Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
History Correspondent and Deputy Diary Editor for The Times
Last night’s Traitors
January 15, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Last night’s Traitors
Darren Jones is leading the government… when it comes to Scrabble at any rate
Dispatch from @instituteforgov’s conference in today’s @timesdiary
www.thetimes.com/article/7a95...
Dispatch from @instituteforgov’s conference in today’s @timesdiary
www.thetimes.com/article/7a95...
January 14, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Darren Jones is leading the government… when it comes to Scrabble at any rate
Dispatch from @instituteforgov’s conference in today’s @timesdiary
www.thetimes.com/article/7a95...
Dispatch from @instituteforgov’s conference in today’s @timesdiary
www.thetimes.com/article/7a95...
The pain of losing my dad will never leave. Nor has it dulled, but rather changed into something tinged with memories of love.
Grief can become bitterly beautiful, albeit something which can be “too much”.
I shall not see his like again, but how lucky I was to see.
Grief can become bitterly beautiful, albeit something which can be “too much”.
I shall not see his like again, but how lucky I was to see.
January 14, 2026 at 8:45 AM
The pain of losing my dad will never leave. Nor has it dulled, but rather changed into something tinged with memories of love.
Grief can become bitterly beautiful, albeit something which can be “too much”.
I shall not see his like again, but how lucky I was to see.
Grief can become bitterly beautiful, albeit something which can be “too much”.
I shall not see his like again, but how lucky I was to see.
“I want to run in a by-election in Eastleigh”
January 13, 2026 at 1:43 PM
“I want to run in a by-election in Eastleigh”
And here is the horse.
There is an extraordinary detail.
The sandy soil at Sizewell is acidic and this has dissolved the bones over the centuries.
Sometimes this left brown marks but, in other cases, the sand hardened into shape - like the plaster cast bodies at Pompeii.
There is an extraordinary detail.
The sandy soil at Sizewell is acidic and this has dissolved the bones over the centuries.
Sometimes this left brown marks but, in other cases, the sand hardened into shape - like the plaster cast bodies at Pompeii.
January 12, 2026 at 9:47 AM
And here is the horse.
There is an extraordinary detail.
The sandy soil at Sizewell is acidic and this has dissolved the bones over the centuries.
Sometimes this left brown marks but, in other cases, the sand hardened into shape - like the plaster cast bodies at Pompeii.
There is an extraordinary detail.
The sandy soil at Sizewell is acidic and this has dissolved the bones over the centuries.
Sometimes this left brown marks but, in other cases, the sand hardened into shape - like the plaster cast bodies at Pompeii.
Headline fact is a rare princely burial of two figures who were interred with a fully dressed up horse
January 12, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Headline fact is a rare princely burial of two figures who were interred with a fully dressed up horse
“Nobody wants to see scenes like this”
January 11, 2026 at 9:15 AM
“Nobody wants to see scenes like this”
Spoilers but…
- Relentlessly accuses an innocent woman
- Misrepresents evidence
- Chooses to reveal her undercover role to someone who is murdering people
Amanda’s not exactly helping improve the ailing reputation of the Metropolitan Police
#thetraitors
- Relentlessly accuses an innocent woman
- Misrepresents evidence
- Chooses to reveal her undercover role to someone who is murdering people
Amanda’s not exactly helping improve the ailing reputation of the Metropolitan Police
#thetraitors
January 8, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Spoilers but…
- Relentlessly accuses an innocent woman
- Misrepresents evidence
- Chooses to reveal her undercover role to someone who is murdering people
Amanda’s not exactly helping improve the ailing reputation of the Metropolitan Police
#thetraitors
- Relentlessly accuses an innocent woman
- Misrepresents evidence
- Chooses to reveal her undercover role to someone who is murdering people
Amanda’s not exactly helping improve the ailing reputation of the Metropolitan Police
#thetraitors
Of the rest, I was particularly fond of this:
January 8, 2026 at 10:58 AM
Of the rest, I was particularly fond of this:
Oh we all had a history teacher who was like this
January 5, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Oh we all had a history teacher who was like this
My political predictions for the year
January 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM
My political predictions for the year
Someone has already pitched the sitcom
January 4, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Someone has already pitched the sitcom
Will there be a Labour leadership contest this year?
Yes - it’s written in the stars.
This and more in today’s Times Diary
www.thetimes.com/article/9cfc...
Yes - it’s written in the stars.
This and more in today’s Times Diary
www.thetimes.com/article/9cfc...
January 1, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Will there be a Labour leadership contest this year?
Yes - it’s written in the stars.
