Tom Griffin
@tcgriffin.bsky.social
Author of State-Private Networks and Intelligence Theory (Routledge 2022). Writing on intelligence history on substack. https://intelligencehistory.substack.com
Reposted by Tom Griffin
👮 More than a dozen Labour MPs have expressed criticism of the government’s radical reforms to Britain’s asylum system.
labourlist.org/2025/11/asyl...
labourlist.org/2025/11/asyl...
Asylum reform: Full list of MPs opposing government’s immigration proposals – LabourList
More than a dozen Labour MPs have expressed criticism of the government's radical reforms to Britain's asylum system. Shabana Mahmood has proposed sweeping new reforms…
labourlist.org
November 17, 2025 at 1:04 PM
👮 More than a dozen Labour MPs have expressed criticism of the government’s radical reforms to Britain’s asylum system.
labourlist.org/2025/11/asyl...
labourlist.org/2025/11/asyl...
Reposted by Tom Griffin
I think ten Labour MPs have now gone public with their concerns that the reforms are on the wrong track, mainly by sharing Tony Vaughan's tweet. Mainly on the left, but Creasy, Vaughan are a bit less so
bsky.app/profile/padd...
bsky.app/profile/padd...
So far seven Labour MPs have shared Tony Vaughan’s tweet: Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Stella Creasy, Clive Lewis, Nadia Whittome, Kate Osborne, Olivia Blake and Peter Lamb.
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 AM
I think ten Labour MPs have now gone public with their concerns that the reforms are on the wrong track, mainly by sharing Tony Vaughan's tweet. Mainly on the left, but Creasy, Vaughan are a bit less so
bsky.app/profile/padd...
bsky.app/profile/padd...
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Tony Vaughan MP who needs to make the case for control (and compassion) in his Folkestone constituency in Kent says the government should rethink its rhetoric and policy on removing people granted refugee status here
November 16, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Tony Vaughan MP who needs to make the case for control (and compassion) in his Folkestone constituency in Kent says the government should rethink its rhetoric and policy on removing people granted refugee status here
Reposted by Tom Griffin
And another bsky.app/profile/jess...
Labour MP Simon Opher - "We should stop the boats because it's dangerous, and we should stop the scapegoating of immigrants because it's wrong and cruel.
"Measures that create bureaucracy and insecurity do not offer clarity or strengthen control – they cost money, waste time and weaken the system."
"Measures that create bureaucracy and insecurity do not offer clarity or strengthen control – they cost money, waste time and weaken the system."
November 17, 2025 at 11:33 AM
And another bsky.app/profile/jess...
Reposted by Tom Griffin
A strong immigration system doesn't need to be a cruel one.
It shouldn't need saying - but refugees & asylum seekers are real people, fleeing war and persecution.
This daughter of an immigrant is proud of our British and Labour values of respect and not turning our backs on people in real need.
It shouldn't need saying - but refugees & asylum seekers are real people, fleeing war and persecution.
This daughter of an immigrant is proud of our British and Labour values of respect and not turning our backs on people in real need.
November 17, 2025 at 11:02 AM
A strong immigration system doesn't need to be a cruel one.
It shouldn't need saying - but refugees & asylum seekers are real people, fleeing war and persecution.
This daughter of an immigrant is proud of our British and Labour values of respect and not turning our backs on people in real need.
It shouldn't need saying - but refugees & asylum seekers are real people, fleeing war and persecution.
This daughter of an immigrant is proud of our British and Labour values of respect and not turning our backs on people in real need.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
There is no evidence that stripping refugees' rights one by one will have any impact on people crossing the channel.
Taking jewellery from refugees is akin to painting over murals for refugee children.
These repugnant ‘deterrents’ did not work for the Tories, and they won't work for us.
Taking jewellery from refugees is akin to painting over murals for refugee children.
These repugnant ‘deterrents’ did not work for the Tories, and they won't work for us.
November 17, 2025 at 11:02 AM
There is no evidence that stripping refugees' rights one by one will have any impact on people crossing the channel.
Taking jewellery from refugees is akin to painting over murals for refugee children.
These repugnant ‘deterrents’ did not work for the Tories, and they won't work for us.
