Martin Heneghan
@martinheneghan.bsky.social
Assistant Professor in Public and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham
A brilliant piece this is. I think about nostalgia a lot lately – as I suspect a lot of people do in the tumultuous era we live in. Stephen really gets at what I think is important. It is not just reflecting back on being young but on a time where we all had shared cultural understandings.
A fascinating thing about season two IMV is how it is in some ways the only one that is even remotely close to being 'proper' period piece rather than just a 'this is cosy/and thank god there are no smartphones to ruin the plot!'
Pop culture has mastered nostalgia — by returning to a pre-smartphone era
‘Stranger Things’ is back for its final season, weaving fantasy set not in the future but in a past that its young fans never knew
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
A brilliant piece this is. I think about nostalgia a lot lately – as I suspect a lot of people do in the tumultuous era we live in. Stephen really gets at what I think is important. It is not just reflecting back on being young but on a time where we all had shared cultural understandings.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
I’m really surprised this isn’t bigger news. Just under 10 million people live in Tehran. Where can they go? Where else in Iran will have enough water? This will undoubtedly strain the country’s and the region’s politics, finances and governance capacity.
'Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has made Tehran impossible to sustain'
#Iran 🇮🇷
#Iran 🇮🇷
Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens
Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has mad...
www.iranintl.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I’m really surprised this isn’t bigger news. Just under 10 million people live in Tehran. Where can they go? Where else in Iran will have enough water? This will undoubtedly strain the country’s and the region’s politics, finances and governance capacity.
Well that’s one way to drive down immigration. I highly doubt it will raise anywhere near £600m though. Labour may well end up being worse for the higher education sector than the Tories.
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Well that’s one way to drive down immigration. I highly doubt it will raise anywhere near £600m though. Labour may well end up being worse for the higher education sector than the Tories.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Starmer isn't Britain's worst ever prime minister, but he is Labour's worst ever prime minister and it's not even close
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Starmer isn't Britain's worst ever prime minister, but he is Labour's worst ever prime minister and it's not even close
These bumps are fascinating and a great illustration how distorting the British tax system is.
NEW - we've data showing huge numbers of people reducing their income to avoid high marginal income tax rates. Not just at the £100k point (as previously reported). But at the £50k point:
November 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
These bumps are fascinating and a great illustration how distorting the British tax system is.
If the BBC switched to a fee paying model proposed by Reform, it would be older voters who lost out as they disproportionately watch the BBC and don’t pay the licence fee. They are also far more likely to vote Reform.
November 10, 2025 at 3:15 PM
If the BBC switched to a fee paying model proposed by Reform, it would be older voters who lost out as they disproportionately watch the BBC and don’t pay the licence fee. They are also far more likely to vote Reform.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
The irony is that Nigel Farage would be a nobody were it not for the BBC.
Mail Online reports Nigel Farage says that the BBC may have no future.
He imagines bringing to an end century of public service broadcasting in the UK - because the populist politician and his US political ally Donald Trump do not want the BBC to survive
No thanks, Nigel.
No thanks, Donald
He imagines bringing to an end century of public service broadcasting in the UK - because the populist politician and his US political ally Donald Trump do not want the BBC to survive
No thanks, Nigel.
No thanks, Donald
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The irony is that Nigel Farage would be a nobody were it not for the BBC.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Drives me mad that people talk about Danish immigration policy as a *political* success without bothering to look at the polls.
Aside from the crucial voting system difference, the Social Democrats over this period have haemorrhaged votes to progressive parties and are currently on course for their worst result in 110yrs, while the Green Left are set for their best ever.
The Danish People's Party are currently gaining.
The Danish People's Party are currently gaining.
what are the odds that the people in Downing Street briefing this out would also break out in hives at the mere mention of proportional representation?
November 8, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Drives me mad that people talk about Danish immigration policy as a *political* success without bothering to look at the polls.
More fearless reporting from the @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social. If you live in Sheffield I highly recommend subscribing. High quality journalism at the local level.
“It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car,” one woman who paid Milne tens of thousands of pounds told us. “He has just wiped me out.”
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived
Exclusive: The Tribune can reveal that Andrew Milne has threatened leaseholders with high court action. It ‘broke my heart’ one woman says
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 6:58 AM
More fearless reporting from the @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social. If you live in Sheffield I highly recommend subscribing. High quality journalism at the local level.
Strong argument from @oilsheppard.bsky.social that, despite all the speculation and pitch rolling, Reeves will not raise income tax.
on.ft.com/3LvQRzA Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income tax
on.ft.com/3LvQRzA Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income tax
Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income tax
An unpopular government cannot afford to be branded dishonest by the public
on.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Strong argument from @oilsheppard.bsky.social that, despite all the speculation and pitch rolling, Reeves will not raise income tax.
on.ft.com/3LvQRzA Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income tax
on.ft.com/3LvQRzA Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income tax
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
November 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Elon Musk is deliberately using his platform to poison our politics and divide our country.
