Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 11h

A reminder of how Mrs Thatcher's Conservative party in 1983, an era featuring much more widespread racial prejudice in the public, approached the issue of race and national identity:

10 35 96

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Jenrick being the loudest member of the Conservative party has already been a huge contributor to the poisoning of our politics. We really don't need any four-dimensional chess about him becoming leader. When it happens, it will be a terrible day for our country.

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 1d

A Tory party under Jenrick might take a few of the racist votes from Reform, but they’d haemorrhage bucketloads to the Lib Dems.

So, on balance…

31 110 630

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 1d

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

34 580 1.7K

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 1d

This is a scary situation. Academic folks in the UK should be paying more attention to it than they are.
chicagomaroon.com/48606/news/u...

University of Chicago Professor Arrested at Anti-ICE Protest

Assistant professor Eman Abdelhadi was charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a police officer, a class 3 felony, and two counts of resisting and obstructing peace, a class A misdemeanor, af...

chicagomaroon.com

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Simon Cox @simonfrcox.bsky.social · 1d

The far-right is never conservative. It always attacks established social institutions, the ones important for democracy and social peace. Because it knows they will be a source of opposition.

3 12 44

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Dr Jaime Ashworth @drjaimeashworth.bsky.social · 1d

It is so important to acknowledge that some of those most directly involved in 7 October are some of the most reluctant to endorse its consequences. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Two years after 7 October and the kidnap of my parents, hate is in fashion. For all our sakes, we need compassion | Sharone Lifschitz

So many were killed – yet on her release, my mother said ‘shalom’ to her captors. Let’s learn from that moment of grace, says Sharone Lifschitz, London-based film-maker and academic

www.theguardian.com

1 6 16

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 2d

Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop

130 7.3K 19K

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

James Moules @jamesmoules.bsky.social · 2d

I’m old enough to remember when a comment like this would have been a resigning matter…

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in part of Birmingham

Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on 90-minute visit Robert Jenrick complained about visiting an area of Birmingham where he “didn’t see another white face” and said it was not the kind of country he wanted to live in. After highlighting the lack of white people, the shadow justice secretary said it was not about “the colour of your skin or your faith” and he wanted people to live alongside each other. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

26 90 500

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Billy Bragg @billybragg.bsky.social · 3d

Free stickers suitable for flag-bearing lampposts. Send a large A4 envelope with a 1st class large stamp to me at Bragg Office, PO Box 6830 Bridport DT6 9BH and I’ll send you a sheet. #ReclaimtheFlag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

86 430 1.1K

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 2d

David is slightly unfair. There is a clear difference here.

Conservatives and Reform plan to forcibly expel large numbers of people who are legal, permanent residents of migrant origin. The BNP proposal is voluntary.

David Herdson @davidherdson.bsky.social · 2d

This below is from the 2005 BNP manifesto.

Spot the difference with current Tory and Reform policy.

(p14 news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp... )

8 170 380

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 2d

I had zero idea, until today, who the current shadow chancellor is. Given how nerdy I am about politics, this tells you a lot about how vacant the Tories have become.

George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2d

This isn’t a picture of Mel Stride and the shadow chancellor being misidentified on ConHome feels quite indicative of where the Tories are at.

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 2d

Not sure I would have gone with headline - unless I actually wanted people to laugh out loud....

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Bob From Brockley @bobfrombrockley.bsky.social · 2d

I’m not generally a fan of if-the-boot-was-on-the-other-foot counterfactuals, but can you imagine what the UK media would be doing if one of Corbyn’s closest politician allies was found to be a Russian agent? Why is Farage not being held over the coals for this?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

1 23 42

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 5d

Eman works in the same research area as me and we've chatted briefly at academic conferences, pre-Trump. Watching the same person in the back of an ICE van is deeply surreal and frightening.

