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 .
The PM's uncharacteristic use of fire-eating rhetoric has been noted:
January 19, 2026 at 10:23 AM
The PM's uncharacteristic use of fire-eating rhetoric has been noted:
Difficult to be in his position with the actual Home Secretary breathing down your neck, but this is a hell of a shame.
A longish but worthwhile account of what's been going on is here:
whispering.media/the-maccabi-...
A longish but worthwhile account of what's been going on is here:
whispering.media/the-maccabi-...
January 16, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Difficult to be in his position with the actual Home Secretary breathing down your neck, but this is a hell of a shame.
A longish but worthwhile account of what's been going on is here:
whispering.media/the-maccabi-...
A longish but worthwhile account of what's been going on is here:
whispering.media/the-maccabi-...
But wait! Another group of people you may have heard of has come up with another list of people you might want to elect! The excitement's killing me.
January 16, 2026 at 3:29 PM
But wait! Another group of people you may have heard of has come up with another list of people you might want to elect! The excitement's killing me.
Screencapped from the Bad Place, b/c FON don't appear to be on here (shame!).
Only one poll, but 28% for RefUK, for this pollster, is *low*; when other pollsters were giving them 28%, last May/June, FON had them on 33%. Could be a good sign.
(Apparently Labour are toast, though. Shame about that.)
Only one poll, but 28% for RefUK, for this pollster, is *low*; when other pollsters were giving them 28%, last May/June, FON had them on 33%. Could be a good sign.
(Apparently Labour are toast, though. Shame about that.)
January 16, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Screencapped from the Bad Place, b/c FON don't appear to be on here (shame!).
Only one poll, but 28% for RefUK, for this pollster, is *low*; when other pollsters were giving them 28%, last May/June, FON had them on 33%. Could be a good sign.
(Apparently Labour are toast, though. Shame about that.)
Only one poll, but 28% for RefUK, for this pollster, is *low*; when other pollsters were giving them 28%, last May/June, FON had them on 33%. Could be a good sign.
(Apparently Labour are toast, though. Shame about that.)
A polprof writes:
January 15, 2026 at 1:03 PM
A polprof writes:
Post a pic of the venue where you saw your first concert and the band or artist.
(Tickets 50p.)
(Tickets 50p.)
January 11, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Post a pic of the venue where you saw your first concert and the band or artist.
(Tickets 50p.)
(Tickets 50p.)
As I wrote on my blog a bit* back:
*20 years actually
*20 years actually
January 6, 2026 at 12:20 PM
As I wrote on my blog a bit* back:
*20 years actually
*20 years actually
So close to getting it.
The idea that Keir Starmer is worse than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss *is* nuts, but that's not the question being asked. The question being asked is "Do you see the current Prime Minister favourably or unfavourably?".
1/2
The idea that Keir Starmer is worse than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss *is* nuts, but that's not the question being asked. The question being asked is "Do you see the current Prime Minister favourably or unfavourably?".
1/2
December 31, 2025 at 11:29 AM
So close to getting it.
The idea that Keir Starmer is worse than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss *is* nuts, but that's not the question being asked. The question being asked is "Do you see the current Prime Minister favourably or unfavourably?".
1/2
The idea that Keir Starmer is worse than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss *is* nuts, but that's not the question being asked. The question being asked is "Do you see the current Prime Minister favourably or unfavourably?".
1/2
In the same blog post I'd reviewed Vineland:
December 28, 2025 at 11:36 PM
In the same blog post I'd reviewed Vineland:
My brief review of OBAA (on my blog recently) is on similar lines.
December 28, 2025 at 11:32 PM
My brief review of OBAA (on my blog recently) is on similar lines.
The whole 'right to work' ID check thing has got way out of hand. Unless things have changed dramatically in the last few years, I don't think it's actually called for by relevant legislation. Here's something I wrote a few years ago:
December 15, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The whole 'right to work' ID check thing has got way out of hand. Unless things have changed dramatically in the last few years, I don't think it's actually called for by relevant legislation. Here's something I wrote a few years ago:
How did these factors not apply to the Leader of the Opposition in 2015-19? The argument then was that Labour's proximity to power made denouncing Corbyn all the more urgent.
December 13, 2025 at 11:46 PM
How did these factors not apply to the Leader of the Opposition in 2015-19? The argument then was that Labour's proximity to power made denouncing Corbyn all the more urgent.
PS It was incubated, let's never forget, in Labour seats:
December 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM
PS It was incubated, let's never forget, in Labour seats:
If you see this, quote with your model of positive masculinity:
December 5, 2025 at 5:13 PM
If you see this, quote with your model of positive masculinity:
Tell me you don't know anything about the far Left without, etc.
![And although Your Party members are barred from also being members of other parties, Sultana is backed by the Socialist Unity Platform, a lobby organisation comprising groups including the Communist party of Great Britain [sic]. It is from here that possible disruption is predicted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jsysc3yqc3wdkaqwgt3lmb4q/bafkreidpmjegu5wvsbdw7tcfmaidqssxsuskzl432rpljuduv22lx3rswq@jpeg)
November 28, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Tell me you don't know anything about the far Left without, etc.
"Oh, Jeremy Corbyn"
November 28, 2025 at 1:57 PM
"Oh, Jeremy Corbyn"
Spare a thought for those of us who are still finishing the last issue but two...
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Spare a thought for those of us who are still finishing the last issue but two...
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.
Maintenant c'est joué. I mean, seriously joué. Properly, properly joué. If you had any lingering doubts as to whether tu ne la verras pas, dispel them. Really, really joué.
November 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Maintenant c'est joué. I mean, seriously joué. Properly, properly joué. If you had any lingering doubts as to whether tu ne la verras pas, dispel them. Really, really joué.
If you see this post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
November 8, 2025 at 6:37 PM
If you see this post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
[Checks commitments for rest of day]
October 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM
[Checks commitments for rest of day]
[boomy robotic voice]
What *is* Haus?
What *is* Haus?
October 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
[boomy robotic voice]
What *is* Haus?
What *is* Haus?
I saw this sign today, and immediately wondered why a car wash was trying to get my attention.
October 28, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I saw this sign today, and immediately wondered why a car wash was trying to get my attention.