its front page tomorrow then I’m sorry but the collapse of print media should no longer be anyone’s concern.

Starmer at the final, Burnham welcoming the parade, like a really tensely negotiated Christmas for children of divorce.

Portes "Theres a lot of nonsense talked, including on Sky, about the spiralling welfare bill.. as a proportion of our national income.. its lower than it was 15yrs ago & its pretty much back to what it was under Thatcher.. this idea its out of control is just wrong" Spot on!

DRC leading England in the first seven minutes is genuinely something to behold.

5 year old upon learning that we will be visiting his cousins in America later in the year: "BUT THE TESLA MAN LIVES THERE WILL WE BE SAFE SHOULD I TAKE A DRAGON". My work on this earth is done.

"Hard borders = good race relations" has been an assumed position for both the Tories + Labour since at least the 1970s. A bit of the history by me + @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social from back in the day here: www.independent.co.uk/voices/natio...

Opinion: On National Windrush Day, this is the history of British immigration policy and how we can change it

It’s worth remembering that the belief that good race relations require hostility to new arrivals has had cross-party support for decades

independent.co.uk

Paul Brand@paulbrand.bsky.social · 11mo ago

This is first time I’ve heard the govt making the Labour argument for controlling immigration. Mahmood argues that controlling our borders is good for race relations, because uncontrolled immigration is feeding far right rhetoric and tensions. Expect to hear a lot more of that.