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 6d

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome

t7 Homeland Security reposted
Stephen Miller
@StephenM • 18h
Become a Homeland Defender TODAY
S...
Homeland Security
@DHSgov• 19h
Recapture the America your forefathers created.
Prevent foreign infiltration.
PROTECT HER
• 772
USCIS COVIJOIN

6 11 68

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 6d

Written ten years ago by @keithkahnharris.bsky.social, and is now sadly useful.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

If British Jews are attacked, respect our dignity – and keep your agendas to yourself | Keith Kahn-Harris

I dread the cacophony from right and left on how we should react to antisemitism. What’s important is supporting our survival as a community in the UK

www.theguardian.com

1 42 84

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 7d

I will be looking to get as many people and civic organisations as possible involved in a positive English identity campaign next year, nationally, regionally, locally. If that sounds like something you'd like to know more about or get involved with, do get in touch with me.

8 23 83

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · Aug 13

This May 2014 editorial in The Sun about Nigel Farage said is not racist" to worry about the scale of immigration but it is "racist" to smear Romanians to say you wouldn't want to live next door to a Romanian & "you know the difference" [between a German and a Romanian neigbour]

5 28 110

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 9d

‘Gaza Trump Riviera’, ‘MBS Ring’, ‘Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone’? It’s an oligarch’s blood-soaked fantasy, a Disney Land of genocide.

Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 9d

This is what Blair’s team created together with BCG

7 60 120

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 12d

When the AI hallucination is deemed more true than empirical reality www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/se...

Claire Wilmot | Fascistic Dream Machines

Part of the misunderstanding of the deepfake threat stems from the idea that it is a problem of bad information, rather...

www.lrb.co.uk

2 14 27

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Cackling O'Brien, Chief Witch-gineer 🔵 @radobrien.myatproto.social · 10d

ok this breakdown of AI writing indicators is incredible. Huge shout-out to the Wikipedia community for this

Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

13 440 990

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 11d

Alex Phillips might be stupid, but she doesn't really believe this stuff. She's part of the noise trying to dismantle civil society, create suspicion toward the limited democracy we have, and delegitimise labour movement and liberal organisations. Time to wise up.

James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 11d

There’s an even bigger conspiracy and it goes even deeper. It turns out that well over half of Parliament and thousands of councillors around the country are all members of a leftist organisation called “The Labour Party”.

3 12 21

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 11d

If the Labour party had any sense at all, they would repeat this relentlessly until the media has to notice. Think how Trump uses nicknames ('sleepy Joe', etc.) to seed an idea.

Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 11d

And yet - nothing about this is on the BBC main app.

It’s hidden under Welsh news.

Nothing in the Daily Mail, Express, The Sun, The Times.

Seems like Farage’s opinions on everything make front page news EXCEPT when one of his guys admits to taking Russian bribes….🤷🏼‍♀️

13/14

2

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 11d

Blood-boiling. The sort of thing that makes you wonder sometimes whether it might have been better had mobiles/digital/the interweb/social media/the whole bang-shoot never been invented!

How tech became the new frontier of domestic abuse

The government will not meet its pledge to halve violence against women and girls unless it tackles tech companies

www.opendemocracy.net

2 11 24

Reposted by Stephen H. Jones

Glen @vaguebiscuit.bsky.social · 11d

Well don't I feel stupid

A headline about the James Webb Telescope potentially finding a new stellar object dubbed a black hole star

290 6.8K 26K

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 12d

For me, the alarm bells really started ringing about the current govt when, like Boris Johnson, it began chucking MPs out. This is good news and hopefully the sign of some sanity returning.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12d

Labour restores whip to two more child benefit cap rebels

John McDonnell and Apsana Begum were among last still suspended for July 2024 rebellion Labour has restored the party whip to the former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, and the Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum, 14 months after they lost it for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, the Guardian understands. The pair had the whip reinstated after a conversation on Friday with Jonathan Reynolds, who became Labour’s chief whip in a reshuffle earlier this month. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

1