Patch Thompson
@patchthompson.bsky.social
🌹✊ 📸 | academic researcher | average photographer | all views my own etc.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
If a student society doesn’t allow self-invites to people who have nothing of value of interest to say to them, they can be expected to be petrol bombed because ‘the people’ have no other choice or self-control.
February 10, 2026 at 11:27 AM
If a student society doesn’t allow self-invites to people who have nothing of value of interest to say to them, they can be expected to be petrol bombed because ‘the people’ have no other choice or self-control.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
This is your brain on negative polarisation, where 'I would spend more money on public services, and they would therefore improve' is now considered fanciful by a self-described leftwinger.
"I would simply improve public services" nods cosseted man sagely from the sidelines
February 10, 2026 at 10:13 AM
This is your brain on negative polarisation, where 'I would spend more money on public services, and they would therefore improve' is now considered fanciful by a self-described leftwinger.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
It’s often assumed the far right recruits from ‘white working class’ and there’s surprise some have ‘normal’ middle class jobs. @booklearning.bsky.social and I looked at who applied to join an Australian far right group in 1970s-80s to test this assumption.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 10, 2026 at 12:04 AM
It’s often assumed the far right recruits from ‘white working class’ and there’s surprise some have ‘normal’ middle class jobs. @booklearning.bsky.social and I looked at who applied to join an Australian far right group in 1970s-80s to test this assumption.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Patch Thompson
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
As AI enters the operating room, reports arise of botched surgeries and misidentified body parts
Medical device makers have been rushing to add AI to their products. While proponents say the new technology will revolutionize medicine, regulators are receiving a rising number of claims of patient ...
www.reuters.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:42 PM
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
This a) casts Streeting in a much better light than many others will be, and b) he's not tried to pretend he never knew the bloke. Quite easy to see why he's done this, if you want to be a cynic.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Wes Streeting publishes messages with Peter Mandelson, revealing election fears and criticism of government
The health secretary says he is publishing the messages
www.bbc.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 9:56 PM
This a) casts Streeting in a much better light than many others will be, and b) he's not tried to pretend he never knew the bloke. Quite easy to see why he's done this, if you want to be a cynic.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Patch Thompson
Keir Starmer is the most unpopular British prime minister since records began: the sick man who cannot afford to catch a cold. That's why the Mandelson scandal has been so destabilising www.economist.com/britain/2026...
February 9, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Keir Starmer is the most unpopular British prime minister since records began: the sick man who cannot afford to catch a cold. That's why the Mandelson scandal has been so destabilising www.economist.com/britain/2026...
A reminder that Chris Wormald is a *third generation* senior civil servant, and the brains trust who appointed him were later shocked that he was something of a traditionalist. Not keen to disrupt. Etc etc.
EXCL: Chris Wormald, the most senior civil servant in Downing Street, is negotiating his exit as part of a wider shakeup of Keir Starmer’s operation after dramatic day - @kiranstacey.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days
Exclusive: Cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is expected to follow Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan out the door
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:26 PM
A reminder that Chris Wormald is a *third generation* senior civil servant, and the brains trust who appointed him were later shocked that he was something of a traditionalist. Not keen to disrupt. Etc etc.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
Problem with any anti-Starmer tweet that gets attention is I inevitably have to hear the thoughts of people who think Starmer is Blair 2.0, when a lot of the Starmer project's reactionary tendencies are an attempt to distance itself from the socially liberal aspects of Blairism
Starmer "led Labour to a thumping victory nobody thought possible" is one of those weird revisions of history, when 400+ seats was obviously in the realm of possibility from the moment the first post-minibudget polls dropped in September/October 2022
February 9, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Problem with any anti-Starmer tweet that gets attention is I inevitably have to hear the thoughts of people who think Starmer is Blair 2.0, when a lot of the Starmer project's reactionary tendencies are an attempt to distance itself from the socially liberal aspects of Blairism
Reposted by Patch Thompson
Gotta respect the hustle of the cabinet ministers posting their support for Kier Starmer on X (the everything app), allowing their consent for his leadership to be theoretically visible to journalists, but algorithmically suppressed in favour of far right conspiracy content and CSAM.
