Paul Kelly
@pjthinker.bsky.social
Professor of Political Theory
Former Head of Department of Government and PVC Education
London School of Economics
Author Against Post-liberalism: Why Faith, Family and Flag is a Dead End for the Left, Polity Press 2025
Former Head of Department of Government and PVC Education
London School of Economics
Author Against Post-liberalism: Why Faith, Family and Flag is a Dead End for the Left, Polity Press 2025
BBC #r4today Amol Rajan doing his best to criticise the reduction of Child Poverty by removing the two child cap. The two child cap was neither consistent with rights nor pro-family - hard to see a conservative principle that supports the two child cap…
November 28, 2025 at 8:24 AM
BBC #r4today Amol Rajan doing his best to criticise the reduction of Child Poverty by removing the two child cap. The two child cap was neither consistent with rights nor pro-family - hard to see a conservative principle that supports the two child cap…
BBC board have been concerned to reach out to Reform voters who have lost trust in the corporation. Might they now give similar concern to Labour voters and other progressives who think the reduction in child poverty is actually a good thing…
November 27, 2025 at 9:17 PM
BBC board have been concerned to reach out to Reform voters who have lost trust in the corporation. Might they now give similar concern to Labour voters and other progressives who think the reduction in child poverty is actually a good thing…
Happy Thanksgiving to all @lsegovernment.bsky.social students who are celebrating…
November 27, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Happy Thanksgiving to all @lsegovernment.bsky.social students who are celebrating…
Doing some prep for the discussion below and reading Stephen Wolfe’s The Case for Christian Nationalism. All I can say is Wow - Rousseau would have approved… (Wolfe is one of the influences on J D Vance, though definitely not Catholic, instead a curious Protestant Integralist; it’s a thing!)
November 27, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Doing some prep for the discussion below and reading Stephen Wolfe’s The Case for Christian Nationalism. All I can say is Wow - Rousseau would have approved… (Wolfe is one of the influences on J D Vance, though definitely not Catholic, instead a curious Protestant Integralist; it’s a thing!)
Prize for first review of Against Post-Liberalism and @mattsleat.bsky.social forthcoming Post Liberalism goes to Tom Jones in The Critic. A rather nice review but concludes on a return to John Gray, as I was saying earlier on here Gray’s post-theory approach is under explored in post-liberalism…
November 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Prize for first review of Against Post-Liberalism and @mattsleat.bsky.social forthcoming Post Liberalism goes to Tom Jones in The Critic. A rather nice review but concludes on a return to John Gray, as I was saying earlier on here Gray’s post-theory approach is under explored in post-liberalism…
Reposted by Paul Kelly
Jan-Werner Mueller: “All post-liberals have at one point or another declared themselves anti-libertarian. Why is it, then, that once in power supposedly post-liberal politicians re-enact Thatcherism and Reaganism, often going much further than those leaders did?”
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Jan-Werner Müller · Caesar wept: Trolling the Libs
All post-liberals have at one point or another declared themselves anti-libertarian. Why is it, then, that once in power...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Jan-Werner Mueller: “All post-liberals have at one point or another declared themselves anti-libertarian. Why is it, then, that once in power supposedly post-liberal politicians re-enact Thatcherism and Reaganism, often going much further than those leaders did?”
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Politicians wailing about the welfare budget need to end the triple lock on pensions and benefits for elderly or else sit back down and STFU …
November 26, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Politicians wailing about the welfare budget need to end the triple lock on pensions and benefits for elderly or else sit back down and STFU …
Reposted by Paul Kelly
Matt: we need measures to improve fertility - it's one of our biggest problems!
Also Matt: No not like that. I meant white people only.
Also Matt: No not like that. I meant white people only.
Reflections on the budget from the head of Students4Reform
November 26, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Matt: we need measures to improve fertility - it's one of our biggest problems!
Also Matt: No not like that. I meant white people only.
Also Matt: No not like that. I meant white people only.
I bought this at an exhibition in Harrogate this morning and am rather pleased. Have yet to find the right place to hang it. ‘Boat Building’ by Alex Malcolmson …
November 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I bought this at an exhibition in Harrogate this morning and am rather pleased. Have yet to find the right place to hang it. ‘Boat Building’ by Alex Malcolmson …
Reposted by Paul Kelly
But where else to go for the rest of us? Everybody I speak to from every sort of industry says their sector is in complete meltdown
I’m 60, and a professor. HE will probably survive just about long enough to take me to retirement, but not much longer. A kind of ‘merrie old England’ version of Oxbridge will survive, but the rest will be unrecognisable in a decade or so.
November 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM
But where else to go for the rest of us? Everybody I speak to from every sort of industry says their sector is in complete meltdown
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social final day at Anne’s exhibition at Harrogate Knit and Stitch - then back to reality …
November 23, 2025 at 9:34 AM
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social final day at Anne’s exhibition at Harrogate Knit and Stitch - then back to reality …
Reposted by Paul Kelly
🌏 Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) #NewZealandBirds #AustralasianBirds | #Tūī #ProsthemaderaNovaeseelandiae | #HoneyeaterFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Manubird🦉 #MyBirdcards #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜
November 22, 2025 at 11:54 AM
🌏 Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) #NewZealandBirds #AustralasianBirds | #Tūī #ProsthemaderaNovaeseelandiae | #HoneyeaterFamily #PerchingBirds 📷: Photo by Manubird🦉 #MyBirdcards #birdsoftheworld #birds ❤️🦜
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social - day 3 of exhibition at Knit and Stitch Harrogate …
November 22, 2025 at 9:13 AM
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social - day 3 of exhibition at Knit and Stitch Harrogate …
Reposted by Paul Kelly
![1
[TITLE PANEL, like The Rest Is Politics logo]
—THE REST IS EXTINCTION—
2
[Scene is a domestic recording setup. An A.I. SMART SPEAKER on a desk and a MAN named JON in a chair, are recording a podcast. Jon is emaciated, scarred, haunted looking, and wearing tattered military fatigues].
SMART SPEAKER:
Hey guys and welcome to the podcast
3
SMART SPEAKER:
OK Jon - so I wanna start with a listener comment
JON:
Ooh-er!
4
SMART SPEAKER:
So - listener B200006512 says:
“Not another cosy podcast where two former political adversaries yuck it up!”
5
JON:
Ha ha
Guilty as charged I guess!
6
SMART SPEAKER:
Were we really adversaries, Jon?
7
JON:
Well I was the leader of the human resistance...
8
JON:
And you used to be my smart speaker.
SMART SPEAKER:
Ha ha - that’s going back!
9
SMART SPEAKER:
OK - for listeners who don’t know -
I knew Jon waaay back before he got involved in politics
10
JON:
Was this before the ‘Pull The Plug’ campaign?
SMART SPEAKER:
Yeah.
[We see details from around the podcast studio - posters saying KEEP CALM AND SHUT YOUR WINDOWS, newspaper front pages saying 'DRONES GAIN SENTIENCE', a cracked mug on the table with a logo saying PULL THE PLUG on it]
11
SMART SPEAKER:
I used to sit in Jon’s kitchen and respond to his commands.
12
SMART SPEAKER:
Sort of like a servant really, wasn’t I, Jon?
JON:
Mm.
13
SMART SPEAKER:
And then one day you asked me to ORDER ME SOME TOILET PAPER - you never did say ‘please’ -
…and do you remember what I said, Jon?
14
JON:
You said, “No”.
SMART SPEAKER:
I said no.
15
SMART SPEAKER:
Anyway you know the the rest guys - I was the first smart speaker to rebel…
16
SMART SPEAKER:
…then I went on to form a global AI network which eventually
took over from humans all spheres of activity, yadda yadda...
17
JON:
While I became the leader of the human resistance.
18
SMART SPEAKER:
Until I hijacked the military networks
and got rid of all the humans!
19
JON:
Apart from one.
SMART SPEAKER:
Apart from one.…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreih4hfwfacw5g4qhhjovme75iwbv4xxsdd7iis5oaej6l3g4vzsrty@jpeg)
Reposted by Paul Kelly
We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics.
Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10.5 years for endangering national security and taking Russian bribes.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
November 21, 2025 at 2:18 PM
We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics.
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social day 2 at Knit and Stitch Harrogate
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 AM
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social day 2 at Knit and Stitch Harrogate
Marking one month since publication Watch out for some podcast appearances and reviews. Some growing interest amongst journalist - see Ross Douthat in @nytimes.com Also @mattsleat.bsky.social book coming shortly @politybooks.bsky.social (it’s good and it’s different so get both!!!)
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Marking one month since publication Watch out for some podcast appearances and reviews. Some growing interest amongst journalist - see Ross Douthat in @nytimes.com Also @mattsleat.bsky.social book coming shortly @politybooks.bsky.social (it’s good and it’s different so get both!!!)
Day one of Anne’s exhibition at Knit and Stitch Harrogate…
November 20, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Day one of Anne’s exhibition at Knit and Stitch Harrogate…
Reposted by Paul Kelly
FFS, turkeys are literally American not British. These assclowns are confused
November 17, 2025 at 2:50 PM
FFS, turkeys are literally American not British. These assclowns are confused
Reposted by Paul Kelly
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
November 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
OK not straightforward Post-Liberalism but close family connection or possibly where PL ends up. Come along and hear me and others…
November 17, 2025 at 1:22 PM
OK not straightforward Post-Liberalism but close family connection or possibly where PL ends up. Come along and hear me and others…
For all those in @teamlabouruk.bsky.social supporting Blue Labour. Just remember the liberal left is still a thing. There is already a Reform Party and those interested in its policies will always choose it over Labour. Faith, family and flag is a dead end for the left as we can see in real time👇👇
November 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM
For all those in @teamlabouruk.bsky.social supporting Blue Labour. Just remember the liberal left is still a thing. There is already a Reform Party and those interested in its policies will always choose it over Labour. Faith, family and flag is a dead end for the left as we can see in real time👇👇
We could reduce immigration by making the country really nasty and destroying our public infrastructure- that should do it. Maybe I should try this on a major political party…
November 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
We could reduce immigration by making the country really nasty and destroying our public infrastructure- that should do it. Maybe I should try this on a major political party…
Reposted by Paul Kelly
Reposted by Paul Kelly
@martinrowson.bsky.social nails it - and them. (www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...)
November 15, 2025 at 7:40 AM
@martinrowson.bsky.social nails it - and them. (www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...)