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Reposted by David Klemperer

Thomas I-G @thomasig.bsky.social · 6m

"Hello, am I through to Prevent? Blue Zafira on the M25, yeah that's the one"

Andrew R @excelpope.net · 32m

See yer da’s got a new car.

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 25m

One thing I particularly enjoyed discussing was the different ways people historically imagined voters and abstainers:

Are high-propensity voters the most informed & engaged citizens - or are they dangerous zealots?

Are non-voters the silent, sensible majority? Or feckless & easily led?

David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 6h

I enormously enjoyed this conversation with David Runciman about the history of compulsory voting, how it came to be adopted in countries like Belgium and Australia, and what it could for British politics today.

Past Present Future Podcast @ppfideas.bsky.social · 6h

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s episode David talks to political historian @dmk1793.bsky.social about whether voting should be required by law and what might change if non-participation was no longer an option. Why have some countries made voting compulsory?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

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Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · 54m

general vibe of bluesky is "shit at PE"

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David Clark @david-k-clark.bsky.social · 2h

It seems clear that this new focus on language policing isn’t about tackling anti-semitism at all, it’s about stigmatising and suppressing expressions of support for the Palestinians. Meanwhile, what is the government doing about the torrents of violent anti-semitism on Twitter? Absolutely nothing.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 4h

Starmer targets inflammatory chants at Palestine protests for further curbs

PM says Labour will address suggestions of antisemitic hate as he orders review of protest policing powers Keir Starmer will order the home secretary to look at further curbs on protests including potential powers to take action against specific inflammatory chants at pro-Palestinian protests. Speaking to reporters en route to Mumbai, the prime minister said Labour was looking at going even further than the measures announced by Shabana Mahmood, which would look at the “cumulative impact” of repeat protests in certain locations. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Alona Ferber @aloner.bsky.social · 3h

Our latest edition is out, with @omerbartov.bsky.social's magisterial essay on the history of genocide denial and how Israeli denialism over atrocities in Gaza has roots in the country's own history
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/israel...

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Reposted by David Klemperer

David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 6h

I enormously enjoyed this conversation with David Runciman about the history of compulsory voting, how it came to be adopted in countries like Belgium and Australia, and what it could for British politics today.

Past Present Future Podcast @ppfideas.bsky.social · 6h

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s episode David talks to political historian @dmk1793.bsky.social about whether voting should be required by law and what might change if non-participation was no longer an option. Why have some countries made voting compulsory?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

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Reposted by David Klemperer

Emma Norris @emmanorris.bsky.social · 18h

Yep - and low level anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, street crime and so on persist and in some places ramp up. Completely agree that neighbourhood-level problems are a big driver of a more pervading sense of decline and dissatisfaction.

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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 21h

I'm increasingly convinced this is a huge driver of dissatisfaction with govt

Council tax is one of the most visible taxes that people pay, it goes directly out of their bank account and they get a letter about it going up every year

Yet bin collection frequency falls and libraries close

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d

It is also deeply unhealthy to have local govts who don’t provide many visible/valuable services for most residents (because they lack the resources). Encourages distrust and populism - “what am I paying my council tax for? The council does nothing for me.”

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Amazed this is still going ahead - basic and obvious problem is that essentially everything local government does now is for the poor. You can’t move it around without really hurting poor people somewhere!

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Lea Ypi @leaypi.bsky.social · 5h

no words

Young lives cut short on an unimaginable scale: the 18,457 children on Gaza’s list of war dead

Every name on a list compiled by health authorities in Gaza of the child victims of Israel’s offensive

www.theguardian.com

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 6h

I enormously enjoyed this conversation with David Runciman about the history of compulsory voting, how it came to be adopted in countries like Belgium and Australia, and what it could for British politics today.

Past Present Future Podcast @ppfideas.bsky.social · 6h

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s episode David talks to political historian @dmk1793.bsky.social about whether voting should be required by law and what might change if non-participation was no longer an option. Why have some countries made voting compulsory?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

2 10 17

David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 15h

I'm in favour of Digital ID, but I fear this backlash was the inevitable result of how government chose to pitch it - explicitly branding it as an authoritarian measure about immigration control, rather than telling an authentically Labour story about more joined-up & accessible public services

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 18h

"We haven’t come all this way, Katwala says, “just for Elon Musk, a man born into an apartheid state, who’s polarised America, to come and start a civil war here by breaking the law"
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Sunder Katwala on race, patriotism and flag-waving: ‘The far right is vocal and angry because it is shrinking’

The director of British Future has spent his career trying to find common ground when it comes to race and immigration. He describes his own experience of racism – and why he’s still hopeful for the U...

www.theguardian.com

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 18h

Jenrick being the loudest member of the Conservative party has already been a huge contributor to the poisoning of our politics. We really don't need any four-dimensional chess about him becoming leader. When it happens, it will be a terrible day for our country.

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 1d

A Tory party under Jenrick might take a few of the racist votes from Reform, but they’d haemorrhage bucketloads to the Lib Dems.

So, on balance…

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 18h

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

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Reposted by David Klemperer

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d

It is also deeply unhealthy to have local govts who don’t provide many visible/valuable services for most residents (because they lack the resources). Encourages distrust and populism - “what am I paying my council tax for? The council does nothing for me.”

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Amazed this is still going ahead - basic and obvious problem is that essentially everything local government does now is for the poor. You can’t move it around without really hurting poor people somewhere!

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

Some of London’s poorest areas could see their share of the children’s services funding formula halved under Labour’s plans to reform local government grants.

By me, for Politics Home: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

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Reposted by David Klemperer

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 18h

Still, a good opportunity to advertise our next event at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on 20 October:

"Still Thatcher's Britain? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025".

Featuring Gillian Shephard, Simone Finn, @philipjcowley.bsky.social and me.
www.qmul.ac.uk/mei/events/m...

Still “Thatcher’s Britain”? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025

www.qmul.ac.uk

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 21h

might you be interested in writing about this for us?

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 21h

Insightful and nuanced piece here from @williamcb.bsky.social analysing Big Tech's relationship to UK (and specifically Labour) politics, and citing Anneliese Dodds's recent Rita Hinden Memorial Lecture as the first sign of a political fightback

Renewal @renewaljournal.bsky.social · 21h

"It is hard now to think of a touch point for Big Tech with the UK state that does not fall under the auspices of the Blairites"

@williamcb.bsky.social analyses the government's relationship with Big Tech in light of the recent Cabinet reshuffle

Britain's Big Tech problem

The essence of a banana republic is that the state has the legal form of a republic but substantive power resides elsewhere, in the hands of American corporations backed by a US state that considers t...

renewal.org.uk

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 22h

same, loved taking a little work break in the afternoon to drink a horrible bitter allongé in a strange windowless zone at the BnF

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 23h

I'm a big defender of France's coffee culture - I love my horrible, bitter allongés

Emily Herring @emilyherring.bsky.social · 23h

I recently started drinking coffee again and I have a question: why is France (i.e. traditional French bistro culture) so bad at coffee?

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Reposted by David Klemperer

Karl Pike @karlpike.bsky.social · 2d

Reform in local govt, latest:
www.ft.com/content/277c...

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

www.ft.com

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Reposted by David Klemperer

Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 1d

*Calling PhD students of modern British and imperial history in London*

The @ihrbritainseminar.bsky.social's first session this Thursday (9 Oct.) is dedicated to PhDs, at any stage, for elevator pitches and meet-and-greet. Do come along! Details in the link.

www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...