Tom Kemp
@tomkemp.bsky.social
Senior Research Fellow at Nottingham University. Writing on carceral change making in prisons, police custody and immigration detention.
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Tom Kemp
@tomkemp.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Hi everyone, both new and familiar! By way of introduction, here are some of my publications.
My work aims to inform change-making initiatives within carceral spaces - such as immigration detention, prisons, and police custody. I study projects like activism, campaigning, and regulatory oversight.
My work aims to inform change-making initiatives within carceral spaces - such as immigration detention, prisons, and police custody. I study projects like activism, campaigning, and regulatory oversight.
I think the fact that there's not a broad base of outrage about this is extremely worrying.
My latest on the gov's proposal to all-but abolish jury trials: a radical move that would leave us out-of-step with most democracies and increase the risk of miscarriages of justice. 🧵
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/david-lammy-...
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/david-lammy-...
David Lammy’s proposals for judge-only trials would make England and Wales an outlier | Institute for Government
Most countries don’t use jury trials, but few rely on a single judge to pass both verdict and sentence
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 1, 2025 at 12:24 PM
I think the fact that there's not a broad base of outrage about this is extremely worrying.
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Do these VCs imagine that rivals won't mention this to prospective students in our recruitment efforts? It's an absolute gift.
This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started
November 30, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Do these VCs imagine that rivals won't mention this to prospective students in our recruitment efforts? It's an absolute gift.
Nice of them to leave all the good names to the people who try next time.
November 30, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Nice of them to leave all the good names to the people who try next time.
Reposted by Tom Kemp
It is very rare that we have a deep debate in any media setting where prominent pro-police advocates are forced to defend their views. I tried my best in this fascinating and contentious argument to hold those views up to scrutiny. open.spotify.com/episode/5zV5...
Episode 530 - "Defund The Police"? (w/ Alec Karakatsanis & Matthew Stoller)
open.spotify.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:10 PM
It is very rare that we have a deep debate in any media setting where prominent pro-police advocates are forced to defend their views. I tried my best in this fascinating and contentious argument to hold those views up to scrutiny. open.spotify.com/episode/5zV5...
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Rachel Reeves can't "tackle the cost of living crisis" in her budget today without tackling PRIVATISATION
It means YOU pay an extra tax on
- your bills 💧💡
- your council tax 🧓🚸
- investment in your public services 🏥🏫
Time to end the 40 year rip off
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEoz...
It means YOU pay an extra tax on
- your bills 💧💡
- your council tax 🧓🚸
- investment in your public services 🏥🏫
Time to end the 40 year rip off
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEoz...
The hidden tax you shouldn't have to pay 💰
YouTube video by We Own It
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Rachel Reeves can't "tackle the cost of living crisis" in her budget today without tackling PRIVATISATION
It means YOU pay an extra tax on
- your bills 💧💡
- your council tax 🧓🚸
- investment in your public services 🏥🏫
Time to end the 40 year rip off
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEoz...
It means YOU pay an extra tax on
- your bills 💧💡
- your council tax 🧓🚸
- investment in your public services 🏥🏫
Time to end the 40 year rip off
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEoz...
Reposted by Tom Kemp
This week we are running a thematic series on penal exports in Scandinavia. Penal exports are models, money, personnel, institutions, laws, technologies, and epistemologies related to the complex of crime and justice.
November 17, 2025 at 10:03 AM
This week we are running a thematic series on penal exports in Scandinavia. Penal exports are models, money, personnel, institutions, laws, technologies, and epistemologies related to the complex of crime and justice.
This is useful left-criticism of the Greens and Wealth Tax enthusiasts. At the same time, gathering support around an understandable policy that signals intent is a necessary strategy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
What does the left want? A wealth tax. What will that accomplish? Very little | Aditya Chakrabortty
Imposing a 1% levy on the super-rich isn’t a policy, it’s pantomime. Tackling inequality in Britain will require much more far-reaching changes, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:24 AM
This is useful left-criticism of the Greens and Wealth Tax enthusiasts. At the same time, gathering support around an understandable policy that signals intent is a necessary strategy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Rather than addressing the visa structures which exposed health & social care workers to such risks of exploitation gvt proposals will repeat these mistakes with other key workers including nurses creating insecurity & dependencies on employers
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
November 20, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Rather than addressing the visa structures which exposed health & social care workers to such risks of exploitation gvt proposals will repeat these mistakes with other key workers including nurses creating insecurity & dependencies on employers
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Is the word 'salience' on trend at the moment or is it just me?
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Is the word 'salience' on trend at the moment or is it just me?
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Go on Shabana. Learn from Denmark how to lose elections girl.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Social Democrats in Denmark suffer sweeping election losses
PM Mette Frederiksen’s centre-left party loses control of Copenhagen for first time in more than 100 years
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Go on Shabana. Learn from Denmark how to lose elections girl.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Tom Kemp
The Labour Government reeling off the same far-right talking points on immigration. And look who is celebrating. The far-right.
There is a political alternative that won’t ever scapegoat those fleeing war, persecution and torture
join.greenparty.org.uk
There is a political alternative that won’t ever scapegoat those fleeing war, persecution and torture
join.greenparty.org.uk
November 16, 2025 at 10:28 AM
The Labour Government reeling off the same far-right talking points on immigration. And look who is celebrating. The far-right.
