Ben Blausten
@benb1au.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Blausten
When you need a top striker but end up with Raheem Sterling on loan.
May 8, 2025 at 12:12 PM
When you need a top striker but end up with Raheem Sterling on loan.
It would be a massive surprise if people that claim to not be racist but just see 'unchecked' immigration as the big issue in this country changed their vote or views with these figures. If they didn't it would surely point to those views being actually about something else...
The significant fall in immigration (visas) in 2024 is now a fact, not a forecast.
The 2024 net migration figure will be published in May 2025. Media and political discourse will catch up - a little bit - after those figures come up, but net migration is towards half of what most people say it is
The 2024 net migration figure will be published in May 2025. Media and political discourse will catch up - a little bit - after those figures come up, but net migration is towards half of what most people say it is
April 7, 2025 at 12:17 PM
It would be a massive surprise if people that claim to not be racist but just see 'unchecked' immigration as the big issue in this country changed their vote or views with these figures. If they didn't it would surely point to those views being actually about something else...
Reposted by Ben Blausten
One of my best friends is from a sleepy, wealthy small town in the south-west of Germany. He said, so many of my parents’ neighbours are rich and bored, with little to complain about, and they’ve radicalised themselves at dinner parties and online. In their aimlessness, they’ve bonded over hate.
This isn’t some rant saying “Germany has learned nothing from its past” - the reality is more subtle than that. Middle-class Germans live and travel with an incredible amount of ease and comfort, and they just got…sleepy. Many of them dismissed the far-right’s rage as just another set of complaints.
Just filed an article about the upcoming German elections (out on Sunday) and what strikes me is how timid much of the institutional pushback against the far-right has been. Some people have distinguished themselves but for the most part it’s just been really complacent - really disappointing.
February 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
One of my best friends is from a sleepy, wealthy small town in the south-west of Germany. He said, so many of my parents’ neighbours are rich and bored, with little to complain about, and they’ve radicalised themselves at dinner parties and online. In their aimlessness, they’ve bonded over hate.
Reposted by Ben Blausten
I'm not having Fraser Nelson playing dumb on the rise of racism on the right after years spent printing Murray, Liddle, Taki and Shriver.
I literally had a DM row with him years ago where I said this would happen.
I literally had a DM row with him years ago where I said this would happen.
February 22, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I'm not having Fraser Nelson playing dumb on the rise of racism on the right after years spent printing Murray, Liddle, Taki and Shriver.
I literally had a DM row with him years ago where I said this would happen.
I literally had a DM row with him years ago where I said this would happen.
This is the point. Immigration is not a crisis and should not be a particularly important issue to most people right now. People's rightful anger and worries about the quality and cost of living should be directed at other issues. Immigration is used as a shibboleth by the right
Today I joined 3 Counties radio where they asked - is immigration the number one issue that politicians should be talking about?
I said no.
We need to talk about the catastrophic impacts of a stagnant, ageing population WITHOUT immigration
I said no.
We need to talk about the catastrophic impacts of a stagnant, ageing population WITHOUT immigration
February 7, 2025 at 10:34 AM
This is the point. Immigration is not a crisis and should not be a particularly important issue to most people right now. People's rightful anger and worries about the quality and cost of living should be directed at other issues. Immigration is used as a shibboleth by the right
Stay humble
Arteta spent the pregame telling the media Arsenal players don't hold grudges #SkellyCelly
February 2, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Stay humble
Reposted by Ben Blausten
I wouldn’t complain if Mo Salah just chilled out.
February 1, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I wouldn’t complain if Mo Salah just chilled out.
Feels on this
One of the most annoying things about the Rwanda policy was people saying "well what's your plan".
As if me not having some magical solution obliged us to do something that wouldn't work at enormous cost.
As if me not having some magical solution obliged us to do something that wouldn't work at enormous cost.
I think this - and Will's piece in his next tweet - are about right. Something I feel you often collide with when you write about politics is there are a lot of people who think that 'but that is unpopular' obliges the universe to produce a popular policy option for you.
February 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Feels on this
The telegraph is now not much more than a shit stirring tabloid. Not even a pretence of reasoned journalism
I've now complained to @ipso.co.uk & expect in due course Telegraph will be forced to correct this BS.
They couldn’t even get London’s overall population right, let alone migration stats.
But what are the "right" numbers? [1/n]
They couldn’t even get London’s overall population right, let alone migration stats.
But what are the "right" numbers? [1/n]
January 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The telegraph is now not much more than a shit stirring tabloid. Not even a pretence of reasoned journalism
Reposted by Ben Blausten
So, naming your kid Elon at this point is kinda like naming him Adolf.
January 25, 2025 at 4:59 AM
So, naming your kid Elon at this point is kinda like naming him Adolf.
Reposted by Ben Blausten
When Lamina was sent off the whole away end still sang ‘Michael Oliver it’s all about you.’ Football fans are sick and tired of these remedial individuals ruining games and making it all about them. Both red cards did not need to happen at all. So fucking sick of it.
January 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
When Lamina was sent off the whole away end still sang ‘Michael Oliver it’s all about you.’ Football fans are sick and tired of these remedial individuals ruining games and making it all about them. Both red cards did not need to happen at all. So fucking sick of it.