Jacob S
@peopletrees.bsky.social
Organising, tenant unions, writing, post-capitalism. Bristol, formerly London. My book Renters Unite is an account of the new wave of tenant organising around the world. No access to DMs. https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745350011/renters-unite/
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Jacob S
@peopletrees.bsky.social
· Aug 19
Renters Unite
As housing crises proliferate around the world, so does the fightback. A new generation of tenants' unions are rising up to demand good, affordable housing f...
www.plutobooks.com
Why tenant unions? Why now? Find out in my new book, Renters Unite! 'A brilliant and inspiring analysis of the causes and possible solutions to one of the central issues facing people around the world today: the problem of housing' - Jeremy Gilbert
Reposted by Jacob S
Hello, I have a new book out in the spring with Picador and I would love it if you could help me spread the word.
IF WE TOLERATE THIS draws on years of work, to help readers understand why British politics is hurtling rightwards and what to do about it.
Pre-orders: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/if-w...
IF WE TOLERATE THIS draws on years of work, to help readers understand why British politics is hurtling rightwards and what to do about it.
Pre-orders: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/if-w...
January 26, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Hello, I have a new book out in the spring with Picador and I would love it if you could help me spread the word.
IF WE TOLERATE THIS draws on years of work, to help readers understand why British politics is hurtling rightwards and what to do about it.
Pre-orders: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/if-w...
IF WE TOLERATE THIS draws on years of work, to help readers understand why British politics is hurtling rightwards and what to do about it.
Pre-orders: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/if-w...
Everyone is saying Philly is the worst choice but if you want to provoke a civil war it is a good choice. And I think that is what they want.
terrible choice. go for it. minnesota was the incredibly polite version lol.
January 23, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Everyone is saying Philly is the worst choice but if you want to provoke a civil war it is a good choice. And I think that is what they want.
Reposted by Jacob S
“Homes are for living in, not landlords portfolios”
Couldn’t agree more. 👏👏
Couldn’t agree more. 👏👏
Help us make hope normal again.
Join the Green Party now.
Join the Green Party now.
January 23, 2026 at 7:40 AM
“Homes are for living in, not landlords portfolios”
Couldn’t agree more. 👏👏
Couldn’t agree more. 👏👏
This is such a hilarious metaphor to choose. Genuinely made me laugh.
Vance on the economy:
"You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
"You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
January 22, 2026 at 10:05 PM
This is such a hilarious metaphor to choose. Genuinely made me laugh.
As a 90s student I went to university for free and got given money to live on too. This could have continued but they wanted higher education to be a market, because politicians of both main parties are insane ideologues. Your debt exists for literally no better reason than that.
"Those 18-year-olds – the first guinea pigs, the class who matriculated in 2012 – are now turning 31. And belatedly, the impact of the loans they were assured were a rock-solid investment in their futures is becoming apparent."
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Britain's youth are living in Nick Clegg's shadow
All except the richest graduates since 2012 face a bespoke additional tax. No wonder they're radicalised
www.newstatesman.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:56 PM
As a 90s student I went to university for free and got given money to live on too. This could have continued but they wanted higher education to be a market, because politicians of both main parties are insane ideologues. Your debt exists for literally no better reason than that.
A clear lesson for tenant unions in this paper "Mass organizations need to offer a range of continuous and low-intensity forms of participation that can involve non-activist members, and help them feel collective self-efficacy as members." www.interfacejournal.net/wp-content/u...
www.interfacejournal.net
January 22, 2026 at 11:41 AM
A clear lesson for tenant unions in this paper "Mass organizations need to offer a range of continuous and low-intensity forms of participation that can involve non-activist members, and help them feel collective self-efficacy as members." www.interfacejournal.net/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Jacob S
it's a novel solution to the housing crisis, but I'm willing to give it a go
I’ve been in the archives living happily for a while in Scotland in 1879-80. You would not BELIEVE how wild electoral chicanery got back then. Groups of workers built blocks of flats as payback for Tory landlords padding the electoral register.
January 21, 2026 at 8:28 PM
it's a novel solution to the housing crisis, but I'm willing to give it a go
Reposted by Jacob S
I just cannot express how much contempt I have for Labour for doing this. The country is heading to a dark place and they keep nudging it along.
You’d think Labour might want to sit back and pretend to be reasonable while Jenrick and Badenoch knock lumps out of each other, but they decided to try and outflank them in the other direction by regurgitating a far right trope
January 15, 2026 at 1:53 PM
I just cannot express how much contempt I have for Labour for doing this. The country is heading to a dark place and they keep nudging it along.
