Alastair Duncan
@alasta1rd.bsky.social
Experienced brand advisor. Podcast host for The Drum. In digital from the beginning. Politically interested. Former global ad agency ceo. SEND parent. Hackney. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TzQpQuBiaIinEkLzgyMUF?si=y1MWF7bg
Pinned
Marshall Manson asks if America can ever make a good decision?
Politics for Drummies · Episode
open.spotify.com
Former Republican now living in the UK predicts a Trump victory for 'structural reasons' open.spotify.com/episode/6NAp...
Well
This means, what, one in six 2016 Leave voters are now dead? Don't mean to be brutal but that's what the figures seem to say
I found this today (from Peter Kellner/YouGov) which answers part of your query.
December 9, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Well
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
NEW POST: SNJ's @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk says @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social focus on “over-diagnosis” ignores evidence, won’t cut costs, and the money it would be better spent reducing waiting times and boosting support instead www.specialneedsjungle.com/a...
December 9, 2025 at 7:44 PM
NEW POST: SNJ's @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk says @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social focus on “over-diagnosis” ignores evidence, won’t cut costs, and the money it would be better spent reducing waiting times and boosting support instead www.specialneedsjungle.com/a...
A fascinating read for foodies and geeks.
I wanted dinner recommendations so I scraped 13,000+ London restaurants and accidentally discovered Google Maps is running a shadow economy. Anyway here's a dashboard and a political economy thesis: open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
How Google Maps quietly allocates survival across London’s restaurants - and how I built a dashboard to see through it
I wanted a dinner recommendation and got a research agenda instead. Using 13000+ restaurants, I rebuild its ratings with machine learning and map how algorithmic visibility actually distributes power.
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:11 AM
A fascinating read for foodies and geeks.
Excellent debunk by Emma Monk
Wow - this guy must be really, REALLY bad with money if an extra £208 per month will “ruin” his retirement.
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
November 29, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Excellent debunk by Emma Monk
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
New net migration figures at 930am.
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
November 27, 2025 at 7:54 AM
New net migration figures at 930am.
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
Watching a TV series that has a load of folks trying to find a corrupt FBI officer. It all falls apart when you think of the current administration and Kash Patel.
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Watching a TV series that has a load of folks trying to find a corrupt FBI officer. It all falls apart when you think of the current administration and Kash Patel.
Instead of obsessing over Rachel Reeves budget on November 26 I shall be watching Stranger Things. Because it’s my birthday and I don’t mind paying 2p more.
November 12, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Instead of obsessing over Rachel Reeves budget on November 26 I shall be watching Stranger Things. Because it’s my birthday and I don’t mind paying 2p more.
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
At @umfordschool.bsky.social discussion w @sbagen.bsky.social @pamherd.bsky.social Luke Shaefer and Christina Weiland talking about how social policy can be built around the principle of thriving communities and individual autonomy.
November 11, 2025 at 4:48 PM
At @umfordschool.bsky.social discussion w @sbagen.bsky.social @pamherd.bsky.social Luke Shaefer and Christina Weiland talking about how social policy can be built around the principle of thriving communities and individual autonomy.
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act. The absolute tumbleweed from the media & gov shows just how much they want to bury how much disabled people fought and still fight for our rights.
November 9, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act. The absolute tumbleweed from the media & gov shows just how much they want to bury how much disabled people fought and still fight for our rights.
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
here is my story about how Zohran's focus on community amid the loneliness epidemic helped young people connect their politics to an organizing infrastructure, that interviewed ZM, and does not use the NYT's framing of "they don't know how to make friends" :-) and also ran 4 days before NYT's lol
Zohran Mamdani's Establishment-Fighting Campaign Built Community for Young People
“What Mamdani has done is not only inspire and mobilize young people, but he has exposed the establishment and some of their calcified views of participation and inclusion.”
www.teenvogue.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:14 PM
here is my story about how Zohran's focus on community amid the loneliness epidemic helped young people connect their politics to an organizing infrastructure, that interviewed ZM, and does not use the NYT's framing of "they don't know how to make friends" :-) and also ran 4 days before NYT's lol
A win for typography methinks
November 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
A win for typography methinks
Now do an in depth of what a Green government would do
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Now do an in depth of what a Green government would do
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
There are now 625,000 people aged 90 plus in the UK. This is up by more than 50% in the last 20 years.
Around 16,600 of them are centenarians (people aged 100 plus). This has doubled since 2004. 1/2
New ONS release out today: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Around 16,600 of them are centenarians (people aged 100 plus). This has doubled since 2004. 1/2
New ONS release out today: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
October 21, 2025 at 9:52 AM
There are now 625,000 people aged 90 plus in the UK. This is up by more than 50% in the last 20 years.