This and more in today’s Times Diary
www.thetimes.com/article/9cfc...
Yes - it’s written in the stars.
This and more in today’s Times Diary
www.thetimes.com/article/9cfc...
And my two favourites of the year
One from @richardosman1.bsky.social and the other from the dearly missed Jilly Cooper
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
One from @richardosman1.bsky.social and the other from the dearly missed Jilly Cooper
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
December 31, 2025 at 9:20 AM
And my two favourites of the year
One from @richardosman1.bsky.social and the other from the dearly missed Jilly Cooper
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
One from @richardosman1.bsky.social and the other from the dearly missed Jilly Cooper
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
Here are some of the best from the year in Westminster
December 31, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Here are some of the best from the year in Westminster
It’s the @TimesDiary Quotes of the Year, taking in politics, Trump, culture and more
Wisecracks and wisdom: the best quotations of 2025
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
Wisecracks and wisdom: the best quotations of 2025
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
December 31, 2025 at 9:20 AM
It’s the @TimesDiary Quotes of the Year, taking in politics, Trump, culture and more
Wisecracks and wisdom: the best quotations of 2025
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
Wisecracks and wisdom: the best quotations of 2025
www.thetimes.com/article/930d...
“Sure he did the long walk to freedom, ended Apartheid and became one of the world’s greatest statesmen, but that’s his job!”
December 30, 2025 at 10:35 PM
“Sure he did the long walk to freedom, ended Apartheid and became one of the world’s greatest statesmen, but that’s his job!”
This was the most extraordinary story from this year’s National Archives releases
The papers on the royals Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor which vanished while we were reporting on them
Cabinet Office accused of royal cover-up after Andrew files withdrawn
www.thetimes.com/article/59d9...
The papers on the royals Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor which vanished while we were reporting on them
Cabinet Office accused of royal cover-up after Andrew files withdrawn
www.thetimes.com/article/59d9...
December 30, 2025 at 10:06 AM
This was the most extraordinary story from this year’s National Archives releases
The papers on the royals Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor which vanished while we were reporting on them
Cabinet Office accused of royal cover-up after Andrew files withdrawn
www.thetimes.com/article/59d9...
The papers on the royals Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor which vanished while we were reporting on them
Cabinet Office accused of royal cover-up after Andrew files withdrawn
www.thetimes.com/article/59d9...
Having necklaces in the Anne Boleyn Collection seems a little insensitive
December 23, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Having necklaces in the Anne Boleyn Collection seems a little insensitive
It’s a week to go! By which I mean, it’s a week until I host the Times Radio Christmas lunch.
Such a fun time with @wlyons.bsky.social, @charlotteivers.bsky.social and @elodieharper.bsky.social with fine wine, history, food and tips to get you through Christmas Day and beyond.
1pm, Xmas Day
Such a fun time with @wlyons.bsky.social, @charlotteivers.bsky.social and @elodieharper.bsky.social with fine wine, history, food and tips to get you through Christmas Day and beyond.
1pm, Xmas Day
December 18, 2025 at 1:07 PM
It’s a week to go! By which I mean, it’s a week until I host the Times Radio Christmas lunch.
Such a fun time with @wlyons.bsky.social, @charlotteivers.bsky.social and @elodieharper.bsky.social with fine wine, history, food and tips to get you through Christmas Day and beyond.
1pm, Xmas Day
Such a fun time with @wlyons.bsky.social, @charlotteivers.bsky.social and @elodieharper.bsky.social with fine wine, history, food and tips to get you through Christmas Day and beyond.
1pm, Xmas Day
This weekend, we had some beautiful carols in a beautiful setting with a beautiful boy
#christmas #toddler #carols
#christmas #toddler #carols
December 15, 2025 at 8:53 PM
This weekend, we had some beautiful carols in a beautiful setting with a beautiful boy
#christmas #toddler #carols
#christmas #toddler #carols
Would have been 80 today. So dearly miss you daddy
November 13, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Would have been 80 today. So dearly miss you daddy
And, on the validity of the sample:
November 12, 2025 at 5:26 PM
And, on the validity of the sample:
The most difficult part of the research is to do with the conditions Hitler may have had. These are intriguing, but not conclusive and risk stigma for those who have neurodivergent or mental health conditions today. The piece gives contexts Sir Simon Baron-Cohen’s words crucial:
November 12, 2025 at 5:26 PM
The most difficult part of the research is to do with the conditions Hitler may have had. These are intriguing, but not conclusive and risk stigma for those who have neurodivergent or mental health conditions today. The piece gives contexts Sir Simon Baron-Cohen’s words crucial: