Howell Harris
@trefeca.bsky.social
Retired (US, business & technology) historian. Twitter escapee. Hope this doesn't go the same way. Welsh & European. Durham resident. Gardener & cyclist.
Reposted by Howell Harris
The main issue I see with Labour is careerism.
It's so glaringly exposed in McSweeney's inept machinations and Starmer's appeasement. It got them up the greasy pole and now there they are, in full view, with their thumbs up their arses.
No vision. No moral purpose. No passion. And it shows.
It's so glaringly exposed in McSweeney's inept machinations and Starmer's appeasement. It got them up the greasy pole and now there they are, in full view, with their thumbs up their arses.
No vision. No moral purpose. No passion. And it shows.
November 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The main issue I see with Labour is careerism.
It's so glaringly exposed in McSweeney's inept machinations and Starmer's appeasement. It got them up the greasy pole and now there they are, in full view, with their thumbs up their arses.
No vision. No moral purpose. No passion. And it shows.
It's so glaringly exposed in McSweeney's inept machinations and Starmer's appeasement. It got them up the greasy pole and now there they are, in full view, with their thumbs up their arses.
No vision. No moral purpose. No passion. And it shows.
Reposted by Howell Harris
We've gone from "Vote Labour to keep Farage out" to "Vote Labour to get a Farage copy".
November 16, 2025 at 2:32 PM
We've gone from "Vote Labour to keep Farage out" to "Vote Labour to get a Farage copy".
Reposted by Howell Harris
Rachel Reeves’ mad income tax plan would have exploded a torpedo under the government, and for all his apparent joylessness Keir Starmer seems fundamentally unserious. It’s hard not to conclude that this government is hopeless ✍️ Desmond Clifford
Forget Streeting, Starmer’s sinking his own ship (with a little help from Rachel Reeves)
Desmond Clifford UK Budgets have become strange affairs. These days, something called the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), an independent public body sitting outside government, publishes a for...
wp.me
November 16, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Rachel Reeves’ mad income tax plan would have exploded a torpedo under the government, and for all his apparent joylessness Keir Starmer seems fundamentally unserious. It’s hard not to conclude that this government is hopeless ✍️ Desmond Clifford
Reposted by Howell Harris
To state the eye-bleedingly obvious, Labour's line shouldn't be "We are going to be bastards, because otherwise worse bastards will come after us' it should be 'There are bastards going after vulnerable people, so we're throwing the whole weight of HMG into preventing the bastards from winning'.
November 15, 2025 at 7:33 PM
To state the eye-bleedingly obvious, Labour's line shouldn't be "We are going to be bastards, because otherwise worse bastards will come after us' it should be 'There are bastards going after vulnerable people, so we're throwing the whole weight of HMG into preventing the bastards from winning'.
Reposted by Howell Harris
Undercover priest lays the foundation for later papal proclamations.
Q: C. Robert Cargill @crobertcargill.bsky.social
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck? It's the Pope in 1982.
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck? It's the Pope in 1982.
November 15, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Undercover priest lays the foundation for later papal proclamations.
This is very good -- fits with Chris Dillow's blog about why, almost wherever we look in the British political world, all we find is ****. chrisdillow.substack.com/p/on-incompe...
November 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
This is very good -- fits with Chris Dillow's blog about why, almost wherever we look in the British political world, all we find is ****. chrisdillow.substack.com/p/on-incompe...
Absolutely. Similar bit of non-obvious wisdom from somebody else (sorry, forget who — @gilesyb.bsky.social?) last week, that the problem of Starmer etc. campaigning as “boring but competent” is what do they do when it becomes clear as day that they’re not even competent?
Thing about 'unpopular choices' is they're pointless if they don't actually do something for the greater good.
November 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Absolutely. Similar bit of non-obvious wisdom from somebody else (sorry, forget who — @gilesyb.bsky.social?) last week, that the problem of Starmer etc. campaigning as “boring but competent” is what do they do when it becomes clear as day that they’re not even competent?
Quite.
"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
November 15, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Quite.
Not me, Ben. Even before all of this rubbish over the past year and a half, their only selling point was that they were not the Tories. Not enough then, barely an argument at all by now.
With the ending of permanent asylum, taxes on foreign students, two U-turns on income tax, a refusal to listen to business concerns about hiring costs, again I ask ‘who are Labour for?’ What is the vision underlying all these choices other than responding to last week’s polls?
November 15, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Not me, Ben. Even before all of this rubbish over the past year and a half, their only selling point was that they were not the Tories. Not enough then, barely an argument at all by now.
Reposted by Howell Harris
The level of cowardice and incompetence of this government is astonishing. Five years of total legislative and executive power burned up in little over a year
November 14, 2025 at 8:14 AM
The level of cowardice and incompetence of this government is astonishing. Five years of total legislative and executive power burned up in little over a year
Reposted by Howell Harris
In some ways it's quite reassuring that 'Number 10 staff' (who could it be we ask?) are treating the PM with the same contempt they treat their voter base and the electorate more generally.
No 10 says Starmer has been told by Downing Street staff that none of them briefed against Streeting - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
November 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In some ways it's quite reassuring that 'Number 10 staff' (who could it be we ask?) are treating the PM with the same contempt they treat their voter base and the electorate more generally.
Good summary. Perhaps we just have to be patient and wait a while longer for the Real Keir to stand up? Pensioners are, after all, not famously fast learners. He’s only had a few years to learn how to be an effective political leader, after all.
