Chris Butler
@chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
1.4K followers 520 following 200 posts
Postdoc at University of Antwerp researching how politicians perceive of, and respond to public opinion and how their backgrounds affect this. Previously worked in political campaigns.
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Reposted by Chris Butler
dylandifford.bsky.social
It's a remarkably persistent idea that loads of remaining Tories are just waiting to make the switch, but it's just not true. Just 1 in 8 still loyal Tories have an outright positive view of the Lib Dems or would consider voting for them. They're ideologically miles away from the Lib Dems.
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
That first one is a rip off from a joke about Mitt Romney and the Salt Lake City olympics
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
It's a day ending in a 'y' which means a French Prime Minister has resigned 🤷‍♂️
Reposted by Chris Butler
jannisgrimm.bsky.social
This @theguardian.com headline really reads like one from @theonion.com. It also shows the consequences of conflating disruptive social movements with real terrorism, such as the Manchester attack.
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Perhaps they always come later because they feel the need to conduct and consult public opinion research first
Reposted by Chris Butler
ozkaterji.bsky.social
Kind of feels like a big deal that a Reform/Brexit Party former MEP has been convicted of taking bribes to promote Russian interests in Ukraine, and it feels like a bigger deal that this isn’t being treated as the major scandal that it clearly is.
Reposted by Chris Butler
Reposted by Chris Butler
josh.politics.co.uk
All is not well in ‘Your Party’. Note the absence of Zarah Sultana’s name at the bottom of this statement
Reposted by Chris Butler
edmorrish.bsky.social
[me, a journalist who spends all day every day on a social media app where the discovery algorithm is personally controlled by its owner, captain birdseye] you know, a lot of people are talking about fish fingers, we should probably cover that
Reposted by Chris Butler
eddavey.libdems.org.uk
Elon Musk openly called for violence on our streets yesterday.

I hope politicians from all parties come together to condemn his deeply dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric.

Britain must stand united against this clear attempt to undermine our democracy.
Reposted by Chris Butler
matthewholehouse.bsky.social
As it happens I think it's downstream of Labour in opposition, which took the view that public and press opinion were immutable and so trying to win arguments, rather than side-step them, was futile. But if it that was true in opposition it certainly isn't true in government.
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
We need to see more of this from progressive MPs.
bengoldsborough.bsky.social
I’ve said before: those of us who believe in Britain’s liberal, inclusive democracy must speak out. But more than that: we must act. 3/5
Reposted by Chris Butler
robertsaunders.bsky.social
Govt should take this message seriously.

The far right, backed by the world's richest man, is actively stoking racial & political violence.

Staying quiet, flattering them, saying "we hear you" won't work.

Stand up for decency, for respect, for the best of modern Britain or watch those things burn
paleofuture.bsky.social
Elon Musk spoke by video to Tommy Robinson's anti-immigrant rally in the UK today.

"You're in a fundamental situation here where, whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you," said Musk. "You either fight back or you die."
Reposted by Chris Butler
nutty.bsky.social
It is absurd how little consequence we are letting Musk’s rhetoric and politics have. Every time we ignore it and pretend it will go away it gets worse.
sirstan74.bsky.social
How can the UK government continue to use a mouthpiece app owned and controlled by a man advocating its overthrow by violent means if necessary?
Elon Musk addresses the "unite the kingdom" march crowd via video link
Elon Musk has addressed crowd attending the “unite the kingdom” march, via video link. He spoke to march leader, far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, over the video call.

Musk claimed that a “dissolution of parliament” and a “change of Government” is needed in the UK. He said: “I really think that there’s got to be a change of Government in Britain. You can’t - we don’t have another four years, or whenever the next election is, it’s too long. Something’s got to be done. There’s got to be a dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held.”

Musk told the march rally: “My appeal is to British common sense, which is to look carefully around you and say ‘If this continues, what world will you be living in?’
“This is a message to the reasonable centre, the people who ordinarily wouldn’t get involved in politics, who just want to live their lives. They don’t want that, they’re quiet, they just go about their business.

“My message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here. Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think.”

The X owner told the crowd “the left are the party of murder”, referring to the death of Charlie Kirk. He said: “There’s so much violence on the left, with our friend Charlie Kirk getting murdered in cold blood this week and people on the left celebrating it openly. The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder. I mean, let that sink in for a minute, that’s who we’re dealing with here.”

Musk also said that the British public are “scared to exercise their free speech” and claimed the BBC was “complicit in the destruction of Britain”.

When they finished their conversation, Robinson said: “Not only are we in the fight right now, but we’re on the advance thanks to free speech being fought for, for us, by Elon Musk.”
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Perhaps the British media might like to give this story some prominence
adilray.bsky.social
An Asian Sikh woman has been raped in broad daylight by racists who said she doesn’t belong here. Racist attacks on a daily basis. When will our leaders say something? We need leadership and we need it now. And when will those who spew hate be punished not rewarded? Britain is breaking apart.
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
If he’d help off on the reshuffle for a few days he could have made David Lammy Ambassador to the US
Reposted by Chris Butler
davidwearing.bsky.social
More extraordinary still is the sanitising of Kirk's politics. Kirk was - and this is just a straightforwardly factual statement - a far right activist. And here's a former British Prime Minister not merely mourning his death or condemning his murder but actively *praising* his politics.
lewisgoodall.com
We don’t yet know who killed Kirk or why. Not that you’d know it from the endless numbers of accounts on X with huge follower numbers, including British politicians, making as yet unknowable claims about the motivations behind the murder.

Exhibit A. Extraordinary stuff.
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Not entirely sure that Labour's chasing of Farage is consistent with being dominated by a London metro elite...
Reposted by Chris Butler
njdavies.bsky.social
Honestly, it is absurd to publish a league table with confidence intervals so wide that a single trust could be in either the top 10 or bottom 10
jappleby123.bsky.social
Those confidence intervals in full!
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Interigued to hear Deputy Leadership contenders and others accuse Labour leadership of being too London centric. They're not exactly appealing to London voters by chasing after Farage! But perhaps the accusation is that a London leadership has a warped sense of how to win votes outside the capital
Reposted by Chris Butler
sundersays.bsky.social
My hunch is that if Zack Polanski's Greens or the Corbyn Party were platforming quite this level of crank madness about cancer in the Royal Family, they would get quite a lot of heat for doing so
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Wouldn't Rosena Allin-Khan hold out for the Mayoralty?
chrisbutlerpol.bsky.social
Indeed Gordon Brown refused to appoint Harriet Harman DPM and appointed Mandelson as First Secretary of State instead
thomaswilliams.bsky.social
There will be, but the BBC is saying Starmer is likely to appoint a new DPM before the deputy leadership contest. There's no requirement in the Labour rule book for the deputy leader to be appointed DPM when the party is in government
Reposted by Chris Butler
robertsaunders.bsky.social
As Housing Secretary, Rayner should have sought expert tax advice on her home.

But unlike some of her critics, she didn't use tax-avoidance schemes to drive down her taxes. She didn't hide her money in offshore accounts, or threaten to sue whistleblowers.

Those are much more noxious problems.