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Tim Bale

@timbale.bsky.social

Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London & author of The Conservative Party after Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation (now out in paperback). The bits and pieces I do for websites and newspapers turn up eventually at https://proftimbale.com

5768 Posts29944 Follower1224 Folgt
Mark Wallace@wallaceme.bsky.social · 7h ago

FWIW I agree with Ollie Dean: we should want extremists to be deradicalised. We should want former criminals to be rehabilitated and live productive lives. None of that means either group (or someone who is both) should be a candidate for election. conservativehome.com/2026/08/05/i...

I believe in second chances - but not for former neo-Nazis | Conservative Home

Again, I reiterate that I am all for second chances. But there comes a point in which one cannot extend the generosity of yet another attempt. Bonehill-Paine - I believe -, despite what he has done si...

conservativehome.com

James Breckwoldt@jamesbreckwoldt.bsky.social · yesterday

🚨POST BY ME & CALLUM HUNTER-DAWSON🚨 Richard Nixon’s career offers remarkably complete education in modern elections, political science, sociology, media theory, international relations, economics and so much more. This article looks at this life up to 1968 when he became president

How Richard Nixon's life explains modern politics (Part 1)

Social class, material insecurity, status resentment, generations, media image, electoral coalitions, demography and the median voter

substack.com

Rob Ford@robfordmancs.bsky.social · yesterday

Seems to me "hold allies and opponents to the same standards" is a very simple and important rule to apply, but a lot of people in this argument (as in many args of this kind) look to me not to be applying it.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2d ago

66 seems a young age for Rod Liddle to die. Talented comic writer, insightful about football.obvs took much pleasure in transgressing political correctness But just lied when caught being much more indefensibly racist+ sexist online in his Millwallmonkey persona www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...

Sunday Times and Sun columnist Rod Liddle dies aged 66

Tributes paid across industry to provocative journalist who died after short illness

theguardian.com

Colm Murphy@colmpm.bsky.social · yesterday

It's nice to see P&P promoting my article as we approach the anniversary of the 1976 IMF Crisis, when unilateral protectionism was furiously debated within the bowels of the British state. It's open access and free to read via the link below.

'The Political Crisis of British Keynesianism', by Colm Murphy. Abstract: 'In histories of Western political economy in the 1970s–1980s, Keynesianism is conventionally depicted as a victim of neoliberal ascendancy. Building on revisionist scholarship, this article looks beyond neoliberalism to explain the fate of Keynesianism in the transforming political economy of the United Kingdom in its global contexts. It explores a neglected case study: the intense controversies sparked by the Keynesian policy makers Wynne Godley and Francis Cripps. Responding to stagflation and strikes, Godley and Cripps demanded sweeping import controls to forestall mass unemployment and reverse Britain’s ‘decline’. They became celebrity economists, attracting admiration and opprobrium from government ministers and officials, political parties, journalists, and the City. Their arguments raised thorny questions, not just over economic policy, but also over Britain’s domestic statecraft and geopolitical relations after empire, during the Cold War, and inside the European Community. Revisiting these debates underscores the destabilizing impact of de-industrialization. It also reveals that (geo)political calculation determined the fate of Keynesian policy making more directly than neoliberal ideology. Godley and Cripps’s failure therefore illuminates a deeper political dilemma for fin-de-siècle Keynesians across Europe: upon which territorial order could they, and should they, exercise demand management as globalization accelerated? This question continues to shape Western politics in the twenty-first century.'
Past and Present@pastpresentsoc.bsky.social · yesterday

On advance access "The Political Crisis of British Keynesianism, 1973–1983" by @colmpm.bsky.social (‪@qmpoliticsir.bsky.social‬) #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1093/past...

Marie Le Conte@youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · yesterday

saying this not as a dig to Paul but as a general point, but it does worry me that we've ended up in a world where the two options are seemingly "leftist bubble" or "oh hey the nazis are here" - surely we should be able to have a politically heterogenous platform with tight rules on hate speech etc?

Paul Bernal@paulbernal.bsky.social · yesterday

The new CEO of Bluesky wants to change Bluesky from being a leftist bubble. The thing is, there’s nothing wrong with being a leftist bubble: the idea that everything has to be all-encompassing and suitable for everyone is a trap. 🧵 1/4

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · yesterday

Favourite quote: "When it comes to meeting world leaders, they’re not going to go, ‘Oh, he likes The Smiths, so we’ll do a deal with him’."

“He might be hopeless, but he seems genuine”: My focus groups on the early days of Andy Burnham - Lord Ashcroft Polls

My latest focus groups took place in Wallsend, Norwich and Lowestoft, where recently disgruntled 2024 Labour voters – and some opponents – told us what they made of Andy Burnham’s first days as prime ...

lordashcroftpolls.com

Alastair Meeks@alastairmeeks.bsky.social · 2d ago

This may be my most elite post ever, but I used to own a private swimming pool and you wouldn't fill it from a hosepipe (it would take FOREVER). If you're building a new private swimming pool, you need a direct connection to mains water to fill (and refill) it.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2d ago

Good for Times Radio: got a former Navy commanding officer of a warship on right now (1745) saying the plan (sic) is as full of holes as a leaky dinghy.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2d ago

Sorry but unless you, as a media outlet, have managed to get someone from the Navy (probably a former sailor because those currently serving maybe disbarred from commenting) to explain that this is extremely unlikely to happen for legal reasons, then, arguably, you haven't really done your job.

Pontus Odmalm@podmalm.bsky.social · 2d ago

“A growing number of Britain’s top universities are trapped in a crisis which seems to have no end in sight. As funding shortfalls lead to staff cuts and strike action, morale is low and goodwill exhausted.” Important read 👇

Peter Geoghegan@petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 2d ago

Behind the bewildering transformation of British universities, are management consultants being paid millions Really proud to have this vital piece on our unis are being gutted from the inside by @jheathershaw.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale. Do read democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-bri...

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2d ago

Judging from the reaction to Farage's 'policy' announcement today from both Labour and the Tories, it may be that his capacity to do the below is waning. Not sure about Hanson, mind.

Pic of abstract of academic article co-authored by me: Countries with populist radical right governments are the exception rather thanthe rule. This paper uses the Australian case of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation(PHON) and the UK case of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) – and itseffective successor, the Brexit Party – to help explain a puzzle: how dopopulist radical right parties in the absence of any likely route to winningoffice or even holding legislative influence achieve policy payoffs? Tracingthe political factors that have driven policy influence in these two casesreveals that an entrepreneurial leader with agenda-setting influence can havepolicy impact, despite disadvantageous structural conditions, through thefollowing: leveraging electoral influence over both social democratic andmainstream right parties; gaining credibility through sub-national elections;and achieving (or threatening to achieve) defections from centre-right parties.
Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2d ago

Sorry but unless you, as a media outlet, have managed to get someone from the Navy (probably a former sailor because those currently serving maybe disbarred from commenting) to explain that this is extremely unlikely to happen for legal reasons, then, arguably, you haven't really done your job.