This pensions bill is bad. How our money is invested is crazily important, and weirdly most of the left doesn't think about it much. Reading The Masters Tools atm.
Curse of Private Equity
TGI Fridays closes 16 UK stores, with 456 job losses.
Town centres devoured by PE, part of shadow banking
The Pension Schemes Bill going through parliament urges (requires?) pension schemes to invest in PE, which is unregulated.
TGI Fridays closes 16 UK stores, with 456 job losses.
Town centres devoured by PE, part of shadow banking
The Pension Schemes Bill going through parliament urges (requires?) pension schemes to invest in PE, which is unregulated.
TGI Fridays closes 16 UK stores, with 456 job losses
The UK restaurant chain's remaining 33 restaurants will stay open after a rescue deal was reached.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 8:48 AM
This pensions bill is bad. How our money is invested is crazily important, and weirdly most of the left doesn't think about it much. Reading The Masters Tools atm.
An interesting overview of an academic discipline and Western interventionism
"Worse, instead of speaking out as other disciplines did, the field morally collapsed from within, by remaining overwhelmingly silent in the face of Western-backed mass killing in Gaza."
dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
The Demise of Conflict Studies - Dissent Magazine
An entire industry specializing in mediation, peacekeeping, disarmament, and transitional justice has become largely obsolete.
dissentmagazine.org
January 13, 2026 at 12:28 PM
An interesting overview of an academic discipline and Western interventionism
Reposted by Jacob S
Everyone is familiar with house price appreciation relative to income but it feels like there's a taboo on pointing out that it significantly came from a one-off liberalisation of mortgage financing.
January 11, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Everyone is familiar with house price appreciation relative to income but it feels like there's a taboo on pointing out that it significantly came from a one-off liberalisation of mortgage financing.
Been going on for decades now, to the point that the supposed 'right to protest' is now a very qualified right. One of my annoyances with academics focusing on trivialities was the obsession in academia with a few privately owned squares, where there is no right to protest, while ignoring....this.
"Instead of addressing its responsibilities under international law & addressing core demands of the protestors, which are supported by a majority of the British public, successive UK govts have instead sought to repress protest through ever more draconian laws"
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Civil society groups condemn ‘dangerous’ plans for more anti-protest powers
Dozens including TUC join force to oppose ‘wide-ranging’ move to increase police powers in England and Wales
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Been going on for decades now, to the point that the supposed 'right to protest' is now a very qualified right. One of my annoyances with academics focusing on trivialities was the obsession in academia with a few privately owned squares, where there is no right to protest, while ignoring....this.
They just can't stop, no matter how low their polling goes. I've no intention of reading it btw. Don't have time for that shit.
Only Reform voters can save Labour
By Luke Akehurst
By Luke Akehurst
Only Reform voters can save Labour
A progressive coalition simply doesn't have the vote share
www.newstatesman.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:20 PM
They just can't stop, no matter how low their polling goes. I've no intention of reading it btw. Don't have time for that shit.
Reposted by Jacob S
"...the more one relies on vice signaling as a style of action and communication, the less relevant and powerful the in-group’s moral compass is as a practical constraint on anyone’s behavior."
latest for @bostonreview.bsky.social
www.bostonreview.net/articles/emp...
latest for @bostonreview.bsky.social
www.bostonreview.net/articles/emp...
Empire of Vice
In a perverse twist on virtue signaling, the Trump administration is training Americans in the politics of raw domination.
www.bostonreview.net
January 8, 2026 at 4:15 PM
"...the more one relies on vice signaling as a style of action and communication, the less relevant and powerful the in-group’s moral compass is as a practical constraint on anyone’s behavior."
latest for @bostonreview.bsky.social
www.bostonreview.net/articles/emp...
latest for @bostonreview.bsky.social
www.bostonreview.net/articles/emp...
Reposted by Jacob S
When the mother of a 6-year-old girl is murdered in cold blood by an armed and militarised agent of the state mobilised to perform a political function, it is unacceptable to discuss or even acknowledge the politics which actively generated her death.
This is New Labour's theory of politics.
This is New Labour's theory of politics.
How low can Polanski go? Weaponising the killing of the mother of a 6 year old girl, that’s how low.
Leadership clearly isn’t a Green Party strong point.
Leadership clearly isn’t a Green Party strong point.
Trump started it.
Reform and Tories are at it too.
And Labour already heading in that direction.
All cruel, potentially deadly and does nothing to fix the cost of living crisis.
Reform and Tories are at it too.
And Labour already heading in that direction.
All cruel, potentially deadly and does nothing to fix the cost of living crisis.
