Stephen Hardwick 🇬🇧🇮🇪🇪🇺
@stephenhardwick66.bsky.social
Comms director/consultant. Bookworm. Cheese fiend. Woke vegetarian. Uncommonly well-organised. British and Irish. Citizen, not subject. Committed European.🇪🇺
Labour Government, please remember why the Labour Party was established: to support those without a voice, wealth, power or opportunity - not to cosplay Oswald Mosley and Farage or lick the feet of the Mail and Telegraph. Labour is the party of community and refugees deserve our help. Be better.
November 16, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Labour Government, please remember why the Labour Party was established: to support those without a voice, wealth, power or opportunity - not to cosplay Oswald Mosley and Farage or lick the feet of the Mail and Telegraph. Labour is the party of community and refugees deserve our help. Be better.
So it’s only in the 16th para that the BBC story gets round to mentioning anything from his actual family. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Quentin Willson dies: Jeremy Clarkson and James May pay tribute to former Top Gear host
The presenter and campaigner was described by his family as a
www.bbc.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 12:13 AM
So it’s only in the 16th para that the BBC story gets round to mentioning anything from his actual family. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Anfield-bound for The Boss. Also hoping for Macca to put in an appearance at Mecca. Wonder if it’s the last time I’ll see Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, though I thought that at Hyde Park two years ago and again at Wembley last year. Lots of Bruce tee shirts at Euston.
June 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Anfield-bound for The Boss. Also hoping for Macca to put in an appearance at Mecca. Wonder if it’s the last time I’ll see Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, though I thought that at Hyde Park two years ago and again at Wembley last year. Lots of Bruce tee shirts at Euston.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... I was HMRC comms director when we pursued Rangers over its tax debts. When we went public a delighted Celtic friend sent me this pic from their match that weekend, depicting Hector the Tax Inspector as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
April 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... I was HMRC comms director when we pursued Rangers over its tax debts. When we went public a delighted Celtic friend sent me this pic from their match that weekend, depicting Hector the Tax Inspector as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The Daily Hate doesn’t do context, but just for those of us who deal in facts: Council Tax has risen every year since it was introduced in 1993. So this is the 32nd consecutive “record high”.
March 21, 2025 at 7:46 AM
The Daily Hate doesn’t do context, but just for those of us who deal in facts: Council Tax has risen every year since it was introduced in 1993. So this is the 32nd consecutive “record high”.
I made Guinness bread. ☘️
March 19, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I made Guinness bread. ☘️
Possibly @stephencollins.bsky.social‘s best-ever Saturday Grauniad cartoon.
March 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Possibly @stephencollins.bsky.social‘s best-ever Saturday Grauniad cartoon.
A personal response to the contemptible bullying by disgusting Trump and Vance: I’ve donated to the war effort.
It’s something we can do as individuals to stand with Ukraine and show Zelenskyy and all Ukrainians that they have our support and thanks.
war.ukraine.ua/donate/
It’s something we can do as individuals to stand with Ukraine and show Zelenskyy and all Ukrainians that they have our support and thanks.
war.ukraine.ua/donate/
Donate to Ukraine’s defenders
The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to open a special fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
war.ukraine.ua
February 28, 2025 at 9:17 PM
A personal response to the contemptible bullying by disgusting Trump and Vance: I’ve donated to the war effort.
It’s something we can do as individuals to stand with Ukraine and show Zelenskyy and all Ukrainians that they have our support and thanks.
war.ukraine.ua/donate/
It’s something we can do as individuals to stand with Ukraine and show Zelenskyy and all Ukrainians that they have our support and thanks.
war.ukraine.ua/donate/
I’m inordinately proud to have worked for John Prescott, a brilliant political strategist and policy innovator, and deeply honoured to have attended his funeral to say goodbye. It was a significant national Labour and Hull event; a fitting tribute for a major political figure of the past 30 years.
January 30, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I’m inordinately proud to have worked for John Prescott, a brilliant political strategist and policy innovator, and deeply honoured to have attended his funeral to say goodbye. It was a significant national Labour and Hull event; a fitting tribute for a major political figure of the past 30 years.
It’s a gorgeous winter’s day on Hampstead Heath.
January 11, 2025 at 12:53 PM
It’s a gorgeous winter’s day on Hampstead Heath.
My latest attempt to time travel to the 1950s.
January 8, 2025 at 7:51 PM
My latest attempt to time travel to the 1950s.
Given we’ve all come to this lovely new platform to escape the digital grip of that deranged, egotistical, South African billionaire conspiracist nut-job, can we maybe not talk about him so bloody much? It’s probably the thing he’d hate the most.
January 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Given we’ve all come to this lovely new platform to escape the digital grip of that deranged, egotistical, South African billionaire conspiracist nut-job, can we maybe not talk about him so bloody much? It’s probably the thing he’d hate the most.
I made @nigella.bsky.social‘s Bailey’s tiramisu for Xmas pud. Superb! We had it during Doctor Who. We all had little snoozes shortly after.
December 25, 2024 at 8:45 PM
I made @nigella.bsky.social‘s Bailey’s tiramisu for Xmas pud. Superb! We had it during Doctor Who. We all had little snoozes shortly after.
Shepherd’s Bush just now. I would be so happy if TfL and London boroughs had the powers of confiscation and fines for the companies enabling pavement fly-parking. Surely there’s a way for ebike companies to use the GPS log to fine irresponsible users. They won’t, as it would hit their revenues.
December 1, 2024 at 2:10 PM
Shepherd’s Bush just now. I would be so happy if TfL and London boroughs had the powers of confiscation and fines for the companies enabling pavement fly-parking. Surely there’s a way for ebike companies to use the GPS log to fine irresponsible users. They won’t, as it would hit their revenues.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/sketch... I’m sharing this post I wrote a few years ago about working for John Prescott on LinkedIn. A small flavour of the man. Off to the pub now to meet up with two other former JP advisers so we can remember him together.
Sketches from a comms career...4
John Prescott – learning at the feet of a master I beat 1,400 other applicants to become John Prescott’s researcher and speechwriter (which is also my last job for which I had proactively to apply) an...
www.linkedin.com
November 21, 2024 at 3:01 PM
www.linkedin.com/pulse/sketch... I’m sharing this post I wrote a few years ago about working for John Prescott on LinkedIn. A small flavour of the man. Off to the pub now to meet up with two other former JP advisers so we can remember him together.
Very sad and reflective this morning. John Prescott was the most inspiring, brilliant, driven, warm and considerate boss I ever had. I will remember his genius for politics and policy, his passion and commitment, his charm, his chuckle, his fury at social injustice and his kindness. A giant. ❤️
November 21, 2024 at 8:39 AM
Very sad and reflective this morning. John Prescott was the most inspiring, brilliant, driven, warm and considerate boss I ever had. I will remember his genius for politics and policy, his passion and commitment, his charm, his chuckle, his fury at social injustice and his kindness. A giant. ❤️
Which of these trips should the PM not have taken? After a decade of international self-immolation, I’m relieved that the PM is rebuilding our reputation and relationships. One overseas trip he didn’t take, regrettably, was a family summer holiday.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
‘Starmer always seems to be abroad’: where has the PM been travelling to?
His frequent overseas engagements have alarmed some in No 10 – and voters are beginning to notice too
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2024 at 9:52 AM
Which of these trips should the PM not have taken? After a decade of international self-immolation, I’m relieved that the PM is rebuilding our reputation and relationships. One overseas trip he didn’t take, regrettably, was a family summer holiday.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
I can’t brielieve it!
British cheeses miss out at the World Cheese Awards in Portugal - not because they weren’t worthy of prizes, but because they got stuck in customs. What a metaphor for Brexit www.theguardian.com/food/2024/no... nho
UK cheeses miss out on international prize after getting stuck in customs
At the World Cheese Awards in Portugal, British entries were conspicuous by their absence after failing to clear import controls
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2024 at 9:54 PM
I can’t brielieve it!