Around 16,600 of them are centenarians (people aged 100 plus). This has doubled since 2004. 1/2
New ONS release out today: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Around 16,600 of them are centenarians (people aged 100 plus). This has doubled since 2004. 1/2
New ONS release out today: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
yes, we have no bananas.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Empty shelves, higher prices’: Americans tell of cost of Trump’s tariffs
US consumers say price rises caused by president’s tariffs contradict his promise to make life more affordable
www.theguardian.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:54 AM
yes, we have no bananas.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
![1
Nurse:
It’s become a real problem in this area
2
Nurse:
We’ve seen the whole community lost to addiction
3
Show a building sign posted:
Westminster ‘X’ Addiction Clinic
With various Westminster people or looking at their phones outside it
Nurse:
Ministers, Spads, Researchers…
4
Nurse:
Most mornings we’ll get a call about someone acting strangely
[Nurse on phone taking a call]
Ok - we’ll be right over
5
Nurse:
We just have a gentle chat
[Nurses approach a minister –Robert Jenrick? - standing in the Palace of Westminster
Minister:
I understand your concerns…
6
Nurse:
Are you OK love?
Minister:
Yes I’m just hearing legitimate concerns from real voters
7
Nurse:
That’s a robot, a Nazi and a poorly-disguised Russian
[Show that the people he is talking to are precisely these characters]
Nurse 2:
Give us your phone, love
8
Nurse:
At the clinic we put them in a Grass-Touching Pod, with a real voter to talk to
[We see them back at the clinic, holding the minister's head and pushing him into a glass isolation booth with a grass floor. And it is a baffled looking woman, on a chair, ready to talk to him.]
9
Minister:
YOU MUST BE WORRIED ABOUT THE COMING CIVIL WAR
[woman looks baffled]
10
woman:
I just want a bus service
Minister:
LOOK AT MY FLAG
[produces a St George's flag]
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreicahofq6s4xow7vowj7dx6odw6ejdwr4kwcmzta7qwi4hg2nvywji@jpeg)
The sad end of the cluetrain manifesto
October 20, 2025 at 7:38 AM
The sad end of the cluetrain manifesto
Covid enquiry update, strangely not covered in the nationals apart from that bastion of investigative journalism, the Daily Star. Well done them. Cc @implausibleblog.bsky.social
October 15, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Covid enquiry update, strangely not covered in the nationals apart from that bastion of investigative journalism, the Daily Star. Well done them. Cc @implausibleblog.bsky.social
Exclusive to all newspapers @privateeyenews.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Exclusive to all newspapers @privateeyenews.bsky.social
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
'give me the most French idea you've got'
'no, that's too French'
'no, that's too French'
France's postal service rolls out croissant-scented stamp 🥐
France's postal service rolls out croissant-scented stamp
France has launched a croissant-scented stamp to celebrate its emblematic flaky pastry, its national postal service, La Poste, announced on Wednesday.
www.france24.com
October 11, 2025 at 5:49 PM
'give me the most French idea you've got'
'no, that's too French'
'no, that's too French'
Fab
Incredibly, there is a "new" track from Life Without Buildings - Sue Tompkins, Will Bradley, Chris Evans & @robertdallasgray.com . It is, as ever, utterly magnificent, and I burst into tears hearing it for the very first time. Pick it up on Bandcamp. errolshotwax.bandcamp.com/album/love-t...
Love Trinity, by Life Without Buildings
1 track album
errolshotwax.bandcamp.com
October 11, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Fab
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
The world's in a bad way, but now and then something goes right
October 9, 2025 at 3:17 PM
The world's in a bad way, but now and then something goes right
Reposted by Alastair Duncan
$41 million: The amount of money we’ve raised for indie bookstores since 2020.
$0: The amount of money Amazon has raised for indie bookstores since 1994.
$0: The amount of money Amazon has raised for indie bookstores since 1994.
October 7, 2025 at 8:05 PM
$41 million: The amount of money we’ve raised for indie bookstores since 2020.
$0: The amount of money Amazon has raised for indie bookstores since 1994.
$0: The amount of money Amazon has raised for indie bookstores since 1994.
Sounds like modern Life without Buildings @robertdallasgray.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Sounds like modern Life without Buildings @robertdallasgray.com
Queen pays tribute to 'legend' Jilly Cooper after author dies aged 88 – live updates
www.bbc.co.uk
October 6, 2025 at 2:56 PM