James Austin
@jamesdaustin.bsky.social
This again. Outdoors. Politics. Sport. Not always in that order. Labour. Trade Unionist. Trying to do community things. Views entirely my own
Reposted by James Austin
The BBC is in crisis in the same way that GB News would be if you put Owen Jones on the board armed with a veto and plenty of coffee.
November 11, 2025 at 7:48 AM
The BBC is in crisis in the same way that GB News would be if you put Owen Jones on the board armed with a veto and plenty of coffee.
Both this and... this doesn't raise much money! Its a couple of billion here and there: it will not fill the gap in the budget, give you headroom or allow money to invest.
All you're doing is pissing off a lot of core voters for little gain!
All you're doing is pissing off a lot of core voters for little gain!
If you think that “the slow vanishing of employee benefits” is a better trade politically than “the other lot saying you broke your promise on income tax”, you are out of your tree: www.ft.com/content/1160...
November 11, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Both this and... this doesn't raise much money! Its a couple of billion here and there: it will not fill the gap in the budget, give you headroom or allow money to invest.
All you're doing is pissing off a lot of core voters for little gain!
All you're doing is pissing off a lot of core voters for little gain!
Reposted by James Austin
Important to be clear here that the proposed homes wouldn't mean demolishing the 18th century garden - it's just that they might possibly be visible from it. What appallingly selfish behaviour.
November 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Important to be clear here that the proposed homes wouldn't mean demolishing the 18th century garden - it's just that they might possibly be visible from it. What appallingly selfish behaviour.
Reposted by James Austin
Re-upping this - important point in a good thread. A lot of people seem to think that 'changing the regulatory environment' is like switching from Windows to Apple in terms of increasing housebuilding and lowering prices, and not a thing that takes ages if you just leave it to its own thing.
Oh, couple of other things I meant to include:
- juice housing demand. no, really. people can't afford to buy, so builders have stopped building and the whole system is gummed up, planning reform or not. they're going to have to do something to substantively help buyers.
- juice housing demand. no, really. people can't afford to buy, so builders have stopped building and the whole system is gummed up, planning reform or not. they're going to have to do something to substantively help buyers.
November 10, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Re-upping this - important point in a good thread. A lot of people seem to think that 'changing the regulatory environment' is like switching from Windows to Apple in terms of increasing housebuilding and lowering prices, and not a thing that takes ages if you just leave it to its own thing.
Reposted by James Austin
I reckon a shared national popular culture is just as important (if not more important) than a fact based, impartial news service for liberal democracy to work.
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
I reckon a shared national popular culture is just as important (if not more important) than a fact based, impartial news service for liberal democracy to work.
I'm worried about both equally TBH: Facebook is radicalising older, normal people en masse.
Twitter radicalising elites who are hyper engaged.
Both feeding each other in poisioning the discourse and media ecosystem. It's brutal and a pretty nasty feedback loop.
Algorithm social media is a curse
Twitter radicalising elites who are hyper engaged.
Both feeding each other in poisioning the discourse and media ecosystem. It's brutal and a pretty nasty feedback loop.
Algorithm social media is a curse
Fell down a facebook rabbit hole thanks to something a family member shared. Labour should be really concerned, the tone and circulation of posts now has a simialr feel to Conservatives in 2023 but with an added side of far right memes. Facebook worries me far more than X
November 10, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I'm worried about both equally TBH: Facebook is radicalising older, normal people en masse.
Twitter radicalising elites who are hyper engaged.
Both feeding each other in poisioning the discourse and media ecosystem. It's brutal and a pretty nasty feedback loop.
Algorithm social media is a curse
Twitter radicalising elites who are hyper engaged.
Both feeding each other in poisioning the discourse and media ecosystem. It's brutal and a pretty nasty feedback loop.
Algorithm social media is a curse
Reposted by James Austin
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
Reposted by James Austin
For all the talk of 'Broken Britain', so many things have got better.
Even a simple factoid like this gets overlooked, but it was not long ago that *everyone* directly knew multiple examples of people taken away by this at something preposterous like age 22
November 10, 2025 at 1:48 PM
For all the talk of 'Broken Britain', so many things have got better.
Having been in youth politics I can only imagine the utter horrors this is going to lead to.
November 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Having been in youth politics I can only imagine the utter horrors this is going to lead to.
Reposted by James Austin
The BBC: quite a big deal.
November 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
The BBC: quite a big deal.
Given my music taste and - probably Idles?
Aside from that - probably Blossoms or The Vaccines
Aside from that - probably Blossoms or The Vaccines
Realistically, The Fall. Hadn't heard them pretty much at all until fairly recently
What is your biggest musical blindspot for someone precisely your age?
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
For me - an elder millennial - it is that I have never knowingly listened to INCUBUS, nor could I name even one of their songs if you put a gun to my head.
November 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Given my music taste and - probably Idles?
Aside from that - probably Blossoms or The Vaccines
Aside from that - probably Blossoms or The Vaccines
Reposted by James Austin
Think the two things I would do to be an extremist on the nation's information diet, beyond axing X, would be banning rolling news and blocking smart TVs from accessing YouTube.
Has ITV's News coverage gotten worse since they ditched ITV News? No.
So would BBC News 24 being axed in favour of some actual coverage of Parliament, devolved and local government be a bad thing?
So would BBC News 24 being axed in favour of some actual coverage of Parliament, devolved and local government be a bad thing?
November 10, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Think the two things I would do to be an extremist on the nation's information diet, beyond axing X, would be banning rolling news and blocking smart TVs from accessing YouTube.
