Jack Saundrs
@jacksaundrs.bsky.social
Anarcho-syndicalist, labour historian (post-war motor industry, NHS). Author: Assembling Cultures (http://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526155979/) (he/him)
Blue and White Notes #itfc https://bluewhitenotes.beehiiv.com/
Blue and White Notes #itfc https://bluewhitenotes.beehiiv.com/
Labour are so monomaniacally focused on the left as their enemy, every single time they do something ostensibly aimed at socially conservative red wallers they can't help but break character and say out loud that it's pure political positioning
November 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Labour are so monomaniacally focused on the left as their enemy, every single time they do something ostensibly aimed at socially conservative red wallers they can't help but break character and say out loud that it's pure political positioning
Said this roughly a year ago, we've subsequently had a huge reduction in net migration, crack downs on Visas, one in one out, expressions of sympathy to far right hotel protests, island of strangers, attacks on indefinite leave to remain and what good has it done?
Even if any government actually hit "their number" no-one would thank them. The hardcore racist nativists would just start pushing for mass deportations, the middling "media says number too high, number should go down" people would be too busy complaining about all the economic damage to notice.
As I said to Cameron, "targeting immigration numbers, or even measuring the success of your policy by whether they go up or down, is setting yourself up to fail."
True then, true now..
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
True then, true now..
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
November 15, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Said this roughly a year ago, we've subsequently had a huge reduction in net migration, crack downs on Visas, one in one out, expressions of sympathy to far right hotel protests, island of strangers, attacks on indefinite leave to remain and what good has it done?
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
Thinking of the awful, despicable stuff Mahmood is proposing on refugees, and thinking many years to when I interviewed Claus Moser for my PhD on post-war UK higher education.
Moser was born in Berlin in 1922. He was Jewish. His family fled Nazi persecution in 1936, and settled in Britain. /1
Moser was born in Berlin in 1922. He was Jewish. His family fled Nazi persecution in 1936, and settled in Britain. /1
November 15, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Thinking of the awful, despicable stuff Mahmood is proposing on refugees, and thinking many years to when I interviewed Claus Moser for my PhD on post-war UK higher education.
Moser was born in Berlin in 1922. He was Jewish. His family fled Nazi persecution in 1936, and settled in Britain. /1
Moser was born in Berlin in 1922. He was Jewish. His family fled Nazi persecution in 1936, and settled in Britain. /1
Love @otcpod.bsky.social but it's very funny how every pod is like an hour of deep knowledge of European football culture and then concludes with a tip to eat the continent's most obvious foods
"Of course, everyone remembers Alessio Dionisi's stint as Sassuolo boss, also have you tried *pizza*?"
"Of course, everyone remembers Alessio Dionisi's stint as Sassuolo boss, also have you tried *pizza*?"
November 15, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Love @otcpod.bsky.social but it's very funny how every pod is like an hour of deep knowledge of European football culture and then concludes with a tip to eat the continent's most obvious foods
"Of course, everyone remembers Alessio Dionisi's stint as Sassuolo boss, also have you tried *pizza*?"
"Of course, everyone remembers Alessio Dionisi's stint as Sassuolo boss, also have you tried *pizza*?"
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
This contribution to the volume of human misery is yet another policy from Labour based on a false premise, in this case that refugees are overly attracted to Britain. It will increase bureaucratic limbo, thus making worse the problem of "cohesion" it purports to solve.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
Do people (actual people, not the papers) *really* feel strongly about promises made to richer sections of society? Have my doubts
Too much analysis was still treating breaking the tax pledge as “just another unpopular decision” rather than recognising consequence of breaking a promise which defined an election for the public. If is correct the govt won’t now break it they may have avoided a deeply scarring loss of public trust
November 14, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Do people (actual people, not the papers) *really* feel strongly about promises made to richer sections of society? Have my doubts
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
Peter Thiel is in the Epstein emails, enjoying himself.
Peter Thiel is an overt, convinced, outspoken Nazi.
Peter Thiel's company is being paid by the UK government to crawl all over YOUR personal data.
Oswald Mosley's grandson runs his UK operation.
You can't make it up.
Peter Thiel is an overt, convinced, outspoken Nazi.
Peter Thiel's company is being paid by the UK government to crawl all over YOUR personal data.
Oswald Mosley's grandson runs his UK operation.
You can't make it up.
How Palantir infiltrated the state
At a moment of national emergency, the government handed our data to Peter Thiel’s controversial company
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Peter Thiel is in the Epstein emails, enjoying himself.
Peter Thiel is an overt, convinced, outspoken Nazi.
Peter Thiel's company is being paid by the UK government to crawl all over YOUR personal data.
Oswald Mosley's grandson runs his UK operation.
You can't make it up.
Peter Thiel is an overt, convinced, outspoken Nazi.
