James Baillie
@jubalbarca.bsky.social
Historian of the Medieval Caucasus, web community organiser, game developer, liberal activist, songwriter and storyteller. Somewhat hobbitish.
Also at https://exilian.co.uk/, https://scholar.social/@JubalBarca, and https://hcommons.org/members/jubalbarca/
Also at https://exilian.co.uk/, https://scholar.social/@JubalBarca, and https://hcommons.org/members/jubalbarca/
The clock can stop sweating now
The clock rests, for it is a Tuesday
And until the next Lib Dem leaflet is published
Time, inglorious sweat-bound time
Blissfully ceases
The clock rests, for it is a Tuesday
And until the next Lib Dem leaflet is published
Time, inglorious sweat-bound time
Blissfully ceases
November 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The clock can stop sweating now
The clock rests, for it is a Tuesday
And until the next Lib Dem leaflet is published
Time, inglorious sweat-bound time
Blissfully ceases
The clock rests, for it is a Tuesday
And until the next Lib Dem leaflet is published
Time, inglorious sweat-bound time
Blissfully ceases
I'm fairly sure I don't have enough job security to class as senior! But thank you, the compliment is of course appreciated :)
November 11, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I'm fairly sure I don't have enough job security to class as senior! But thank you, the compliment is of course appreciated :)
One of the nastier bits of online abuse I got once was someone telling me to, quote, "go out and lie in the road and wait for a bus"
Given I was in rural Norfolk at the time, though... I guess I'd have eventually died of starvation well before one went by?
Given I was in rural Norfolk at the time, though... I guess I'd have eventually died of starvation well before one went by?
November 4, 2025 at 10:39 AM
One of the nastier bits of online abuse I got once was someone telling me to, quote, "go out and lie in the road and wait for a bus"
Given I was in rural Norfolk at the time, though... I guess I'd have eventually died of starvation well before one went by?
Given I was in rural Norfolk at the time, though... I guess I'd have eventually died of starvation well before one went by?
Yeah, I'm at the point where if I want somewhere to actually hang out online even BSky is somewhat of a bigger information firehose than I enjoy. Persuading people to join smaller and cosier spaces is tricky, though, speaking as someone who's run a little webforum for years.
November 3, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Yeah, I'm at the point where if I want somewhere to actually hang out online even BSky is somewhat of a bigger information firehose than I enjoy. Persuading people to join smaller and cosier spaces is tricky, though, speaking as someone who's run a little webforum for years.
I just kind of pop on here for politics then scurry off back to weirder little niches of the internet that feel less like I'm going to get yelled at about the Topic Of The Day
October 28, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I just kind of pop on here for politics then scurry off back to weirder little niches of the internet that feel less like I'm going to get yelled at about the Topic Of The Day
I don't believe that there is a RON option - and one day before ballots is unfortunately not really enough time to organise a spoiled ballot campaign or indeed anything much else that's member-led.
Which means any challenge to this is going to be internal process appeals and then maybe the courts.
Which means any challenge to this is going to be internal process appeals and then maybe the courts.
October 28, 2025 at 9:38 AM
I don't believe that there is a RON option - and one day before ballots is unfortunately not really enough time to organise a spoiled ballot campaign or indeed anything much else that's member-led.
Which means any challenge to this is going to be internal process appeals and then maybe the courts.
Which means any challenge to this is going to be internal process appeals and then maybe the courts.
Speaking as a candidate, yes, it is self-ID: information on gender identity and cis/trans status was gathered when nominations happened.
October 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Speaking as a candidate, yes, it is self-ID: information on gender identity and cis/trans status was gathered when nominations happened.
There are clauses in the constitution that say that the RO is allowed to reinterpret election regulations if doing so is required to abide by the Equality Act.
(Though given how much of this is legally untested, it's rather arguable whether the test there has been properly met in this case.)
(Though given how much of this is legally untested, it's rather arguable whether the test there has been properly met in this case.)
October 27, 2025 at 10:54 PM
There are clauses in the constitution that say that the RO is allowed to reinterpret election regulations if doing so is required to abide by the Equality Act.
(Though given how much of this is legally untested, it's rather arguable whether the test there has been properly met in this case.)
(Though given how much of this is legally untested, it's rather arguable whether the test there has been properly met in this case.)
Point taken! I do usually get that one right, my brain is just being sludge at the moment (but thank you for reminding me, is is appreciated).
October 27, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Point taken! I do usually get that one right, my brain is just being sludge at the moment (but thank you for reminding me, is is appreciated).
Your guess is as good as mine: I've spoken today to a vice-chair of Lib Dem Women, and the chair of LGBT+ Lib Dems. One was as blindsided as me and the other said that they'd given the party advice directly opposite to this ruling. Which given those are the two relevant organisations is... worrying.
October 27, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Your guess is as good as mine: I've spoken today to a vice-chair of Lib Dem Women, and the chair of LGBT+ Lib Dems. One was as blindsided as me and the other said that they'd given the party advice directly opposite to this ruling. Which given those are the two relevant organisations is... worrying.
This has also been done one day before ballots drop! If there was a major threat of a legal challenge, suspending the quotas altogether would have made some sense, but re-cutting the quota system in ways that disadvantage and harm chunks of party members without notice is just awful.
October 27, 2025 at 4:34 PM
This has also been done one day before ballots drop! If there was a major threat of a legal challenge, suspending the quotas altogether would have made some sense, but re-cutting the quota system in ways that disadvantage and harm chunks of party members without notice is just awful.
Essentially the Returning Officer has by fiat changed the gender quotas to refer to biological sex and exclude trans people, and has split the 10 percent quota for sexual and gender minorities to be 5% gender reassignment and 5% sexual minorities.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
October 27, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Essentially the Returning Officer has by fiat changed the gender quotas to refer to biological sex and exclude trans people, and has split the 10 percent quota for sexual and gender minorities to be 5% gender reassignment and 5% sexual minorities.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
Essentially the Returning Officer has by fiat changed the gender quotas to refer to biological sex and exclude trans people, and has split the 10 percent quota for sexual and gender minorities to be 5% gender reassignment and 5% sexual minorities.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
October 27, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Essentially the Returning Officer has by fiat changed the gender quotas to refer to biological sex and exclude trans people, and has split the 10 percent quota for sexual and gender minorities to be 5% gender reassignment and 5% sexual minorities.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.
Which is pretty bad on multiple levels, really.