Tim Burrows
@timburrows.bsky.social
Writer, Guardian and others. The Invention of Essex is published by Profile Books: http://bit.ly/3Bj9lLi
Guardian profile: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tim-burrows
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/timburrows
Agent: [email protected]
Guardian profile: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tim-burrows
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/timburrows
Agent: [email protected]
Pinned
Tim Burrows
@timburrows.bsky.social
· Nov 26
The invention of Essex: how a county became a caricature
The long read: From Loadsamoney and ‘Basildon man’ to Towie and Brexit – Essex has long been held up as both the authentic England and the crudest, stupidest symbol of Englishness
www.theguardian.com
Hello! As I'm new here, I thought I should start a thread of my writing from the last few years. First up, an essay-length dredging of the secrets of my home county, The Invention of Essex, for the @theguardian.com long read in 2019 www.theguardian.com/news/2019/ju...
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Just realised this is referring to a church in North Carolina and not the Welsh singer
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Matt Goodwin is so unserious. A country with a healthy popular intellectual discourse would have buried him not long after he 'ate' that book. But he just grifts along
For different reasons - jobs, study, family!
Most went to more ethnically diverse countries (Australia, Canada, America + UAE) than the UK!
Because an increasingly ethnonationalist Goodwin has an ever narrow view of who is "British" he instinctively imagines all these British emigrants are white
Most went to more ethnically diverse countries (Australia, Canada, America + UAE) than the UK!
Because an increasingly ethnonationalist Goodwin has an ever narrow view of who is "British" he instinctively imagines all these British emigrants are white
November 19, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Matt Goodwin is so unserious. A country with a healthy popular intellectual discourse would have buried him not long after he 'ate' that book. But he just grifts along
Reposted by Tim Burrows
I just…don’t understand any of it. And it mostly elicits feelings of deep sadness and a sense of huge missed opportunity. The better choices were right there and they had *plenty* of people pointing at them.
November 17, 2025 at 11:29 AM
I just…don’t understand any of it. And it mostly elicits feelings of deep sadness and a sense of huge missed opportunity. The better choices were right there and they had *plenty* of people pointing at them.
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Honestly, the potential case for getting rid of Starmer before was the lack of any political project and absence of charisma. But now No.10 is creating a moral imperative for the PLP to act as well.
November 17, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Honestly, the potential case for getting rid of Starmer before was the lack of any political project and absence of charisma. But now No.10 is creating a moral imperative for the PLP to act as well.
Knighthood for Geoff Barrow
![A screengrab of text in which Geoff Barrow from Portishead answers a question:
Barrow answers: Did you ever imagine that your sonic experiments on Dummy would become the backdrop to so many romantic entanglements – and how do you feel about being the unsung hero of the 90s sex playlist? asks VerulamiumParkRanger
I’ve heard that people were going out, doing ecstasy, coming back, smoking spliffs and putting Dummy on. If you just listened to the music, you’d think: “That’s really chilled, man.” However, the worst thing that anyone can say about my music is that it’s chilled! That makes me throw up. They’re only listening to Beth [Gibbons]’s voice, not what she’s saying, which makes a huge difference. I’ve had people actually say “My daughter over there was made to your music”, and I’m like, “fuck off”. I can’t think of anything worse to make love to.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fatch45et3xo3adwd6yejbzb/bafkreidpcfdggjrc7hretdat5e6dl7a3ezxzv7nkaq2st5hsdlf6zsvtue@jpeg)
November 13, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Knighthood for Geoff Barrow
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Any journalists interesting in covering/following can DM here or contact me at pdkmitchell at gmail dot com. The most recent BBC and ITV coverage is here (CW: violence, femicide, suicide):
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.itv.com/news/tyne-te...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.itv.com/news/tyne-te...
www.itv.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Any journalists interesting in covering/following can DM here or contact me at pdkmitchell at gmail dot com. The most recent BBC and ITV coverage is here (CW: violence, femicide, suicide):
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.itv.com/news/tyne-te...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.itv.com/news/tyne-te...
Reposted by Tim Burrows
I'm in Nairobi this week for the opening of the inquest into my sister Kate's death here, almost four years ago, which is still very much unsolved. The case has been beset by obstructions and evasions; it's taken us a long time to get this far and there may be more to come.
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I'm in Nairobi this week for the opening of the inquest into my sister Kate's death here, almost four years ago, which is still very much unsolved. The case has been beset by obstructions and evasions; it's taken us a long time to get this far and there may be more to come.
Reposted by Tim Burrows
"The problem isn’t that we have a deliberately biased BBC, it’s that we have a BBC that has been consciously reduced in its scope and bullied into dumbing down and retreating." @stephenkb.bsky.social's newsletter today
November 10, 2025 at 9:40 AM
"The problem isn’t that we have a deliberately biased BBC, it’s that we have a BBC that has been consciously reduced in its scope and bullied into dumbing down and retreating." @stephenkb.bsky.social's newsletter today
Reposted by Tim Burrows
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
November 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
New Labour leader's first day in office next summer after spending all of May and June channeling Zohran Mamdani:
When The Who sang "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" they meant it in a good way! Pragmatic, dependable, smart suit, committed to balancing the books.
