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Reposted by Ben Phillips

will o’the wisp pooley @willpooley.bsky.social · 3d

and they’ll apply this to the asylum hotel protests and flag shaggers too right? right?

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Police to get broader powers to crack down on repeated protests

Officers will be able to tell organisers to move demonstrations if protests have caused "repeated disorder".

www.bbc.com

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 8d

Settling down in front of the telly to watch Chelsea do some competent defending, can't wait

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 18d

I might start a @tom-phillips.com style 'cricket's going well then' monothread for Chelsea this season

Reposted by Ben Phillips

Elizabeth Harrison @corardens.bsky.social · 9d

It is the last day of my autumn sale, if you want to pick up a bargain! #embroidery www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Comm...

An embroidery hoop with hand embroidery of hawthorn with berries, held against a background of a hawthorn hedge covered in berries

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 12d

I think @tom-phillips.com may have coined the term (during the JC era, from memory), although others have used it since.

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 12d

Also feels like another example of the cargo cult Blairism you discussed in the emergency pod last week.

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 16d

First day of term and I just tried to sign into the office printer with my British Library readers ticket. Start as you mean to go on.

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Reposted by Ben Phillips

Elizabeth Harrison @corardens.bsky.social · 16d

'I was glad it was a very hot, sunny day with bright blue skies, because otherwise the deserted, ruined church with legends connected to it of fiends and black dogs breathing fire might have spooked me a little.'
open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...

An empty, ruined church on a sunny day with blue skies. The church is filled with weeds.

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Reposted by Ben Phillips

Elizabeth Harrison @corardens.bsky.social · 17d

I've written about Church Going (in the Larkin sense) and tenuous literary connections in Devon and beyond.
Warning: contains pictures of churches open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...

Church Going

A serious house on serious earth it is, In whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognised, and robed as destinies. - Philip Larkin

open.substack.com

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 17d

This isn't to minimise legitimate grievances with JC (both when he was Labour leader and since), or to claim that Zarah, Polanski etc couldn't develop similar reach, given the chance. But at the moment Corbyn does have to be there in some capacity for the thing to be halfway viable.

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 17d

I'm not sure I fully agree with this but it does raise an important point: a) there are a lot of people, mostly very disengaged politically, who would be up for voting for a Corbyn-branded party (but would not be actively engaged otherwise); b) any new left party needs to mobilise these people.

Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 17d

"... whether one leans towards Team Jeremy or Team Zarah in the current fracas, the ballast lies with Corbyn. Only he can be the midwife of the new party."

averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com/2025/09/relu...

Reluctant Corbynism Revisited

So much for the hope of reconciliation . Late Friday night, Zarah Sultana announced she was seeking legal advice against unspecified instan...

averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 17d

еб*ла жаба гадюку

Gregk Foley @gregk.co.uk · 17d

DAILY MAIL PLUS:

DAN HODGES: McSweeney's secret 'slush fund' and why the stench of sleaze just won't leave Keir Starmer

Archive: archive.today/n5Gk4

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 18d

I might start a @tom-phillips.com style 'cricket's going well then' monothread for Chelsea this season

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 18d

Great stuff, love to see it

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Reposted by Ben Phillips

Dan Davies @dsquareddigest.bsky.social · 19d

didn't know Ruben Amorim was managing the Fed

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 19d

Deutsche Bank takes a shot at putting names to the dot plot. I call this chart: Hammack Vs. Miran

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 20d

If anyone following me wants to start a new left wing political party just hmu, we can definitely do better than this

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 20d

FFS lads

Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 20d

🚨 | Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that the YourParty membership sign up link posted this morning by Zarah Sultana was unauthorised.

Over 20,000 people had already signed up, with the standard rate being £55 per annum. These are set to be cancelled.

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 21d

Ange proving like a nice sourdough

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 21d

I think Chelsea might do better than expected in Europe this season, mostly because of the new CL format, but dearie me they've a long way to go both mentally and technically. All way too dependent on Palmer and half of them still think they're playing in the Conference League

Reposted by Ben Phillips

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 21d

A) Nobody has to work in politics
B) if you do work in politics your behaviour should derive from your values
C) If your values allow you to make sexual assault jokes you probably shouldn’t be in the Labour Party
D) Unless this is what Labour really is now: a lads-only Thick of It tribute act.

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 22d

In which I argue that:

a) The Paul Ovenden messages about Diane Abbott are really repugnant, and

b) We might want to be careful about deciding anything bad anyone has ever said online, however long ago, even in a private message is grounds for resignation

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Who will be the next Paul Ovenden?

The messages from Starmer’s ousted aide are repugnant. But digital skeletons have become almost inevitable

www.newstatesman.com

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 24d

Eh?

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 24d

This argument does not make sense, since he's apparently quite capable of speaking out when it's a question of endorsing migrant hotel protesters' allegedly legitimate concerns (and pretty much any other time he gets to echo right-wing talking points).

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 25d

Every normal person in this country knows exactly who these guys are, just as they know exactly what England flags mean when displayed outside of sports tournaments.

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 25d

Not certain how obvious this is to non-Brits, but every single person pictured at far-right marches in England looks like somebody you would cross the road to avoid on a Friday night, especially if they were in a group.

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Reposted by Ben Phillips

Ed Morrish @edmorrish.bsky.social · 25d

breaking news: in response to a chant of “shoot keir starmer” at the fascist parade in london, the government has announced plans to shoot keir starmer

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Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · 25d

It does feel like this would be a good moment for Starmer to display the authoritarian streak that he normally reserves for undocumented migrants, pro-Palestinian activists and members of the Labour Party to his left.

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 25d

Loath though he is to alienate floating racists, perhaps Starmer could rouse himself to condemn a violent fascist rally teeming with people who want him overthrown and/or killed

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Reposted by Ben Phillips

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 25d

Loath though he is to alienate floating racists, perhaps Starmer could rouse himself to condemn a violent fascist rally teeming with people who want him overthrown and/or killed

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