Chris Costelloe
@chriscostelloe.bsky.social
Toiling in the heritage vineyards…
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
RIP the greatest British playwright of our time on.ft.com/4anfEQJ
British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard dies
[FREE TO READ] Czech-born author of witty, cerebral plays was also an award-winning screenwriter
on.ft.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM
RIP the greatest British playwright of our time on.ft.com/4anfEQJ
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
I'm not actually that surprised that some European officials are surprised the Trump admin is prioritising economic relations with Russia. It's clear that some people in Europe's policymaking communities simply can't get their heads round the fact that the post-1945 US-Europe relationship is over.
November 29, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I'm not actually that surprised that some European officials are surprised the Trump admin is prioritising economic relations with Russia. It's clear that some people in Europe's policymaking communities simply can't get their heads round the fact that the post-1945 US-Europe relationship is over.
I’m sceptical that there is a sensible way to densify our large areas of 1930s semi-detached suburbs without compulsory purchase of whole street blocks, which would be quite a change of trajectory and deeply controversial.
November 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
I’m sceptical that there is a sensible way to densify our large areas of 1930s semi-detached suburbs without compulsory purchase of whole street blocks, which would be quite a change of trajectory and deeply controversial.
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
'There is no peace process. This is not negotiations over peace: it is the transmission of surrender demands from Russia with the active facilitation of the United States.'
Read @keirgiles.bsky.social analysis on the Trump administration's proposed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine⤵️
Read @keirgiles.bsky.social analysis on the Trump administration's proposed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine⤵️
Trump pressures Ukraine to accept peace deal: Early analysis from Chatham House experts
Chatham House analysts give their initial analysis after Zelenskyy was pressured by Trump to accept a White House plan to end the war with Russia.
www.chathamhouse.org
November 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM
'There is no peace process. This is not negotiations over peace: it is the transmission of surrender demands from Russia with the active facilitation of the United States.'
Read @keirgiles.bsky.social analysis on the Trump administration's proposed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine⤵️
Read @keirgiles.bsky.social analysis on the Trump administration's proposed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine⤵️
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Ukraine should accept no limits on its sovereignty that have not been accepted by other European countries. If it’s forced to do that, it will be accepting second class citizenship in Europe and the principle that Russia can treat it as a state with inferior rights
November 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Ukraine should accept no limits on its sovereignty that have not been accepted by other European countries. If it’s forced to do that, it will be accepting second class citizenship in Europe and the principle that Russia can treat it as a state with inferior rights
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Nicolas Guillou, French ICC judge sanctioned by the US: 'You are effectively blacklisted by much of the world's banking system'
Six judges and three prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have been sanctioned by the Trump administration. In an interview with Le Monde, Guillou discusses the impact of these measures on ...
www.lemonde.fr
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
To repeat: the Trump administration peace deal was always a deal for peace between Russia and the US, not Russia and Ukraine. In it, it seems, the US gets Ukraine's resources, Russia gets Ukraine's land, and Ukraine gets to say thank you.
March 10, 2025 at 10:39 AM
To repeat: the Trump administration peace deal was always a deal for peace between Russia and the US, not Russia and Ukraine. In it, it seems, the US gets Ukraine's resources, Russia gets Ukraine's land, and Ukraine gets to say thank you.
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
This is a big moment for Europe. on.ft.com/3K3kM1S
Ukraine faces choice of losing ‘dignity’ or American support, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns
[FREE TO READ] Donald Trump wants Kyiv to agree to US-Russian peace plan by Thursday
on.ft.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:09 PM
This is a big moment for Europe. on.ft.com/3K3kM1S
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Sir John’s Folly
A new work in response to the forgotten architecture of a failed plan, hidden in the undergrowth of Arlington. A place that has beguiled me ever since I’ve lived here.
#architecture #art #place
A new work in response to the forgotten architecture of a failed plan, hidden in the undergrowth of Arlington. A place that has beguiled me ever since I’ve lived here.
#architecture #art #place
November 19, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Sir John’s Folly
A new work in response to the forgotten architecture of a failed plan, hidden in the undergrowth of Arlington. A place that has beguiled me ever since I’ve lived here.
#architecture #art #place
A new work in response to the forgotten architecture of a failed plan, hidden in the undergrowth of Arlington. A place that has beguiled me ever since I’ve lived here.
