Henry Mendoza
@vortigan.bsky.social
Moonlighting between here and the Other Place
Reposted by Henry Mendoza
This newsletter is very good and very good value.
Last Inside Politics before Christmas. Come for some thoughts on the state of the parties, stay for the excessively long list of Christmas tunes at the bottom of the newsletter:
Unpopular Labour is running out of opportunities to change its fate
Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski have both had good years thanks to disastrous strategy from the two main parties
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
This newsletter is very good and very good value.
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December 19, 2025 at 10:32 PM
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This would go hard as an album cover ngl
December 19, 2025 at 10:51 PM
This would go hard as an album cover ngl
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This column by @stephenkb.bsky.social on the antisemitic mass murder in Australia, reflecting on the justifications for acting on ancient hatreds, is very good indeed. Depressingly comments have not been enabled. Because they couldn’t be.
www.ft.com/content/4209...
www.ft.com/content/4209...
Bondi attacks show old hatreds are flourishing again
A permissive environment has been created in which Israel is conflated with all Jews, everywhere
www.ft.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This column by @stephenkb.bsky.social on the antisemitic mass murder in Australia, reflecting on the justifications for acting on ancient hatreds, is very good indeed. Depressingly comments have not been enabled. Because they couldn’t be.
www.ft.com/content/4209...
www.ft.com/content/4209...
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Shocked by the awful death of Rob Reiner. I spoke with him for over an hour last night. We talked about his work and his plans for the future. I always enjoyed his company. We met at his Dad's in 1975. Last thing he said to me was "See you next year.." Such a terrible end. Such a sweet man.
December 15, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Shocked by the awful death of Rob Reiner. I spoke with him for over an hour last night. We talked about his work and his plans for the future. I always enjoyed his company. We met at his Dad's in 1975. Last thing he said to me was "See you next year.." Such a terrible end. Such a sweet man.
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This is a litmus test of British people's patriotism. Do you back your national broadcaster? Or do you back this guy?
President Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC after he accused the corporation of putting “terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6”
Trump presses ahead with suing BBC over ‘fake news’
The broadcaster has apologised for a misleading edit of the president’s speech before the Capitol riot, which Trump said put ‘terrible words in my mouth’
www.thetimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:17 AM
This is a litmus test of British people's patriotism. Do you back your national broadcaster? Or do you back this guy?
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My mom was a single mother. She NEVER would have treated someone this way, partially b/c she's not a dickhead, but also b/c she knew she had kids to support & NEEDED the job.
December 15, 2025 at 4:28 PM
My mom was a single mother. She NEVER would have treated someone this way, partially b/c she's not a dickhead, but also b/c she knew she had kids to support & NEEDED the job.
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No, this is BRILLIANT. Make The Boxing Day Retail Purge happen.
My wife, who worked long years in retail, just blurted out the word "fuckstomers" when I suggested this
My wife, who worked long years in retail, just blurted out the word "fuckstomers" when I suggested this
Wow, that article is...batshit.
Having worked in customer service, I have often playfully contemplated what it would be like to have a 1 day a year purge (my argument is Boxing Day) where customer service workers are allowed to respond to rudeness from customers in kind and keep their job, with the
Having worked in customer service, I have often playfully contemplated what it would be like to have a 1 day a year purge (my argument is Boxing Day) where customer service workers are allowed to respond to rudeness from customers in kind and keep their job, with the
December 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM
No, this is BRILLIANT. Make The Boxing Day Retail Purge happen.
My wife, who worked long years in retail, just blurted out the word "fuckstomers" when I suggested this
My wife, who worked long years in retail, just blurted out the word "fuckstomers" when I suggested this
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To paraphrase one of the Starmer government's major international allies, I like the people who weren't convicted of inciting racial hatred.
December 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
To paraphrase one of the Starmer government's major international allies, I like the people who weren't convicted of inciting racial hatred.
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I think that decision was tacitly made in the complete lack of pushback to the canonisation of Lucy Connelly by the right. How difficult would it have been to have been to point out that she wanted people to burn alive!?
December 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I think that decision was tacitly made in the complete lack of pushback to the canonisation of Lucy Connelly by the right. How difficult would it have been to have been to point out that she wanted people to burn alive!?
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And come on, calling neonazis racist scum who do not deserve the flag and demean it every time they go near it is playing politics on easy mode for the Labour movement. If you cannot pull that one off, you are not going to make it in UK politics.
December 14, 2025 at 9:22 PM
And come on, calling neonazis racist scum who do not deserve the flag and demean it every time they go near it is playing politics on easy mode for the Labour movement. If you cannot pull that one off, you are not going to make it in UK politics.
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It was also, just from a political perspective, mental given the two best recieved moments of thos govt have been... when theyve taken the racists on
December 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
It was also, just from a political perspective, mental given the two best recieved moments of thos govt have been... when theyve taken the racists on
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No, the problem is both. The racist fringe has always existed - but until this year, we haven't had since the 1950s at the latest a government that has been unwilling to enforce the law or to condemn racism.
I must be missing something, but I do find this bizarre. No doubt the government can and should do more. But the problem we are talking about here is … the right.
