Ben Ansell
@benansell.bsky.social
Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions, Nuffield & University of Oxford, FBA. http://benansell.substack.com. BBC Reith Lecturer 2023. Host BBC Radio 4 Rethink. Columnist for Prospect. Director, Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods (CASSM).
Yeh but still… rarely have I made a point that has led to such a flurry of mentions. Who knew?
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Yeh but still… rarely have I made a point that has led to such a flurry of mentions. Who knew?
Problem is they all come down St Giles from Banbury Road and don’t go through the congestion charge points!
November 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Problem is they all come down St Giles from Banbury Road and don’t go through the congestion charge points!
Sorry about that!!!
November 25, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Sorry about that!!!
Reposted by Ben Ansell
The Secretary of Defense, ladies and gentlemen
November 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The Secretary of Defense, ladies and gentlemen
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
Yeh this is something we have spoken about in Oxford, though challenge is worsened by day trippers who won’t pay hotel based tourist tax
November 25, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Yeh this is something we have spoken about in Oxford, though challenge is worsened by day trippers who won’t pay hotel based tourist tax
At the risk of sounding old and crusty I wonder if the decline of the church has left some people all at sea when it comes to realising all people have a common humanity. In the past, faintly remembered sermons might have tempered some of this stuff. Though I guess all of history disproves this…
November 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
At the risk of sounding old and crusty I wonder if the decline of the church has left some people all at sea when it comes to realising all people have a common humanity. In the past, faintly remembered sermons might have tempered some of this stuff. Though I guess all of history disproves this…
Warren Harding I guess
November 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Warren Harding I guess
Reposted by Ben Ansell
many nominally ‘reasonable’ elite voices over here on the other side of the pond talked themselves into moral and political impotence vis-a-vis Trump on the basis of a similar pseudo-logic
All the supposedly progressive people saying 'Nigel Farage's racism doesn't matter. His fans love it'.
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
November 25, 2025 at 1:22 PM
many nominally ‘reasonable’ elite voices over here on the other side of the pond talked themselves into moral and political impotence vis-a-vis Trump on the basis of a similar pseudo-logic
That seems likely to me. The risks to freedom of speech against public figures seem very large if they can merely indicate the threat of legal action when people say things they don’t like.
November 25, 2025 at 1:21 PM
That seems likely to me. The risks to freedom of speech against public figures seem very large if they can merely indicate the threat of legal action when people say things they don’t like.
New name for the international student levy just dropped
November 25, 2025 at 1:19 PM
New name for the international student levy just dropped
Adlestrop but for Millennials
November 25, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Adlestrop but for Millennials
Not least because the current US President is rapidly losing popularity and things will look rather different over the coming year. I hope Bregman’s missing line is at least reinserted in the podcast editions of the lecture.
November 25, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Not least because the current US President is rapidly losing popularity and things will look rather different over the coming year. I hope Bregman’s missing line is at least reinserted in the podcast editions of the lecture.
When your sample is your population
November 25, 2025 at 12:11 PM
When your sample is your population
On Bregman, I was there in the audience and I can’t see what the BBC have gained by removing this line except more bad publicity. I will say that no such edits or censorship occurred when I gave the Reith Lectures and free-speech defenders might want think about whether this is the world they want.
November 25, 2025 at 12:11 PM
On Bregman, I was there in the audience and I can’t see what the BBC have gained by removing this line except more bad publicity. I will say that no such edits or censorship occurred when I gave the Reith Lectures and free-speech defenders might want think about whether this is the world they want.
I read this as 24 Labour voters and I thought ‘wow, that’s a powerful bunch!’
November 25, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I read this as 24 Labour voters and I thought ‘wow, that’s a powerful bunch!’
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Our whole political order depends on our ability to complain, to criticize, to speak truth to power, and to question authority.
Never forget how the free speech brigade, once in control of our peak institutions, immediately suppressed any criticism of the most powerful people in the world.
Never forget how the free speech brigade, once in control of our peak institutions, immediately suppressed any criticism of the most powerful people in the world.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Our whole political order depends on our ability to complain, to criticize, to speak truth to power, and to question authority.
Never forget how the free speech brigade, once in control of our peak institutions, immediately suppressed any criticism of the most powerful people in the world.
Never forget how the free speech brigade, once in control of our peak institutions, immediately suppressed any criticism of the most powerful people in the world.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
My taxes bring all the boys to the yard.
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
November 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
My taxes bring all the boys to the yard.
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
This is extremely unfortunate to say the least. Not sure how I would have reacted to having my Reith lectures censored - the world has changed in an ill way in the two years since.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 10:39 AM
This is extremely unfortunate to say the least. Not sure how I would have reacted to having my Reith lectures censored - the world has changed in an ill way in the two years since.
A great point. In lots of places social democrats dislike inheritance tax - some view it as a second tax on already taxed labour! We can argue the merits of that, but the idea that all social democrats are pro the inheritance tax is not accurate.
November 25, 2025 at 10:36 AM
A great point. In lots of places social democrats dislike inheritance tax - some view it as a second tax on already taxed labour! We can argue the merits of that, but the idea that all social democrats are pro the inheritance tax is not accurate.
The people asked and Sam delivered
New post just out:
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
MAGA Meltdown?
Why the Republicans are in serious trouble
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:44 AM
The people asked and Sam delivered
Reposted by Ben Ansell
New post just out:
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
MAGA Meltdown?
Why the Republicans are in serious trouble
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 AM
New post just out:
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
"MAGA Meltdown?"
With Trump's approval ratings collapsing the Republicans are starting to realise they're in serious trouble.
Here's why it's going to get worse for them.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
Perhaps explains his incredible venom when he does come to Oxford to impart his wisdom to us.
November 25, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Perhaps explains his incredible venom when he does come to Oxford to impart his wisdom to us.