Matt
@matthewblott.bsky.social
Bluesky conservative, liberal leaning social democrat everywhere else.
Reposted by Matt
I struggle to hink of any government body that would contradict a Secretary of State like this.
November 11, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I struggle to hink of any government body that would contradict a Secretary of State like this.
Dear god
You’re delusional. Do you think it’s a coincidence every single one of those “males with DSDs” were Black or from Africa? It’s a racist canard to accuse every powerful African woman of being a man.
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Dear god
Gonna check this tweet's likes to find MAGA accounts to follow for some Bluesky variety
To our nation's veterans: Thank you for your service, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for making us proud every single day.
Happy Veterans Day America🇺🇸
Happy Veterans Day America🇺🇸
November 11, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Gonna check this tweet's likes to find MAGA accounts to follow for some Bluesky variety
Reposted by Matt
Incredible stuff
Sports are segregated by sex because in every instance where sex segregation was introduced it was only done so AFTER men in the sport objected to losing to women who were better than them.
The IOC itself released a report earlier this year that said trans women have no measurable advantage over
The IOC itself released a report earlier this year that said trans women have no measurable advantage over
November 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Incredible stuff
A Tory Culture Secretary wouldn't be this supine if it was a partisan Labour man causing mischief. This lot are wholly unsuited to the populist age. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Nandy rules out taking action to remove Robbie Gibb from BBC board – as it happened
Culture secretary also condemns MPs who dismiss BBC as ‘institutionally biased’ in swipe at Badenoch and Farage
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM
A Tory Culture Secretary wouldn't be this supine if it was a partisan Labour man causing mischief. This lot are wholly unsuited to the populist age. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by Matt
I agree with @ianleslie.bsky.social re the BBC open.substack.com/pub/ianlesli...
November 11, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I agree with @ianleslie.bsky.social re the BBC open.substack.com/pub/ianlesli...
Happy to plug this tool I found, allows you to query spreadsheets using sql on the command line. I love it 😍 github.com/dathere/qsv
GitHub - dathere/qsv: Blazing-fast Data-Wrangling toolkit
Blazing-fast Data-Wrangling toolkit. Contribute to dathere/qsv development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Happy to plug this tool I found, allows you to query spreadsheets using sql on the command line. I love it 😍 github.com/dathere/qsv
Reposted by Matt
On my Substack Fresh Hell, read why I’m alarmed by the acrid gusts of MAGA mendacity polluting the debate over the BBC.
bit.ly/4nKR4ML
bit.ly/4nKR4ML
The Mad Farrago at the BBC
So Trump has collected two more big media scalps, this time across the Atlantic—the widely respected duo of BBC director general Tim Davie and its head of news Deborah Turness.
bit.ly
November 11, 2025 at 4:04 PM
On my Substack Fresh Hell, read why I’m alarmed by the acrid gusts of MAGA mendacity polluting the debate over the BBC.
bit.ly/4nKR4ML
bit.ly/4nKR4ML
Years ago I saw an interview with someone jailed in Stalin's gulags. He was so brainwashed at the time he wanted people to get a message to Stalin who couldn't possibly know anything about what was going on. It was all the fault of the people around him.
It’s as old as time. Trump supporters NEVER blame Trump for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault. His staff, his advisors, the media…when Trump does something stupid and/or wrong, it’s never his fault. Trump supporters treat him like a poor, helpless idiot.
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Years ago I saw an interview with someone jailed in Stalin's gulags. He was so brainwashed at the time he wanted people to get a message to Stalin who couldn't possibly know anything about what was going on. It was all the fault of the people around him.
Reposted by Matt
Using BES data, this chart shows the difference between Labour 2024 voters' own position on immigration and their perception of Labour's position.
With the exception of Labour to Reform switchers, the differences aren't huge.
More evidence Labour is getting this about right?
With the exception of Labour to Reform switchers, the differences aren't huge.
More evidence Labour is getting this about right?
November 11, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Using BES data, this chart shows the difference between Labour 2024 voters' own position on immigration and their perception of Labour's position.
With the exception of Labour to Reform switchers, the differences aren't huge.
More evidence Labour is getting this about right?
With the exception of Labour to Reform switchers, the differences aren't huge.
More evidence Labour is getting this about right?
Reposted by Matt
Great idea. Now start banning Airbnbs. Not all, but impose a strict limit.
The policy has been described as 'extortion' and 'madness' by the party’s leader Nigel Farage. on.ft.com/43nsMBl
November 11, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Great idea. Now start banning Airbnbs. Not all, but impose a strict limit.
Reposted by Matt
The BBC is its own worst enemy. Like the US Democrats, it continually hands ammo to its opponents. We'd all suffer without it and there's no doubt there's a concerted campaign by the right wing media to destroy it, but the accusations of bias of its gender coverage are serious.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
The BBC is its own worst enemy. Like the US Democrats, it continually hands ammo to its opponents. We'd all suffer without it and there's no doubt there's a concerted campaign by the right wing media to destroy it, but the accusations of bias of its gender coverage are serious.
Reposted by Matt
Because this is Bluesky, very little commentary on the BBC's disgraceful capitulation to Transactivism over the past decade. Senior figures either too afraid, or too cowardly to stand up to the post-modernist censorious bullies. This is a far greater scandal than the Trump editing nonsense.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Because this is Bluesky, very little commentary on the BBC's disgraceful capitulation to Transactivism over the past decade. Senior figures either too afraid, or too cowardly to stand up to the post-modernist censorious bullies. This is a far greater scandal than the Trump editing nonsense.
