Fr Jonathan Bish
@frjonathanbish.bsky.social
Vicar of the Batley Benefice in West Yorkshire. I like steam trains, Anglo-Catholicism, travel, history, politics, choral music, wine and more.
Whenever folk say, "The current asylum seeker framework was created for another era," I always want to say, "And what era was that, then?"
The whole point of our post war human rights-based order was that it was responding to horrors with what it believed were unchanging moral truths.
The whole point of our post war human rights-based order was that it was responding to horrors with what it believed were unchanging moral truths.
December 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Whenever folk say, "The current asylum seeker framework was created for another era," I always want to say, "And what era was that, then?"
The whole point of our post war human rights-based order was that it was responding to horrors with what it believed were unchanging moral truths.
The whole point of our post war human rights-based order was that it was responding to horrors with what it believed were unchanging moral truths.
Thanks, I hate it. Looks like the 2012 Olympics threw up on the side of a train.
December 9, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Thanks, I hate it. Looks like the 2012 Olympics threw up on the side of a train.
Deeply old fashioned of me, but I think you can make a case that this is one of the single most consequential events in the legal history of Western Europe, as well as in the history of western ethics.
Even emperors have to obey laws.
Even emperors have to obey laws.
St Ambrose, whose feast falls on this date, refused to let the Emperor Theodosius I enter the Cathedral in Milan because he had blood on his hands for the illegal order to murder civilians in Thessalonica. ⚓️
December 7, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Deeply old fashioned of me, but I think you can make a case that this is one of the single most consequential events in the legal history of Western Europe, as well as in the history of western ethics.
Even emperors have to obey laws.
Even emperors have to obey laws.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
Seeing the richest man on earth and the mouthpiece of the country trying to erase my people in sync feels very,
very disturbing
very disturbing
December 7, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Seeing the richest man on earth and the mouthpiece of the country trying to erase my people in sync feels very,
very disturbing
very disturbing
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
The essence of Blue Labour thought is that somewhere in Downing Street there is a button marked “reindustrialise” that Tony Blair could have pressed, but instead he opted for the “more Woke Studies” button.
My brother in Christ, reindustrialization is based on international capital flows, not dumbass ideas to move down the value chain by turning colleges into vocational schools. You do realize that modern industry is almost always *high* skilled automation?
Read your Michael Pettis, you utter clown.
Read your Michael Pettis, you utter clown.
No reindustrialising? Our academic institutions are a part of the problem, overproducing elites and funnelling them into bullshit unproductive jobs. Half the universities need to close or become vocational colleges. You didn't even mention productivity.
Brexit is in the past. That ship has sailed.
Brexit is in the past. That ship has sailed.
December 5, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The essence of Blue Labour thought is that somewhere in Downing Street there is a button marked “reindustrialise” that Tony Blair could have pressed, but instead he opted for the “more Woke Studies” button.
The US National Security Strategy should terrify anyone who is paying attention in Europe. All this stuff about helping Europe ‘regain civilisational confidence’ is basically a blueprint for (non-military) intervention in this continent if we don’t have the laws and policies they want.
The Trump National Security Strategy is bonkers in many ways but this objective stood out:
"Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations"
Making their strategy of supporting radical right and extremist parties explicit.
"Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations"
Making their strategy of supporting radical right and extremist parties explicit.
December 5, 2025 at 12:17 PM
The US National Security Strategy should terrify anyone who is paying attention in Europe. All this stuff about helping Europe ‘regain civilisational confidence’ is basically a blueprint for (non-military) intervention in this continent if we don’t have the laws and policies they want.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
I suspect you have to be quite racist to stand out as "the racist guy" at a boys public school of the 1980s.
December 5, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I suspect you have to be quite racist to stand out as "the racist guy" at a boys public school of the 1980s.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
This ongoing toxic discourse has multiple real-life, everyday consequences
It leads to the man sitting next to me on a bus not accepting I'm from Manchester as I have 'dark skin'
Declaring, while gesturing around the bus- 'you can fool all of them, but you can't fool me'
It permits open racism
It leads to the man sitting next to me on a bus not accepting I'm from Manchester as I have 'dark skin'
Declaring, while gesturing around the bus- 'you can fool all of them, but you can't fool me'
It permits open racism
GB News now broadcasting calls to remove the ethnic minority MPs from parliament
December 4, 2025 at 7:51 AM
This ongoing toxic discourse has multiple real-life, everyday consequences
It leads to the man sitting next to me on a bus not accepting I'm from Manchester as I have 'dark skin'
Declaring, while gesturing around the bus- 'you can fool all of them, but you can't fool me'
It permits open racism
It leads to the man sitting next to me on a bus not accepting I'm from Manchester as I have 'dark skin'
Declaring, while gesturing around the bus- 'you can fool all of them, but you can't fool me'
It permits open racism
This is one of quite a few signs the Overton window is shifting quickly on the far right of British politics and I think we should be really worried by that.