All PMs are flawed but I think if you have no coherent vision, no ability to make decisions quickly, no humour or charisma when addressing the public, no strong roots in your party, no talent for charming MPs and no control over your own office, then you are unlikely to be able to turn it around
November 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Good summary. Perhaps we just have to be patient and wait a while longer for the Real Keir to stand up? Pensioners are, after all, not famously fast learners. He’s only had a few years to learn how to be an effective political leader, after all.
Reposted by Howell Harris
i fully agree with this theory and in my actual field, british architectural history, The Problem is that Salisbury Cathedral is built on top of a lake and no i am not exaggerating
between this and the FSO Safer (another ship at serious risk of exploding) I’m convinced every field has its “yeah, this is the problem that keeps me up at night” and I’m on a quest to learn about all of them
yes yes we all know about the Edmund Fitzgerald, rest her soul, but did you know about the ship laden with explosives that sank in the mouth of the Thames in 1944 and could explode at any minute and which attempts to disarm keep failing
November 12, 2025 at 12:53 PM
i fully agree with this theory and in my actual field, british architectural history, The Problem is that Salisbury Cathedral is built on top of a lake and no i am not exaggerating
Reposted by Howell Harris
IIRC this is the occasion when an RAF air raid took place during one meeting and they had to descend into the Chancellery cellars. When one German official said “England is finished” Molotov snapped back “if this is so, then why are we sitting here and whose bombs are falling above us?”
12 November 1940: Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov met with Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin for a conference to discuss spheres of influence between Germany, Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union, and the possibility of the Soviets joining the Axis.
November 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
IIRC this is the occasion when an RAF air raid took place during one meeting and they had to descend into the Chancellery cellars. When one German official said “England is finished” Molotov snapped back “if this is so, then why are we sitting here and whose bombs are falling above us?”
Reposted by Howell Harris
👇 To extend the metaphor, it’s a serious problem that the state continues to rely on economic methods that can’t see systems and can’t conceive of ‘positive sum games’ built via cooperation and collective-problem solving: a machine economics for a social world.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
There’s a missing link in British public life – and it underpins crises from the BBC to our prisons | Rafael Behr
A declining sense of collective identity is corroding trust in our institutions and undermining democratic politics, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:21 AM
👇 To extend the metaphor, it’s a serious problem that the state continues to rely on economic methods that can’t see systems and can’t conceive of ‘positive sum games’ built via cooperation and collective-problem solving: a machine economics for a social world.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Howell Harris
Reposted by Howell Harris
An excellent, impartial analysis of Trump's incendiary January 6th 2021 speech. From the....BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-u...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-u...
Capitol riots: Did Trump's words at rally incite violence?
Donald Trump was accused of inciting violence that left five people dead. So what did the president say?
www.bbc.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
An excellent, impartial analysis of Trump's incendiary January 6th 2021 speech. From the....BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-u...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-u...
Reposted by Howell Harris
The BBC is right to be self-critical and right to apologise to President Trump. But time for a reality check - there is more fake news on Trump's Truth and Social feed in a day than there is on BBC total output in a decade.
November 10, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The BBC is right to be self-critical and right to apologise to President Trump. But time for a reality check - there is more fake news on Trump's Truth and Social feed in a day than there is on BBC total output in a decade.
Read this & wonder at the BBC being done for misrepresentation of its message: apnews.com/article/elec...
Transcript of Trump's speech at rally before US Capitol riot
President Donald Trump spoke at a rally near the White House on Jan. 6 before a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S.
apnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Read this & wonder at the BBC being done for misrepresentation of its message: apnews.com/article/elec...
I’m fed up of Labour ministers (& MPs) like this. So cheap.
November 9, 2025 at 9:21 AM
I’m fed up of Labour ministers (& MPs) like this. So cheap.
Good. But the level of non-RT membership participation is turning pathetic. The NT remains vulnerable to astroturfing. The problem is its constitution — giving a vote to “members” most of whom are just customers looking for a discount on their outings. Means an organized minority remains a threat
National Trust council elections saw a defeat for the Restore Trust campaign.
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
Voting results from the AGM
Read about the National Trust's 2025 Annual General Meeting and the results from the day.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
November 9, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Good. But the level of non-RT membership participation is turning pathetic. The NT remains vulnerable to astroturfing. The problem is its constitution — giving a vote to “members” most of whom are just customers looking for a discount on their outings. Means an organized minority remains a threat
Modern cities need more herons like this.
If you don't want to see what a heron does with a freshly caught rat, then that probably reflects very well on your character. But do look away now. #NewRiverBirds
November 8, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Modern cities need more herons like this.
Reposted by Howell Harris
Re the death of Dick Cheney, it is worth reflecting on the inflection point in this chart when considering his legacy.
November 4, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Re the death of Dick Cheney, it is worth reflecting on the inflection point in this chart when considering his legacy.
The view from our balcony tonight, before it went completely dark.
November 1, 2025 at 6:27 PM
The view from our balcony tonight, before it went completely dark.
A great thread on the difference between history (wie es eigentlich gewesen) & stories. Maybe “Philomena” wasn’t altogether true either?
Updated thread on The Lost King film:
I’m digging over old ground but I have to challenge Steve Coogan's line. He claims it’s all true (as has Philippa Langley): Langley will be celebrated for her achievement, Richard Taylor & his personal gripes will be forgotten
So what’s the real story? 1/15
I’m digging over old ground but I have to challenge Steve Coogan's line. He claims it’s all true (as has Philippa Langley): Langley will be celebrated for her achievement, Richard Taylor & his personal gripes will be forgotten
So what’s the real story? 1/15
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 PM
A great thread on the difference between history (wie es eigentlich gewesen) & stories. Maybe “Philomena” wasn’t altogether true either?