David Clark
@david-k-clark.bsky.social
Ex-Foreign Office adviser to Robin Cook. Politics, foreign policy, football. Scottish 🏴. Firmly left. HMFC🇱🇻MUFC🇾🇪.
Please do something to improve the crappy iPad version.
February 9, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Please do something to improve the crappy iPad version.
Jammed between the Warcraft geeks and the Rugby League fans, I see. There seem to be fans of other Scottish clubs here, but so far no real interaction between them, so they don’t show up as linked on the map. It’s a hard thing to represent in two dimensions, mind.
February 9, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Jammed between the Warcraft geeks and the Rugby League fans, I see. There seem to be fans of other Scottish clubs here, but so far no real interaction between them, so they don’t show up as linked on the map. It’s a hard thing to represent in two dimensions, mind.
Probably says something about progressives, then. 😂
February 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Probably says something about progressives, then. 😂
The funniest thing about this map is that there’s a Dutch Progressive Community at completely the opposite end from the Dutch Progressive Politics and Culture people. I think this must tell us something about the Dutch.
I made a map of 3.4 million Bluesky users - see if you can find yourself!
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
Bluesky Map
Interactive map of 3.4 million Bluesky users, visualised by their follower pattern.
bluesky-map.theo.io
February 9, 2026 at 11:49 AM
The funniest thing about this map is that there’s a Dutch Progressive Community at completely the opposite end from the Dutch Progressive Politics and Culture people. I think this must tell us something about the Dutch.
The good news is that after today we won’t have to listen to any more boring shit about the Super Bowl for another year.
February 9, 2026 at 8:42 AM
The good news is that after today we won’t have to listen to any more boring shit about the Super Bowl for another year.
The elite London media/politics bubble is now very right wing and extremely toxic.
February 8, 2026 at 9:13 PM
The elite London media/politics bubble is now very right wing and extremely toxic.
“Rejoinerism”? Yeah, who needs a policy that’s guaranteed to lift growth and has broad public support? Let’s just continue to blame everything on immigrants.
Yes, god help we risk a floundering government that feels like no one is in charge.
February 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
“Rejoinerism”? Yeah, who needs a policy that’s guaranteed to lift growth and has broad public support? Let’s just continue to blame everything on immigrants.
I thinks it has eliminated a lot of game changing errors. It certainly hasn’t made football less enjoyable, either in stadium or on TV. I think it’s been a success.
February 8, 2026 at 8:40 PM
I thinks it has eliminated a lot of game changing errors. It certainly hasn’t made football less enjoyable, either in stadium or on TV. I think it’s been a success.
I don’t know why people have a downer on VAR. The social function of football is to provide talking points. VAR does that in spades. It’s opened up a whole new dimension of partisan moaning and futile argument.
February 8, 2026 at 8:30 PM
I don’t know why people have a downer on VAR. The social function of football is to provide talking points. VAR does that in spades. It’s opened up a whole new dimension of partisan moaning and futile argument.
I’ve been trying to think of an example of where the resignation of a controversial aide has helped a Prime Minister turn their fortunes around - Alan Walters, Alastair Campbell, Damian McBride, Dominic Cummings. The precedents are not good for Starmer, are they?
February 8, 2026 at 8:26 PM
I’ve been trying to think of an example of where the resignation of a controversial aide has helped a Prime Minister turn their fortunes around - Alan Walters, Alastair Campbell, Damian McBride, Dominic Cummings. The precedents are not good for Starmer, are they?
This is nonsense because an early election isn’t in Starmer’s hands. The King would surely refuse a dissolution of Parliament on the grounds that someone else would be able to form a majority. The PLP would close ranks to ensure it.
Will Keir Starmer use his nuclear option to try to head off a leadership challenge? www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...
Will Keir Starmer use his nuclear option to try to head off a leadership challenge?
The prime minister’s allies have hinted that he will call a general election, says John Rentoul
www.independent.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
This is nonsense because an early election isn’t in Starmer’s hands. The King would surely refuse a dissolution of Parliament on the grounds that someone else would be able to form a majority. The PLP would close ranks to ensure it.
