Gerry Hassan
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gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan
@gerryhassan.bsky.social
1.7K followers 320 following 2.2K posts

Writer commentator academic. Books Editor, Bella Caledonia; Co-founder Kirkcudbright Fringe Festival; Co-editor, 'Britain Needs Change: The Politics of Hope & Labour's Challenge', pub. Nov. 28 2024.

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Gerry Hassan is a Scottish writer, commentator and academic. He currently holds an Honorary Professor title at Glasgow Caledonian University for Social Change, having previously worked at the University of Dundee and the University of the West of Scotland, where he completed his doctorate. He has also previously worked for the Institute for Public Policy Research and Demos where he led their Scotland 2020 and Glasgow 2020 programmes and OpenDemocracy. He has written for the Scottish and UK press, including The Spectator, The Scotsman, The Herald, Holyrood, Sunday Mail, The Guardian and The National (Scotland) on topics and issues related to the United Kingdom, particularly Scotland and Scottish Independence. .. more

Political science 50%
History 39%
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gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 7h
Trumpian true believer calls for the end of the USA as a constitutional republic. How unAmerican & typical of Trumpian authoritarianism.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 10h
The bankruptcy of conventional economics. Andy Haldane, Chief Economist, BOE for seven years mentions nothing on the structural weaknesses of the UK economy & capitalism. All short-term & supply side & ignoring fundamentals & hence part of the problem. #Budget2025 #Newsnight

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 13h
Endless superficial commentary on #Budget2025. Little on the political economy of UK capitalism. The short-term speculative nature of the City; how finance capitalism crowds out real business; lack of public & private investment; the lamentable record on R&D all contributing to the productivity gap.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 15h
Reeves ends the two child benefit cap: taking 450,000 children out of poverty representing the largest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament. If this is to be sustained the case has to be continually made to reduce child poverty. Have Reeves & Labour got the courage? #budget2025

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 15h
This is a total bonkers take from Matt Goodwin on the #Budget2025. For starters half the welfare figure he cites is taken up by UK pensions; then there is the questionable selective list of countries ignoring the fact the UK needs to raise its fertility rate.

Reposted by Gerry Hassan

faragewatch.bsky.social
FarageWatch @faragewatch.bsky.social · 16h
👇 FULL LIST OF NIGEL FARAGE'S JOBS AND EARNINGS SINCE BECOMING AN MP

TOTAL: ~£1.2m (Jun 24-Oct 25)

Does not include rental income from his £3m portfolio of 3 buy-to-let houses.

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Source links: faragewatch.media/is-farage-a-...

From the forthcoming issue 1 of #Faragewatch: faragewatch.media/about

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 19h
Rachel Reeves announcement of a so-called mansion tax will only apply to England. Will we see the Tories & right-wing media talk about the spectre of multi-millionaires & property magnets fleeing to Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland? #Budget2025

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 19h
Right that Reeves has finally ended the two child benefit cap bringing 450,000 children out of poverty. But why did Reeves wait 18 months? And why were Labour MPs suspended for supporting its abolition last year? No conviction or moral high ground from Reeves. #Budget2025

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 19h
UK politics loves talking the talk. But consistently fails to address the big issues. An example being the failure to act on local govt finance & council tax bands. The below is tinkering with a broken system & strengthening central govt control over local govt.
duncanweldon.bsky.social Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 2d
A ‘mansion tax’ on homes worth over £2m to raise about £400/450m a year is everything wrong with a ‘smorgasbord’ approach.
Lots of potential political pain for a public finances rounding error. Coupled with a new weird cliffedges.
Either reform property tax to raise proper money or don’t.
financialtimes.com Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d
Homes worth more than £2mn set to be hit by Budget raid on.ft.com/4rocFhe

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 19h
Take it you are asking a rhetorical question.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 20h
A typical 'calm down, nothing to see here' take from the Westminster political commentariat. The British state's capacity to do the basics is falling apart all across society. That is the big takeaway from the latest fiasco.
lewisgoodall.com Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 20h
Everyone needs to calm down a bit. It’s an embarrassing and stupid leak. But we knew all the detail anyway- the Treasury had leaked it. Markets have reacted well. This bit of process won’t be anything close to the most politically difficult thing about today.
lewisgoodall.com Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 21h
Keir Starmer: "The Chancellor will set out the Budget in just a few minutes time."

In fact, the OBR did it just a few minutes ago.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Gerry Hassan

lewisgoodall.com
Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 20h
Everyone needs to calm down a bit. It’s an embarrassing and stupid leak. But we knew all the detail anyway- the Treasury had leaked it. Markets have reacted well. This bit of process won’t be anything close to the most politically difficult thing about today.
lewisgoodall.com Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 21h
Keir Starmer: "The Chancellor will set out the Budget in just a few minutes time."