February 9, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Gotta respect the hustle of the cabinet ministers posting their support for Kier Starmer on X (the everything app), allowing their consent for his leadership to be theoretically visible to journalists, but algorithmically suppressed in favour of far right conspiracy content and CSAM.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
arguably the biggest news of the week that Lisa Nandy is currently doing something related to her brief
Only three cabinet ministers have not Tweeted or put out a message of support for Starmer:
Wes Streeting
Shabana Mahmood
Lisa Nandy (who is at the Winter Olympics)
This could of course change, but it's where we're at just before 3:30pm
Wes Streeting
Shabana Mahmood
Lisa Nandy (who is at the Winter Olympics)
This could of course change, but it's where we're at just before 3:30pm
February 9, 2026 at 3:27 PM
arguably the biggest news of the week that Lisa Nandy is currently doing something related to her brief
Reposted by Patch Thompson
ANAS COULDN'T EVEN GET IAN MURRAY - THE MAN WHO WAS SACKED UNCEREMONIOUSLY IN THE MANDELSON RESHUFFLE - TO TAKE HIS SIDE?
bsky.app/profile/bruc...
bsky.app/profile/bruc...
And Alexander's predecessor:
February 9, 2026 at 3:27 PM
ANAS COULDN'T EVEN GET IAN MURRAY - THE MAN WHO WAS SACKED UNCEREMONIOUSLY IN THE MANDELSON RESHUFFLE - TO TAKE HIS SIDE?
bsky.app/profile/bruc...
bsky.app/profile/bruc...
Reposted by Patch Thompson
Look at the options.
February 9, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Look at the options.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
A fascinating "why format matters" example here. Making this the text of your post would be standard government minister boilerplate.
Posting it as a screenshot in the official font makes it look like you've been asked to carry the portrait of Lenin at the May Day Parade.
Posting it as a screenshot in the official font makes it look like you've been asked to carry the portrait of Lenin at the May Day Parade.
February 9, 2026 at 3:05 PM
A fascinating "why format matters" example here. Making this the text of your post would be standard government minister boilerplate.
Posting it as a screenshot in the official font makes it look like you've been asked to carry the portrait of Lenin at the May Day Parade.
Posting it as a screenshot in the official font makes it look like you've been asked to carry the portrait of Lenin at the May Day Parade.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
surely step 1, if not in fact step 0, before making the move Sarwar made today is to ensure every Scottish Labour politician is ready to echo the message, or at the very least not actively contradict it!
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
surely step 1, if not in fact step 0, before making the move Sarwar made today is to ensure every Scottish Labour politician is ready to echo the message, or at the very least not actively contradict it!
Reposted by Patch Thompson
PSA: You do not, under any circumstances, have to hand it to Anas 'We Need A Scottish DOGE' Sarwar!
February 9, 2026 at 2:58 PM
PSA: You do not, under any circumstances, have to hand it to Anas 'We Need A Scottish DOGE' Sarwar!
Reposted by Patch Thompson
Much the same as with Karen Pierce and the US ambo appointment, Starmer actually had someone who could have been director of comms, Steph Driver, who gave years of hard work and professionalism in opposition but then got a succession of people promoted over her for no apparent reason
February 9, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Much the same as with Karen Pierce and the US ambo appointment, Starmer actually had someone who could have been director of comms, Steph Driver, who gave years of hard work and professionalism in opposition but then got a succession of people promoted over her for no apparent reason
Deeply unfair to say that Labour have done nothing in government and wasted their momentum!
They have enacted several reformist programmes that will come good during a second ter...oh no...
They have enacted several reformist programmes that will come good during a second ter...oh no...
