Steffan.J
@cymrufod.bsky.social
Left-Liberal, interested in political ideas.
Chances are, you have debated someone like me before.
Chances are, you have debated someone like me before.
Reposted by Steffan.J
It is funny that everyone who’s ever said we need a PM who’s had a career outside of politics got exactly what they asked for with Starmer and they haven’t noticed
Finding this quite bizarre, the (growing) number of MPs who will say 'problem is the PM has no politics, is not politically experienced....answer is that we need a *different* hunky man with a long and impressive pre-politics career'.
Come on you are just making this up now
December 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
It is funny that everyone who’s ever said we need a PM who’s had a career outside of politics got exactly what they asked for with Starmer and they haven’t noticed
Enjoyed the discussions around this today.
I think part of the issue is everyone is now expected to be a commentator/campaigner, judged on how you come across to The Public, who are somehow separate, simple, and need to be spoken to simplistically.
I think part of the issue is everyone is now expected to be a commentator/campaigner, judged on how you come across to The Public, who are somehow separate, simple, and need to be spoken to simplistically.
Again, I would advise people to go read the media from 50 years ago. Sure, there was absolutely an awkward stiffness that the death of deference got rid of and I prefer it but they talked to you like adults in a way that very few newspapers do today.
I don't think it's all of it by any measure but I do absolutely believe that the political media's raging anti-intellectual streak has got worse with time and has ended up influencing the way MPs talk, and what they choose to talk/think about
November 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Enjoyed the discussions around this today.
I think part of the issue is everyone is now expected to be a commentator/campaigner, judged on how you come across to The Public, who are somehow separate, simple, and need to be spoken to simplistically.
I think part of the issue is everyone is now expected to be a commentator/campaigner, judged on how you come across to The Public, who are somehow separate, simple, and need to be spoken to simplistically.
Reposted by Steffan.J
Ian Hislop was on the private eye podcast last week sometime (I don't want to bash him in particular or a good podcast here but it illustrates the blind spot) and was talking about an office of political responsibility where politicians can't make fantasy claims and I was like "That's you!"
November 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Ian Hislop was on the private eye podcast last week sometime (I don't want to bash him in particular or a good podcast here but it illustrates the blind spot) and was talking about an office of political responsibility where politicians can't make fantasy claims and I was like "That's you!"
Transport for Wales thinking two train carriages will be enough following an international is certainly an opinion...
November 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Transport for Wales thinking two train carriages will be enough following an international is certainly an opinion...
Reposted by Steffan.J
I think a lot of the political bias stuff looks like "we are amazed and astonished that people who work at the BBC are people who have jobs in London or Manchester", crossed with "this point of view is very big on Twitter so it ought to also be big on the BBC"....
November 10, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I think a lot of the political bias stuff looks like "we are amazed and astonished that people who work at the BBC are people who have jobs in London or Manchester", crossed with "this point of view is very big on Twitter so it ought to also be big on the BBC"....
Predictions this far from a UK General Election are very stupid, but because I am very stupid, I predict that the party who will most benefit from FPTP will be the Lib Dems.
November 5, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Predictions this far from a UK General Election are very stupid, but because I am very stupid, I predict that the party who will most benefit from FPTP will be the Lib Dems.
Even putting aside his politics, this is exceptionally impressive presentational skills.
November 4, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Even putting aside his politics, this is exceptionally impressive presentational skills.
This core fact does get overlooked far too often.
the even crazier thing is that Labour has four years remaining of a five year term with massive, locked in governing majorities so at any time they could stop being morons and try to make the country a better place and become popular in time for the next election
October 31, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This core fact does get overlooked far too often.
The US has a leadership that can demolish the historic heart of its democracy without warning, while the UK has a leadership that can't act to avoid the demolition of the historic heart of its democracy even with repeated warnings.
I'm not 100% certain which is worse.
I'm not 100% certain which is worse.
