Stephen Bush
@stephenkb.bsky.social
Associate editor and columnist @financialtimes.com. Post too often about culture, public policy, management, politics, nerd stuff, Arsenal, wosoc. Try my UK politics newsletter for free here: www.ft.com/tryinsidepolitics
Pinned
Stephen Bush
@stephenkb.bsky.social
· Feb 22
I sat through that so when my column gets factchecked I can say “yes, that line is accurate”. Such is the FT’s commitment to bringing you our best understanding of the truth. Subscribe here: subs.ft.com/products
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Good on her. I cycle to work in the City and not sure which of my routes feels sketchier: riding through Bank junction, or crossing Upper Thames at the top of Southwark Bridge. Both are lousy with people who barely know how to handle a bike shooting through reds giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
‘I was reckless’: City cyclist shares CCTV of her accident to save others
Credit rating agency worker almost lost her life after cycling into a London bus
giftarticle.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Good on her. I cycle to work in the City and not sure which of my routes feels sketchier: riding through Bank junction, or crossing Upper Thames at the top of Southwark Bridge. Both are lousy with people who barely know how to handle a bike shooting through reds giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Stephen Bush
There's this horribly incorrect idea that seems to arise in teen years that because you don't like something that means it doesn't matter which is a terrible way of understanding things and the world
January 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
There's this horribly incorrect idea that seems to arise in teen years that because you don't like something that means it doesn't matter which is a terrible way of understanding things and the world
Reposted by Stephen Bush
This makes me think about how so often people go into the show thinking their jobs (e.g., police, psychologist, magician etc.) will help them find traitors, when it wasn't until the celeb series that we actually saw useful careers: people who have worked in television production
January 3, 2026 at 3:35 PM
This makes me think about how so often people go into the show thinking their jobs (e.g., police, psychologist, magician etc.) will help them find traitors, when it wasn't until the celeb series that we actually saw useful careers: people who have worked in television production
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Which as a Blood On The Clocktower fan is where it becomes fun
January 3, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Which as a Blood On The Clocktower fan is where it becomes fun
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I am sure the statistical probability of two contestants having a past acquaintance with one another isn’t actually that small yet none of them will believe it’s accidental
January 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM
I am sure the statistical probability of two contestants having a past acquaintance with one another isn’t actually that small yet none of them will believe it’s accidental
Why would we need to create a vaccine against understanding more about the society you live in and the species you are part of?
I appear to be biologically immune to reality tv. Maybe someone should study me and create a vaccine.
The interesting thing about the Traitors now it is a mature franchise is that everyone involved is playing it as a game to the point that they can't edit out the meta-gaming anymore.
January 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Why would we need to create a vaccine against understanding more about the society you live in and the species you are part of?
The interesting thing about the Traitors now it is a mature franchise is that everyone involved is playing it as a game to the point that they can't edit out the meta-gaming anymore.
It feels like Traitors needs a Nick from Destination X, someone who'll say "I've known this person for 5 minutes. Them supposedly acting weird is at least as likely to be the strange contrived situation we've all volunteered for as it is them being a traitor"
January 3, 2026 at 3:20 PM
The interesting thing about the Traitors now it is a mature franchise is that everyone involved is playing it as a game to the point that they can't edit out the meta-gaming anymore.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
It’s amazing how no one remembers the ancient history of February 24, 2022. They tried to do exactly that with Spetsnaz units, who were shot to pieces by the Ukrainian National Guard at Hostomel Airport.
what’s stopping russia from doing a targeted operation to go steal zelensky in a few weeks now?
January 3, 2026 at 3:04 PM
It’s amazing how no one remembers the ancient history of February 24, 2022. They tried to do exactly that with Spetsnaz units, who were shot to pieces by the Ukrainian National Guard at Hostomel Airport.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
You people are mad, this looks great
For connoisseurs of utterly mental extensions on mundane houses (via reddit)
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...
January 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM
You people are mad, this looks great
All the news on our liveblog:
Donald Trump launches attack on Venezuela
Explosions reported in Caracas after weeks of pressure from Washington
www.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:59 AM
All the news on our liveblog:
This - I can vouch - lovely cardigan is on sale, so who is to say if 2026 is starting well or badly?
Frampton Shawl Cardigan
Whether you are channelling your inner Starsky or hankering for crisp winter days, the shawl neck cardigan is the perfect all-year-round alternative to a jacket. Some believe that the shawl neck cardi...
aubinandwills.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:44 AM
This - I can vouch - lovely cardigan is on sale, so who is to say if 2026 is starting well or badly?
