Ben Coates
@bencoates1.bsky.social
Author - 'THE INVENTION OF AMSTERDAM' out now! (https://amzn.to/2QJx3bh). Writer, aid worker, speechwriter, recovering Tory. Columnist @ADnl; articles NYT, Telegraph, New Statesman, Groene Amsterdammer etc. Buy my new book, it’s good!
Trumpism in Kent
A pretty bleak threat from the Reform party on Kent county council...
Reform threatens to pull funding for Margate’s Turner Gallery as ‘naked retribution for local MP exposing Kent savings lies' - via Polly Billington MP
Reform threatens to pull funding for Margate’s Turner Gallery as ‘naked retribution for local MP exposing Kent savings lies' - via Polly Billington MP
February 12, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Trumpism in Kent
There are probably important ways in which this is different to what the Dutch government keeps trying to to do to dual nationals but the differences do not feel particularly meaningful to me
February 12, 2026 at 10:41 PM
There are probably important ways in which this is different to what the Dutch government keeps trying to to do to dual nationals but the differences do not feel particularly meaningful to me
in some of the most important areas, Starmer’s government is still doing admirable stuff
The United Kingdom is allocating the largest support package in its history to Ukraine - £500 million (over $680 million) to strengthen air defense capabilities.
This was announced by UK Defence Secretary John Healey at a meeting of the Ramstein-format Contact Group.
This was announced by UK Defence Secretary John Healey at a meeting of the Ramstein-format Contact Group.
February 12, 2026 at 8:29 PM
in some of the most important areas, Starmer’s government is still doing admirable stuff
I helped arrange for a friend in her 40s, from a landlocked part of Africa, visit the sea for the first time a couple of months ago. A cold North Sea beach on a grey, windy morning, and it blew her mind. She said it was even better than she’d been dreaming.
I think ALL THE TIME about people who've never seen the sea. If you grew up in a tiny country like Britain it's difficult to imagine. However poor your family was, you'll have been dragged to a lovably shit seafront before you were 15.
I vastly envy folks who grew up near the ocean. I am 23 years old and have never seen the ocean. It's 1000 miles away.
February 12, 2026 at 6:34 PM
I helped arrange for a friend in her 40s, from a landlocked part of Africa, visit the sea for the first time a couple of months ago. A cold North Sea beach on a grey, windy morning, and it blew her mind. She said it was even better than she’d been dreaming.
the first list on Dutch google actually includes 61 genders. But that’s if you count “Non-Binary” as different from “Non-binary”
February 12, 2026 at 6:16 PM
the first list on Dutch google actually includes 61 genders. But that’s if you count “Non-Binary” as different from “Non-binary”
“You can continue to smoke marijuana and recognise 70 genders. That is your business. But threatening another country with punishment for its sovereignty crosses a red line” -Slovak PM Robert Fico today, after the new Dutch govt pledged action on EU authoritarians
www.euractiv.com/news/weed-an...
www.euractiv.com/news/weed-an...
Weed and gender: Slovak PM lashes out over Dutch threat on EU funding | Euractiv
"You can continue to smoke marijuana and recognise 70 genders. That is your business", Fico said
www.euractiv.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:08 PM
“You can continue to smoke marijuana and recognise 70 genders. That is your business. But threatening another country with punishment for its sovereignty crosses a red line” -Slovak PM Robert Fico today, after the new Dutch govt pledged action on EU authoritarians
www.euractiv.com/news/weed-an...
www.euractiv.com/news/weed-an...
And I think his mum was a UUP
MP too. Quite a family.
MP too. Quite a family.
February 12, 2026 at 3:08 PM
And I think his mum was a UUP
MP too. Quite a family.
MP too. Quite a family.
Bear Grylls’ father was a Tory MP, whose career imploded after he was accused of taking cash for questions
This piece in The Spectator by @shippersunbound.bsky.social has an absolutely mad detail that I was not previously aware of spectator.com/article/auth...
February 12, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Bear Grylls’ father was a Tory MP, whose career imploded after he was accused of taking cash for questions
It is an entirely plausible symptom.
The majority of people with a brain tumor don’t go deaf in their left ear, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This is not how medicine works.
The majority of people with a brain tumor don’t go deaf in their left ear, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This is not how medicine works.
February 12, 2026 at 9:56 AM
It is an entirely plausible symptom.
The majority of people with a brain tumor don’t go deaf in their left ear, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This is not how medicine works.
The majority of people with a brain tumor don’t go deaf in their left ear, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This is not how medicine works.