Taking jewellery from refugees is akin to painting over murals for refugee children.
These repugnant ‘deterrents’ did not work for the Tories, and they won't work for us.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Ireland winning goal and end of match with Irish commentary
November 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Ireland winning goal and end of match with Irish commentary
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Also, in the course of other atrocities in Yemen, his forces bombed a *school bus full of kids* with a U.S. PGM.
The U.S. intelligence community concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing and dismemberment of a Post columnist, making President Trump's formal dinner for the prince on Tuesday a dramatic step in public rehabilitation. https://wapo.st/3LOwEFn
November 16, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Also, in the course of other atrocities in Yemen, his forces bombed a *school bus full of kids* with a U.S. PGM.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
The first Thatcher govt had a majority of just 43.
Thatcher, like Starmer, was not a natural orator, but she recognised that the battle of ideas mattered.
She saw it as part of her job to go out & win the argument: to shape public opinion, not just react to it.
That's almost wholly missing today.
Thatcher, like Starmer, was not a natural orator, but she recognised that the battle of ideas mattered.
She saw it as part of her job to go out & win the argument: to shape public opinion, not just react to it.
That's almost wholly missing today.
Has a government with a large majority ever *tried* less to impose itself and change the terms of debate?
November 15, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The first Thatcher govt had a majority of just 43.
Thatcher, like Starmer, was not a natural orator, but she recognised that the battle of ideas mattered.
She saw it as part of her job to go out & win the argument: to shape public opinion, not just react to it.
That's almost wholly missing today.
Thatcher, like Starmer, was not a natural orator, but she recognised that the battle of ideas mattered.
She saw it as part of her job to go out & win the argument: to shape public opinion, not just react to it.
That's almost wholly missing today.
Just posted on the latest exciting developments in EU intelligence structures.
intelligencehistory.substack.com/p/von-der-le...
intelligencehistory.substack.com/p/von-der-le...
Von Der Leyen faces Truman's dilemma on intelligence
European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen is setting up her own intelligence body, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
intelligencehistory.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Just posted on the latest exciting developments in EU intelligence structures.
intelligencehistory.substack.com/p/von-der-le...
intelligencehistory.substack.com/p/von-der-le...
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Socialism is increasingly appealing to younger voters. President Trump calls Mamdani a "communist," but here is what democratic socialism actually is.
What is democratic socialism? Mamdani's NYC mayoral victory highlights his ideology.
Socialism is increasingly appealing to younger voters. President Trump calls Mamdani a "communist," but here is what democratic socialism actually is.
bit.ly
November 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Socialism is increasingly appealing to younger voters. President Trump calls Mamdani a "communist," but here is what democratic socialism actually is.
Apart from the morality, it's not actually good for British workers or for social cohesion generally to turn refugees into an underclass like this.
This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform.
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
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 3:46 PM
Apart from the morality, it's not actually good for British workers or for social cohesion generally to turn refugees into an underclass like this.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
This statement not acceptable and I suspect not sustainable. Large majority of public support principle of asylum, support letting people stay permanently. Majority for that among Labour and other progressive parties’ voters is overwhelming. The Reform voters this is aimed at will never vote Labour
"The era of permanent protection is over"
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Is this Labour government really saying it was wrong in principle to let these refugees of the last 75 years to stay, settle and become British - and they believe that should NEVER happen again in principle or practice?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiuR...
Refugees from 7 decades gather to commemorate 70 years of refugee in protection in the UK
YouTube video by Refugee Council
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:49 PM
This statement not acceptable and I suspect not sustainable. Large majority of public support principle of asylum, support letting people stay permanently. Majority for that among Labour and other progressive parties’ voters is overwhelming. The Reform voters this is aimed at will never vote Labour
Reposted by Tom Griffin
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Tom Griffin
🚨🚨"Welcome to the new European Parliament". In the year and a half since the far right surged at the EU election, Brussels’ mainstream forces have been anxiously wondering if the center can hold. Yesterday, they discovered it couldn’t. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
In Brussels, the far right can no longer be ignored
EU conservatives working with the far right have signed the death warrant of the cordon sanitaire.
www.politico.eu
November 14, 2025 at 2:07 PM
🚨🚨"Welcome to the new European Parliament". In the year and a half since the far right surged at the EU election, Brussels’ mainstream forces have been anxiously wondering if the center can hold. Yesterday, they discovered it couldn’t. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Why all the talk about leadership challenges misses the point that the biggest problem facing this Government is not just a lack of leadership but a lack of clear ideas about what a Labour Government is actually for
Until that changes, the question of who sits in No 10 will remain a hollow one.
