James Austin
@jamesdaustin.bsky.social
This again. Outdoors. Politics. Sport. Not always in that order. Labour. Trade Unionist. Trying to do community things. Views entirely my own
Mood of UK political Bluesky, 2 days before the Budget: We're discussing about how we guarantee our own deaths in a nuclear war.
Things are going well.
Things are going well.
Yes, as a zone one dweller, I am maybe...against nuclear power if it takes away the central London guarantee of 'ending up a shadow on the wall' quite frankly.
November 24, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Mood of UK political Bluesky, 2 days before the Budget: We're discussing about how we guarantee our own deaths in a nuclear war.
Things are going well.
Things are going well.
Reposted by James Austin
Geez...even Russian infrastructure spending is focused on London at the expense of poor overlooked communities in the North.
November 24, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Geez...even Russian infrastructure spending is focused on London at the expense of poor overlooked communities in the North.
Reposted by James Austin
Fairly sure Bevin would tell him to fuck off.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Fairly sure Bevin would tell him to fuck off.
Reposted by James Austin
If reports are to be believed, Ryan Baird probably packed down in a 7 man scrum against the Boks with some form of break to the lower leg
Nails
Hopefully not out too long, he had an excellent November
Nails
Hopefully not out too long, he had an excellent November
November 24, 2025 at 8:48 AM
If reports are to be believed, Ryan Baird probably packed down in a 7 man scrum against the Boks with some form of break to the lower leg
Nails
Hopefully not out too long, he had an excellent November
Nails
Hopefully not out too long, he had an excellent November
Reposted by James Austin
This sounds great. But, unfortunately, it’s nonsense. We borrow from the bond markets. There is no alternative. I wish it were otherwise, but it’s not. The real world cannot be wished away.
@zackpolanski.bsky.social on the importance of spending multipliers & borrowing to invest
Zack is, without doubt, a great communicator. And on him talking about democracy & the bond markets I'm reminded of Eddie Dempsey at the Durham Miners Gala when he asked "who elected the bond market?"
Zack is, without doubt, a great communicator. And on him talking about democracy & the bond markets I'm reminded of Eddie Dempsey at the Durham Miners Gala when he asked "who elected the bond market?"
November 24, 2025 at 9:03 AM
This sounds great. But, unfortunately, it’s nonsense. We borrow from the bond markets. There is no alternative. I wish it were otherwise, but it’s not. The real world cannot be wished away.
Reposted by James Austin
Scrapping the two-child limit *is* welfare reform. Defining ‘reform’ solely as ‘cut’ is one reason why it’s proved so difficult
November 23, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Scrapping the two-child limit *is* welfare reform. Defining ‘reform’ solely as ‘cut’ is one reason why it’s proved so difficult
In a pub where its £3.80 a pint.
Lads, we are so back.
Lads, we are so back.
November 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM
In a pub where its £3.80 a pint.
Lads, we are so back.
Lads, we are so back.
This. My personal feeling is it will be someone we're largely not thinking about but of the obvious candidates Miliband is most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
Miliband as next PM continues to be really under-priced
Nov 18th - Nov 20th polling of Labour members on hypothetical leader contests if Starmer stood
Current leader loses by 26%, ties, and wins by 16-18% & even 34%
Starmer does best (+34) 50-16 against his new Home Secretary in a poll held as her asylum reforms were leading the news on Nov 17th
Current leader loses by 26%, ties, and wins by 16-18% & even 34%
Starmer does best (+34) 50-16 against his new Home Secretary in a poll held as her asylum reforms were leading the news on Nov 17th
November 23, 2025 at 9:56 AM
This. My personal feeling is it will be someone we're largely not thinking about but of the obvious candidates Miliband is most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
Mum made me listen to far too much Billy Bragg
November 23, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Mum made me listen to far too much Billy Bragg
Reposted by James Austin
Ok this is big. Sen. Rounds iterates that, per Rubio, Thursday is a deadline to begin negotiations — not a deadline for Ukraine to accept the deal. There is no threat of revoking intelligence sharing or ending arms shipments from the administration, he says.
November 22, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Ok this is big. Sen. Rounds iterates that, per Rubio, Thursday is a deadline to begin negotiations — not a deadline for Ukraine to accept the deal. There is no threat of revoking intelligence sharing or ending arms shipments from the administration, he says.
So, next week we have the budget, likely US invasion of Venuzuela, Trump trying to bounce the end of Ukraine War and the Budget.
And no cricket.
Busy week
And no cricket.
Busy week
US operations against Venezuela to begin within days.
Covert ops the first move.
Covert ops the first move.
www.reuters.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:51 PM
So, next week we have the budget, likely US invasion of Venuzuela, Trump trying to bounce the end of Ukraine War and the Budget.
And no cricket.
Busy week
And no cricket.
Busy week
As I was saying...
She's nuked per popularity with members
She's nuked per popularity with members
November 22, 2025 at 10:49 PM
As I was saying...
She's nuked per popularity with members
She's nuked per popularity with members
RSA are *very* lucky there not to get a yellow.
Only one team in the world game right now are putting in these sorts of shots regularly
Only one team in the world game right now are putting in these sorts of shots regularly
November 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
RSA are *very* lucky there not to get a yellow.
Only one team in the world game right now are putting in these sorts of shots regularly
Only one team in the world game right now are putting in these sorts of shots regularly
All Im saying is that England could have done with me today.
I may be the only man to play repeated forward defences in Sixers
I may be the only man to play repeated forward defences in Sixers
November 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
All Im saying is that England could have done with me today.
I may be the only man to play repeated forward defences in Sixers
I may be the only man to play repeated forward defences in Sixers
Reposted by James Austin
I think if 24 people are dead it's more than "testing" a ceasefire.
