Steve Walmsley
@s10countryman.bsky.social
Hallam FC. More sustainable running of football. Politics and current affairs. Music. Books. Oh, and real ale in great pubs!
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Populist Right: 'We're not racist, we just want immigrants to integrate & contribute.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
November 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Populist Right: 'We're not racist, we just want immigrants to integrate & contribute.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Kinnock voice - "I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises. You start with far-fetched resolutions....and you end up in the grotesque chaos of a Labour government, a *Labour* government, rejecting visas for homeless 8 yr olds trying to joing their parents"
November 28, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Kinnock voice - "I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises. You start with far-fetched resolutions....and you end up in the grotesque chaos of a Labour government, a *Labour* government, rejecting visas for homeless 8 yr olds trying to joing their parents"
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
“She is doing things that I think are letting this country down".
Labour peer Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK on the Kindertransport, tells @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social that he is deeply disappointed in Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer's betrayal of child refugees
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/28/a...
Labour peer Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK on the Kindertransport, tells @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social that he is deeply disappointed in Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer's betrayal of child refugees
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/28/a...
Alf Dubs Accuses Shabana Mahmood of 'Letting the Country Down' With Plans to Outdo Reform on Asylum
The veteran Labour peer and lifelong campaigner for child refugees, Alf Dubs, tells Byline Times that the Home Secretary's plans are "bitterly disappointing coming from a Labour Government"
bylinetimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:05 AM
“She is doing things that I think are letting this country down".
Labour peer Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK on the Kindertransport, tells @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social that he is deeply disappointed in Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer's betrayal of child refugees
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/28/a...
Labour peer Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK on the Kindertransport, tells @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social that he is deeply disappointed in Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer's betrayal of child refugees
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/28/a...
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
The Blue Labour right have become the Militant of 2025 - a tiny but hyperactive and densely networked sect working relentlessly to drag Labour towards their niche pursuits and away from the values and priorities of core Labour voters.
November 28, 2025 at 10:44 AM
The Blue Labour right have become the Militant of 2025 - a tiny but hyperactive and densely networked sect working relentlessly to drag Labour towards their niche pursuits and away from the values and priorities of core Labour voters.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
- A 100,000 drop in net migration costs us £7bn
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn
What gets more attention?
James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn
What gets more attention?
James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.
November 27, 2025 at 11:29 AM
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
1/2 Today’s Budget has some welcome steps, including ending the two-child limit and the start of council tax reform.
But it’s tactical, not strategic.
Britain needs a plan that taxes wealth fairly, devolves real power, and brings essential utilities back under public control.
But it’s tactical, not strategic.
Britain needs a plan that taxes wealth fairly, devolves real power, and brings essential utilities back under public control.
November 26, 2025 at 5:24 PM
1/2 Today’s Budget has some welcome steps, including ending the two-child limit and the start of council tax reform.
But it’s tactical, not strategic.
Britain needs a plan that taxes wealth fairly, devolves real power, and brings essential utilities back under public control.
But it’s tactical, not strategic.
Britain needs a plan that taxes wealth fairly, devolves real power, and brings essential utilities back under public control.
Back from a v cold Ossett with a needed 3 points for @hallamfc1860.bsky.social An improved performance plus change of shape to 3-5-2 led to the Countrymen dominating the 1st half - should have been more than 1 up at ht. Made a bit more heavy weather of it in the 2nd half but it was a deserved win.
November 25, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Back from a v cold Ossett with a needed 3 points for @hallamfc1860.bsky.social An improved performance plus change of shape to 3-5-2 led to the Countrymen dominating the 1st half - should have been more than 1 up at ht. Made a bit more heavy weather of it in the 2nd half but it was a deserved win.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Development money is the means by which FIFA's senior leadership controls its less wealthy member associations.
With this deal, it's letting Saudi Arabia in on the action directly.
With this deal, it's letting Saudi Arabia in on the action directly.
November 25, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Development money is the means by which FIFA's senior leadership controls its less wealthy member associations.
With this deal, it's letting Saudi Arabia in on the action directly.
With this deal, it's letting Saudi Arabia in on the action directly.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Ross Atkins: “The chair didn’t insist on a unified response when the edit was first discussed, he didn’t insist on a unified response for the next few months, and he didn’t deliver a response of any type for a week after the story broke.”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Ros Atkins on… MPs examining the BBC memo
After the resignations of Director General and CEO of News, The Culture, Media and Sport committee invited a number of senior BBC figures to be quizzed on what has happened.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Ross Atkins: “The chair didn’t insist on a unified response when the edit was first discussed, he didn’t insist on a unified response for the next few months, and he didn’t deliver a response of any type for a week after the story broke.”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Do we really think tinkering with rules about ILR etc will fundamentally change the incentives of those risking their lives, and those of their kids in dinghies? And is legitimising racism by seeing it as a logical reaction to policy failure really takes basis on which to proceed?