GB News now broadcasting calls to remove the ethnic minority MPs from parliament
December 3, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This is one of quite a few signs the Overton window is shifting quickly on the far right of British politics and I think we should be really worried by that.
I've got to say that when the two words you connect with 'Christian identity' are 'heritage' and 'culture', you've made a category error.
I mean, Christianity does produce a culture (several, in fact!) and it carries many heritages, but Tommy Two-Names is fundamentally missing the point.
I mean, Christianity does produce a culture (several, in fact!) and it carries many heritages, but Tommy Two-Names is fundamentally missing the point.
Christians have always proclaimed Christ's birth as the moment when God’s light, love, and hope came into being in human flesh. There is no Christmas without Christ, it doesn't need adding in, rather it needs to be made real in people's lives.
premierchristian.news/en/news/arti...
premierchristian.news/en/news/arti...
'Putting Christ back into Christmas': Carol concert announced as follow up to Tommy Robinson rally - Premier Christian News | Headlines, Breaking News, Comment & Analysis
Controversial far-right activist Tommy Robinson has announced a carol event in London, urging his followers to "put Christ back into Christmas".
premierchristian.news
December 3, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I've got to say that when the two words you connect with 'Christian identity' are 'heritage' and 'culture', you've made a category error.
I mean, Christianity does produce a culture (several, in fact!) and it carries many heritages, but Tommy Two-Names is fundamentally missing the point.
I mean, Christianity does produce a culture (several, in fact!) and it carries many heritages, but Tommy Two-Names is fundamentally missing the point.
Carney - and I think most Canadians - understand that a fundamental change has happened in the security situation in the liberal west, and that that means we may face an existential threat.
Bonkers: Canada is joining an EU defence loan fund that the UK government thinks Britain can't afford!
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
Canada joins EU defense fund as the country pivots away from the US
Canada has joined a major European Union defense fund
www.independent.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Carney - and I think most Canadians - understand that a fundamental change has happened in the security situation in the liberal west, and that that means we may face an existential threat.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
Bonkers: Canada is joining an EU defence loan fund that the UK government thinks Britain can't afford!
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
Canada joins EU defense fund as the country pivots away from the US
Canada has joined a major European Union defense fund
www.independent.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Bonkers: Canada is joining an EU defence loan fund that the UK government thinks Britain can't afford!
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
www.independent.co.uk/news/canada-...
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
Today the news will be about the government's proposals for juries.
Please read this thread so as to be informed about the actual practical problems in the criminal justice system - problems which will not be solved by this misconceived and illiberal tinkering.
Please read this thread so as to be informed about the actual practical problems in the criminal justice system - problems which will not be solved by this misconceived and illiberal tinkering.
Here is a list of reasons why some of my hearings and trials this year have been delayed and kicked off into the long grass, stuck in our record court backlog. Serious allegations which will now be tried *years* after the event. 🧵👇
December 2, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Today the news will be about the government's proposals for juries.
Please read this thread so as to be informed about the actual practical problems in the criminal justice system - problems which will not be solved by this misconceived and illiberal tinkering.
Please read this thread so as to be informed about the actual practical problems in the criminal justice system - problems which will not be solved by this misconceived and illiberal tinkering.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
Broke: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, it’s an action film
Woke: Die Hard is set at Christmas. Christmas film
Bespoke: Die Hard is about death, judgement, and deliverance from evil (and people anticipating the celebration of Christmas with an office party) and is therefore clearly an Advent movie
Woke: Die Hard is set at Christmas. Christmas film
Bespoke: Die Hard is about death, judgement, and deliverance from evil (and people anticipating the celebration of Christmas with an office party) and is therefore clearly an Advent movie
British public’s verdict is in: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie
British public’s verdict is in: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie
Survey also reveals Britons’ favourite festive film, views on tear-jerkers and family cinema trips
When Macaulay Culkin recently said he didn’t consider Die Hard to be a Christmas film – wading into one of pop culture’s most heated holiday debates – he was booed by a live audience.
