Sean Kemp
@seankemp.bsky.social
Advised the Lib Dems during coalition. Somehow still able to get work
Man, this person in No10 really wants to get something off their chest about a career bureaucrat who takes ages to make decisions for some reason that I can’t quite put my finger on
October 22, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Man, this person in No10 really wants to get something off their chest about a career bureaucrat who takes ages to make decisions for some reason that I can’t quite put my finger on
“Fancy working in Downing Street? The hours are brutal and it’s high stress.”
“Is there much job security?”
“Most people last a year before being sacked.”
“And will I get a reference?”
“Oh yes. After you get kicked out we’ll tell the newspapers you were shit.”
“Is there much job security?”
“Most people last a year before being sacked.”
“And will I get a reference?”
“Oh yes. After you get kicked out we’ll tell the newspapers you were shit.”
September 2, 2025 at 7:17 AM
“Fancy working in Downing Street? The hours are brutal and it’s high stress.”
“Is there much job security?”
“Most people last a year before being sacked.”
“And will I get a reference?”
“Oh yes. After you get kicked out we’ll tell the newspapers you were shit.”
“Is there much job security?”
“Most people last a year before being sacked.”
“And will I get a reference?”
“Oh yes. After you get kicked out we’ll tell the newspapers you were shit.”
You have to admire the commitment to creating new material for Would I Lie To You?
June 24, 2025 at 8:57 AM
You have to admire the commitment to creating new material for Would I Lie To You?
And I can exclusively reveal for anyone interested in him (and his diaries were published 20 years ago, so someone out there must be) that he doesn’t appear to be a big fan of the Irish
June 16, 2025 at 10:13 PM
And I can exclusively reveal for anyone interested in him (and his diaries were published 20 years ago, so someone out there must be) that he doesn’t appear to be a big fan of the Irish
He has kindly added a mini review at the start
June 16, 2025 at 10:11 PM
He has kindly added a mini review at the start
Slightly random mini thread , and I doubt anyone will care but I bought a second hand biography of Samuel Beckett the other day which I think was previously owned by the historian AL Rowse en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._L._R...
June 16, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Slightly random mini thread , and I doubt anyone will care but I bought a second hand biography of Samuel Beckett the other day which I think was previously owned by the historian AL Rowse en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._L._R...
Jason Cowley has written a column you say?
June 1, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Jason Cowley has written a column you say?
Seems to me the real story here is the intensive use of hallucinogenic drugs in the Conservative Party if people are suggesting this as a way that Johnson could return to politics.
May 25, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Seems to me the real story here is the intensive use of hallucinogenic drugs in the Conservative Party if people are suggesting this as a way that Johnson could return to politics.
And on a lesser note ‘has any other political figure used the phrase Hard Rain to sound tough recently? Nope, can’t think of one.’
May 5, 2025 at 9:10 PM
And on a lesser note ‘has any other political figure used the phrase Hard Rain to sound tough recently? Nope, can’t think of one.’
Maurice Glasman writes like Adrian Mole doing politics A-Level
May 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Maurice Glasman writes like Adrian Mole doing politics A-Level
Also a peak political insider quote. Military metaphor, not understanding how life is harder in government, demand for a compelling ‘story’ with no indication of what they think it should be
May 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Also a peak political insider quote. Military metaphor, not understanding how life is harder in government, demand for a compelling ‘story’ with no indication of what they think it should be
Yep, that’s the message the voters were giving load and clear, no time to waste on the crucial business of… splitting up the responsibilities of DCMS?
May 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Yep, that’s the message the voters were giving load and clear, no time to waste on the crucial business of… splitting up the responsibilities of DCMS?
That’s not a criticism of the journalist, they’re just reporting stuff like this
April 25, 2025 at 7:51 PM
That’s not a criticism of the journalist, they’re just reporting stuff like this
In what world does a book as good as The Dispossessed deserve to have this done to it?
February 25, 2025 at 8:58 PM
In what world does a book as good as The Dispossessed deserve to have this done to it?
But, bits like this?
February 24, 2025 at 10:27 PM
But, bits like this?
The Express has published a reshuffle story that seems to confuse Peter Mandelson’s lobbying business with a formal government role
February 6, 2025 at 10:31 AM
The Express has published a reshuffle story that seems to confuse Peter Mandelson’s lobbying business with a formal government role
Mel Stride is absolutely determined to get his ‘The Government’s economic policy is like Hamlet’ line up and running. Presumably to the despair of his team
January 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Mel Stride is absolutely determined to get his ‘The Government’s economic policy is like Hamlet’ line up and running. Presumably to the despair of his team
There’s a lot Labour hasn’t done well in its comms around all this. But this paragraph sums up the problem when the Lobby just go for it. Either possible answer is seen as evidence of a crisis
January 13, 2025 at 10:17 PM
There’s a lot Labour hasn’t done well in its comms around all this. But this paragraph sums up the problem when the Lobby just go for it. Either possible answer is seen as evidence of a crisis
Based on the last week I am suggesting a tweak to the Government’s industrial strategy consultation
November 12, 2024 at 12:10 PM
Based on the last week I am suggesting a tweak to the Government’s industrial strategy consultation
Comes with bonus round of: ‘what weird glitch will pop up at random to put photos or text in the wrong place?’
November 12, 2024 at 6:56 AM
Comes with bonus round of: ‘what weird glitch will pop up at random to put photos or text in the wrong place?’
This is a classic example of a statement that is true but also not true. The fact is if a spad’s political bosses are prepared to argue for their pay etc they’ll get what they need. If not then they’ll end up getting stiffed on their salaries
September 10, 2024 at 6:49 AM
This is a classic example of a statement that is true but also not true. The fact is if a spad’s political bosses are prepared to argue for their pay etc they’ll get what they need. If not then they’ll end up getting stiffed on their salaries
From Katy Balls’ column in the Times: apparently there’s an MP who thinks it’s possible for Labour to run on a Harris-like wave of positivity and they are allowed to vote on legislation and everything.
September 5, 2024 at 8:30 AM
From Katy Balls’ column in the Times: apparently there’s an MP who thinks it’s possible for Labour to run on a Harris-like wave of positivity and they are allowed to vote on legislation and everything.