Gerry Hassan
@gerryhassan.bsky.social
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.
The evoking of 'Middle England' to defend the financial interests of the richest households in England who are a tiny group of 0.5% of households heavily clustered in London & the South East.
December 1, 2025 at 12:13 AM
The evoking of 'Middle England' to defend the financial interests of the richest households in England who are a tiny group of 0.5% of households heavily clustered in London & the South East.
Trump's latest plan for his new ballroom. It will dwarf the White House and is rather similar to the megalomanic architectural visions of despots the world over such as Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Nicolae Ceaușescu. In its vulgarity & blatant corruption it says much about Trump's America
November 30, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Trump's latest plan for his new ballroom. It will dwarf the White House and is rather similar to the megalomanic architectural visions of despots the world over such as Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Nicolae Ceaușescu. In its vulgarity & blatant corruption it says much about Trump's America
Jeremy Seabrook died one year ago today aged 85. One of the most original & pioneering voices for social justice, human rights & dignity in post-war Britain. He asked: “Why is it that the rich must become immeasurably more rich before the poor can become even fractionally less poor?”
November 30, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Jeremy Seabrook died one year ago today aged 85. One of the most original & pioneering voices for social justice, human rights & dignity in post-war Britain. He asked: “Why is it that the rich must become immeasurably more rich before the poor can become even fractionally less poor?”
Good to see the media highlighting the case of real hardship in today's Britain:
88 year old worried about the tax bill on her six bedroom Kensington house.
Home purchased for £4k in 1970.
Now worth £4 million.
£3,945,000 more than if it had just increased with inflation.
88 year old worried about the tax bill on her six bedroom Kensington house.
Home purchased for £4k in 1970.
Now worth £4 million.
£3,945,000 more than if it had just increased with inflation.
November 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Good to see the media highlighting the case of real hardship in today's Britain:
88 year old worried about the tax bill on her six bedroom Kensington house.
Home purchased for £4k in 1970.
Now worth £4 million.
£3,945,000 more than if it had just increased with inflation.
88 year old worried about the tax bill on her six bedroom Kensington house.
Home purchased for £4k in 1970.
Now worth £4 million.
£3,945,000 more than if it had just increased with inflation.
The #BBC's strange notion of "balance" continues on #Newsnight which means a disproportionate bias & representation of the right. Two media reps & one Labour MP: the former from the Murdoch Times & Sun. Hardly neutral on Labour or the Corbyn-Sultana party.
November 28, 2025 at 11:22 PM
The #BBC's strange notion of "balance" continues on #Newsnight which means a disproportionate bias & representation of the right. Two media reps & one Labour MP: the former from the Murdoch Times & Sun. Hardly neutral on Labour or the Corbyn-Sultana party.
The contortions of defending Nigel Farage. Stephen Pollard in the Jewish Chronicle makes the judgement that Farage probably did say terrible things including "Hitler was right" & "Gas them." But his defence is that everyone was saying antisemitic things at private schools then.
November 28, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The contortions of defending Nigel Farage. Stephen Pollard in the Jewish Chronicle makes the judgement that Farage probably did say terrible things including "Hitler was right" & "Gas them." But his defence is that everyone was saying antisemitic things at private schools then.
Has the Reform bandwagon stalled? Reform vote falls & lead cut from 15% to 8%. Greens surging.
Westminster Voting Intention:
REF: 30% (-5)
LAB: 22% (+2)
CON: 20% (+3)
GRN: 12% (+5)
LDEM: 12% (-1)
SNP: 2% (=)
Via BMG Research
Sample: 25-27 Nov.
Changes w/ 26-28 Aug.
Westminster Voting Intention:
REF: 30% (-5)
LAB: 22% (+2)
CON: 20% (+3)
GRN: 12% (+5)
LDEM: 12% (-1)
SNP: 2% (=)
Via BMG Research
Sample: 25-27 Nov.
Changes w/ 26-28 Aug.
November 28, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Has the Reform bandwagon stalled? Reform vote falls & lead cut from 15% to 8%. Greens surging.