February 9, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Deeply unfair to say that Labour have done nothing in government and wasted their momentum!
They have enacted several reformist programmes that will come good during a second ter...oh no...
They have enacted several reformist programmes that will come good during a second ter...oh no...
Reposted by Patch Thompson
The sad thing is, I'm sure that this 'ally' has convinced *themselves* this is true.
!["An ally of his [Morgan McSweeney] said that for months the soft-left and rivals in No 10 had pushed the narrative that he was responsible for Mandelson's appointment (and indeed every other problem) to try and destroy him, when the truth was more nuanced."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/bafkreibmkfr4kg7w54fxvtxudhzhe42tygfpk5vxshdtng3a7hcg4ye2gy@jpeg)
February 9, 2026 at 11:52 AM
The sad thing is, I'm sure that this 'ally' has convinced *themselves* this is true.
Over the last few years, there's been a growing trend of 'Huh, policy sucks' in political media. Most noticeable for me in the Politico emails, which started out with sniping at the idea that anyone would be interested in policy, and went from there. Ended up unsubscribing because it was so tedious.
The flaw in the McSweeney/Starmer project can be summed up with "the people whose pitch to the electorate was they were serious also had no interest in policy", and when stated that bluntly it seems extraordinary it got this far
One of many things that Starmer and McSweeney have in common is neither is particularly interested in policy, and I think the lack of 'I need goodwill in order to deliver change' and the 'our planning for government goes to another school' all come from that.
February 9, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Over the last few years, there's been a growing trend of 'Huh, policy sucks' in political media. Most noticeable for me in the Politico emails, which started out with sniping at the idea that anyone would be interested in policy, and went from there. Ended up unsubscribing because it was so tedious.
This man earns hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
“A communications professional is only as good as the communications that they are communicating.”
Thanks Chris.
Thanks Chris.
February 9, 2026 at 11:18 AM
This man earns hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
Tim Allan, advisor to Blair in the 90s, had a brief stint at No 10, followed by a gig at Sky and then founding Portland Communications! Former Board Member for Sex Matters, to boot.
Sort of the platonic ideal of what this administration wants from its senior people.
Sort of the platonic ideal of what this administration wants from its senior people.
Tim Allan, Keir Starmer’s director of communications, has just quit his Downing Street role:
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No 10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success."
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No 10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success."
February 9, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Tim Allan, advisor to Blair in the 90s, had a brief stint at No 10, followed by a gig at Sky and then founding Portland Communications! Former Board Member for Sex Matters, to boot.
Sort of the platonic ideal of what this administration wants from its senior people.
Sort of the platonic ideal of what this administration wants from its senior people.
Keir Starmer will announce tomorrow that the Wembley Lasagne has finally been completed.
February 8, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Keir Starmer will announce tomorrow that the Wembley Lasagne has finally been completed.
Reposted by Patch Thompson
I do wonder about anyone who thinks McSweeney single-handedly won Labour its majority. They do realise they were up against a catastrophically unpopular government? The 2024 result was very much an underperformance against the fundamentals.
Not *all* Labour MPs wanted McSweeney out.
“Gutted about Morgan”, one texts.
“So many of us know he’s brilliant to work with, so exceptional at the bigger picture strategic thinking, relentlessly focused on the moving pieces… and credit him with winning the majority”.
“Gutted about Morgan”, one texts.
“So many of us know he’s brilliant to work with, so exceptional at the bigger picture strategic thinking, relentlessly focused on the moving pieces… and credit him with winning the majority”.
February 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
I do wonder about anyone who thinks McSweeney single-handedly won Labour its majority. They do realise they were up against a catastrophically unpopular government? The 2024 result was very much an underperformance against the fundamentals.
Do we think Hodges ever has a moment of self-awareness and just like, screams into the void?
February 8, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Do we think Hodges ever has a moment of self-awareness and just like, screams into the void?