Conor Sewell
@ccsewell.bsky.social
Associate Director at Flint Global. Macro, financial services, digital assets. Views my own. Ex-BoE, Treasury. Labour member, big on sports, rugby referee. Bi and autistic.
The fundamental lesson of the BBC story isn’t about bias, it’s that the more you surrender to the face-eating leopards, the more they will eat your face
November 11, 2025 at 8:52 AM
The fundamental lesson of the BBC story isn’t about bias, it’s that the more you surrender to the face-eating leopards, the more they will eat your face
Mass trans-it
November 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Mass trans-it
This is spot on, as always
I expand on a rant about the unseriousness of serious politics backofmind.substack.com/p/the-genera...
the generalised problem factory
taking opps research seriously
backofmind.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:46 PM
This is spot on, as always
If you’re willing to out yourself as a truly massive nerd this is a very fun read
November 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
If you’re willing to out yourself as a truly massive nerd this is a very fun read
Reposted by Conor Sewell
may hire a plane and fly that post over Westminster 24/7 for the next few months
Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.
November 5, 2025 at 2:44 PM
may hire a plane and fly that post over Westminster 24/7 for the next few months
This is so silly and farcical - just say “great news, really happy to see it” and move on
November 5, 2025 at 10:36 AM
This is so silly and farcical - just say “great news, really happy to see it” and move on
Reposted by Conor Sewell
My developing theory is that voters are broadly receptive to "Here's what I think will work and I'm doing it because I like you" more than focus grouped or polled policy.
Not sure I quite agree with Tim. Sure the ideological and party machine specifics are unique to New York and the US.
But understanding that a willingness to fight, to highlight easy to grasp policies and shape discourse rather than chase polls and focus groups has lessons applicable to any society
But understanding that a willingness to fight, to highlight easy to grasp policies and shape discourse rather than chase polls and focus groups has lessons applicable to any society
“What lessons on pan-European politics can we draw from an election to an executive mayoralty?”
“No more than we can that of Anne Hidalgo?”
“But if we *had* to?”
“That it helps to be running on local issues against a loathed sex-pest who’s being savaged by the local lunatic in a beret?”
“No more than we can that of Anne Hidalgo?”
“But if we *had* to?”
“That it helps to be running on local issues against a loathed sex-pest who’s being savaged by the local lunatic in a beret?”
November 5, 2025 at 9:54 AM
My developing theory is that voters are broadly receptive to "Here's what I think will work and I'm doing it because I like you" more than focus grouped or polled policy.
If I were to pick a common theme between the highest-profile Dem candidates to win yesterday - in NY, NJ, VA and GA - it would be courage.
They don’t all align on all aspects of their politics. But they had the courage of their convictions.
You can never defeat the far-right with timidity.
They don’t all align on all aspects of their politics. But they had the courage of their convictions.
You can never defeat the far-right with timidity.
November 5, 2025 at 9:07 AM
If I were to pick a common theme between the highest-profile Dem candidates to win yesterday - in NY, NJ, VA and GA - it would be courage.
They don’t all align on all aspects of their politics. But they had the courage of their convictions.
You can never defeat the far-right with timidity.
They don’t all align on all aspects of their politics. But they had the courage of their convictions.
You can never defeat the far-right with timidity.
Beyond Mamdani, results in VA and GA among others are a valuable reminder that:
1. Life gets much harder for Republican candidates when Trump isn’t personally on the ballot
2. Dems don’t need to abandon principle/throw groups under the bus to win
1. Life gets much harder for Republican candidates when Trump isn’t personally on the ballot
2. Dems don’t need to abandon principle/throw groups under the bus to win
November 5, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Beyond Mamdani, results in VA and GA among others are a valuable reminder that:
1. Life gets much harder for Republican candidates when Trump isn’t personally on the ballot
2. Dems don’t need to abandon principle/throw groups under the bus to win
1. Life gets much harder for Republican candidates when Trump isn’t personally on the ballot
2. Dems don’t need to abandon principle/throw groups under the bus to win
As predicted: Mamdani is cooking Cuomo for the second time this year.
