Simon Barnes
@simonbarnes92.bsky.social
English and Politics teacher | Running enthusiast | NUFC fan
Reposted by Simon Barnes
to paraphrase churchill, the license fee is the worst way to fund public service broadcasting, apart from all the others
Here's my first cut on the government's fairly radical plans for the BBC. Not sure the BBC even wants this (Tim Davie's rhetoric is universality, universality, universality). Also, can already see pitchforks at ITV and Netflix over a BBC fattened by ads/subs. deadline.com/2025/12/bbc-...
BBC Could Move To Netflix-Style Model & Carry Ads Under Radical Reform Plans
The BBC could be required to launch a Netflix-style subscription service or carry adverts under radical reforms being considered by the UK government.
deadline.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:05 PM
to paraphrase churchill, the license fee is the worst way to fund public service broadcasting, apart from all the others
Reposted by Simon Barnes
A result which both illustrates the magnitude of the Reform threat and the problems with Labour’s “Farage is right, don’t vote for him” response. 37 point Lab to Reform swing. Labour go from first to 4th as anti-Reform vote splits 3 ways. Combined Lab/LD/Grn vote larger than Reform vote.
Red Hall & Lingfield (Darlington) Council By-Election Result:
➡️ RFM: 37.7% (New)
🌳 CON: 17.3% (-22.5)
🔶 LDM: 17.3% (New)
🌹 LAB: 16.8% (-37.1)
🌍 GRN: 9.8% (+3.6)
🙋 Ind: 1.0% (New)
Reform GAIN from Labour.
Changes w/ 2023.
➡️ RFM: 37.7% (New)
🌳 CON: 17.3% (-22.5)
🔶 LDM: 17.3% (New)
🌹 LAB: 16.8% (-37.1)
🌍 GRN: 9.8% (+3.6)
🙋 Ind: 1.0% (New)
Reform GAIN from Labour.
Changes w/ 2023.
December 12, 2025 at 12:31 PM
A result which both illustrates the magnitude of the Reform threat and the problems with Labour’s “Farage is right, don’t vote for him” response. 37 point Lab to Reform swing. Labour go from first to 4th as anti-Reform vote splits 3 ways. Combined Lab/LD/Grn vote larger than Reform vote.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
It turns out that when you start attacking Reform, instead of just briefing a few hacks that you are going to and then doing no follow up, it has an effect. Imagine that.
New Survation poll. Have Reform peaked?
RFM: 29% (-5)
LAB: 22% (=)
CON: 18% (+1)
LDM: 12% (+1)
GRN: 11% (+3)
RFM: 29% (-5)
LAB: 22% (=)
CON: 18% (+1)
LDM: 12% (+1)
GRN: 11% (+3)
November 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM
It turns out that when you start attacking Reform, instead of just briefing a few hacks that you are going to and then doing no follow up, it has an effect. Imagine that.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Britain:
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
having gone to university as the last cohort of the 3k/year system never fails to give me a brief taste of that "last chopper out of Saigon" feeling boomers and, to an extent, Gen Xers have been getting for most of the past fifteen years or so
Student loan repayment thresholds frozen for a further three years.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
November 26, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Britain:
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Fascinated by the 8% of Reform voters who see the English flag as a racist symbol…
Most Green, Labour and Lib Dem voters see the England flag as a racist symbol (1/2)
% saying England flag is a racist symbol
Green: 71%
Labour: 58%
Lib Dem: 53%
Con: 19%
Reform: 8%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
% saying England flag is a racist symbol
Green: 71%
Labour: 58%
Lib Dem: 53%
Con: 19%
Reform: 8%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
November 22, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Fascinated by the 8% of Reform voters who see the English flag as a racist symbol…
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Brentford away is our secret weapon it seems..
If we could have Brentford away in the first match of next season, then lose, we'd win the league.
#nufc
#nufc
November 22, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Brentford away is our secret weapon it seems..
What an excellent win. We’ve lost points where we won them last season but what valuable set of points from a bogeyman team. Eddie’s mags are back.
November 22, 2025 at 7:29 PM
What an excellent win. We’ve lost points where we won them last season but what valuable set of points from a bogeyman team. Eddie’s mags are back.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
So the line is that he wasn't getting paid for any of this
November 22, 2025 at 5:33 PM
So the line is that he wasn't getting paid for any of this
Reposted by Simon Barnes
It can't be emphasised enough that the Government's current approach:
- Increase ILR to 10 years,
- Increase Asylum ILR to 20 years,
- Removal "immediately" if your home country becomes "safe,"
- Loss of permanent refugee status,
Is exactly the sort of thing they dismissed as radical extremism.
- Increase ILR to 10 years,
- Increase Asylum ILR to 20 years,
- Removal "immediately" if your home country becomes "safe,"
- Loss of permanent refugee status,
Is exactly the sort of thing they dismissed as radical extremism.
