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Lewis Baston

@lewisbaston.bsky.social

20K followers 1.8K following 3.7K posts

Author of ‘Borderlines’ (Hodder, 2024). Psephologist, cat ‘owner’, traveller, flâneur. https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/lewis-baston/borderlines/9781399723763/

www.hodder.co.uk

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 20d

Delighted to announce that Borderlines is one of @waterstones.bsky.social paperbacks of the year!

Image of the cover of Borderlines, with a photograph of an abandoned customs post in the mist, on a gold background. The text to the right reads Waterstones Paperbacks of the Year.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 3h

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 4h

A fantastic literary agent decided to sign me and I got a book contract with amazingly little fuss. I’ve also met lots of friends and chatted with experts and leaders.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 4d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 5h

Unzoomed #633 1/6 🟢⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️
unzoomed.com pleased with that!

Unzoomed

Identify cities using satellite images in this daily puzzle game, where each guess zooms out for enhanced clues.

unzoomed.com

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 5h

It’s got a pretty interesting history (if one finds urban rail systems interesting). Successor to the splendidly named Manhattan Transfer.

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 5h

Very sorry for your loss.

Reposted by Lewis Baston

👻madeline boOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 6h

This is very cool as a visual and also yes I agree that a whole lot of people have not/do not want to realise this. It will reduce traffic to the busiest area, thereby reducing traffic in the ‘thru’ zones, without reducing access TO the ‘thru’ zones

Stephen Gower @sjgower.bsky.social · 9h

I made an infographic map. Oxford's Congestion Charge scheme (from 29th Oct) is not like most congestion charge schemes, because you can get to most streets in the city without being charged. My impression is a lot of people haven't realised this.

A street map of Oxford.

Woodstock Road, Banbury Road and the streets in their immediate vicinity are coloured pink. Botley Road and streets off it are coloured green. Cowley Road, Iffley Road and Abingdon Road and streets off them are coloured blue. Streets in Marston and Headington are coloured orange. The ring road matches the colours at each junction and fades between colours as it goes around. A small area in the middle is coloured yellow, and labelled "Central Permit Area". THe Congestion Charge traffic filters are indicated by black circles circles with white segments, those white segments correspond on a 24 hour clock face with when the filter isn't operational (and the remaining black, when the filters are operational). Crosses mark other filters in the city that are enforced by ANPR but are not part of the Congestion Charge scheme.

Text at the top of the image reads "Temporary Congestion Charge for Cars in Oxford 2025-2026. Any road outside the Central Permit Area can be accessed without passing any traffic filers by using the Ring Road and selecting an approporiate exit junction (matching colours on this map)."

A key at the bottom matches the filter types, with text "Traffic Filters. Hollow Way & Marston Ferry Road 7-9am and 3-6pm. St Cross Road, Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street and St Clements, 7am-7pm. £5 daily permit covers all Congestion Charge filters. Free Permits available. For example for residents, business use, health and car, SEND and disabilty. Congestion Charge permits do not apply for other filters, such as High Street or in East Oxford/Cowley."

Small print reads "Full details at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-travel" and "©@sjgower Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations of highway filters are approximate and for overview purposes only. v1.3"

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 11h

Sam’s article has a lot of information I previously did not know about the two-way relationship between Russian political actors and the European far right, dating back to when the far right seemed like a faint cloud on a distant horizon.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 11h

It’s infuriating that so mediocre and crude a power as Russia is running rings round European democracies and that they have so many willing collaborators.

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 14h

New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russia and the rise of the radical right

Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)

open.substack.com

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 12h

I had the impression that local election voting behaviour was unusually close in aggregate to national voting intention in May 2025. Dylan, as ever, has done the analysis.

Dylan Difford @dylandifford.bsky.social · 13h

Which party underperformed the most in the 2025 local elections?

Arguably Reform UK. A 🧵 on what the locals tell us about a key and neglected dimension in analysis of the current political situation.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 13h

Thanks - I knew this was in the works but didn’t realise it was quite this close! Airport I guess will take a bit longer…

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Home.

Lily, a white cat, has come to the door to greet me.

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Arrival in St Pancras - a bit tousled but it’s been a good day of travel. Choice now is whether to trundle the bags home or take the bus - decided to live in luxury and wait for the 214.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Sorry to hear that Owain. I hope you’re ok and wish you all the best for what’s next.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

So what am I saying? I guess that allowing the depraved and worthless to live, locked up, is better than allowing or enabling them to die or be killed. For the good of society rather than the good of that individual.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

On the one hand it’s worth upholding the civilised rule that the death penalty, let alone extrajudicial execution and murder, is wrong. On the other hand, i remember reading the coverage of the trial and sentencing and it was one of the worst things I have ever seen www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies in prison attack

Ian Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence imposed in 2013 after admitting 13 child sex offences.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Eurostar from Paris to London - feels as if I’m nearly home. I much prefer doing the journey to and from Lodève this way than flying.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Must admit the RER was a bit hard-core for my parents when I went with them. We should have got a cab or the 91 bus.

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

It’s not technically a second mention but it’s a very good subsequent mention worthy of the attention of @secondmentions.bsky.social

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Line A first then Line B.

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Once you’ve done it once or twice it’s a short walk from the RER platforms to the Eurostar check-in at Paris Gare du Nord (it’s a vast station! Busiest in Europe). It’s a bit cramped because of all the checks on the way to the train but the staff keep it flowing

Me on an upward escalator to ‘Hall 2’ - with a U.K. flag to indicate it’s where you go for London.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Short hop on the RER from Paris Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord. Slightly more involved than usual as central section of Line D is shut this weekend. But it’s a short change from Line B to Line A. The RER is sulphurous; ‘it’s the smelly essence of Paris down there’ as Lou Reed might have said.

Me in the darkness. Across the tracks there is a sign reading Châtelet Les Halles’.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Was only a brief stop for us to get some lunch on the way to the train - hope you’re enjoying the city.

Reposted by Lewis Baston

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 1d

A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Boarding the TGV in Montpellier - a bit of a scramble along narrow platforms but now seated at a table and heading towards Paris. Stops only at Nîmes and Valence. 🚄 🇫🇷

Me on a station platform. A double deck TGV is on the left.

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 1d

Lunch stop at L’Entrecôte in central Montpellier, a bit of a tradition when doing this journey. They only do one main - beef - and they do it well. Next, the TGV. 🚄 🇫🇷

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