Michael
@michaeljsc.bsky.social
tweeting about: politics, pop culture, general nonsense
yes yes, very good, but it’s bad enough the way Americans use “maestro” without us joining in
January 27, 2026 at 6:57 PM
yes yes, very good, but it’s bad enough the way Americans use “maestro” without us joining in
don’t talk to me or my posh bald child squire ever again
January 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM
don’t talk to me or my posh bald child squire ever again
Zarah Sultana in brutal attack on “vibes” politics; in other news, Kemi Badenoch speaks out against culture wars and Ed Davey says he’s tired of politicians doing silly stunts for attention.
The answer is “no”.
Every pound spent on bombs & tanks is money stolen from schools & hospitals.
Anti-imperialism isn’t vibes, it’s a commitment to confronting empire.
If you recognise NATO as an imperialist war machine we should leave immediately, join Your Party: in.yourparty.uk/users/sign_up
Every pound spent on bombs & tanks is money stolen from schools & hospitals.
Anti-imperialism isn’t vibes, it’s a commitment to confronting empire.
If you recognise NATO as an imperialist war machine we should leave immediately, join Your Party: in.yourparty.uk/users/sign_up
January 27, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Zarah Sultana in brutal attack on “vibes” politics; in other news, Kemi Badenoch speaks out against culture wars and Ed Davey says he’s tired of politicians doing silly stunts for attention.
Reposted by Michael
Reposted by Michael
Their "model of clarity" Supreme Court judgement has now led to multiple conflicting EHRC guidances, multiple conflicting Employment Tribunal decisions and a whole lot of mess.
January 27, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Their "model of clarity" Supreme Court judgement has now led to multiple conflicting EHRC guidances, multiple conflicting Employment Tribunal decisions and a whole lot of mess.
Reposted by Michael
My Twitter account had the gold-standard explanation of why WASPI women enrage.
Definitionally they cannot produce a sympathetic case study. Follow along with me:
> The supposed injustice and grounds for their campaigning are that they were not informed, not the change in age itself. So:
Definitionally they cannot produce a sympathetic case study. Follow along with me:
> The supposed injustice and grounds for their campaigning are that they were not informed, not the change in age itself. So:
November 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM
My Twitter account had the gold-standard explanation of why WASPI women enrage.
Definitionally they cannot produce a sympathetic case study. Follow along with me:
> The supposed injustice and grounds for their campaigning are that they were not informed, not the change in age itself. So:
Definitionally they cannot produce a sympathetic case study. Follow along with me:
> The supposed injustice and grounds for their campaigning are that they were not informed, not the change in age itself. So:
Reposted by Michael
NEW: Guidance on how to implement the supreme court ruling on gender is being adapted to lessen its impact on businesses and to ensure it tries to balance single-sex spaces with the lives of transgender people, the Guardian has been told.
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
EHRC’s guidance on single-sex spaces being adapted under ‘constructive’ new chair
Exclusive: Mary-Ann Stephenson said to have more pragmatic approach in trying to limit impact on trans people and on businesses
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:12 AM
NEW: Guidance on how to implement the supreme court ruling on gender is being adapted to lessen its impact on businesses and to ensure it tries to balance single-sex spaces with the lives of transgender people, the Guardian has been told.
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Does this apply to when Steve Reed resigned as council leader and councillor in Lambeth following his win in a parliamentary by-election in 2012?
Housing secretary Steve Reed's message to Andy Burnham for trying to leave his mayoral job.
“Voters have a right to expect that if they elect a politician to a job, that they will serve out the full term for the job that they have elected them to do.”
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour...
“Voters have a right to expect that if they elect a politician to a job, that they will serve out the full term for the job that they have elected them to do.”
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour...
'A Gift To Nigel Farage': Labour Civil War Deepens Over Decision To Block Burnham's MP Bid
More than 50 MPs and peers sign letter urging Keir Starmer to think again.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
January 27, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Does this apply to when Steve Reed resigned as council leader and councillor in Lambeth following his win in a parliamentary by-election in 2012?
Me: man, I wish there were some MPs in Parliament’s left and centre setting out a serious alternative to Starmer and Reeves’s fiscal approach
Basically every non-Starmer loyalist MP in Parliament’s left and centre:
Basically every non-Starmer loyalist MP in Parliament’s left and centre:
I’ve joined over 100 MPs calling on the Government to finally do the right thing for WASPI women. Women born in the 1950s were harmed by pension changes made without proper notice. Despite the Ombudsman’s findings, ministers are still delaying fair compensation.
