Jonathan Liu
@jonathanliu.bsky.social
Nothing interesting or witty to see here. He/Him.
Resident Doctor
https://www.varsity.co.uk/profile/jonathan-liu
Resident Doctor
https://www.varsity.co.uk/profile/jonathan-liu
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
It is funny that everyone who’s ever said we need a PM who’s had a career outside of politics got exactly what they asked for with Starmer and they haven’t noticed
Finding this quite bizarre, the (growing) number of MPs who will say 'problem is the PM has no politics, is not politically experienced....answer is that we need a *different* hunky man with a long and impressive pre-politics career'.
Come on you are just making this up now
December 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
It is funny that everyone who’s ever said we need a PM who’s had a career outside of politics got exactly what they asked for with Starmer and they haven’t noticed
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
1/ James Meek has a brilliant long piece in the LRB about Blyth – ex-mining town in Northumberland, turned Reform stronghold. The puzzle? Blyth’s economy increasingly depends on green energy investment (offshore wind, cable factories, renewables R&D), yet it’s voting for an anti-net-zero party.
‘Reform isn’t just the anti-immigration party. It’s also the anti-net-zero party. Rather than a green industrial revolution mellowing the small boats paranoia in Blyth, the outcome now forecast by the polls is the opposite.’
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on the North-East.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on the North-East.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
James Meek · Ten-Foot Chopsticks: The North-East Transition
The ghost of the industrial revolution haunts Britain. The language of today’s politicians, of unlocking and...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 9:22 AM
1/ James Meek has a brilliant long piece in the LRB about Blyth – ex-mining town in Northumberland, turned Reform stronghold. The puzzle? Blyth’s economy increasingly depends on green energy investment (offshore wind, cable factories, renewables R&D), yet it’s voting for an anti-net-zero party.
This Gianni stand up routine 💀💀
December 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
This Gianni stand up routine 💀💀
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
Bond markets spooked as the Chancellor appears to disappear behind raised hands; gilts stage rally as she reveals she was actually there the whole time
October 30, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Bond markets spooked as the Chancellor appears to disappear behind raised hands; gilts stage rally as she reveals she was actually there the whole time
Really ignores the charm of the original by not having the same actor playing all the members of the family. At least it’ll get people to watch Kind Hearts and Coronets I suppose.
youtu.be/BxBof_p3_es?...
youtu.be/BxBof_p3_es?...
How to Make a Killing | Official Trailer HD | A24
YouTube video by A24
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Really ignores the charm of the original by not having the same actor playing all the members of the family. At least it’ll get people to watch Kind Hearts and Coronets I suppose.
youtu.be/BxBof_p3_es?...
youtu.be/BxBof_p3_es?...
How to make me feel like a giddy eight year old child again
November 24, 2025 at 12:46 AM
How to make me feel like a giddy eight year old child again
Nothing will ever make me dislike you, international football. Curacao, Haiti, Ireland, Iraq, Scotland, the DRC, you never fail to disappoint. Just got to hope Trump doesn’t find a way to fuck the tournament up with chaotic distractions to make it all about himself.
November 19, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Nothing will ever make me dislike you, international football. Curacao, Haiti, Ireland, Iraq, Scotland, the DRC, you never fail to disappoint. Just got to hope Trump doesn’t find a way to fuck the tournament up with chaotic distractions to make it all about himself.
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
I’ve found it a little sad how many young people I speak to view Remembrance Day as militaristic and colonial. To me, it was always linked with the tragedy and sacrifice of the world wars, not at all celebratory. My friend was criticising the uniforms, does he expect veterans to be in casual dress?
November 9, 2025 at 2:26 PM
I’ve found it a little sad how many young people I speak to view Remembrance Day as militaristic and colonial. To me, it was always linked with the tragedy and sacrifice of the world wars, not at all celebratory. My friend was criticising the uniforms, does he expect veterans to be in casual dress?
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
recently discovered that wikipedia volunteers have a hilariously high bar for what constitutes "unusual death"
October 27, 2025 at 12:38 PM
recently discovered that wikipedia volunteers have a hilariously high bar for what constitutes "unusual death"
Losing the best deep professor of the ball in the world is an underrated aspect of why we’ve been so poor this season.
October 25, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Losing the best deep professor of the ball in the world is an underrated aspect of why we’ve been so poor this season.
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
I remember when they were renovating Big Ben you’d occasionally get posts like “they’ve got money to repair a clock, but not money to replace cladding after Grenfell”. But “dragging feet on actions to prevent tragic fires” is something MPs are consistent on, even when they’re the ones at risk
The Palace of Westminster is literally going to either burn down, kill someone, or both because spending money to save it is perceived as so politically toxic.
