Finn Pollard
@heresfinn.bsky.social
Head of Academic Quality. Associate Prof (US History). Pollard's US Politics Thread (Fridays). Arts Reviewer. Lib Dem/Remainer. Views my own not UoL.
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Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 12th Dec 2025, or The Just Because I Narrated this Anti Vaccine Documentary Doesn’t Mean I Agree With It… (1/41)
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 12th Dec 2025, or The Just Because I Narrated this Anti Vaccine Documentary Doesn’t Mean I Agree With It… (1/41)
December 12, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 12th Dec 2025, or The Just Because I Narrated this Anti Vaccine Documentary Doesn’t Mean I Agree With It… (1/41)
Reposted by Finn Pollard
A “Reform vs Not Reform” strategy is only going to work for Labour if they are seen as credibly “not Reform” by LD/Green curious voters. Every hardline intervention on immigration weakens that credibility but without persuading Reform curious voters.
December 12, 2025 at 12:35 PM
A “Reform vs Not Reform” strategy is only going to work for Labour if they are seen as credibly “not Reform” by LD/Green curious voters. Every hardline intervention on immigration weakens that credibility but without persuading Reform curious voters.
The RSC have shown they can operate without the Barbican. The loss of the unusual in international theatre that Barbican still programmes will leave a big gap. Biggest problem at first glance looks to be for LSO: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Barbican to close its doors for a year for multimillion-pound renovation
London site’s theatre, music venue and galleries to close in June 2028, in first stage of upgrades before 50th anniversary
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The RSC have shown they can operate without the Barbican. The loss of the unusual in international theatre that Barbican still programmes will leave a big gap. Biggest problem at first glance looks to be for LSO: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
ROH Last Days: Surprised this has merited such a swift revival. The ensemble does their best but for an opera there was for me a fatal lack of drama.
December 7, 2025 at 3:43 PM
ROH Last Days: Surprised this has merited such a swift revival. The ensemble does their best but for an opera there was for me a fatal lack of drama.
As a regular customer I’m finding the overly complex processes London theatre & opera venues seem to increasingly put you through in order to share tickets really quite irritating.
December 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM
As a regular customer I’m finding the overly complex processes London theatre & opera venues seem to increasingly put you through in order to share tickets really quite irritating.
Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 5th Dec 2025, or, The It Was Definitely Legal But If It Wasn’t It Was All the Admiral’s Idea Edition… (1/47)
December 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 5th Dec 2025, or, The It Was Definitely Legal But If It Wasn’t It Was All the Admiral’s Idea Edition… (1/47)
I’m probably influenced by my recollections of Fein’s Oklahoma (wch I really disliked) but the new publicity image for his upcoming Bridge Into the Woods is making me worry that he thinks it’s a horror movie (it really isn’t).
November 30, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I’m probably influenced by my recollections of Fein’s Oklahoma (wch I really disliked) but the new publicity image for his upcoming Bridge Into the Woods is making me worry that he thinks it’s a horror movie (it really isn’t).
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 28th Nov 2025, or The Redefining Sedition Edition… (1/35)
November 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 28th Nov 2025, or The Redefining Sedition Edition… (1/35)
Greetings friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 22nd Nov 2025, or The Voyage Round the Cabinet Table Edition… (1/73)
November 22, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Greetings friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 22nd Nov 2025, or The Voyage Round the Cabinet Table Edition… (1/73)
Reading 2025: Devoured Tim Parks’s The Hero’s Way this week. Really felt I was walking with him and with Garibaldi. Occasionally dissented over his Brexit asides. Also wonderful on contradictions & gaps in the historical record. Highly recommended.
November 22, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reading 2025: Devoured Tim Parks’s The Hero’s Way this week. Really felt I was walking with him and with Garibaldi. Occasionally dissented over his Brexit asides. Also wonderful on contradictions & gaps in the historical record. Highly recommended.
Apologies to regular readers of the US Politics Thread - we’ll be publishing on Saturday this week owing to commitments this evening.
November 21, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Apologies to regular readers of the US Politics Thread - we’ll be publishing on Saturday this week owing to commitments this evening.
A government of “foundational ineffectiveness”. A brilliant evisceration of the current govt from Ian Dunt: iandunt.substack.com/p/a-clown-go...
A clown government elected on a seriousness ticket
People voted for Starmer because they wanted grown-up government. He should respect the mandate.
iandunt.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
A government of “foundational ineffectiveness”. A brilliant evisceration of the current govt from Ian Dunt: iandunt.substack.com/p/a-clown-go...
The whole ENO situation remains a mess. A small one in the grand scheme of things but as with many larger foul ups inherited from the previous govt not one the current govt seems prepared to do anything sensible to sort out: www.eno.org/press/englis...
English National Opera's Jenny Mollica appointed to lead the Roundhouse - ENO
English National Opera (ENO) has announced that Chief Executive, Jenny Mollica, has been appointed the next CEO of the Roundhouse.
www.eno.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:33 PM
The whole ENO situation remains a mess. A small one in the grand scheme of things but as with many larger foul ups inherited from the previous govt not one the current govt seems prepared to do anything sensible to sort out: www.eno.org/press/englis...
