Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD

@joshfwd.bsky.social

22K followers 1.2K following 1.9K posts

Coordinator at @mvtfwd.bsky.social (on sabbatical) #GE2024 helped 1.5 million voters getting an extra 91 Tory MPs out #GE2029 let’s use our millions of votes together to get policy Join: https://MVTFWD.com Links: https://MVTFWD.com/links #FBPE #FBPPR

MVTFWD.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · Feb 4

Progressives,

*just* attacking Labour isn’t as useful as creating leverage over them and using that to push them forward.

If we only attack, we help the people that are *much* worse.

That’s not a lesser-of-two-evils argument, it’s our broken system, that we can use our leverage to get them to fix

21 36 170

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you for mentioning our voting system for context 🙌 Seems most people are purposely avoiding the topic. Big mistake imho.

1 7

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

it's a disservice to discuss politics, what we like, what we hate, who we should vote for, without mentioning that you can't just vote for who you like to solve any of it.

in fact it's dangerous to not mention how people could waste their vote as a result of what you're telling them.

1 6

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

every single political commentator,

should be talking about FPTP.

how it doesn't represent you.

how it can be hacked (for good, and bad)

it's relevance when talking about how the parties compare, how we _should_ vote

and how to fix our election system for good, with Proportional Representation.

2 13 45

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

I've spent the last 5yrs helping people understand and navigate our voting system.

Because if we're smart, we can use our majority to stop fascism AND elect candidates we believe in.

But people are still just arguing about which party is better.

I am Casandra.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassand...

Cassandra (metaphor) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

4 9

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

But voting isn’t pointless if we coordinate at scale to use the system, even a broken system. Hoping it gets fixed one day, while suppressing the vote with apathy isn’t a strategy imho.

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 1d

The progressive alliance.

The left wing coalition.

The majority.

That’s us, the voters.

Not the parties.

Don’t wait until the last minute to think about how the election will pan out under FPTP.

Choosing who to vote for will feel even more complicated if vote splitting isn’t considered today.

1 11 53

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 3d

We do our research to make sure we’re not recommending those independents

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 4d

All we do is platform hate, instead of solutions.

But I get hate for pointing that out.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 4d

In one.. and the others?

Not to forget, that if people who didn’t vote knew their vote could count with tactical voting, then we might have beaten the one that got other 50% too.

Remember, Reform rely on apathy and lack of coordination.

So let’s not undermine our own strategies.

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 5d

But but… I thought Reform had all the answers?

This should be game over for them.

But they’ll find someone else to blame, and everyone will forget it within weeks.

5 24 69

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 5d

Powell is at least pro electoral reform

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 5d

Harper O’Connor is fast becoming my favourite political YouTuber.

youtu.be/_uAtR-gXlZY

4 Lies New Leftists Believe

YouTube video by Harper O'Connor

youtu.be

3 3

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 5d

Please, when you’re talking about politics, talk about elections too.

Mostly how dysfunctional and unrepresentative they are,

and what you have to do to make sure they don’t disappoint you.

Look up FPTP and Tactical Voting,

and integrate what you find out into all of your political commentary.

1 12 39

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 5d

FPTP

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 6d

Provide evidence before any of us need to even acknowledge your point.

A photo of Reagan is not evidence.

3 9

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 6d

Not a single right wing idea has made any normal people’s lives better.

But people are being convinced they just need some REALLY right wing ideas.

And when they don’t work, it’ll all be someone else’s fault.

Maybe, just maybe, the ideas are bad.

And maybe it’s unproductive to pander to them.

9 140 520

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 7d

Our politicians being played.

It’s been obvious for decades of course.

And not just by the Russians.

But by the whole global greed-fuelled neoliberal ecosystem, in an evermore open and coordinated way.

NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 7d

Andrey Lugovoy openly lays out a playbook for hybrid subversion of the United States, from inserting operatives and buying politicians to stoking divisions, sabotaging governance and meddling in elections.

Wicked minds.

3 25 50

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 9d

Darren isn’t reading the room, or political history/science apparently.

And he was considered one of the sensible ones, FFS.

5 9

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 12d

Don’t forget FPTP.
Vote splitting.
Marginal seats.
Low turnouts.

And don’t forget Tactical voting.
Your Voter ID.
And to tell other people.

1 7 23

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 13d

Added to my starterpack of better news source go.bsky.app/RS16nQb

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 15d

I feel seen at last ❤️

www.express.co.uk/news/politic...

Join up here StopReformUK.vote

Nigel Farage issued warning he could lose out on 60 seats at next election

New study shows that tactical voting against Reform UK could cost the insurgent party dozens of MPs

www.express.co.uk

7 19 65

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 15d

yeah let's not politicise sport www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

‘Palestinian Pelé’ killed in Israeli attack in southern Gaza

Palestine Football Association says Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, died during attack on people waiting for humanitarian aid

www.theguardian.com

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 15d

so, may i propose we reduce down the amount we're all telling each other we don't like Farage..

and start promoting the ideas and policies that are better, and the ways in which we might achieve them?

obviously part of that is about keeping Reform out too, we run StopReformUK.vote of course

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 16d

Is it fair to assume the vast majority of UK BlueSky users are not fans of Farage and Reform UK?

1 8 17

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 16d

I’m done.

Josh Russell → @MVTFWD @joshfwd.bsky.social · 16d

You’re conflating two entirely different things.

Trump is trying to censor things using government powers.

You’re suggesting that Farage has a right to be covered by the media, when nobody has that right.

We mobilised 1.5m voters in 2024, why didn’t the media cover that?