Mark Hirst
@markhirst.bsky.social
Woke, liberal, rejoiner (but not one who thinks rejoining is a quick & easy fix that can happen without a formal mandate).
Yes my grandmother born in 1901 was one of 4 sisters & 2 brothers. Two of the sisters never married, my Great Aunts Amy & Nora & my grandmother only married at age 30 after she met my grandfather who was 3 yrs younger than her & had been too young to be conscripted. So many eligible boys wiped out.
November 14, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Yes my grandmother born in 1901 was one of 4 sisters & 2 brothers. Two of the sisters never married, my Great Aunts Amy & Nora & my grandmother only married at age 30 after she met my grandfather who was 3 yrs younger than her & had been too young to be conscripted. So many eligible boys wiped out.
This is just so silly … Truss was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Sunak was never ‘meant’ to be PM, May was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Blair was never ‘meant’ to be PM & wouldn’t have been had Smith not died, Major was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Heseltine was! Etc, etc. Corbyn was never meant to be Labour leader!
November 14, 2025 at 5:24 AM
This is just so silly … Truss was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Sunak was never ‘meant’ to be PM, May was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Blair was never ‘meant’ to be PM & wouldn’t have been had Smith not died, Major was never ‘meant’ to be PM, Heseltine was! Etc, etc. Corbyn was never meant to be Labour leader!
Sensible and necessary
November 13, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Sensible and necessary
Sandie winning on sheer teenage cool & style & magnificence of cheek bones but they were all great 😊
November 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Sandie winning on sheer teenage cool & style & magnificence of cheek bones but they were all great 😊
I Only Want To Be WIth You only got to number 4 in the charts & Dusty Springfield only ever had 1 number one. Arguably Cilla Black (2 number ones) & Sandie Shaw (3 number ones & my personal fav) were the number one British girl singers in 64/65. Obviously with hindsight DS is the one with longevity.
November 3, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I Only Want To Be WIth You only got to number 4 in the charts & Dusty Springfield only ever had 1 number one. Arguably Cilla Black (2 number ones) & Sandie Shaw (3 number ones & my personal fav) were the number one British girl singers in 64/65. Obviously with hindsight DS is the one with longevity.
May backfire for Farage … a Reform party chock full of the same old Tory faces is just the same old Tory party … most voters are not that easily fooled
October 5, 2025 at 4:01 PM
May backfire for Farage … a Reform party chock full of the same old Tory faces is just the same old Tory party … most voters are not that easily fooled
These people are shameless … they simply believe they have an unquestionable right to govern and rule (in their own likeness and interests) & they will say or do anything to protect their privilege.
October 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
These people are shameless … they simply believe they have an unquestionable right to govern and rule (in their own likeness and interests) & they will say or do anything to protect their privilege.
You must be joking! She was always punk pastiche. Believe me nobody who was even remotely cool took her, her cartoonish style or her music seriously in 1981.
October 3, 2025 at 7:49 PM
You must be joking! She was always punk pastiche. Believe me nobody who was even remotely cool took her, her cartoonish style or her music seriously in 1981.
Arrogant and destructive. Me, me, me. He could be saying this behind the scenes.
September 28, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Arrogant and destructive. Me, me, me. He could be saying this behind the scenes.
What is Burnham’s vision? I haven’t a clue. He’s not even an MP! He’s a city leader who has twice been rejected for leader of the Labour party. He needs to get back in his box & get behind his leader, a world statesman who took the party from electoral disaster in 2019 to a huge majority in 4 yrs.
September 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
What is Burnham’s vision? I haven’t a clue. He’s not even an MP! He’s a city leader who has twice been rejected for leader of the Labour party. He needs to get back in his box & get behind his leader, a world statesman who took the party from electoral disaster in 2019 to a huge majority in 4 yrs.
Patients on waiting lists, workers on min wage, colleagues & I working in the NHS, kids who were going to school hungry are all feeling the benefit & so soon will people who can’t afford childcare. The 2 child cap will be gone within 2 yrs unless the media & Starmer critics destroy the govt first.
