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
Reposted by Stephen Bush
That was one of the more astounding things of reading the various “Morgan’s buddies” post-mortems, a total refusal to even acknowledge how the Government’s electoral performance is going while still touting this guy as a brilliant strategist heading off the soft left or whatever
And that's ultimately who he was: the preferred chief of staff of the 'no policies, just vibes' crowd, who are in denial even now that they have driven Labour to the brink of death.
February 8, 2026 at 6:03 PM
That was one of the more astounding things of reading the various “Morgan’s buddies” post-mortems, a total refusal to even acknowledge how the Government’s electoral performance is going while still touting this guy as a brilliant strategist heading off the soft left or whatever
It really embodies the very specific ways that some people in politics are a) bad at their jobs and b) too online that you can be supportive of 'the Labour government 2024 to 2026, and McSweeney's role in it' and use these words *at all*, not least in many ways: that's what they're doing!
If you are using the phrase "full speed ahead to uber-woke, net-zeroist, rejoinerism", especially if you are of the left, a loved one should take your phone off you and send you to Baden-Baden or somewhere for a month.
Yes, god help we risk a floundering government that feels like no one is in charge.
February 8, 2026 at 5:53 PM
It really embodies the very specific ways that some people in politics are a) bad at their jobs and b) too online that you can be supportive of 'the Labour government 2024 to 2026, and McSweeney's role in it' and use these words *at all*, not least in many ways: that's what they're doing!
Reposted by Stephen Bush
"Full speed ahead to uber-woke, net-zeroist rejoinerism" is the funniest thing a Labour MP has said for some time I'll give it that. It's like a Jordan Peterson quote about Elmo.
Yes, god help we risk a floundering government that feels like no one is in charge.
February 8, 2026 at 5:42 PM
"Full speed ahead to uber-woke, net-zeroist rejoinerism" is the funniest thing a Labour MP has said for some time I'll give it that. It's like a Jordan Peterson quote about Elmo.
Today's Arsenal game saw a great performance by North London's finest living actor: Gunnersaurus pretending to try and save children's penalties.
The producers of Super Bowl know nothing about half time entertainment.
At #lufc we had dizzy penalties.
A fan (usually drunk, often morbidly obese) was picked from the crowd. A football was placed on the penalty spot and the fan had to spin round it 10 times and then attempt a penalty.
At #lufc we had dizzy penalties.
A fan (usually drunk, often morbidly obese) was picked from the crowd. A football was placed on the penalty spot and the fan had to spin round it 10 times and then attempt a penalty.
February 8, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Today's Arsenal game saw a great performance by North London's finest living actor: Gunnersaurus pretending to try and save children's penalties.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
It’s great that the Hobbit movies came out just in time (and were dedicated enough to imitating LOTR) that we got full commentaries and hour upon hour of BTS material for each one to document exactly where they went wrong and when Jackson realised it etc
February 8, 2026 at 5:24 PM
It’s great that the Hobbit movies came out just in time (and were dedicated enough to imitating LOTR) that we got full commentaries and hour upon hour of BTS material for each one to document exactly where they went wrong and when Jackson realised it etc
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Holy shit, they actually got 310.
NHK has the LDP one seat short of a 310-seat supermajority, something the LDP has never done.
February 8, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Holy shit, they actually got 310.
As Jonathan Powell wrote in his terrific book: “for the first few years, the press didn’t even have a photo of me”.
Boring opinion: if people know the name of the Downing Street Chief of Staff, the CoS is not doing a good job.
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 PM
As Jonathan Powell wrote in his terrific book: “for the first few years, the press didn’t even have a photo of me”.
👇 Spoiler alert, this is basically what I’m going to say in tomorrow’s newsletter. www.ft.com/tryinsidepolitics
February 8, 2026 at 3:28 PM
👇 Spoiler alert, this is basically what I’m going to say in tomorrow’s newsletter. www.ft.com/tryinsidepolitics
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Labour's structural position is bad (terrible inheritance etc + unwillingness to grasp certain nettles) but has been hugely damaged by an obsession with winning over people who will never vote for them, based on a misread of the 2024 election
February 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Labour's structural position is bad (terrible inheritance etc + unwillingness to grasp certain nettles) but has been hugely damaged by an obsession with winning over people who will never vote for them, based on a misread of the 2024 election
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Realistically the best case for Starmer (and I'm not saying this is likely) is "Theresa May after Hill and Timothy resigned": complete change in strategy that allows for better governance setting up better conditions for his successor in the next GE
February 8, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Realistically the best case for Starmer (and I'm not saying this is likely) is "Theresa May after Hill and Timothy resigned": complete change in strategy that allows for better governance setting up better conditions for his successor in the next GE
Making the exact same set of impossible promises…leads to the exact same result, turns out. (I will hold my hands up, I know I kept saying “you can’t just make the same promises as Boris Johnson and hope it will work differently”…but I sort of thought the failure mode would be different)
Sort of extraordinary that there is only one obvious precedent for a prime minister winning a landslide election victory and then seeming like toast just two years later … and it’s the election *immediately* before this one.
