"No pressure existed whatsoever" on the FCDO to appoint Mandelson, Keir Starmer tells the House of the Commons. And that, I think, is gonna be a big big hostage to fortune.

This is good. Read it, especially but not only if you are a government minister. It comes from a reflective place of praxis. Unlike much of what has been said on this topic, this is not slop.

We're hiring!

The Aristotelian Society is recruiting a new Managing Editor. This is a demanding part-time role suitable for a current graduate student to undertake alongside their studies.

Deadline: Monday 18th May 2026. Read more here:

mailchi.mp/9ec3fa312725...

Starmer created this crisis by sacking a qualified and competent woman.

And when he sacked career diplomat Karen Pierce to give Mandelson her job, SIX other senior women diplomats left FCDO as their careers were doomed under his government.

He's done far worse, but I'm fine if this does for him.

The GC Wealth Project, a flagship project of the GC CUNY Stone Center, presents an overview of its core work in Scientific Data. Check out this vast collection of data on wealth levels/trends/composition and more. Multiple expansions and updates coming soon! wealthproject.gc.cuny.edu/index.html 👇

@johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social : "Isn't the reality this, that when he sought to realise his ambition to become leader of the Labour party with very little base in the party, he became dependent on McSweeney and Mandelson and Labour Together to organise, fund his election.."

The radical republican tradition What does it mean to be a republican? In the US, it is to support the party of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. In the UK, it is to favour the abolition of

Ben Rogers (@ben-rog.bsky.social) reviews my 'The Wealth of Freedom' and Bruno Leipold's (brunoleipold.com) 'Citizen Marx' for the TLS (paywall), situating them as contributions to the 'welcome revival' of radical republicanism. www.the-tls.com/politics-soc...

Many thanks to @ben-rog.bsky.social for this thoughtful review of @stuartgwhite.bsky.social 's and my's books

A group of about 50 smiling people with Vote Green signs standing at a street corner, about to go canvassing.

🌤️ @oxfordgreenparty.bsky.social was in fine fettle today as I visited this morning to support their local election campaign 💚

If you live in Oxford and want to see more Greens elected it's not too late to get involved. (Oxford Green Party feeds it's volunteers well 😋🍛!)

greenoxford.com

Reports of a third attempted arson attack on Jewish targets in North London this week. It's getting really scary and more people need to start taking it seriously.

I’m looking for part time work if anyone knows of any. Many years of of experience of research in public policy domains, editing and writing. Do reach out if you know of anything going.

1/3 I must first confess that I'm afflicted with what Trotsky once called that 'Quaker-Papist babble about the sanctity of human life', but I want the comfortable hawks on the Times & Telegraph (who will gleefully reprint Robertson's words) to consider a different slant on what they're proposing.

Publish the Peter Mandelson files Revelations about the disgraced Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have rocked Britain. Recent reporting has revealed that Mandelson did not receive approva...

I’ve signed this calling for the full Mandelson files, including vetting documents, to be published. Parliament and the public need the full facts, not partial disclosure.

Sign here:
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pu...

This is the finest ever episode of Yes Minister

Parliamentlive.tv Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Earlier this week @rcquaker.bsky.social gave testimony to the Joint Committee on Human Rights' inquiry into protest rights.

Watch the recording here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

It seems that people like me should be a bastion of Labour support. I have a sneaking suspicion that the reality might look quite different when people like me go to vote in London in a few weeks. I am of course not allowed to vote. Thank you, Brexit.

BREAKING: We're taking the government to court over Palantir Peter Thiel's surveillance firm is embedded in the NHS. Wes Streeting won't show us the briefings - so we have launched a legal challenge.

BREAKING: We’re taking the government to court over Palantir.

The government is refusing to hand over important briefings given to Wes Streeting about the £330m NHS data contract with Peter Thiel’s surveillance firm

So we’re taking legal action.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-w...

I feel like it's become too easy for politically aligned journalists in the UK to give cover to their contacts. Too many anonymous "quotes" too much public affairs style journalism. Too much investment in Westminster contacts, not enough expertise or specialism outside it. And It's corrupting.

How the government and the DWP made PIP policy on the fly - Who voted for this In this episode, I talk to renowned benefits journalist Chaminda Jayanetti. We talk about this Labour government's attempt to make cuts to the personal independence payment disability support ben...

A bit of a rarity here - I was interviewed by the brilliant @katebelgrave.bsky.social for her podcast, talking about the government's calamitous attempts to cut PIP:
whovotedforthis.buzzsprout.com/2414550/epis...

Radical Histories - Manchester University Press The Radical Histories series encourages innovative and field-defining research in the history of individuals, groups, movements and ideas which challenged the political, social and cultural status quo...

I'm pleased to announce I'm a founding co-editor of the new @manchesterup.bsky.social book series, Radical Histories.

Do let me know if you have a proposal for a book that fits our inclusive remit on radical histories.

manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/series/radic...

BBC are being slow to respond to whether they will correct the false claim that immigration hasn't really fallen
bsky.app/profile/sund...

It was a wonderful event at @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social today with an enthusiastic and packed house to hear @gabrielzucman.bsky.social, @mayor.nyc.gov and I talk about the absolute necessity for global societies to tax the ultra rich. It's not radical to think they should pay their fair share too

As wealth concentrates, so does power — the power to influence elections, shape policy, tilt markets and define the terms of public debate.

Taxing billionaires is not radical.

What is radical is allowing a system where extreme wealth exists alongside widespread hardship.

A very interesting experience. Our session was cut short because the MPs were called to a Commons vote, so only around 10 mins was recorded and will be in Hansard.
We carried on informally with the peers present, though that won't be on record.

News about Goldsmiths situation here www.ucu.org.uk/article/1447...

I was minutes from dying - then I heard the lifeboat crewman's voice A woman is reunited with the lifeboat crew who saved her life after her paddleboard was swept out to sea

Never a bad day to remember that thousands of people owe their lives to volunteer lifeboat crews.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Every reference to 'welfare' ever should have 'including pensions' or 'excluding pensions' in parentheses next to the word.

All interviewers/articles should clarify at first use whether the word includes or excludes. Interviews should be stopped if unclear.

Because frankly it's getting tedious.

Why Wealth Matters A write-up of a recent joint event with the Policy Lab at University College London about republican political theory, featuring Stuart White, author of 'The Wealth of Freedom'

What would an anti-oligarchic economy of freedom look like? The Fairness Foundation and UCL Policy Lab hosted a great discussion of my recent book, 'The Wealth of Freedom', on this topic. Here is their report on the discussion: www.faircomment.co.uk/p/why-wealth...

Why Wealth Matters A write-up of a recent joint event with the Policy Lab at University College London about republican political theory, featuring Stuart White, author of 'The Wealth of Freedom'

If freedom is conceived as non-domination, can we be truly free in an economy marked by large and persistent concentrations of wealth? Read about our discussion with @stuartgwhite.bsky.social and @uclpolicylab.bsky.social at www.faircomment.co.uk/p/why-wealth...