Phil Edwards
@philedwards.bsky.social
"Research fellow" (i.e. retired) at MMU; still writing. Interests: international law, jurisprudence (mainly Kelsen). Other interests: folksong, real ale, the Left, cinema, Bowie, Aickman. Blogs at gapingsilence.wordpress.com and ohgoodale.wordpress.com .
I've been surprised by some of the reactions to the continuing Farage racism story. I mean, anything that discredits him is all to the good, but has anyone learnt that he at school he was a racist bully and been *surprised*? I've never thought he was anything else.
November 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I've been surprised by some of the reactions to the continuing Farage racism story. I mean, anything that discredits him is all to the good, but has anyone learnt that he at school he was a racist bully and been *surprised*? I've never thought he was anything else.
Being an old git, I know exactly what distinction he's making here. People used to call it being a "racialist" as opposed to being a racist - the idea being that noticing and reacting to other people's ethnicity was normal and unexceptional...
“I would never ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way”
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Being an old git, I know exactly what distinction he's making here. People used to call it being a "racialist" as opposed to being a racist - the idea being that noticing and reacting to other people's ethnicity was normal and unexceptional...
Reposted by Phil Edwards
Do I know anyone on here who went to a British boys boarding school -preferably the elite kind- within the last 20 years? If that doesn't describe you then retweet this until somebody it does describe sees this.
November 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Do I know anyone on here who went to a British boys boarding school -preferably the elite kind- within the last 20 years? If that doesn't describe you then retweet this until somebody it does describe sees this.
How did I get to be an academic, writing mainly about philosophy of law? Simple! I liked writing annd thinking about abstract ideas, so I thought I'd be a lecturer in Philosophy. Then my sister talked me out of applying to do Philosophy, so I did English...
November 23, 2025 at 12:18 AM
How did I get to be an academic, writing mainly about philosophy of law? Simple! I liked writing annd thinking about abstract ideas, so I thought I'd be a lecturer in Philosophy. Then my sister talked me out of applying to do Philosophy, so I did English...
Yes, it's a dominance play - but it's a dominance play that involves someone calling him a Fascist in his own office, so >shrug<. If I was going to be bullied by Trump, I'd rather be bullied like Mamdani than like Starmer.
“I don’t mind” isn’t really a buddy-buddy thing, it’s “you need my permission and I know you think this so if you’re not saying it it‘s because you’re scared of me.” but you can’t call it out without looking like the asshole.
November 21, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Yes, it's a dominance play - but it's a dominance play that involves someone calling him a Fascist in his own office, so >shrug<. If I was going to be bullied by Trump, I'd rather be bullied like Mamdani than like Starmer.
Reposted by Phil Edwards
![[A man is talking to a woman over 4 film frames stacked atop each other
Arrested Development "but it might work for us" meme but with Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starme photoshopped into the final frame]
Man: Some people think that if you give racists and xenophobes a bit of ground then they'll stop being bigoted
Woman: Well did it work for those people?
Man: No, it never does, I mean, these people somehow delude themselves into thinking it might, but...
Keir Starmer: ...But it might work for us.
[Shabana Mahmood looking thoughtful]
[Original is Tobias and Lindsay Funke discussing an open marriage]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2kf2qj56o2vq7jfaq4x4ogp6/bafkreigvws7dtpfqqyycqfzdykibxl3z5nqk6ergrigocrnxqpxpvp77zq@jpeg)
Reposted by Phil Edwards
pretty clear what happened: Zohran converted Trump to the divine and immortal science of islamo-communism.
November 21, 2025 at 8:48 PM
pretty clear what happened: Zohran converted Trump to the divine and immortal science of islamo-communism.
Reposted by Phil Edwards
Correct and based posting from the Lib Dems here
Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10.5 years for endangering national security and taking Russian bribes.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
November 21, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Correct and based posting from the Lib Dems here
This is terrible reporting - I've read the article twice in a vain attempt to find out What Is Actually Being Proposed. (Are they intending to make all either-way offences summary-only, or only some of them? Which ones? What about Leveson's other recommendations – are we getting all of them, or...)
MoJ to remove right to trial by jury for thousands of cases in controversial overhaul
MoJ to remove right to trial by jury for thousands of cases in controversial overhaul
Exclusive: Courts minister says change needed to stop criminals opting for juries to delay cases, sometimes by years, and clear huge backlog
*
UK politics live – latest updates
Criminals will be stopped from “gaming the system” by choosing trial by jury in order to increase the chances of proceedings collapsing, the courts minister has said, promising to enact radical changes to limit jury trials by the next election.
