Stephen Drennan
@stephen1958.bsky.social
From Norn Irn. Happy with complex national identity, unhappy with Brexit
FIFA History Prize 2025
Engineering degree, Development, Product Management & 12 yrs as MD.
Also BA & MA History, just because: decolonisation in Africa, nationalism, Ireland/UK
FIFA History Prize 2025
Engineering degree, Development, Product Management & 12 yrs as MD.
Also BA & MA History, just because: decolonisation in Africa, nationalism, Ireland/UK
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
"...the current US government believes that its national security is best served by the destruction of liberal democracy in Europe. In other words, the US is not (just) an unwilling ally, it is a willing adversary. Time to act accordingly."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The US is not just Europe’s unwilling ally, but an adversary steeped in far-right ideology | Cas Mudde
Don’t say you weren’t warned: Trump’s new national security strategy seeks to destroy liberal democracy as we know it, says academic and author Cas Mudde
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
"...the current US government believes that its national security is best served by the destruction of liberal democracy in Europe. In other words, the US is not (just) an unwilling ally, it is a willing adversary. Time to act accordingly."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Every time.
Oxfordshire County Council has just published data on the first month of the congestion charge! Love the level of granularity.
In summary, huge speed up in bus times in city centre, slight increase on some outer roads; massive city centre footfall growth.
news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/promising-st...
In summary, huge speed up in bus times in city centre, slight increase on some outer roads; massive city centre footfall growth.
news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/promising-st...
Promising start for Oxford temporary congestion charge
Early monitoring data for Oxford’s temporary congestion charge, published today by Oxfordshire County Council, shows signs of improving city centre traffic and key journey times, with some outer roads...
news.oxfordshire.gov.uk
December 10, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Every time.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Interesting that the BBC will call National Rally "Far Right" (in an article about Bardella meeting Farage) - when they would never use that term for Reform. Their policies are very similar. If anything Reform's are more authoritarian.
December 9, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Interesting that the BBC will call National Rally "Far Right" (in an article about Bardella meeting Farage) - when they would never use that term for Reform. Their policies are very similar. If anything Reform's are more authoritarian.
I suggest Channel 5 is avoided if you can (Paramount)
free speech news
New WSJ reporting: "During a December visit to Washington, David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he'd make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump's ire, people familiar with the matter said..."
December 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I suggest Channel 5 is avoided if you can (Paramount)
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Lovely tribute to The Lady Killers but what's striking is how much better almost everything looks today.
www.bfi.org.uk/features/70-...
www.bfi.org.uk/features/70-...
70 years of The Ladykillers: how the locations look today
As the classic Ealing comedy turns 70, we went walking around King’s Cross to see whether Alec Guinness and his motley band of robbers would recognise it today.
www.bfi.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Lovely tribute to The Lady Killers but what's striking is how much better almost everything looks today.
www.bfi.org.uk/features/70-...
www.bfi.org.uk/features/70-...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Home Office Ministers state publicly, on the record, that they are deliberately making life worse for older people and people with disabilities who depend on care services, but it's worth it because it reduces net migration.
December 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Home Office Ministers state publicly, on the record, that they are deliberately making life worse for older people and people with disabilities who depend on care services, but it's worth it because it reduces net migration.
Exxon Protection Agency
It appears that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has, within the past week, scrubbed a large amount of climate change content from its official website, as well as *removed human-caused warming* from the discussion on its "causes of climate change" page.
December 8, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Exxon Protection Agency
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
I re-read the 2017 Trump I National Security Strategy and the differences to the 2025 strategy are really striking. This reads like a document from different times
trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/u...
trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/u...
December 7, 2025 at 5:55 AM
I re-read the 2017 Trump I National Security Strategy and the differences to the 2025 strategy are really striking. This reads like a document from different times
trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/u...
trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Statement from the Office of the Bretwalda.
Your Bretwalda is pleased to announce that The Attack Womble of Death is to receive the inaugural Wülferhampton Peace Prize.
Your Bretwalda is pleased to announce that The Attack Womble of Death is to receive the inaugural Wülferhampton Peace Prize.
December 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Statement from the Office of the Bretwalda.
Your Bretwalda is pleased to announce that The Attack Womble of Death is to receive the inaugural Wülferhampton Peace Prize.
Your Bretwalda is pleased to announce that The Attack Womble of Death is to receive the inaugural Wülferhampton Peace Prize.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
You'd think us violating Irish neutrality in an apparent attempt to assassinate Zelensky by forcing his plane to crash would be bigger news.
For the Irish for a start.
For the Irish for a start.
December 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM
You'd think us violating Irish neutrality in an apparent attempt to assassinate Zelensky by forcing his plane to crash would be bigger news.
For the Irish for a start.
For the Irish for a start.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
🔴 Nigel Farage’s Reform is more reliant on super-rich backers than any major party in modern British political history
75% of *all* Reform donations *ever* have come from just three rich men
Is this what democracy looks like?
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...
75% of *all* Reform donations *ever* have come from just three rich men
Is this what democracy looks like?
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...
75% of Reform UK’s donations have come from just three rich men
Calls grow for donation caps as Democracy for Sale research reveals that three-quarters of Reform’s funding comes from a trio of wealthy donors
democracyforsale.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:55 AM
🔴 Nigel Farage’s Reform is more reliant on super-rich backers than any major party in modern British political history
75% of *all* Reform donations *ever* have come from just three rich men
Is this what democracy looks like?
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...
75% of *all* Reform donations *ever* have come from just three rich men
Is this what democracy looks like?
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Dear Question Time ...