Reposted by James Austin
Delighted to publish Colm and Patrick's eminently sensible pre-budget intervention:
Breaking the tax pledge is the right call...and politically sulphurous. Reeves must argue, far more forcefully, that taxes are *the* essential downpayment we all pay for a fairer society.
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
If Labour want a fairer society, they must argue for it
Labour must make the political argument: taxes are the critical downpayment we all pay to live in a fairer society.
It now seems all but certain that direct taxes will rise in the forthcoming Budget...
renewal.org.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Delighted to publish Colm and Patrick's eminently sensible pre-budget intervention:
I don't think this is hyperbole btw.
Things are spinning out pretty badly across multiple nations, obviously including the US, at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Twitter and elite whatsapps clearly key drivers.
Things are spinning out pretty badly across multiple nations, obviously including the US, at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Twitter and elite whatsapps clearly key drivers.
twitter being bought and turned into a propaganda machine for fascism, which is directly pumped into every journalist in the world's brain, is one of the worst things to happen in the last few years. we might not survive it.
I'm guessing the BBC 'scandal' has been big on X this week as this was the first I had heard of it...
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 AM
I don't think this is hyperbole btw.
Things are spinning out pretty badly across multiple nations, obviously including the US, at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Twitter and elite whatsapps clearly key drivers.
Things are spinning out pretty badly across multiple nations, obviously including the US, at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Twitter and elite whatsapps clearly key drivers.
Reposted by James Austin
twitter being bought and turned into a propaganda machine for fascism, which is directly pumped into every journalist in the world's brain, is one of the worst things to happen in the last few years. we might not survive it.
I'm guessing the BBC 'scandal' has been big on X this week as this was the first I had heard of it...
November 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
twitter being bought and turned into a propaganda machine for fascism, which is directly pumped into every journalist in the world's brain, is one of the worst things to happen in the last few years. we might not survive it.
Reposted by James Austin
The fact the BBC Director General, who is a former conservative candidate, is resigning for being "too woke" over some cooked up Trumpist nonsense is quite a stark reminder of the drivers behind the current media environment.
November 9, 2025 at 6:59 PM
The fact the BBC Director General, who is a former conservative candidate, is resigning for being "too woke" over some cooked up Trumpist nonsense is quite a stark reminder of the drivers behind the current media environment.
Reposted by James Austin
This is the most abysmal, pathetic thing. The BBC head resigning because the corporation is not supine *enough* to the far-right.
🔴 Breaking I Davie faced mounting criticism that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by Donald Trump
➡️ Read more: trib.al/I0iw7aP
➡️ Read more: trib.al/I0iw7aP
November 9, 2025 at 6:16 PM
This is the most abysmal, pathetic thing. The BBC head resigning because the corporation is not supine *enough* to the far-right.
This both absurd and a huge gift to the government
November 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This both absurd and a huge gift to the government
Anyone who works in the public policy space will say this is already happening.
The number of long 'policy based' emails and objections has increased hugely over the last year. All with the same, structure and style
The number of long 'policy based' emails and objections has increased hugely over the last year. All with the same, structure and style
‘A new service called Objector is offering “policy-backed objections in minutes” to people who are upset about planning applications near their homes.’
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
Bloody hell www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
November 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Anyone who works in the public policy space will say this is already happening.
The number of long 'policy based' emails and objections has increased hugely over the last year. All with the same, structure and style
The number of long 'policy based' emails and objections has increased hugely over the last year. All with the same, structure and style
We always talk about what are, fundimentally, class dynamics in terms of disadvantage or deprevation.
Reversing the frame a little is a very useful exercise at times. Even better if it makes some people uncomfortable
Reversing the frame a little is a very useful exercise at times. Even better if it makes some people uncomfortable
Why frame it as privilege? Loaded with moral judgement and does no actual work in terms of analysis.
November 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
We always talk about what are, fundimentally, class dynamics in terms of disadvantage or deprevation.
Reversing the frame a little is a very useful exercise at times. Even better if it makes some people uncomfortable
Reversing the frame a little is a very useful exercise at times. Even better if it makes some people uncomfortable
Sodbury slog - todays adventure. Suprisingly.... unsloggy? Probably 40% on road.
Came 40/850 - 1.04 for 8.5 miles (they cut a bit due to escaped cows). Some very odd poppy stuff but a good day ouy
Came 40/850 - 1.04 for 8.5 miles (they cut a bit due to escaped cows). Some very odd poppy stuff but a good day ouy
November 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Sodbury slog - todays adventure. Suprisingly.... unsloggy? Probably 40% on road.
Came 40/850 - 1.04 for 8.5 miles (they cut a bit due to escaped cows). Some very odd poppy stuff but a good day ouy
Came 40/850 - 1.04 for 8.5 miles (they cut a bit due to escaped cows). Some very odd poppy stuff but a good day ouy
Reposted by James Austin
Reposted by James Austin
Yeah so several major Ukrainian cities are in a complete blackout right now. 0 generation from thermal plants and 0 idea when the power will be back. Just please don’t forget us
November 8, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Yeah so several major Ukrainian cities are in a complete blackout right now. 0 generation from thermal plants and 0 idea when the power will be back. Just please don’t forget us
Reposted by James Austin
How ever since Labour came to power, the British media has started to notice a whole series of problems they spent the previous 14 years completely ignoring
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-great-...
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-great-...
The 'Great Noticing' Era
Ever since Labour came to power, the British media has started to notice a whole series of problems they spent the previous 14 years completely ignoring
www.adambienkov.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 12:23 PM
How ever since Labour came to power, the British media has started to notice a whole series of problems they spent the previous 14 years completely ignoring
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-great-...
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-great-...