Drug dealers and career criminals were “laughing in the dock” knowing cases can take years to come to trial, Sarah Sackman told the Guardian, saying inaction would be a road to “chaos and ruin”. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:56 AM
This is terrible reporting - I've read the article twice in a vain attempt to find out What Is Actually Being Proposed. (Are they intending to make all either-way offences summary-only, or only some of them? Which ones? What about Leveson's other recommendations – are we getting all of them, or...)
Why - hear me out - why has nobody thought of simply putting the grownups in charge? Baffling!
What’s that, you heard these people were competent you oaf, you onion? Well that’s the kind of thing that only an idiot would believe and frankly, I have no idea where you imbeciles might have got the idea they were anything other than repellent and absolutely useless
November 19, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Why - hear me out - why has nobody thought of simply putting the grownups in charge? Baffling!
Not that I don't know anything about sport or anything, but I've just googled "scotland football".
And what I say is, jolly good. Well done them.
(But 90+*9*?)
And what I say is, jolly good. Well done them.
(But 90+*9*?)
November 18, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Not that I don't know anything about sport or anything, but I've just googled "scotland football".
And what I say is, jolly good. Well done them.
(But 90+*9*?)
And what I say is, jolly good. Well done them.
(But 90+*9*?)
Reposted by Phil Edwards
On asylum there seems to be no attempt to analyse different parts of the problem in a way that allows serious public discussion 🧵
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 PM
On asylum there seems to be no attempt to analyse different parts of the problem in a way that allows serious public discussion 🧵
Reposted by Phil Edwards
Again, what is the point of the Labour party?
What is the point of a massive fucking landslide victory, only to continue the policies of the party we voted out?
FFS.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What is the point of a massive fucking landslide victory, only to continue the policies of the party we voted out?
FFS.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Too much bureaucracy,' Chancellor Rachel Reeves tells regulators
The chancellor wants to cut red tape to boost growth, but critics say there is no plan.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Again, what is the point of the Labour party?
What is the point of a massive fucking landslide victory, only to continue the policies of the party we voted out?
FFS.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What is the point of a massive fucking landslide victory, only to continue the policies of the party we voted out?
FFS.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Phil Edwards
a preview :)
November 17, 2025 at 12:51 PM
a preview :)
Reposted by Phil Edwards
The grotesque spectacle of a Labour government — a Labour government! — promoting the idea of stealing from refugees to appease the far right
November 17, 2025 at 6:46 PM
The grotesque spectacle of a Labour government — a Labour government! — promoting the idea of stealing from refugees to appease the far right
I think this is at least partly about message discipline, the current leadership's approach to which reminds me strongly of Mr Thomas.
Mr Thomas was not a well man, but we didn't know that; we thought he was just a primary school teacher who shouted a lot.
/
Mr Thomas was not a well man, but we didn't know that; we thought he was just a primary school teacher who shouted a lot.
/
Asked if Keir Starmer believes British people want to "see refugee children pulled out of school and deported after 10 years in this country”, his spokesman says that “what the British public wants and what this government was elected on a mandate to deliver was to secure our borders"
November 17, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I think this is at least partly about message discipline, the current leadership's approach to which reminds me strongly of Mr Thomas.
Mr Thomas was not a well man, but we didn't know that; we thought he was just a primary school teacher who shouted a lot.
/
Mr Thomas was not a well man, but we didn't know that; we thought he was just a primary school teacher who shouted a lot.
/
My "everyone's saying Labour's racist all of a sudden – must be a coordinated attack" post seems to have prompted a lot of questions which were answered by that post.
November 17, 2025 at 12:35 PM
My "everyone's saying Labour's racist all of a sudden – must be a coordinated attack" post seems to have prompted a lot of questions which were answered by that post.
Reposted by Phil Edwards
Are you a minister? Are you unhappy? Do you hate your job or have no idea what you're doing? Would you like the entire UK progressive media to praise you for the next 72 hours and talk about you as a future leadership contender? RESIGN!
November 17, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Are you a minister? Are you unhappy? Do you hate your job or have no idea what you're doing? Would you like the entire UK progressive media to praise you for the next 72 hours and talk about you as a future leadership contender? RESIGN!
Reposted by Phil Edwards
press: so we heard you’re going to be stealing jewellery from immigrants and asylum seekers?! that sounds bad.
labour: no, no, no. we’re being briefed against there.
press: oh, phew. for a second labour were spunding a bit 1930s germany!
labour: no no. we’re going to steal their assets.
labour: no, no, no. we’re being briefed against there.
press: oh, phew. for a second labour were spunding a bit 1930s germany!
labour: no no. we’re going to steal their assets.
