Dr Catherine Preston
Welsh historian, Associate Lecturer Open University
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- Yup. They were complaining about his handling of Trump this week and the comments were indistinguishable from those levelled at Starmer.
- Dorian asked me why Labour keeps trying to ape Reform. It’s a q that preoccupies my bit of Bluesky, so it’s worth the time, and I think the answer isn’t obvious. Short 🧵
- 🚨OUT NOW🚨 Is Labour reading the local election results completely wrong? Plus, what if this newfangled populism isn’t so new after all? Historian Quinn Slobodian joins @dorianlynskey.bsky.social, @mattgreencomedy.com, and @rostaylor.bsky.social 👉 linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...
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View full threadI think experience of being poor would be a great thing for MPs to have, more so than anything else
- True. But that’s a different point, and requires different ways of looking at working class representation in the modern world to how it operated 100 years ago.
- There are issues around comparing modern working class with 100 years ago. The ranks from which eg Welsh Labour MPs were drawn were frequently not ‘ordinary’ people, but trade union & community leaders. They were the elite, often well educated (if not formally so), not labourers per se.
- Not that shop staff aren’t educated but there isn’t any comparison in terms of experience or opportunities,
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- I especially love the ‘he said they would remain illegal but didn’t say that would stop the imports’ crowd.
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- I was nearly late for my bus, if that helps.
- Rather enjoying the Canadians complaining about Carney doing a Starmer with Trump after days of listening to Brits calling on Starmer to do a Carney.
- That thing @stephenkb.bsky.social mentioned about how members of the shadow cabinet don't have to clear stuff through the leader's office? Well, it has downsides.
- Downsides for whom?
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- It’s literally what the Government have been saying for months. I think the last few years has taken a very heavy toll on public trust that no one has believed it up to now.
- I think it is worth remembering at this point how poor Trump's deals were in his first term. He actually achieved nothing of significance.
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- I’m not sure what point you’re making. The question was about whether this deal will cause problems with the EU. It won’t. Whether UK people buy US meat is not really relevant.
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- No because we’re not accepting the hormone injected stuff, only beef that meets our standards.
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- I’m a Labour community councillor and I’m finding increasingly difficult to defend some of the Government’s decisions. We need the PLP to speak out for us. They currently aren’t.
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- I don’t and that’s rather the point.
- Rather than posting on social media, it might be better if Labour MOs started putting pressure on the Gov to stop creating the environment which could lead to Reform being in the position to do these things. Start challenging Reform & stop mimicking them esp on immigration.
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- Aww, bless.
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- There are a few on that list I’d pay good money to see them not speak.
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- I’ve been silently screaming ‘Get a grip guys’ at my timeline for days (my own fault of course for following so many political people but it’s been painful how slow people have been to reach this point).
- I wonder how much a Carney win in Canada (Carney who endorsed Reeves for Chancellor in 23) and an Albenese win in Aus will also shift the global context within which Labour operates?
- I see the politics wonks, after days of earnestly discussing the results of the 2029 election, have now decided that the entrails are too unreliable to predict that far in advance. Who knew?
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- Difficult to know who I’d want to come off worse in that encounter.
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- I think the operative phrase though is ‘4 years time’. I know it’s a fun intellectual exercise, but remember pol commentators were convinced Sunak would call the election in Jan and/or we’d have a hung parliament. There are 1000s of ongoing developments that could change the course completely.
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- It could. Even if Starmer is unwilling, if sufficient members of the cabinet presented a ‘if he doesn’t go, we will’ ultimatum, McSweeney would be done. My feeling is that at some point McS will over play his hand and that’s exactly what Starmer will face.
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- And that will surely be even more significant if the US continues its downward spiral into madness and we move closer to the EU?
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- Reform like Brexit isn’t going to be happy when it’s introduced to reality.
- I see the pollster are consulting the entrails about the 2029 election again. Seriously guys it’s 4 years away. There’s Trump/Ukraine/Gaza/Canada & Australia elections/climate change/possible pandemic/China etc etc. And all have the potential to significantly shift domestic politics in days.
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- Not a great advert for our own product when we can’t manage not to bankrupt ourselves.
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- True. Reform are currently like Brexit in that they stand for whatever people want them to be. But remember what happened to Brexit when it met reality. Part of me hopes they do well to bring about that introduction as soon as possible.
- So, if we call it “youth opportunity scheme” instead of “youth mobility scheme”, then Brexiters might not have a wettie about it and govt can relax. Honest to god. When did we get so petty and pathetic? Oh yes. 2016. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
- Always seemed to me the simplest solution. While we’re at it we could set up a “Shared Market” and “Reciprocal Customs Agreement” or simply ‘conjoin’ with the EU.
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- Yup. Had a morning of it with my sister. And it doesn’t seem to matter if you present the evidence - the lie has taken root and nothing can shift it.
- A disturbing morning. My heavily online sister has been ranting about Muslim rape gangs and Labour banning Easter. Not sure how we combat the level of dis/misinformation being peddled everywhere.
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- The Non-Producers.
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- I wish it wasn’t Batters though - she’s nuts.
- She believed Boris Johnson was telling the truth about protecting farmers during Brexit.
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- Mark Carney endorsed Rachel Reeves in 2023. The idea that Labour haven’t been talking to him since seems silly to say the least.
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- You didn’t debate though. I saw your responses and, like all fundamentalists, you weren’t interested in persuading, just in demonstrating your purity.
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- Looking at Dave’s previous responses to Otto, I’m not sure he actually knows what ‘debate’ means.
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- You have a point, of sorts. Not sure why you didn’t make it to Otto instead of being rude.
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- I’ve just done the thing that I loathe in others - responding to the headline and not listening 🤦♀️. I do think Welby has handled this incredibly poorly, though.
- Welby isn’t the one sinned against either. Forgiveness is not his to give.
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- Genuinely don’t understand how anyone can look at the last five years and at the current global uncertainties and even try to predict where we’ll be in 4 years time.
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- No the Sun is already on the case. Apparently Ange had the temerity to ask if she go on safari in her free time while on a trip to Ethiopia (I think). She was told no so didn’t. She’s an absolute shocker.😑
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- This (and 100 other moving parts and variables) is why I think declaring Farage the winner in 2029 might be a bit premature.
- (Declaring him the winner at this stage I mean obvs).
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- A lot of negativity from people who should know better too. Lots handing Farage and Reform the next election four years out.
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- I had an argument with another historian a few weeks after this, who claimed we wouldn’t be talking about Covid in 10 yrs time cos we’ve collectively forgotten the 1918 flu epidemic. I did suggest it might be premature take. I’m starting to feel more confident about which of us was right.
- Brilliant news! At last, confirmation that the Govt *will* go ahead with the #NaturalHistoryGCSE 🎉 We have to get to know our fellow travellers on this planet again. Young people who know & love nature are far more likely to protect & restore it - as well as enjoying better physical & mental health
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- Wrong country.
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- Wales says hello too.
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- Yes, it’s a consultation paper. There will be discussions with relevant groups before a White Paper is produced. That will then be discussed in Parliament.
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- *Keir
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- Nyman’s The Man Who mistook His Wife for a Hat?
