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Iain MacGilleBhràith

@aeonmach.bsky.social
2.1K followers 2.2K following 4K posts

I LIKE a *lot* of shit: sci & tech (my day job!), environment & energy (ecomodernism), politics (~moderate, social-liberalism), culture & language(s), outdoors (mountains, cycling/MTB, sailing), travel, nuance & irony. 
I HATE black-&-white simplism!

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Reposted by Iain MacGilleBhràith
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 19h
I've been a member of the lobby for well over a decade. Not a single one of my lobby colleagues has said a word about the Conservatives banning me from their conferences, without any explanation. Contrast with the US where even Fox News stood in solidarity when Trump banned news outlets he disliked
bylinetimes.com
Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives Block Byline Times From Conference After Condemning Reform for Journalist Ban
The ban comes just weeks after the Conservative leader called Reform's barring of critical journalists from their conference an "authoritarian" attack on the free press
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 18h
The combination of profound mediocrity and delusions of brilliance is what makes Badenoch so annoying. Not mad like Truss or ruthless like Jenrick, just a vacuous bullshitter with a cruel streak conservativehome.com/2026/10/01/k...
conservativehome.com
Kemi Badenoch tells ConHome - 'It's a new team to face a new opponent. We're ready, you'll see it at Conference, but prepare for hard work' | Conservative Home
Kemi Badenochs talks to our Editor about Conference, her 'new generation, new team, new party' vibe, and tackling Burnham not Starmer. She takes on criticisms from our readers, both Conservative and R...
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think about this interview with the distinguished philosopher Conan O'Brien a lot. I actually think this is a healthy way to live your life! www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/a...
Is this how you want to go out, with a show that gets smaller and smaller until it’s gone?

Maybe that’s O.K. I think you have more of a problem with that than I do. [Laughs.] At this point in my career, I could go out with a grand, 21-gun salute, and climb into a rocket and the entire Supreme Court walks out and they jointly press a button, I’m shot up into the air and there’s an explosion and it’s orange and it spells, “Good night and God love.” In this culture? Two years later, it’s going to be, who’s Conan? This is going to sound grim, but eventually, all our graves go unattended.

You’re right, that does sound grim.

Sorry. Calvin Coolidge was a pretty popular president. I’ve been to his grave in Vermont. It has the presidential seal on it. Nobody was there. And by the way, I’m the only late-night host that has been to Calvin Coolidge’s grave. I think that’s what separates me from the other hosts.

I had a great conversation with Albert Brooks once. When I met him for the first time, I was kind of stammering. I said, you make movies, they live on forever. I just do these late-night shows, they get lost, they’re never seen again and who cares? And he looked at me and he said, [Albert Brooks voice] “What are you talking about? None of it matters.” None of it matters? “No, that’s the secret. In 1940, people said Clark Gable is the face of the 20th Century. Who [expletive] thinks about Clark Gable? It doesn’t matter. You’ll be forgotten. I’ll be forgotten. We’ll all be forgotten.” It’s so funny because you’d think that would depress me. I was walking on air after that.
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Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
very welcome - but incredible that it has taken a decade for a PM to state the bleeding obvious at the next election we will quite likely have three major(ish) parties (Lab, LD, Green) pledging some form of re-entry
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
So, the big speech. My takeaway broadly that of others here: it wasnt a classic. It had too much cliche. Pulled a few punches *But* It was probably the most refreshing and significant speech for... over a decade? A proper political arguement, with faith in the power of politics for positive change
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Fascinating. Kellner combines @yougov.co.uk's latest MRP with its new survey research on tactical voting to suggest that Reform would do much, much worse (and Labour and the Tories considerably better) than the MRP suggests. Deets here: kellnerp.substack.com/p/how-tactic...
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Burnham's speech marks perhaps the best opportunity to replace First Past the Post since 1918. I joined @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social & @lucyfisher.ft.com recently on "The Long View" to explore the history of electoral reform in Britain - & the lessons we might learn. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - The Long View, Electoral reform
Jonathan Freedland takes the long view of electoral reform.
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Tom Hunter @onelifestand87.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Having a pint with Kemi & wondering how many warm up drinks she had the second she starts talking
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Keiran Pedley @keiranpedley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Passing the pint test... New @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social polling shows Brits would most like to go for a pint with Andy Burnham.
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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
How about considering the voters of today - in hospitality and creative industries and education and the wider services sector and the gig economy - who actually exist and are the working class we actually have rather than trying to bring back the fantasy working class voters of the past?
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Seems to be a cross-Europe view that bringing back manufacturing jobs will defeat the populists. Pity there's no evidence that you can or that it would work.
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Kirsty Hall @kirstyhall.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's been ages since I've done a garden thread so here we go with... seed collection. #gardening #bargainGardening #KirstysGardeningThreads
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Rich @pibasedlifeform.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Everyone trying to retire
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Dean Hochlaf @dhochlaf.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
You came into power and raised the cost of employing people, especially for entry level jobs and have been non-stop talking about how amazing AI is to boost productivity, which in reality comes through reducing entry level roles, and now have decided the cause of youth unemployment is welfare
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Dean Hochlaf @dhochlaf.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Healy on ITV just now saying we have a system which asks "how much are you entitled to" and that's absolutely not true, the welfare system in the UK has loads of conditionality to look for and find work, it's so weird Labour keep pretending otherwise
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@Julianshea.bsky.social @julianshea.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
'Have you got a copy of Fly Tipping by RAF Fairford? You do? Oh that's wonderful. My name? Fairford. RAF Fairford.'
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is excellent from @stephenkb.bsky.social on one of my biggest concerns: the slow erosion of our shared reality as media fragments and people operate entirely seperate bubbles. We see the consequences of this in the States. A framented polity that can't agree on first principles is ungovernable
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Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Labour is a party disappointed by the people who vote for it and by the economy of the country it's running. thecritic.co.uk/the-...
And how will it do that? Healey, it turns out, has the kind of idea of work you’d expect from a man who has been active in politics since 1986. There were a lot of references to the coalmining heritage of his constituency, and even the more modern work he talked about was hard, manly toil like pipe-fitting, the sort of thing that involves bulging forearms and mucky overalls. Aside from his wife, the one woman he mentioned was Reeves, and she’s just lost her job.

