Padraig Reidy
@padraigreidy.bsky.social
Editor-at-large, the Lead; editorial director 89up; Little Atoms; Paul Foot Award; What Fresh Hell? Dance 10, looks 3
Is there a good biography of Madame Blavatsky out there?
November 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Is there a good biography of Madame Blavatsky out there?
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
It’s the novels published just after literature stops being cool again I feel sorry for
November 10, 2025 at 6:26 PM
It’s the novels published just after literature stops being cool again I feel sorry for
Anyway, more seriously, when I was a teen I sold a lot of what at the time was called “American College Rock” records to buy NWONW/Britpop records and in the long run I shoul’ve stuck with the Americans, so I’m going to say Sleater Kinney, Bikini Kill, even Sonic Youth
What is your biggest musical blindspot for someone precisely your age?
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
November 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Anyway, more seriously, when I was a teen I sold a lot of what at the time was called “American College Rock” records to buy NWONW/Britpop records and in the long run I shoul’ve stuck with the Americans, so I’m going to say Sleater Kinney, Bikini Kill, even Sonic Youth
I have absolutely no idea who Incubus are so I guess that?
What is your biggest musical blindspot for someone precisely your age?
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
November 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM
I have absolutely no idea who Incubus are so I guess that?
Another huge victory for mad shrieking about irrelevant rubbish
November 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Another huge victory for mad shrieking about irrelevant rubbish
“The Jewish comfort sandwich” @secondmentions.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 10:39 AM
“The Jewish comfort sandwich” @secondmentions.bsky.social
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
E3G is on the front page of the Guardian website today with 60 other organisations, from energy suppliers to consumer groups, fuel poverty charities and climate NGOs, urging the government not to cut one of its major decarbonisation schemes, ECO, in the budget. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
November 8, 2025 at 7:30 AM
E3G is on the front page of the Guardian website today with 60 other organisations, from energy suppliers to consumer groups, fuel poverty charities and climate NGOs, urging the government not to cut one of its major decarbonisation schemes, ECO, in the budget. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Though curiously Emily Bronte was the worst offender for this. Well, her and 90s music hacks who used write Noel Gallagher’s swearing as “fook”
Always eye-opening when someone with a southern English accent tries to write a northern English accent "phonetically" revealing what an alien perspective they have of the relationship between sounds and letters
November 8, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Though curiously Emily Bronte was the worst offender for this. Well, her and 90s music hacks who used write Noel Gallagher’s swearing as “fook”
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Also he publicly insulted my science comedian sister by implying that women couldn't do either science or comedy, so fuck that guy.
November 7, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Also he publicly insulted my science comedian sister by implying that women couldn't do either science or comedy, so fuck that guy.
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
I think we can all agree that you can publish a game-changing bit of science (especially if you have more than a bit of help with the tricky crystal structures) but also be a massive fucking prick. We contain multitudes, yeah?
November 7, 2025 at 11:51 PM
I think we can all agree that you can publish a game-changing bit of science (especially if you have more than a bit of help with the tricky crystal structures) but also be a massive fucking prick. We contain multitudes, yeah?
Boris Johnson is worried about editorial standards now
November 7, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Boris Johnson is worried about editorial standards now
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Is there a crossword person in your life? Would you like to get them a unique gift? PERHAPS FOR CHRISTMAS?
Well maybe a bespoke quiz or cryptic crossword would fit the bill, on any theme, of any size, by the author of [counts on fingers] more than 900 published crosswords, i.e. Me. Give me a shout!
Well maybe a bespoke quiz or cryptic crossword would fit the bill, on any theme, of any size, by the author of [counts on fingers] more than 900 published crosswords, i.e. Me. Give me a shout!
November 3, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Is there a crossword person in your life? Would you like to get them a unique gift? PERHAPS FOR CHRISTMAS?
Well maybe a bespoke quiz or cryptic crossword would fit the bill, on any theme, of any size, by the author of [counts on fingers] more than 900 published crosswords, i.e. Me. Give me a shout!
Well maybe a bespoke quiz or cryptic crossword would fit the bill, on any theme, of any size, by the author of [counts on fingers] more than 900 published crosswords, i.e. Me. Give me a shout!