December 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
No, the problem is both. The racist fringe has always existed - but until this year, we haven't had since the 1950s at the latest a government that has been unwilling to enforce the law or to condemn racism.
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I am genuinely blaming the incumbent government for its failure to enforce the law! I *also* blame the right for the failure to police itself. Both are a problem, obviously.
You are genuinely blaming the Labour government for the direction the right has gone in?
December 14, 2025 at 8:47 PM
I am genuinely blaming the incumbent government for its failure to enforce the law! I *also* blame the right for the failure to police itself. Both are a problem, obviously.
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At some point, Gareth, you ought to consider that at no point during 2010 to 2024 did government ministers describe the far right marching through London as a good sign for free speech!
At some point you’re going to have to consider and address the ‘environment’ that the right have built, and not called out. Blaming the left is bizarre.
December 14, 2025 at 8:43 PM
At some point, Gareth, you ought to consider that at no point during 2010 to 2024 did government ministers describe the far right marching through London as a good sign for free speech!
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Rishi Sunak, who I criticised for many, many, many things, kicked Lee Anderson out of his party. We cannot say what his Downing Street would have done in a hypothetical 2024-5. We can, and should judge this government for what it has overseen.
At some point you’re going to have to consider and address the ‘environment’ that the right have built, and not called out. Blaming the left is bizarre.
December 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Rishi Sunak, who I criticised for many, many, many things, kicked Lee Anderson out of his party. We cannot say what his Downing Street would have done in a hypothetical 2024-5. We can, and should judge this government for what it has overseen.
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Gareth - I am blaming the government under which race relations have gone backwards and digital hatred has spread unchecked and unpunished for that. Not 'weird' at all.
It is quite weird that you’re attacking Starmer for this interview Stephen. Sorry, but it is.
December 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Gareth - I am blaming the government under which race relations have gone backwards and digital hatred has spread unchecked and unpunished for that. Not 'weird' at all.
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I've clearly done both. Both are the problem - the environment that facilitates the interview is the fault of the sitting prime minister and his culture secretary. Government has *chosen* to go to sleep at the wheel on this stuff. HTH!
Harry Cole from the Sun does a shameful interview with ethnonationalist Tomlinson and rather than go for Cole you attack Starmer.
December 14, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I've clearly done both. Both are the problem - the environment that facilitates the interview is the fault of the sitting prime minister and his culture secretary. Government has *chosen* to go to sleep at the wheel on this stuff. HTH!
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Especially since their response to the 2024 race riots was generally exactly what we had a right to expect - they were condemned as thugs and the government was eager for criminal action to be taken against them.
The decision to stand down afterwards was not necessary and not excusable.
The decision to stand down afterwards was not necessary and not excusable.
December 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Especially since their response to the 2024 race riots was generally exactly what we had a right to expect - they were condemned as thugs and the government was eager for criminal action to be taken against them.
The decision to stand down afterwards was not necessary and not excusable.
The decision to stand down afterwards was not necessary and not excusable.
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Not really sure why "the government cannot simply end racism" should be considered a defence of the government refusing to do *anything* about racism.
December 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Not really sure why "the government cannot simply end racism" should be considered a defence of the government refusing to do *anything* about racism.
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A more modern example was Starmer, rightly, ripping into Sunak when Brianna Ghey's mum was in parliament and Sunak had decided to pull his favourite anti trans jab out. This shit should not fly. It cannot. And yet Starmer has rolled over to the anti trans brigade
December 14, 2025 at 9:35 PM
A more modern example was Starmer, rightly, ripping into Sunak when Brianna Ghey's mum was in parliament and Sunak had decided to pull his favourite anti trans jab out. This shit should not fly. It cannot. And yet Starmer has rolled over to the anti trans brigade
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I always reflect on the response to the 'Rivers of Blood' speech. Powell expelled from the Tories, Wilson calling him evil. And yet Powells views were popular. His speech at the time was popular. Where is that spine now when these views have massively decreased in popularity?
December 14, 2025 at 9:31 PM
I always reflect on the response to the 'Rivers of Blood' speech. Powell expelled from the Tories, Wilson calling him evil. And yet Powells views were popular. His speech at the time was popular. Where is that spine now when these views have massively decreased in popularity?
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Just by going 'these proposals are nuts!' the government did actually successfully push back on 'let's do partition in the UK, for funsies!'. Frankly also the crude self-interest of going 'our opponents are nuts!' ought to occur to them.
December 14, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Just by going 'these proposals are nuts!' the government did actually successfully push back on 'let's do partition in the UK, for funsies!'. Frankly also the crude self-interest of going 'our opponents are nuts!' ought to occur to them.
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We've had a neat little experiment which is 'what happens when the prime minister, including this one, actually condemns this stuff' versus 'what happens when this prime minister does not', and every time the PM exercises leadership on this stuff, things improve!
Not sure a shitty little video with 13k views merits comments. Its views would rocket if he commented.
December 14, 2025 at 9:29 PM
We've had a neat little experiment which is 'what happens when the prime minister, including this one, actually condemns this stuff' versus 'what happens when this prime minister does not', and every time the PM exercises leadership on this stuff, things improve!