November 17, 2025 at 9:53 AM
press: so we heard you’re going to be stealing jewellery from immigrants and asylum seekers?! that sounds bad.
labour: no, no, no. we’re being briefed against there.
press: oh, phew. for a second labour were spunding a bit 1930s germany!
labour: no no. we’re going to steal their assets.
labour: no, no, no. we’re being briefed against there.
press: oh, phew. for a second labour were spunding a bit 1930s germany!
labour: no no. we’re going to steal their assets.
Reposted by Phil Edwards
Even those who don't want those things need to push for them if they don't want fascism, because then the "compromise" might end up being the thing they actually want.
November 16, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Even those who don't want those things need to push for them if they don't want fascism, because then the "compromise" might end up being the thing they actually want.
- Hogarthian picaresque in which protagonist achieves Zazen
- boy meets girl, will they or won't they, is he or isn't he (dead)?
- autobiographical but not including the writer, with songs
- chain of unfinished stories on the illusion of freedom
- still image, still image, MOVING IMAGE!, still image
- boy meets girl, will they or won't they, is he or isn't he (dead)?
- autobiographical but not including the writer, with songs
- chain of unfinished stories on the illusion of freedom
- still image, still image, MOVING IMAGE!, still image
What are your top 5 movie genres? Mine are:
-"I got it, we'll *pretend* to be married! What could go wrong?"
-Englishmen being weird
-Ship hunted by submarine
-Submarine hunted by ship
-Submarine hunted by other submarine
(The first two can be improved by the addition of a submarine.)
-"I got it, we'll *pretend* to be married! What could go wrong?"
-Englishmen being weird
-Ship hunted by submarine
-Submarine hunted by ship
-Submarine hunted by other submarine
(The first two can be improved by the addition of a submarine.)
- Films from 1932 in which three chorus girl gold diggers who share a flat try to survive the Depression
- Craggy former gunslinger bleakly confronts his life’s work
- Miscarriage of justice documentary
- Half-arsed ‘80s buddy comedy
- Holly Hunter whispering
- Craggy former gunslinger bleakly confronts his life’s work
- Miscarriage of justice documentary
- Half-arsed ‘80s buddy comedy
- Holly Hunter whispering
November 16, 2025 at 10:51 PM
- Hogarthian picaresque in which protagonist achieves Zazen
- boy meets girl, will they or won't they, is he or isn't he (dead)?
- autobiographical but not including the writer, with songs
- chain of unfinished stories on the illusion of freedom
- still image, still image, MOVING IMAGE!, still image
- boy meets girl, will they or won't they, is he or isn't he (dead)?
- autobiographical but not including the writer, with songs
- chain of unfinished stories on the illusion of freedom
- still image, still image, MOVING IMAGE!, still image
Shabana Mahmood doesn't really believe that "illegal migration is causing huge divides here in our own country", unquote.
You can't have a huge divide without there being large numbers of people – *equally* large numbers of people – on both sides.
/
You can't have a huge divide without there being large numbers of people – *equally* large numbers of people – on both sides.
/
November 16, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Shabana Mahmood doesn't really believe that "illegal migration is causing huge divides here in our own country", unquote.
You can't have a huge divide without there being large numbers of people – *equally* large numbers of people – on both sides.
/
You can't have a huge divide without there being large numbers of people – *equally* large numbers of people – on both sides.
/
Just sold a Stock, Hausen and Walkman record rather sooner than I thought it would sell, and for rather more than I thought deadpan British goofball lounge glitch noise electronica would go for. Anyone know why the SHW oeuvre - or bits of it - might be in demand?
Anyone?
@dubdobdee.bsky.social ?
Anyone?
@dubdobdee.bsky.social ?
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Just sold a Stock, Hausen and Walkman record rather sooner than I thought it would sell, and for rather more than I thought deadpan British goofball lounge glitch noise electronica would go for. Anyone know why the SHW oeuvre - or bits of it - might be in demand?
Anyone?
@dubdobdee.bsky.social ?
Anyone?
@dubdobdee.bsky.social ?
And then there were, how many now?
Whatever about Hussain personally, you do feel that whoever it is that's running this thing, people aren't queuing up to work with them.
Whatever about Hussain personally, you do feel that whoever it is that's running this thing, people aren't queuing up to work with them.
November 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
And then there were, how many now?
Whatever about Hussain personally, you do feel that whoever it is that's running this thing, people aren't queuing up to work with them.
Whatever about Hussain personally, you do feel that whoever it is that's running this thing, people aren't queuing up to work with them.