James Leach
@jecleach.bsky.social
Writer and content marketing person. Write a newsletter about narrative, brand, messaging at https://itsallstorytelling.substack.com
Pinned
James Leach
@jecleach.bsky.social
· Sep 3
How Superman got dragged into the culture war
MAGA critics complained that the new Superman film has politicised the character as an American immigrant. But they fail to grasp why Superman is the most political superhero of them all.
open.substack.com
Enjoyed writing this Superman piece over the summer. I learned that Superman was essentially a New Deal Democrat. So people complaining about the politicisation of the character look kinda silly.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
Annoyingly, @stephenkb.bsky.social’s “can I have Rishi back? take from a few months ago is now aging like fine wine.
November 14, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Annoyingly, @stephenkb.bsky.social’s “can I have Rishi back? take from a few months ago is now aging like fine wine.
Reposted by James Leach
I despair about all this who is briefing against who nonsense.
Could they just govern.
Could they just govern.
November 12, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I despair about all this who is briefing against who nonsense.
Could they just govern.
Could they just govern.
Reposted by James Leach
My analysis - how did No10 radicalise this cohort of loyal, centrist, careerist Labour MPs who are now all out for regime change?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Thin majorities and chaotic strategy push Labour MPs toward regime change
Frustration with Starmer’s lack of visibility unlikely to be quelled by No 10 efforts to show up leadership challengers
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:26 PM
My analysis - how did No10 radicalise this cohort of loyal, centrist, careerist Labour MPs who are now all out for regime change?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
@13sarahmurphy.bsky.social can I politely suggest that you’re proving Robinson’s point? He’s saying that if we dismiss Farage as a clown and *dont* take his ambitions seriously, we risk deluding ourselves that he doesn’t stand a chance. Which is the trap liberals fell into with Trump and Johnson?
Once again, this isn’t journalism. It’s stroking the ego of a politician who’s done great national harm.
WhyTF should we take Farage seriously? Just because he wants power? Even more reason for ruthless scrutiny.
His track record is racist and ruinous. Any serious journalist would say so.
(iPaper)
WhyTF should we take Farage seriously? Just because he wants power? Even more reason for ruthless scrutiny.
His track record is racist and ruinous. Any serious journalist would say so.
(iPaper)
November 4, 2025 at 9:30 PM
@13sarahmurphy.bsky.social can I politely suggest that you’re proving Robinson’s point? He’s saying that if we dismiss Farage as a clown and *dont* take his ambitions seriously, we risk deluding ourselves that he doesn’t stand a chance. Which is the trap liberals fell into with Trump and Johnson?
My Halloween long read. Why British conservatives are still haunted by Thatcher.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
The ghost of Margaret Thatcher
One hundred years after her birth, why is British politics and British conservatism in particular, so haunted by the Iron Lady?
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM
My Halloween long read. Why British conservatives are still haunted by Thatcher.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
Yes I’m similarly annoyed that no one in a car advert is ever stuck in traffic or that people who take Gaviscon have their indigestion cured in under 5 seconds.
Minor point, but advertising is not designed to be representative of society as a whole! Which demographic tends to buy more trainers? Which buys more Volvos? Maybe those groups have different role models and favoured celebrities too? These people simply do not understand capitalism.
October 25, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Yes I’m similarly annoyed that no one in a car advert is ever stuck in traffic or that people who take Gaviscon have their indigestion cured in under 5 seconds.
Really enjoyed “Still Thatcher’s Britain?” hosted by @robertsaunders.bsky.social at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social.
My favourite, if sad observation of the night was @philipjcowley.bsky.social’s observation that we’re no longer in an era of policy detail, which was a hallmark of MT’s leadership.
My favourite, if sad observation of the night was @philipjcowley.bsky.social’s observation that we’re no longer in an era of policy detail, which was a hallmark of MT’s leadership.
October 21, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Really enjoyed “Still Thatcher’s Britain?” hosted by @robertsaunders.bsky.social at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social.
My favourite, if sad observation of the night was @philipjcowley.bsky.social’s observation that we’re no longer in an era of policy detail, which was a hallmark of MT’s leadership.
My favourite, if sad observation of the night was @philipjcowley.bsky.social’s observation that we’re no longer in an era of policy detail, which was a hallmark of MT’s leadership.
