James Connelly
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jamescon.bsky.social
James Connelly
@jamescon.bsky.social
1.1K followers 2K following 170 posts

Emeritus Prof, Hull. Writing Collingwood bio / Philosophical Idealism, Environmental politics & ethics, Elections/electoral systems / /[email protected] / https://hull.academia.edu/JamesConnelly / https://www.minstersrail.com .. more

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Political science 33%
History 20%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by James Connelly

philipardagh.bsky.social
Philip Ardagh @philipardagh.bsky.social · 7h
A quick reminder:

1. Venezuela has the LARGEST PROVEN OIL RESERVES IN THE WORLD.

2. Donald Trump is still a CONVICTED FELON and still appears in THE EPSTEIN FILES.

Thank you.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Jason Mittell, Rebecca Solnit , and 48 more

jamesrball.com
James Ball @jamesrball.com · 7h
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.

Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.

jamescon.bsky.social
James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 9h
What we learn from Traitors? That when there’s nothing to go on, people will go on nothing (or anything).

Reposted by James Connelly

minstersrail.bsky.social
Minsters Rail Campaign @minstersrail.bsky.social · 9h
www.railmagazine.com/news/concern...
Concerns Network Rail attempting to close freight route "by stealth"
Part of the Ivanhoe Line in the East Midlands has been signed out of use for more than a year.
www.railmagazine.com

Reposted by James Connelly

minstersrail.bsky.social
Minsters Rail Campaign @minstersrail.bsky.social · 9h
www.railmagazine.com/news/norther...
Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement expected in January
Government announcement with high-level details expected in early 2026.
www.railmagazine.com

Reposted by James Connelly

danielsohege.bsky.social
Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 1d
What is shameful is that people have to use irregular crossings in the first place and we have a government which is so hostile, discriminatory and inhumane towards those seeking safety. It isn't the people seeking asylum who are the issue here

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
‘Shameful’ 41,000 people reached UK by small boat last year, says Home Office
Second highest annual number of irregular arrivals on record reached British shores in 2025
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by James Connelly

joshshepperd.bsky.social
Josh Shepperd @joshshepperd.bsky.social · 1d
“When I look at Mamdani, I didn’t see some radical departure from the past. I see him as the heir to an old and venerable Jewish tradition – that of Yiddish socialism – which helped build New York.”
They tried to smear him as an antisemite – but Mayor Zohran Mamdani walks in a rich Jewish tradition | Molly Crabapple
When I look at Mamdani, I don’t see some radical departure. I see him as an heir to the Yiddish socialism that helped build New York
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by James Connelly

drpauldorfman.bsky.social
Dr Paul Dorfman @drpauldorfman.bsky.social · 1d
Trump stop-work order on five offshore wind farms spanning five different states, citing extremely dire national security emergency. Last week, to the surprise of nobody, the administration issued a backhanded admission that no such emergency actually exists.
cleantechnica.com/2026/01/01/t...
The Case Against Offshore Wind Is Already Crumbling
National security emergency or not, the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project will keep pumping out the clean kilowatts.
cleantechnica.com

Reposted by James Connelly

chriso-wiki.bsky.social
ChrisO_wiki @chriso-wiki.bsky.social · 1d
1/ A memorial to African-American soldiers who fought to liberate the Netherlands in World War II was removed to comply with Trump Administration anti-DEI policies, according to newly released records, contradicting later claims about the reasons for the removal. ⬇️

Reposted by James Connelly

jamesrball.com
James Ball @jamesrball.com · 1d
Honestly, the worst bit about this take is just how utterly vapid it is: “turns out government has to deal with vested interests that lobby for those interests!!!!”.

No fucking shit, Sherlock. That’s the job. What did you *think* it was?

Reposted by James Connelly

davidcorn.bsky.social
David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 1d
This is nuts. Too much emphasis on experts on climate change, right?

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, James Connelly

alanlester.bsky.social
Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 1d
Nigel Farage & compliant right wing media are directly responsible for this surge in crime.

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Racial and religious hate crime on UK public transport is growing, data shows
Anti-racism groups warn some people are avoiding public transport or limiting their use of it for fear of abuse
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Peter Cook, James Connelly

premnsikka.bsky.social
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 1d
UK govt should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’.

Passenger services brought into public ownership in name only.

Privatised security and catering suppliers, £150m profits last year.

Rolling stock privatised, public purse to pay £3bn+ to lease it.

Lucrative rail freight remains privatised.
UK government should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’, says union
RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made £150m profits last year
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by James Connelly

moritherapy.bsky.social
isabella mori @moritherapy.bsky.social · 1d
Turkish delight? For me that would be a trip to Turkey. Partly that’s @barbaranadel.bsky.social's fault with her great novels @ the country, partly it’s because I love the food (no wonder, growing up in Germany) but the main reason is the goddess Hekate. #vss365

turkishmuseums.com/blog/detail/...
The Goddess of Liminality: Hecate | Turkish Museums
Click here to read our article about the traces of Hecate, a goddess of Anatolian origin, found in the museums and archaeological sites in Türkiye.
turkishmuseums.com

Reposted by James Connelly

oliver48.bsky.social
Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 2d
"Global warming is real, and happening right before our eyes. A new study has shown the increase in sea surface temperatures over the past 40 years will be exceeded in the next 20 years. And no, this isn’t the result of volcanic activity or solar cycles. It’s all human-made."
via 50 Nerds of Grey

Reposted by James Connelly

oliver48.bsky.social
Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 2d
Is Andrew Neil seriously suggesting
he lived through & reported on
Boris Johnson's premiership
and didn't notice him telling
lie upon lie upon lie
completely unaware of
his colleague's book
"The Assault on Truth" by Peter Oborne
www.theguardian.com/books/2021/f...

