Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Anand Menon

@anandmenon.bsky.social

41K followers 4.5K following 2.5K posts

Director @ukandeu Bitter and twisted observer of politics. ‘Not yoda’ (DC) ‘Slightly matey politics don' (Q. Letts) Trustee, @fullfact #LUFC Most views someone else’s

Videos

Anand Menon is Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London in the United Kingdom and was appointed in January 2014 as director of the UK in a Changing Europe initiative. He was a special adviser to the House of Lords EU committee. .. more

Political science 72%

Economics 11%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 1h

While I am, by nature, a tight fisted bastard, this is a good read every day so you should consider it

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1h

My newsletter, Lines To Take, is changing.

Here’s what’s next — and why I hope you’ll join me.

✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/this-newsl...

Music was blaring, lights strobing, bodies gyrating. There was glitter everywhere. Welcome to Daybreaker, an early morning dance movement based in 33 cities around the world, where people come to “sweat, dance and connect with ourselves and each other”. It is also how I ended up in a nightclub at seven in the morning, sober and alone, approaching strangers to ask if they were having a good time.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky. My editor at the time had initially (and a little too cheerily, I felt) suggested I go walking with wolves somewhere in the Lake District. Back in 2019, Daybreaker was a noisy example of what seemed like a striking shift in our consumption habits. The so-called “experience economy” was booming then and — following the Covid-19 interruption — has come back with a vengeance

“The history of economic progress,” Joseph Pine II, who helped coin the term “experience economy” told me (and many others, I suspect, given the rhyme), “is paying a fee for what used to be free.”

Can you see where I’m going with this?

1 1 5

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Anand Menon

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1h

My newsletter, Lines To Take, is changing.

Here’s what’s next — and why I hope you’ll join me.

✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/this-newsl...

1 2 4

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 2h

‘Fix the foundations of higher education’. Jesus Christ, it’s like being governed by robots.

4 1 56

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 16h

This is good. But I think we should bear in mind just how long people think the parties have been failing them for. 2015 was a dress rehearsal for current fragmentation and disillusion. The Brexit hiatus I think hides the fac that this is a long term thing dating back far before Truss or Johnson.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 22h

Some thoughts on an undercovered line in Kemi Badenoch's speech and the Tory party's half-right theory of 'why Reform are leading the polls' more generally in today's note:

Tories need a leader who can say sorry

British public remain angry with the previous government, with many turning to Reform as alternative to Labour

www.ft.com

4 1 9

Reposted by Anand Menon, Jill Rutter

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 18h

"The underlying point is that, given the history, there was nothing like sufficient trust that the UK state could, or would, provide the safeguards and protections of minority rights in Northern Ireland, and that remains the case today."

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-belfast-...

The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and Human Rights - UK in a changing Europe

Andrew McCormick explains the role ECHR membership plays in the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement.

ukandeu.ac.uk

2 10 17

Reposted by Anand Menon, Jill Rutter

Markus W. Gehring @mwgehring.bsky.social · 18h

Warm invitation @eulegalstudies.bsky.social annual lecture with the most inspiring @ukandeu.bsky.social Director Prof @anandmenon.bsky.social with Reflections on the Brexit ‘Revolution’ - please join us @cambridgelaw.bsky.social on 3 Nov 5.30pm - open to all.

www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/press/events...

2025-26 Mackenzie Stuart Lecture: 'Reflections on the Brexit

Speaker: Professor Anand Menon, Director, UK in a Changing Europe Biography: Anand Menon is Director of the UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s

www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk

4 5

Reposted by Anand Menon

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 22h

Some thoughts on an undercovered line in Kemi Badenoch's speech and the Tory party's half-right theory of 'why Reform are leading the polls' more generally in today's note:

Tories need a leader who can say sorry

British public remain angry with the previous government, with many turning to Reform as alternative to Labour

www.ft.com

7 6 33

Reposted by Anand Menon

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 23h

And for more infromation on what polling is and how it works, check out our report here 👉 ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/poll...

Polling: what is it, and how does it work? - UK in a changing Europe

Rob Ford, Zain Mohyuddin and Sophie Stowers explain what public opinion polling is, what it measures and how it works.

ukandeu.ac.uk

2 3

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Anand Menon , and 1 more Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Anand Menon, Jill Rutter

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 23h

"Are they [MRPs] any use to anyone at this stage of the Parliament? No! Do something more useful. Stop producing these polls. They're not magic."

Expert pollster @psurridge.bsky.social reflects on polls and electoral reform

Catch up on the discussion in full here 👇 www.youtube.com/live/ivRLHUb...

2 12 36

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 1d

No idea what you said, but I'm taking a gamble and liking it. Hope you're doing well!

1 1

Reposted by Anand Menon

Marina Costa Lobo @marinacostalobo.bsky.social · 1d

Agradeço à @comculturaearte.bsky.social que quis entrevistar-me sobre o livro que publiquei recentemente com a Ana Espírito Santo “O eleitorado português no século XXI”.

Comunidade Cultura e Arte @comculturaearte.bsky.social · 1d

“A homogeneidade nas eleições é inimiga dos ganhos eleitorais”, sublinha Marina Costa Lobo em entrevista à Comunidade Cultura e Arte.

👉Entrevista da jornalista Ana Monteiro Fernandes: comunidadeculturaearte.com/entrevista-m...

1 1 3

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 1d

Wander round Mumbai these days and you’ll hardly see a brown face.