October 23, 2025 at 8:18 AM
I remember when they were renovating Big Ben you’d occasionally get posts like “they’ve got money to repair a clock, but not money to replace cladding after Grenfell”. But “dragging feet on actions to prevent tragic fires” is something MPs are consistent on, even when they’re the ones at risk
To read Katherine Rundell’s The Golden Mole is to stop every page to marvel a beautiful turn of phrase or to double check some unbelievable fact. It’s easy to laugh about the ancients for their bizarre beliefs about animals but knowing how remarkable they are, those claims don’t seem so unreasonable
October 9, 2025 at 3:06 PM
To read Katherine Rundell’s The Golden Mole is to stop every page to marvel a beautiful turn of phrase or to double check some unbelievable fact. It’s easy to laugh about the ancients for their bizarre beliefs about animals but knowing how remarkable they are, those claims don’t seem so unreasonable
Putting an exhibit about St Paul in Athens’ most historic surviving mosque seems a little too much like revenge for centuries of Ottoman rule.
October 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Putting an exhibit about St Paul in Athens’ most historic surviving mosque seems a little too much like revenge for centuries of Ottoman rule.
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
Maybe - just a crazy idea, but bear with me for a moment! - the reason why the Lib Dems should not “get serious“ is that the UK’s most important media organisation covers politics in babytalk so much of the time?
September 21, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Maybe - just a crazy idea, but bear with me for a moment! - the reason why the Lib Dems should not “get serious“ is that the UK’s most important media organisation covers politics in babytalk so much of the time?
The BMJ should introduce a personals section even if it’s only for my own bemusement as I skim over it over breakfast.
September 18, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The BMJ should introduce a personals section even if it’s only for my own bemusement as I skim over it over breakfast.
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
If I were the BBC political editor, I would, maybe, mention some of the things said at the conference.
Chris Mason: Reform conference shows party's growing ambition like never before
Chris Mason: Reform conference shows party's growing ambition like never before
The conference feels like that of a big party - but retains the insurgency vibe that the party is seeking to channel.
www.bbc.com
September 6, 2025 at 8:09 PM
If I were the BBC political editor, I would, maybe, mention some of the things said at the conference.
I honestly can’t see us winning the league, it’ll take too long for our new players to bed in and our defence has been shaky for a while. Hoping for a PSG in that we turn it round second half of the season to become pretty much unstoppable for the champions league.
August 15, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I honestly can’t see us winning the league, it’ll take too long for our new players to bed in and our defence has been shaky for a while. Hoping for a PSG in that we turn it round second half of the season to become pretty much unstoppable for the champions league.
So is this because people just love flattery and all these AI are sycophants or is there something deeper in innate trust of a machine over humans who we always hold a small degree of natural suspicion of? on.ft.com/47t8SYb
The art of persuasion: how top AI chatbots can change your mind
Research shows large language models have developed the ability to powerfully influence users
on.ft.com
August 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM
So is this because people just love flattery and all these AI are sycophants or is there something deeper in innate trust of a machine over humans who we always hold a small degree of natural suspicion of? on.ft.com/47t8SYb
Met a leftist corbynite who was also a massive Singapore fan and was trying to defend their political structure excluding Malays from the ruling elite. Just felt there was a tad bit of cognitive dissonance there. Lee Kuan Yew has the best PR of any 20th century historical leader.
August 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Met a leftist corbynite who was also a massive Singapore fan and was trying to defend their political structure excluding Malays from the ruling elite. Just felt there was a tad bit of cognitive dissonance there. Lee Kuan Yew has the best PR of any 20th century historical leader.
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
Martin Scorsese drew these storyboards when he was 11 years old. They are for a Roman epic entitled THE ETERNAL CITY.
July 24, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Martin Scorsese drew these storyboards when he was 11 years old. They are for a Roman epic entitled THE ETERNAL CITY.
Coming to a hospital near you
July 24, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Coming to a hospital near you
Reposted by Jonathan Liu
Commentators: 'Labour's wasted its first year in office'.
Ed Miliband:
Ed Miliband:
July 4, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Commentators: 'Labour's wasted its first year in office'.
Ed Miliband:
Ed Miliband:
The Slottskogens zoo in Gothenburg has an enclosure for brown rats. I see what they’re trying to do with portraying native wildlife, but I’m sorry, that’s woke nonsense.
June 24, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The Slottskogens zoo in Gothenburg has an enclosure for brown rats. I see what they’re trying to do with portraying native wildlife, but I’m sorry, that’s woke nonsense.