James Tansey
@jmstansey.bsky.social
Reposted by James Tansey
This really makes me think constitutional reform is much under considered — ie if the system has changed is the current political framework still effective?
December 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM
This really makes me think constitutional reform is much under considered — ie if the system has changed is the current political framework still effective?
Reposted by James Tansey
December 14, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Reposted by James Tansey
I think Transactual put it best (in reference to the girl guides) and now Labour too:
"There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done."
All to appease the right, who hate them anyway - shame on them.
"There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done."
All to appease the right, who hate them anyway - shame on them.
December 6, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I think Transactual put it best (in reference to the girl guides) and now Labour too:
"There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done."
All to appease the right, who hate them anyway - shame on them.
"There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done."
All to appease the right, who hate them anyway - shame on them.
Reposted by James Tansey
To be honest if I was working at the IEA, I might be tempted to wind my neck in when it came to posting video clips of "omg check out these crazy economics advisors"
December 2, 2025 at 5:54 PM
To be honest if I was working at the IEA, I might be tempted to wind my neck in when it came to posting video clips of "omg check out these crazy economics advisors"
Reposted by James Tansey
At one level, yes its pretty galling seeing centrists & right-wingers mocking Polanski's lack of economic knowledge in those podcast clips, given that the ultimate legacy of their own economic traditions is a likely terminal climate catastrophe. But the point remains that he needs to do much better.
December 3, 2025 at 7:54 AM
At one level, yes its pretty galling seeing centrists & right-wingers mocking Polanski's lack of economic knowledge in those podcast clips, given that the ultimate legacy of their own economic traditions is a likely terminal climate catastrophe. But the point remains that he needs to do much better.
Reposted by James Tansey
tbh Polanski seems to have avoided most of the big MMT heffalump traps (allowing that "inflation doesn't go higher" was a misspeak), I'm relatively impressed at whoever's advising him.
November 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
tbh Polanski seems to have avoided most of the big MMT heffalump traps (allowing that "inflation doesn't go higher" was a misspeak), I'm relatively impressed at whoever's advising him.
Reposted by James Tansey
The Green group of councillors on Swindon Borough Council today announced Councillor Rob Heath as their fourth member.
Cllr Heath, who represents Priory Vale, is the fourth councillor to defect to the Green Party, after being disappointed with the record of the national and local Labour Party.
Cllr Heath, who represents Priory Vale, is the fourth councillor to defect to the Green Party, after being disappointed with the record of the national and local Labour Party.
November 26, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The Green group of councillors on Swindon Borough Council today announced Councillor Rob Heath as their fourth member.
Cllr Heath, who represents Priory Vale, is the fourth councillor to defect to the Green Party, after being disappointed with the record of the national and local Labour Party.
Cllr Heath, who represents Priory Vale, is the fourth councillor to defect to the Green Party, after being disappointed with the record of the national and local Labour Party.
Reposted by James Tansey
I think there should be a tax on people going to the papers to complain about tax
November 24, 2025 at 10:29 AM
I think there should be a tax on people going to the papers to complain about tax
Reposted by James Tansey
the entirety of human history has actually been manipulation by cats to get them to every corner of earth.
"Domestic cats finally crossed the Alps with the Roman conquest of Gaul"
Huh. I never really thought about the connections between animal populations and military campaigns before
Huh. I never really thought about the connections between animal populations and military campaigns before
November 23, 2025 at 7:14 AM
the entirety of human history has actually been manipulation by cats to get them to every corner of earth.
Reposted by James Tansey
If you believe you can persuade everyone, you will end up focusing on not alienating those who are against you. And in doing so you will water down your language so much that you'll end up using bland platitudes, rather than a clear and persuasive political argument.
November 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
If you believe you can persuade everyone, you will end up focusing on not alienating those who are against you. And in doing so you will water down your language so much that you'll end up using bland platitudes, rather than a clear and persuasive political argument.
Reposted by James Tansey
Seems like a good time (again) to share the guide I developed with @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social, which tells you how to talk about refugees and asylum in a way that actually convinces the undecided - based on testing 🧵 www.freedomfromtorture.org/changing-the...