November 23, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Do we really think tinkering with rules about ILR etc will fundamentally change the incentives of those risking their lives, and those of their kids in dinghies? And is legitimising racism by seeing it as a logical reaction to policy failure really takes basis on which to proceed?
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
“So besotted are conservatives with Mahmood, many even praise her use of the “race card”. Experience of racism, though, is no guarantee of wisdom in combating it.” My @theobserveruk.bsky.social column: observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Britain's problem isn’t immigration. It’s a profound breakdown in trust | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 9:45 AM
“So besotted are conservatives with Mahmood, many even praise her use of the “race card”. Experience of racism, though, is no guarantee of wisdom in combating it.” My @theobserveruk.bsky.social column: observer.co.uk/news/columni...
After a decent first half it was a really poor second half performance from @hallamfc1860.bsky.social today. Another defeat drops us into the bottom four. A big game on Tuesday at Osset United where we realky need to get something.
November 22, 2025 at 5:48 PM
After a decent first half it was a really poor second half performance from @hallamfc1860.bsky.social today. Another defeat drops us into the bottom four. A big game on Tuesday at Osset United where we realky need to get something.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
The mob boss solution to a dispute / war involving others is to demand payment for the burden of pretending to keep order between them.
Just as the mob boss solution to international trade is to respect the mob of equal size but expect payments from all the others.
Just as the mob boss solution to international trade is to respect the mob of equal size but expect payments from all the others.
November 22, 2025 at 11:54 AM
The mob boss solution to a dispute / war involving others is to demand payment for the burden of pretending to keep order between them.
Just as the mob boss solution to international trade is to respect the mob of equal size but expect payments from all the others.
Just as the mob boss solution to international trade is to respect the mob of equal size but expect payments from all the others.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Britain has set a new wind generation record.
"At 7:30pm on 11 November wind turbines...provided enough clean electricity to power more than 22 million homes"
"Wind was delivering 43.6% of all power on the system which means three quarters of Britain’s homes were effectively running on wind alone"
"At 7:30pm on 11 November wind turbines...provided enough clean electricity to power more than 22 million homes"
"Wind was delivering 43.6% of all power on the system which means three quarters of Britain’s homes were effectively running on wind alone"
Windpower sets new record for baseload - Energy Live News
Wind supplied 43% of all power last week setting a new record of 22.7 GW
www.energylivenews.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Britain has set a new wind generation record.
"At 7:30pm on 11 November wind turbines...provided enough clean electricity to power more than 22 million homes"
"Wind was delivering 43.6% of all power on the system which means three quarters of Britain’s homes were effectively running on wind alone"
"At 7:30pm on 11 November wind turbines...provided enough clean electricity to power more than 22 million homes"
"Wind was delivering 43.6% of all power on the system which means three quarters of Britain’s homes were effectively running on wind alone"
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
This battle to get these recordings released is important just for admirers of Dick Gaughan’s music, but for music fans in general. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
‘I never wanted to sing into a vacuum’: Scottish folk pioneer Dick Gaughan’s fight for his lost music
A skilled interpreter and social justice champion, Gaughan is a hero to the likes of Richard Hawley and Billy Bragg. Yet much of his work has been stuck in limbo for decades – until a determined fan s...
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:42 PM
This battle to get these recordings released is important just for admirers of Dick Gaughan’s music, but for music fans in general. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Football at all levels has a dangerously insane relationship with its referees, but in non-league it also comes with a chasm between reality and foaming Twitter activists who've never been to a game.
This week's newsletter is on the AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Coventry Sphinx match abandonment.
This week's newsletter is on the AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Coventry Sphinx match abandonment.
Rushden & Diamonds match abandonment was the right response from the referee. Non-league deserves a better reaction.
The idiotic opinions of social media meatheads have no bearing on football safeguarding in the real world
hpbp.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Football at all levels has a dangerously insane relationship with its referees, but in non-league it also comes with a chasm between reality and foaming Twitter activists who've never been to a game.
This week's newsletter is on the AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Coventry Sphinx match abandonment.
This week's newsletter is on the AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Coventry Sphinx match abandonment.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
New post: Blue Labour’s Electoral Fallacies
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/blue...
It worked in 24 so it will work again. Labours marginals are different. Socially liberal voters will vote for us to stop Reform. Used by Labour to justify Reform like policies, but these arguments are just wrong.
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/blue...
