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Scott Newton

@1956historian.bsky.social
440 followers 179 following 276 posts

Old fashioned Democratic Socialist. Emeritus Professor of History, Cardiff University. Most recent book: The Reinvention of Britain 1960-2016. A Political and Economic History (London: Routledge 2018). Contributor to Lobster Magazine since 1990

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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This needs saying over and over again: 'Rightwing economic myths could derail Burnham’s project – to destroy them, look to Keynes' | Larry Elliott www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Rightwing economic myths could derail Burnham’s project – to destroy them, look to Keynes | Larry Elliott
Borrowing can be good, there is no such thing as the ‘nation’s credit card’, and, yes, you can buck the markets – as previous governments have shown, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This was the best conference speech by a Labour leader and Prime Minister since Wilson's time. It marks a genuine and very welcome shift towards the philosophy and practice of social democracy as this term was understood for over 30 years after 1945.
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
You'd hope a member who rose to being an MP and Government minister might have picked up on what the founding purpose of the Labour Party is, but alas no ...
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This is a moving, poignant and most interesting article by someone whose political views are about a billion miles away from my own. Worth a read. 'De Gaulle’s daughter revealed a different side to an extraordinary man' share.google/ydiuxBEkRU7K...
share.google
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Battle of Chile director Patricio Guzmán dies aged 85 www.theguardian.com/film/2026/se...
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Pete Fraser @petefrasermusic.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
In the movie version of this, after Piddington runs out of food water and money as a result of leaving the UK, the residents apply for asylum and end up housed in a military base, with HILARIOUS consequences. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Piddington in Oxfordshire votes to leave UK over asylum plans
Piddington residents voted over proposals to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers nearby
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Polling turns politics into one big game. There are too many of them – and that does us no good | Jonathan Liew www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Very fine historian, gone too soon: Frances Stonor Saunders obituary www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Frances Stonor Saunders obituary
Author and documentary-maker best known for her 1999 book about CIA-funded cultural espionage Who Paid the Piper?
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Spot on.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Naomi Klein: ‘Extreme wealth has a deranging effect. It turns you into a supremacist’ www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This just shows McDonald has no idea about how the British economy works. Another ignoramus in a long line of such who oversee education.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Polanski calls for report on ecosystem collapse to be published in full www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Good thread this
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I simply do not understand what's going on in Labour that renders its leaders incapable of finding a TV camera and speaking out against street violence. Even if you assume they agree about immigration, violence is wrong, unpopular AND against the interests of any even vaguely left wing govt.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
What an absolute bloody disgrace. An act of brown-nosing the rich, powerful, mad and corrupt entirely worthy of the feudal system which resulted from the Conquest - and, no doubt, all at the expense of the British taxpayer. See Guardian report below: www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
theguardian.com
British Museum hosted Palantir founder Peter Thiel in private viewing of Bayeux tapestry
Concern among staff that fragile artwork’s scarce ‘light hours’ given to someone with no known interest in museum
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
They are absolutely right: 'Former British and French diplomats urge action over Israel’s ‘erasure’ of Palestine'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/22/uk-france-diplomats-israel-palestine?CMP=share_btn_url
theguardian.com
Former British and French diplomats urge action over Israel’s ‘erasure’ of Palestine
In letter to Macron and Burnham, more than 100 senior figures accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and call for measures including trade ban
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This is a big story. Interesting that the BBC have chosen not to feature it, burying it instead in their local news for Bristol.
declassifieduk.org
Jury refuses to convict seven Palestine Action 'organisers' for Israeli arms factory raid
After 37 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach verdicts on most of the charges
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
NEW: It was a digital lynching. And the media is never going to hold itself to account for the role it played in Jason Arday’s death. But there are things we can do. This is a practical guide based on my own experience. broligarchy.substack.com/p/a-digital-...
broligarchy.substack.com
A Digital Lynching
A practical guide for individuals and organisations when the mobs gather
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Good piece by Claudia Webbe on the reactionary politics and culture war at the root of the Jason Arday tragedy: 'Two hundred and forty nine articles, a black professor, one media industry' morningstaronline.co.uk/article/two-...
morningstaronline.co.uk
Two hundred and forty-nine articles, a black professor, one media industry
ON JULY 24 2026 the Telegraph opened its front page and rebranded a black Cambridge professor. Not by his name. Not by his title. Not by his work. The paper called him “Cambridge’s diversity poster bo...
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Revealed: just 20 out of of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation, as UK burns in fifth heatwave of this summer - FOI request by me @andyburnham.bsky.social needs to level with the country about the climate crisis & set out radical plan to tackle it 🧵 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
This is very good
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Fifa, private equity and football: a world gone wrong: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/fifa...
morningstaronline.co.uk
Fifa, private equity and football: a world gone wrong
THE revolt against Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s bid to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors should be a turning point.Not just for Fifa but for football — and arguably not jus...
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I think it's useful to remember that managers call in consultants to justify a decision they've already made.
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Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
1/3 Strip away the theatre and Reform UK is a billionaire-backed project to dismantle the public realm, shred regulatory protections and hand what remains of state power to capital. It’s plain to see – just follow the money.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Hopeful: 'Burnham says devolution plan paves the way for a written UK constitution' www.ft.com/content/72e4...
ft.com
Burnham says devolution plan paves the way for a written UK constitution
