Stephen Jones | Lightnews

Stephen H. Jones

@stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social

190 followers 190 following 150 posts

Social scientist. Writes about religion and prejudice, society and politics. Teaches sociology and criminology. Rides bikes.

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Political science 39%

Sociology 28%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 7h

Today, thoughts inevitably turn to a man whose life and death will always be associated with this time of year – a man whose purity of heart and good works alike contain, I think, the true spirit of the season.

On the true meaning of Christmas

Some notes on the man who to me represents the spirit of the season.

jonn.substack.com

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

RIP John Robertson. One of most striking example of a player & manager transforming each other: he was not a first team regular in the second division for Forest when Clough arrived yet became central to winning promotion, the league title and two European Cups!
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

John Robertson, Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend, dies aged 72

John Robertson, part of Brian Clough’s famous Nottingham Forest side and a former Scotland international, has died at the age of 72

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Stephen Jones, David L. Anderson , and 1 more Richard S.J. Tol, Stephen Jones, David L. Anderson, Jon Dean

Micah @rincewind.run · 1d

Discworld QOTD, from Hogfather

All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 3d

Rob Green has a side hustle as an evangelical pastor and no-one will convince me otherwise.

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 3d

My full page comic for the @prospectmagazine.co.uk Christmas issue. With sincere apologies.

This is a comic pate drawn in the soft pencil style of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Basically the story is this:

- Keir Starmer in dressing gown presses face up to window, excited that it is snowing
- He runs outside, builds a snowman
- It comes to life, taps on his window
- He invites it in, gives it clothes (yellow trouser, green jacket, flat cap) and we realise (face close up) it looks like Nigel Farage
- Snowman takes him outside, launches off the ground
- They fly over the landscape, we see a town below
- A man ziptying a St George’s Flag to a lamp post waves at them as they pass
- As in the original, they head for the sea - we see a light by the coast
- Instead of Brighton pier as in the original, it is an Asylum Detention Center
- They land, we see people queuing behind a fence
- Snowman Farage points excitedly at a large bin marked VALUABLES
- Snowman Farage pulls a child's E-scooter out of the bin, he and Starmer look excited
- They take off again and go back to Keir’s home
- Farage resumes his place in the garden, Starmer walks back inside to go back to bed
- The next day Snowman Farage has melted, leaving only his clothes and the scooter - now with a bow and label attached to show it is a Christmas gift.

[ends]

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

Funny and correct.

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

GOOD MORNING. I AM GOING TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT CRICKET.

I've always thought Alastair Cooke doesn't get enough credit for scoring 750+ in the 2011 Ashes, relative to the pisshead veneration of Botham, Flintoff, Pietersen, Stokes etc. The last few weeks have really rammed that home.

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

Once more, I wonder why Labour doesn't use this good and correct point as an attack line. Literally, just repeat, 'Reform is a retirement home for failed Tories', again and again.

Sam Bright @writesbright.bsky.social · 6d

For all of Farage’s bombast and bravado, Reform is basically just a retirement home for disgraced Tories - and the media should be reporting it as such

Farage’s Tory recycling scheme

And why it will surely backfire...

writesbright.substack.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Stephen Jones, Aurélien Mondon

Sam Bright @writesbright.bsky.social · 6d

For all of Farage’s bombast and bravado, Reform is basically just a retirement home for disgraced Tories - and the media should be reporting it as such

Farage’s Tory recycling scheme

And why it will surely backfire...

writesbright.substack.com

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 6d

Very similar experience here. I think part of the problem is the academic publishing industry has been hollowed out - volunteer academic staff with zero time and contracted out production staff.

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 6d

I was alerted to a book in my research area laced with fake citations earlier this year. I contacted the (very reputable, mainstream) publisher. No action taken - it's still on sale today.

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 7d

Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵

Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...

Reposted by Reece Jones, Guntram B. Wolff, Richard S.J. Tol , and 58 more Reece Jones, Guntram B. Wolff, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop, Peter Thorne, Mor Naaman, Suzana J. Camargo, Steve Peers, Brad R. Humphreys, Evelyne de Leeuw, Jonathan Wolff, Mary Feeney, Olivier Corneille, Kai Arzheimer, Ian Hall, Henning Melber, Julian Webb, Patricia Aufderheide, Lesley A. Hall, Juan Cole, John Mullahy, Valerie Mueller, James Grimmelmann, Smith, Silvia Secchi, Robert Wolfe, Ariadne Vromen, Trevor A. Branch, Aileen McHarg, Margot C. Finn, Marina Costa Lobo, Howard Stevenson, Michael H. Whitworth, Melanie Simms, Stephen Jones, Miranda J. Lubbers, Maria Abreu, Jen Schneider, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Michael Jones‐Correa, Aurélien Mondon, Kevin Manaugh, David Bartram, Yue Qian, Helen Schwenken, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Urška Demšar, Jeremy J. Schmidt, Judith Freedman, Hisham Zerriffi, Klaus Oschema, Daxton R. Stewart, Pádua Fernandes, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Lisa A. Kramer, Aidan O’Sullivan, Karin Wulf, Giulio Mattioli, Catherine Spooner, Clark Gray, David Spurrett

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 7d

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Daniel Mang @danielmang.bsky.social · 9d

For Stronger Links Between Research on Racism and Research on Antisemitism, by Sina Arnold and Juliane Karakayali – 24 June 2024 leftrenewal.org/articles-en/...