It’s far from clear that the Chancellor has a handle on what the more modern bits of the economy look like. There are a million young people out of work, he said, and the solution he pointed to was shipbuilding apprenticeships. Do this year’s unemployed graduates actually want to go into shipbuilding? Are there enough ships for them to build? His first job, he said, was washing glasses at a pub, exactly the kind of work that has disappeared in the face of minimum wage and tax rises. On artificial intelligence, which has destro
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Robert Wright @reporterrwright.ft.com · 25/09/2026
I see a lot of people complaining about the undoubtedly stressful conditions at present on London's roads. But I see few people complaining about motor vehicles. Yet in the last 24 hours three vulnerable road users have died after being hit by people driving motor vehicles.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It will never not be wild to me that the Russians attacked Keir Starmer's home, successfully spread falsehoods about Starmer's love life, and this didn't changed British politics and British political elite behaviour *at all*.
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
@jdportes.bsky.social and others have been highlighting this for months: falling migration *already* is blowing holes in the budget and Mahmood's reforms would create further issues. Good to see this finally being highlighted in the mainstream press.
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Patrick Samphire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @patricksamphire.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Enid Blyton's books took a darker turn towards the end.
Gloucestershire. Five arrested for alleged terrorism offences after 'major incident' near RAF Fairford.
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WildDartmoor @tonydartmoor.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
New blog from me about the ongoing debate over grazing and nature on Dartmoor. Farmers’ livelihoods matter. So does the state of nature. We need to take both seriously. www.dartmoornature.org.uk/post/failing...
dartmoornature.org.uk
Approaches Failing Nature Require Scrutiny
This article, written by DNA's Tony Whitehead, first appeared in the Western Morning News on 26 September 2026.This week, Farmers Weekly reported that more than 40 Dartmoor farmers and commoners have ...
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Duncan Hothersall @dhothersall.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Striking that you have to go searching for reports on the Drumcree Orange Lodge walk situation in the British media. Should surely be a bigger story across these islands. Speaks to a larger malaise that we used to call London-centricity but I think is more accurately a UK-wide incuriosity.
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Anna O. Law @unlawfulentries.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I know for some it's hoodie weather or decorative gourd season, but for me it's cool enough to make bolognese sauce. There is no quick way, it will be ~ 3 hour process this weekend. But the results freeze well.
leitesculinaria.com
Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce
This classic bolognese sauce from Marcella Hazan sets the gold standard in pasta sauces.
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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Headline editors have finally had enough
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Rev Peter W Nimmo @peternimmo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Director General, how do you justify my salary?"
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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Except it was the French if you mean traffic engineering where it's one way use (other things that could be roundabouts predate French use, but they were architectural rather than traffic engineering).
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Brendan Paddy @bjpaddy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Sounds significantly more targeted than the earlier scheme with the intention of 1) helping those who would struggle to buy without support 2) focusing on modest homes 3) focusing on encouraging new build
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The Booker Prizes @thebookerprizes.com · 26/09/2026
Mary Beard, Chair of the Booker Prize 2026 judging panel, on why she dislikes the phrase ‘I really love reading’. This clip is provided courtesy of the Southbank Centre, and you can watch the full Booker Prize 2026 shortlist event on their YouTube channel: youtube.pulse.ly/axkmrdaxr9
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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 To roughly paraphrase: Reading is more important than ever and is not about making you “feel better” but about seeing yourself and the world differently. But listen to the clip yourself. Also, yeah, Kafka is imp to read but not meant as a light breezy read. 🤣