I will keep pushing for justice.
I will keep pushing for justice.
January 26, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Me: man, I wish there were some MPs in Parliament’s left and centre setting out a serious alternative to Starmer and Reeves’s fiscal approach
Basically every non-Starmer loyalist MP in Parliament’s left and centre:
Basically every non-Starmer loyalist MP in Parliament’s left and centre:
Reposted by Michael
Can't believe I forgot to celebrate Justin Webb Day yesterday. Must have been distracted by all that normality in America
January 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Can't believe I forgot to celebrate Justin Webb Day yesterday. Must have been distracted by all that normality in America
Reposted by Michael
If you are a habitual Conservative voter who went Reform for this first time last May, being told that Reform are just like the Conservatives will reassure you, not scare you.
Fortunately, there are no Tories on Bluesky (except John Oxley).
Fortunately, there are no Tories on Bluesky (except John Oxley).
Reform: The Conservatives broke the country
Also Reform: Welcome to another failed Conservative minister who broke the country
Also Reform: Welcome to another failed Conservative minister who broke the country
January 26, 2026 at 5:20 PM
If you are a habitual Conservative voter who went Reform for this first time last May, being told that Reform are just like the Conservatives will reassure you, not scare you.
Fortunately, there are no Tories on Bluesky (except John Oxley).
Fortunately, there are no Tories on Bluesky (except John Oxley).
Reposted by Michael
“I had a very good conversation with Kemi, it was a mature conversation. We don’t agree on everything but that’s OK.” - come on Andy, one of you is going to have to be bad cop on this!
Former Tory heavyweights launch new centre-right movement
Prosper UK aims to pull Conservative party back to middle ground and counter rise of Reform UK
www.ft.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:02 PM
“I had a very good conversation with Kemi, it was a mature conversation. We don’t agree on everything but that’s OK.” - come on Andy, one of you is going to have to be bad cop on this!
Reposted by Michael
Missed it at the time, but the decision to expel Jenrick from the party without a formal process does demonstrate that there's absolutely nothing to stop Badenoch from doing the same to Truss tomorrow and the only reason she hasn't is that she doesn't want to.
January 26, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Missed it at the time, but the decision to expel Jenrick from the party without a formal process does demonstrate that there's absolutely nothing to stop Badenoch from doing the same to Truss tomorrow and the only reason she hasn't is that she doesn't want to.
the Tories’ combination under Kemi Badenoch of very aggressive personal attacks on Reform defectors and complete refusal to occupy a different political space to Reform is pretty frustrating to watch
January 26, 2026 at 1:41 PM
the Tories’ combination under Kemi Badenoch of very aggressive personal attacks on Reform defectors and complete refusal to occupy a different political space to Reform is pretty frustrating to watch
Reposted by Michael
Andy Burnham's basic problem: essentially every Labour power broker who is not a dyed-in-the-wool Burnhamite has a vested interest in keeping him out of Parliament. (Some of the politicians who claimed this week to want him back have key allies on the NEC who voted to block him)
Diminished Keir Starmer at the limit of his powers
Andy Burnham veto leaves government where it started — with a weakened PM struggling to push controversial policy through parliament
www.ft.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Andy Burnham's basic problem: essentially every Labour power broker who is not a dyed-in-the-wool Burnhamite has a vested interest in keeping him out of Parliament. (Some of the politicians who claimed this week to want him back have key allies on the NEC who voted to block him)
there is something “aww you’re sweet” / “hello, human resources?!” about how people react to e.g. Mamdani vs Starmer trying to bring everything back to the cost of living
I guess you just have to be charismatic and likeable!
I guess you just have to be charismatic and likeable!
NEW: Keir Starmer says Labour should concentrate on improving cost of living & fighting Reform UK rather than internal divisions.
"The single most important thing for people across the country is cost of living & that's why we're bearing down on it in everything we're doing, pulling every lever.
"The single most important thing for people across the country is cost of living & that's why we're bearing down on it in everything we're doing, pulling every lever.