December 4, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Dear Question Time ...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
So today #CrossChannelRail is BACK! 🎉
This afternoon I am finally going to one of the places I missed originally: Pont de Rungis / Orly, to see whether building a Channel Tunnel terminal as part of ongoing works makes sense
The #CrossChannelRail Report is here: report.crosschannelrail.eu
This afternoon I am finally going to one of the places I missed originally: Pont de Rungis / Orly, to see whether building a Channel Tunnel terminal as part of ongoing works makes sense
The #CrossChannelRail Report is here: report.crosschannelrail.eu
#CrossChannelRail Final Report – #CrossChannelRail
report.crosschannelrail.eu
December 4, 2025 at 6:59 AM
So today #CrossChannelRail is BACK! 🎉
This afternoon I am finally going to one of the places I missed originally: Pont de Rungis / Orly, to see whether building a Channel Tunnel terminal as part of ongoing works makes sense
The #CrossChannelRail Report is here: report.crosschannelrail.eu
This afternoon I am finally going to one of the places I missed originally: Pont de Rungis / Orly, to see whether building a Channel Tunnel terminal as part of ongoing works makes sense
The #CrossChannelRail Report is here: report.crosschannelrail.eu
These are the people being given our NHS/Health data.
They should be banned from the country.
They should be banned from the country.
Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Alex Karp vows to use his "whole influence" on immigration and defense policy.
gizmodo.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:12 AM
These are the people being given our NHS/Health data.
They should be banned from the country.
They should be banned from the country.
This is great.
(Tho’ not sure if Sgt Dixon ever introduced TOTP; it may be a segment some other Xmas variety show)
(Tho’ not sure if Sgt Dixon ever introduced TOTP; it may be a segment some other Xmas variety show)
December 3, 2025 at 7:13 AM
This is great.
(Tho’ not sure if Sgt Dixon ever introduced TOTP; it may be a segment some other Xmas variety show)
(Tho’ not sure if Sgt Dixon ever introduced TOTP; it may be a segment some other Xmas variety show)
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
December 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Nothing will change in the UK until the press is dealt with
Good clear thread
Rightly lots of debates about growth this weekend - rightly because it was low productivity growth that saw wages entirely flatline during the 2010s.
December 1, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Good clear thread
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
This is Alexander Lebedev, former KGB officer, the close friend of Boris Johnson, father of Lord Lebedev, running a conference in Crimea in 2017 with Sergey Aksyonov - the mafia leader known as the ‘Goblin’ who Putin installed as leader after the invasion
November 30, 2025 at 4:45 AM
This is Alexander Lebedev, former KGB officer, the close friend of Boris Johnson, father of Lord Lebedev, running a conference in Crimea in 2017 with Sergey Aksyonov - the mafia leader known as the ‘Goblin’ who Putin installed as leader after the invasion
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
I was on the Bakerloo line this week. It looked tired but it didn’t look like that. There was zero graffiti
November 30, 2025 at 11:42 AM
I was on the Bakerloo line this week. It looked tired but it didn’t look like that. There was zero graffiti
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Unaccountably, as always with these pieces, the sub-editors seem to have cut off the conclusion, which was surely “and my judgment has thus been proven so bad no one should ever listen to me on anything again”.
The economic damage Brexit has caused is undeniable - even Brexiteers are now admitting it.
https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/we-brexiteers-must-acknowledge-the-costs-of-leaving-europe-p3mhqd66f
https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/we-brexiteers-must-acknowledge-the-costs-of-leaving-europe-p3mhqd66f
We Brexiteers must acknowledge the costs of leaving Europe
Breaking free from the EU has undoubtedly deepened the UK’s malaise, and it’s no use denying it
www.thetimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Unaccountably, as always with these pieces, the sub-editors seem to have cut off the conclusion, which was surely “and my judgment has thus been proven so bad no one should ever listen to me on anything again”.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
This is a direct consequence of Jenrick's attacks. He needs to be held responsible.
Immigration judges targeted by far right after Tory MP’s campaign | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 30, 2025 at 9:05 AM
This is a direct consequence of Jenrick's attacks. He needs to be held responsible.
Sharon here seems to miss the fact that
1. Canadian men 18-34 work
2. Women work!
3. Canadian men 55 - 65+ work
Maybe it’s boomers & zoomers vs ‘some sad middle-aged men disappointed in their lives and looking for scapegoats’ ?
1. Canadian men 18-34 work
2. Women work!
3. Canadian men 55 - 65+ work
Maybe it’s boomers & zoomers vs ‘some sad middle-aged men disappointed in their lives and looking for scapegoats’ ?
hilarious how Canadian politics is an alliance of boomers and zoomers against working age canadian conservatives
i mean this is insane and once again the like 40-50 bracket is the real problem
November 29, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Sharon here seems to miss the fact that
1. Canadian men 18-34 work
2. Women work!
3. Canadian men 55 - 65+ work
Maybe it’s boomers & zoomers vs ‘some sad middle-aged men disappointed in their lives and looking for scapegoats’ ?
1. Canadian men 18-34 work
2. Women work!
3. Canadian men 55 - 65+ work
Maybe it’s boomers & zoomers vs ‘some sad middle-aged men disappointed in their lives and looking for scapegoats’ ?
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Creating a military conflict with Venezuela gives this administration a legal "hook" to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. In other words, the foreign war is being manufactured in order to facilitate court deference for its domestic mass deportation policy. It's a Stephen Miller Special.
November 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Creating a military conflict with Venezuela gives this administration a legal "hook" to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. In other words, the foreign war is being manufactured in order to facilitate court deference for its domestic mass deportation policy. It's a Stephen Miller Special.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.