Reposted by Matt
The BBC is far from perfect. But it is obvious that it is now under sustained assault by the far right, for far-right reasons. Every single person accusing the BBC of 'bias' is themselves extremely biased, and while they may have no comparable obligation to be... www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Tim Davie tells BBC staff he sees ‘weaponisation’ as Trump threatens $1bn lawsuit – UK politics live
Outgoing director general says freedom of press under pressure: ‘We have to fight for our journalism’
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
The BBC is far from perfect. But it is obvious that it is now under sustained assault by the far right, for far-right reasons. Every single person accusing the BBC of 'bias' is themselves extremely biased, and while they may have no comparable obligation to be... www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by Matt
Calls have been made for the press regulator to investigate “systematic failings which lead publishers to keep running fake, likely AI-generated, PR content.”
Rupert Murdoch’s Times humiliated over fake interviews
Calls have been made for the press regulator to investigate “systematic failings which lead publishers to keep running fake, likely AI-generated, PR content.”
leftfootforward.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Calls have been made for the press regulator to investigate “systematic failings which lead publishers to keep running fake, likely AI-generated, PR content.”
Reposted by Matt
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
Reposted by Matt
It’s apologising season. The audience for BBC output in the US is just over 40 million, not 77 million as I said. That’s the figure for the Americas as a whole. But the BBC is indeed the second most trusted news source in the US.
November 11, 2025 at 10:22 AM
It’s apologising season. The audience for BBC output in the US is just over 40 million, not 77 million as I said. That’s the figure for the Americas as a whole. But the BBC is indeed the second most trusted news source in the US.
Reposted by Matt
Normal brain: the British government should ban Twitter.
Galaxy brain: the British government should BUY Twitter.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/yes-im-act...
Galaxy brain: the British government should BUY Twitter.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/yes-im-act...
November 11, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Normal brain: the British government should ban Twitter.
Galaxy brain: the British government should BUY Twitter.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/yes-im-act...
Galaxy brain: the British government should BUY Twitter.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/yes-im-act...
I skipped the gym last week trying to get more stuff done and the result was terrible sleep patterns returning meaning I got less stuff done.
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I skipped the gym last week trying to get more stuff done and the result was terrible sleep patterns returning meaning I got less stuff done.
Reposted by Matt
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the west
New research shows how incentives in the modern media ecosystem help explain rising division and negativity
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Reposted by Matt
Absolutely disgusted to hear about the racism Wes Streeting mentions here directed at school children who were visiting Parliament.
He has taken the post down, rightly, to protect the children.
But it's wrong that he had to do it.
Disgusted with so many people in our country. Racism is never OK.
He has taken the post down, rightly, to protect the children.
But it's wrong that he had to do it.
Disgusted with so many people in our country. Racism is never OK.
November 11, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Absolutely disgusted to hear about the racism Wes Streeting mentions here directed at school children who were visiting Parliament.
He has taken the post down, rightly, to protect the children.
But it's wrong that he had to do it.
Disgusted with so many people in our country. Racism is never OK.
He has taken the post down, rightly, to protect the children.
But it's wrong that he had to do it.
Disgusted with so many people in our country. Racism is never OK.
Reposted by Matt
“I’m ready to die for my Ukraine and regret that I could do it only once.” - Serhiy Tabal, 18 years old, died resisting Russia on November 6, 2014, during the first phase of the invasion.
Awarded the distinctions "People's Hero of Ukraine." #StandWithUkraine
Awarded the distinctions "People's Hero of Ukraine." #StandWithUkraine
November 10, 2025 at 10:39 PM
“I’m ready to die for my Ukraine and regret that I could do it only once.” - Serhiy Tabal, 18 years old, died resisting Russia on November 6, 2014, during the first phase of the invasion.
Awarded the distinctions "People's Hero of Ukraine." #StandWithUkraine
Awarded the distinctions "People's Hero of Ukraine." #StandWithUkraine
Reposted by Matt
This makes me so angry. It’s one thing to choose junk science for yourself, but a whole other thing to do that to your children. Fuck you anti-vaxxers.
Canada loses measles elimination status as outbreak lasts more than a year vancouversun.com/news/canada-...
November 10, 2025 at 7:43 PM
This makes me so angry. It’s one thing to choose junk science for yourself, but a whole other thing to do that to your children. Fuck you anti-vaxxers.
The AfD is far-Right but it isn't a Nazi organisation (even if it contains sympathisers) - it doesn't have brown shirts beating up the opposition. Banning it is not a good idea, this sort of thing always backfires.
21% of the German population voted for the AfD in last German election. The question of which takes precedence: protecting the German constitution from extremism & extremist parties verses the ability of such parties to govern via democratic elections is a question that will be reckoned with v soon.
German president hints at AfD ban in speech on dangers of extremism
President Steinmeier marks the anniversary of the Nazi Kristallnacht pogroms by warning of the risk posed by parties threatening the postwar constitution
www.thetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:51 PM
The AfD is far-Right but it isn't a Nazi organisation (even if it contains sympathisers) - it doesn't have brown shirts beating up the opposition. Banning it is not a good idea, this sort of thing always backfires.