Peter Thiel's company is being paid by the UK government to crawl all over YOUR personal data.
Oswald Mosley's grandson runs his UK operation.
You can't make it up.
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
Is "we are the grown ups in the room" not a convincing sounding piece of bullshit? Is "we just need to make hard decisions to balance the books" not convincing sounding bullshit to a certain kind of person? Is the Westminster political media bubble not just recycling pablum among itself?
In 2015 I wrote that Trump, Grillo, Corbyn and UKIP were the revolt of people who hate being told it is more complicated than that. Tim's lovely piece discusses populism and the aversion to the cognitive effort needed to dismiss convincing-sounding bullsh1t. Free link above 2/
November 13, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Is "we are the grown ups in the room" not a convincing sounding piece of bullshit? Is "we just need to make hard decisions to balance the books" not convincing sounding bullshit to a certain kind of person? Is the Westminster political media bubble not just recycling pablum among itself?
My God, if the media and Labour bureaucracy manage to shithouse Wes Streeting into power it would genuinely be incredible. The absolute apotheosis of "Fuck you, we run this place, we don't give a shit what you lot think"
November 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
My God, if the media and Labour bureaucracy manage to shithouse Wes Streeting into power it would genuinely be incredible. The absolute apotheosis of "Fuck you, we run this place, we don't give a shit what you lot think"
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
ICYMI: On American Samoa’s long-awaited first win in men’s international football, and the narrative arcs that both the international media, and the team’s coach and players attached to the result.
All reposts (and subscriptions) much appreciated. x
All reposts (and subscriptions) much appreciated. x
‘This Is Going to Be Part of Soccer History’
American Samoa’s 2-1 win over Tonga in 2011 ended a lengthy losing streak and was portrayed by international media as completing a redemption arc from their 31-0 loss to Australia a decade earlier.
academicbubble.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:13 PM
ICYMI: On American Samoa’s long-awaited first win in men’s international football, and the narrative arcs that both the international media, and the team’s coach and players attached to the result.
All reposts (and subscriptions) much appreciated. x
All reposts (and subscriptions) much appreciated. x
He's surely got two shots here.
(A) the PLP is so hollowed out of anyone with any shred of even soft left inclinations that he's anointed without a contest (or in a contest with someone equally horrible)
(B) the membership is sufficiently hollowed out in a similar way
(A) the PLP is so hollowed out of anyone with any shred of even soft left inclinations that he's anointed without a contest (or in a contest with someone equally horrible)
(B) the membership is sufficiently hollowed out in a similar way
Yes, yes, all well and good. But what about his favourability ratings within the Labour Party? Absolute dog shit.
indeed, indeed but let us consider... is Wes Streeting the type of politician this country is crying out for? Desperately on its hands and knees and screaming in the streets? Incredibly: no.
November 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM
He's surely got two shots here.
(A) the PLP is so hollowed out of anyone with any shred of even soft left inclinations that he's anointed without a contest (or in a contest with someone equally horrible)
(B) the membership is sufficiently hollowed out in a similar way
(A) the PLP is so hollowed out of anyone with any shred of even soft left inclinations that he's anointed without a contest (or in a contest with someone equally horrible)
(B) the membership is sufficiently hollowed out in a similar way
And both with the same big original sin:
November 12, 2025 at 9:38 AM
And both with the same big original sin:
Disco Elysium Bond, I'd watch it
My Bond pitch: he knows he's Bond but he doesn't know how he knows this, or anything about his life. Maybe he's got amnesia, maybe implanted memories, maybe he's a clone. Don't explain it and it can be a hanging plot thread for the next several films.
November 11, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Disco Elysium Bond, I'd watch it
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
Emily Maitlis not a doctor not trans not an expert in this field worked for ideological reasons to get healthcare for kids shut down, paid for by the licence fee - and she complains about ideological capture. Absolutely farcical
Emily Maitlis admitting she worked at the bbc to try and get healthcare for trans people shut down
November 11, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Emily Maitlis not a doctor not trans not an expert in this field worked for ideological reasons to get healthcare for kids shut down, paid for by the licence fee - and she complains about ideological capture. Absolutely farcical
Sorry, is the premise here that James Bond is supposed to have a continuous canonical storyline where he has a career as an active service secret agent from 1951 to present? 😂
James Bond’s death in No Time to Die is causing a nightmare for the next film. Writers are stuck because Bond “was blown to pieces.”
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
November 11, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Sorry, is the premise here that James Bond is supposed to have a continuous canonical storyline where he has a career as an active service secret agent from 1951 to present? 😂
Think it's astonishing that it hasn't occurred to the very unpopular government at any point that standing up to Donald Trump might be broadly popular
November 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Think it's astonishing that it hasn't occurred to the very unpopular government at any point that standing up to Donald Trump might be broadly popular
Historian of labour and class in Britain opinion: depends who you are talking to?