November 6, 2025 at 11:32 AM
New Labour leader's first day in office next summer after spending all of May and June channeling Zohran Mamdani:
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Faschismus
Elementarpädagogin von ICE im laufenden Kindergartenbetrieb abgeführt.
orf.at/stories/3410...
orf.at/stories/3410...
November 6, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Faschismus
When has such a baldly factual statement felt so thrilling?
Mamdani: "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant."
November 5, 2025 at 11:00 AM
When has such a baldly factual statement felt so thrilling?
Reposted by Tim Burrows
So much of Labour’s comms is just weird and confusing at this point. Surely it’s really, really easy to decide to offer congratulations/support to a wildly popular left-wing candidate who has just pulled off a historic electoral victory
November 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
So much of Labour’s comms is just weird and confusing at this point. Surely it’s really, really easy to decide to offer congratulations/support to a wildly popular left-wing candidate who has just pulled off a historic electoral victory
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Notable in today's YouGov that the centre/left bloc - Lab/Green/LD/SNP are on 54%. With Reform/Tories on 43%. That's the biggest differential in a long time.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
November 4, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Notable in today's YouGov that the centre/left bloc - Lab/Green/LD/SNP are on 54%. With Reform/Tories on 43%. That's the biggest differential in a long time.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Coming Soon: Tom Skinner says "a-BOSH" to Nigel
Patrick Maguire column identifies Reform's pitch to the petty bourgeoisie. It could be potent too as it'd be fair to say the govt currently lacks a distinctive offer to these workers. They don't often feature strongly in Labour's conception of its people and that shows in policy and comms.
November 3, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Coming Soon: Tom Skinner says "a-BOSH" to Nigel
My latest working theory about the fact Starmer *simply can never look directly at the camera* is it is a hangover from his much-reported obsessive infatuation with 1980s post-punk bands such as Orange Juice
November 3, 2025 at 12:20 PM
My latest working theory about the fact Starmer *simply can never look directly at the camera* is it is a hangover from his much-reported obsessive infatuation with 1980s post-punk bands such as Orange Juice
Reposted by Tim Burrows
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Reposted by Tim Burrows
“Physically, you’re bigger: your shape has changed. But the space is the same. The memories are the same.” I Interviewed Dev Hynes about moving back to Ilford when his mum got sick & how it inspired the incredible album Essex Honey www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
‘It’s scary how many St George’s flags there were’: Blood Orange on coming home to Essex and mourning his mother
After grief brought Dev Hynes home, he reconsidered the county that shaped him. The result is a masterful new album – made with a little help from Lorde and Zadie Smith
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:04 AM
“Physically, you’re bigger: your shape has changed. But the space is the same. The memories are the same.” I Interviewed Dev Hynes about moving back to Ilford when his mum got sick & how it inspired the incredible album Essex Honey www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
Reposted by Tim Burrows
Ed Luce watching democracy die in the United States of America
October 24, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Ed Luce watching democracy die in the United States of America
“Physically, you’re bigger: your shape has changed. But the space is the same. The memories are the same.” I Interviewed Dev Hynes about moving back to Ilford when his mum got sick & how it inspired the incredible album Essex Honey www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
‘It’s scary how many St George’s flags there were’: Blood Orange on coming home to Essex and mourning his mother
After grief brought Dev Hynes home, he reconsidered the county that shaped him. The result is a masterful new album – made with a little help from Lorde and Zadie Smith
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:04 AM
“Physically, you’re bigger: your shape has changed. But the space is the same. The memories are the same.” I Interviewed Dev Hynes about moving back to Ilford when his mum got sick & how it inspired the incredible album Essex Honey www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
Reposted by Tim Burrows
‘The normalisation effect’
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas - study
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas - study
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas, study finds
Normalisation of far-right stances likely to affect success of such parties at ballot boxes across Europe, say researchers
www.theguardian.com
October 18, 2025 at 7:40 AM
‘The normalisation effect’
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas - study
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas - study
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Reposted by Tim Burrows
How has the government got itself into the position of standing up for Israeli football hooligans, while criminalising peaceful supporters of Palestine Action?
October 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
How has the government got itself into the position of standing up for Israeli football hooligans, while criminalising peaceful supporters of Palestine Action?
Reposted by Tim Burrows
The BBC are accidentally running the subtitles to Mrs Marple over the Mercury Prize, and it’s rather wonderful. A few of lines could plausibly have been written by Jarvis.
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The BBC are accidentally running the subtitles to Mrs Marple over the Mercury Prize, and it’s rather wonderful. A few of lines could plausibly have been written by Jarvis.
Reposted by Tim Burrows
This *ought* to be massive news, I found Corbyn's views on Russia deeply iffy but not to the extent of treachery and he was absolutely hounded by the media over it, I suspect this top pal of Farage being in Putin's pocket will be roundly ignored, however.
Nathan Gill, Reform's leader in Wales at the last Welsh parliament election, has pled guilty to 8 bribery charges, taking Russian cash while he was one of Nigel Farage’s MEPs to speak in favour of Putin's Russia in that parliament
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles
www.theguardian.com
September 26, 2025 at 4:09 PM
This *ought* to be massive news, I found Corbyn's views on Russia deeply iffy but not to the extent of treachery and he was absolutely hounded by the media over it, I suspect this top pal of Farage being in Putin's pocket will be roundly ignored, however.