Stephen Bush
@stephenkb.bsky.social
Associate editor and columnist @financialtimes.com. Post too often about culture, public policy, management, politics, nerd stuff, Arsenal, wosoc. Try my UK politics newsletter for free here: www.ft.com/tryinsidepolitics
Pinned
Stephen Bush
@stephenkb.bsky.social
· Feb 22
I sat through that so when my column gets factchecked I can say “yes, that line is accurate”. Such is the FT’s commitment to bringing you our best understanding of the truth. Subscribe here: subs.ft.com/products
Enjoyable poll finding. c25 per cent of people have an unfavourable opinion of of Keir Starmer’s performance as prime minister but think he should stay as prime minister.
February 5, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Enjoyable poll finding. c25 per cent of people have an unfavourable opinion of of Keir Starmer’s performance as prime minister but think he should stay as prime minister.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Choice of books in years 7 & 8 had a big influence on my kids love of reading. Specifically it completely squashed it.
I don't know who chose them, or the additional reading list the school sent, but they were all very... weepy isn't quite the right word. Heavy on loss and having a difficult time.
I don't know who chose them, or the additional reading list the school sent, but they were all very... weepy isn't quite the right word. Heavy on loss and having a difficult time.
February 5, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Choice of books in years 7 & 8 had a big influence on my kids love of reading. Specifically it completely squashed it.
I don't know who chose them, or the additional reading list the school sent, but they were all very... weepy isn't quite the right word. Heavy on loss and having a difficult time.
I don't know who chose them, or the additional reading list the school sent, but they were all very... weepy isn't quite the right word. Heavy on loss and having a difficult time.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
An Inspector Calls is absolutely tailor made for "here are Themes (tm) to discuss", but is absolutely dire. Im not sure its should necessarily be excluded from classrooms, but I cant see any reason to perform or watch it *except* for an exam.
February 5, 2026 at 4:26 PM
An Inspector Calls is absolutely tailor made for "here are Themes (tm) to discuss", but is absolutely dire. Im not sure its should necessarily be excluded from classrooms, but I cant see any reason to perform or watch it *except* for an exam.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I quite like how half the country has read that and the other half the great gatsby depending on which English class they were in
February 5, 2026 at 4:26 PM
I quite like how half the country has read that and the other half the great gatsby depending on which English class they were in
Reposted by Stephen Bush
See also: Of Mice and Men
February 5, 2026 at 4:18 PM
See also: Of Mice and Men
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Distinguished man to Sir Thomas Beecham. ‘I believed you conducted before my brother recently.’
Beecham, who has no idea: ‘ah yes and how is your brother?’
Distinguished man: ‘oh, still King.’
Beecham, who has no idea: ‘ah yes and how is your brother?’
Distinguished man: ‘oh, still King.’
February 5, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Distinguished man to Sir Thomas Beecham. ‘I believed you conducted before my brother recently.’
Beecham, who has no idea: ‘ah yes and how is your brother?’
Distinguished man: ‘oh, still King.’
Beecham, who has no idea: ‘ah yes and how is your brother?’
Distinguished man: ‘oh, still King.’
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Know you are not a Tennessee Williams fan anyway but if you are going to teach him, probably not Streetcar.
February 5, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Know you are not a Tennessee Williams fan anyway but if you are going to teach him, probably not Streetcar.
This is a fun game - good summary here of why while I love Much Ado About Nothing it is incredibly high up my list of 'plays that absolutely should not be taught in school'. (In English. As theatre, fine)
Trying to think what the other 'god don't try and *teach* that' classics are for me.
Trying to think what the other 'god don't try and *teach* that' classics are for me.
Less of a fan of Much Ado About Nothing because we did it at school and B&B insist upon themselves especially when you have to read their stuff a lot.
February 5, 2026 at 4:05 PM
This is a fun game - good summary here of why while I love Much Ado About Nothing it is incredibly high up my list of 'plays that absolutely should not be taught in school'. (In English. As theatre, fine)
Trying to think what the other 'god don't try and *teach* that' classics are for me.
Trying to think what the other 'god don't try and *teach* that' classics are for me.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
For anyone having a bad day: have you seen the bitcoin price?
