Stuart
@appiusstacitus.bsky.social
Liberal Reform board member
Likes: economic growth
Dislikes: NIMBYism
Likes: economic growth
Dislikes: NIMBYism
"I think they're singing in English but it might be Welsh."
Glee Club in one sentence
Glee Club in one sentence
September 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
"I think they're singing in English but it might be Welsh."
Glee Club in one sentence
Glee Club in one sentence
Reposted by Stuart
I’m old enough to remember when Conservative Party leaders believed in law and order.
Kemi Badenoch refusing to acknowledge that Tommy Robinson is "far-right", now on LBC, and refusing to condemn Elon Musk's words. In fact she says what Musk said *isn't* incitement. So what would be incitement then? How violent would his words have to be before he was deemed a threat to this country?
September 16, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I’m old enough to remember when Conservative Party leaders believed in law and order.
Reposted by Stuart
What the hell is wrong with me?
August 19, 2025 at 5:55 PM
What the hell is wrong with me?
The Home Secretary needs to reflect on how she got into this position, before taking the only honourable way out - resignation.
UK police arrest more than 466 at protest for banned Palestine Action group reut.rs/4fv7lmF
UK police arrest more than 466 at protest for banned Palestine Action group
Officers made arrests after crowds, waving placards expressing support for the group, gathered in Parliament Square.
reut.rs
August 10, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The Home Secretary needs to reflect on how she got into this position, before taking the only honourable way out - resignation.
The lack of accountability is striking: the legislation was always likely to have this effect, but by outsourcing the work of drawing the line politicians can pretend that it's someone else's fault whenever it's drawn in the wrong place.
UK regulation of the internet continues to be mind-numbing stupid.
Ministers have spent years passing laws giving the power to fine tech companies billions if they don’t moderate legal content that could harm certain audiences. Now they’re threatening fines of billions if they moderate it ‘wrong’.
Ministers have spent years passing laws giving the power to fine tech companies billions if they don’t moderate legal content that could harm certain audiences. Now they’re threatening fines of billions if they moderate it ‘wrong’.
August 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The lack of accountability is striking: the legislation was always likely to have this effect, but by outsourcing the work of drawing the line politicians can pretend that it's someone else's fault whenever it's drawn in the wrong place.
Reposted by Stuart
Breaking News: James Lovell Jr., commander of Apollo 13, the spacecraft that survived a near catastrophic explosion as it approached the moon, has died at 97.
James A. Lovell Jr., Commander of Apollo 13, Is Dead at 97
He led the three-man crew that survived a near catastrophic explosion in space in 1970, and was later immortalized by Tom Hanks in the movie “Apollo 13.”
nyti.ms
August 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Breaking News: James Lovell Jr., commander of Apollo 13, the spacecraft that survived a near catastrophic explosion as it approached the moon, has died at 97.
easyJet has a very clever system for providing accommodation when they have to divert a flight overnight: they send a link you can use to book a hotel. The link doesn't work, but it's very clever that it's there
July 1, 2025 at 5:25 PM
easyJet has a very clever system for providing accommodation when they have to divert a flight overnight: they send a link you can use to book a hotel. The link doesn't work, but it's very clever that it's there
This is by no means my main issue with Harrow Tories, but pledging to "Treat residents and businesses like valued customers" fundamentally misunderstands the relationship of a resident to their local council.
June 14, 2025 at 12:47 PM
This is by no means my main issue with Harrow Tories, but pledging to "Treat residents and businesses like valued customers" fundamentally misunderstands the relationship of a resident to their local council.
I am fascinated by the political strategy that looks at the current state of the Conservative Party and thinks, "We need to narrow our electoral coalition immediately".
Well, this seems like the end for a certain type of Conservatism.
June 8, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I am fascinated by the political strategy that looks at the current state of the Conservative Party and thinks, "We need to narrow our electoral coalition immediately".
Almost every single part of this result is striking
❗ Reform GAIN from Labour
Fairstead (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) council by-election result:
REF: 39.1% (+39.1)
LDEM: 37.2% (+37.2)
LAB: 16.0% (-29.7)
GRN: 4.9% (-16.9)
IND: 2.8% (+2.8)
No Con (-32.5) as prev.
+/- 2023
Estimated turnout: ~17% (-2)
Fairstead (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) council by-election result:
REF: 39.1% (+39.1)
LDEM: 37.2% (+37.2)
LAB: 16.0% (-29.7)
GRN: 4.9% (-16.9)
IND: 2.8% (+2.8)
No Con (-32.5) as prev.
+/- 2023
Estimated turnout: ~17% (-2)
June 6, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Almost every single part of this result is striking
I think we need to move away from the idea that every series (or worse, every episode) of a major TV series has to have some major IP-defining twist.
