Tim Bale
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timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale
@timbale.bsky.social
27K followers 1K following 3.2K posts

Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London & author of The Conservative Party after Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation (now out in paperback). The bits and pieces I do for websites and newspapers turn up eventually at https://proftimbale.com .. more

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Timothy Paul Bale is an English political scientist who is professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London.

Source: Wikipedia
Political science 83%
Sociology 6%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Tim Bale, Christina Pagel

sdp.bsky.social
Sameer Padania @sdp.bsky.social · 9h
“When I was [at the BBC], at the height of Boris Johnson’s strength, that fear was ubiquitous. Scripts were sometimes written with a view not solely to their impartiality or truth, but the management of perception of impartiality from one side of the spectrum.“ @lewisgoodall.com
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Peter Thorne, Andrew Scott , and 4 more

bestforbritain.org
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 10h
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

Reposted by Tim Bale

benjthomas.bsky.social
Benjamin Thomas @benjthomas.bsky.social · 12h
A bit longer than my other digressions, and with a few more citations. In keeping with the focus on younger and student Tories, there are appearances from (relatively) young versions of Philip Norton, Maurice Cowling, Richard Rose and Patrick Seyd. www.benjaminjthomas.net/musings/cons...
Benjamin Thomas - Conservative Students
Students and the Modernisation of the Conservative Party 10 November 2025 In my last post, I discussed Conservative students involved with the European Democrat Students in the late 1970s and early 19...
sites.google.com

Reposted by Tim Bale

roberthutton.co.uk
Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 12h
We know that we've let Donald Trump down, and in future, we shall try to do better.

thecritic.co.uk/cris...

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 12h
Ghostly pallor - but a great pod. @QMUL's finest, @robertsaunders.bsky.social talking Britain going berserk. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8q...
Nick Cohen talks to academic & author Robert Saunders about the bizarre state of UK politics
YouTube video by LowdownNickCohen
www.youtube.com

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 12h
Saw this yesterday. Am I allowed to say liked it, it being made by the BBC an' all?
The Choral - Official Trailer - Only In Cinemas November 7
YouTube video by Sony Pictures Releasing UK
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Tim Bale

citizenscreen.bsky.social
Citizen Screen @citizenscreen.bsky.social · 13h
Happy 56th anniversary to “Sesame Street,” which made its broadcast debut #OnThisDay in 1969.

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 14h
But Trump, the BBC....
Altered courses - The Sutton Trust
An updated look at the impact of the COVID pandemic and cost-of-living crisis on young people.
www.suttontrust.com

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 14h
Worth a read.
Inside the mind of a 16-year-old: From Andrew Tate to Bonnie Blue to Nigel Farage - what do first time voters think about social media, politics, the state of Britain and their futures?
Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.
demos.co.uk

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 14h
"Quelle surprise", as we English say.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers, Tim Bale , and 1 more

roberthutton.co.uk
Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 15h
Michael Prescott's report makes vital points about the importance of being accurate, and also how difficult that is. For instance, he describes himself as having been Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years, which is not what the Guardian reported when he left the job.
Prescott's BBC memo, saying "I served as the Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years". Prescott's LinkedIn page, saying he was Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years. A 2001 Guardian story saying he was leaving his job as Political Editor after four years. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/jun/28/pressandpublishing.marketingandpr

Reposted by Tim Bale

robertsaunders.bsky.social
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 15h
Somebody said to me recently "we didn't have all these mental health problems in the past". You only have to open a Dickens novel to see what nonsense that is.

Reposted by Tim Bale

wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 15h
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was released from prison pending an appeal, three weeks into a five-year sentence.
France’s Sarkozy Freed From Prison After Three Weeks
The former president was sentenced to five years for conspiring to seek campaign funds from Libya.
on.wsj.com

Reposted by Tim Bale

joxley.jmoxley.co.uk
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 15h
Another one - and important to remember when people talk about mental health in the past vs today. The reality is back then, people just died.

Reposted by Stephen P. Jenkins, Tim Bale

jburnmurdoch.ft.com
John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 15h
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.

Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.