BREAKING: At least 24 people are dead and 54 wounded after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, testing the ceasefire that began in October, officials say.
Israel launches strikes in Gaza ceasefire's latest test as hospitals say 20 killed
Israel's military says it has launched new airstrikes against Hamas militants in Gaza, testing the ceasefire that began on October 10.
bit.ly
November 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I think if 24 people are dead it's more than "testing" a ceasefire.
Reposted by James Austin
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
Today is Holodomor remembrance day, one of the worst human rights atrocities of the 20th century.
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Welcome back to Origin Story: The Story of Socialism as we resume the story of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in part three @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social discuss Terror 👉 linktr.ee/originstoryp...
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
November 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
Quite rightly her asylum policies have nuked any leadership prospects she had.
Please, Morgan, run her at the next contest. I want to see if you can beat your score with Liz Kendall.
Please, Morgan, run her at the next contest. I want to see if you can beat your score with Liz Kendall.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has seen her favourability drop 32 points among Labour members since her plans for asylum policy reform were announced
Cabinet rankings: Mahmood sees sharp drop in approval among Labour members – LabourList
Shabana Mahmood’s approval among Labour members has plummeted since her announcement on reform of asylum policy, exclusive polling for LabourList has revealed. The poll, conducted…
labourlist.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Quite rightly her asylum policies have nuked any leadership prospects she had.
Please, Morgan, run her at the next contest. I want to see if you can beat your score with Liz Kendall.
Please, Morgan, run her at the next contest. I want to see if you can beat your score with Liz Kendall.
Reposted by James Austin
The Home Secretary explaining that the rise in racist violence is, actually, the natural response to higher levels of immigration is a state of affairs that can't exist without the government having largely decided that racist violence is, if not legitimate, at least understandable.
November 22, 2025 at 9:55 AM
The Home Secretary explaining that the rise in racist violence is, actually, the natural response to higher levels of immigration is a state of affairs that can't exist without the government having largely decided that racist violence is, if not legitimate, at least understandable.
Fair play to head but.... FFS
November 22, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Fair play to head but.... FFS
Reposted by James Austin
In the next 7 days its fairly likely he'll betray Ukraine, invade Venuzuela, be definatively revealed to be a paedophile and do more shit like this.
One hell of a timeline
One hell of a timeline
November 21, 2025 at 11:32 PM
In the next 7 days its fairly likely he'll betray Ukraine, invade Venuzuela, be definatively revealed to be a paedophile and do more shit like this.
One hell of a timeline
One hell of a timeline
Reposted by James Austin
the peak of 'Donald Trump is incredibly easy to influence into saying nice things' remains when he and Hillary were asked at one of the debates to say something they liked about the other and he responded with a spiel straight from her campaign media about how she was a fighter who never quits
November 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
the peak of 'Donald Trump is incredibly easy to influence into saying nice things' remains when he and Hillary were asked at one of the debates to say something they liked about the other and he responded with a spiel straight from her campaign media about how she was a fighter who never quits
Reposted by James Austin
Again: if you think that going “it’s a problem if you can’t see what is objectionable about this mural” is “silly”, you yourself are a racist and an appeaser of racists, just like the government we now have.
November 21, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Again: if you think that going “it’s a problem if you can’t see what is objectionable about this mural” is “silly”, you yourself are a racist and an appeaser of racists, just like the government we now have.
Reposted by James Austin
This is one of the changes in the UK media landscape that should be more remarked on: the fact that being a very open, proud, outright racist is no longer a bar to being a pundit on some TV stations (in this case GBN and Talk TV).
Lucy White advocates a ban on "non-natives" from office, citing Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel.
So she is referring to UK-born ethnic minority citizens. (Her argument would apply equally to Shabana Mahmood, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and others)
Lucy White continues to be a GB News regular
So she is referring to UK-born ethnic minority citizens. (Her argument would apply equally to Shabana Mahmood, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and others)
Lucy White continues to be a GB News regular
November 21, 2025 at 11:12 AM
This is one of the changes in the UK media landscape that should be more remarked on: the fact that being a very open, proud, outright racist is no longer a bar to being a pundit on some TV stations (in this case GBN and Talk TV).
Reposted by James Austin
The thing that most depresses me about this is that you have people nominally on the left who argue that this has not happened and adopt right-wing “taxed enough already” language to justify their taxes remaining low(er)
This (from: www.ft.com/content/75ce...) is something you can *feel* if you are in the UK, especially if you've experienced living abroad. But infuriatingly successive governments and our entire media are somehow absolutely committed to suggesting anyone who wants to change this is the devil...
November 21, 2025 at 10:30 AM
The thing that most depresses me about this is that you have people nominally on the left who argue that this has not happened and adopt right-wing “taxed enough already” language to justify their taxes remaining low(er)
This is an brilliant rant and I agree with every word.
God, there is so much just wrong, isn't there. And the worst bit is intelligent, good people I know sit there, nod as I say things, agree and then just... don't change or do anything?
They just put it in the too difficult pile and carry on
God, there is so much just wrong, isn't there. And the worst bit is intelligent, good people I know sit there, nod as I say things, agree and then just... don't change or do anything?
They just put it in the too difficult pile and carry on
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
November 21, 2025 at 10:53 AM
This is an brilliant rant and I agree with every word.
God, there is so much just wrong, isn't there. And the worst bit is intelligent, good people I know sit there, nod as I say things, agree and then just... don't change or do anything?
They just put it in the too difficult pile and carry on
God, there is so much just wrong, isn't there. And the worst bit is intelligent, good people I know sit there, nod as I say things, agree and then just... don't change or do anything?
They just put it in the too difficult pile and carry on