James Southern
@james.fieldleveltech.org
Founder of Field Level Tech - Helping creators empower their audience.
Reposted by James Southern
We're looking for two part-time volunteers with lived experience of ADHD: a Content Designer and Graphic Designer.
Both roles are flexible (4–6 hours/week).
Want to help us prototype a guidance service and build our new website and visual identity? Email: [email protected]
Both roles are flexible (4–6 hours/week).
Want to help us prototype a guidance service and build our new website and visual identity? Email: [email protected]
January 20, 2026 at 9:56 AM
We're looking for two part-time volunteers with lived experience of ADHD: a Content Designer and Graphic Designer.
Both roles are flexible (4–6 hours/week).
Want to help us prototype a guidance service and build our new website and visual identity? Email: [email protected]
Both roles are flexible (4–6 hours/week).
Want to help us prototype a guidance service and build our new website and visual identity? Email: [email protected]
Reposted by James Southern
In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Mark Carney says middle powers such as Canada must accept that the rules-based international order is effectively dead, and great power rivalry with is here to stay. Key excerpt:
January 20, 2026 at 3:48 PM
In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Mark Carney says middle powers such as Canada must accept that the rules-based international order is effectively dead, and great power rivalry with is here to stay. Key excerpt:
Reposted by James Southern
God, I hate W3W.
January 20, 2026 at 11:59 AM
God, I hate W3W.
Reposted by James Southern
Nigel Farage doesn’t look too ill to comment on Trump at lunch yesterday. And is Liz Truss the next discredited Tory jumping ship?
January 20, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Nigel Farage doesn’t look too ill to comment on Trump at lunch yesterday. And is Liz Truss the next discredited Tory jumping ship?
It is a real head scratcher as to why republicans don’t act against Trump.
They have to see he’s destroying the country. They have to know he feels no loyalty to them.
So presumably it’s largely fear keeping them in line?
They have to see he’s destroying the country. They have to know he feels no loyalty to them.
So presumably it’s largely fear keeping them in line?
January 19, 2026 at 6:05 PM
It is a real head scratcher as to why republicans don’t act against Trump.
They have to see he’s destroying the country. They have to know he feels no loyalty to them.
So presumably it’s largely fear keeping them in line?
They have to see he’s destroying the country. They have to know he feels no loyalty to them.
So presumably it’s largely fear keeping them in line?
Reposted by James Southern
This is such a cool illustration of how the Mercator map distorts the size of Greenland, which looks as big as the whole continent of Africa on that map but is actually the size of Mexico.
January 18, 2026 at 7:43 PM
This is such a cool illustration of how the Mercator map distorts the size of Greenland, which looks as big as the whole continent of Africa on that map but is actually the size of Mexico.
Reposted by James Southern
It continues to be a bad failure that essentially there's a policy debate that is obvious to you if you read a business newspaper OR the gov dot uk website or the MI5 threat update OR a decent policy Substack is basically invisible on the BBC and in 90 per cent of Commons debates.
Maybe we can, oh I dunno, start to have a conversation with voters about this? The problem is not going to go away.
The way politics is being conducted by both the tories and Labour seems surreal to me. We have a lunatic in the WH who simply cannot be relied on to be an ally, indeed the opposite, we need to spend a ton of cash on defence and no-one seems to think voters might need to be, er, readied for all this
January 18, 2026 at 1:54 PM
It continues to be a bad failure that essentially there's a policy debate that is obvious to you if you read a business newspaper OR the gov dot uk website or the MI5 threat update OR a decent policy Substack is basically invisible on the BBC and in 90 per cent of Commons debates.
Boldly brave Sir Nigel rode forth from Camelot
He was not afraid to die oh brave Sir Nigel
He was not at all afraid to be shown a total fraud
Brave brave brave brave Sir Nigel
He was not afraid to die oh brave Sir Nigel
He was not at all afraid to be shown a total fraud
Brave brave brave brave Sir Nigel
Farage has bottled it.
January 18, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Boldly brave Sir Nigel rode forth from Camelot
He was not afraid to die oh brave Sir Nigel
He was not at all afraid to be shown a total fraud
Brave brave brave brave Sir Nigel
He was not afraid to die oh brave Sir Nigel
He was not at all afraid to be shown a total fraud
Brave brave brave brave Sir Nigel
Reposted by James Southern
Cory Doctorow has been venting the radical suggestion to legalize interoperability as a counterweight to US tech power. DMCA-style copyright rules block competitors, forcing foreign businesses onto US platforms effecting permanent rent extraction from EU businesses to the US. Still too crazy?