For Stronger Links Between Research on Racism and Research on Antisemitism, by Sina Arnold and Juliane Karakayali – 24 June 2024 – Left Renewal Blog

leftrenewal.org

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 9d

Well, yes, but Starmer is still on 48% total contempt, miraculously. And at least people hated him only after he got into office!

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 9d

This would be a major cultural break with the long tradition (one that holds up even under Starmer) of holding PMs in mild contempt.

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 9d

There's a real prospect of the next UK PM being someone who the overall majority of the UK holds in total contempt.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 10d

Latest party leader net favourability ratings, December 2025

Kemi Badenoch: -26
Nigel Farage: -35
Keir Starmer: -54

Zack Polanski: -6 (49% DK)
Ed Davey: -10 (38% DK)

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Stephen Jones

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 9d

The deafening silence from the UK's "official" Jewish institutions on Nigel Farrage's antisemitism demonstrates how morally bankrupt they are. So far the Board of Deputies, JLC, chief rabbi and CST have yet to say one word. Pathetic doesn't begin to capture it.

www.jewishnews.co.uk/jonathan-fre...

JONATHAN FREEDLAND: Why Britain’s Jewish leaders are silent on Farage’s schoolyard antisemitism

While the Reform UK leader and his allies smear accusers as liars, the Board, JLC and HET remain mute, fearing the wrath of a rising politician

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 2 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Lesley A. Hall, Stephen Jones

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 10d

Latest party leader net favourability ratings, December 2025

Kemi Badenoch: -26
Nigel Farage: -35
Keir Starmer: -54

Zack Polanski: -6 (49% DK)
Ed Davey: -10 (38% DK)

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Reposted by Steve Peers, Robert Wolfe, Stephen Jones , and 1 more Steve Peers, Robert Wolfe, Stephen Jones, Peter Cook

Reuters @reuters.com · 10d

US suspends technology deal with Britain, FT reports reut.rs/4aRbgK4

US suspends technology deal with Britain, FT reports

The United States has suspended a technology deal it struck with Britain earlier this year, which was intended to boost ties in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

reut.rs

Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth, Stephen Jones

Alice Bennett @aliceponderland.bsky.social · 11d

Nobody in The Moral Maze gets eaten by the Moral Minotaur, which is a fundamental flaw in the programme.

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

What's especially depressing is that change hasn't been stimulated by geopolitical conflicts or terrorist incidents like 9/11, Gaza, etc. It's just pointless top-down culture war fear-mongering all the way down.

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

I'd never come across this survey before, and it's endlessly depressing - negativity towards trans people has gone from 16 to 25% in just a few years. That figure is roughly the same now as the percentage of people who feel negative towards Muslims.

yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

What do lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Britons think the British public thinks of them? | YouGov

Gay and lesbian Britons tend to think the public has a favourable view of them, but bisexual and particularly transgender Britons feel less positivity from the public

yougov.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen Jones, Stuart White, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 11d

Heartbreaking reading

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

Who were the Bondi beach shooting victims? What we know

Authorities say two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 11d

Rob Reiner: the guy who directed that film you love. A short piece about one of the greatest runs of terrific movies from any director in the history of cinema.

thecritic.co.uk/than...

What links the following films: This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990) and A Few Good Men (1992)? Not subject, not style. Greatness? The list certainly contains Top Ten entries for comedy, romance and courtroom films.

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

Black day.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Stephen Jones

Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · 11d

In memory of Rob Reiner, please enjoy my favourite Wikipedia entry of all time, which is Former Members of Spinal Tap. Any time I need a laugh, I pull it up.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_...

Spinal Tap (band) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Stephen Jones

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 12d

Cole does ask if banning Halal means banning Kosher.

CT says it should

CT does say he'd ban Kosher + those Jews who want it "have a country of their own to go to"

Cole does not challenge or contest this in any way

Reposted by Tim Bale, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Stephen Jones

Naomi Waltham-Smith @auralflaneur.bsky.social · 13d

“Parental resources seem to play an outsize role in who gets help.”

Stephen H. Jones @stphnhwrdjns.bsky.social · 14d

First, why is the MEN reporting on an accidental death in Bristol? And second, why does this read like: "Paul once got I AM A VIOLENT C**T tattooed on his face, which, local residents agreed, reflected his cheeky character and working class values."

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Man dies after falling from lamppost putting up Union Jack flag

Paul Lumber died after falling from a ladder while hanging Union Jack flags on lampposts near his home

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen Jones

Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 15d

“by insisting that parents of small children be each other’s village rather than the recipients of community care, we are simply asking an overwhelmed, dispersed, and time-poor group of people at the most critical time in their careers to also, by the way, start a bowling league and supper club” 💯

Don't Blame the Villagers

Is everyone just too flaky and selfish these days to show up for each other? Or is something else going on?

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