In fact, the OBR did it just a few minutes ago.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
Every day the #BBC uncritically platform dark money funded right-wing voices. Examples include the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Taxpayers' Alliance & the ridiculous right-wing contrarians Spiked. Time to call time on media representation without knowing who pays the bills.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
We have to trust our neighbours and not peddle the myth that people are intrinsically stupid or easy to hoodwink. Otherwise that just plays into the populist right & authoritarians & is ultimately an argument against democracy.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
Are UK politics going to be influenced by US-style right-wing Christianity? A politics of identity which at its core is anti-Christian. It is "a reminder that anti-trans, anti-queer and Islamophobic positions do not spring from nowhere." www.theguardian.com/world/commen...
Is British politics immune to US-style rightwing Christianity? We’re about to find out | Lamorna Ash
Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson are increasingly espousing Christian ‘values’, and a wealthy US legal group is becoming influential – this could have dire consequences, says author Lamorna Ash
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, James Connelly, Gerry Hassan

josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 1d
Exclusive: The BBC has issued an apology after one of its presenters failed to challenge a climate-sceptic lobbyist who runs a group that has received funding from fossil-fuel interests
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/b...
BBC Apologises for Failing to Challenge 'Dark Money' Climate-Denial Lobbyist
EXCLUSIVE: BBC faces fresh allegations of bias after corporation admits interview with ‘Net Zero Watch’ lobbying chief Andrew Montford 'fell below usual standards'
bylinetimes.com

Reposted by Gerry Hassan

rolandmcs.bsky.social
Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 1d
I'm remarkably relaxed about this. No I don't want my neighbours – Mail and Telegraph-reading berks – judging me. I'd rather have legal experts who've learned how to think.

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
David Lammy considers scrapping jury trials for all but the most serious cases
Senior lawyers criticise justice secretary’s radical plan, saying it could ‘destroy justice as we know it’
www.theguardian.com

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
Germany’s respected Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research finds that over 100,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israeli military action.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
Does this address the mirage of Thatcherism transforming Britain for the better? There was no "economic miracle" for the UK in the 1980s: only the rich & powerful; economic growth pa was the same as the 1970s. The UK was kept afloat by North Sea oil, privatisation & an explosion of household debt.
economicsinten.bsky.social EconomicsInTen @economicsinten.bsky.social · Oct 13
New podcast OUT NOW! To celebrate the centenary of Margaret Thatcher, we have done a dive into the economics of Thatcherism. So if you don't know much about the 'Iron Lady' or just want to hear a discussion about her life & legacy, then have a listen. #EconSky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
"Let's see if we can fly the 'we were only being indirectly racist' as our defence. It has been floated by one of our eager younger supporters Nigel Farage."

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 1d
Tory Simon Clarke claims "The UK has one of the most progressive taxation systems in the world". He cites that the top 1% of earners pay 29% of income tax which is a measure of income inequality. FACT: VAT is a regressive tax & UK authorities refuse to update property taxes since 1991. #PoliticsLive

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 2d
Nathan Gill, Moscow's agent in Farage's parties & the pro-Putin populist right across the West. From Martyn Turner.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 2d
What a damning political epitaph.
adambienkov.bsky.social Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d
Robbie Gibb describes the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason as the "unsung hero of covering politics" and "absolutely first rate"

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 2d
Not surprising that Piers Morgan acts as an apologist for Trump's pro-Putin Russian authored plan on Ukraine. And a defeatist about Ukraine's prospects. #Newsnight

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 2d
Despite being a Political Editor & then corporate PR for years Michael Prescott plays the idiot card:
“This was conceived as a private memo to 14 people,” Prescott explained ... “Six days after I sent the memo,” he said in a tone of shock, “there it was in the Telegraph!”

Reposted by Steve Peers, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Michelle Everson , and 2 more

adambienkov.bsky.social
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d
Robbie Gibb describes the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason as the "unsung hero of covering politics" and "absolutely first rate"

Reposted by Gerry Hassan

duncanweldon.bsky.social
Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 2d
A ‘mansion tax’ on homes worth over £2m to raise about £400/450m a year is everything wrong with a ‘smorgasbord’ approach.
Lots of potential political pain for a public finances rounding error. Coupled with a new weird cliffedges.
Either reform property tax to raise proper money or don’t.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 3d
A memorable Kirkcudbright Fringe event with Archie Macpherson in conversation with Jonathan Northcroft. Covering from Lisbon 67 to Scotland's 74 & 78 World Cups, Alex Ferguson & psychology of football winners & Scotland's win against Denmark & much more. First photo: Jonathan, Archie & myself.

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 3d
Another takeaway from the final result & Reform not winning is the reluctance of other party voters to support Reform & non-Reform voters to vote tactically to defeat Reform. Graph: @ballotbox.scot 2/2

gerryhassan.bsky.social
Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 3d
Another wake-up call for the complacent Scottish political classes. The Stranraer and the Rhins by-election on Thursday past saw the Tories elected. But the bigger story was the Reform vote: 35.2%: the highest yet in Scotland, finishing top in 1st preferences. 1/2