7 22 160

Reposted by Anand Menon

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 1d

£2.7bn of stamp duty receipts in 23-24 came from properties worth more than £1.5m.

SDLT may be a bad tax, but I don’t think a pure tax giveaway to multimillionaire property owners should be a priority.

9 33

Reposted by Anand Menon

Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 2d

I dialled in from Manchester to discuss the state of the right with @psurridge.bsky.social @timbale.bsky.social and Tim Montgomerie (also in Manchester - even though he is now in Reform) for @ukandeu.bsky.social Utterly fascinating (TM @anandmenon.bsky.social) - watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRL...

UKICE Lunch Hour: the state of the right

YouTube video by UK in a Changing Europe

www.youtube.com

1 3 7

Reposted by Anand Menon

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 2d

"Yet the EU can only do so much. When it comes to marshalling the use of force, an institution intended to tame rather than to deploy power has its limits."

@anandmenon.bsky.social on Europe's 'hard power problem' and why defence cooperation must go beyond the EU

ukandeu.ac.uk/europes_hard...

Europe's hard power problem - UK in a changing Europe

Anand Menon reflects on Europe's role in its own security and argues that it must rapidly undo the consequences of underinvestment in defence and relience on the US.

ukandeu.ac.uk

1 5 11

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Anand Menon, Vaughan S. Roberts

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 2d

I'm guessing Robert Jenrick might be hard-pressed to see a black face if he walked round his own constituency of Newark for 90 minutes, given the ethnic minority population of its main town looks to be smaller than the white population of Handsworth. (Source: citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastmi...)

27 51 240

Reposted by Steve Peers, Anand Menon, Ben Rosamond , and 1 more Steve Peers, Anand Menon, Ben Rosamond, Nicolai von Ondarza

Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 2d

Westminster Voting Intention:

RFM: 27% (-2)
LAB: 20% (-2)
CON: 17% (+1)
LDM: 17% (+2)
GRN: 12% (+1)
SNP: 4% (+1)

Via @yougov.co.uk, 5-6 Oct.
Changes w/ 28-29 Sep.

18 45 110

Reposted by Anand Menon

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 2d

"The prize of ‘killing off’ the Tories has lured the Lib Dems into prioritising 2024 Conservative voters. Such a strategy has its upsides but the likelihood of success appears limited"

David Cutts, Charles Pattie & @prfandrwrssll.bsky.social on the Lib Dems' strategy

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-liberal-...

Targeting Tory voters over Labour: the Liberal Democrats' strategic error? - UK in a changing Europe

David Cutts, Charles Pattie and Andrew Russell argue that the Liberal Democrats’ strategy to target disaffected Conservative voters to boost their support...

ukandeu.ac.uk

3 3 9

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

‘After highlighting the lack of white people, the shadow justice secretary said it was not about “the colour of your skin or your faith”’ www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in part of Birmingham

Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on short visit

www.theguardian.com

20 50 120

Reposted by Anand Menon

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 3d

"There is an urgent need for the EU to come to its defence or risk finding itself aligned globally with the rogue states who uphold international law only when it suits them."

Mihail Evans argues that the EU must act to defend the Ottowa Convention that bans landmines

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-eu-and-t...

The EU and the Mine Ban Convention - UK in a changing Europe

Mihail Evans reflects on the decision by Ukraine and several EU member states to leave the Ottowa Treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines. He argues that the EU must act to defend to Mine...

ukandeu.ac.uk

1 5

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

Will bottle some sunshine

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

Good Lord no. I wouldn’t dare risk losing it.

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

Manchester 0 tbf

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 3d

‘Come to Mallorca to do a lecture’, they said. ‘But it’s Tory conference’, I said. 😎

8 1 91

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Anand Menon, Sarah Hall

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 3d

Kemi Badenoch has said that the UK will leave the ECHR if the Tories win the next election

But is it possible to leave these conventions? If so, how? And, less radically, can these conventions be reformed?

@cbarnard.bsky.social has the answers 👇

ukandeu.ac.uk/leaving-the-...

Leaving the ECHR and the Refugee Convention - UK in a changing Europe

Catherine Barnard explains the political and legal consequences of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Refugee Convention.

ukandeu.ac.uk

4 15 9

Reposted by Anand Menon, Pepper D. Culpepper

Nick Kristof @nickkristof.bsky.social · 4d

Portland is a “war-ravaged” city that is “on fire,” President Trump warns. But I braved the artillery fire and militia checkpoints to bring you this video report from the front lines.

79 370 1.6K

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 4d

I’m old and my memory not what it used to be, but the last time I recall this two speech thing was 2016. That ended well for her…. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Badenoch says Tories open to quitting more treaties to increase deportations

Party leader uses conference speech to outline proposal for UK to exit ECHR as part of wider bonfire of protections

www.theguardian.com

8 11 71

Reposted by Anand Menon

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 4d

"Yet years of naïve underinvestment in their own security, prompted by faith in an overseas protector, have left Europe powerless."

✍️ @anandmenon.bsky.social aruges that Europe has a hard power problem that it must quickly resolve to face current challenges

Europe's hard power problem - UK in a changing Europe

Anand Menon reflects on Europe's role in its own security and argues that it must rapidly undo the consequences of underinvestment in defence and relience on the US.

ukandeu.ac.uk

3 7

Reposted by Anand Menon

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 4d

In news that might not be 100% unconnected to the last couple of weeks of other party conferences, the Greens now say they have 84,000 members (in England and Wales), with 25% of them aged under 30.

3 11 76

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 4d

Finally. Name recognition…..