November 5, 2025 at 2:07 AM
As predicted: Mamdani is cooking Cuomo for the second time this year.
This is genuinely fantastic and imo translates perfectly to the UK right now as well.
If you’re looking for some quality Election Day writing, this from @dennycarter.bsky.social is really good. badfaithtimes.com/vibes-arent-...
Vibes Aren’t Everything. They Are the Only Thing.
To survive in this political environment, Democrats must stop thinking and start feeling.
badfaithtimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:43 PM
This is genuinely fantastic and imo translates perfectly to the UK right now as well.
Mamdani already lowering housing costs kappa
CLOSE TO 9% OF NEW YORKERS MAY LEAVE IF MAMDANI BECOMES MAYOR: POLL A J.L. Partners poll for the Daily Mail shows that 9% of New Yorkers—about 765,000 people—would “definitely” leave the city if Zohran Mamdani wins. Another 2.12 million residents say they would consider leaving
November 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Mamdani already lowering housing costs kappa
Reposted by Conor Sewell
Since the election almost all the vote movement has been within these blocs rather than between them. The centre/left bloc vote is rising because a lot of Lab24 voters who had been saying "don't know" are now saying "Green".
November 4, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Since the election almost all the vote movement has been within these blocs rather than between them. The centre/left bloc vote is rising because a lot of Lab24 voters who had been saying "don't know" are now saying "Green".
I’m always cautious about overreading turnout data, but this points towards Mamdani absolutely cooking Cuomo imo.
November 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I’m always cautious about overreading turnout data, but this points towards Mamdani absolutely cooking Cuomo imo.
Osborne deserves a lot more condemnation, for not just doing austerity but doing it so cackhandedly:
1. Not borrowing to invest when borrowing costs were at essentially zero
2. Cutting spending by salami slicing every part of the public sector with no real analysis of where could take it
1. Not borrowing to invest when borrowing costs were at essentially zero
2. Cutting spending by salami slicing every part of the public sector with no real analysis of where could take it
Late period Osborne: interest rates at zero and 50-80bn of headroom: and his priority was “don’t invest”.
November 4, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Osborne deserves a lot more condemnation, for not just doing austerity but doing it so cackhandedly:
1. Not borrowing to invest when borrowing costs were at essentially zero
2. Cutting spending by salami slicing every part of the public sector with no real analysis of where could take it
1. Not borrowing to invest when borrowing costs were at essentially zero
2. Cutting spending by salami slicing every part of the public sector with no real analysis of where could take it
This is the thing - I made the point about six months ago that that was the time to ditch Labour’s existing constraints and say “look, tariffs and the need to defend our country leave me no choice”.
As always: too slow and too afraid, leading to a much worse outcome.
As always: too slow and too afraid, leading to a much worse outcome.
Extraordinary to hear Reeves cite tariffs and increased defence spending in her speech, as she sets up the blame for tax rises. This message could have been really effective if she'd issued it when Trump introduced tariffs. Now, much less so.
November 4, 2025 at 8:21 AM
This is the thing - I made the point about six months ago that that was the time to ditch Labour’s existing constraints and say “look, tariffs and the need to defend our country leave me no choice”.
As always: too slow and too afraid, leading to a much worse outcome.
As always: too slow and too afraid, leading to a much worse outcome.
One of my favourite XKCD’s in a while
November 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
One of my favourite XKCD’s in a while
Reposted by Conor Sewell
the assumptions made about the target audience by making the first two items "OnlyFans' and 'child support' are kind of incredible
This is Bad (source: network.fintechtakes.com/library/3d38...)
November 1, 2025 at 2:26 PM
the assumptions made about the target audience by making the first two items "OnlyFans' and 'child support' are kind of incredible
Reposted by Conor Sewell
If you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
![[Scene is the entrance cabin to a NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY AND GARDENS]
1
NATIONAL TRUST EMPLOYEE [inside cabin]:
Hello there
2
[A young family - two parents two kids - have arrived at the front desk].
DAD:
Hi - do you have an activity trail, for the kids?
