Richard Milner
@rlmilner.bsky.social
Beckett, but with a laughter track
Reposted by Richard Milner
My take - a series of wrong turns/misfortunes since 1979:
- Election of Thatcher
- Death of John Smith
- Supporting the Iraq War
- GFC 2008
- Austerity
- 2015 election result
- Brexit
- Covid
Eight body blows in 46 years, some of them just bad luck, some self-inflicted.
- Election of Thatcher
- Death of John Smith
- Supporting the Iraq War
- GFC 2008
- Austerity
- 2015 election result
- Brexit
- Covid
Eight body blows in 46 years, some of them just bad luck, some self-inflicted.
When did Britain start to go wrong? In @NewStatesman @georgeeaton looks at our polling of when the public think our turn for the worst was. Brexit tops the list, but different voters disagree. Reform voters most likely to pick Blair’s election as putting Britain on wrong track
July 31, 2025 at 11:47 AM
My take - a series of wrong turns/misfortunes since 1979:
- Election of Thatcher
- Death of John Smith
- Supporting the Iraq War
- GFC 2008
- Austerity
- 2015 election result
- Brexit
- Covid
Eight body blows in 46 years, some of them just bad luck, some self-inflicted.
- Election of Thatcher
- Death of John Smith
- Supporting the Iraq War
- GFC 2008
- Austerity
- 2015 election result
- Brexit
- Covid
Eight body blows in 46 years, some of them just bad luck, some self-inflicted.
Reposted by Richard Milner
I saw George Mitchell give a talk last night about the diplomatic effort to end the Troubles, culminating in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and he said something so sobering but obviously true: if social media had existed in the 90s the negotiators would never have been able to get an agreement.
July 31, 2025 at 12:11 PM
I saw George Mitchell give a talk last night about the diplomatic effort to end the Troubles, culminating in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and he said something so sobering but obviously true: if social media had existed in the 90s the negotiators would never have been able to get an agreement.
Reposted by Richard Milner
A supercut of every time Norm entered Cheers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXED...
Cheers | Every Time Norm Peterson Enters the Bar
YouTube video by Peacock
www.youtube.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A supercut of every time Norm entered Cheers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXED...
Reposted by Richard Milner
My grandmas were immigrants, my mum & sisters in law are immigrants; my sister & nephews are migrants. My kids study maths, Shakespeare, dance, act & score tries alongside the kids of immigrants. My dad’s life was saved by immigrants. Immigrants have made us richer, wiser, stronger
Win the fight
Win the fight
May 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM
My grandmas were immigrants, my mum & sisters in law are immigrants; my sister & nephews are migrants. My kids study maths, Shakespeare, dance, act & score tries alongside the kids of immigrants. My dad’s life was saved by immigrants. Immigrants have made us richer, wiser, stronger
Win the fight
Win the fight
Reposted by Richard Milner
One of the strangest ironies of the last ten years has been watching Britain immersing itself as deeply as ever in memories of WW2 while proudly turning its back on the project that emerged from it.
May 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
One of the strangest ironies of the last ten years has been watching Britain immersing itself as deeply as ever in memories of WW2 while proudly turning its back on the project that emerged from it.
Reposted by Richard Milner
Just been reminded of one of my favourite stories from the old days of television. Dag Hammarskjöld, UN secretary general, was due in for a Panorama. Before he arrived, they needed to line up the cameras, so floor manager Albert Stevenson, later a distinguished LE producer was asked to step in.
February 19, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Just been reminded of one of my favourite stories from the old days of television. Dag Hammarskjöld, UN secretary general, was due in for a Panorama. Before he arrived, they needed to line up the cameras, so floor manager Albert Stevenson, later a distinguished LE producer was asked to step in.