Changing the Conversation on Asylum: A Messaging Guide
Our new messaging guide looks at the methodology and messages that can help us carve out a new approach that will be successful in persuading the public that seeking safety is a fundamental human righ...
www.freedomfromtorture.org
November 17, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Seems like a good time (again) to share the guide I developed with @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social, which tells you how to talk about refugees and asylum in a way that actually convinces the undecided - based on testing 🧵 www.freedomfromtorture.org/changing-the...
Reposted by James Tansey
For every thousand left-of-centre ‘Trot’ voters Labour loses, they gain one cretinous right-wing streamer who hasn’t been relevant since 2017 and who will still interpret their gain as an advance for Labour’s primary electoral opponent. This is a genius political strategy.
This rancid trash understands the significance of Labour's anti-refugee policies.
November 16, 2025 at 11:54 AM
For every thousand left-of-centre ‘Trot’ voters Labour loses, they gain one cretinous right-wing streamer who hasn’t been relevant since 2017 and who will still interpret their gain as an advance for Labour’s primary electoral opponent. This is a genius political strategy.
Reposted by James Tansey
"Truth be told, I’m playing the long game here. All I’ve ever wanted from life is a genuinely great SVG vector illustration of a pelican riding a bicycle. My dastardly multi-year plan is to trick multiple AI labs into investing vast resources to cheat at my benchmark until I get one."
November 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
"Truth be told, I’m playing the long game here. All I’ve ever wanted from life is a genuinely great SVG vector illustration of a pelican riding a bicycle. My dastardly multi-year plan is to trick multiple AI labs into investing vast resources to cheat at my benchmark until I get one."
Reposted by James Tansey
Green Party Councillor Tom Butcher was among Swindon Borough Councillors in attendance today at the Cenotaph, Regent Circus, to lay a wreath during the Remembrance Sunday Service.
November 9, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Green Party Councillor Tom Butcher was among Swindon Borough Councillors in attendance today at the Cenotaph, Regent Circus, to lay a wreath during the Remembrance Sunday Service.
Reposted by James Tansey
MEET YOUR GREENS 💚 We had a fantastic evening at the Blunsdon Arms this past week, with members new and old getting together.
We're fast approaching 400 new members since the beginning of September!
#SwindonGreens #GreenParty
We're fast approaching 400 new members since the beginning of September!
#SwindonGreens #GreenParty
November 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
MEET YOUR GREENS 💚 We had a fantastic evening at the Blunsdon Arms this past week, with members new and old getting together.
We're fast approaching 400 new members since the beginning of September!
#SwindonGreens #GreenParty
We're fast approaching 400 new members since the beginning of September!
#SwindonGreens #GreenParty
Reposted by James Tansey
Reposted by James Tansey
How we talk about history is the issue where the media and political discourse is perhaps most out of touch with how out of touch Nigel Farage is with the British public, outside his core vocal minority
'Nigel Farage has hit out at universities for “poisoning the minds” of students with what he said was a “twisted interpretation of history” in his speech on the opening day of the Reform UK conference.' 1/3
Universities ‘poisoning student minds’, says Farage
Populist leader takes aim at higher education in speech on first day of the Reform UK conference in Birmingham
www.timeshighereducation.com
September 6, 2025 at 7:43 AM
How we talk about history is the issue where the media and political discourse is perhaps most out of touch with how out of touch Nigel Farage is with the British public, outside his core vocal minority
Reposted by James Tansey
🚨On both social and traditional media it’s easy to find commentary claiming that Nigel Farage’s extreme deportations policy and the recent series of anti-migrant protests represent the will of the British people. But they don’t.⬇️ shorturl.at/RvFb3
Nigel Farage and the Anti-Migrant Protestors Do Not Represent the ‘Silent Majority’ – HOPE not hate
Prefer to listen? Click the play button to hear the audio version of this article On both social and traditional media it’s easy to find...
shorturl.at
August 29, 2025 at 9:27 AM
🚨On both social and traditional media it’s easy to find commentary claiming that Nigel Farage’s extreme deportations policy and the recent series of anti-migrant protests represent the will of the British people. But they don’t.⬇️ shorturl.at/RvFb3
Reposted by James Tansey
The numbers aren’t there. Given the huge online efforts to stir up these protests, the headline should surely be how badly they’ve failed and fizzled.
