Ben Ansell
@benansell.bsky.social
Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions, Nuffield & University of Oxford, FBA. http://benansell.substack.com. BBC Reith Lecturer 2023. Host BBC Radio 4 Rethink. Columnist for Prospect. Director, Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods (CASSM).
Reposted by Ben Ansell
The evidence keeps accumulating that Brexit was an astonishing self-inflicted economic policy disaster. The fact that it is a slow-moving one bodes ill for those who think that populist economic mismanagement will translate into voters punishing populists. www.nber.org/system/files...
November 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM
The evidence keeps accumulating that Brexit was an astonishing self-inflicted economic policy disaster. The fact that it is a slow-moving one bodes ill for those who think that populist economic mismanagement will translate into voters punishing populists. www.nber.org/system/files...
At this rate, by the end of his term Donald Trump will be suing four billion people around the world for insufficient fealty.
November 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
At this rate, by the end of his term Donald Trump will be suing four billion people around the world for insufficient fealty.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
My post on President Trump threatening to sue the BBC will up tomorrow morning.
November 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
My post on President Trump threatening to sue the BBC will up tomorrow morning.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
the hipsters, they’re ordering double frufru mocha soy frappuccino. doesn’t anybody order a black coffee anymore
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
the hipsters, they’re ordering double frufru mocha soy frappuccino. doesn’t anybody order a black coffee anymore
Obviously I enjoyed using the Long Walk analogy for my new Prospect piece but I especially enjoy this fantastic Stephen King / Keir Starmer image mashup.
Despite the press’s salivation over the prospect of Farage becoming PM, we are a long, long way from the next general election. And a lot could change before then, writes @benansell.bsky.social.
Labour’s long, tortuous walk to 2029
There are more than three years of unease left until the next general election. What can we expect along the way?
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Obviously I enjoyed using the Long Walk analogy for my new Prospect piece but I especially enjoy this fantastic Stephen King / Keir Starmer image mashup.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Despite the press’s salivation over the prospect of Farage becoming PM, we are a long, long way from the next general election. And a lot could change before then, writes @benansell.bsky.social.
Labour’s long, tortuous walk to 2029
There are more than three years of unease left until the next general election. What can we expect along the way?
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Despite the press’s salivation over the prospect of Farage becoming PM, we are a long, long way from the next general election. And a lot could change before then, writes @benansell.bsky.social.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
A key recent discussion about UK migration has been people's rights to settle permanemently - or "indefinite leave to remain" - but how many people have this status? Our latest piece gives you the info (NB - doesn't include EU settlement scheme) migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...
How many migrants in the UK have settlement? - Migration Observatory
This commentary estimates the number of non-EU citizens who currently have settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
A key recent discussion about UK migration has been people's rights to settle permanemently - or "indefinite leave to remain" - but how many people have this status? Our latest piece gives you the info (NB - doesn't include EU settlement scheme) migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...
Reposted by Ben Ansell
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.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
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.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
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.
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
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.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
We've just updated this piece on what academic research says about the BBC's role in the UK
So many datapoints relevant to this week's discussions. Perhaps of interest @benansell.bsky.social @stephenkb.bsky.social @michaelsavage.bsky.social
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/bbc-und...
So many datapoints relevant to this week's discussions. Perhaps of interest @benansell.bsky.social @stephenkb.bsky.social @michaelsavage.bsky.social
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/bbc-und...
The BBC is under scrutiny. Here’s what research tells about its role in the UK
The BBC is the most widely used source of news in the UK. It has lower reach among the young and the less formally educated.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 11:41 AM
We've just updated this piece on what academic research says about the BBC's role in the UK
So many datapoints relevant to this week's discussions. Perhaps of interest @benansell.bsky.social @stephenkb.bsky.social @michaelsavage.bsky.social
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/bbc-und...
So many datapoints relevant to this week's discussions. Perhaps of interest @benansell.bsky.social @stephenkb.bsky.social @michaelsavage.bsky.social
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/bbc-und...
I do slightly wonder how prepared Robbie Gibb was for this to now become Robbie Gibb week rather than Tim Davie week.
November 10, 2025 at 11:38 AM
I do slightly wonder how prepared Robbie Gibb was for this to now become Robbie Gibb week rather than Tim Davie week.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
It's crazy how much the answer to a simple question like 'how confident are American consumers feeling about their current situation?' varies depending on how you measure the concept.
Conference Board: "Not as good as a year ago, but still above average."
University of Michigan: "WORST EVER!"
Conference Board: "Not as good as a year ago, but still above average."
University of Michigan: "WORST EVER!"
November 10, 2025 at 11:27 AM
It's crazy how much the answer to a simple question like 'how confident are American consumers feeling about their current situation?' varies depending on how you measure the concept.