Prime minister’s sweeping powers for local mayors could lead to ‘new principles’ for running England
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Anthony Barnett @anthonybarnett.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Here we go? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Devolution plans strengthen case for written UK constitution, says Burnham
PM argues for codified model of decentralisation that would fundamentally change centuries-old workings of state
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This is the equivalent of asking how a £1.5m turnover company is going to pay for £100 of drinks at the Xmas party.
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
This is good. A 33% cut in bus fares for most of the country. Good for people's pockets and good for the environment too. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Most bus fares in England to be capped at £2 from January
The government says the policy will "help with the cost of living and give people the breathing space they need"
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Jo Kibble (Political Animal) @politicanimal.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A fine example of why the BBC should not publish vox-pops (“‘Bus fare cut is no good for those who drive’ says Durham man” is literally the headline here) without challenge or context. Buses, famously the preserve of the managerial classes.
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A reminder that this is the guy we're all now supposed to be listening to on the subject of the safety of MPs
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Andrew Martin @andrewmartin.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The UK is not a climate-sceptic country; it is a country of climate-concerned people who think they are surrounded by climate sceptics. The challenge is not persuasion. It is confidence.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Check this out: www.thenation.com/article/poli...
thenation.com
Mamdani and the DSA Just Sent a Seismic Message: The Revolution Is Here to Stay
A stunning trio of congressional victories proved that the political earthquake the mayor and his allies ushered in was no fluke.
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Decided to take Burnham's argument that this is Labour's last chance and needs a change in direction in good faith. So here are some suggested quick wins to begin recomposing the party's evaporating coalition.
averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com
Some Friendly Advice for Andy Burnham
Everywhere you turn, there's advice pouring from every media orifice. Indeed, there is a concerted campaign running through unnamed (natural...
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Sacking Mahmood would be a quick win for Burnham insofar that it starts repairing the damage these fools have done to the Labour base.
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Burnham could do much worse than taking the Gordon Brown devolution document Starmer endorsed and then binned as a road map to decentralising the state.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
It’s not the bond markets Andy Burnham should be afraid of. It’s his own MPs | Aditya Chakrabortty www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
'France's De Gaulle epic shows up the tepidity of our poliitics' (Alexander Hurst): www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Stubborn, arrogant, a genius: France’s De Gaulle epic shows up the tepidity of our politics | Alexander Hurst
The man who led Free France during Nazi occupation was single-minded to the point of obstinacy. But he believed in his own power to make history, says Guardian Europe writer Alexander Hurst
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
It tells you everything you need to know about Kemi Badneoch and Nigel Farage that as London schools, hospitals and transport networks all buckle under extreme record-breaking temperatures, they gather with fossil fuel lobbyists, climate deniers and the far-right to demand an end to Net Zero
bylinetimes.com
As Extreme Heat Hits London, Fossil Fuel Interests and Global Far-Right Politicians Gather for a 'Glastonbury of Climate Science Deniers'
Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are both scheduled to address the event, reports Max Colbert
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 24/06/2026
++BREAKING++ Leading climate scientists in the UK have written to senior editors in broadcast media - and OFCOM and IPSO: "To express our concern about recent media coverage of extreme weather, climate change and net-zero and to urge you…to inform public audiences of the scientific links"
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
France inducts Resistance fighter, soldier, historian Marc Bloch into its Panthéon of greats - France 24 share.google/nlSTP0vQNEFn...
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Clearly these MPs are committed members of Labour’s Suicide Tendency.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Bravo to this excellent piece, which just about sums up all the key aspects of Labour's Starmer fiasco: averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com/2026/06/a-se...
averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com
A See Ya to Keir
I felt many emotions seeing Keir Starmer announce his resignation outside Downing Street on Monday morning. Not one of them was sympathy. Fo...
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Paul @boipaul.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
We are digging coal
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Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
You only see violence when it's white people being killed. A young man in Makerfield speaks the truth.
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Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Donald Trump has turned on Israel. Not for the right reasons - but Israel is running out of road. New post 👇 www.owenjones.news/p/donald-tru...
owenjones.news
Donald Trump turns on Israel
Not for the right reasons - but this is an opportunity
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Incredible defeat for the US. Complete strategic surrender.
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Scott Newton @1956historian.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
'Perhaps with a different Labour leader, in an unofficial alliance with other relatively liberal parties, the rightwing counter-revolution could be blocked.... A backlash, if left unchallenged, rarely stops.' www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The rightwing counter-revolution is gaining ground – and Labour’s softly-softly approach won’t stop it | Andy Beckett
Multiculturalism and hard-won equalities are being attacked on all fronts. Labour should look to London’s leaders, past and present, for how to stand against the tide, writes Andy Beckett
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Phil Burton-Cartledge @philbc3.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This alone should discredit the Blue Labour "strategy".
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
🔴 SCOOP: Farage doesn't seem to want to answer questions about his money. So I went looking - and found that the Reform leader's personal company is in breach of UK company law democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-n...
democracyforsale.substack.com
Revealed: Nigel Farage is breaking British company law
Farage’s personal company has almost £2m in cash but has not filed key documents
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Farage has now jumped off the tightrope he’s always walked between the overtly racist extreme right and mainstream politics. Clearly he judges that outright racist extremism is now safe enough for him to risk in an attempt to head off Restore.
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