Westminster Voting Intention:
REF: 30% (-5)
LAB: 22% (+2)
CON: 20% (+3)
GRN: 12% (+5)
LDEM: 12% (-1)
SNP: 2% (=)
Via BMG Research
Sample: 25-27 Nov.
Changes w/ 26-28 Aug.
Westminster Voting Intention:
REF: 30% (-5)
LAB: 22% (+2)
CON: 20% (+3)
GRN: 12% (+5)
LDEM: 12% (-1)
SNP: 2% (=)
Via BMG Research
Sample: 25-27 Nov.
Changes w/ 26-28 Aug.
Nigel Farage's dark past has come back to haunt him. He has even lost The Spectator under Michael Gove.
November 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Nigel Farage's dark past has come back to haunt him. He has even lost The Spectator under Michael Gove.
#BBC #PoliticsLive continues its strange idea of what "balance" is. A party which consistently is polling under 20% has two out of the three political pundits: 67%. Sebastian Payne of The Times being a Tory member who was not introduced with that info.
November 27, 2025 at 12:38 PM
#BBC #PoliticsLive continues its strange idea of what "balance" is. A party which consistently is polling under 20% has two out of the three political pundits: 67%. Sebastian Payne of The Times being a Tory member who was not introduced with that info.
Trumpian true believer calls for the end of the USA as a constitutional republic. How unAmerican & typical of Trumpian authoritarianism.
November 27, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Trumpian true believer calls for the end of the USA as a constitutional republic. How unAmerican & typical of Trumpian authoritarianism.
Reeves ends the two child benefit cap: taking 450,000 children out of poverty representing the largest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament. If this is to be sustained the case has to be continually made to reduce child poverty. Have Reeves & Labour got the courage? #budget2025
November 26, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reeves ends the two child benefit cap: taking 450,000 children out of poverty representing the largest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament. If this is to be sustained the case has to be continually made to reduce child poverty. Have Reeves & Labour got the courage? #budget2025
This is a total bonkers take from Matt Goodwin on the #Budget2025. For starters half the welfare figure he cites is taken up by UK pensions; then there is the questionable selective list of countries ignoring the fact the UK needs to raise its fertility rate.
November 26, 2025 at 5:53 PM
This is a total bonkers take from Matt Goodwin on the #Budget2025. For starters half the welfare figure he cites is taken up by UK pensions; then there is the questionable selective list of countries ignoring the fact the UK needs to raise its fertility rate.
Germany’s respected Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research finds that over 100,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israeli military action.
November 25, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Germany’s respected Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research finds that over 100,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israeli military action.
"Let's see if we can fly the 'we were only being indirectly racist' as our defence. It has been floated by one of our eager younger supporters Nigel Farage."
November 25, 2025 at 3:31 PM
"Let's see if we can fly the 'we were only being indirectly racist' as our defence. It has been floated by one of our eager younger supporters Nigel Farage."
Nathan Gill, Moscow's agent in Farage's parties & the pro-Putin populist right across the West. From Martyn Turner.
November 24, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Nathan Gill, Moscow's agent in Farage's parties & the pro-Putin populist right across the West. From Martyn Turner.
Despite being a Political Editor & then corporate PR for years Michael Prescott plays the idiot card:
“This was conceived as a private memo to 14 people,” Prescott explained ... “Six days after I sent the memo,” he said in a tone of shock, “there it was in the Telegraph!”
“This was conceived as a private memo to 14 people,” Prescott explained ... “Six days after I sent the memo,” he said in a tone of shock, “there it was in the Telegraph!”
November 24, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Despite being a Political Editor & then corporate PR for years Michael Prescott plays the idiot card:
“This was conceived as a private memo to 14 people,” Prescott explained ... “Six days after I sent the memo,” he said in a tone of shock, “there it was in the Telegraph!”
“This was conceived as a private memo to 14 people,” Prescott explained ... “Six days after I sent the memo,” he said in a tone of shock, “there it was in the Telegraph!”
