Stefan Stern
@stefanstern.bsky.social
Journalist and author. Writes for FT, Guardian, Prospect and The Conversation. New book: Fair or Foul - the Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition, out now. Visiting Prof at Bayes Business School
Pinned
Stefan Stern
@stefanstern.bsky.social
· Jul 12
Almost a year since this happened. Book still available in the usual places. Audio version coming this autumn!
"Fair or Foul - the Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition"
"Fair or Foul - the Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition"
Did Badenoch really use the phrase "welfare bungs" this morning? This trash talk won't do her any (long term) good.
November 30, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Did Badenoch really use the phrase "welfare bungs" this morning? This trash talk won't do her any (long term) good.
All this talk of Your Party reminds me that Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson were orginally going to call their TV show "Your Bottom" so that people would say "I saw Your Bottom on TV last night". (Eventually they were persuaded to drop the Your, sadly.)
November 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM
All this talk of Your Party reminds me that Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson were orginally going to call their TV show "Your Bottom" so that people would say "I saw Your Bottom on TV last night". (Eventually they were persuaded to drop the Your, sadly.)
Well, yes.
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
Stewart Lee: Had youthful Farage’s youthful alleged racism story concerned a leftist figure, it would not have been disappeared
You would think the alleged indiscretions of the youthful Nigel Farage would have drawn outrage from a just and impartial British media. Strangely, it seems they have not
www.thenerve.news
November 30, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Well, yes.
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
Penetrating commentary as usual from @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social (with an added bonus bit of analysis on how the "dog's breakfast" has changed over time).
My Sunday Times piece: The budget did nothing to boost growth and without a stronger revival, the public finances will remain vulnerable, and the threat of even higher taxes will persist:
Now we really need the growth fairy to wave her magic wand
www.thetimes.com/article/a135...
Now we really need the growth fairy to wave her magic wand
www.thetimes.com/article/a135...
Now we really need the growth fairy to wave her magic wand
Rachel Reeves’s budget extended the biggest stealth tax increase in history and left public spending unchecked. So where will growth come from?
www.thetimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Penetrating commentary as usual from @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social (with an added bonus bit of analysis on how the "dog's breakfast" has changed over time).
Governance is one of those "boring but important" topics. But governance failures are rarely boring. My column for the IoD's relaunched Director magazine -
www.iod.com/director/art...
www.iod.com/director/art...
Risk and rules are vital foes: Trade-offs are essential at the tops of firms
In August, after a short illness, Andrew Kakabadse died. The sad news came as a shock in the middle of a hot summer. Many company directors will have been familiar with his work. Professor Kakabadse’s...
www.iod.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Governance is one of those "boring but important" topics. But governance failures are rarely boring. My column for the IoD's relaunched Director magazine -
www.iod.com/director/art...
www.iod.com/director/art...
How's that Badenoch bounce-back going?
Kemi Badenoch says welfare spending is unchristian
Kemi Badenoch says welfare spending is unchristian
Kemi Badenoch says welfare spending is unchristian
www.thetimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 AM
How's that Badenoch bounce-back going?
Quite a lot of copium on the right re Badenoch's tetchy sixth-former turn on Budget day. Don't think many will have concluded "there's the next PM". When challenged on her personal attacks on Reeves she offered the classic infant defence of "she started it". But Reeves criticised policy failures.
November 28, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Quite a lot of copium on the right re Badenoch's tetchy sixth-former turn on Budget day. Don't think many will have concluded "there's the next PM". When challenged on her personal attacks on Reeves she offered the classic infant defence of "she started it". But Reeves criticised policy failures.
Might be worth asking anyone who is slagging the Budget off how much their house is worth.
November 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Might be worth asking anyone who is slagging the Budget off how much their house is worth.
Reposted by Stefan Stern
If you're wondering how relations are between the govt and the OBR after this morning's budget leak, a govt source has just sent this out about the EV tax.
November 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
If you're wondering how relations are between the govt and the OBR after this morning's budget leak, a govt source has just sent this out about the EV tax.
Reposted by Stefan Stern
Lib Dem leader Edward Davey calls for a national investigation into Russian political interference in British politics:
"Given Reform won't, he must. So will he know launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?"
Starmer: "Reform is riddled with pro-Putin propaganda"
"Given Reform won't, he must. So will he know launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?"
Starmer: "Reform is riddled with pro-Putin propaganda"
November 26, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Lib Dem leader Edward Davey calls for a national investigation into Russian political interference in British politics:
"Given Reform won't, he must. So will he know launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?"
Starmer: "Reform is riddled with pro-Putin propaganda"
"Given Reform won't, he must. So will he know launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?"
Starmer: "Reform is riddled with pro-Putin propaganda"
Danny Kruger says he feels sorry for Nigel Farage getting all this unfair criticism. That's his main thought on the matter.