October 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The US has a leadership that can demolish the historic heart of its democracy without warning, while the UK has a leadership that can't act to avoid the demolition of the historic heart of its democracy even with repeated warnings.
I'm not 100% certain which is worse.
I'm not 100% certain which is worse.
Another thing with the Labour assumption that the ideology of AntiReformism will motivate voters is that, if true, it'll motivate people to vote for parties most explicitly AntiReform.
Bluntly, Labour are trying very hard not to be that.
Bluntly, Labour are trying very hard not to be that.
It's far too early to be writing off Reform based on potential for tactical voting, but it's hugely uncertain what the electorate's mood will be in 2029. Labour could fight back to ~30% or it could be polling worse than now. Very obviously the state of the economy and public services matters a lot.
October 24, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Another thing with the Labour assumption that the ideology of AntiReformism will motivate voters is that, if true, it'll motivate people to vote for parties most explicitly AntiReform.
Bluntly, Labour are trying very hard not to be that.
Bluntly, Labour are trying very hard not to be that.
Plaid's central electoral problem has been that it's too similar to Welsh Labour for voters to switch to them.
It may now become Welsh Labour's problem, if Plaid do overtake them.
It may now become Welsh Labour's problem, if Plaid do overtake them.
October 24, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Plaid's central electoral problem has been that it's too similar to Welsh Labour for voters to switch to them.
It may now become Welsh Labour's problem, if Plaid do overtake them.
It may now become Welsh Labour's problem, if Plaid do overtake them.
Some commentators interpret the Caerphilly result the broad Left uniting to defeat Reform, which is good news for Labour, as they'll do that again.
If it was just Anti-Reform, then surely they'd have united behind the incumbent party that's won every election since before TV was invented?
If it was just Anti-Reform, then surely they'd have united behind the incumbent party that's won every election since before TV was invented?
Why Caerphilly may be good news for Starmer.
✍️ Tim Shipman
✍️ Tim Shipman
Why Caerphilly may be good news for Starmer
I wonder whether hidden within the Caerphilly by-election result is good news for Keir Starmer. It was a disappointing night for Reform.
www.spectator.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Some commentators interpret the Caerphilly result the broad Left uniting to defeat Reform, which is good news for Labour, as they'll do that again.
If it was just Anti-Reform, then surely they'd have united behind the incumbent party that's won every election since before TV was invented?
If it was just Anti-Reform, then surely they'd have united behind the incumbent party that's won every election since before TV was invented?
Reposted by Steffan.J
That scene of the Welsh BBC correspondent being the only person interviewing Caerphilly's new Plaid AM while the rest of the media interviewed Reform's loser in the background was far too on the nose.
October 24, 2025 at 1:34 AM
That scene of the Welsh BBC correspondent being the only person interviewing Caerphilly's new Plaid AM while the rest of the media interviewed Reform's loser in the background was far too on the nose.
Reposted by Steffan.J
Apropos of nothing, I really do think UK journalists and politicians need some reminding that mass deportation of LEGAL immigrants, particularly those with permanent status, is far more extreme than even Trump's America and would basically place Britain completely on its own among democracies.
October 19, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Apropos of nothing, I really do think UK journalists and politicians need some reminding that mass deportation of LEGAL immigrants, particularly those with permanent status, is far more extreme than even Trump's America and would basically place Britain completely on its own among democracies.
Reposted by Steffan.J
The BBC are accidentally running the subtitles to Mrs Marple over the Mercury Prize, and it’s rather wonderful. A few of lines could plausibly have been written by Jarvis.
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The BBC are accidentally running the subtitles to Mrs Marple over the Mercury Prize, and it’s rather wonderful. A few of lines could plausibly have been written by Jarvis.
I'm sure that once we loudly insist on A-Level standard English as a minimum, to block those with the construction skills we need to deliver the growth the government's entire strategy is built upon, the polls will really shift.
October 16, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I'm sure that once we loudly insist on A-Level standard English as a minimum, to block those with the construction skills we need to deliver the growth the government's entire strategy is built upon, the polls will really shift.