No, he says in the statement he was initially misdiagnosed with autism, which is not uncommon
February 12, 2026 at 9:18 AM
No, he says in the statement he was initially misdiagnosed with autism, which is not uncommon
Unless I missed it Bob Vylan is not bipolar, just a bit of a prick
February 12, 2026 at 9:01 AM
Unless I missed it Bob Vylan is not bipolar, just a bit of a prick
I know. I don’t know what the best approach is at this point. But I’m not convinced it’s “cancel the Nazi forever”
February 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM
I know. I don’t know what the best approach is at this point. But I’m not convinced it’s “cancel the Nazi forever”
I don’t know the answer. He obviously remains a hugely problematic figure. But if you’re the kind of person who usually prides yourself on your tolerance then it’s worth reading his statement carefully:
February 12, 2026 at 8:59 AM
I don’t know the answer. He obviously remains a hugely problematic figure. But if you’re the kind of person who usually prides yourself on your tolerance then it’s worth reading his statement carefully:
Lots of calls for (Kan)ye to be blocked from performing in Arnhem following antisemitic outbursts.
I understand the sentiment but am not sure it’s that easy, really.
He is bipolar and has explained at length that he wrote about Jews during a manic episode. At what point is it appropriate to forgive?
I understand the sentiment but am not sure it’s that easy, really.
He is bipolar and has explained at length that he wrote about Jews during a manic episode. At what point is it appropriate to forgive?
February 12, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Lots of calls for (Kan)ye to be blocked from performing in Arnhem following antisemitic outbursts.
I understand the sentiment but am not sure it’s that easy, really.
He is bipolar and has explained at length that he wrote about Jews during a manic episode. At what point is it appropriate to forgive?
I understand the sentiment but am not sure it’s that easy, really.
He is bipolar and has explained at length that he wrote about Jews during a manic episode. At what point is it appropriate to forgive?
has anyone asked what the people who work for him think of his comments? Or what his team will look like once he’s kicked out all the people from immigrant ancestry?
February 11, 2026 at 10:07 PM
has anyone asked what the people who work for him think of his comments? Or what his team will look like once he’s kicked out all the people from immigrant ancestry?
Reposted by Ben Coates
the local council seems to have voted through the plan thinking it would use energy equivalent to maximum 5,000 households, when it’s actually 200,000
"We didn't have this fully in mind," says D66 council member Sanne de Wilde
Just an extraordinary story
How many other places have done the same?
"We didn't have this fully in mind," says D66 council member Sanne de Wilde
Just an extraordinary story
How many other places have done the same?
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM
the local council seems to have voted through the plan thinking it would use energy equivalent to maximum 5,000 households, when it’s actually 200,000
"We didn't have this fully in mind," says D66 council member Sanne de Wilde
Just an extraordinary story
How many other places have done the same?
"We didn't have this fully in mind," says D66 council member Sanne de Wilde
Just an extraordinary story
How many other places have done the same?
Forecast annual electricity consumption of a new data centre being built in Lelystad: 753 gigawatt hours
Current annual electricity consumption of all people and businesses in Lelystad: 402 gigawatt hours
🤯
www.nu.nl/klimaat/6385...
Current annual electricity consumption of all people and businesses in Lelystad: 402 gigawatt hours
🤯
www.nu.nl/klimaat/6385...
Datacenter slurpt straks meer stroom dan heel Lelystad, raad wist van niks
Bij Lelystad komt een datacenter dat meer stroom gaat verbruiken dan de hele stad nu doet. De gemeenteraad werd verkeerd geïnformeerd over het energieverbruik en het project van de Amerikaanse datacen...
www.nu.nl
February 11, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Forecast annual electricity consumption of a new data centre being built in Lelystad: 753 gigawatt hours
Current annual electricity consumption of all people and businesses in Lelystad: 402 gigawatt hours
🤯
www.nu.nl/klimaat/6385...
Current annual electricity consumption of all people and businesses in Lelystad: 402 gigawatt hours
🤯
www.nu.nl/klimaat/6385...
Gouda’s pubs are moving upmarket, it seems
February 11, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Gouda’s pubs are moving upmarket, it seems
is it just me or is having a phone conversation in a cafe on speaker, with your iPhone out on the table, just an absolutely deranged Dahmer-level lunatic way to behave? What’s the procedure to get someone committed?
February 11, 2026 at 9:59 AM
is it just me or is having a phone conversation in a cafe on speaker, with your iPhone out on the table, just an absolutely deranged Dahmer-level lunatic way to behave? What’s the procedure to get someone committed?