Josh Westerling
@joshwesterling.bsky.social
1.9K followers 980 following 760 posts
Work on campaigns and public affairs at JRF. Current home Bethnal Green, from Wycombe. West Ham ST holder. Views mine.
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joshwesterling.bsky.social
Also wonder if combined authorities may want to request to central government the workers they think they need for growth strategies or that they are happy to take X number of asylum seekers. Particularly given the political traditions of some of those cities that dominate the CAs.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
On migration and asylum, for example, you could exercise state control at the same time as opening up the conversation through e.g. British Future rec for a 'Budget style' event to discuss migration numbers and asylum policy, or more localised citizen assembly style discussions.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Another is arguably embodied by Burnham who has hinted towards a more pluralist and dispersed form of power through devolution, approach to party management, and possibilities of electoral reform.

Wonder whether there are opportunities for the two to combine...
joshwesterling.bsky.social
There are two democratising visions of Labour's future beginning to emerge. One is embodied by Mahmood and is primarily about the state's power and credibility to exercise the political will - perceived or otherwise - of 'the people' that is distilled by the issues with the border.
Mahmood: UK has lost control of its borders
Home Secretary says failures on migration are eroding trust as she calls for international response
www.telegraph.co.uk
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Starmer channelled this in his conference speech, and spoke specifically about Chinese takeaways being targeted.

Yesterday Big John went to show his support for the Dragon House in York.

Time to find and support more Big John's.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
For West Ham fans this is a rather welcome reprieve
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Finally got round to reading this, everyone should. It is excellent.

And speak to anyone in their teens if you need convincing that the left is ceding this ideological battleground. Not just on cultural issues, but everything from economic aspiration to ideas of the good life.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Nice defence and extolling of the UK's culture and traditions in the FT by Tristram Hunt, pleading someone tells that story. Given that 'collision between the past and present' I think this is fertile ground for the left to develop a thicker patriotism.

www.ft.com/content/6cc5...
Don’t move to Dubai — this is still the place to be
Better to buy the dip and celebrate the UK as an enduring cultural behemoth
www.ft.com
Reposted by Josh Westerling
dmk1793.bsky.social
Reading @londoncentric.media and reflecting on how everything wrong with Britain can be seen through Deliveroo:
- much of the economy is fraudulent
- people don’t go outside
- workers are underpaid and insecure
- the immigration system is broken
- society is being eroded by Big Tech
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Just came across a relic from 2021
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Think politicians are actually more comfortable with the shift from TV -> short-form video, less so with longer-form formats. Process of writing good speeches might help with that by thinking through an argument and feeling confident to discuss it at length.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Given their conference speeches seem to have bought both Badenoch and Starmer some time, it does I think support the case that frontline politicians should have bigger teams of speechwriters.

It's still a form of communication that matters, not just the speech itself but the process of writing it.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Kate - seems 'fake' because she's different to how she is on TV and that is assumed to be her real self?

Could argue both are being themselves whilst other TV people are playing themselves. Was nice how Stephen Fry defended Niko.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Quite interesting watching the different ways TV personalities vs. YouTubers behave on the Traitors and how that's perceived both by the people on the show and watching at home.

Niko - accused of being a traitor because he does pranks on YouTube? Hasn't really played a 'TV part' on the show.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
We need more, not less, warm and welcoming places (with amazing food) like Kaieteur Kitchen in London. What seems like pernicious behaviour from landlords and agents might close one of London's best restaurants. www.vittlesmagazine.com/p/theres-one...
There's one week left to save one of London's best restaurants
The battle for Castle Square, and suspicious goings on in Southwark, by Jonathan Nunn and Gavin Cleaver
www.vittlesmagazine.com
joshwesterling.bsky.social
I like this (but not everything is about growth!!!)

Basically think we should pay as much attention to supporting pubs as the Italians do to coffee. We can protect these places (and others like them) if we choose too.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Pubs to stay open until early hours in push for UK growth
Exclusive: Plans for England and Wales would help the ailing hospitality sector but have attracted criticism from health experts
www.theguardian.com
joshwesterling.bsky.social
In general, I'm not sure where the home for small 'c' English conservatism is anymore.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Rather than there being a genuine strategy to demonstrate economic credentials they're holding out hope for a fiscal crisis to tip things in their favour. So without anything real to say in that regard my sense is they'll keep going hard on culture and will be to the right of Reform.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
More so as they'll keep leaning into it in part due to their economic agenda being empty. They want to position as fiscally responsible whilst there has been little mea culpa about the Truss disaster - people giggle about it at panel events or come up with weak excuses for why it failed.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Sadly I saw very little evidence at Tory conference that there is any significant counterweight to the direction Jenrick has gone in - indeed, many were supportive of it - and that is a very worrying development in our politics.
joshwesterling.bsky.social
Striking both the populist left and right are pitching toward this section of the public which I've only really seen Dan Evans write about. Gap for the govt?
joshwesterling.bsky.social
This is an important point especially when political parties (partic Labour?) seem to be putting more energy into slowly adjusting their politicians communication style rather than encouraging this wider cultivation.

And then how much that rubs against an ingrained party culture.