Until that changes, the question of who sits in No 10 will remain a hollow one.
Labour's Biggest Problem Is Not a Lack of Leadership but a Lack of Ideas
Until Keir Starmer's party decides what it really stands for, the question of who leads them will remain a hollow one, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Why all the talk about leadership challenges misses the point that the biggest problem facing this Government is not just a lack of leadership but a lack of clear ideas about what a Labour Government is actually for
Until that changes, the question of who sits in No 10 will remain a hollow one.
Until that changes, the question of who sits in No 10 will remain a hollow one.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
That’s the sound of far right coin being heaped up ready to make a bid.
RedBird Capital consortium drops £500m Telegraph bid
Move follows opposition from newsroom to US private equity group’s offer and links to China
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
That’s the sound of far right coin being heaped up ready to make a bid.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Ah the 1970s.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
November 14, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Ah the 1970s.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
How many of the people who wrote variants of 'Has MeToo gone too far' editorials for our remaining major newspapers sent or received email from mr epstein
November 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM
How many of the people who wrote variants of 'Has MeToo gone too far' editorials for our remaining major newspapers sent or received email from mr epstein
Reposted by Tom Griffin
This isn't proof that the Kremlin had a unique source of kompromat on Trump, but it's shall we say highly suggestive.
NEW: Jeffrey Epstein said in emails that he had been advising the Russian government on how to deal with Donald Trump, one of several cases in which he wielded his connections to try to influence the course of foreign affairs. w @nahaltoosi
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 12, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This isn't proof that the Kremlin had a unique source of kompromat on Trump, but it's shall we say highly suggestive.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell tried to open a back channel to Putin as Britain and its closest EU allies feared the Trump administration could sideline their interests over Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed our reporting on the outreach.
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
UK’s Jonathan Powell contacted Moscow in bid to build back channel to Vladimir Putin
One-off phone call between national security adviser and Russia’s foreign policy aide said to have ‘not gone well’
on.ft.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:28 AM
UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell tried to open a back channel to Putin as Britain and its closest EU allies feared the Trump administration could sideline their interests over Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed our reporting on the outreach.
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Looking at this graph and wonder if something else might be going on beyond 'poor quality leader'
November 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Looking at this graph and wonder if something else might be going on beyond 'poor quality leader'
Reposted by Tom Griffin
Breaking News: House Democrats released emails in which Jeffrey Epstein alleged that Donald Trump knew of the convicted sex offender's conduct and “spent hours at my house” with a victim.
Epstein Alleged in Emails That Trump Knew of His Conduct
In a message obtained by Congress, the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald J. Trump spent hours at his house with one of Mr. Epstein’s victims.
nyti.ms
November 12, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Breaking News: House Democrats released emails in which Jeffrey Epstein alleged that Donald Trump knew of the convicted sex offender's conduct and “spent hours at my house” with a victim.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
This is the other one. With fossil fuels, discovery costs rise while tech costs fall, meaning prices stay roughly the same (inflation-adjusted) over time. With electrotech, discovery costs are $0, so the only dynamic is falling tech costs. Victory is inevitable.
November 11, 2025 at 6:34 PM
This is the other one. With fossil fuels, discovery costs rise while tech costs fall, meaning prices stay roughly the same (inflation-adjusted) over time. With electrotech, discovery costs are $0, so the only dynamic is falling tech costs. Victory is inevitable.
Reposted by Tom Griffin
I think, of all the slides in this report, this is the most important -- it's really worth examining closely. This illustrates why the triumph of electrotechnical is inevitable.
November 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I think, of all the slides in this report, this is the most important -- it's really worth examining closely. This illustrates why the triumph of electrotechnical is inevitable.