Gary Sheffield | Lightnews

Warren Oates @warrenoates1.bsky.social · 2h

People still claim Labour do nothing to help our armed forces & veterans.

But that is not true.

To mark the launch of the government's new Veterans Strategy, here is veterans minister Louise Sandher-Jones telling you what it is all about & how it's a joined up approach to helping veterans.

The Church of England @churchofengland.org · 3h

A prayer for Remembrance Day

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 10h

paging @jonathanfennell.bsky.social @silvareader.bsky.social

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 13h

Michael Prescott, behind the leaked dossier, is a corporate lobbyist and former Murdoch press man.

The BBC belongs to all of us here in the UK. It is still highly trusted and vital.

It doesn’t belong to the US, shady think tanks, or vested interests in the media. It needs to grow a backbone.

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 13h

The former Chairman of the BBC, Richard Sharp, helped secure then-Tory PM Boris Johnson a loan for £800.000.

And still there is a pattern of right-wing attacks on the BBC. Johnson and his top adviser Cummings wanted the BBC destroyed. They did not hide it well.

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 13h

The left-wing bias claim is nuts – Davie, a former Tory candidate, had overseen the BBC drawing up plans to win over voters of Reform UK, as my Byline colleague @adambienkov.bsky.social reported in June. BBC board member Robbie Gibb helped set up GB News - which is now cheering the Beeb's turmoil.

BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 14h

You might have thought Question Time was biased.

But you never realised how much.

UKIP never even had a single MP.

Dave Smith @smigger1.bsky.social · 14h

The biggest problem of the BBC was accommodating Farage almost every other week on BBCQT especially when he had his own programme to spill out his bile. The left leaning public will never trust the BBC again.

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · 15h

My complaint was primarily about promotion of a headline that used positive sentiment about the Reform party. That is propaganda pumped to 20 million people that read that site every week.

Also left out any actual data about electoral voting, the main dataset the BBC News team should refer to.

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · 15h

The response doesn't include any data that proves this about the town. It was based on editorial opinion backed by three hand picked interviews. That is not factual reporting. escalated to Ofcom.

I love BBC - we need to save the news platform.

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · 15h

BBC News has a broken impartiality framework that results in promotion of far-right parties and views, inflating their popularity. Reply to my complaint about "Why one small town with very little immigration turned to Reform UK" promoted to 20m people because immigration was "probably" a reason(!)

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 15h

He got that bit right. Not so impressed by all his other points.

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 15h

Honestly, I did NOT have "punching the air and going HELL YES to Chris Patten" on my bingo card today. But what he says is SO rarely said and needed saying SO badly!

"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 15h

SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.

"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 15h

Honestly, I did NOT have "punching the air and going HELL YES to Chris Patten" on my bingo card today. But what he says is SO rarely said and needed saying SO badly!

"How shall we treat Mr Farage's concerns? Shall we hail Brexit a tremendous success? Something that has cost the country billions?"

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 15h

SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.

"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA

Scott Bryan @scottygb.bsky.social · 15h

You wouldn’t believe how far the BBC reaches. The furthest away country, you’ll meet some locals. They ask you if you’re British, they’ll tell you about the BBC.

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 15h

Fair enough - but also massively underestimated the skill the Allies eventually employed

Claire S (UK not USA) @csav55.bsky.social · 17h

This Government has introduced free breakfast clubs, additional free childcare hours and increased the minimum wage, it'll be great news if they remove the 2 child cap but let's not pretend they've done nothing for the less well off.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 19h

🎯 Davey is spot on. "We can have criticism of the BBC, but within that, we need to recognise how valuable an institution it is [and how] precious to our country. And that's one of the reasons why people like President Trump and Nigel Farage, want to undermine the BBC." 👏🏽~AA

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 20h

'recent research on' 🙄

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 20h

I liked 'The Sharp End', and 'Cassino'. 'Brute Force' was fundamentally flawed even when it came out because of a failure to engage with recent (ie late 80s) on the Red Army.

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 20h

Hmmm...

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 1d

I remember being enthusiastically encouraged to read it when I was an undergrad.

newadrian.bsky.social @newadrian.bsky.social · 1d

A fascinating reflection on historiography. At the time of its publication it was quite conceptually radical.

newadrian.bsky.social @newadrian.bsky.social · 1d

A fascinating reflection on historiography. At the time of its publication it was quite conceptually radical.

Daily Herald #FBPE #NAFO @dailyherald.bsky.social · 1d

Keir Starmer: "Veterans have given so much to our nation – it's only right that we serve those who have served for us.

We’re rolling out support centres for them across the country, offering guidance on housing, employment, and health."

Alan @agf1956.bsky.social · 1d

Listening to Charles Moore on R4 Today, he described the BBC as "Left Wing". The same channel that platforms Reform PLC at every opportunity.

James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 1d

Dominic Cummings, in an earlier incarnation, ran a secretly-funded 'think tank' dedicated to attacking the Beeb while Robbie Gibb glided effortlessly from GBNews to the BBC & started lecturing staff on impartiality. Imagine (cos you'll have to) how the 'left-wing' equivalent would be reported.

LaindonFeminist: 10 Year Keir @viviane49.bsky.social · 1d

It could be a hell of an opportunity for Starmer and Nandy. I live in hope. But I am an optimist

Dan Snow @thehistoryguy.bsky.social · 1d

An essential precondition for authoritarianism is the neutering of sources of real news.

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 1d

That's disappointing,

Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 2d

That would have helped, although he had really done no research. I think some history just can't be made into a 'relatable' narrative.

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 1d

I like the phrase 'catastrophically dated'! I read it when I was an undergraduate many years ago.

Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 4d

I've been revisiting this from 1975 in advance of seeing David Olusoga's A Gun Through Time tonight in Liverpool. Ellis's book is catastrophically dated in respect of the First World War but DO cites his chapter on the Maxim gun in Africa in The World's War. I'm looking forward to it.

Title page of book: THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF the Machine Gun John Ellis, engraving of early machine gun.

Gary Sheffield @profgsheffield.bsky.social · 1d

Is John Ellis still around? I read his 'Cassino' book recently.

Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 4d

I've been revisiting this from 1975 in advance of seeing David Olusoga's A Gun Through Time tonight in Liverpool. Ellis's book is catastrophically dated in respect of the First World War but DO cites his chapter on the Maxim gun in Africa in The World's War. I'm looking forward to it.

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