Alan Lester
@alanlester.bsky.social
British Empire Professor, University of Sussex. Co-editor, MUP Studies in Imperialism series. Views here own.
Blogs on politics of colonial history here: https://alanlester.co.uk Editor https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-truth-about-empire/
Blogs on politics of colonial history here: https://alanlester.co.uk Editor https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-truth-about-empire/
Want some patriotism? If you’ve ever enjoyed watching BBC programmes or listening to BBC Radio, now might be the time to begin a Great British fight back. Let’s resist the far right extremists who want to place Britons in thrall to a foreign orange dictator.
November 11, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Want some patriotism? If you’ve ever enjoyed watching BBC programmes or listening to BBC Radio, now might be the time to begin a Great British fight back. Let’s resist the far right extremists who want to place Britons in thrall to a foreign orange dictator.
Who’d have guessed it? The main BBC board member resisting a simple apology and reinforcing the right wing attack on the BBC from within, was a Tory government appointee and founder of GB TV. If you want impartiality, Gibb has to go. Nick Robinson on X:
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Who’d have guessed it? The main BBC board member resisting a simple apology and reinforcing the right wing attack on the BBC from within, was a Tory government appointee and founder of GB TV. If you want impartiality, Gibb has to go. Nick Robinson on X:
1/3 For years now a nexus of well funded right wing groups has been trying either to capture or undermine one of the world’s, & certainly the UK’s most effective media organisation with an impartiality ethic.
November 10, 2025 at 7:39 AM
1/3 For years now a nexus of well funded right wing groups has been trying either to capture or undermine one of the world’s, & certainly the UK’s most effective media organisation with an impartiality ethic.
The Telegraph being praised by a foreign autocrat for undermining the BBC.
November 9, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The Telegraph being praised by a foreign autocrat for undermining the BBC.
The Traitors’ castle was built by Alexander Matheson, whose uncle Co-founded the opium smuggling firm Jardine Matheson & Co., the key instigator the Opium Wars. Finalist @davidolusoga.bsky.social happens to be hosting a great new series about Empire now on BBC 2.
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The Traitors’ castle was built by Alexander Matheson, whose uncle Co-founded the opium smuggling firm Jardine Matheson & Co., the key instigator the Opium Wars. Finalist @davidolusoga.bsky.social happens to be hosting a great new series about Empire now on BBC 2.
Sensible Letter to @thetimes.com today.
November 6, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Sensible Letter to @thetimes.com today.
Policy Exchange next?
November 6, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Policy Exchange next?
In Harrietsham, Kent, the council is unable to put up Christmas lights because far right activists have fixed flags to the lampposts. They say they are also unable to remove the flags as they don’t own them or the lampposts. They’ve asked whoever put them up to please take them down.
November 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM
In Harrietsham, Kent, the council is unable to put up Christmas lights because far right activists have fixed flags to the lampposts. They say they are also unable to remove the flags as they don’t own them or the lampposts. They’ve asked whoever put them up to please take them down.
How predictable. The BBC attracts criticism for imbibing right wing propaganda, favouring Reform & anti-immigrant talking points. The Telegraph launches a salvage project based on one bloke’s opinion. Could it be that Trump really did lie more than Harris? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
November 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM
How predictable. The BBC attracts criticism for imbibing right wing propaganda, favouring Reform & anti-immigrant talking points. The Telegraph launches a salvage project based on one bloke’s opinion. Could it be that Trump really did lie more than Harris? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
Great investigation of the Nazis, racists and criminals mobilising the flag-on-lamp-posts movement. This is the kind of journalism that the national media could and should have conducted:
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
November 2, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Great investigation of the Nazis, racists and criminals mobilising the flag-on-lamp-posts movement. This is the kind of journalism that the national media could and should have conducted:
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
November 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Yes, wouldn’t it be awful, @thetimes.com, if a newspaper were to involve them?
October 30, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Yes, wouldn’t it be awful, @thetimes.com, if a newspaper were to involve them?
Looks like employers are ‘overdoing’ white representation in the highest pay grades Danny? Could be more important than adverts?
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Looks like employers are ‘overdoing’ white representation in the highest pay grades Danny? Could be more important than adverts?
On hateful X, the racist Sarah Pochin’s supporters are now making the case for proportional representation of each ethnic group in advertising. Wonder what they’ll say if we extend that principle to the real world of jobs, housing, education and health care?
October 27, 2025 at 7:40 AM
On hateful X, the racist Sarah Pochin’s supporters are now making the case for proportional representation of each ethnic group in advertising. Wonder what they’ll say if we extend that principle to the real world of jobs, housing, education and health care?
Timely comment for @nationaltrust.org.uk members too.
October 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Timely comment for @nationaltrust.org.uk members too.
October 26, 2025 at 7:43 AM
On my list Margot! This is marvellous too:
October 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM
On my list Margot! This is marvellous too:
7/7 This is why the book on the left far better represents the weight of scholarship than that on the right.
October 25, 2025 at 7:27 AM
7/7 This is why the book on the left far better represents the weight of scholarship than that on the right.
1/7 Some important books have been published recently, by leading experts on the history of slavery. What they say is critical when weighing up Commonwealth reparations claims.
October 25, 2025 at 7:27 AM
1/7 Some important books have been published recently, by leading experts on the history of slavery. What they say is critical when weighing up Commonwealth reparations claims.
This is really worth watching. About time Niall Ferguson’s self-affirming TV series was updated & there’s no one better than @davidolusoga.bsky.social (whatever you think of his treatment of Sir Stephen Fry) to do it.
October 24, 2025 at 11:42 AM
This is really worth watching. About time Niall Ferguson’s self-affirming TV series was updated & there’s no one better than @davidolusoga.bsky.social (whatever you think of his treatment of Sir Stephen Fry) to do it.
For a moment there I thought the Mail was going to stop hounding Meghan!
October 24, 2025 at 6:16 AM
For a moment there I thought the Mail was going to stop hounding Meghan!
The last time a king caused so much damage to the White House was 1814.
White House begins demolishing part of East Wing for Trump ballroom www.bbc.com/news/article...
White House begins demolishing part of East Wing for Trump ballroom www.bbc.com/news/article...
October 21, 2025 at 6:53 AM
The last time a king caused so much damage to the White House was 1814.
White House begins demolishing part of East Wing for Trump ballroom www.bbc.com/news/article...
White House begins demolishing part of East Wing for Trump ballroom www.bbc.com/news/article...
Good to see my review of these two fine books in print: www.historytoday.com/shop/buy-cur...
October 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Good to see my review of these two fine books in print: www.historytoday.com/shop/buy-cur...