R Pollard
@rlp71.bsky.social
Human. Liberal. European. Somehow won something on television once.
Currently: MA History, UCL-SSEES 2025-26.
Previously: BA (Hons), History and Politics, Warwick 2019-22.
Currently: MA History, UCL-SSEES 2025-26.
Previously: BA (Hons), History and Politics, Warwick 2019-22.
Reposted by R Pollard
I don't think there is any substantive difference between Reform and the Tories on asylum or justice anymore. We don't have a centre-right party.
October 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I don't think there is any substantive difference between Reform and the Tories on asylum or justice anymore. We don't have a centre-right party.
Reposted by R Pollard
In addition, I think also: politics is about argument! When I say 'the free movement of services, goods, capital and people is good for growth', I am not saying it because it is popular, but because it is true. It is in fact racist to say that mixed-race people should be deported!
The idea that "the median voter will feel attacked" by challenging Reform over racism is certainly not shown by the data in this piece. It shows they may be indifferent. (It may mean a different important swing voter, who isn't the median voter)
Crying racism only hurts Labour
Activists like it, but the median voter will feel attacked.
📊 @bwalker.uk
Activists like it, but the median voter will feel attacked.
📊 @bwalker.uk
October 1, 2025 at 6:43 PM
In addition, I think also: politics is about argument! When I say 'the free movement of services, goods, capital and people is good for growth', I am not saying it because it is popular, but because it is true. It is in fact racist to say that mixed-race people should be deported!
Reposted by R Pollard
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
September 14, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Reposted by R Pollard
"By paying such disproportionate attention to Nigel Farage's latest outfit, Reform UK, the BBC is compromising its reputation. To many licence fee payers, the broadcaster gives the impression that it hangs on every word uttered by Farage..."
@maxwilkinson.bsky.social writes to Ofcom.
@maxwilkinson.bsky.social writes to Ofcom.
September 9, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"By paying such disproportionate attention to Nigel Farage's latest outfit, Reform UK, the BBC is compromising its reputation. To many licence fee payers, the broadcaster gives the impression that it hangs on every word uttered by Farage..."
@maxwilkinson.bsky.social writes to Ofcom.
@maxwilkinson.bsky.social writes to Ofcom.
Reposted by R Pollard
It shows such a basic lack of political understanding that Labour didn't go straight on the attack over this.
Just because most people are worried about immigration being too high it doesn't mean they're psychopaths.
Just because most people are worried about immigration being too high it doesn't mean they're psychopaths.
With Reform UK saying it would be reasonable to pay the Taliban to return migrants to Afghanistan, how many Britons this would be acceptable?
Acceptable: 17%
Unacceptable: 61%
% acceptable by party
Reform: 35%
Con: 23%
Lab/Lib Dem: 7-13%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Acceptable: 17%
Unacceptable: 61%
% acceptable by party
Reform: 35%
Con: 23%
Lab/Lib Dem: 7-13%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
August 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
It shows such a basic lack of political understanding that Labour didn't go straight on the attack over this.
Just because most people are worried about immigration being too high it doesn't mean they're psychopaths.
Just because most people are worried about immigration being too high it doesn't mean they're psychopaths.
Reposted by R Pollard
I have not heard anything at all from government ministers nor the opposition nor many media outlets about the dangers of this epidemic of sweeping casual racism. It is sometimes seen as comical - as with Rupert Lowe and the rowers - but it is dangerous and dehumanising
August 20, 2025 at 10:03 AM
I have not heard anything at all from government ministers nor the opposition nor many media outlets about the dangers of this epidemic of sweeping casual racism. It is sometimes seen as comical - as with Rupert Lowe and the rowers - but it is dangerous and dehumanising
Reposted by R Pollard
BBC's Arabic radio service in Lebanon closed after 85 years as part of a £28.5m savings drive. 'Just months later, in October 2023, the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency took over the frequency. Its news bulletin opened with “This is Moscow”, replacing the previous “This is London” intro.' 🙄
BBC warns Russia is taking over World Service radio frequencies
Russian propaganda is filling the void where the BBC has closed World Service radio services due to cuts
inews.co.uk
June 10, 2025 at 6:03 AM
BBC's Arabic radio service in Lebanon closed after 85 years as part of a £28.5m savings drive. 'Just months later, in October 2023, the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency took over the frequency. Its news bulletin opened with “This is Moscow”, replacing the previous “This is London” intro.' 🙄
Reposted by R Pollard
Orban making overtures to Simion made sense from one perspective only: to gain an illiberal ally in the EU Council. Orban chose to make this incredibly costly gamble, essentially betraying the Transylvanian voters his party spent decades cultivating. And he lost. This is likely consequential.
💥Viktor Orbán made one of his biggest mistakes by praising anti-Hungarian far-right candidate George Simion.
🇭🇺 In Hungary, he hurt his “nationalist” credibility, angering many right-wing voters.
🇷🇴 In Romania, the Orbán-loyal Hungarian diaspora voted most heavily against Simion.