Reposted by Richard Milner
Went to the speech this morning. A few thoughts. TL;DR - I thought it was really good, but of course lots of tricky challenges to work through. 🧵
I know people will be irked by the word ‘start-up’ here but I do think this is a meaningful step in the right direction. The basic principles they’re gesturing to must be right. 1/n
Government to set out £100m plan to make state 'like a start-up'
As well as urging a
www.bbc.co.uk
December 9, 2024 at 11:57 AM
Went to the speech this morning. A few thoughts. TL;DR - I thought it was really good, but of course lots of tricky challenges to work through. 🧵
Reposted by Richard Milner
Sounds like a couple who’ve written a letter to the Telegraph about how they can only go skiing once a year because school fees have gone up
December 1, 2024 at 3:39 PM
Sounds like a couple who’ve written a letter to the Telegraph about how they can only go skiing once a year because school fees have gone up
Reposted by Richard Milner
Here is a visual reprersentation of how the parties divided votes.parliament.uk/votes/common...
November 29, 2024 at 2:34 PM
Here is a visual reprersentation of how the parties divided votes.parliament.uk/votes/common...
Reposted by Richard Milner
At a US passport control:
Agent: why are you here?
Me: I’m a Professor, going to give a talk.
Agent: what area?
Me: political philosophy
Agent: my favourite subject.
Me: really?
Agent: no, I say that to all the Professors. Seems to make them happy.
Agent: why are you here?
Me: I’m a Professor, going to give a talk.
Agent: what area?
Me: political philosophy
Agent: my favourite subject.
Me: really?
Agent: no, I say that to all the Professors. Seems to make them happy.
May 4, 2024 at 9:53 AM
At a US passport control:
Agent: why are you here?
Me: I’m a Professor, going to give a talk.
Agent: what area?
Me: political philosophy
Agent: my favourite subject.
Me: really?
Agent: no, I say that to all the Professors. Seems to make them happy.
Agent: why are you here?
Me: I’m a Professor, going to give a talk.
Agent: what area?
Me: political philosophy
Agent: my favourite subject.
Me: really?
Agent: no, I say that to all the Professors. Seems to make them happy.
Reposted by Richard Milner
To be fair she does look like a chicken.
November 23, 2024 at 2:08 PM
To be fair she does look like a chicken.
Reposted by Richard Milner
Congratulations!
Please enjoy this visualisation of Bluesky swears, including an audible delivery by a funny little voice and direct clickthrough to the post responsible for the profanity to celebrate.
PS Sound down in the presence of the easily offended.
PPS I didn't make it.
swearsky.bagpuss.org
Please enjoy this visualisation of Bluesky swears, including an audible delivery by a funny little voice and direct clickthrough to the post responsible for the profanity to celebrate.
PS Sound down in the presence of the easily offended.
PPS I didn't make it.
swearsky.bagpuss.org
SwearSky
Bluesky profanity, as it happens
swearsky.bagpuss.org
November 22, 2024 at 4:56 PM
Congratulations!
Please enjoy this visualisation of Bluesky swears, including an audible delivery by a funny little voice and direct clickthrough to the post responsible for the profanity to celebrate.
PS Sound down in the presence of the easily offended.
PPS I didn't make it.
swearsky.bagpuss.org
Please enjoy this visualisation of Bluesky swears, including an audible delivery by a funny little voice and direct clickthrough to the post responsible for the profanity to celebrate.
PS Sound down in the presence of the easily offended.
PPS I didn't make it.
swearsky.bagpuss.org
Reposted by Richard Milner
Today's Daily Sensemaker from @tortoisemedia.bsky.social - The truth about Trump's tariffs www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/18/t...
The truth about Trump’s tariffs - Tortoise
They weren’t a disaster first time around, but they could be next time
www.tortoisemedia.com
November 18, 2024 at 9:22 AM
Today's Daily Sensemaker from @tortoisemedia.bsky.social - The truth about Trump's tariffs www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/18/t...
Reposted by Richard Milner
It’s 35 years since Margaret Thatcher resigned from being Prime Minister. He she is in her earlier days of being a good scientist, looking at some concentrated privatisation in a jar.
November 22, 2024 at 8:42 AM
It’s 35 years since Margaret Thatcher resigned from being Prime Minister. He she is in her earlier days of being a good scientist, looking at some concentrated privatisation in a jar.
Reposted by Richard Milner
We’re lucky Orwell isn’t around to say “I told you so” endlessly. It would be intolerable.
November 21, 2024 at 12:38 PM
We’re lucky Orwell isn’t around to say “I told you so” endlessly. It would be intolerable.