Phil Kohler 🔶
@leamingtonphil.bsky.social
Proud to be Lib Dem councillor for Leamington Lillington. Still furious about the stupidity called Brexit.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Although the scale of this is still to be assessed, this is the inevitable outcome of the monetization of the algorithm. Rage-bait becomes a personal revenue model. Nothing about this should be a surprise.
NEWS: I spent the past 24 hours going through major MAGA accounts on Twitter, and a bombshell development has become clear: most of the right-wing ecosphere is being fed propaganda from foreign actors.
This impacts elections. This impacts discourse. This is major. Subscribe to support my work:
This impacts elections. This impacts discourse. This is major. Subscribe to support my work:
NEWS: Major MAGA Accounts on Twitter Exposed as Foreign Actors
A stunning development over the past 24 hours.
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Although the scale of this is still to be assessed, this is the inevitable outcome of the monetization of the algorithm. Rage-bait becomes a personal revenue model. Nothing about this should be a surprise.
If they are halfway sensible and wait until (late) 2028 for the defenestration, this surely reinforces that Milliband is the runaway favourite:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Four top Labour figures could beat Starmer in a leadership race, poll finds
Research shows members would back Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting over PM
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:42 AM
If they are halfway sensible and wait until (late) 2028 for the defenestration, this surely reinforces that Milliband is the runaway favourite:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Yes but it’s complicated.
The problem comes from having a campaigner in charge.
Lib Dem campaigners hated being in coalition because being in opposition is way easier for leaflets etc.
I think this government hates being in charge, for the same reason.
The problem comes from having a campaigner in charge.
Lib Dem campaigners hated being in coalition because being in opposition is way easier for leaflets etc.
I think this government hates being in charge, for the same reason.
It's funny how much they talk like the Liberal Democrats in coalition, except instead of 'negotiating with the senior partner in a coalition', the coalition partner is 'the campaign people refuse to let go of the wheel or to sign off anything suggesting their campaign was anything but perfect'.
Absolutely. The improved forecasts is insane because it's banking inflationary increases in revenue that will surely provoke inflationary increases in spending (particular public sector pay).
This BTW is a work of art. Exactly the type of attitude that has got Labour into this mess.
This BTW is a work of art. Exactly the type of attitude that has got Labour into this mess.
November 22, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Yes but it’s complicated.
The problem comes from having a campaigner in charge.
Lib Dem campaigners hated being in coalition because being in opposition is way easier for leaflets etc.
I think this government hates being in charge, for the same reason.
The problem comes from having a campaigner in charge.
Lib Dem campaigners hated being in coalition because being in opposition is way easier for leaflets etc.
I think this government hates being in charge, for the same reason.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Nathan Gill; A traitor who was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting Russian adversaries, has been sentenced today.
Reform UK should be ashamed. Britain deserves better.
Reform UK should be ashamed. Britain deserves better.
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Nathan Gill; A traitor who was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting Russian adversaries, has been sentenced today.
Reform UK should be ashamed. Britain deserves better.
Reform UK should be ashamed. Britain deserves better.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
will admit i don't fully understand this but POETRY OUTFOXES AI is the best case for preserving English degrees i have ever heard. 'all the teenage girls who were really into Sylvia Plath at one point vs tech bros' is the battle for civilisation we deserve
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
will admit i don't fully understand this but POETRY OUTFOXES AI is the best case for preserving English degrees i have ever heard. 'all the teenage girls who were really into Sylvia Plath at one point vs tech bros' is the battle for civilisation we deserve
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10.5 years for endangering national security and taking Russian bribes.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10.5 years for endangering national security and taking Russian bribes.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
NEW: Former Reform MEP Nathan Gill is sentenced to 10.5 years at the Old Bailey on 8 counts of bribery by a Russian agent.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. Here is the evidence…
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. Here is the evidence…
November 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
NEW: Former Reform MEP Nathan Gill is sentenced to 10.5 years at the Old Bailey on 8 counts of bribery by a Russian agent.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. Here is the evidence…
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. Here is the evidence…
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
BREAKING: Nathan Gill is sentenced to 10 & a half years in prison after pleading guilty to eight charges of bribery from a Russian agent.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
November 21, 2025 at 12:52 PM
BREAKING: Nathan Gill is sentenced to 10 & a half years in prison after pleading guilty to eight charges of bribery from a Russian agent.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
The "ultimate source" of the funds came from "a close friend of Vladimir Putin," said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Thank you, @joshbabarinde.bsky.social for pressing the government on today's appalling leaked EHRC proposals. It is both sickening and predictable that they should leak on Transgender Day of Remembrance. Thank you for committing the @libdems.org.uk to standing up for our rights.
November 20, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Thank you, @joshbabarinde.bsky.social for pressing the government on today's appalling leaked EHRC proposals. It is both sickening and predictable that they should leak on Transgender Day of Remembrance. Thank you for committing the @libdems.org.uk to standing up for our rights.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Donald Trump is gunning for the BBC, and Farage is cheering him on. Want to know why? Follow the money…
November 19, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Donald Trump is gunning for the BBC, and Farage is cheering him on. Want to know why? Follow the money…
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
🚨 BREAKING: Kent County Council is hurtling towards financial oblivion under Reform.