January 17, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Cory Doctorow has been venting the radical suggestion to legalize interoperability as a counterweight to US tech power. DMCA-style copyright rules block competitors, forcing foreign businesses onto US platforms effecting permanent rent extraction from EU businesses to the US. Still too crazy?
Reposted by James Southern
Great to see business leaders backing electoral reform in the Financial Times. Our electoral system doesn't work for the multi-party politics we have today. Failure to change risks chaos and division after the next election. democracy4growth.uk
Democracy4Growth
the business case for reforming the uk's electoral system
democracy4growth.uk
January 17, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Great to see business leaders backing electoral reform in the Financial Times. Our electoral system doesn't work for the multi-party politics we have today. Failure to change risks chaos and division after the next election. democracy4growth.uk
This is the thing to do. We don’t want tariffs we want to stop these monopolies screwing our economies.
Tax US tech firms.
January 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM
This is the thing to do. We don’t want tariffs we want to stop these monopolies screwing our economies.
I would normally think that reading the art of war is a bit of a waste of time…
What Farage excels at is heckling, messaging.
His branding/comms are deadly and effective.
His weak spot is corruption, Putin, NHS & an incoherent economic alternative.
Be amazing if Labour attacked on those fronts instead of apeing his anti-immigration bullshit.
His branding/comms are deadly and effective.
His weak spot is corruption, Putin, NHS & an incoherent economic alternative.
Be amazing if Labour attacked on those fronts instead of apeing his anti-immigration bullshit.
January 16, 2026 at 9:14 AM
I would normally think that reading the art of war is a bit of a waste of time…
Reposted by James Southern
This intro to David Frost's Telegraph column sums up so much that is wrong with British politics.
January 16, 2026 at 8:46 AM
This intro to David Frost's Telegraph column sums up so much that is wrong with British politics.
Reposted by James Southern
Random things I like, Part 36934: When you're driving in the pissing rain, hammering down onto the roof of the car, then you go under a bridge, and for a split second everything is silent.
January 16, 2026 at 7:32 AM
Random things I like, Part 36934: When you're driving in the pissing rain, hammering down onto the roof of the car, then you go under a bridge, and for a split second everything is silent.
Reposted by James Southern
This May’s elections are expected to bring chaos because our voting system is broken.
I’ve written to my MP to push for fairer elections before it’s too late. It takes 2 minutes to do the same here: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
@compassoffice.bsky.social
I’ve written to my MP to push for fairer elections before it’s too late. It takes 2 minutes to do the same here: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
@compassoffice.bsky.social
Tell your MP: our democracy shouldn’t be a gamble!
Our democracy shouldn’t be a gamble.
First Past the Post fails 70% of voters. We urgently need to scrap it. I’ve asked my MP to attend a crucial briefing on how to do just that.
Join me 👉
actionnetwork.org
January 15, 2026 at 11:06 PM
This May’s elections are expected to bring chaos because our voting system is broken.
I’ve written to my MP to push for fairer elections before it’s too late. It takes 2 minutes to do the same here: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
@compassoffice.bsky.social
I’ve written to my MP to push for fairer elections before it’s too late. It takes 2 minutes to do the same here: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
@compassoffice.bsky.social
Reposted by James Southern
I was there. I was there 3,000 years ago when the strength of graphic design failed.
In 2003, Wikipedia held a logo design contest. Here are four of the finalists:
January 15, 2026 at 10:05 PM
I was there. I was there 3,000 years ago when the strength of graphic design failed.
Really think this is counterproductive.
For me an ADHD diagnosis in my late 30s transformed my life. From the governments point of view it helped me become far more economically productive.
Yes there is an increased bill for medication but offset against my much much higher tax payments.
For me an ADHD diagnosis in my late 30s transformed my life. From the governments point of view it helped me become far more economically productive.
Yes there is an increased bill for medication but offset against my much much higher tax payments.
January 15, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Really think this is counterproductive.
For me an ADHD diagnosis in my late 30s transformed my life. From the governments point of view it helped me become far more economically productive.
Yes there is an increased bill for medication but offset against my much much higher tax payments.
For me an ADHD diagnosis in my late 30s transformed my life. From the governments point of view it helped me become far more economically productive.
Yes there is an increased bill for medication but offset against my much much higher tax payments.
Reposted by James Southern
Do not be surprised if in the first days of an incoming populist radical government there is an entire raft of statutory instruments and other measures prepared and ready to go, exploiting every gap in our constitutional arrangements.