👎And Simion lost.
🇭🇺 In Hungary, he hurt his “nationalist” credibility, angering many right-wing voters.
🇷🇴 In Romania, the Orbán-loyal Hungarian diaspora voted most heavily against Simion.
👎And Simion lost.
May 18, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Orban making overtures to Simion made sense from one perspective only: to gain an illiberal ally in the EU Council. Orban chose to make this incredibly costly gamble, essentially betraying the Transylvanian voters his party spent decades cultivating. And he lost. This is likely consequential.
Reposted by R Pollard
Reposted by R Pollard
🇭🇺⚖️🇪🇺 An extremely alarming draft bill that would allow the Hungarian government (as it de facto controls the "Sovereignty Protection Office") to clamp down on any kind of organisation - a commercial entity, a political party, an NGO, making it untenable to run one or have an executive role in it.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party submitted a controversial bill to parliament today in what critics see as an attack on civil society.
Orbán’s Fidesz party proposes Russia-style crackdown on Hungary’s civil society
The new bill fits into a pattern of democratic backsliding for the Central European country.
ow.ly
May 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
🇭🇺⚖️🇪🇺 An extremely alarming draft bill that would allow the Hungarian government (as it de facto controls the "Sovereignty Protection Office") to clamp down on any kind of organisation - a commercial entity, a political party, an NGO, making it untenable to run one or have an executive role in it.
Reposted by R Pollard
For 20 years, Lab and Con defenders of FPP have argued "keep FPP to keep the radical right out of power". On this week's results, the arg now looks more like "drop FPP if you want to keep the radical right out of power"
May 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
For 20 years, Lab and Con defenders of FPP have argued "keep FPP to keep the radical right out of power". On this week's results, the arg now looks more like "drop FPP if you want to keep the radical right out of power"
Reposted by R Pollard
100% this. Saw there was a blue Labour MP saying he "didn't care" if universities went bankrupt so long as immigration went down. He might want to look at some of the basic demographics of Labour support (and also look at who the largest employers are in large Labour seats).
The Glasmanisation of the Labour Party is a massive risk to them. The Conservatives discovered that if you insult your professional base long enough in a desperate attempt to win populist right votes, they will flock to the Lib Dems and you lose 60 seats. Labour may find similar soon enough.
I had many problems with Blair, but his talk of a modern, open, knowledge-based economy was a breath of fresh air compared to this atavistic, closed-minded economically illiterate shit.
April 30, 2025 at 1:17 PM
100% this. Saw there was a blue Labour MP saying he "didn't care" if universities went bankrupt so long as immigration went down. He might want to look at some of the basic demographics of Labour support (and also look at who the largest employers are in large Labour seats).
Reposted by R Pollard
Not only this — and this is a big deal — but how on earth will the police ensure that male officers won’t be allowed to search cis women who look a bit butch and can’t prove they’re women?
if I understand correctly, the campaigners wanted (in their words) to stop trans women officers with a gender recognition certificate searching women.
and, in response, the police have decided to allow male officers to search trans women.
not sustainable. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
and, in response, the police have decided to allow male officers to search trans women.
not sustainable. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Trans women arrested on Britain’s railways to be strip-searched by male officers
British Transport Police amends policy in light of supreme court’s landmark ruling on definition of a woman
www.theguardian.com
April 17, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Not only this — and this is a big deal — but how on earth will the police ensure that male officers won’t be allowed to search cis women who look a bit butch and can’t prove they’re women?
Reposted by R Pollard
In this case, it's perfectly plausible that Labour will lose seats in the North to Reform at a future election, but - on current polls - it will do so more due to losing progressive voters to the LDs and Grns than by losing voters to Reform.
April 13, 2025 at 10:22 AM
In this case, it's perfectly plausible that Labour will lose seats in the North to Reform at a future election, but - on current polls - it will do so more due to losing progressive voters to the LDs and Grns than by losing voters to Reform.
Reposted by R Pollard
What Farage says about where his votes are coming from is also horseshit, of course. Latest YouGov poll shows Tories have leaked 20% of the 2024 support to Reform, but Labour just 6%. Though that still matters, it’s just a third of what Labour’s losing to Lib Dems and Greens…
Just watched the Home Counties private schoolboy Nigel Farage telling northern voters how he understands steelworkers because he used to work in the “metals business” himself. He was, ahem, a commodities trader at the London Metal Exchange in the City.
April 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
What Farage says about where his votes are coming from is also horseshit, of course. Latest YouGov poll shows Tories have leaked 20% of the 2024 support to Reform, but Labour just 6%. Though that still matters, it’s just a third of what Labour’s losing to Lib Dems and Greens…
Reposted by R Pollard
🧵 I've been reviewing many of the past year's US & European military & intelligence assessments of how long it would take Russia to rebuild its military capability and the timeline on which any threat to NATO could unfold. A brief thread below which summarises these assessments.
