Ben Phillips
@benphillips1989.bsky.social
Historian (of Russia, at Exeter). Didn't really want another social account but susceptible to peer pressure, so here I am.
Reposted by Ben Phillips
Does anyone want a survivorship bias shortbread
November 29, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Does anyone want a survivorship bias shortbread
Reposted by Ben Phillips
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
Reposted by Ben Phillips
A few weeks ago there was a flag waving guy regularly stationed on an overbridge right by the A38/A380 split just outside Exeter, one of the biggest accident blackspots in Devon and exactly where you want more distractions
Ignoring the pathetic, tragic jingoism of popping a bunch of nylon flags on the posts of road signage along a bypass, but these are such obvious hazards it should genuinely merit a national restraining order on the flag twats.
November 16, 2025 at 6:10 PM
A few weeks ago there was a flag waving guy regularly stationed on an overbridge right by the A38/A380 split just outside Exeter, one of the biggest accident blackspots in Devon and exactly where you want more distractions
Reposted by Ben Phillips
Please sign the petition below in support of colleagues at Nottingham, where courses in the highly respected Dept of Modern Languages & Cultures have been earmarked for suspension.
We Can Make an Impact.
Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!
c.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Please sign the petition below in support of colleagues at Nottingham, where courses in the highly respected Dept of Modern Languages & Cultures have been earmarked for suspension.
Reposted by Ben Phillips
Totally unserious comment from a totally unserious minister. Every bit as bad as her Tory predecessors. Except, perhaps, they might have acknowledged the huge job losses we're seeing across universities.
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Totally unserious comment from a totally unserious minister. Every bit as bad as her Tory predecessors. Except, perhaps, they might have acknowledged the huge job losses we're seeing across universities.
British carbohydrates are the best
The British Right are just in total freefall into savagery at this point
October 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
British carbohydrates are the best
Reposted by Ben Phillips
Presumably David Cameron will be writing a furious letter of complaint to Nuno Espírito Santo about the Maccabi Tel Aviv decision.
October 17, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Presumably David Cameron will be writing a furious letter of complaint to Nuno Espírito Santo about the Maccabi Tel Aviv decision.
A reminder that it took UEFA less than a week to ban Russian clubs from European competitions back in February 2022.
Why are we even debating whether to play football against teams from a country committing genocide?
October 17, 2025 at 6:08 AM
A reminder that it took UEFA less than a week to ban Russian clubs from European competitions back in February 2022.
Counting down the days until I can once again start inflicting the Nigel Hess Christmas piano classics album on my friends and family
October 12, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Counting down the days until I can once again start inflicting the Nigel Hess Christmas piano classics album on my friends and family
Respect to EE for following up the obligatory 'calls may be recorded for training purposes' message with Dua's Training Season as hold music
October 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Respect to EE for following up the obligatory 'calls may be recorded for training purposes' message with Dua's Training Season as hold music
Reposted by Ben Phillips
and they’ll apply this to the asylum hotel protests and flag shaggers too right? right?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Police to get broader powers to crack down on repeated protests
Officers will be able to tell organisers to move demonstrations if protests have caused "repeated disorder".
www.bbc.com
October 5, 2025 at 7:05 AM
and they’ll apply this to the asylum hotel protests and flag shaggers too right? right?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Settling down in front of the telly to watch Chelsea do some competent defending, can't wait
I might start a @tom-phillips.com style 'cricket's going well then' monothread for Chelsea this season
September 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Settling down in front of the telly to watch Chelsea do some competent defending, can't wait
Reposted by Ben Phillips
It is the last day of my autumn sale, if you want to pick up a bargain! #embroidery www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Comm...
September 30, 2025 at 6:12 AM
It is the last day of my autumn sale, if you want to pick up a bargain! #embroidery www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Comm...
First day of term and I just tried to sign into the office printer with my British Library readers ticket. Start as you mean to go on.
September 22, 2025 at 7:51 AM
First day of term and I just tried to sign into the office printer with my British Library readers ticket. Start as you mean to go on.
Reposted by Ben Phillips
'I was glad it was a very hot, sunny day with bright blue skies, because otherwise the deserted, ruined church with legends connected to it of fiends and black dogs breathing fire might have spooked me a little.'
open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
September 22, 2025 at 6:44 AM
'I was glad it was a very hot, sunny day with bright blue skies, because otherwise the deserted, ruined church with legends connected to it of fiends and black dogs breathing fire might have spooked me a little.'
open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
Reposted by Ben Phillips
I've written about Church Going (in the Larkin sense) and tenuous literary connections in Devon and beyond.