Reposted by Stephen Bush
The core of the issue I take with the Ovenden piece, is that this is a particularly acute problem when the government doesn’t have a clear sense of what it wants, the clear trade-offs that it is willing to accept as a result. Which stakeholders are you willing to piss off for extended periods.
January 3, 2026 at 10:28 AM
The core of the issue I take with the Ovenden piece, is that this is a particularly acute problem when the government doesn’t have a clear sense of what it wants, the clear trade-offs that it is willing to accept as a result. Which stakeholders are you willing to piss off for extended periods.
V good thread. IMV what’s double damning about the Ovenden piece is that you could write a thousand pieces about how Whitehall could run better, but absolutely none of them would run through “why should the diplomatic service care about a British citizen in an authoritarian jail?”
I have a few thoughts on the Stakeholder State and the piece by Paul Ovenden.
I disagree with the extent of emphasis on stakeholders, but the more dismissive engagement on this app misses that a Strong Stakeholderism does exist, and has placed particular constraints on a govt that lacks direction 🧵
I disagree with the extent of emphasis on stakeholders, but the more dismissive engagement on this app misses that a Strong Stakeholderism does exist, and has placed particular constraints on a govt that lacks direction 🧵
The Blob, the Groups and now The Stakeholder state
Alaa Abd el-Fattah has shown supremacy of the Stakeholder State
www.thetimes.com/article/3720...
Alaa Abd el-Fattah has shown supremacy of the Stakeholder State
www.thetimes.com/article/3720...
January 3, 2026 at 10:43 AM
V good thread. IMV what’s double damning about the Ovenden piece is that you could write a thousand pieces about how Whitehall could run better, but absolutely none of them would run through “why should the diplomatic service care about a British citizen in an authoritarian jail?”
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I took this photo of a heron at Bushy Park just before dawn this morning
January 3, 2026 at 9:44 AM
I took this photo of a heron at Bushy Park just before dawn this morning
Good thread.
Days like this are a stark reminder that the UK undertook Brexit at historically the worst possible moment. Bloc politics is here to stay and fiddlearsing about with 2mm advances towards smoother customs arrangements with the EU is not the leadership Britain needs.
January 3, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Good thread.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
In the 90s Waterloo Roundabout underpass was packed with homeless people. The Labour Government properly fixed rough sleeping.
January 3, 2026 at 12:35 AM
In the 90s Waterloo Roundabout underpass was packed with homeless people. The Labour Government properly fixed rough sleeping.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Pre remodeling Trafalgar Square just being like... a wildly terrifying place to try and cross a road or be a pedestrian
January 3, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Pre remodeling Trafalgar Square just being like... a wildly terrifying place to try and cross a road or be a pedestrian
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Memories of things like walking past Actual Binfires as a kid in London in the period (in nice bits of London) mean I do very, very much agree.
January 3, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Memories of things like walking past Actual Binfires as a kid in London in the period (in nice bits of London) mean I do very, very much agree.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
My first place in London in 1993 was a room in a house off the Upper Clapton Road then known as "murder mile". Including drive by shootings at the queue outside the club.
January 3, 2026 at 12:27 AM
My first place in London in 1993 was a room in a house off the Upper Clapton Road then known as "murder mile". Including drive by shootings at the queue outside the club.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I will never tire of telling people that in the 80s, we came down *from Yorkshire* on a geography field trip about urban blight to... Hoxton Square.
January 3, 2026 at 12:25 AM
I will never tire of telling people that in the 80s, we came down *from Yorkshire* on a geography field trip about urban blight to... Hoxton Square.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Lol at Nineties London being clean and safe.
January 3, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Lol at Nineties London being clean and safe.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
And now I'm left wondering if there is there a FB group for people still livid about them moving the Blockbusters further down Rye Lane.
January 3, 2026 at 12:19 AM
And now I'm left wondering if there is there a FB group for people still livid about them moving the Blockbusters further down Rye Lane.
Reposted by Stephen Bush
I still enjoy imagining the increasing despair of the producers when they realise this time they can't edit out the meta-gaming
January 3, 2026 at 12:16 AM
I still enjoy imagining the increasing despair of the producers when they realise this time they can't edit out the meta-gaming
I know, yeah, it's AI, but it just utterly wild to me, speaking as someone who grew up *in London in the time period being depicted here* that people are doing nostalgia for *London in the 90s*!
London in the good old days - before everyone's feet pointed forwards.
January 3, 2026 at 12:15 AM
I know, yeah, it's AI, but it just utterly wild to me, speaking as someone who grew up *in London in the time period being depicted here* that people are doing nostalgia for *London in the 90s*!
Reposted by Stephen Bush
Once upon a time, it was possible to produce very comfortable inter-city train interiors.
January 2, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Once upon a time, it was possible to produce very comfortable inter-city train interiors.