Yvette Cooper was defined by inertia and just blew in the wind. Shabana Mahmood gets things done. And what she wants to get done is absolutely crackers.
November 15, 2025 at 10:36 PM
It can't be emphasised enough that the Government's current approach:
- Increase ILR to 10 years,
- Increase Asylum ILR to 20 years,
- Removal "immediately" if your home country becomes "safe,"
- Loss of permanent refugee status,
Is exactly the sort of thing they dismissed as radical extremism.
- Increase ILR to 10 years,
- Increase Asylum ILR to 20 years,
- Removal "immediately" if your home country becomes "safe,"
- Loss of permanent refugee status,
Is exactly the sort of thing they dismissed as radical extremism.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
This rancid trash understands the significance of Labour's anti-refugee policies.
November 16, 2025 at 10:43 AM
This rancid trash understands the significance of Labour's anti-refugee policies.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
On incompetence
Much of our political culture is fundamentally incompetent.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Terrific, thought-provoking piece by @chrisdillow.bsky.social:
My first ever Champions League game at SJP made for a great evening. Lucky enough to be behind the goal for Burn’s beautiful header. Very impressed with our back line: Thiaw and Trippier were excellent and I am very excited for the day when Hall is back at full fitness.
November 5, 2025 at 10:16 PM
My first ever Champions League game at SJP made for a great evening. Lucky enough to be behind the goal for Burn’s beautiful header. Very impressed with our back line: Thiaw and Trippier were excellent and I am very excited for the day when Hall is back at full fitness.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
The "why do you care so much about the NY mayoral election" takes strike me as pretty obtuse. The world's sole superpower is being taken over by fascists, and this was part of the struggle to define what the opposition to that will look like. That obviously has major implications for all of us?
November 5, 2025 at 10:06 AM
The "why do you care so much about the NY mayoral election" takes strike me as pretty obtuse. The world's sole superpower is being taken over by fascists, and this was part of the struggle to define what the opposition to that will look like. That obviously has major implications for all of us?
They are making what was always going to be a necessary decision in the most painful and politically damaging way. It may not be defining but it will epitomise much of their project.
How big are these coach and horses that they can be seen from space?
November 5, 2025 at 8:37 AM
They are making what was always going to be a necessary decision in the most painful and politically damaging way. It may not be defining but it will epitomise much of their project.
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Any calls to replace Eddie are utterly nonsense btw.
Not only has he actually won something, he’s basically the only person that’s kept the lights on at the club, while there has been a leadership void. #nufc
Not only has he actually won something, he’s basically the only person that’s kept the lights on at the club, while there has been a leadership void. #nufc
Can he not play any other type of football. Surely with the players at his disposal we could play a possession based game. If he can’t find an alternative maybe it is time to replace.
November 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Any calls to replace Eddie are utterly nonsense btw.
Not only has he actually won something, he’s basically the only person that’s kept the lights on at the club, while there has been a leadership void. #nufc
Not only has he actually won something, he’s basically the only person that’s kept the lights on at the club, while there has been a leadership void. #nufc
Reposted by Simon Barnes
Nobody had even heard of Katie Lam outside of Westminster until about two weeks ago.
Literally all it takes to be considered "brilliant" and a "rising star" on the right of British politics now is just a willingness to say something slightly more racist than all of your competitors
Literally all it takes to be considered "brilliant" and a "rising star" on the right of British politics now is just a willingness to say something slightly more racist than all of your competitors
October 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Nobody had even heard of Katie Lam outside of Westminster until about two weeks ago.
Literally all it takes to be considered "brilliant" and a "rising star" on the right of British politics now is just a willingness to say something slightly more racist than all of your competitors
Literally all it takes to be considered "brilliant" and a "rising star" on the right of British politics now is just a willingness to say something slightly more racist than all of your competitors
Reposted by Simon Barnes
6 wins in last 8 games.. 😁
October 29, 2025 at 10:02 PM
6 wins in last 8 games.. 😁
Reposted by Simon Barnes
👑
Scorer 🤝 provider
Scorer 🤝 provider
October 21, 2025 at 7:54 PM
👑
Scorer 🤝 provider
Scorer 🤝 provider
Reposted by Simon Barnes
I am old enough to remember people arguing that Starmer‘s speech at conference was the big turning point and that Labour would now stand up against far-right rhetoric. But spineless politicians rarely grow a spine over night…
Worth saying that despite asking for more than 12 hours we’ve had nothing back from Labour on this
A Conservative MP tipped as a future party leader has been condemned for saying large numbers of legally settled families must be deported, in order to ensure the UK is mostly “culturally coherent”.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
October 20, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I am old enough to remember people arguing that Starmer‘s speech at conference was the big turning point and that Labour would now stand up against far-right rhetoric. But spineless politicians rarely grow a spine over night…
