banner
LightNews
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan
@markshanahan.bsky.social
530 followers 1.4K following 960 posts
Political historian into US & UK politics. Associate Professor at the University of Surrey, sometimes on the radio/TV. Follower of the mighty Wycombe Wanderers & the underperforming Middlesex CCC. Into books, theatre & jangly guitars.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 1d
Wordle 1,579 5/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Real thing. #Wordle1579
3
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 1d
Wordle 1,578 5/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟩🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Funny thing. #Wordle1578
3
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 2d
The UK is a very different, far more secular, society. Unlike the US, there is no political power over here in the hands of Christian conservatives. If we see religious conservatism in our politics at all it's through Muslim councillors and a small number of independent MPs ranked against Farage.
4
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 3d
Wordle 1,577 3/6

⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨
⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Another banned weapon?
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 4d
Wordle 1,576 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜
⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Cutting through the options. #Wordle1576
3
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 5d
Wordle 1,575 5/6

🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Ultra annoying. #Wordle1575
4
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 5d
On this #WorldMentalHealthDay I remember my son - as I do every day, and every moment when I'm not consciously thinking of something else. We lost Rory aged 22 in 2018, one of more than 100 students who dies by suicide in the UK every year - the tip of a mental health crisis iceberg. #AcademicSky
1 1 4
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 6d
#Wordle1574 5/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Stayed the course
4
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 6d
To be fair to her, he has absolutely no grace and just doesn't shut up. An odd panel again with both a Reform bro and a right wing libertarian, ex IEA journo. Audience was good though. #bbcqt
1 3
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 6d
Certainly one of the most tin-eared and right up there for ignorance. #bbcqt
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 6d
He lies in the way that other people breathe.
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 6d
The Norwegians could really mess with #Trump's mind...and give the #NobelPeacePrize to #Witkoff. #AmericanPolitics
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 7d
Wordle 1,573 4/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜
🟨🟩⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Sailor's kiss?
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 7d
Wordle 1,572 5/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 And it did.
2
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 8d
Which one's Jenrick?
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 8d
Wordle 1,571 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟩⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 There's the rub.
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 9d
Wordle 1,570 3/6

🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Made me smile?
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 9d
Ah, but that would mean sticking their head above the parapet and breaking with the groupthink.
2
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 11d
Wordle 1,569 3/6

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Buzzin'
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 11d
Every now and then, the Tories need a Hague (wrong time), a Duncan Smith (wrong man), or a Howard (wrong man, wrong time) to reset, lose the losing mentality and prepare for a real fight - as delivered by Cameron. Badenoch seems to have immediately lurched into all the worst elements of Tories 97-05
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 11d
Wordle 1,568 4/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Team effort?
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 12d
Instincts of a blind mole rat.
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 13d
Wordle 1,567 5/6

🟩⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 What a jerk.
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 14d
Yet we've made tax a dirty word in this country. I'm old enough to remember the 70s (though not as a tax payer) when our expectation was of a far higher level of direct tax. Thatcher's switch to tax on consumption changed the landscape, yet the top rate of income tax was 60% in her 1st budget!
1
markshanahan.bsky.social
Mark Shanahan @markshanahan.bsky.social · 14d
Hardly helps that @conservatives.bsky.social have accepted £ millions from organised climate sceptics - they're now calling in their debt and Badenoch lacks the strength or principle to deny them. Look at the likes of Hintze, Vinson and Moynihan to understand why Kemi has suddenly found her voice.