A memorable Kirkcudbright Fringe event with Archie Macpherson in conversation with Jonathan Northcroft. Covering from Lisbon 67 to Scotland's 74 & 78 World Cups, Alex Ferguson & psychology of football winners & Scotland's win against Denmark & much more. First photo: Jonathan, Archie & myself.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
A memorable Kirkcudbright Fringe event with Archie Macpherson in conversation with Jonathan Northcroft. Covering from Lisbon 67 to Scotland's 74 & 78 World Cups, Alex Ferguson & psychology of football winners & Scotland's win against Denmark & much more. First photo: Jonathan, Archie & myself.
Another wake-up call for the complacent Scottish political classes. The Stranraer and the Rhins by-election on Thursday past saw the Tories elected. But the bigger story was the Reform vote: 35.2%: the highest yet in Scotland, finishing top in 1st preferences. 1/2
November 23, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Another wake-up call for the complacent Scottish political classes. The Stranraer and the Rhins by-election on Thursday past saw the Tories elected. But the bigger story was the Reform vote: 35.2%: the highest yet in Scotland, finishing top in 1st preferences. 1/2
Rachel Johnson defends the actions & inactions of her brother Boris Johnson during COVID: "It's as though my brother was the Grim Reaper." This pathetic & repulsive comment was broadcast on LBC. And deserves the response below.
November 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Rachel Johnson defends the actions & inactions of her brother Boris Johnson during COVID: "It's as though my brother was the Grim Reaper." This pathetic & repulsive comment was broadcast on LBC. And deserves the response below.
On the 35th anniversary of the fall of Thatcher a private poll for the Tories finds they would be reduced to 14 seats. A Tory insider said: "The direction of travel is just terrible. The party is heading for an extinction event. It is clearly not working for Kemi."
November 22, 2025 at 10:48 AM
On the 35th anniversary of the fall of Thatcher a private poll for the Tories finds they would be reduced to 14 seats. A Tory insider said: "The direction of travel is just terrible. The party is heading for an extinction event. It is clearly not working for Kemi."
Is T.C. Smout Scotland's pre-eminent historian in the past 60 years? His 'A History of the Scottish People 1560-1830' broke new ground studying Scottish people & social conditions rather than kings, queens & elites. It was followed by 'A Century of the Scottish People 1830-1950.'
November 21, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Is T.C. Smout Scotland's pre-eminent historian in the past 60 years? His 'A History of the Scottish People 1560-1830' broke new ground studying Scottish people & social conditions rather than kings, queens & elites. It was followed by 'A Century of the Scottish People 1830-1950.'
Former Brexit & Reform MEP Nathan Gill sentenced to 10.5 years on eight counts of bribery for taking Russian bribes. The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin" noted Justice Cheema-Grubb. Little chance that Gill was "one bad apple" in Reform.
November 21, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Former Brexit & Reform MEP Nathan Gill sentenced to 10.5 years on eight counts of bribery for taking Russian bribes. The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin" noted Justice Cheema-Grubb. Little chance that Gill was "one bad apple" in Reform.
This looks like the last days of a dying, out of touch dictatorship of aging men. It is the Celtic Board at the club's AGM acting with their usual contempt towards supporters.
November 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
This looks like the last days of a dying, out of touch dictatorship of aging men. It is the Celtic Board at the club's AGM acting with their usual contempt towards supporters.
Former Farage ally, UKIP & Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill is being sentenced today for accepting Russian bribes. Gill was close to Farage over a number of years & Farage has questions to answer about how much he knew & the conduct of other Reform MEPs & politicians.
November 21, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Former Farage ally, UKIP & Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill is being sentenced today for accepting Russian bribes. Gill was close to Farage over a number of years & Farage has questions to answer about how much he knew & the conduct of other Reform MEPs & politicians.
The cringe fest sycophantic echo chamber that is X and grok on the question of the relative merits of Elon Musk and Jesus Christ.
November 21, 2025 at 12:22 AM
The cringe fest sycophantic echo chamber that is X and grok on the question of the relative merits of Elon Musk and Jesus Christ.