3
NT EMPLOYEE:
Of course – you’re just in time for the Autumn Gammon Trail!
4
MUM:
That sounds fun, doesn’t it kids?
5
NT EMPLOYEE [handing an activity sheet and pencils to the kids]:
Every autumn, the Reform Trust gammons flock back to the National Trust for the AGM. Just follow the trail round the grounds, and see how many you can spot!
6
NT EMPLOYEE [hearing something in the gardens]:
Listen - that's their call
[Calls emanating from the landscape]:
tut-tut
woke-woke
7
NT EMPLOYEE [showing the family an apparently empty fenced enclosure with some bushes in]:
They are extremely sensitive and fragile...
But you can bring them out of hiding if you put a little sign down mentioning slavery.
8
KIDS [pointing]:
There they are!
[Some little red faced PEOPLE wearing Barbour jackets and gilets emerge cautiously from the bushes. They are creeping towards a TINY SIGN in the middle of the enclosure].
[Little people noises]:
woke-woke
tut-tut
woke-woke
9
[Close-up of the TINY SIGN - we can read that it says]:
Slavery had a bit to do with building this massive house.
[Noises from the little people again as they inspect the tiny sign]:
tut-tut
woke-woke
10
MUM [pointing]:
What's that one doing there?
NT EMPLOYEE:
Oh, that's so sweet…
11
[We see that one of the people is sat on a rock, with a little laptop open on a tree stump, and they are furiously typing away].
NT EMPLOYEE:
I think he's writing a column for the Daily Telegraph…
12
[We see close up to the little person’s screen, it is a word document reading]:
Are National Trust scones secretly WOKE?
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreib7lt736b6rmzinml5s7kxjdaapo2a36xp4d4lssypimx3taqicdm@jpeg)
October 31, 2025 at 9:02 AM
If you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
I’m sitting here genuinely trying to picture what a secret Fabian world government would look like
Just had lunch with a great friend and colleague who told me solemnly that the Labour Party is now controlled by the Fabians and that Fabians are radical communists. This is my first real world sighting of this amazing idea.
October 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I’m sitting here genuinely trying to picture what a secret Fabian world government would look like
The digging will continue until the hole disappears
I’m told Labour MPs have been told by whips to *abstain* in the vote on Nigel Farage’s ten-min rule bill on leaving the ECHR, which has left some furious. Whips’ arguments seems to be to just ignore it. Labour MPs worry it leaves Lib Dems/Greens looking like only they care on this.
October 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The digging will continue until the hole disappears
It’s become increasingly clear that one of the biggest consequences of the new, AI-powered iteration of the internet will be:
“You thought social media had cooked people’s brains before? You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“You thought social media had cooked people’s brains before? You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
It’s become increasingly clear that one of the biggest consequences of the new, AI-powered iteration of the internet will be:
“You thought social media had cooked people’s brains before? You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“You thought social media had cooked people’s brains before? You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The last 18 months have consisted of alternating between “surely the complaints from the PLP about poor leadership are mostly just normal complaining” and “I’m sorry No10 did what?!”
Hilarious thing about this is that he didn’t appoint all the ministers of state in person either. Some of these people have a whole ministerial career in which the PM has basically never spoken to them at either end.
He did WHAT!?!
October 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The last 18 months have consisted of alternating between “surely the complaints from the PLP about poor leadership are mostly just normal complaining” and “I’m sorry No10 did what?!”
Reposted by Conor Sewell
I will be extremely unamused if it turns out they painted themselves into a corner by using HMT's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses report without looking up the methodology to find out what 'social protection' meant.
Almost nobody in the Cons Party or beyond it had noticed that the Shadow Home Secretary with two other frontbenchers and 5 backbenchers tabled a bill in May to deport 3 million people - stripping almost every pensioner, parent or nurse who did not take out citizenship of their right to live here
October 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
I will be extremely unamused if it turns out they painted themselves into a corner by using HMT's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses report without looking up the methodology to find out what 'social protection' meant.
Reposted by Conor Sewell
