Stephen Drennan
@stephen1958.bsky.social
From Norn Irn. Happy with complex national identity, unhappy with Brexit.
Engineering degree, Development, Product Management & 12 yrs as MD.
Also BA & MA History, just because: decolonisation in Africa, nationalism, Ireland/UK
Engineering degree, Development, Product Management & 12 yrs as MD.
Also BA & MA History, just because: decolonisation in Africa, nationalism, Ireland/UK
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
agree with this (hah) but also think a particular mistake the left made for a long time online, and still makes to an extent, is failing to understand that the person whose mind you may actually change is the one reading the argument you're having, not the one you're arguing with
The secret to engaging in social media debate is knowing you will never win anyone over. The best you can hope for is to have people who already agree with tell you you're awesome. You might great a dopamine thrill from the righteousness of your anger! Fine benefits, all. But you will never win.
February 16, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
This is very good, both as an analysis and a stylish piece of writing
My substack newsletter on Brexit, political folly and the yawning horror of a Reform government.
open.substack.com/pub/mattcarr...
open.substack.com/pub/mattcarr...
The Exterminating Brexit
The British Road to Ruin
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:20 PM
This is very good, both as an analysis and a stylish piece of writing
Very, very interesting.
My brother wanted a London pub crawl. The result? My new Substack post: "Britain Lost 14,000 Third Places. They were Called Pubs. Is Your Local Next?" How private equity reshaped the local, which pubs are most at risk and most importantly what to do about it.
open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
Britain Lost 14,000 Third Places. They Were Called Pubs. Is Your Local Next?
How private equity reshaped the local and the postcode tool that shows the pubs most at risk.
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Very, very interesting.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Roger Casement: “A nation is a very complex thing. It never does consist; it never has consisted solely of men of one blood or one single race – it is like a river, rising in the hills with many sources, many converging streams, that become one great stream.” (1905)
March 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Roger Casement: “A nation is a very complex thing. It never does consist; it never has consisted solely of men of one blood or one single race – it is like a river, rising in the hills with many sources, many converging streams, that become one great stream.” (1905)
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
if only we had a media and culture secretary @roberthutton.co.uk
And another bites the dust?
The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 8:35 PM
if only we had a media and culture secretary @roberthutton.co.uk
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
the loss of the World Service would be a tragedy and huge lost of soft power for Britain
And another bites the dust?
The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 8:02 PM
the loss of the World Service would be a tragedy and huge lost of soft power for Britain
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
“Wagner recruiters who specialised in persuading young men from Russia’s hinterland to fight in Ukraine have been given a new task — recruiting economically vulnerable Europeans to carry out violence on Nato soil, the officials said”
Russia’s Wagner Group pivots to European sabotage, say western officials
Recruiters involved with fighter group are said to be targeting agents for operations on Nato soil
giftarticle.ft.com
February 15, 2026 at 7:23 PM
“Wagner recruiters who specialised in persuading young men from Russia’s hinterland to fight in Ukraine have been given a new task — recruiting economically vulnerable Europeans to carry out violence on Nato soil, the officials said”
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
So @jim.londoncentric.media’s @londoncentric.media is excellent and you should subscribe, and this is just a sidebar from his latest, but I wanted to point at it and yell:
February 14, 2026 at 11:15 AM
So @jim.londoncentric.media’s @londoncentric.media is excellent and you should subscribe, and this is just a sidebar from his latest, but I wanted to point at it and yell:
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
It's also worth remembering that this narrative is Nazi in a way that actually pre-dates the Holocaust.
Hitler rose to power telling a story of a Germany shackled by guilt and shame (and of course the material concessions fallout) from WWI
Hitler rose to power telling a story of a Germany shackled by guilt and shame (and of course the material concessions fallout) from WWI
This message from the US State Department about "not wanting allies to be shackled by guilt and shame" is a pretty direct call-out to the German far-right argument that Germany has spent too long feeling guilty about the Holocaust, and needs to move on and stop doing remembrance.
February 15, 2026 at 4:47 PM
It's also worth remembering that this narrative is Nazi in a way that actually pre-dates the Holocaust.