Re-reading the Danish intelligence report from February 2025, which, I think, is the least conservative assessment of Russian reconstitution timelines & capability among all the published views from European intelligence services in the past year.
www.fe-ddis.dk/globalassets...
www.fe-ddis.dk/globalassets...
April 2, 2025 at 3:23 PM
🧵 I've been reviewing many of the past year's US & European military & intelligence assessments of how long it would take Russia to rebuild its military capability and the timeline on which any threat to NATO could unfold. A brief thread below which summarises these assessments.
Reposted by R Pollard
Good grief, can we desist with this nonsense. Barring convicted criminals from holding office - especially criminals convicted of abuses of power - is just basic civic sense. The option of not stealing taxpayers' money was right there. www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Why Marine Le Pen should be allowed to run for president
Punish the offender without also punishing French democracy
www.economist.com
April 2, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Good grief, can we desist with this nonsense. Barring convicted criminals from holding office - especially criminals convicted of abuses of power - is just basic civic sense. The option of not stealing taxpayers' money was right there. www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Reposted by R Pollard
🇵🇱✉️🇺🇸 Again a copy of the Polish crisis - PM Morawiecki and his inner circle were found to use private e-mail accounts, including Gmail, for any government business that they apparently didn't want to stay on the record of official govt e-mail accounts. One more for the bingo.
April 2, 2025 at 3:45 PM
🇵🇱✉️🇺🇸 Again a copy of the Polish crisis - PM Morawiecki and his inner circle were found to use private e-mail accounts, including Gmail, for any government business that they apparently didn't want to stay on the record of official govt e-mail accounts. One more for the bingo.
Reposted by R Pollard
For the @economist.com, I wrote about the Le Pen verdict. In liberal democracies, the law needs to be applied even if that strengthens the far right. But here, we should not just assume that this will help the RN. On the contrary. It's a good moment for democracy.
www.economist.com/by-invitatio...
www.economist.com/by-invitatio...
The Le Pen ruling is good for liberal democracy, writes Tarik Abou-Chadi
The Oxford professor says it shouldn’t matter whether the verdict emboldens the hard right or not
www.economist.com
April 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
For the @economist.com, I wrote about the Le Pen verdict. In liberal democracies, the law needs to be applied even if that strengthens the far right. But here, we should not just assume that this will help the RN. On the contrary. It's a good moment for democracy.
www.economist.com/by-invitatio...
www.economist.com/by-invitatio...
Reposted by R Pollard
Media-world: "Make a martyr out of her yadda yadda yadda."
Normie-world: "If I got a four year jail sentence for fraud, even if it was suspended or on tag, I'd have to tell my boss, I'd be fired and I wouldn't get another job."
Normie-world: "If I got a four year jail sentence for fraud, even if it was suspended or on tag, I'd have to tell my boss, I'd be fired and I wouldn't get another job."
80% of Britons say courts should have the power to ban people from standing for election if they are convicted of crimes related to elections or holding office, following French far-right leader Marine Le Pen's ban
They should: 80%
They should not: 8%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
They should: 80%
They should not: 8%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
April 2, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Media-world: "Make a martyr out of her yadda yadda yadda."
Normie-world: "If I got a four year jail sentence for fraud, even if it was suspended or on tag, I'd have to tell my boss, I'd be fired and I wouldn't get another job."
Normie-world: "If I got a four year jail sentence for fraud, even if it was suspended or on tag, I'd have to tell my boss, I'd be fired and I wouldn't get another job."
Reposted by R Pollard
3 years ago what Russians did in Bucha was uncovered, and it is now our responsibility to never let the world forget
April 1, 2025 at 6:23 AM
3 years ago what Russians did in Bucha was uncovered, and it is now our responsibility to never let the world forget
Reposted by R Pollard
There’s something so viciously ironically funny about standing on a stage and literally handing out checks to people for their vote while calling other people paid shills.
March 31, 2025 at 6:42 PM
There’s something so viciously ironically funny about standing on a stage and literally handing out checks to people for their vote while calling other people paid shills.
Reposted by R Pollard
Here we go: the rewriting of history has formally begun
"Oklahoma proposes teaching standards suggesting 2020 election ‘discrepancies’"
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
"Oklahoma proposes teaching standards suggesting 2020 election ‘discrepancies’"
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Oklahoma proposes teaching standards suggesting 2020 election ‘discrepancies’
A new social studies agenda approved by the education board would require high-schoolers to review baseless claims related to President Trump’s 2020 election loss.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 16, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Here we go: the rewriting of history has formally begun
"Oklahoma proposes teaching standards suggesting 2020 election ‘discrepancies’"
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
"Oklahoma proposes teaching standards suggesting 2020 election ‘discrepancies’"
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Reposted by R Pollard
Russia demonstrates its so-called readiness for peace by launching three missiles at Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, killing five civilians and injuring 15.
March 7, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Russia demonstrates its so-called readiness for peace by launching three missiles at Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, killing five civilians and injuring 15.