February 5, 2026 at 3:53 PM
For anyone having a bad day: have you seen the bitcoin price?
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Had the same problem when I worked opposite Talkback Thames.
Would pop out for lunch and only just avoid eternal embarrassment thanks to my brain intervening, at the last second, with 'no he's not someone you know. He's Jeremy Irons.'
Would pop out for lunch and only just avoid eternal embarrassment thanks to my brain intervening, at the last second, with 'no he's not someone you know. He's Jeremy Irons.'
February 5, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Had the same problem when I worked opposite Talkback Thames.
Would pop out for lunch and only just avoid eternal embarrassment thanks to my brain intervening, at the last second, with 'no he's not someone you know. He's Jeremy Irons.'
Would pop out for lunch and only just avoid eternal embarrassment thanks to my brain intervening, at the last second, with 'no he's not someone you know. He's Jeremy Irons.'
Reposted by Stephen Bush
My mum did this to David Harewood about 10 years ago and I don't think she's recovered yet
February 5, 2026 at 3:22 PM
My mum did this to David Harewood about 10 years ago and I don't think she's recovered yet
Reposted by Stephen Bush
my dad was an actor & was in a TV soap for years. People would constantly come up to him like 'did we work together at eg Marks and Spencer in the 90s?' nope, you just know i look vaguely familiar and can't figure out where from.
February 5, 2026 at 3:16 PM
my dad was an actor & was in a TV soap for years. People would constantly come up to him like 'did we work together at eg Marks and Spencer in the 90s?' nope, you just know i look vaguely familiar and can't figure out where from.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Stared awkwardly at Alexander off the Traitors when he turned up at the Trump state visit thinking "Where have I seen this guy? Does he work for the BBC?" before realising who it was just as he passed me.
February 5, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Stared awkwardly at Alexander off the Traitors when he turned up at the Trump state visit thinking "Where have I seen this guy? Does he work for the BBC?" before realising who it was just as he passed me.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Spent ages once staring at someone in a Ryanair queue trying to figure out what they were famous from - an author? actor? maybe a niche one, in An Cailín Ciúin or something - and it turns out they were a colleague from a different department
February 5, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Spent ages once staring at someone in a Ryanair queue trying to figure out what they were famous from - an author? actor? maybe a niche one, in An Cailín Ciúin or something - and it turns out they were a colleague from a different department
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I said a confident hello in passing to Isa from Still Game a couple of weeks ago. I do not in fact know Jane McCarry, the actor that plays her, and whom I had greeted.
February 5, 2026 at 3:10 PM
I said a confident hello in passing to Isa from Still Game a couple of weeks ago. I do not in fact know Jane McCarry, the actor that plays her, and whom I had greeted.
I have the reverse of this, where I will spend ages trying to place where I know someone only to realise “nope, that’s a famous person”. I once asked someone if they were a friend of my partner. “No, I do the weather. It happens a lot,” she replied.
I do not understand people who recognize celebrities or even people they know in public
one time I thought I might have seen George R. R. Martin on a plane, but like, it was just a guy with an enormous white beard
i have no idea what people who understand faces notice in them
one time I thought I might have seen George R. R. Martin on a plane, but like, it was just a guy with an enormous white beard
i have no idea what people who understand faces notice in them
February 5, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I have the reverse of this, where I will spend ages trying to place where I know someone only to realise “nope, that’s a famous person”. I once asked someone if they were a friend of my partner. “No, I do the weather. It happens a lot,” she replied.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
side-note - 2017 National production where Tamsin Grieg played Malvolia deadly straight (and also not straight at all in the other sense) was both sad, chilling, and entirely internally coherent with the rest of the production. Best approach I've seen.
February 5, 2026 at 2:42 PM
side-note - 2017 National production where Tamsin Grieg played Malvolia deadly straight (and also not straight at all in the other sense) was both sad, chilling, and entirely internally coherent with the rest of the production. Best approach I've seen.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
EXC:
I can reveal the contents of a memo by Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman in January 2025 warning Number 10 it was making a mistake to hire Mandelson - sent to Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
www.ft.com/content/584a...
I can reveal the contents of a memo by Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman in January 2025 warning Number 10 it was making a mistake to hire Mandelson - sent to Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
www.ft.com/content/584a...