Hitler rose to power telling a story of a Germany shackled by guilt and shame (and of course the material concessions fallout) from WWI
Hitler rose to power telling a story of a Germany shackled by guilt and shame (and of course the material concessions fallout) from WWI
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
No "we need to listen to their concerns, understand their hesitancy" etc. No. They're thick, selfish wankers.
February 14, 2026 at 7:50 PM
No "we need to listen to their concerns, understand their hesitancy" etc. No. They're thick, selfish wankers.
Hamnet. Probably auto corrected.
Attention chef-d’œuvre ! Hamlet montre comment le talent peut transcender la mort d’un être cher. Des moments d’une émotion intense portés par de merveilleuses images. Dépêchez vous d’y aller tant qu’il est à l’affiche. C’est bientôt fini.
February 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Hamnet. Probably auto corrected.
You need to read this report, @tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social and think about what your party is planning.
Remigration by stealth?
@jamesbowes01.bsky.social examines the impact -intended otherwise - of the government's "earned settlement" proposals. Up to two million current UK residents could be affected.
The consultation closes tonight...
ukandeu.ac.uk/remigration-...
@jamesbowes01.bsky.social examines the impact -intended otherwise - of the government's "earned settlement" proposals. Up to two million current UK residents could be affected.
The consultation closes tonight...
ukandeu.ac.uk/remigration-...
Remigration by stealth? The government’s earned settlement proposals - UK in a changing Europe
James Bowes analyses the potential impact of the UK government's proposed changes to its settlement schemes to both new migrants and migrants already in the UK.
ukandeu.ac.uk
February 13, 2026 at 1:28 PM
You need to read this report, @tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social and think about what your party is planning.
What is the Royal Society for, anyway?
The Royal Institute has a better history:
Michael Faraday and the RI Lectures
What are the Royal Society’s purposes & achievements?
‘In decline’ for a couple of centuries
Now a huge embarrassment for 🇬🇧 & Science.
The Royal Institute has a better history:
Michael Faraday and the RI Lectures
What are the Royal Society’s purposes & achievements?
‘In decline’ for a couple of centuries
Now a huge embarrassment for 🇬🇧 & Science.
FOR THE RECORD: one year on, I lay out clearly how Elon Musk FRS has breached the @royalsociety.org’s code of conduct, why the Society’s failure to defend its values has been so damaging, & what they need do to recover their standing in the scientific community. occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2026/...
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM
What is the Royal Society for, anyway?
The Royal Institute has a better history:
Michael Faraday and the RI Lectures
What are the Royal Society’s purposes & achievements?
‘In decline’ for a couple of centuries
Now a huge embarrassment for 🇬🇧 & Science.
The Royal Institute has a better history:
Michael Faraday and the RI Lectures
What are the Royal Society’s purposes & achievements?
‘In decline’ for a couple of centuries
Now a huge embarrassment for 🇬🇧 & Science.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
US undermines democracy to promote Maga to the world ft.trib.al/XZdMaKd | opinion
US undermines democracy to promote Maga to the world
America is adapting older tools to spread a cynical worldview
ft.trib.al
February 12, 2026 at 6:59 PM
US undermines democracy to promote Maga to the world ft.trib.al/XZdMaKd | opinion
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
According to the Epstein files, Farage can be bought.
With Epstein & Russian money.
With Epstein & Russian money.
February 12, 2026 at 9:42 AM
According to the Epstein files, Farage can be bought.
With Epstein & Russian money.
With Epstein & Russian money.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
This couldn’t be clearer. Bannon’s texts to Epstein in mid July 2018 - “overthrowing May right now” and in “London with Boris” as well as his appearance on LBC with Nigel Farage are prettying damning evidence of a cross party plot with foreign backing
February 11, 2026 at 12:18 PM
This couldn’t be clearer. Bannon’s texts to Epstein in mid July 2018 - “overthrowing May right now” and in “London with Boris” as well as his appearance on LBC with Nigel Farage are prettying damning evidence of a cross party plot with foreign backing
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
The art of politics is not to do what people think. If it was, there literally wouldn’t be any politics. The art of politics is to convert public opinion in the direction of your policies. Not so subordinate your policies to opinion.
February 12, 2026 at 12:45 PM
The art of politics is not to do what people think. If it was, there literally wouldn’t be any politics. The art of politics is to convert public opinion in the direction of your policies. Not so subordinate your policies to opinion.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Dear European leaders!
Here's a little idea for your competitiveness agenda
It boosts:
- manufacturing jobs
- construction jobs
- public and private sector
and
- it promotes green mobility
WIN 🎉
Just a few national interests to overcome!
jonworth.eu/dear-europea...
Here's a little idea for your competitiveness agenda
It boosts:
- manufacturing jobs
- construction jobs
- public and private sector
and
- it promotes green mobility
WIN 🎉
Just a few national interests to overcome!
jonworth.eu/dear-europea...
Dear European leaders: here's a little idea for your competitiveness agenda
This idea would:
* Allow Europeans to travel internationally, while emitting as little CO2 as possible
* Create jobs in European manufacturing industries, some even in the most deprived corners of ...
jonworth.eu
February 12, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Dear European leaders!
Here's a little idea for your competitiveness agenda
It boosts:
- manufacturing jobs
- construction jobs
- public and private sector
and
- it promotes green mobility
WIN 🎉
Just a few national interests to overcome!
jonworth.eu/dear-europea...
Here's a little idea for your competitiveness agenda
It boosts:
- manufacturing jobs
- construction jobs
- public and private sector
and
- it promotes green mobility
WIN 🎉
Just a few national interests to overcome!
jonworth.eu/dear-europea...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
The same man migrated his head office from Britain to Switzerland, supported Brexit and then migrated himself to Monaco avoiding £4 billion in tax.
A nasty piece of work
A nasty piece of work
February 11, 2026 at 5:58 PM
The same man migrated his head office from Britain to Switzerland, supported Brexit and then migrated himself to Monaco avoiding £4 billion in tax.
A nasty piece of work
A nasty piece of work
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Rarely mentioned but about much of Ratcliffe’s business ‘success’ is based on draining public money (very common among these ‘self made tycoons’)
Eg democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ineos-set-...
Eg democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ineos-set-...
February 11, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Rarely mentioned but about much of Ratcliffe’s business ‘success’ is based on draining public money (very common among these ‘self made tycoons’)
Eg democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ineos-set-...
Eg democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ineos-set-...
Everyone should get behind The Bear’s judgement here.
February 11, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Everyone should get behind The Bear’s judgement here.
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Now more details in the Epstein files reveal Bannon as part of a successful plot to topple Theresa May with Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees Mogg, here’s an article from the archive about Johnson and Bannon’s collaboration
bylinetimes.com/2023/04/24/b...
bylinetimes.com/2023/04/24/b...
Bannon, Brexit, Johnson and Cambridge Analytica: the Daughter of Time
Peter Jukes reports on more revelations about the transatlantic right-wing network, and why the Government is withholding key information on the former Prime Minister’s role
bylinetimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:57 AM
Now more details in the Epstein files reveal Bannon as part of a successful plot to topple Theresa May with Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees Mogg, here’s an article from the archive about Johnson and Bannon’s collaboration
bylinetimes.com/2023/04/24/b...
bylinetimes.com/2023/04/24/b...
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Kent councillor Matthew Fraser Moat has fallen on his sword after admitting his party had failed to find any waste to cut
✏️ Rats in a Sack 🐀
✏️ Rats in a Sack 🐀
Reform councillor forced out... for telling the truth
Kent councillor Matthew Fraser Moat has fallen on his sword after admitting his party had failed to find any waste to cut
www.thenewworld.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Kent councillor Matthew Fraser Moat has fallen on his sword after admitting his party had failed to find any waste to cut
✏️ Rats in a Sack 🐀
✏️ Rats in a Sack 🐀
Reposted by Stephen Drennan
Good morning. The President of the United States was in the middle of the most serious child sex trafficking ring of the last quarter century.
He is referenced not a dozen times in the case files. Not 100 times. Not 1,000 times. He’s referenced 38,000 times.
He is referenced not a dozen times in the case files. Not 100 times. Not 1,000 times. He’s referenced 38,000 times.
February 8, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Good morning. The President of the United States was in the middle of the most serious child sex trafficking ring of the last quarter century.
He is referenced not a dozen times in the case files. Not 100 times. Not 1,000 times. He’s referenced 38,000 times.
He is referenced not a dozen times in the case files. Not 100 times. Not 1,000 times. He’s referenced 38,000 times.