Ben Stanford
@drbenstanford.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Law. Lay Observer with the MOJ to monitor court custody facilities. Interested in all things public law and human rights, elections and democracy, global affairs and moaning.
https://profiles.ljmu.ac.uk/15925-ben-stanford
https://profiles.ljmu.ac.uk/15925-ben-stanford
Pinned
Ben Stanford
@drbenstanford.bsky.social
· May 22
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee | Scottish Parliament TV
www.scottishparliament.tv
Gave oral evidence today to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill.
Agenda and recording of the meeting here - www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/stan....
@ljmuresearch.bsky.social @ljmuimpact.bsky.social
Agenda and recording of the meeting here - www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/stan....
@ljmuresearch.bsky.social @ljmuimpact.bsky.social
When something is so obviously, so easily, the right thing to do.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence
All-party group say move is needed to stop UK lagging behind global standards on election integrity
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:21 AM
When something is so obviously, so easily, the right thing to do.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
How does it even get to this? Years of cuts, years of decline, years of absent enforcement.
news.sky.com/story/kidlin...
news.sky.com/story/kidlin...
Kidlington fly-tipping: Drone footage shows scale of 'revolting' 60m-long mountain of waste next to river
The cost of removing the waste is estimated to be more than the entire annual budget of the local council, which is around £25m.
news.sky.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:38 AM
How does it even get to this? Years of cuts, years of decline, years of absent enforcement.
news.sky.com/story/kidlin...
news.sky.com/story/kidlin...
How times change. This practice is just a given these days.
November 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM
How times change. This practice is just a given these days.
Such a no-brainer to do this and have a clear out after years of political manipulation and stuffing political allies into the BBC top jobs. But the risk is that it might just look like more of the same. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey
The BBC belongs to all of us, and it is under attack as never before. The government must defend it from its enemies, within and without, says Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Such a no-brainer to do this and have a clear out after years of political manipulation and stuffing political allies into the BBC top jobs. But the risk is that it might just look like more of the same. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Ben Stanford
🔴The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the ‘Right-Wing Coup’ Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the 'Right-Wing Coup' Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease those forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM
🔴The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the ‘Right-Wing Coup’ Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
A recall mechanism soon coming to the Senedd. Alongside the Scottish equivalent, this would bring the Welsh and Scottish parliaments somewhat in line with the House of Commons since the Recall of MPs Act 2015.
research.senedd.wales/research-art...
research.senedd.wales/research-art...
New Bill seeks to strengthen accountability of Members and tackle election misinformation
The Welsh Government has introduced a new Bill aiming to strengthen democratic accountability by reforming how Members of the Senedd are held to account and tackling misinformation in election campaig...
research.senedd.wales
November 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
A recall mechanism soon coming to the Senedd. Alongside the Scottish equivalent, this would bring the Welsh and Scottish parliaments somewhat in line with the House of Commons since the Recall of MPs Act 2015.
research.senedd.wales/research-art...
research.senedd.wales/research-art...
Here we go again, sigh. Reform UK calls, the broadcasters flock.
November 3, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Here we go again, sigh. Reform UK calls, the broadcasters flock.
Completely fair comments from Cat Smith MP here. So much more is needed and could be done to safeguard electoral law. There's also nothing stopping future Governments from manipulating the Electoral Commission for its own gain.
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/31/k...
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/31/k...
Keir Starmer's Election Reforms Will Leave UK Politics Exposed to Dark Money and Foreign Interference, Warns Labour MP
The party's former Shadow Democracy Minister said the Government was failing to take the bold steps required to eliminate foreign interference in our elections
bylinetimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Completely fair comments from Cat Smith MP here. So much more is needed and could be done to safeguard electoral law. There's also nothing stopping future Governments from manipulating the Electoral Commission for its own gain.
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/31/k...
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/31/k...
House of Lords continuing to push back on the Employment Rights Bill. Salisbury Convention anyone..?
news.sky.com/story/worker...
news.sky.com/story/worker...
Workers' rights bill set for parliamentary 'ping pong'
Defiant peers in the House of Lords have maintained their stand-off with the government over proposed reforms.
news.sky.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
House of Lords continuing to push back on the Employment Rights Bill. Salisbury Convention anyone..?
news.sky.com/story/worker...
news.sky.com/story/worker...
When the depressing state of UK political journalism and the wonderful film that is Dead Man's Shoes merge to create the perfect meme.
October 29, 2025 at 7:45 AM
When the depressing state of UK political journalism and the wonderful film that is Dead Man's Shoes merge to create the perfect meme.
Usual caveats but what an absurd situation with First Past the Post.
My Seat Projection [usual 'it's just one poll' caveat]:
RFM: 324 (+319)
LDM: 88 (+16)
LAB: 74 (-337)
SNP: 46 (+37)
GRN: 42 (+38)
CON: 38 (-83)
PLC: 7 (+3)
Others: 12 (+7)
RFM: 324 (+319)
LDM: 88 (+16)
LAB: 74 (-337)
SNP: 46 (+37)
GRN: 42 (+38)
CON: 38 (-83)
PLC: 7 (+3)
Others: 12 (+7)
October 28, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Usual caveats but what an absurd situation with First Past the Post.