Keir Starmer apologises to victims of Jeffrey Epstein
UK prime minister faces criticism from Labour MPs but insists he is not about to quit
www.ft.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:35 PM
EXC:
I can reveal the contents of a memo by Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman in January 2025 warning Number 10 it was making a mistake to hire Mandelson - sent to Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
www.ft.com/content/584a...
I can reveal the contents of a memo by Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman in January 2025 warning Number 10 it was making a mistake to hire Mandelson - sent to Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
www.ft.com/content/584a...
Saw a student/youth theatre (I can’t recall: it was £2.50 to see a play in London) version of Merchant of Venice that used this at the end, which I think is still the best attempt to make that play “work” I’ve seen.
had to look this up because i was pretty sure there was no Shakespeare play of this name and there isn't: instead today i learned that Shakespeare did a guest verse in a play by some hacks in the early 1590s. you love to see it
Ian McKellen performs “The Strangers’ Case” speech from “Sir Thomas More” on Colbert.
February 5, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Saw a student/youth theatre (I can’t recall: it was £2.50 to see a play in London) version of Merchant of Venice that used this at the end, which I think is still the best attempt to make that play “work” I’ve seen.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
A shadowy cabal of abusers is just made up of individual bad men. This is literally refusing to see the wood for the trees.
February 5, 2026 at 2:10 PM
A shadowy cabal of abusers is just made up of individual bad men. This is literally refusing to see the wood for the trees.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Also one of the ways you can avoid being the main focus of the epstein shitstorm is not to make yourself the main person epstein befriended in the UK. Alternatively a government can also not hire such a person when it's a known moral failure.
February 5, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Also one of the ways you can avoid being the main focus of the epstein shitstorm is not to make yourself the main person epstein befriended in the UK. Alternatively a government can also not hire such a person when it's a known moral failure.
But it’s not. Essentially everywhere in Europe there are people being sacked and facing prosecution because of their appearance in the Epstein files, and rightly so!
I kind of feel like the focus being on one bad man instead of how a shadowy cabal of abusers was using a network of patronage to influence society is a problem. If I were a shadowy cabal of abusers, that’s exactly where I’d want to focus the news
Isn’t the point that you shouldn’t be mates with a convicted child sex offender anyway? Like the depth and the money should be add-ons
February 5, 2026 at 2:06 PM
But it’s not. Essentially everywhere in Europe there are people being sacked and facing prosecution because of their appearance in the Epstein files, and rightly so!
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Also the premise is just wrong, because they didn’t really weather the previous storms, they were hugely damaging, and it’s incredible they don’t get that.
If a storm doesn’t actually sink your boat but critically damages so much that it’s effectively useless, you didn’t really “weather” the storm
If a storm doesn’t actually sink your boat but critically damages so much that it’s effectively useless, you didn’t really “weather” the storm
February 5, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Also the premise is just wrong, because they didn’t really weather the previous storms, they were hugely damaging, and it’s incredible they don’t get that.
If a storm doesn’t actually sink your boat but critically damages so much that it’s effectively useless, you didn’t really “weather” the storm
If a storm doesn’t actually sink your boat but critically damages so much that it’s effectively useless, you didn’t really “weather” the storm
It’s funny how at the same time as No 10 is doing a “no, it’s not true that Morgan urged that they could weather it and keep Mandelson”, all the evidence is that Morgan is again going “it is fine, we can weather it”.
February 5, 2026 at 1:46 PM
It’s funny how at the same time as No 10 is doing a “no, it’s not true that Morgan urged that they could weather it and keep Mandelson”, all the evidence is that Morgan is again going “it is fine, we can weather it”.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
This is Curtis Yarvin's entire oeuvre of hundreds of thousands of words. Could have literally saved his and everyone's time with a three word sentence.
This is why 21st century racism is a guaranteed way to make yourself stupider, the 'need' to make an ancient prejudice stack up is the reverse of a performance-enhancing drug.
There is no logic to it whatsoever. Someone said on a podcast to justify racism and now they all spout it like it means something.
February 5, 2026 at 12:51 PM
This is Curtis Yarvin's entire oeuvre of hundreds of thousands of words. Could have literally saved his and everyone's time with a three word sentence.