But it looks like the British people are behind the actor, with a survey revealing that Home Alone is the UK’s favourite festive film, while Die Hard has officially been voted not a Christmas movie. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Broke: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, it’s an action film
Woke: Die Hard is set at Christmas. Christmas film
Bespoke: Die Hard is about death, judgement, and deliverance from evil (and people anticipating the celebration of Christmas with an office party) and is therefore clearly an Advent movie
Woke: Die Hard is set at Christmas. Christmas film
Bespoke: Die Hard is about death, judgement, and deliverance from evil (and people anticipating the celebration of Christmas with an office party) and is therefore clearly an Advent movie
You can see the side of my head in this. It was a good sing.
November 30, 2025 at 6:13 PM
You can see the side of my head in this. It was a good sing.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
November 30, 2025 at 2:06 PM
He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
People are very hard on young people on here, lack of critical thinking, lack of responsibility etc, and then you see something like this and it all makes a different kind of sense.
November 30, 2025 at 1:44 PM
People are very hard on young people on here, lack of critical thinking, lack of responsibility etc, and then you see something like this and it all makes a different kind of sense.
I mean, I'm enjoying the endless drama of Your Party as much as the next person who likes politics, but that is a bit extreme. OTOH, I expect it'll probably come up at some point in their conference.
Thank we need public executions at the end of this
November 29, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I mean, I'm enjoying the endless drama of Your Party as much as the next person who likes politics, but that is a bit extreme. OTOH, I expect it'll probably come up at some point in their conference.
I reckon one of the long-running moral problems with British political and administrative life is the coarsening effect of using language you know is inaccurate and inflammatory but which is aimed at the newspapers. It must do something bad to you when you do this all the time.
November 29, 2025 at 10:20 AM
I reckon one of the long-running moral problems with British political and administrative life is the coarsening effect of using language you know is inaccurate and inflammatory but which is aimed at the newspapers. It must do something bad to you when you do this all the time.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
I don’t know how many ways there are to say “Manchester’s economy is growing, so if we’re not going to do much proactive on infrastructure, can we at least not do stuff that’s actively damaging”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Soon-to-be-axed 7am Manchester-London train will still run – but without passengers
Exclusive: Rail regulator pulls Avanti service from timetable from mid-December but it is needed for staff travel
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:52 AM
I don’t know how many ways there are to say “Manchester’s economy is growing, so if we’re not going to do much proactive on infrastructure, can we at least not do stuff that’s actively damaging”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
I found this terribly sad. A young woman with her life ahead of her, and she becomes one of the last American victims of the Long War.
November 28, 2025 at 2:07 AM
I found this terribly sad. A young woman with her life ahead of her, and she becomes one of the last American victims of the Long War.
“Government delivers on promise that is one of the most important issues for the electorate.”
No? Why not?
Because we only do sensationalism around immigration.
No? Why not?
Because we only do sensationalism around immigration.
Today's 70% fall in net migration to 205,000 was not one of the six stories in BBC ten o'clock news.
Ta massive assymetry in whether rises in immigration and falls in immigration are considered newsworthy by broadcasters
Down by 140k isn't thought to be.
Up by 140k undoubtedly would be.
Ta massive assymetry in whether rises in immigration and falls in immigration are considered newsworthy by broadcasters
Down by 140k isn't thought to be.
Up by 140k undoubtedly would be.
November 27, 2025 at 10:46 PM
“Government delivers on promise that is one of the most important issues for the electorate.”
No? Why not?
Because we only do sensationalism around immigration.
No? Why not?
Because we only do sensationalism around immigration.
Reposted by Fr Jonathan Bish
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
Headline on The World at One just now:
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
November 27, 2025 at 1:16 PM
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
This is not having nearly as much coverage as it should and, yes, other systems exist, but this is a fundamental part of English and Welsh criminal law and has been for 800 years, and we shouldn’t do away with such things without a massive public debate.
Can't believe they're going to end trial by jury. It's one of our most fundamental rights. Literally Magna Carta stuff.
November 27, 2025 at 9:39 AM
This is not having nearly as much coverage as it should and, yes, other systems exist, but this is a fundamental part of English and Welsh criminal law and has been for 800 years, and we shouldn’t do away with such things without a massive public debate.
What Sam said.
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's popular or not. It's going to make a lot of kids' lives better. That's the point of government. Not an opinion poll.
November 26, 2025 at 2:31 PM
What Sam said.