A regular reminder that the right to free speech is not the right to demand to be heard. Yet so many of the UK's most powerful still clearly merge the two and pander to extremist views.
It’s impossible to avoid the conclusion that large parts of Westminster remaining on X - a platform that tolerates and amplifies extremism and racism - has led a great many people to normalise what previously was unacceptable.
October 28, 2025 at 9:23 AM
A regular reminder that the right to free speech is not the right to demand to be heard. Yet so many of the UK's most powerful still clearly merge the two and pander to extremist views.
When both things can be true at the same time... news.sky.com/story/politi...
Politics latest: Minister blames Tories as Home Office found to be 'incompetent' and 'chaotic'
A parliamentary report has sharply criticised the Home Office's management of the asylum system that has led to "billions" of pounds being wasted.
news.sky.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:42 AM
When both things can be true at the same time... news.sky.com/story/politi...
New Brighton 10km race this morning. Tough slog that.
October 12, 2025 at 11:57 AM
New Brighton 10km race this morning. Tough slog that.
Reposted by Ben Stanford
I say this with the bluntness it requires: they will get people murdered if this continues. This is not just populism anymore either: it’s completely unhinged and a deliberate choice that does endanger lives. I am not saying this lightly at all.
October 7, 2025 at 7:19 AM
I say this with the bluntness it requires: they will get people murdered if this continues. This is not just populism anymore either: it’s completely unhinged and a deliberate choice that does endanger lives. I am not saying this lightly at all.
Interesting and timely conference for UK constitutional law folk - ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/10/03/e...
Events: Call for Papers – The Future of Constitutional Reform in the United Kingdom
Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 May 2026, University of Manchester, United Kingdom The public law team at the University of Manchester Law Department, in collaboration with the UK Constitutional Law A…
ukconstitutionallaw.org
October 6, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Interesting and timely conference for UK constitutional law folk - ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/10/03/e...
Of all the failures and disasters of privatisation of basic state infrastructure and essential services over the decades, this has to be right up there with the railways.
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
Water bills: millions of households in England could face even bigger rises
CMA poised to give verdict after appeal by five firms for permission to increase bills higher than allowed by Ofwat
www.theguardian.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Of all the failures and disasters of privatisation of basic state infrastructure and essential services over the decades, this has to be right up there with the railways.
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
Merseyrail claiming a "Good Service" on the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines. That's an absolute fib. An afternoon of chaos. @merseytravel.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Merseyrail claiming a "Good Service" on the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines. That's an absolute fib. An afternoon of chaos. @merseytravel.bsky.social
This so obviously had a stink to it from the very start, all those years ago...
news.sky.com/story/firm-l...
news.sky.com/story/firm-l...
Firm linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone breached £122m PPE contract, judge rules
A company linked to Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone breached a government contract of nearly £122m to supply surgical gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Court has ruled.
news.sky.com
October 1, 2025 at 10:25 AM
This so obviously had a stink to it from the very start, all those years ago...
news.sky.com/story/firm-l...
news.sky.com/story/firm-l...
This should really be a given, especially for a Government pledging to clean up politics and remedy some of the worst behaviour of the past Governments. It's also one of those things that isn't necessarily a problem today, but it certainly could be under a future authoritarian Government.
The government must restore the independence of the Electoral Commission
UK government urged to restore Electoral Commission’s independence to protect democracy
Oversight of watchdog could be abused by a future authoritarian government, report warns
buff.ly
October 1, 2025 at 7:37 AM
This should really be a given, especially for a Government pledging to clean up politics and remedy some of the worst behaviour of the past Governments. It's also one of those things that isn't necessarily a problem today, but it certainly could be under a future authoritarian Government.
Morning madness. Sisters reunited.
September 28, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Morning madness. Sisters reunited.
Big hat tip to @drjohnnymac.bsky.social for organising the conference that led to this as well as for putting this edited collection together! I contributed a chapter on culture wars and constitutional identity.
www.routledge.com/Constitution...
www.routledge.com/Constitution...
Constitutional Values, Identities and Rights: Realisation and Protection in Codified and Uncodified Constitutions
This book discusses the way in which the constitutions are shaped by, and shape, the values and identities inherent in them and how those values and identities may be realised as fundamental rights an...
www.routledge.com
September 26, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Big hat tip to @drjohnnymac.bsky.social for organising the conference that led to this as well as for putting this edited collection together! I contributed a chapter on culture wars and constitutional identity.
www.routledge.com/Constitution...
www.routledge.com/Constitution...
I think I'm going for a new record for how many times in a single day I need to complete multifactor authentication to open the same damn apps. No option to "remember me" or save an access. Such an incredible waste of time.
September 25, 2025 at 2:54 PM
I think I'm going for a new record for how many times in a single day I need to complete multifactor authentication to open the same damn apps. No option to "remember me" or save an access. Such an incredible waste of time.
Good. Withdrawing from Erasmus was one of the most backward, self-sabotaging and counterproductive decisions made post-2016, apart from Brexit in general of course.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
UK students get chance to study in Europe from January 2027 under new Erasmus deal
The EU is pushing for a rapid agreement for Britain to rejoin the student exchange scheme
inews.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Good. Withdrawing from Erasmus was one of the most backward, self-sabotaging and counterproductive decisions made post-2016, apart from Brexit in general of course.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk/news/politic...