Alan Lester
@alanlester.bsky.social
British Empire Professor, University of Sussex. Co-editor, MUP Studies in Imperialism series. Views here own.
Blogs on politics of colonial history here: https://alanlester.co.uk Editor https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-truth-about-empire/
Blogs on politics of colonial history here: https://alanlester.co.uk Editor https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-truth-about-empire/
While so-called “patriots” are arguing for the BBC to pay billions to Trump, I think that if any such sums are to flow overseas for reparation, they should help the Caribbean build resilience in the face of climate change.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
November 16, 2025 at 11:08 AM
While so-called “patriots” are arguing for the BBC to pay billions to Trump, I think that if any such sums are to flow overseas for reparation, they should help the Caribbean build resilience in the face of climate change.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
If it weren’t so serious there would be something very funny about conservatives who supposedly uphold patriotic values and the sanctity of the family shrieking that fellow Britons should pay their BBC license fees to a foreign millionaire found liable for sexual abuse.
November 16, 2025 at 9:07 AM
If it weren’t so serious there would be something very funny about conservatives who supposedly uphold patriotic values and the sanctity of the family shrieking that fellow Britons should pay their BBC license fees to a foreign millionaire found liable for sexual abuse.
Trump’s decision to sue the BBC is exposing the Rabid Right’s hypocrisy. For all their flag waving, its extremists would rather side with a foreign despot who shares their fanatically anti-progressive doctrines than with a British institution that most of their compatriots cherish.
November 16, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Trump’s decision to sue the BBC is exposing the Rabid Right’s hypocrisy. For all their flag waving, its extremists would rather side with a foreign despot who shares their fanatically anti-progressive doctrines than with a British institution that most of their compatriots cherish.
Would you rather pay £174.50 to make Donald Trump richer still or to watch Strictly, Call the Midwife, & Traitors, & listen to BBC Radio 2? If you want the bullying narcissist to get the whole of next year’s BBC budget you have the UK’s right wing media mafia to thank.
November 15, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Would you rather pay £174.50 to make Donald Trump richer still or to watch Strictly, Call the Midwife, & Traitors, & listen to BBC Radio 2? If you want the bullying narcissist to get the whole of next year’s BBC budget you have the UK’s right wing media mafia to thank.
2/5 The group of 59 hard right Tories had been founded the previous year to lead a backlash against Black Lives Matter & undermine the @nationaltrust’s attempts to reveal properties’ colonial connections.
November 13, 2025 at 8:11 AM
2/5 The group of 59 hard right Tories had been founded the previous year to lead a backlash against Black Lives Matter & undermine the @nationaltrust’s attempts to reveal properties’ colonial connections.
How do Lenny Henry’s arguments for reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery stand up to Lord Biggar’s arguments against them? Head-to-head review here:
November 12, 2025 at 8:13 AM
How do Lenny Henry’s arguments for reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery stand up to Lord Biggar’s arguments against them? Head-to-head review here:
Want some patriotism? If you’ve ever enjoyed watching BBC programmes or listening to BBC Radio, now might be the time to begin a Great British fight back. Let’s resist the far right extremists who want to place Britons in thrall to a foreign orange dictator.
November 11, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Want some patriotism? If you’ve ever enjoyed watching BBC programmes or listening to BBC Radio, now might be the time to begin a Great British fight back. Let’s resist the far right extremists who want to place Britons in thrall to a foreign orange dictator.
Who’d have guessed it? The main BBC board member resisting a simple apology and reinforcing the right wing attack on the BBC from within, was a Tory government appointee and founder of GB TV. If you want impartiality, Gibb has to go. Nick Robinson on X:
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Who’d have guessed it? The main BBC board member resisting a simple apology and reinforcing the right wing attack on the BBC from within, was a Tory government appointee and founder of GB TV. If you want impartiality, Gibb has to go. Nick Robinson on X:
1/3 For years now a nexus of well funded right wing groups has been trying either to capture or undermine one of the world’s, & certainly the UK’s most effective media organisation with an impartiality ethic.
November 10, 2025 at 7:39 AM
1/3 For years now a nexus of well funded right wing groups has been trying either to capture or undermine one of the world’s, & certainly the UK’s most effective media organisation with an impartiality ethic.
The Telegraph being praised by a foreign autocrat for undermining the BBC.
November 9, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The Telegraph being praised by a foreign autocrat for undermining the BBC.
The Traitors’ castle was built by Alexander Matheson, whose uncle Co-founded the opium smuggling firm Jardine Matheson & Co., the key instigator the Opium Wars. Finalist @davidolusoga.bsky.social happens to be hosting a great new series about Empire now on BBC 2.
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The Traitors’ castle was built by Alexander Matheson, whose uncle Co-founded the opium smuggling firm Jardine Matheson & Co., the key instigator the Opium Wars. Finalist @davidolusoga.bsky.social happens to be hosting a great new series about Empire now on BBC 2.
Sensible Letter to @thetimes.com today.
November 6, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Sensible Letter to @thetimes.com today.
Policy Exchange next?
November 6, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Policy Exchange next?
In Harrietsham, Kent, the council is unable to put up Christmas lights because far right activists have fixed flags to the lampposts. They say they are also unable to remove the flags as they don’t own them or the lampposts. They’ve asked whoever put them up to please take them down.
November 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM
In Harrietsham, Kent, the council is unable to put up Christmas lights because far right activists have fixed flags to the lampposts. They say they are also unable to remove the flags as they don’t own them or the lampposts. They’ve asked whoever put them up to please take them down.
How predictable. The BBC attracts criticism for imbibing right wing propaganda, favouring Reform & anti-immigrant talking points. The Telegraph launches a salvage project based on one bloke’s opinion. Could it be that Trump really did lie more than Harris? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
November 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM
How predictable. The BBC attracts criticism for imbibing right wing propaganda, favouring Reform & anti-immigrant talking points. The Telegraph launches a salvage project based on one bloke’s opinion. Could it be that Trump really did lie more than Harris? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
Great investigation of the Nazis, racists and criminals mobilising the flag-on-lamp-posts movement. This is the kind of journalism that the national media could and should have conducted:
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
November 2, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Great investigation of the Nazis, racists and criminals mobilising the flag-on-lamp-posts movement. This is the kind of journalism that the national media could and should have conducted:
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
November 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Yes, wouldn’t it be awful, @thetimes.com, if a newspaper were to involve them?
October 30, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Yes, wouldn’t it be awful, @thetimes.com, if a newspaper were to involve them?
Looks like employers are ‘overdoing’ white representation in the highest pay grades Danny? Could be more important than adverts?
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Looks like employers are ‘overdoing’ white representation in the highest pay grades Danny? Could be more important than adverts?
On hateful X, the racist Sarah Pochin’s supporters are now making the case for proportional representation of each ethnic group in advertising. Wonder what they’ll say if we extend that principle to the real world of jobs, housing, education and health care?
October 27, 2025 at 7:40 AM
On hateful X, the racist Sarah Pochin’s supporters are now making the case for proportional representation of each ethnic group in advertising. Wonder what they’ll say if we extend that principle to the real world of jobs, housing, education and health care?
Timely comment for @nationaltrust.org.uk members too.
October 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Timely comment for @nationaltrust.org.uk members too.
October 26, 2025 at 7:43 AM
On my list Margot! This is marvellous too:
October 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM
On my list Margot! This is marvellous too: