Charlie Matthews
@charliematthews.bsky.social
Moderately online geriatric millennial. Political strategy consultant mainly in the development / humanitarian sector.
Based in Brighton, UK
Based in Brighton, UK
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
Bluesky GMT schedule:
7am-9am: What did He do while we were asleep?
9am-10am: Complaining about NYT games
10am-2pm: Remember when that kid called Matt Bianco a bunch of wankers?
2pm: The horrors recommence
7am-9am: What did He do while we were asleep?
9am-10am: Complaining about NYT games
10am-2pm: Remember when that kid called Matt Bianco a bunch of wankers?
2pm: The horrors recommence
February 5, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Bluesky GMT schedule:
7am-9am: What did He do while we were asleep?
9am-10am: Complaining about NYT games
10am-2pm: Remember when that kid called Matt Bianco a bunch of wankers?
2pm: The horrors recommence
7am-9am: What did He do while we were asleep?
9am-10am: Complaining about NYT games
10am-2pm: Remember when that kid called Matt Bianco a bunch of wankers?
2pm: The horrors recommence
I loved it, might read the Clough one now as well
February 4, 2026 at 9:02 AM
I loved it, might read the Clough one now as well
Ooh no - I’ve read interviews with the author talking about her inspiration and definitely no mention of Clough
February 3, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Ooh no - I’ve read interviews with the author talking about her inspiration and definitely no mention of Clough
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
Nothing like enjoying your slightly cheaper pint while imagining the toddler crying from hunger that paid for it.
Reform UK says it would re-impose two-child benefit cap for most families to fund £3bn support package for pubs - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
February 3, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Nothing like enjoying your slightly cheaper pint while imagining the toddler crying from hunger that paid for it.
That is an extremely cute baby
February 2, 2026 at 8:23 PM
That is an extremely cute baby
And as the majority of victims of domestic abuse/ coercive control etc
February 2, 2026 at 10:49 AM
And as the majority of victims of domestic abuse/ coercive control etc
So pleased to see he got his hat and backpack back - the detail that he was asking for them absolutely broke me the other day
Liam is home now and we are grateful to @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social for traveling to Minneapolis with him and his dad.
Welcome home Liam ❤️❤️
Welcome home Liam ❤️❤️
February 1, 2026 at 7:57 PM
So pleased to see he got his hat and backpack back - the detail that he was asking for them absolutely broke me the other day
I had to do this for a senior council person as a temp PA - he would scrawl ‘delete’ ‘forward’ etc on them. Also early 00s. He didn’t even know his own password
February 1, 2026 at 12:22 PM
I had to do this for a senior council person as a temp PA - he would scrawl ‘delete’ ‘forward’ etc on them. Also early 00s. He didn’t even know his own password
Good luck and god speed
February 1, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Good luck and god speed
Quite - so you have to decide which is worse, people who have genuine need of it not being able to access it, or a few people being pressured into doing it. I can see the arguments either way but personally think the latter is worse.
February 1, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Quite - so you have to decide which is worse, people who have genuine need of it not being able to access it, or a few people being pressured into doing it. I can see the arguments either way but personally think the latter is worse.
I realise this may seem like a sci fi dream but I would love it if one day someone invented a printer that worked
February 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM
I realise this may seem like a sci fi dream but I would love it if one day someone invented a printer that worked
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
"average New Labour minister causes 3 scandals" factoid actualy just statistical error. average minister causes 0 scandals. Scandals Peter, who lives in cave & causes over 10,000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
January 31, 2026 at 7:29 PM
"average New Labour minister causes 3 scandals" factoid actualy just statistical error. average minister causes 0 scandals. Scandals Peter, who lives in cave & causes over 10,000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
Some of the people raising that argument were not trying to keep it illegal but asking for better safeguards, which seems reasonable
February 1, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Some of the people raising that argument were not trying to keep it illegal but asking for better safeguards, which seems reasonable
There is a women’s rights argument against assisted dying - that women as a less empowered group are more likely to be pressured into it.
January 31, 2026 at 6:54 PM
There is a women’s rights argument against assisted dying - that women as a less empowered group are more likely to be pressured into it.
YES! So many play cafes seem to shut down after a while as it’s hard to make money - but they are such a valuable space for kids and parents
January 27, 2026 at 8:56 PM
YES! So many play cafes seem to shut down after a while as it’s hard to make money - but they are such a valuable space for kids and parents
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
A thought: what's happening in the US shows that the somewheres/anywheres thing is bollocks. Most of the people mobilising, Goodhart would call Anywheres. And they're mobilising specifically to protect their neighbours and their neighbourhoods.
January 27, 2026 at 3:53 PM
A thought: what's happening in the US shows that the somewheres/anywheres thing is bollocks. Most of the people mobilising, Goodhart would call Anywheres. And they're mobilising specifically to protect their neighbours and their neighbourhoods.
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
📢 JOB ALERT! Postdoc opportunity in Political Behaviour & Political Economy (UKRI‑funded) - Please do share with anyone who might be a great fit. If you’re interested or would like to know more, please feel free to get in touch!! jobs.reading.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Quantitative Political Behaviour and Political Economy:Whiteknights Reading UK
The closing date for applications is 23.59 on 22nd February 2026
jobs.reading.ac.uk
January 26, 2026 at 4:37 PM
📢 JOB ALERT! Postdoc opportunity in Political Behaviour & Political Economy (UKRI‑funded) - Please do share with anyone who might be a great fit. If you’re interested or would like to know more, please feel free to get in touch!! jobs.reading.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
Despite the focus on small boats, most refugees stay in poor countries.
I went to Sudan, where nearly 1/3 of the population has left their homes, to see how the UN is coping with Trump's cuts and the west's retreat.
Sudan is a brutal, forgotten war. Please do read: as.ft.com/r/7db76b9a-8...
I went to Sudan, where nearly 1/3 of the population has left their homes, to see how the UN is coping with Trump's cuts and the west's retreat.
Sudan is a brutal, forgotten war. Please do read: as.ft.com/r/7db76b9a-8...
Adapt, shrink or die: the global crisis in humanitarian aid
[FREE TO READ] The UN’s outgoing High Commissioner for Refugees on the west’s retreat in Sudan, the folly of abandoning state-building and ‘necessary anger’
as.ft.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Despite the focus on small boats, most refugees stay in poor countries.
I went to Sudan, where nearly 1/3 of the population has left their homes, to see how the UN is coping with Trump's cuts and the west's retreat.
Sudan is a brutal, forgotten war. Please do read: as.ft.com/r/7db76b9a-8...
I went to Sudan, where nearly 1/3 of the population has left their homes, to see how the UN is coping with Trump's cuts and the west's retreat.
Sudan is a brutal, forgotten war. Please do read: as.ft.com/r/7db76b9a-8...
I'm surprised how well-known and well-liked he is with people I know who don't really follow politics. Mumsnet was outraged
January 26, 2026 at 9:31 AM
I'm surprised how well-known and well-liked he is with people I know who don't really follow politics. Mumsnet was outraged
We abandoned a planned visit with the kids last year as it was so crowded outside it felt actively unsafe
January 23, 2026 at 11:14 AM
We abandoned a planned visit with the kids last year as it was so crowded outside it felt actively unsafe
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
I know some people are cynical about everything now and just say “eh, what do you expect” at every new low, but really this is just astonishing and outrageous, and I don’t think we should shrug at that www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest
Guardian analysis shows images are the same, with Nekima Levy Armstrong looking composed in original but sobbing after alteration
www.theguardian.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:32 AM
I know some people are cynical about everything now and just say “eh, what do you expect” at every new low, but really this is just astonishing and outrageous, and I don’t think we should shrug at that www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
The fact that we are *still* handing incredibly sensitive systems to Palantir to run is *insane*
January 18, 2026 at 2:16 PM
The fact that we are *still* handing incredibly sensitive systems to Palantir to run is *insane*
Cars!! Surely this is a huge part of it. It's why I don't let my 8 year old roam - she's sensible but we are in a city and to get anywhere (park/ shop/ mate's house) she'd have to cross a bunch of busy roads. An adult was killed at an intersection near us recently by a Evri driver in a hurry
January 16, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Cars!! Surely this is a huge part of it. It's why I don't let my 8 year old roam - she's sensible but we are in a city and to get anywhere (park/ shop/ mate's house) she'd have to cross a bunch of busy roads. An adult was killed at an intersection near us recently by a Evri driver in a hurry
Reposted by Charlie Matthews
This intro to David Frost's Telegraph column sums up so much that is wrong with British politics.
January 16, 2026 at 8:46 AM
This intro to David Frost's Telegraph column sums up so much that is wrong with British politics.