I thought it was great. Terrific plot premise.
February 7, 2026 at 4:50 PM
I thought it was great. Terrific plot premise.
Frank would be the synth player.
February 7, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Frank would be the synth player.
I like Michael Carrick’s post-Punk frontman look.
February 7, 2026 at 1:24 PM
I like Michael Carrick’s post-Punk frontman look.
Modest proposal. Bring Gordon Brown back and pretend the last 16 years were just a bad dream. Let’s call it a Bobby Ewing reset.
February 7, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Modest proposal. Bring Gordon Brown back and pretend the last 16 years were just a bad dream. Let’s call it a Bobby Ewing reset.
Listening to Gordon Brown this morning was my regular reminder that the country took a serious wrong turning when it dumped him in favour of that superficial posh boy, David Cameron.
February 7, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Listening to Gordon Brown this morning was my regular reminder that the country took a serious wrong turning when it dumped him in favour of that superficial posh boy, David Cameron.
It certainly is.
February 7, 2026 at 10:50 AM
It certainly is.
Says the woman who gave Mandelson a patsy interview only last month. Labour is rightly shamed by all of this, but there really needs to be more focus on how Mandelson was protected over many years by his gaggle of media pals.
MPs are shocked and angry at Mandelson - and furious with Starmer
MPs are shocked and angry at Mandelson - and furious with Starmer
Many Labour insiders say Sir Keir may not be the man to take them to the next election, writes Laura Kuenssberg.
www.bbc.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Says the woman who gave Mandelson a patsy interview only last month. Labour is rightly shamed by all of this, but there really needs to be more focus on how Mandelson was protected over many years by his gaggle of media pals.
Dominic Sandbrook was on 5 Live just now confidently predicting that the Mandelson scandal was about to fizzle out because everything was now known and the story has nowhere else to go. As he was speaking the police were raiding Mandelson’s homes. 🤦♂️😂
February 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Dominic Sandbrook was on 5 Live just now confidently predicting that the Mandelson scandal was about to fizzle out because everything was now known and the story has nowhere else to go. As he was speaking the police were raiding Mandelson’s homes. 🤦♂️😂
That’s a real roll of the dice. All the know candidates appear flawed because they’ve been tested under the spotlight. Elect some apparent ‘clean skin’ and you’ll see that process play out AFTER they’ve got the job. It’s a huge risk.
February 6, 2026 at 10:51 AM
That’s a real roll of the dice. All the know candidates appear flawed because they’ve been tested under the spotlight. Elect some apparent ‘clean skin’ and you’ll see that process play out AFTER they’ve got the job. It’s a huge risk.
Newspaper ownership isn’t the only potential undeclared interest involved in the work of journalists. There’s also a suggestion that some of the information here was the result of the hacking of the Electoral Commission, which is certainly worthy of investigation in the public interest.
February 6, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Newspaper ownership isn’t the only potential undeclared interest involved in the work of journalists. There’s also a suggestion that some of the information here was the result of the hacking of the Electoral Commission, which is certainly worthy of investigation in the public interest.
I’m no fan of Labour Together, but journalists are a bit hypocritical about this kind of thing. Journalists are public figures wielding significant power over public debate. Their actions and motives deserve scrutiny using all the legal investigative means they themselves are happy to use.
“This is dark shit.”
An astonishing scoop from Democracy for Sale:
https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-morgan-mcsweeneys-labour-together-investigators-journalists
An astonishing scoop from Democracy for Sale:
https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-morgan-mcsweeneys-labour-together-investigators-journalists
BREAKING: McSweeney’s think tank paid PR firm to investigate journalists
Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists writing about its funding. Starmer's right-hand man knew.
democracyforsale.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:23 AM
I’m no fan of Labour Together, but journalists are a bit hypocritical about this kind of thing. Journalists are public figures wielding significant power over public debate. Their actions and motives deserve scrutiny using all the legal investigative means they themselves are happy to use.
Definite Bond villain vibe.
February 6, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Definite Bond villain vibe.