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Without DEI, we would only make merit-based hires, like the genius strategist who decided to pick a fight with his boss’s new young wife.
Dominic Cummings has this racialised take on David Lammy
There is an increasingly prevalent kneejerk online rightwing trait to call the presence of any black or Asian person a diversity hire
There is an increasingly prevalent kneejerk online rightwing trait to call the presence of any black or Asian person a diversity hire
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Without DEI, we would only make merit-based hires, like the genius strategist who decided to pick a fight with his boss’s new young wife.
The true meaning of exile is not having anyone at hand with whom to discuss the DJ Carey sentencing in excruciating detail for several hours
November 7, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The true meaning of exile is not having anyone at hand with whom to discuss the DJ Carey sentencing in excruciating detail for several hours
Apropos of absolutely nothing, I’ve been reading The God That Failed, and my word, Koestler was a great writer wasn’t he? But one does bristle slightly every time he mentions a woman he encounters, even though he doesn’t write anything untoward
November 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Apropos of absolutely nothing, I’ve been reading The God That Failed, and my word, Koestler was a great writer wasn’t he? But one does bristle slightly every time he mentions a woman he encounters, even though he doesn’t write anything untoward
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Note absence of roads in the area of a Little Gaulish Village…
November 6, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Note absence of roads in the area of a Little Gaulish Village…
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Haven't seen a Kennedy get out of dodge that fast since Chappaquiddick.
holy shit -- one of Trump's toadies just passed out and the White House event is brought to an abrupt end
November 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Haven't seen a Kennedy get out of dodge that fast since Chappaquiddick.
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Emails seen by The Lead show the councillor, through Lancashire County Council staff, issuing legal threats after his role in private care was questioned.
Exclusive: Reform UK councillor threatens legal action to shut down debate over Lancashire care home closures
Emails seen by The Lead show the councillor, through Lancashire County Council staff, issuing legal threats after his role in private care was questioned.
national.thelead.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Emails seen by The Lead show the councillor, through Lancashire County Council staff, issuing legal threats after his role in private care was questioned.
Reform’s Free Speech warriors strike again open.substack.com/pub/theleadu...
Exclusive: Reform UK councillor threatens legal action to shut down debate over Lancashire care home closures
Emails seen by The Lead show the councillor, through Lancashire County Council staff, issuing legal threats after his role in private care was questioned.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reform’s Free Speech warriors strike again open.substack.com/pub/theleadu...
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Another one gone in Kent.
Cllr Isabella Kemp, elected for Reform in May, is now listed as an independent. It is unclear at this point precisely why Cllr Kemp has exited the party.
This means Reform has now lost 9 of the 57 councillors they saw elected only six months ago.
Cllr Isabella Kemp, elected for Reform in May, is now listed as an independent. It is unclear at this point precisely why Cllr Kemp has exited the party.
This means Reform has now lost 9 of the 57 councillors they saw elected only six months ago.
November 6, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Another one gone in Kent.
Cllr Isabella Kemp, elected for Reform in May, is now listed as an independent. It is unclear at this point precisely why Cllr Kemp has exited the party.
This means Reform has now lost 9 of the 57 councillors they saw elected only six months ago.
Cllr Isabella Kemp, elected for Reform in May, is now listed as an independent. It is unclear at this point precisely why Cllr Kemp has exited the party.
This means Reform has now lost 9 of the 57 councillors they saw elected only six months ago.
Reposted by Padraig Reidy
Far be it from me to say, but the easiest possible article to write after an event is one tut-tutting anyone happy about said event. It’s the journalistic equivalent of “Needless to say, I had the last laugh”
November 5, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Far be it from me to say, but the easiest possible article to write after an event is one tut-tutting anyone happy about said event. It’s the journalistic equivalent of “Needless to say, I had the last laugh”
Quoting Eugene Debs in his victory speech. Ridiculous hipster. Love it.
November 5, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Quoting Eugene Debs in his victory speech. Ridiculous hipster. Love it.
The John Lewis ad ripping off that scene in Aftersun is really fucking weird
November 4, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The John Lewis ad ripping off that scene in Aftersun is really fucking weird