It's time for the government to wake up to the threat he poses to our democracy.
It's time for the government to wake up to the threat he poses to our democracy.
November 6, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Elon Musk is deliberately using his platform to poison our politics and divide our country.
It's time for the government to wake up to the threat he poses to our democracy.
It's time for the government to wake up to the threat he poses to our democracy.
Ed Miliband was largely seen as a media dud ten years ago, but to my mind he’s the only senior Labour politician doing political comms right in 2025. He’s moved with the digital age in ways the others haven’t.
November 5, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Ed Miliband was largely seen as a media dud ten years ago, but to my mind he’s the only senior Labour politician doing political comms right in 2025. He’s moved with the digital age in ways the others haven’t.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Good from Martin Wolf, as usual, in today’s FT. But I have a couple of quibbles on.ft.com/47nYFvX
The UK tax system is a mess — these are priorities for Reeves to reform
The list of inconsistencies goes on and on. Nobody should have designed such an absurdity
on.ft.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Good from Martin Wolf, as usual, in today’s FT. But I have a couple of quibbles on.ft.com/47nYFvX
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
The guy who got famous betting against the housing market in 2007 just before that bubble burst - played by Christian Bale jn “The Big Short” - just wagered $1 billion on the collapse of the AI boom.
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
Michael Burry Returns With Two Big Shorts: Palantir and Nvidia
Signs of an AI bubble abound: Stock valuations have become uncomfortably rich, AI-related debt is ballooning, and a sustainable financial model for the technology has largely yet to emerge. Now Michae...
www.wsj.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM
The guy who got famous betting against the housing market in 2007 just before that bubble burst - played by Christian Bale jn “The Big Short” - just wagered $1 billion on the collapse of the AI boom.
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
If you’re a methods teacher who tells students that they can’t say anything about a result with a p-value of >.05, then you’re part of the problem so there’s no point looking all scandalised at this.
Look at the distribution of z-values from medical research!
November 4, 2025 at 10:40 PM
If you’re a methods teacher who tells students that they can’t say anything about a result with a p-value of >.05, then you’re part of the problem so there’s no point looking all scandalised at this.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Look at the distribution of z-values from medical research!
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Look at the distribution of z-values from medical research!
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Dan is right. This is extremely good from @geoffmulgan.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/geoffmul...
A lot of very important points in a short post
A lot of very important points in a short post
Hollowed out: can the centre hold?
Can the centre hold and resist the far right?
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Dan is right. This is extremely good from @geoffmulgan.bsky.social
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
open.substack.com/pub/geoffmul...
A lot of very important points in a short post
A lot of very important points in a short post
Hollowed out: can the centre hold?
Can the centre hold and resist the far right?
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:58 PM
open.substack.com/pub/geoffmul...
A lot of very important points in a short post
A lot of very important points in a short post
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Substantial speeches help you communicate on TikTok and also in fragmented media environment more broadly because they tell people, including your own comms and activists, what you’re about and that helps them. But the problem is her speeches are not substantial.
November 4, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Substantial speeches help you communicate on TikTok and also in fragmented media environment more broadly because they tell people, including your own comms and activists, what you’re about and that helps them. But the problem is her speeches are not substantial.
Reeves should have made this speech 18 months ago. Labour's majority might have been smaller but the government would have had much more room for manoeuvre. There would already be a year's worth of tax rises on 'working peoople' in the fiscal coffers for starters.
November 4, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reeves should have made this speech 18 months ago. Labour's majority might have been smaller but the government would have had much more room for manoeuvre. There would already be a year's worth of tax rises on 'working peoople' in the fiscal coffers for starters.
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
I've written a couple of things over the last days about how the government and much of Westminster remaining on X as the platform becomes increasingly toxic is having consequences for our politics...
Our politics is increasingly normalised to racism – because politicians are addicted to X
The platform has quietly dragged British politics into a dark place
inews.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I've written a couple of things over the last days about how the government and much of Westminster remaining on X as the platform becomes increasingly toxic is having consequences for our politics...
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
Reposted by Martin Heneghan
I love to see stuff like this because it helps explain to people trapped in tech-sponsored information bubbles the actually obvious fact that universities teach people to know & think things, and AI is a way to produce the effect of knowing & thinking things w/o actually knowing & thinking them.
Opinion | Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I love to see stuff like this because it helps explain to people trapped in tech-sponsored information bubbles the actually obvious fact that universities teach people to know & think things, and AI is a way to produce the effect of knowing & thinking things w/o actually knowing & thinking them.