Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 1h

That was exactly the line that stood out to me as exceptionally weird. It’s also probably the only line that proves the speech wasn’t an LLM churn through every Tory right platitude from the past 20 odd years. It’s authentically her drivel.

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 6h

Or, in cultural context of right wing UK politics, a feeder prep school ..,

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 6h

Badenoch’s only achievement is to have shrunk the Tories to a low-wattage Faragist think tank and warehouse storing future parliamentary candidates for Reform www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Badenoch’s ‘thoughtful Conservatism’ turns out to be just the slower road to Faragism | Rafael Behr

The Tory leader’s intellectual meanderings have shrunk her party into little more than a holding pen for future Reform party candidates, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

www.theguardian.com

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 17h

Not saying they look *exactly* alike but would definitely cast Robert Jenrick (shadow justice secretary) in biopic of Paul Reczeh (Gestapo agent, all-round sociopath)

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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 19h

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 1d

I'm guessing Robert Jenrick might be hard-pressed to see a black face if he walked round his own constituency of Newark for 90 minutes, given the ethnic minority population of its main town looks to be smaller than the white population of Handsworth. (Source: citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastmi...)

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Not a serious person. Zero mention of what this would mean for the over a million British citizens whose own access to welfare in the EU is protected by the withdrawal agreement.

EU citizens living in UK shouldn’t be allowed welfare benefits, says Tory rising star

Katie Lam — who is earning plaudits on the Conservative right — calls for Brexit withdrawal agreement to be reopened.

www.politico.eu

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 4d

Can always rely on @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social to say what needs saying and say it well on occasions such as these www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

In a time of hate and rancour, two Jews sought to pray – and were killed. Let Manchester be a turning point | Jonathan Freedland

This was a horror but with so much intolerance and antisemitism, no one can say it was a surprise. There are lessons to learn, and that must start now, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

www.theguardian.com

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Ros Taylor @rostaylor.bsky.social · 6d

OUT NOW: More Jam Tomorrow MILTON KEYNES

It’s built for cars. The buses are baffling. But it’s got the most energy efficient housing in Britain. What did it take to build a city from almost nothing?

Listen now at

morejamtomorrow.com/episode/milt...

Milton Keynes

It’s built for cars. The buses are baffling. But it’s got the most energy efficient housing in Britain. What did it take to build a city from almost nothing?...

morejamtomorrow.com

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Moose Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 7d

Sitcom idea: ventriloquist couple living together, relationship frosty, discussing divorce, but their dolls are deeply in love and do what they can to keep the couple together.

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 11d

We’ve just moved into an old house where the carpet underlay seems to consist entirely of copies of the Times 1965-1970, and it’s kind of reassuring to find the headlines (arms sales to Israel, teachers’ strike, rows about some MP calling another MP a drunken buffoon) are so utterly relatable

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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 11d

A story that’s attracted surprisingly little attention in our media:

Ex-Reform politician admits Russia-linked bribery charges www.bbc.com/news/article...

Reform UK's ex-Wales leader Nathan Gill admits pro-Russia bribery

Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.

www.bbc.com

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 14d

On anti-Faragism, the point of the Lib Dems and Ed Davey finding himself unmarked in front of an open goal www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Resisting Faragism offers the Lib Dems a rare clarity of purpose | Rafael Behr

Ed Davey’s rallying cry in defence of moderate, liberal Britain might give some coherence to a party with a reputation for opportunism, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

www.theguardian.com

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 14d

Thank you!

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 14d

On anti-Faragism, the point of the Lib Dems and Ed Davey finding himself unmarked in front of an open goal www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Resisting Faragism offers the Lib Dems a rare clarity of purpose | Rafael Behr

Ed Davey’s rallying cry in defence of moderate, liberal Britain might give some coherence to a party with a reputation for opportunism, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

www.theguardian.com

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Gabriel Milland @gabrielmilland.bsky.social · 15d

One of the main ways that the US was traditionally covered in the UK was the "only in America" story - tales which played to the British sense it was a bizarre place where mad people did mad things. The Express had a daily column of such stories. Maybe we should just go back to that framing.

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 15d

Why are the American president's claims about autism the first item on British news bulletins?

He's not our president, the advice doesn't apply here and he's not presented any evidence to support his assertions.

So why spread these claims? What make this the biggest story in the UK?

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 15d

There should be a high bar for politicians attacking the media, but maybe Ed Davey has half a point here?

For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 16d

It was obvious when EU citizens had the terms of their settlement here retrospectively revoked that a precedent was being set and that, in time, the argument would move on to other categories of migrant, always tending towards a purity test of who is ‘indigenous’. Unless resisted.

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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 16d

Retrospectively removing indefinite leave to remain would be immoral and economically damaging. It would tear families apart.
Attacking it as ‘potentially illegal’ is completely beside the point.
Argue with the (awful) idea. Don’t try ’well, actually you can’t do that’.

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 16d

I think they largely still are but tailwind of big money donors and indulgent press carries them through it.

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Garvan Walshe @garvanwalshe.org · 18d

It might be worth reading my paper on how Europe should fight a war against Russia without the Americans, and which are the key gaps that need to be filled first

www.martenscentre.eu/wp-content/u...

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 20d

Someone with audio engineering chops this happen, please

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 20d

Awoke with an unholy mash-up of ‘Oliver’s Army’ and the ‘Friends’ song in my head: if it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month or even your year/ and there’s no danger, it’s a professional career…

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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 20d

I think problem is political. There is discussion in wonkish circles about strategic reorientation to Europe, technical obstacles, what post-Brexit reintegration might look like in institutional terms but it always runs into ‘govt doesn’t want to have this conversation or make that case in public’

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Matt Green @mattgreencomedy.com · 20d

See me live on tour!

I’m going to Leicester, Northampton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Taunton, Southend-on-sea, Cambridge, Southampton, Leeds, Liverpool, Guildford and Brighton.

www.livenation.co.uk/matt-green-t...

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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 22d

does seem tremendously unfair that, when the main centre left party breaks, we get centre right hegemony... but when the main centre right party breaks, we get the far right. the sheer asymmetry of it offends me

Will Cooling @willcooling.bsky.social · 22d

I think the thing people are grappling with is that the actual variable is "if the mainstream centre-right party has its back broken, then that creates space for the far right to thrive". That can be due to economic malaise but the link is far from inevitable or simple

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