Matt Bennett
@matt1066.bsky.social
Historian: medieval warfare and literature. FSA. FRHS. Rejoin EU.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Good news.
Rachel Reeves’s left turn – on tax and spending her second Budget is being shaped by social democratic choices. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...
Rachel Reeves’s left turn
The Chancellor’s second Budget is being shaped by distinctly social democratic choices.
www.newstatesman.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Good news.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
The headline to this one is - Daily Mail owner seeks to dodge tax. It’s not really a shocking story, it’s not like we would expect anything better.
November 10, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The headline to this one is - Daily Mail owner seeks to dodge tax. It’s not really a shocking story, it’s not like we would expect anything better.
It's farcical, isn't it?
Listening to Charles Moore on R4 Today, he described the BBC as "Left Wing". The same channel that platforms Reform PLC at every opportunity.
November 10, 2025 at 10:23 AM
It's farcical, isn't it?
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Shout this as loud as possible over and over again. It should be the central, fundamental argument. (And see the whole of this excellent thread. No more tinkering. Grasp the nettle that many/most of us need to pay more, but also - on the grounds of fairness- tax wealth.)
They are needed because the ordinary tax payer also needs to pay more. Here, some old fashioned social-democratic arguments need to be made much more forcefully.
November 10, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Shout this as loud as possible over and over again. It should be the central, fundamental argument. (And see the whole of this excellent thread. No more tinkering. Grasp the nettle that many/most of us need to pay more, but also - on the grounds of fairness- tax wealth.)
Exactly my take, too…
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
November 10, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Exactly my take, too…
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Awful
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Awful
Reposted by Matt Bennett
The resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness must be an opportunity for the BBC to turn a new leaf, rebuild trust and resist those like Nigel Farage who want to destroy it
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
November 9, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness must be an opportunity for the BBC to turn a new leaf, rebuild trust and resist those like Nigel Farage who want to destroy it
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
The sight of Johnson, Truss and Sunak at the Remembrance day service is a stark reminder of the absolute mess the Tories left behind. Three PM's in 5 years, shambolic.
November 9, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The sight of Johnson, Truss and Sunak at the Remembrance day service is a stark reminder of the absolute mess the Tories left behind. Three PM's in 5 years, shambolic.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
👀 Extremely excited to see Aleksander Pluskowski has a new history of the Baltic Crusades coming soon with @yalepress.bsky.social ⚔️✝️ yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
The Black Cross - Yale University Press London
A wide-ranging new history of the Baltic Crusades and their legacy Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, crusading armies unleashed a relentles...
yalebooks.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 4:31 PM
👀 Extremely excited to see Aleksander Pluskowski has a new history of the Baltic Crusades coming soon with @yalepress.bsky.social ⚔️✝️ yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
Instructive model to follow in the UK, I reckon.
"Prosecuting a former president or prime minister is a normal and healthy thing for advanced democracies to do." foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/28/d...
Prosecuting the Powerful
Historical data shows putting leaders on trial is a healthy democratic practice.
foreignpolicy.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Instructive model to follow in the UK, I reckon.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Ah. Private equity.
November 8, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Ah. Private equity.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
November 7, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Announcements made in just one week. Stop this nonsense about Labour not having a Plan or wanting to oust Starmer.
Labour are #FixingBritain These are #LabourAchievements
Labour are #FixingBritain These are #LabourAchievements
November 8, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Announcements made in just one week. Stop this nonsense about Labour not having a Plan or wanting to oust Starmer.
Labour are #FixingBritain These are #LabourAchievements
Labour are #FixingBritain These are #LabourAchievements
Literally, nothing to see here…
November 8, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Literally, nothing to see here…
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Zohran Mamdani’s policies in the domain of housing, childcare or transports are not radical or ‘socialist’. They have been implemented by mainstream governments and cities across the world.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’
Critics of New York City’s mayor-elect have said his pledges of free bus service and universal childcare are unrealistic, but in Europe it’s a given
www.theguardian.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Zohran Mamdani’s policies in the domain of housing, childcare or transports are not radical or ‘socialist’. They have been implemented by mainstream governments and cities across the world.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Which one is more English?
November 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Which one is more English?
Reposted by Matt Bennett
... and Leicester... Languages, History...
It's so easy to destroy, so hard to create. So much talent. So many lives.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It's so easy to destroy, so hard to create. So much talent. So many lives.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
University of Leicester to consult on redundancies
University bosses are also planning to stop a number of courses.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 10:17 PM
... and Leicester... Languages, History...
It's so easy to destroy, so hard to create. So much talent. So many lives.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It's so easy to destroy, so hard to create. So much talent. So many lives.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Troubling. I knew the PAS was under financial pressure and has always faced an uphill task, but I hadn't quite realised the scale of the problem.
The piece where I get to say everything that's bugging me about the world of detecting & archaeology & ask - why are we not more concerned about this?
(Thank you to everyone who read through drafts & offered thoughts, advice and ideas.)
#Archaeology #Detecting 🏺
bigbookoftorcs.com/2025/10/27/t...
(Thank you to everyone who read through drafts & offered thoughts, advice and ideas.)
#Archaeology #Detecting 🏺
bigbookoftorcs.com/2025/10/27/t...
The system is broken, so why are we not more concerned?
by Tess Machling [A download/print PDF version can be found at the end of the paper] Abstract The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) – the detectorist-facing branch of archaeology – whic…
bigbookoftorcs.com
October 28, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Troubling. I knew the PAS was under financial pressure and has always faced an uphill task, but I hadn't quite realised the scale of the problem.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Oh how terrible, I can see why renewables are so unpopular...
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Oh how terrible, I can see why renewables are so unpopular...
Reposted by Matt Bennett
If you've not read it, you should: Henry Parkes's landmark article on Emperor Henry II, which has had a significant impact on scholarship internationally.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/P9YSAI...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/P9YSAI...
November 6, 2025 at 8:54 PM
If you've not read it, you should: Henry Parkes's landmark article on Emperor Henry II, which has had a significant impact on scholarship internationally.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/P9YSAI...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/P9YSAI...
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Hometown of the global music heroes, the Kanneh-Mason family.
Heartbroken to share the news that recruitment to Undergraduate Music courses at the University of Nottingham has been suspended.
Please do contact us on protectuonmusic@gmail.com if you would like to support us.
Please do contact us on protectuonmusic@gmail.com if you would like to support us.
November 6, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Hometown of the global music heroes, the Kanneh-Mason family.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
The relentless onslaught of cultural vandalism by successive UK governments for as long as I can remember is really, really dispiriting.
Horrific, stupid news from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social — they are closing their music department. Apparently they all found out suddently in a meeting yesterday.
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:55 PM
The relentless onslaught of cultural vandalism by successive UK governments for as long as I can remember is really, really dispiriting.
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
October 27, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Yup!
November 6, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Yup!
Reposted by Matt Bennett
Éric Pincas, Lucie Malbos et Thomas Cirotteau - Vikings
Enquête sur les femmes des terres gelées
À paraître en janvier chez Tallandier
Enquête sur les femmes des terres gelées
À paraître en janvier chez Tallandier
November 6, 2025 at 11:12 AM