In fact, the failure of the protests against the “public fury” narrative would be a major story. But it’s not what’s being reported.
In fact, the failure of the protests against the “public fury” narrative would be a major story. But it’s not what’s being reported.
August 24, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The numbers aren’t there. Given the huge online efforts to stir up these protests, the headline should surely be how badly they’ve failed and fizzled.
In fact, the failure of the protests against the “public fury” narrative would be a major story. But it’s not what’s being reported.
In fact, the failure of the protests against the “public fury” narrative would be a major story. But it’s not what’s being reported.
Reposted by James Tansey
Despite all the hysteria whipped up by the far right, certain sectors of the media and our own government, official figures show the UK has HALF the number of asylum applications that Germay has, and significantly fewer than Spain, France and Italy.
An interesting point to note on "pull factors" - the top nationality claiming asylum in Spain is Venezuelan, a country which barely features in the UK at all, showing that language/culture can be an important factor for people choosing a destination country
August 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Despite all the hysteria whipped up by the far right, certain sectors of the media and our own government, official figures show the UK has HALF the number of asylum applications that Germay has, and significantly fewer than Spain, France and Italy.
Reposted by James Tansey
in britain the anchorites of asda dwell by the sacred stones, solemnly intoning the words “that’s asda price”, and performing the necessary ritual (the double bum slap) three times a day to bring about the great rolling back when we will all be redeemed
One for @urbanprehistorian.bsky.social - I was reading this morning about the Asda 'Price Promise' stones that were erected across the country in the 90s
loststonesofasda.wordpress.com
Some are definitely on the way to being archaeological monuments, such as this one in Trumfleet, South Yorkshire
loststonesofasda.wordpress.com
Some are definitely on the way to being archaeological monuments, such as this one in Trumfleet, South Yorkshire
![A stone that looks like a prehistoric standing stone but inscribed with "Asda Price Promise Permanently [text obscured] prices [text obscured].
The stone is by a Drystone wall and vegetation grows around it](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7mzhk55756kcluyutorbqyex/bafkreicxukeks37aqp6tgtzj2hlbvjgtxc5syw4ptr6nnojxhazlrfwflq@jpeg)
August 19, 2025 at 10:11 AM
in britain the anchorites of asda dwell by the sacred stones, solemnly intoning the words “that’s asda price”, and performing the necessary ritual (the double bum slap) three times a day to bring about the great rolling back when we will all be redeemed
Reposted by James Tansey
Instead of regurgitating the bromide that LLMs are just "autocomplete on steroids" (even by people who know better), maybe we can actually engage in some public education. The problem with genAI is better expressed through a classic computer science concept, known as SYMBOL GROUNDING. 🧵
August 12, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Instead of regurgitating the bromide that LLMs are just "autocomplete on steroids" (even by people who know better), maybe we can actually engage in some public education. The problem with genAI is better expressed through a classic computer science concept, known as SYMBOL GROUNDING. 🧵
Reposted by James Tansey
I think it's now possible to make a poli-sci course that equips one for modern political analysis better than most classic theory and has a syllabus sourced entirely from random internet posts.
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
July 13, 2025 at 1:07 AM
I think it's now possible to make a poli-sci course that equips one for modern political analysis better than most classic theory and has a syllabus sourced entirely from random internet posts.
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
this comment aged like fine wine
At some point he will fight with Trump like he's fighting with Farage and he will lose because Trump is more popular and has the real levers of power.
June 30, 2025 at 8:28 AM
this comment aged like fine wine
Reposted by James Tansey
ChatGPT is down but The Museum of English Rural Life still stands, proving once again that Silicon Valley cannot compete with the history of rural England and its people.
June 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM
ChatGPT is down but The Museum of English Rural Life still stands, proving once again that Silicon Valley cannot compete with the history of rural England and its people.