Britain has been ruled by a bourgeoisie cross-pollinated with an ancient aristocracy for going on 200 years.
The class taxonomies used in public discourse are equal parts culture shit, politics, economic power
Britain has been ruled by a bourgeoisie cross-pollinated with an ancient aristocracy for going on 200 years.
The class taxonomies used in public discourse are equal parts culture shit, politics, economic power
Could someone explain to me what is meant when a British person refers to "the middle class" ? Like, in the US, as I hear it, it basically just means a person who makes a certain amount of money, not too far below and not wildly above the median. Seems like a complex concept when UK writers use it?
November 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Historian of labour and class in Britain opinion: depends who you are talking to?
Britain has been ruled by a bourgeoisie cross-pollinated with an ancient aristocracy for going on 200 years.
The class taxonomies used in public discourse are equal parts culture shit, politics, economic power
Britain has been ruled by a bourgeoisie cross-pollinated with an ancient aristocracy for going on 200 years.
The class taxonomies used in public discourse are equal parts culture shit, politics, economic power
I say this every time, but the left just has hang-ups about how alienating "extreme positions" are that the right just doesn't bother with and which side is it working for?
OK great, then the poll-obsessed moderates will support the next leftist mayoral candidate rather than trying to tank their candidacy, right?
November 9, 2025 at 8:15 PM
I say this every time, but the left just has hang-ups about how alienating "extreme positions" are that the right just doesn't bother with and which side is it working for?
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
In other Lest We Forget news, at my friend's kid's U12 match today:
- Poppy decals for the kits
- Poppy cake post-match
- The planned pre-match *drone fly-over with trailing poppy garlands* was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
As you were, you normal, perfectly sane country 🫡.
- Poppy decals for the kits
- Poppy cake post-match
- The planned pre-match *drone fly-over with trailing poppy garlands* was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
As you were, you normal, perfectly sane country 🫡.
November 9, 2025 at 2:30 PM
In other Lest We Forget news, at my friend's kid's U12 match today:
- Poppy decals for the kits
- Poppy cake post-match
- The planned pre-match *drone fly-over with trailing poppy garlands* was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
As you were, you normal, perfectly sane country 🫡.
- Poppy decals for the kits
- Poppy cake post-match
- The planned pre-match *drone fly-over with trailing poppy garlands* was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
As you were, you normal, perfectly sane country 🫡.
Your regular reminder that the Labour Party's "realistic" platform for government was premised almost entirely on incredible economic growth solving all our problems
He's right. Just because I might prefer Zacks populist policies to Nigels doesn't make any of it more achievable.
The current government have inherited an absolute mess snd it is going to take adults a long time to sort it out.
The current government have inherited an absolute mess snd it is going to take adults a long time to sort it out.
November 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Your regular reminder that the Labour Party's "realistic" platform for government was premised almost entirely on incredible economic growth solving all our problems
Reposted by Jack Saundrs
While you're stocking up on Evan's work, technically you can also still get my book www.routledge.com/Milton-Keyne...
And also, a great book I got to edit early this year: www.routledge.com/The-Liberal-...
And also, a great book I got to edit early this year: www.routledge.com/The-Liberal-...
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 AM
While you're stocking up on Evan's work, technically you can also still get my book www.routledge.com/Milton-Keyne...
And also, a great book I got to edit early this year: www.routledge.com/The-Liberal-...
And also, a great book I got to edit early this year: www.routledge.com/The-Liberal-...
Think you'd struggle to find a better example of the cross-purposes that left and right have this conversation at than this guy being aggrieved that anyone might question Rod Liddle being regularly on TV
Rowling and Liddle are both repugnant, hate-driven arseholes, and this stuff is saying that believing they are is some kind of wild extremist insanity that must be expunged. How long do we think these miniature Canutes can send back the incoming tide, do we think?
November 8, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Think you'd struggle to find a better example of the cross-purposes that left and right have this conversation at than this guy being aggrieved that anyone might question Rod Liddle being regularly on TV
A lot of the responses to this are 'bet he ordered a korma' and the whole 'bland man orders mild curry' is just a fascinating bit of post-colonial English culture, isn't it?
November 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
A lot of the responses to this are 'bet he ordered a korma' and the whole 'bland man orders mild curry' is just a fascinating bit of post-colonial English culture, isn't it?
AEK Athens is pretty fun
November 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
AEK Athens is pretty fun
Excited to find out just what new heights the global islamaphobic conspiracy industry is going to reach
Infuriatingly cannot find that post that was like, every time a right winger criticises London, Sadiq makes another statement saying that the city is full of bilingual polyamorists
November 6, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Excited to find out just what new heights the global islamaphobic conspiracy industry is going to reach