There is a political alternative that won’t ever scapegoat those fleeing war, persecution and torture
join.greenparty.org.uk
There is a political alternative that won’t ever scapegoat those fleeing war, persecution and torture
join.greenparty.org.uk
This is such a dangerous way of doing migration politics if it's at all the case.
I’m trying to understand what they’re doing here and it isn’t doing something evil and doing something good, it is giving the impression you’ll do something evil to cover the fact that you are actually doing something good. At least that’s what I hope they’re doing in this imperfect world we live in
November 17, 2025 at 10:48 AM
This is such a dangerous way of doing migration politics if it's at all the case.
It's just disgusting. One of the richest countries in the world stealing the jewellery of the poor. Apparently some immigration officer is going to determine whether the jewellery of someone who has taken it across the channel is of sentimental value or not. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Asylum seekers’ jewellery could be seized to pay for processing costs, says Home Office minister
Idea borrowed from Denmark is latest attempt to reduce number of people seeking asylum in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:36 AM
It's just disgusting. One of the richest countries in the world stealing the jewellery of the poor. Apparently some immigration officer is going to determine whether the jewellery of someone who has taken it across the channel is of sentimental value or not. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
I don't understand politics or economics but having a manifesto that sets up tax rises as cardinal sin, having fiscal rules that mean that everyone anticipates tax rises, dropping repeated hints about income tax rises that indicate you're breaking promises without any positive narrative on tax,
November 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I don't understand politics or economics but having a manifesto that sets up tax rises as cardinal sin, having fiscal rules that mean that everyone anticipates tax rises, dropping repeated hints about income tax rises that indicate you're breaking promises without any positive narrative on tax,
Very good.
Police and crime commissioners to be abolished, government to announce
Police and crime commissioners to be abolished, government to announce
System introduced in 2012 across England and Wales has faced criticism from police chiefs
*
UK politics live – latest updates
The controversial system of police and crime commissioners is to be abolished by the government, the Guardian has learned.
Under the system, introduced under the Conservatives, all 43 police forces covering local areas across England and Wales had to answer to an elected official. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Very good.
Reposted by Tom Kemp
Keir Starmer is obviously not a very inspiring political leader but what is really happening here is that our political system no longer generates legitimate governments
November 13, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Keir Starmer is obviously not a very inspiring political leader but what is really happening here is that our political system no longer generates legitimate governments
Reposted by Tom Kemp
We have a paper on how Labour's strategy is disastrous.
There's an exclusive coverage in @newstatesman.com
www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
There's an exclusive coverage in @newstatesman.com
www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
September 5, 2025 at 7:05 AM
We have a paper on how Labour's strategy is disastrous.
There's an exclusive coverage in @newstatesman.com
www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
There's an exclusive coverage in @newstatesman.com
www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Tom Kemp
BREAKING: The International Association of Genocide Scholars declares that Israel's actions in Gaza "meet the legal definition of genocide" and "constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity."
(Source: genocidescholars.org/wp-content/u...)
(Source: genocidescholars.org/wp-content/u...)
September 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
BREAKING: The International Association of Genocide Scholars declares that Israel's actions in Gaza "meet the legal definition of genocide" and "constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity."
(Source: genocidescholars.org/wp-content/u...)
(Source: genocidescholars.org/wp-content/u...)
Feeling this so much.
Watching a whole people starve to death because of Israeli policy and because of the inaction of our government is horrifying, and it is also destroying our souls, not just those of our politicians who could act and don’t, but those of all of us who are forced to watch and do nothing.
July 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Feeling this so much.
July 25, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Tom Kemp
I’m always pro-disabled people leading what affects them but the reality is, many disabled and chronically ill people are paying a huge physical price for fighting tomorrow’s welfare bill. Many are suffering more pain and exhaustion from campaigning, all whilst in a brutal heatwave. 1/2
June 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I’m always pro-disabled people leading what affects them but the reality is, many disabled and chronically ill people are paying a huge physical price for fighting tomorrow’s welfare bill. Many are suffering more pain and exhaustion from campaigning, all whilst in a brutal heatwave. 1/2
Psyched for this - Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue is so influential to how I understand radical ethics. player.fm/series/whats...
116 TEASER | Are We Losing our Morality? Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue and the Nihilism of Modern Society
<p>In this episode, we discuss Alasdair MacIntyre’s landmark book <em>After Virtue</em>. MacIntyre, an ex-Marxist and committed anti-liberal, offers a defense of the Aristotelian tradition and its sea...
player.fm
June 25, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Psyched for this - Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue is so influential to how I understand radical ethics. player.fm/series/whats...
After all the political disappointments and losses of the year, Mamdani's victory brings some hope. I'll take that for the moment.
June 25, 2025 at 8:55 AM
After all the political disappointments and losses of the year, Mamdani's victory brings some hope. I'll take that for the moment.
Reposted by Tom Kemp
We are all Palestine Action!
We stand in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action as they resist the Labour government’s defamatory threats of possible proscription.
#PalAction #PalestineAction #Palestine
We stand in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action as they resist the Labour government’s defamatory threats of possible proscription.
#PalAction #PalestineAction #Palestine
June 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
We are all Palestine Action!
We stand in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action as they resist the Labour government’s defamatory threats of possible proscription.
#PalAction #PalestineAction #Palestine
We stand in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action as they resist the Labour government’s defamatory threats of possible proscription.
#PalAction #PalestineAction #Palestine