Reposted by James Leach
every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”
October 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”
Reposted by James Leach
I suspect I'm late to conclude this, but the long list of Freeview channels after the first handful are just a load of tat, aren't they.
October 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I suspect I'm late to conclude this, but the long list of Freeview channels after the first handful are just a load of tat, aren't they.
Reposted by James Leach
It's never the comms. Labour's comms is grey because in the absence of a clear strategy for what the government wants to achieve, no-one can defend or articulate what the government says in an interesting or exciting way.
I do wonder if Labour might look at the sorts of people dominating the discourse and dominating the content wars and maybe, just maybe, rethink the sorts of grey figures they routinely put up for interviews, instructed at that to be as cautious as possible. Things have changed. Their comms hasn’t.
October 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
It's never the comms. Labour's comms is grey because in the absence of a clear strategy for what the government wants to achieve, no-one can defend or articulate what the government says in an interesting or exciting way.
Latest post
In a summer when Westminster went quiet, Nigel Farage filled the silence.
While others holidayed, he ran a one-man campaign about “lawless Britain” turning unworkable ideas into viral stories.
He isn’t winning on policy. He’s winning on narrative.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
In a summer when Westminster went quiet, Nigel Farage filled the silence.
While others holidayed, he ran a one-man campaign about “lawless Britain” turning unworkable ideas into viral stories.
He isn’t winning on policy. He’s winning on narrative.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
Nigel Farage: the master storyteller
What narrative techniques enable the leader of Reform to so effectively dominate the UK's political discourse?
open.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Latest post
In a summer when Westminster went quiet, Nigel Farage filled the silence.
While others holidayed, he ran a one-man campaign about “lawless Britain” turning unworkable ideas into viral stories.
He isn’t winning on policy. He’s winning on narrative.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
In a summer when Westminster went quiet, Nigel Farage filled the silence.
While others holidayed, he ran a one-man campaign about “lawless Britain” turning unworkable ideas into viral stories.
He isn’t winning on policy. He’s winning on narrative.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
The latest from me: what makes Nigel Farage a master political storyteller for our age?
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
Nigel Farage: the master storyteller
What narrative techniques enable the leader of Reform to so effectively dominate the UK's political discourse?
open.substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:19 AM
The latest from me: what makes Nigel Farage a master political storyteller for our age?
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
Reposted by James Leach
Can someone ask Farage or Zia Yusuf why, if they're so concerned about incitement to violence, they had Lucy Connolly as a guest star at their conference?
October 1, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Can someone ask Farage or Zia Yusuf why, if they're so concerned about incitement to violence, they had Lucy Connolly as a guest star at their conference?
I’m enjoying both left wing and right wing critics of ID cards posting their objections on….checks notes….social media.
September 28, 2025 at 8:57 AM
I’m enjoying both left wing and right wing critics of ID cards posting their objections on….checks notes….social media.
Reposted by James Leach
I chatted with the @financialtimes.com about my writing, the podcast, tech criticism, and being myself.
archive.is/2025.09.25-0...
archive.is/2025.09.25-0...
September 25, 2025 at 8:28 AM
I chatted with the @financialtimes.com about my writing, the podcast, tech criticism, and being myself.
archive.is/2025.09.25-0...
archive.is/2025.09.25-0...
Reposted by James Leach
Free speech news
Trump:
"When you have a network, and you have evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump... They're not allowed to do that."
"When you have a network, and you have evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump... They're not allowed to do that."
September 18, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Free speech news
Reposted by James Leach
One of the better developments on the Beeb in recent years has been "BBC Verify", which does proper fact-checking & analysis.
But this substantive analysis seems entirely divorced from its political commentary, which is entirely focused on "showbiz" & sports-punditry.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
But this substantive analysis seems entirely divorced from its political commentary, which is entirely focused on "showbiz" & sports-punditry.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Do Reform's economic plans add up?
The party has pledged to boost spending, but some have questioned how the party intends to pay for its plans.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 7, 2025 at 9:06 AM
One of the better developments on the Beeb in recent years has been "BBC Verify", which does proper fact-checking & analysis.