November 26, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Danny Kruger says he feels sorry for Nigel Farage getting all this unfair criticism. That's his main thought on the matter.
Badenoch is an embarrassment.
November 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Badenoch is an embarrassment.
Reposted by Stefan Stern
This is strong Budget speech from a pretty resilient Chancellor. Like Dubya she has been "misunderestimated".
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This is strong Budget speech from a pretty resilient Chancellor. Like Dubya she has been "misunderestimated".
This is strong Budget speech from a pretty resilient Chancellor. Like Dubya she has been "misunderestimated".
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This is strong Budget speech from a pretty resilient Chancellor. Like Dubya she has been "misunderestimated".
Reposted by Stefan Stern
As for Farage’s use of racist slurs being confined to his childhood - well, that's not what Alan Sked, the founder of UKIP, claimed in this 2014 interview.
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
Ukip founder Alan Sked: 'The party has become a Frankenstein's monster'
He may have founded Ukip, but Alan Sked's moderate, Brussels-boycotting party has gone rogue. Stuart Jeffries meets the academic who's desperate to stop the bandwagon he first set rolling
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM
As for Farage’s use of racist slurs being confined to his childhood - well, that's not what Alan Sked, the founder of UKIP, claimed in this 2014 interview.
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
Samir Shah would not be the first boss to fail to grasp that "consult" means (in the context of management) to discuss a possible decision before that decision has finally been taken.
November 26, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Samir Shah would not be the first boss to fail to grasp that "consult" means (in the context of management) to discuss a possible decision before that decision has finally been taken.
Reposted by Stefan Stern
TROUBLED BY MEMORY LOSS?
November 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
TROUBLED BY MEMORY LOSS?
On GB News earlier...the struggle takes many forms.
November 25, 2025 at 3:03 PM
On GB News earlier...the struggle takes many forms.
TROUBLED BY MEMORY LOSS?
November 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
TROUBLED BY MEMORY LOSS?
Reposted by Stefan Stern
@salmanshaheen.bsky.social @lisasass.bsky.social @hanrahanistan.bsky.social @bigbeardybooks.bsky.social @stefanstern.bsky.social and @rhodri.biz head this all star starter pack of Brilliant People on BlueSky. Please follow and repost if you can
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 AM
@salmanshaheen.bsky.social @lisasass.bsky.social @hanrahanistan.bsky.social @bigbeardybooks.bsky.social @stefanstern.bsky.social and @rhodri.biz head this all star starter pack of Brilliant People on BlueSky. Please follow and repost if you can
Farage knows what he said and doesn't believe his own denials.
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Farage knows what he said and doesn't believe his own denials.
For those about to dive in to @rutgerbregman.com 's Reith Lectures don't forget that other books on the topic of ambition are available:
www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Foul-Ma...
www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Foul-Ma...
Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition
Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition : Stern, Stefan: Amazon.co.uk: Books
www.amazon.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 8:39 AM
For those about to dive in to @rutgerbregman.com 's Reith Lectures don't forget that other books on the topic of ambition are available:
www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Foul-Ma...
www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Foul-Ma...
Reposted by Stefan Stern
This Reform statement seems unaware that he had acknowledged some of these allegations back in 2013.
Of course I said some ridiculous things that upset them.” Crick asked him if these were “racist things”. Farage replied: “Not necessarily racist things. It depends how you define it.”
Of course I said some ridiculous things that upset them.” Crick asked him if these were “racist things”. Farage replied: “Not necessarily racist things. It depends how you define it.”
November 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
This Reform statement seems unaware that he had acknowledged some of these allegations back in 2013.
Of course I said some ridiculous things that upset them.” Crick asked him if these were “racist things”. Farage replied: “Not necessarily racist things. It depends how you define it.”
Of course I said some ridiculous things that upset them.” Crick asked him if these were “racist things”. Farage replied: “Not necessarily racist things. It depends how you define it.”
Reposted by Stefan Stern
Farage email to Michael Crick (2021) one of several tacit acknowledgements that he did what his lawyers 'categorically denied' for him last month
“Terms of abuse thrown around between fifteen-year-old boys were limitless; there were no boundaries. I think red-haired boys fared especially badly.”
“Terms of abuse thrown around between fifteen-year-old boys were limitless; there were no boundaries. I think red-haired boys fared especially badly.”
November 24, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Farage email to Michael Crick (2021) one of several tacit acknowledgements that he did what his lawyers 'categorically denied' for him last month
“Terms of abuse thrown around between fifteen-year-old boys were limitless; there were no boundaries. I think red-haired boys fared especially badly.”
“Terms of abuse thrown around between fifteen-year-old boys were limitless; there were no boundaries. I think red-haired boys fared especially badly.”