Warning: contains pictures of churches open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
Warning: contains pictures of churches open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
Church Going
A serious house on serious earth it is, In whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognised, and robed as destinies. - Philip Larkin
open.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I've written about Church Going (in the Larkin sense) and tenuous literary connections in Devon and beyond.
Warning: contains pictures of churches open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
Warning: contains pictures of churches open.substack.com/pub/deepdown...
I'm not sure I fully agree with this but it does raise an important point: a) there are a lot of people, mostly very disengaged politically, who would be up for voting for a Corbyn-branded party (but would not be actively engaged otherwise); b) any new left party needs to mobilise these people.
"... whether one leans towards Team Jeremy or Team Zarah in the current fracas, the ballast lies with Corbyn. Only he can be the midwife of the new party."
averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com/2025/09/relu...
averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com/2025/09/relu...
Reluctant Corbynism Revisited
So much for the hope of reconciliation . Late Friday night, Zarah Sultana announced she was seeking legal advice against unspecified instan...
averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com
September 21, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I'm not sure I fully agree with this but it does raise an important point: a) there are a lot of people, mostly very disengaged politically, who would be up for voting for a Corbyn-branded party (but would not be actively engaged otherwise); b) any new left party needs to mobilise these people.
еб*ла жаба гадюку
DAILY MAIL PLUS:
DAN HODGES: McSweeney's secret 'slush fund' and why the stench of sleaze just won't leave Keir Starmer
Archive: archive.today/n5Gk4
DAN HODGES: McSweeney's secret 'slush fund' and why the stench of sleaze just won't leave Keir Starmer
Archive: archive.today/n5Gk4
September 21, 2025 at 10:53 AM
еб*ла жаба гадюку
Great stuff, love to see it
September 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Great stuff, love to see it
Reposted by Ben Phillips
didn't know Ruben Amorim was managing the Fed
Deutsche Bank takes a shot at putting names to the dot plot. I call this chart: Hammack Vs. Miran
September 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
didn't know Ruben Amorim was managing the Fed
FFS lads
🚨 | Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that the YourParty membership sign up link posted this morning by Zarah Sultana was unauthorised.
Over 20,000 people had already signed up, with the standard rate being £55 per annum. These are set to be cancelled.
Over 20,000 people had already signed up, with the standard rate being £55 per annum. These are set to be cancelled.
September 18, 2025 at 2:26 PM
FFS lads
I think Chelsea might do better than expected in Europe this season, mostly because of the new CL format, but dearie me they've a long way to go both mentally and technically. All way too dependent on Palmer and half of them still think they're playing in the Conference League
September 17, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I think Chelsea might do better than expected in Europe this season, mostly because of the new CL format, but dearie me they've a long way to go both mentally and technically. All way too dependent on Palmer and half of them still think they're playing in the Conference League
Reposted by Ben Phillips
A) Nobody has to work in politics
B) if you do work in politics your behaviour should derive from your values
C) If your values allow you to make sexual assault jokes you probably shouldn’t be in the Labour Party
D) Unless this is what Labour really is now: a lads-only Thick of It tribute act.
B) if you do work in politics your behaviour should derive from your values
C) If your values allow you to make sexual assault jokes you probably shouldn’t be in the Labour Party
D) Unless this is what Labour really is now: a lads-only Thick of It tribute act.
In which I argue that:
a) The Paul Ovenden messages about Diane Abbott are really repugnant, and
b) We might want to be careful about deciding anything bad anyone has ever said online, however long ago, even in a private message is grounds for resignation
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
a) The Paul Ovenden messages about Diane Abbott are really repugnant, and
b) We might want to be careful about deciding anything bad anyone has ever said online, however long ago, even in a private message is grounds for resignation
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Who will be the next Paul Ovenden?
The messages from Starmer’s ousted aide are repugnant. But digital skeletons have become almost inevitable
www.newstatesman.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:48 AM
A) Nobody has to work in politics
B) if you do work in politics your behaviour should derive from your values
C) If your values allow you to make sexual assault jokes you probably shouldn’t be in the Labour Party
D) Unless this is what Labour really is now: a lads-only Thick of It tribute act.
B) if you do work in politics your behaviour should derive from your values
C) If your values allow you to make sexual assault jokes you probably shouldn’t be in the Labour Party
D) Unless this is what Labour really is now: a lads-only Thick of It tribute act.