Reposted by Mark D. White, James Connelly

felicityhannah.bsky.social
Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 2d
Don’t worry gang, no one actually starts their New Year’s resolutions on the 1st. And you’d be silly to begin on a Friday, best save it for Monday. But Monday is the 5th so you’ve kind of missed the boat anyway and can safely put it off for next year.

Reposted by Andrew Scott, Leigh Sparks, James Connelly

raynewman.bsky.social
Ray Newman @raynewman.bsky.social · 2d
“This year there was a net increase of about 90 shops in the UK selling significant numbers of second-hand books, taking the overall total to about 1,375, probably the highest number there has ever been.”

wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2025/12/seco...
Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2025 Report
This year there was a net increase of about 90 shops in the UK selling significant numbers of second-hand books, taking the overall total ...
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com

Reposted by Jennifer Bussell, Nancy Kanwisher, Joe R. Feagin , and 11 more

maddow.bsky.social
Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 2d
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...

Reposted by James Connelly

minstersrail.bsky.social
Minsters Rail Campaign @minstersrail.bsky.social · 4d
www.timeout.com/uk/news/five...
Five abandoned train stations in England are being brought back to life
Some areas will get train services for the first time since WW2.
www.timeout.com

Reposted by James Connelly

drjennings.bsky.social
Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 4d
I saw this complete lack of urban vision first hand on a housing development I lived on until last year - it will create all sorts of long-term negative public policy externalities imo.

Reposted by James Connelly

the-independent.com
The Independent @the-independent.com · 4d
Warning as scientists find this year was one of the three hottest on record
Warning as scientists find this year was one of the three hottest on record
Warning as scientists find this year was one of the three hottest on record
www.independent.co.uk

jamescon.bsky.social
James Connelly @jamescon.bsky.social · 4d
Watching Titanic Sinks Tonight late last night. My wife had a nightmare. This morning we discovered that I like interesting dreams (even if they’re horrible) and that my wife doesn’t like horrible dreams (even if they’re interesting).

Reposted by James Connelly

sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 4d
On the substance, I recommend the ethos and spirit of this excellent piece by Corinne Fowler, about the value of attempting dialogue & engagement if a culture war is thrust upon you.
www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/de...
Inclusive histories | Responding to the ‘culture war’ through engagement and dialogue - Museums Association
Corinne Fowler reflects on the publication of her report into National Trust houses' historic colonial connections
www.museumsassociation.org

Reposted by James Connelly

beccaet.bsky.social
Rebecca Taylor @beccaet.bsky.social · 4d
And just to be clear, I think Begum should be allowed back to the UK, properly investigated and (assuming sufficient evidence) prosecuted for joining a terrorist group. That doesn't mean she wasn't also a victim of child sexual exploitation.

Reposted by James Connelly

beccaet.bsky.social
Rebecca Taylor @beccaet.bsky.social · 4d
A man in his late 20s having a sexual relationship with a 15yo girl is committing a crime under the sexual offences act 2003.

Some people claim Farage didn't know what he was doing with his teenage racism (until 18) yet insist Begum at 15 absolutely knew what she was doing. #DoubleStandards

Reposted by Steve Peers, Mark Priestley, James Connelly , and 1 more

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 4d
"More than a third (37%) of Reform UK voters said they would be prouder of Britain if there were fewer people from minority ethnic backgrounds in a decade’s time, and 10% [compared to 3% overall] said it was important to have white skin to be a good British citizen."
Number of people who say Britons must be born in UK is rising, study shows
Exclusive: Research finds ‘worrying’ surge in support for hard-right narratives on national identity
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, James Connelly

adambienkov.bsky.social
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 4d
They'll blame you for them coming and blame you again for them leaving.

Why politicians trying to appease the anti-immigrant press is a complete hiding for nothing

Reposted by James Connelly

camtreblig.bsky.social
Treblig 🇺🇦 @camtreblig.bsky.social · 5d
It was pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain that ruling against Begum in this case could lead to governments using the power to deprive people of their citizenship in irresponsible and openly political ways. The UKSC either not realising that or choosing to ignore it was pure fecklessness

Reposted by James Connelly

camtreblig.bsky.social
Treblig 🇺🇦 @camtreblig.bsky.social · 5d
If the Supreme Court can't bring itself to take into consideration lofty principles about civil liberties or the potential ramifications of allowing the government to stretch the letter of the law to its limits when it makes decisions, then what is the point of it?