January 26, 2026 at 10:40 AM
there is something “aww you’re sweet” / “hello, human resources?!” about how people react to e.g. Mamdani vs Starmer trying to bring everything back to the cost of living
I guess you just have to be charismatic and likeable!
I guess you just have to be charismatic and likeable!
Reposted by Michael
I actually think the truth is that Starmer's failure to go to Burnham & Khan, and urge them to step aside for new candidates in 2024 so they could be back in parliament in time to be cabinet ministers in his government shows exactly why we're in this mess
Yeah. I'd say this is the other way round. The decision to block him is only a problem because Starmer is in such a weak position and its clear his party are looking for an alternative. If Labour were polling reasonably well "stick to your current job Andy" would be rather well received.
“This is undemocratic.” He’s mayor of Greater Manchester. That comes with responsibilities, like don’t abandon your job two years in.
“This makes Starmer look weak.” No argument there, but show me a decision that wouldn’t - at this point Starmer would look weak for choosing toast over cornflakes
“This makes Starmer look weak.” No argument there, but show me a decision that wouldn’t - at this point Starmer would look weak for choosing toast over cornflakes
January 26, 2026 at 9:34 AM
I actually think the truth is that Starmer's failure to go to Burnham & Khan, and urge them to step aside for new candidates in 2024 so they could be back in parliament in time to be cabinet ministers in his government shows exactly why we're in this mess
Reposted by Michael
𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩—wax was a bad call. I should’ve flagged heat resistance as a 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 instead of assuming you’d stay within 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴. That one’s on me.
January 25, 2026 at 9:43 PM
𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩—wax was a bad call. I should’ve flagged heat resistance as a 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 instead of assuming you’d stay within 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴. That one’s on me.
One thing I’ve thought re: Burnham is that in a mature system of devolution, we should see it as normal for politicians to be able to move between tiers of government, and if we won’t allow double jobbing then that will necessarily involve by-elections.
January 25, 2026 at 8:36 PM
One thing I’ve thought re: Burnham is that in a mature system of devolution, we should see it as normal for politicians to be able to move between tiers of government, and if we won’t allow double jobbing then that will necessarily involve by-elections.
Reposted by Michael
scrapping jury trials, defining palestine action protesting as terrorism, starting to talk about how elections are expensive and inconvenient. honestly amazed by how careless they are.
January 25, 2026 at 6:51 PM
scrapping jury trials, defining palestine action protesting as terrorism, starting to talk about how elections are expensive and inconvenient. honestly amazed by how careless they are.
Reposted by Michael
nigel farage is leading the polls and you are seeding the idea that elections are a waste of public money?
January 25, 2026 at 5:21 PM
nigel farage is leading the polls and you are seeding the idea that elections are a waste of public money?
The thing about Andy Burnham is that he isn’t very good, and Labour can’t really afford to get the next leader wrong again.
This would be an easier argument to make if there was an obvious candidate who was any good.
This would be an easier argument to make if there was an obvious candidate who was any good.
January 25, 2026 at 1:36 PM
The thing about Andy Burnham is that he isn’t very good, and Labour can’t really afford to get the next leader wrong again.
This would be an easier argument to make if there was an obvious candidate who was any good.
This would be an easier argument to make if there was an obvious candidate who was any good.
Reposted by Michael
Maybe Trump's lawsuit is having the effect he intended?
I’m really quite surprised at the BBC website today. ‘Here is a video, some people say it does not show what it very obviously shows’ is not how you report this.
January 25, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Maybe Trump's lawsuit is having the effect he intended?
Someone in these people’s lives needs to tell them to get over it.
And yet, it could all backfire for Burnham.
Even if he gets through all the hurdles, there's no guarantee he'll be welcomed.
“Where was he in the Corbyn years?," says one MP. "I was in the trenches, dealing with all the abuse, with people in tears – and he swans off to be mayor of Manchester."
Even if he gets through all the hurdles, there's no guarantee he'll be welcomed.
“Where was he in the Corbyn years?," says one MP. "I was in the trenches, dealing with all the abuse, with people in tears – and he swans off to be mayor of Manchester."
January 25, 2026 at 8:31 AM
Someone in these people’s lives needs to tell them to get over it.
Reposted by Michael
I would describe this as misreading the mood
January 25, 2026 at 1:10 AM
I would describe this as misreading the mood