#architecture #art #place
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
November 19, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
I see from a recent answer to a PQ that the UK has supplied 85,000 drones to Ukraine in the past six months. That is rather impressive - not least for it happening with little publicity. It's the right approach: do more, shout about it less.
November 19, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I see from a recent answer to a PQ that the UK has supplied 85,000 drones to Ukraine in the past six months. That is rather impressive - not least for it happening with little publicity. It's the right approach: do more, shout about it less.
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
New essay out today by me and @acjsissons.bsky.social - ‘Getting Britain out of the hole: a plan for the economy’. You can read the whole thing here getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
Getting Britain out of the hole
A plan for the UK economy
getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
November 17, 2025 at 8:00 AM
New essay out today by me and @acjsissons.bsky.social - ‘Getting Britain out of the hole: a plan for the economy’. You can read the whole thing here getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
On incompetence
Much of our political culture is fundamentally incompetent.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
My notes from Weston-Super-Mare are now available.
1/2
1/2
Field Notes: Weston-Super-Mare (13 November 2025)
Some of Weston's C20 buildings. One with literal off-white elephants, and two that are more metaphorical ones.
buttondown.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
My notes from Weston-Super-Mare are now available.
1/2
1/2
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?
November 10, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?
I’ve now seen Robin Hood Gardens, or bits of it, in Blackwall, Venice and Stratford. This sliver may work as a positional good for the V&A but it fails to capture the building’s complex essence, wonderfully summed up by @municipaldreams.bsky.social here municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/r...
November 3, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I’ve now seen Robin Hood Gardens, or bits of it, in Blackwall, Venice and Stratford. This sliver may work as a positional good for the V&A but it fails to capture the building’s complex essence, wonderfully summed up by @municipaldreams.bsky.social here municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/r...
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
My latest: Move over bat tunnel, here’s the wild story of how HS2 were forced to build a multi-million pound bridge for a road that… doesn’t actually exist.
How HS2 built a bridge to nowhere
A state-of-the-art road bridge has been built deep in the heart of rural Buckinghamshire. Designed to carry traffic over the HS2 railway, there's just one tiny problem - there's no actual road.
martinrobbins.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:16 AM
My latest: Move over bat tunnel, here’s the wild story of how HS2 were forced to build a multi-million pound bridge for a road that… doesn’t actually exist.
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Looks like extraordinary cowardice. "...following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 3, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Looks like extraordinary cowardice. "...following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Elon Musk is once again inciting violence on British streets because the government has taught him there are literally no consequences for doing so.
They even carry on using his far-right social network to promote government policy as he does it. The absence of backbone is *astounding*.
They even carry on using his far-right social network to promote government policy as he does it. The absence of backbone is *astounding*.
October 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Elon Musk is once again inciting violence on British streets because the government has taught him there are literally no consequences for doing so.
They even carry on using his far-right social network to promote government policy as he does it. The absence of backbone is *astounding*.
They even carry on using his far-right social network to promote government policy as he does it. The absence of backbone is *astounding*.
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio... A classic of the unsatisfactory type of obituary that lists the deceased’s activities and achievements without saying very much about what they were like…
Prunella Scales obituary
Versatile stage and screen actor who found TV comedy fame as Sybil Fawlty and later played Elizabeth II on stage
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio... A classic of the unsatisfactory type of obituary that lists the deceased’s activities and achievements without saying very much about what they were like…
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
This is what I think of as the most important chart in British politics. It shows the amount people spend on retail sales and the amount they get. Compared to Feb 2022 people are spending about 16% more but consuming 4% less.
October 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This is what I think of as the most important chart in British politics. It shows the amount people spend on retail sales and the amount they get. Compared to Feb 2022 people are spending about 16% more but consuming 4% less.
‘A human safari’ www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrain...
Russia’s ‘human safari’ in southern Ukraine is a warning to the world
Russia's escalating campaign of drone attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine's Kherson region highlights the destructive power of modern drone technologies, writes Oleksandr Tolokonnikov.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
October 24, 2025 at 6:24 AM
‘A human safari’ www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrain...
Reposted by Chris Costelloe
Never forget. Never again.
‘I have it in my blood and brain … I still haven’t been able to shake this nightmare off.’ How voices from a forgotten archive of Nazi horrors are reshaping perceptions of the Holocaust
The Ravensbrück archive reveals how being a survivor of the camps did not always entail innocence.
theconversation.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Never forget. Never again.