Conference Board: "Not as good as a year ago, but still above average."
University of Michigan: "WORST EVER!"
Conference Board: "Not as good as a year ago, but still above average."
University of Michigan: "WORST EVER!"
Reposted by Ben Ansell
The BBC: quite a big deal.
November 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
The BBC: quite a big deal.
Going to enjoy how the BBC tries to cover this today!
November 10, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Going to enjoy how the BBC tries to cover this today!
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Robbie Gibb once suggested that reporters should reflect if they were getting more retweets from one side than the other - a braindead analysis that ignores that fair and impartial reporting of education might get more Tory retweets than say, criminal justice.
Stephen really does have the best take on this. It’s not clear that the BBC Board or indeed the rest of the News team really understood the message of the previous reviews, which were about getting detail right. Instead they wanted to know what was ‘biased’ or not like they were blotting out stains.
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
November 10, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Robbie Gibb once suggested that reporters should reflect if they were getting more retweets from one side than the other - a braindead analysis that ignores that fair and impartial reporting of education might get more Tory retweets than say, criminal justice.
Stephen really does have the best take on this. It’s not clear that the BBC Board or indeed the rest of the News team really understood the message of the previous reviews, which were about getting detail right. Instead they wanted to know what was ‘biased’ or not like they were blotting out stains.
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
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
November 10, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Stephen really does have the best take on this. It’s not clear that the BBC Board or indeed the rest of the News team really understood the message of the previous reviews, which were about getting detail right. Instead they wanted to know what was ‘biased’ or not like they were blotting out stains.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
The BBC will fuck things up from time to time. Lots of major news organisations do; just look at The Times having to memoryhole several fake news stories in a matter of weeks.
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
UK newspaper editor calls Bill de Blasio fake interview blunder ‘humiliating’
A Times associate editor reportedly addressed situation in an email to staff, saying: ‘We should have been on our guard’
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:53 AM
The BBC will fuck things up from time to time. Lots of major news organisations do; just look at The Times having to memoryhole several fake news stories in a matter of weeks.
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
No one is calling for the abolition of The Times, however.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Ben Ansell
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
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
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Nick Robinson closed the Today programme emphasising that the BBC Board is *still* fighting over the wording of a statement over the Panorama programme.
it is very strange that BBC chair Samir Shah is hiding this morning. He should by rights be on the Today programme presenting himself as in charge and hands on the tiller. I wonder if he is frightened for his position
November 10, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Nick Robinson closed the Today programme emphasising that the BBC Board is *still* fighting over the wording of a statement over the Panorama programme.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
"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's newsletter today
November 10, 2025 at 9:40 AM
"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's newsletter today
Reposted by Ben Ansell
Shocking article in the Sheffield Tribune. A solicitor, Andrew Milne, buying up freeholds of houses and then making (false) threats to the leaseholders to bully them into buying the freehold at a huge premium.
November 7, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Shocking article in the Sheffield Tribune. A solicitor, Andrew Milne, buying up freeholds of houses and then making (false) threats to the leaseholders to bully them into buying the freehold at a huge premium.
Reposted by Ben Ansell
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/sometimes-it... I wrote last week about two villains and one hero in the battle between truth and lies. Well here’s another hero - the Sheffield Tribune, one of the Mill stable of independent news sites, had the courage to publish an important story despite legal threats..
Sometimes it’s worth the risk
“We will definitely bring proceedings for Defamation and Malicious Falsehood if you publish such complete and malicious lies.”
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 9:22 AM
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/sometimes-it... I wrote last week about two villains and one hero in the battle between truth and lies. Well here’s another hero - the Sheffield Tribune, one of the Mill stable of independent news sites, had the courage to publish an important story despite legal threats..
Reposted by Ben Ansell
I agree with @arusbridger.bsky.social about BBC governance. Although v hesitant about another rearrangement, the single corporate-style board is massively flawed, not least because there needs to be some distance for the governors/board members from editorial decisions
Michael Prescott and Sir Robbie Gibb both bailed out of journalism years ago, and enjoy lucrative careers in corporate PR. And now they are the arbiters of BBC editorial standards. Go figure www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
The BBC has bigger impartiality problems than its coverage of Trump
It is the BBC’s entire governance structure–rather than individual stories–that should cause most concern
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:46 AM
I agree with @arusbridger.bsky.social about BBC governance. Although v hesitant about another rearrangement, the single corporate-style board is massively flawed, not least because there needs to be some distance for the governors/board members from editorial decisions
My dream may be alive!
It’s like Robbie Gibb showing up at Black Country New Road gig to tell people they aren’t sufficiently concerned about small boats.
November 10, 2025 at 7:55 AM
My dream may be alive!