My thoughts on the National Theatre's Hamlet: www.wheresrunnicles.com/2025/11/haml...
Hamlet at the National, or, But He Hasn't Fired!
Act 3 Scene 4 is a fairly crucial moment in this play. For any readers who may need their memory refreshing this is the scene where Hamlet ...
www.wheresrunnicles.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:18 PM
My thoughts on the National Theatre's Hamlet: www.wheresrunnicles.com/2025/11/haml...
EIF site still down but the BBC seems to have the details - partnership with Avignon promising. Return of Berlin Phil notable. Ballo in Maschera looks like it’s directed by Adele Thomas (recent Glynde Semele underwhelming).
November 18, 2025 at 12:52 PM
EIF site still down but the BBC seems to have the details - partnership with Avignon promising. Return of Berlin Phil notable. Ballo in Maschera looks like it’s directed by Adele Thomas (recent Glynde Semele underwhelming).
Been wondering what's going on with the EIF announcement that was trailed for today (when they're going to tell us what they're actually staggering booking for). No sign of anything so far except that the website's gone down!
November 18, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Been wondering what's going on with the EIF announcement that was trailed for today (when they're going to tell us what they're actually staggering booking for). No sign of anything so far except that the website's gone down!
Years ago I read Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. Now I’ve finally got round to the sequel Bombs on Aunt Dainty. Moving & v powerful - particularly reading it while the govt unveils its latest anti-immigrant policies.
November 17, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Years ago I read Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. Now I’ve finally got round to the sequel Bombs on Aunt Dainty. Moving & v powerful - particularly reading it while the govt unveils its latest anti-immigrant policies.
NT Hamlet: A lot goes wrong in the second half. The fact I felt compelled to stop and check with an usher that i hadn’t imagined the direction of Polonius’s death…one of the most baffling things I’ve seen for some time. Play within play ludicrous.
November 15, 2025 at 4:47 PM
NT Hamlet: A lot goes wrong in the second half. The fact I felt compelled to stop and check with an usher that i hadn’t imagined the direction of Polonius’s death…one of the most baffling things I’ve seen for some time. Play within play ludicrous.
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 14th Nov 2025, or, The There’s Nothing to See Here Please Move Along Edition. (1/46)
November 14, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 14th Nov 2025, or, The There’s Nothing to See Here Please Move Along Edition. (1/46)
I agree. But in order to make any progress there would have to be an agreement for major change to the REF. There seems to be no sector will to pursue this (& the union also seems uninterested in pushing for this):
“It’s time for the ‘publish more’ mindset to perish.”
Mandy Hill, writing in the Financial Times, calls for reform in academic publishing:
Read the full letter (paywall) 🔗 https://cup.org/3WRVlDm
Mandy Hill, writing in the Financial Times, calls for reform in academic publishing:
Read the full letter (paywall) 🔗 https://cup.org/3WRVlDm
November 12, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I agree. But in order to make any progress there would have to be an agreement for major change to the REF. There seems to be no sector will to pursue this (& the union also seems uninterested in pushing for this):
I have written at length to explain why I think the Edinburgh International Festival's decision (announced in the Members newsletter last week) to open booking for selected events before the full programme is publicly available is mistaken: www.wheresrunnicles.com/2025/11/stag...
Staggered Booking at the Edinburgh International Festival Redux, or, You Cannot Be Serious
On the 3rd November I received an e-mail sent to all the various levels of Edinburgh International Festival Members. At this time of year I...
www.wheresrunnicles.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
I have written at length to explain why I think the Edinburgh International Festival's decision (announced in the Members newsletter last week) to open booking for selected events before the full programme is publicly available is mistaken: www.wheresrunnicles.com/2025/11/stag...
Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 7th Nov 2025, or, The Obviously Grocery Prices are Way Down Edition…(1/58)
November 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 7th Nov 2025, or, The Obviously Grocery Prices are Way Down Edition…(1/58)
Personal archive note. When I started doing the US Politics Thread back in 2022 I didn’t always save a copy of the start of thread link. Have just realised that as I‘ve done little on Facebook except cross-post it’s fairly easy job to recover the links to early threads. Pleased.
November 4, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Personal archive note. When I started doing the US Politics Thread back in 2022 I didn’t always save a copy of the start of thread link. Have just realised that as I‘ve done little on Facebook except cross-post it’s fairly easy job to recover the links to early threads. Pleased.
Just received an email from the Edinburgh International Festival informing me that a selection of perfs will go on sale later this month. Staggered booking was a daft idea when Linehan proposed it for 2016 & had to walk it back. It is no better an idea now. EIF should reconsider.
November 3, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Just received an email from the Edinburgh International Festival informing me that a selection of perfs will go on sale later this month. Staggered booking was a daft idea when Linehan proposed it for 2016 & had to walk it back. It is no better an idea now. EIF should reconsider.
V good on the ground reporting on the flag raisers: manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
manchestermill.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 9:27 AM
V good on the ground reporting on the flag raisers: manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...