January 8, 2026 at 12:54 PM
When the mother of a 6-year-old girl is murdered in cold blood by an armed and militarised agent of the state mobilised to perform a political function, it is unacceptable to discuss or even acknowledge the politics which actively generated her death.
This is New Labour's theory of politics.
This is New Labour's theory of politics.
Reposted by Jacob S
The death of a legal observer in Minnesota by ICE is a warning to the UK in so many ways. We’re tying ourselves to a violent, corrupt, racist nation which does not care about its citizens. Reform believes in its model, Labour is appeasing it. It is the public who will suffer.
January 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM
The death of a legal observer in Minnesota by ICE is a warning to the UK in so many ways. We’re tying ourselves to a violent, corrupt, racist nation which does not care about its citizens. Reform believes in its model, Labour is appeasing it. It is the public who will suffer.
Reposted by Jacob S
This is also a pretty useful post for understanding why the political and media class are completely silent about the right-wing’s indulgence in and embrace of overt, 19th & 20th century antisemitism.
one takeaway from the grok noncon porn thing is that much of the media just isn't interested in an issue they can't pretend has two sides or that doesn't give them an opportunity to shit on the left. Also it would be uncomfortable to justify remaining on twitter after acknowledging it
January 7, 2026 at 11:48 AM
This is also a pretty useful post for understanding why the political and media class are completely silent about the right-wing’s indulgence in and embrace of overt, 19th & 20th century antisemitism.
Gotta dunk on this then! Imagine writing this at the time Musk's purchase of Twitter - and abuse of its algorithms - has made it descend into outright Nazism and has noticeably helped pushed online politicians rightwards!
Not particularly apropos of anything but:
At some point we are gonna have to face up to the fact we’ve spent most of the last decade blaming “the algorithm” for stuff that’s mostly just human nature and culture.
At some point we are gonna have to face up to the fact we’ve spent most of the last decade blaming “the algorithm” for stuff that’s mostly just human nature and culture.
January 7, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Gotta dunk on this then! Imagine writing this at the time Musk's purchase of Twitter - and abuse of its algorithms - has made it descend into outright Nazism and has noticeably helped pushed online politicians rightwards!
I've never said this before, but kudos to the FT. The only improvement to that headline would be 'deepfake porn and CSAM site'.
There we go. That there’s a headline.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
www.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:56 PM
I've never said this before, but kudos to the FT. The only improvement to that headline would be 'deepfake porn and CSAM site'.
Reposted by Jacob S
Nothing can tell you more about the absolute disconnect between the political class and the rest of us than their insistence that Wes Streeting is the key to electoral success.
"SCOTTISH Labour MPS are privately calling for Wes Streeting to stand against Sir Keir Starmer before May to avoid a wipeout in the Holyrood election, The Telegraph can reveal.
"The Health Secretary’s allies are pushing for a “Wes coronation” to give Labour new energy in Scotland..."
"The Health Secretary’s allies are pushing for a “Wes coronation” to give Labour new energy in Scotland..."
January 6, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Nothing can tell you more about the absolute disconnect between the political class and the rest of us than their insistence that Wes Streeting is the key to electoral success.
I think this is a wider problem. NGOs also expend huge amounts of time chasing funding. Weirdly Local Authorities do too, partly because Westminster makes available tiny pots and makes LAs bid for them. Suspect this is the competition ideal of rabid free marketeers creeping into other funding models
Point of no return: academic #funding is at a tipping point. When the effort and money spent applying for grants equals or exceeds the funding awarded, the system stops serving science and starts draining it. Time to rethink how we fund #research.
🧪🌐🌍
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪🌐🌍
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.
www.nature.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:12 AM
I think this is a wider problem. NGOs also expend huge amounts of time chasing funding. Weirdly Local Authorities do too, partly because Westminster makes available tiny pots and makes LAs bid for them. Suspect this is the competition ideal of rabid free marketeers creeping into other funding models
Oh please say yes.
Highland locals to be asked for views on lynx reintroduction www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Highland and Moray locals to be asked for views on lynx reintroduction
Campaigners say the region offers good habitat for the species, but farmers and crofters have raised concerns.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 8:28 AM
Oh please say yes.
Imagine ending your article with this www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j... without any discussion of whether people want to be renting at all. Journalism is in a woeful condition.
January 5, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Imagine ending your article with this www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j... without any discussion of whether people want to be renting at all. Journalism is in a woeful condition.
People asking if Starmer will stand up to Trump over Venezuela have utterly failed to understand the nature of both the UK-US relationship and Keir Starmer's spine.
January 3, 2026 at 12:29 PM
People asking if Starmer will stand up to Trump over Venezuela have utterly failed to understand the nature of both the UK-US relationship and Keir Starmer's spine.