It worked in 24 so it will work again. Labours marginals are different. Socially liberal voters will vote for us to stop Reform. Used by Labour to justify Reform like policies, but these arguments are just wrong.
Blue Labour’s Electoral Fallacies
The government’s latest proposed revamp of asylum laws reminds us that Labour have not abandoned their approach of using right wing popul...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:07 AM
New post: Blue Labour’s Electoral Fallacies
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/blue...
It worked in 24 so it will work again. Labours marginals are different. Socially liberal voters will vote for us to stop Reform. Used by Labour to justify Reform like policies, but these arguments are just wrong.
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/blue...
It worked in 24 so it will work again. Labours marginals are different. Socially liberal voters will vote for us to stop Reform. Used by Labour to justify Reform like policies, but these arguments are just wrong.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
We should stop the boats because it's dangerous, and we should stop the scapegoating of immigrants because it's wrong and cruel.
Controlled migration is good for the country, helps build our economy and diversity strengthens our communities. (1/6) 🧵
Controlled migration is good for the country, helps build our economy and diversity strengthens our communities. (1/6) 🧵
November 17, 2025 at 11:03 AM
We should stop the boats because it's dangerous, and we should stop the scapegoating of immigrants because it's wrong and cruel.
Controlled migration is good for the country, helps build our economy and diversity strengthens our communities. (1/6) 🧵
Controlled migration is good for the country, helps build our economy and diversity strengthens our communities. (1/6) 🧵
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
This contribution to the volume of human misery is yet another policy from Labour based on a false premise, in this case that refugees are overly attracted to Britain. It will increase bureaucratic limbo, thus making worse the problem of "cohesion" it purports to solve.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
It is a very good piece - especially on the importance of a healthy public sphere.
November 15, 2025 at 9:22 PM
It is a very good piece - especially on the importance of a healthy public sphere.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
This.
While, admittedly, it’s not necessarily the answer to what Starmer/Reeves should do from their own perspective, from a Labour perspective the right thing would absolutely be for them to clear the decks as best they can for whoever replaces them.
I’m sorry, but they’re done.
While, admittedly, it’s not necessarily the answer to what Starmer/Reeves should do from their own perspective, from a Labour perspective the right thing would absolutely be for them to clear the decks as best they can for whoever replaces them.
I’m sorry, but they’re done.
It's true. If Labour raise income taxes, the party might slump to around a quarter of the vote, and its PM and Chancellor might be even more unpopular than Rishi Sunak in 2024 or Jeremy Corbyn in 2019 - wait, sorry, just got an email from Ipsos with some new polling, I'm sure it's nothing important.
Quite a contrast to the BlueSky consensus the last 24 hours
November 14, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This.
While, admittedly, it’s not necessarily the answer to what Starmer/Reeves should do from their own perspective, from a Labour perspective the right thing would absolutely be for them to clear the decks as best they can for whoever replaces them.
I’m sorry, but they’re done.
While, admittedly, it’s not necessarily the answer to what Starmer/Reeves should do from their own perspective, from a Labour perspective the right thing would absolutely be for them to clear the decks as best they can for whoever replaces them.
I’m sorry, but they’re done.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
A brilliant withering column that reflects so well the patience many of us had with the government basically running out.
My column in today’s FT: a government with no real vision is reverting to its comfort zone of launching campaigns and drawing dividing lines - against Wes Streeting, on tax. Meanwhile in the real world its position keeps getting worse:
Brain-dead Labour retreats to its comfort zone: campaigning
Downing Street’s bizarre war on itself is a symptom of a government whose ideas dissolve on contact with reality
www.ft.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
A brilliant withering column that reflects so well the patience many of us had with the government basically running out.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Most Labour members make an informal trade-off: we accept that the party leader is well to the right of the members, in exchange for competent leadership and actually winning. If I wanted weak leadership and no plan I could have done that myself.
November 13, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Most Labour members make an informal trade-off: we accept that the party leader is well to the right of the members, in exchange for competent leadership and actually winning. If I wanted weak leadership and no plan I could have done that myself.
Reposted by Steve Walmsley
Good piece by @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social on the Prescott memo, which looks very dodgy:
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
The Prescott memo flunks the impartiality test | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Good piece by @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social on the Prescott memo, which looks very dodgy:
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
This is why the right wing newspapers hate the BBC...
Finally, a bit of a reality check from our 2024 election book (out soon!) for everyone hyperventilating about collapsing public trust in the BBC - free to air TV (mostly the BBC) is still the most widely consumed and widely trusted source of news - blows print, online & social media out of the water
November 11, 2025 at 2:31 PM
This is why the right wing newspapers hate the BBC...