And worryingly, as you highlight, it would be extremely naive for us to assume the well funded right wing “think tanks” haven’t already worked out exactly how to dismantle what protections remain at blitzkrieg speed, should they gain power.
January 15, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Do not be surprised if in the first days of an incoming populist radical government there is an entire raft of statutory instruments and other measures prepared and ready to go, exploiting every gap in our constitutional arrangements.
I am sharing this with you because, what does misery love?
January 15, 2026 at 12:39 PM
I am sharing this with you because, what does misery love?
Reposted by James Southern
It seems blindingly obvious that these goons are gonna be unleashed at the midterms to try and screw the election.
So ya'll need to figure out how to stop that happening in your community. Make plans now! Don't let the bystander effect stop you taking action. That was me during Brexit. It sucks.
So ya'll need to figure out how to stop that happening in your community. Make plans now! Don't let the bystander effect stop you taking action. That was me during Brexit. It sucks.
January 15, 2026 at 9:09 AM
It seems blindingly obvious that these goons are gonna be unleashed at the midterms to try and screw the election.
So ya'll need to figure out how to stop that happening in your community. Make plans now! Don't let the bystander effect stop you taking action. That was me during Brexit. It sucks.
So ya'll need to figure out how to stop that happening in your community. Make plans now! Don't let the bystander effect stop you taking action. That was me during Brexit. It sucks.
Reposted by James Southern
He'll just double down on funding hate and RW politicians. X should be banned full stop. It's a weapon not a SM platform and what any government department or official is doing, still using X is beyond me. That goes for the opposition parties as well.
January 15, 2026 at 8:02 AM
He'll just double down on funding hate and RW politicians. X should be banned full stop. It's a weapon not a SM platform and what any government department or official is doing, still using X is beyond me. That goes for the opposition parties as well.
Reposted by James Southern
January 15, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by James Southern
Still furious about the media reporting that Couzens 'tricked her' into getting in the car. He didn't trick her! He arrested her! Using his warrant card! It wasn't a trick, it was an illegal arrest and calling it a trick is one step short from victim blaming.
The 'give ice qr codes' thing reminds me of when Sarah Everard was murdered by a real policeman using his real police id to kidnap her, and the police & gvt made out the solution was to have a helpline to check that the person bundling you away was a real policeman (as the murderer was)
January 14, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Still furious about the media reporting that Couzens 'tricked her' into getting in the car. He didn't trick her! He arrested her! Using his warrant card! It wasn't a trick, it was an illegal arrest and calling it a trick is one step short from victim blaming.
Reposted by James Southern
BREAKING: The Foreign Affairs Committee has written to social media companies – X, Meta and TikTok – to request they give evidence to the Committee on the threat posed by foreign disinformation targeting the UK and its overseas interests
committees.parliament.uk/committee/78...
committees.parliament.uk/committee/78...
Foreign Affairs calls X, Meta and TikTok to give evidence on foreign disinformation threat - Committees - UK Parliament
The Foreign Affairs Committee has written to social media companies – X, Meta and TikTok – to request they give evidence to the Committee on the threat posed by foreign disinformation targ...
committees.parliament.uk
January 14, 2026 at 9:01 PM
BREAKING: The Foreign Affairs Committee has written to social media companies – X, Meta and TikTok – to request they give evidence to the Committee on the threat posed by foreign disinformation targeting the UK and its overseas interests
committees.parliament.uk/committee/78...
committees.parliament.uk/committee/78...
Reposted by James Southern
🚨 Meta has already met 38 times with MEPs from the ECR, the Patriots for Europe, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group. In the week of 8 December alone, representatives met with four far-right lawmakers, with the majority of meetings referencing the Digital Omnibus.
Meta, Microsoft and Google are all coordinating with the European far right in order to dismantle EU digital laws designed to protect citizens, according to a new report.
The recent 🇺🇸NSS strategy outlined regime change plans to support the European far right.
A public-private partnership.
The recent 🇺🇸NSS strategy outlined regime change plans to support the European far right.
A public-private partnership.
US tech giants allying with European far-right to strip back EU rules
Amid rising EU-US tensions, a new report has accused Big Tech of courting far-right MEPs to weaken the EU's regulatory power on AI and data.
www.brusselstimes.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:11 PM
🚨 Meta has already met 38 times with MEPs from the ECR, the Patriots for Europe, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group. In the week of 8 December alone, representatives met with four far-right lawmakers, with the majority of meetings referencing the Digital Omnibus.