Reposted by Steffan.J
A story in three parts
October 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
A story in three parts
Reposted by Steffan.J
I have a fun thing in my life where my social circle are leftlib urban PMC, half my family are from deep red North Wales and the other half are British Indians and you think “ok you should ALL be Labour’s core vote and you ALL hate the government”
October 16, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I have a fun thing in my life where my social circle are leftlib urban PMC, half my family are from deep red North Wales and the other half are British Indians and you think “ok you should ALL be Labour’s core vote and you ALL hate the government”
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Gulf War
The surprise Tory win in 1992
New Labour victory in 1997
Welsh Assembly referendum
Britpop wasn't an event, but it captured and partly created the anti-elitist, all-inclusive, apolitical pre-millennium zeitgeist.
The Gulf War
The surprise Tory win in 1992
New Labour victory in 1997
Welsh Assembly referendum
Britpop wasn't an event, but it captured and partly created the anti-elitist, all-inclusive, apolitical pre-millennium zeitgeist.
What five events defined your childhood?
• The Challenger Explosion
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall
• The Gulf War
• The Oklahoma City Bombing
• The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal
I have no memory of the Chernobyl disaster. But I remember the Challenger disaster from the same year.
• The Challenger Explosion
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall
• The Gulf War
• The Oklahoma City Bombing
• The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal
I have no memory of the Chernobyl disaster. But I remember the Challenger disaster from the same year.
October 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Gulf War
The surprise Tory win in 1992
New Labour victory in 1997
Welsh Assembly referendum
Britpop wasn't an event, but it captured and partly created the anti-elitist, all-inclusive, apolitical pre-millennium zeitgeist.
The Gulf War
The surprise Tory win in 1992
New Labour victory in 1997
Welsh Assembly referendum
Britpop wasn't an event, but it captured and partly created the anti-elitist, all-inclusive, apolitical pre-millennium zeitgeist.
England really need to get over it
October 9, 2025 at 6:22 PM
England really need to get over it
We all agree that things should be legal unless officially banned.
Why the hell are we banning anything and everything from being built unless it's officially and individually legalised?
After two decades of zero growth, maybe, just maybe, we need to develop in order to develop.
Why the hell are we banning anything and everything from being built unless it's officially and individually legalised?
After two decades of zero growth, maybe, just maybe, we need to develop in order to develop.
A pub in London Fields is trying to put up a timber canopy over its outside seating.
The planning process so far has taken FIVE YEARS. That’s longer than it took to build the entire Hoover Dam. capx.co/nimby-watch-...
The planning process so far has taken FIVE YEARS. That’s longer than it took to build the entire Hoover Dam. capx.co/nimby-watch-...
READ MORE
Hackney council is coming down on a popular East London pub
capx.co
October 6, 2025 at 7:04 PM
We all agree that things should be legal unless officially banned.
Why the hell are we banning anything and everything from being built unless it's officially and individually legalised?
After two decades of zero growth, maybe, just maybe, we need to develop in order to develop.
Why the hell are we banning anything and everything from being built unless it's officially and individually legalised?
After two decades of zero growth, maybe, just maybe, we need to develop in order to develop.
It does seem that the BBC News treats criticism from liberals and the Left as proof of its objectivity and criticisms from the Right as proof of its bias.
Given that it's primarily funded by under 50s who lean left, for the benefit for the right-leaning pensioners, this might not be sustainable.
Given that it's primarily funded by under 50s who lean left, for the benefit for the right-leaning pensioners, this might not be sustainable.
October 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM
It does seem that the BBC News treats criticism from liberals and the Left as proof of its objectivity and criticisms from the Right as proof of its bias.
Given that it's primarily funded by under 50s who lean left, for the benefit for the right-leaning pensioners, this might not be sustainable.
Given that it's primarily funded by under 50s who lean left, for the benefit for the right-leaning pensioners, this might not be sustainable.