September 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Patients on waiting lists, workers on min wage, colleagues & I working in the NHS, kids who were going to school hungry are all feeling the benefit & so soon will people who can’t afford childcare. The 2 child cap will be gone within 2 yrs unless the media & Starmer critics destroy the govt first.
Lots of things are better. Hospital waiting lists are down, more GP appointments are available, the minimum wage & public sector pay have increased, EU relations have improved, people will soon start to feel the benefit of free childcare & enhanced employment rights. All achieved in under 18 months!
September 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Lots of things are better. Hospital waiting lists are down, more GP appointments are available, the minimum wage & public sector pay have increased, EU relations have improved, people will soon start to feel the benefit of free childcare & enhanced employment rights. All achieved in under 18 months!
And after 14 years of Tory incompetence & corruption I’m angry & disappointed with so-called allies on the left who can’t get behind a govt doing its best in difficult circumstances & who just seem philosophically happier in opposition & willing to take us back there.
September 25, 2025 at 11:32 PM
And after 14 years of Tory incompetence & corruption I’m angry & disappointed with so-called allies on the left who can’t get behind a govt doing its best in difficult circumstances & who just seem philosophically happier in opposition & willing to take us back there.
They are absolutely right to criticise. Government requires discipline & loyalty & this government is delivering in so many areas … the NHS, childcare, employment rights, green energy, EU relations etc. Stop with the factional sniping, it just plays into the hands of the right wing media & Reform.
September 25, 2025 at 10:56 PM
They are absolutely right to criticise. Government requires discipline & loyalty & this government is delivering in so many areas … the NHS, childcare, employment rights, green energy, EU relations etc. Stop with the factional sniping, it just plays into the hands of the right wing media & Reform.
And who thinks Burnham is a charismatic leader? He failed to secure the leadership twice, despite being the front runner on the second attempt. And anyway haven’t we had enough of charismatic self-centred leaders who are on permanent manoeuvres?
September 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
And who thinks Burnham is a charismatic leader? He failed to secure the leadership twice, despite being the front runner on the second attempt. And anyway haven’t we had enough of charismatic self-centred leaders who are on permanent manoeuvres?
And why do Newsnight keep inviting him on? When @vicderbyshire.bsky.social introduced him I immediately switched off.
September 24, 2025 at 9:56 PM
And why do Newsnight keep inviting him on? When @vicderbyshire.bsky.social introduced him I immediately switched off.
Burnham?! Who has already failed to win the leadership twice due to lack lustre, mealy mouthed campaigns.
September 16, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Burnham?! Who has already failed to win the leadership twice due to lack lustre, mealy mouthed campaigns.
I just don’t understand how you can say this … investment in the NHS, childcare and green energy, increases in the minimum wage & public sector pay, closer & better relations with the EU … waiting lists down, GP appointment availability up … it is a world away from voting Tory.
September 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I just don’t understand how you can say this … investment in the NHS, childcare and green energy, increases in the minimum wage & public sector pay, closer & better relations with the EU … waiting lists down, GP appointment availability up … it is a world away from voting Tory.
Good point & yes it must be scary to be a person of colour in the current climate but I was struck yesterday by the fact that metres from the march a very diverse crowd of Londoners & visitors seemed to be calmly carrying on shopping, eating, working etc. Protesters were a noisy but tiny minority.
September 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Good point & yes it must be scary to be a person of colour in the current climate but I was struck yesterday by the fact that metres from the march a very diverse crowd of Londoners & visitors seemed to be calmly carrying on shopping, eating, working etc. Protesters were a noisy but tiny minority.
John I was in Soho all day yesterday just metres away from the march & life was going on as normal … calmly, sensibly, peaceably, tolerantly and rationally. When occasionally a lost & drunken, middle aged flag-wrapped protester staggered past people just ignored them. We are the majority
September 14, 2025 at 11:32 AM
John I was in Soho all day yesterday just metres away from the march & life was going on as normal … calmly, sensibly, peaceably, tolerantly and rationally. When occasionally a lost & drunken, middle aged flag-wrapped protester staggered past people just ignored them. We are the majority