Jon Bloomfield

My Bluesky starter! David and I signing copies of The Little Black Book of the Populist Right. A short, accessible guide to the dangers of Trump, Farage, Orban et al. Buy at lnkd.in/dpbz5SFS A Xmas bargain for you and your friends.

"I think we've got growth in every opinion poll and hope in the heart of every Labour backbencher." Compass Director Neal Lawson assesses Andy Burnham's first 100 days as Prime Minister on @lbc.co.uk @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social.

When defence depends on a billionaire’s whim, democracy is in deep trouble Elon Musk’s restriction of Starlink in Ukraine exposes the extent to which unelected power is being concentrated in the hands of a few tech moguls ✍️ @kenanmalik.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4zfpmP2

Faber’s withdrawal of Sally Rooney’s novels exposes the idiocy of UK terrorism legislation There has been a year-on-year increase of 1,553% in ‘terrorism-related activity’ in the UK – most of it due to people holding placards ✍️ @kenanmalik.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4edeR68

In case you missed it, this is for you @philbc3.bsky.social www.bylinesupplement.com/p/burnham-af...

In three years, Israel's war on Gaza hasn't just changed the Middle East, it's changed the world | Steve Bloomfield www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Badenoch goes back to the past. @willhutton.bsky.social offers a fairer future. observer.co.uk/news/politic...

A stark reminder of the violent, depraved world we live in. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I hope that at some point, @sidlowe.bsky.social collects his interviews and publishes them in book format, as it will compose a unique human mosaic of Spanish football at its most seductive.

Very perceptive from @rorysmith.bsky.social After such a promising start who expected Andy Burnham to be vulnerable over football. 'Events,dear boy,events' as a predecessor said. observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...

One of two Labour gains from Reform in Northumberland by-elections yesterday. Too early to know for sure we've passed peak Reform, but another encouraging sign.

The front piece to my book on migrants, Our City. The same progressive values as Andy Burnham's parents, described in his conference speech as 'get on and give back'. The precise opposite of Thatcherism.

"Andy Burnham showed willingness to go beyond what his focus groups told him, and do what he thinks is fundamental to reshape British society." The Prime Minister gave his first party conference speech as leader – and you know what? It went pretty well www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/did-...

Macron's UN speech didn't get much pick-up (the row with Netanyahu aside). But it was probably the most important of the whole UN week. My piece for the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Spot on. And sadly the FT failed to mention BT' work anywhere in their long,detailed article.

£72m for Reform over the weekend could be just the tip of the iceberg There's nothing to stop Elon Musk giving, via a UK X subsidiary, £300m to Restore Britain today Or a Trump ally giving £500m to Farage via a UK-registered firm There's a v narrow window to tackle big money in the elections bill

It's a rare policy that would be welcomed by both business and trade unions - and at the same time would *improve* the UK's fiscal position. Dropping these proposals - for which there is no economic, moral or political case - would be one. www.ft.com/content/8a00...

a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes

Picked up a copy of "Hyperpolitics" on a whim after seeing it promoted all over the place and I can only conclude that Verso have an amazing marketing department because there's not much substance here and the evidence base is weak.

David Edgar's 1976 play 'Destiny' on the rise of neo-Nazis in contemporary Britain premiered 50 years ago this month. The last scene was two rich businessmen negotiating to give money to the far right. It was dismissed as implausible. How times change. observer.co.uk/news/columni...

Great Saturday read on how Burnham government could promote a progressive foreign policy working with other middle powers. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

One last time - on Arsenal being a pleasure to watch and all the stress being replaced by joy:

The populist right says the NHS is broken. Read my deep dive into working life at Birmingham's QE Hospital. Staff and patients tell a different story: a resilient institution coping with endless daily pressures - with 43% of staff from a migrant background. politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/views-f...

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/... Perceptive analysis on Sachsen-Anhalt election result. “The AfD is strongest where immigration is scarcest…. Cultural backlash may be strong in the discourse, but perceived neglect and declining prospects are what make anti-immigration narratives land.”

One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries. We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.

Powerful warning from @davidaaronovitch.bsky.social substack.com/@davidaarono...

Shock and Orr. So will Cambridge now investigate its dodgy Divinity don? bylinetimes.com/2026/09/04/r...

Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. 🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:

Important argument. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

The populist Right endlessly write off the NHS as part of their narrative about the UK in terminal decline. My deep dive inside Birmingham's QE paints a different picture, a hospital showing resilience in the face of the pressures of modern life. Read on.. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Simple truth: unite against the main enemy.

Really insightful piece here by @willhutton.bsky.social and why collective values are crucial to progressive politics.

Time for Burnham to confront the populist assault on climate change. www.ukapa.org.uk/blog/tacklin...

When will we get Justice - the basis of trust in our liberal democracy? Grenfell Tower report shows what’s good for business is often disastrous for the public observer.co.uk/news/columni...

@nafeez.bsky.social showing the far-right network behind the promotion of Nathan Cofnas, his links to Curtis Yarvin and the Arday campaign. bylinetimes.com/2026/08/18/t...

jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/it-sure-lo... Interesting take. A professor counts the numbers. Arday's work has lots of citations.

"The implicit logic was that if an ethnic minority ever tricks you, anti-racism has gone too far", says journalist and editor Steven Bush. Was Jason Arday hounded due to a paranoia that the UK operates a two-tier system - a view that has been proliferated online?

Cork & Cage and Boodle Fight, Birmingham: ‘You’ll want to try it all’ The Pershore Road in the southwest of the city is a hidden gem stuffed with dozens of independent eateries. But these two will answer all your prayers ✍️ Rebecca Nicholson https://bit.ly/46djN6w

The frightening logic of Blue Labour: Glasman, Rutherford, McSweeney, Mahmood,Cowley, Collier all praise the 'Danish' model and end up in bed with Meloni. European values from the French revolution onwards are liberty,equality and solidarity. 'Faith,flag and family' is a Mussolini slogan.

Amazing how this story involving Reform's head of policy has been ignored.

Good election slogan.

@nixonsimon.bsky.social exposing the shameful response of Meloni, Frederiksen and other EU leaders to Morocco's Cueta migrant invasion.

Spot on.

Ceuta explained. Informed commentary from @nandosigona.bsky.social

Spot on.

A sign that some parts of European left understand the significance of Burnham.

Ppl always talking about radicalisation via social media echo chambers etc etc. Can we talk about how our *national newspapers* are now advocating for the kind of “white is right” ethnonationalism previously only espoused by the National Front & BNP?

action.compassonline.org.uk/news_agents?... A must listen. Lawson and Goodall in sparkling form discussing what will be needed if Burnham is to topple Thatcherism.

Today experienced the 24th day of year hitting 30C in London. For perspective in whole of 1980s we had 21 days.

open.substack.com/pub/vicderby.... Very moving piece on breast cancer and Mrs. Burnham.