My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the west
New research shows how incentives in the modern media ecosystem help explain rising division and negativity
www.ft.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers , and 8 more

robertshrimsley.bsky.social
Robert Shrimsley @robertshrimsley.bsky.social · 16h
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 16h
I'm so old I remember PEx starting out as a Cameroon, liberal Tory, modernising think tank. It's a funny old world, as Lady Thatcher once said.

Reposted by Tim Bale

bylinetimes.bsky.social
Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 16h
🔴The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the ‘Right-Wing Coup’ Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction

By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the 'Right-Wing Coup' Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease those forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com

Reposted by Martin McKee, Dorothy Bishop, Stephan Lewandowsky , and 9 more

jessicaelgot.bsky.social
Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 18h
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?

Reposted by Dave O’Brien

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 18h
Should you or anyone else be interested in doing a PhD in London, here's details of the competition for funded places.
Open Competition - LISS DTP
liss-dtp.ac.uk

Reposted by Tim Bale

tobysjames.bsky.social
Toby S. James @tobysjames.bsky.social · 18h
The State of Political Leadership in Britain

Roundtable with Charles Clarke, Tim Bale, Emmanuelle Avril and Patrick Diamond

Tuesday 25th November 1pm-2.30pm

The registration link is: forms.office.com/e/dnX1qZ4pVR. We will send a join link 24 hours before the event

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 19h
"The problem isn’t that we have a deliberately biased BBC, it’s that we have a BBC that has been consciously reduced in its scope and bullied into dumbing down and retreating." @stephenkb.bsky.social
To fix the BBC, focus on competence and cash
Corporation fails to learn from criticism, while politicians have consciously reduced its scope for quality journalism
www.ft.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Mel Bartley, Tim Bale , and 2 more

davidheniguk.bsky.social
David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 19h
This looks rather meaningful.

Reposted by Tim Bale

cjayanetti.bsky.social
Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 20h
This isn't a revolutionary government. But as a Labour government, it does need to be the people's representative to the system. So far it's acted as the system's representative to the people - "no, you can't have that, tough choices". And time is running out to deliver outcomes by the election

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 20h
Haha. That passage stuck out for me too!
robfordmancs.bsky.social Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 21h
While going through the proofs for "The British General Election of 2024" (out very soon!) I came across this - Paul Johnson of the IFS's verdict on Labour's manifesto last year. Labour's current attempts to claim the need to break their tax pledges was impossible to forsee don't stack up

Reposted by Will Jennings, Tim Bale, Molly Scott Cato

robfordmancs.bsky.social
Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 21h
While going through the proofs for "The British General Election of 2024" (out very soon!) I came across this - Paul Johnson of the IFS's verdict on Labour's manifesto last year. Labour's current attempts to claim the need to break their tax pledges was impossible to forsee don't stack up

Reposted by Tim Bale

matthew-wright.bsky.social
Matthew Wright @matthew-wright.bsky.social · 21h
Fantastic news!!! www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
‘Hero’ crew member injured in train mass stabbing regains consciousness
Samir Zitouni was wounded as he protected passengers during attack on an LNER train travelling from Doncaster to London
www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Tim Bale, Charles West, Christina Pagel

duncanweldon.bsky.social
Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 21h
This (not from that piece) is one of those charts where I am completely aware of the data but my mental map of how the global economy works still almost refuses to update to the new reality. Because the pace of change has been so rapid.

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 21h
Fascinating (£).
UK investigates whether buses made in China can be turned off from afar
Investigation comes after Norway found Yutong vehicles could be ‘stopped or rendered inoperable’ by Chinese company
www.ft.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Tim Bale, Miri Rubin , and 1 more

colmpm.bsky.social
Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 21h
Breaking the tax pledge is the right call...and politically sulphurous. Reeves must argue, far more forcefully, that taxes are *the* essential downpayment we all pay for a fairer society.

Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇

renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
If Labour want a fairer society, they must argue for it
Labour must make the political argument: taxes are the critical downpayment we all pay to live in a fairer society.  It now seems all but certain that direct taxes will rise in the forthcoming Budget...
renewal.org.uk