February 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Making the exact same set of impossible promises…leads to the exact same result, turns out. (I will hold my hands up, I know I kept saying “you can’t just make the same promises as Boris Johnson and hope it will work differently”…but I sort of thought the failure mode would be different)
Right that the prime minister has resigned. His successor, Keir Starmer, has a very difficult inheritance.
Morgan McSweeney resigns as Downing Street chief of staff
Exit of Mandelson protégé comes as Sir Keir Starmer seeks to stave off leadership speculation
www.ft.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Right that the prime minister has resigned. His successor, Keir Starmer, has a very difficult inheritance.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
only i solider on
February 8, 2026 at 2:25 PM
only i solider on
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Arsenal beat City to end their winning run. City will still win the title, but Arsenal restricted the best attack in the country to one shot on target and nothing in the second half.
Superb performance and result. Second place in their own hands
Superb performance and result. Second place in their own hands
February 8, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Arsenal beat City to end their winning run. City will still win the title, but Arsenal restricted the best attack in the country to one shot on target and nothing in the second half.
Superb performance and result. Second place in their own hands
Superb performance and result. Second place in their own hands
Good game that. Never really felt properly nervous and a well-deserved win against City.
February 8, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Good game that. Never really felt properly nervous and a well-deserved win against City.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Reposted by Stephen Bush
An absolutely ruinous decision by the WSL to deny us a pre-match pint
February 8, 2026 at 11:46 AM
An absolutely ruinous decision by the WSL to deny us a pre-match pint
Noon kickoffs are unnatural. If I wanted to be up and moving around this early on a weekend, I would have had children.
February 8, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Noon kickoffs are unnatural. If I wanted to be up and moving around this early on a weekend, I would have had children.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
this year’s Wildlife Photographer exhibition is astounding, if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet
February 8, 2026 at 10:33 AM
this year’s Wildlife Photographer exhibition is astounding, if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet
Things I really wish had commentaries that came out in the post-commentary era:
1) Bardo (laudatory)
2) Madame Webb (derogatory)
3) The Whittaker era of Doctor Who (derogatory)
4) The RTD2 era of Doctor Who (bit of column a, bit of column b)
1) Bardo (laudatory)
2) Madame Webb (derogatory)
3) The Whittaker era of Doctor Who (derogatory)
4) The RTD2 era of Doctor Who (bit of column a, bit of column b)
I would kill for audio commentaries of the Thirteenth Doctor era from Whittaker et al
February 8, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Things I really wish had commentaries that came out in the post-commentary era:
1) Bardo (laudatory)
2) Madame Webb (derogatory)
3) The Whittaker era of Doctor Who (derogatory)
4) The RTD2 era of Doctor Who (bit of column a, bit of column b)
1) Bardo (laudatory)
2) Madame Webb (derogatory)
3) The Whittaker era of Doctor Who (derogatory)
4) The RTD2 era of Doctor Who (bit of column a, bit of column b)
Reposted by Stephen Bush
According to the BBFC the cinema release of Armageddon is a 12 and the DVD is a 15 and I put it to you that Ben Affleck bumped up the age rating by saying fuck on the commentary and somehow no one stopped him
This is such a delight. In addition, the thing which is funny about it is the (separately recorded) Bruce Willis commentary that just is accidentally funny every time it pipes up.
February 8, 2026 at 12:04 AM
According to the BBFC the cinema release of Armageddon is a 12 and the DVD is a 15 and I put it to you that Ben Affleck bumped up the age rating by saying fuck on the commentary and somehow no one stopped him
Reposted by Stephen Bush
One of the things I loved about the LOTR dvds was the absolute mountain of extra content. There's about 6 different audio commentaries per film, all from different perspectives. Some are like film school lectures, others are just wholesome fun and trivia.
February 7, 2026 at 11:56 PM
One of the things I loved about the LOTR dvds was the absolute mountain of extra content. There's about 6 different audio commentaries per film, all from different perspectives. Some are like film school lectures, others are just wholesome fun and trivia.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Story here: www.ft.com/content/5fa6...
February 7, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Story here: www.ft.com/content/5fa6...
This is such a delight. In addition, the thing which is funny about it is the (separately recorded) Bruce Willis commentary that just is accidentally funny every time it pipes up.
February 7, 2026 at 11:32 PM
This is such a delight. In addition, the thing which is funny about it is the (separately recorded) Bruce Willis commentary that just is accidentally funny every time it pipes up.