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
November 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
🚨 BREAKING: Kent County Council is hurtling towards financial oblivion under Reform.
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Families bereaved by gambling suicide thank both the @primeministeruk.bsky.social for promising investigation of the link between gambling and suicide, and @eddavey.libdems.org.uk for raising the issue at PMQs today
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Families bereaved by gambling suicide thank both the @primeministeruk.bsky.social for promising investigation of the link between gambling and suicide, and @eddavey.libdems.org.uk for raising the issue at PMQs today
A piece dripping with opprobrium:
“All of this and more was foreseeable. Starmer exorcised the hard left but the soft left are more numerous and not much less deluded. If you trusted these people to unleash Britain’s economic potential, I don’t know what to say to you.”
www.ft.com/content/68ee...
“All of this and more was foreseeable. Starmer exorcised the hard left but the soft left are more numerous and not much less deluded. If you trusted these people to unleash Britain’s economic potential, I don’t know what to say to you.”
www.ft.com/content/68ee...
The Labour government will deteriorate from here
Starmer and Reeves are unfit and their likeliest usurpers are worse
www.ft.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:39 PM
A piece dripping with opprobrium:
“All of this and more was foreseeable. Starmer exorcised the hard left but the soft left are more numerous and not much less deluded. If you trusted these people to unleash Britain’s economic potential, I don’t know what to say to you.”
www.ft.com/content/68ee...
“All of this and more was foreseeable. Starmer exorcised the hard left but the soft left are more numerous and not much less deluded. If you trusted these people to unleash Britain’s economic potential, I don’t know what to say to you.”
www.ft.com/content/68ee...
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Councillors no longer to be allowed to decide applications for 150 homes+ This is infantilising of elected representatives and spells the end of meaningful local planning…
November 18, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Councillors no longer to be allowed to decide applications for 150 homes+ This is infantilising of elected representatives and spells the end of meaningful local planning…
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
Tried to get this published but no luck, so might as well ‘publish’ it here so it’s not a complete waste!
➡️ Stripping rights from refugees today endangers us all tomorrow
#asylum #Mahmood #history #humanrights
➡️ Stripping rights from refugees today endangers us all tomorrow
#asylum #Mahmood #history #humanrights
November 18, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Tried to get this published but no luck, so might as well ‘publish’ it here so it’s not a complete waste!
➡️ Stripping rights from refugees today endangers us all tomorrow
#asylum #Mahmood #history #humanrights
➡️ Stripping rights from refugees today endangers us all tomorrow
#asylum #Mahmood #history #humanrights
🏆 WINNER Understatement of the Year 2025:
“Just look at the Nolan principles [on the required standards in public office]: integrity, honesty, selfless commitment, that sort of thing. Nigel just doesn’t have these qualities.”
“Just look at the Nolan principles [on the required standards in public office]: integrity, honesty, selfless commitment, that sort of thing. Nigel just doesn’t have these qualities.”
💥 NEW: ‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school
“He would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right,’ or ‘Gas them,’ sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers".
Read on for more...
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
“He would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right,’ or ‘Gas them,’ sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers".
Read on for more...
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school
Bafta-winning director among contemporaries urging contrition and apology from Reform UK leader, who denies the allegations
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:08 PM
🏆 WINNER Understatement of the Year 2025:
“Just look at the Nolan principles [on the required standards in public office]: integrity, honesty, selfless commitment, that sort of thing. Nigel just doesn’t have these qualities.”
“Just look at the Nolan principles [on the required standards in public office]: integrity, honesty, selfless commitment, that sort of thing. Nigel just doesn’t have these qualities.”
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
When you go to Auschwitz they have piles of jewellery and watches which were confiscated from those arriving.
The Sun has been told Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will on Monday propose confiscating jewellery, watches, necklaces from asylum seekers to meet asylum costs
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
November 17, 2025 at 8:34 AM
When you go to Auschwitz they have piles of jewellery and watches which were confiscated from those arriving.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
This is revolting. Theft is a crime. Seeking asylum isn't.
The Sun has been told Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will on Monday propose confiscating jewellery, watches, necklaces from asylum seekers to meet asylum costs
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
November 17, 2025 at 7:42 AM
This is revolting. Theft is a crime. Seeking asylum isn't.
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
A big Liberal Democrat welcome to West Northamptonshire Councillor Farzana Aldridge who has joined the party from Labour.
liberalengland.blogspot.com/2025/11/nort...
liberalengland.blogspot.com/2025/11/nort...
November 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
A big Liberal Democrat welcome to West Northamptonshire Councillor Farzana Aldridge who has joined the party from Labour.
liberalengland.blogspot.com/2025/11/nort...
liberalengland.blogspot.com/2025/11/nort...
Reposted by Phil Kohler 🔶
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
November 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.