May 31, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I think we need to move away from the idea that every series (or worse, every episode) of a major TV series has to have some major IP-defining twist.
Ironically, the weather in Nice is not nice
May 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Ironically, the weather in Nice is not nice
Reposted by Stuart
Popes are chosen by God, making them the ultimate Dei hire
April 21, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Popes are chosen by God, making them the ultimate Dei hire
Reposted by Stuart
It is nice and calm on here in the mornings. Just gently bemused Brits, landscape photos and complaints about trains. Then America wakes up and it becomes endless screaming for the rest of the day. In that regard, Bluesky is a metonym for the global economy.
April 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
It is nice and calm on here in the mornings. Just gently bemused Brits, landscape photos and complaints about trains. Then America wakes up and it becomes endless screaming for the rest of the day. In that regard, Bluesky is a metonym for the global economy.
Reposted by Stuart
I have tariffed
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
April 3, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I have tariffed
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
I had no idea global economic disaster could be this boring to listen to
April 2, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I had no idea global economic disaster could be this boring to listen to
Reposted by Stuart
New post just out:
"The Rise of the Gurus"
Looking at how unelected advisers have ended up being so powerful in British politics.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
"The Rise of the Gurus"
Looking at how unelected advisers have ended up being so powerful in British politics.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
The Rise of the Gurus
This piece originally appeared in last week’s Times Literary Supplement. I thought it would be of interest to subscribers and they have kindly agreed to let me reproduce it here. It’s a review of “Get...
open.substack.com
April 1, 2025 at 7:30 AM
New post just out:
"The Rise of the Gurus"
Looking at how unelected advisers have ended up being so powerful in British politics.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
"The Rise of the Gurus"
Looking at how unelected advisers have ended up being so powerful in British politics.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
Reposted by Stuart
White House claims "plenary authority, derived from...the mandate of the electorate" to lift itself above the courts.
This is what I mean when I talk about "authoritarian democracy": the idea that constraints on an elected govt - whether courts, laws or oppositions - are inherently anti-democratic.
This is what I mean when I talk about "authoritarian democracy": the idea that constraints on an elected govt - whether courts, laws or oppositions - are inherently anti-democratic.
Hooooo boy: "The Executive Branch hereby notifies the Court that no further information will be provided in response to the Court’s March 18, 2025 Minute Order based on the state secrets privilege." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
March 25, 2025 at 9:34 AM
White House claims "plenary authority, derived from...the mandate of the electorate" to lift itself above the courts.
This is what I mean when I talk about "authoritarian democracy": the idea that constraints on an elected govt - whether courts, laws or oppositions - are inherently anti-democratic.
This is what I mean when I talk about "authoritarian democracy": the idea that constraints on an elected govt - whether courts, laws or oppositions - are inherently anti-democratic.
Reposted by Stuart
Liberal Democrats are the only party in British politics speaking up in defiance of Donald Trump.
The only ones willing to state the obvious truth: that he is no leader of the free world.
The only ones willing to state the obvious truth: that he is no leader of the free world.
March 23, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Liberal Democrats are the only party in British politics speaking up in defiance of Donald Trump.
The only ones willing to state the obvious truth: that he is no leader of the free world.
The only ones willing to state the obvious truth: that he is no leader of the free world.
F10 seems like a constitutional approach to what is fundamentally a resourcing problem to me. Very Lib Dem, but not in the best way
March 22, 2025 at 2:35 PM
F10 seems like a constitutional approach to what is fundamentally a resourcing problem to me. Very Lib Dem, but not in the best way
I had a dream last night in which I discovered, to my surprise, that I had successfully managed to close a bank account
March 15, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I had a dream last night in which I discovered, to my surprise, that I had successfully managed to close a bank account
The BBC is so committed to ensuring that their viewers can understand Mark Carney that every time he switches to French they wait for a bit and then talk over him as he switches back to English.
March 9, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The BBC is so committed to ensuring that their viewers can understand Mark Carney that every time he switches to French they wait for a bit and then talk over him as he switches back to English.
First TfL ticket check I've seen in months, and they were waiting basically just inside the barrier, re-checking what the barriers had just checked.
March 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
First TfL ticket check I've seen in months, and they were waiting basically just inside the barrier, re-checking what the barriers had just checked.
Reposted by Stuart
La démocratie et la liberté valent toujours la peine d'être défendues. Slava Ukraini.
February 28, 2025 at 8:09 PM
La démocratie et la liberté valent toujours la peine d'être défendues. Slava Ukraini.
Every time I think I'm coming to terms with the horror that is 2025 geopolitics it somehow gets worse
February 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Every time I think I'm coming to terms with the horror that is 2025 geopolitics it somehow gets worse