Gerry Hassan
@gerryhassan.bsky.social
1.6K followers 320 following 1.8K posts
Writer commentator academic. Books Editor, Bella Caledonia; Co-founder Kirkcudbright Fringe Festival; Co-editor, 'Britain Needs Change: The Politics of Hope & Labour's Challenge', pub. Nov. 28 2024.
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gerryhassan.bsky.social
The first episode of #celebritytraitors was stellar. The BBC have a format that looks like it has it all: characters, plotting, scheming & comedy. Will be interesting to see how the miserablist anti-BBC media portray it & if they try to trash it like they do so much in the UK.
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. From David Brown.
#ToryConference #ToryLeadership #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
One of Kemi Badenoch's main arguments is that the Conservatives failed by not following their principles in 2024 & succeed when they follow their principles. Where does that leave the current logic of chasing & emulating Farage and right-wing populism? #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch is a poor speaker & leader & a warm-up act for Robert Jenrick. But the problem is deeper: the intellectual bankruptcy of British Conservatism & their refusal to address their systemic failures in office. Hence they are stuck chasing the glib & nasty soundbites of Farage. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch has suddenly in panic unveiled a pile of policies - hastily announced with little detail. But the bigger problem is that today's Tory Party has no story to tell of the Britain it aspires to. All a product of 14 years of Tory failure & not confronting those failures. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch is putting a lot of emphasis on reversing Labour policies: on private schools, farming & worker rights. Hardly a positive, forward looking agenda. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch who says she does not "commit gaffes" mentions & praises her entire Tory frontbench team bar one. Leaving out Priti Patel, Shadow Foreign Secretary, who does not look very happy. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The Conservative Party Conference TV pictures are carefully controlled to hide how empty & small it is. The images look controlled & given to media by the Tory Party. If so #bbcnews, #ITVNews, #cNews & #SKYNews should make clear who is controlling & selecting the images. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Bless the poor old Express. It actually thinks Zack Polanski's @greenparty.org.uk are "the UK's answer to Putin's Communists". Ignoring the pro-Putin Farage because it suits them.
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The ridiculous and indefensible overreach of British authoritarianism. This is the responsibility of successive Labour Home Secretaries & the Home Office. It should not be allowed to happen & once it has the law should be revised or reversed.
thenewworldmag.bsky.social
🚨BREAKING: The metropolitan police
arrest a man for carrying a copy of our magazine. This is a threat to both journalism and freedom to protest
aaliyahxx.bsky.social
Watch | A man was arrested in London for holding up The New World magazine, featuring the "sign of the times" with the words:

"I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action"
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Reform's Richard Tice & his Dubai partner Isabel Oakeshott are now backing the UEA gulf state as a model for the UK. The UEA is an authoritarian autocracy with no democracy, human rights or free speech. The authoritarian right-wing future for the UK?
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The Tory Party Conference & their policy that the UK should leave the ECHR. From Matt. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
When are the media going to talk abt the Reform bandwagon stalling? Farage is not that popular & should be miles ahead now to have a chance of winning a GE.

REF: 27% (-2)
LAB: 20% (-2)
CON: 17% (+1)
LDM: 17% (+2)
GRN: 12% (+1)
SNP: 4% (+1)
Via @yougov.co.uk
Poll: 5-6/10
+/- w 28-29/9.
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Kemi Badenoch has a disaster interview with Gary Gibbon on #c4news. She cannot distance herself from Robert Jenrick's racist remarks on Birmingham; cannot criticise Farage; and cannot accept her stance is now "Vote Conservative to undo what the Conservatives did in office."
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The stupidity of British authoritarianism.

Imagine the despotic state of the UK if such protesters as the Suffragettes, Chartists, anti-slavery campaigners, LGBT community and equal pay advocates had restricted themselves to making their point on one occasion.
paulbrand.bsky.social
Home Secretary tells Sky News that “there is a gap in the law” when it comes to frequent, repeated protests on the same issue. Hence she will be giving police greater powers to move them to another location or time.
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Robert Jenrick is a poor speaker, poor at theatrics & happy to embrace the politics of the gutter, bigotry & playing to the racist gallery.

Here he is getting out a judge's wig, attacking the judiciary & saying he has uncovered judges with "links to open border charities." #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Will any senior Tories at Westminster condemn Robert Jenrick's remarks which are unapologetic ethno-nationalism? So far the only Tory of note who has broken ranks & condemned them has been Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands 2017-24. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp tells a near-empty Tory conference hall that the UK will use "the freedoms we will gain from leaving ECHR".

Where have we heard this little Britain/narrow English nationalist message before? #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The Death of the British Conservative Party. A future book cover. HT @pickardje.bsky.social #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The British Conservative Party used to be known for competence & professionalism. Now after 14 years of disastrous rule they cannot even spell "Britain. Talk about plastic patriotism. #CPC25
Reposted by Gerry Hassan
euanhealey.bsky.social
Reminded of this scene in one of the most compelling films I've ever seen.

The Vietnam War is perhaps unique in the way it draws revisionism, not least from men like Trump. The rate at which poor adults were killed by US foreign policy so the rich can write such revisionisms is grimly remarkable.
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The simplistic policy world view of the right-wing Adam Smith Institute.
wrathofgodbot.bsky.social
Good thing he has a high quality team of thoughtful people with a firm grasp of the issues and how complex governing is
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Another day another Spiked Online pundit on media with no explanation of what they are. Fraser Myers writes for Spiked: a platform now funded by climate change denier & billionaire Charles Koch. Not surprising Fraser is for scrapping the Climate Change Act. #PoliticsLive
gerryhassan.bsky.social
Tory Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride declares that the Tories will be "the party of fiscal responsibility." He then says in the next sentence the Tories will abolish business rates for shops & pubs in England and provides NO COSTINGS. This would cost £4bn a year. #CPC25
gerryhassan.bsky.social
The Conservative Party now say they will dramatically shrink government & public spending in a way they never did in office over 14 years.

What they have successfully done is shrink the Conservative Party to the smallest size in its history. And their smallest conference. #CPC25