But this substantive analysis seems entirely divorced from its political commentary, which is entirely focused on "showbiz" & sports-punditry.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
But this substantive analysis seems entirely divorced from its political commentary, which is entirely focused on "showbiz" & sports-punditry.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Started this week's newsletter trying to be impartial about Angela Rayner but just got angrier as the newsletter went on
itsallstorytelling.substack.com/p/the-week-i...
itsallstorytelling.substack.com/p/the-week-i...
The Week in Storytelling: 7th September, 2025
This week: what Angela Rayner's resignation tells us about the UK's housing market. Plus, why are British police officers monitoring hateful social media posts instead of social media companies?
itsallstorytelling.substack.com
September 7, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Started this week's newsletter trying to be impartial about Angela Rayner but just got angrier as the newsletter went on
itsallstorytelling.substack.com/p/the-week-i...
itsallstorytelling.substack.com/p/the-week-i...
Reposted by James Leach
*sound on* This is Andrea Jenkyns's ACTUAL singing entrance to the Reform UK conference.
Utter crackpots. And anyone who thinks this kind of idiotic look-at-me amateurs are how this country will "rediscover its pride" needs to have a lie-down.
Utter crackpots. And anyone who thinks this kind of idiotic look-at-me amateurs are how this country will "rediscover its pride" needs to have a lie-down.
September 5, 2025 at 1:07 PM
*sound on* This is Andrea Jenkyns's ACTUAL singing entrance to the Reform UK conference.
Utter crackpots. And anyone who thinks this kind of idiotic look-at-me amateurs are how this country will "rediscover its pride" needs to have a lie-down.
Utter crackpots. And anyone who thinks this kind of idiotic look-at-me amateurs are how this country will "rediscover its pride" needs to have a lie-down.
Enjoyed writing this Superman piece over the summer. I learned that Superman was essentially a New Deal Democrat. So people complaining about the politicisation of the character look kinda silly.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
How Superman got dragged into the culture war
MAGA critics complained that the new Superman film has politicised the character as an American immigrant. But they fail to grasp why Superman is the most political superhero of them all.
open.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Enjoyed writing this Superman piece over the summer. I learned that Superman was essentially a New Deal Democrat. So people complaining about the politicisation of the character look kinda silly.
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
open.substack.com/pub/itsallst...
One for @edzitron.com. Yet another example of a journalist interviewing an executive at Anthropic and letting them speak in vague truisms.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Are we sleepwalking into an AI 'economic bloodbath'?
Podcast Episode · The News Agents · 29/08/2025 · 38m
podcasts.apple.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
One for @edzitron.com. Yet another example of a journalist interviewing an executive at Anthropic and letting them speak in vague truisms.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Reposted by James Leach
Reform leader of Nottinghamshire council bans all communication, including by officials, with the main local paper. Nottingham Post/Nottingham Live ban also includes BBC-funded local democracy reporters.
www.nottinghampost.com/news/news-op...
www.nottinghampost.com/news/news-op...
Reform leader bans engagement with Notts Live in unprecedented step
All of Reform UK's Nottinghamshire county councillors will now refuse to speak to any of our journalists
www.nottinghampost.com
August 26, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reform leader of Nottinghamshire council bans all communication, including by officials, with the main local paper. Nottingham Post/Nottingham Live ban also includes BBC-funded local democracy reporters.
www.nottinghampost.com/news/news-op...
www.nottinghampost.com/news/news-op...
Reposted by James Leach
Good piece on Welsh Labour: "When I asked the First Minister about how Welsh Labour had improved Wales during their 25 years in office she pointed to free prescriptions - a policy introduced 18 years ago. When your key selling point is in itself old enough to vote in the election you have a problem"
A year of Eluned
Plus some rather sneaky Tories...
open.substack.com
August 10, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Good piece on Welsh Labour: "When I asked the First Minister about how Welsh Labour had improved Wales during their 25 years in office she pointed to free prescriptions - a policy introduced 18 years ago. When your key selling point is in itself old enough to vote in the election you have a problem"
Reposted by James Leach
This is a very thoughtful critique of my piece on men and attraction, I got a lot from it open.substack.com/pub/noahberl...
Meritocracy (In Dating) Is a Myth
Pretending the left can get young men laid just exacerbates patriarchy.
open.substack.com
August 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This is a very thoughtful critique of my piece on men and attraction, I got a lot from it open.substack.com/pub/noahberl...