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James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This from @modernlockey.bsky.social is far more thoughtful than a lot of the things we've had from ex-Starmer peeps and I agree with the core expressive politics arguement + his lessons/issues for Burnham. But I think he also misses *why* the vibe was off.
futureoftheleft.substack.com
What is politics for?
Do we still live in a material world?
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Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
An excellent&long overdue essay on British (lack of) resilience, explaining just how dependent the UK is on circumstances it cannot guarantee itself, and why protecting your security means a lot more than to just spend more money on arms (although that is necessary, too). www.ft.com/content/ba80...
ft.com
How resilient is Britain?
As climate and geopolitical risks cast doubt on the UK’s ability to cope in a crisis, leaders are turning from ‘just in time’ to ‘just in case’ as a governing philosophy
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Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Just listened to it this afternoon while gardening! An excellent episode and incredibly informative about both De Gaulle & the 5th Republic. Fascinating. 👌 tl;dr De Gaulle is much more than just WW2 & was instrumental in formation of the 5th Republic - its constitution & (semi-)presidential system!
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Adam Brown @adamlbrown.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
When you're out walking, other pedestrians are often rude or inconsiderate, but no-one ever seems to generalise this to "pedestrians", they're just "a rude asshole". But if the inconsiderate person happens to be on a bike, the complaint is generalised to "cyclists"
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It's perhaps time we had the reminder that making generalisations about "cyclists" is about as useful as, say, assuming great aunts are also some sort of homogenous group who can be defined via what is just one element of who they are.
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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Please excuse me while I scream into a cushion at the thought of ALL the articles I had to write on the "UK productivity puzzle" in the 2010s www.ft.com/content/c819...
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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The Anglo-Scottish border, first agreed at the Treaty of York on this day 1237, has proved one of Europe’s most enduring national land boundaries. The only modifications have been to the 'Debatable Lands’ north of Carlisle and to Berwick-upon-Tweed, retaken by England in 1482.
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Andy Wightman @andywightman.scot · 23/09/2026
In March 2000, John MacLeod announced that he was selling the Cuillin. 1/5
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Marta Miori @martamiori.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
New opinion piece with @profjanegreen.bsky.social in @financialtimes.com ⬇️📊 We argue that five parties in the polls doesn't mean five-way races. What's really going on is a scramble within each bloc over who can win, fought out seat by seat.
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Trump hasn't helped. Brexit has been worse: in real terms, UK food and drink exports down well over 20% since that deal was struck www.ft.com/content/82b3...
ft.com
Brexit and Donald Trump’s tariffs push UK’s food and drink trade deficit to £21bn
In the first half of 2026, the sector’s export volumes fell 11.7% to hit their third-lowest level on record
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Quanta Magazine @quantamagazine.org · 24/09/2026
Why are some corn kernels on one cob purple and some yellow? Around 80 years ago, the answer challenged our understanding of how the entire genome works. www.quantamagazine.org/how-virus-li…
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Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I spent a good chunk of my (complicated!) upbringing living near this site. Skippool. Approx 2km. My parents were v good life types. Eggs, veg. My mother died of bowel cancer. My father has had it too. Caught early and treated. Hard to ascertain causation given cancer prevalence but 🤔
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WATERSHED Investigations @watershed-i.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We tested people living near a chemical plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. 70% of people tested had levels of PFAS in their blood that, in the US, would be classed as 'high-risk' for adverse health effects. 1 person had the highest levels of PFAS ever recorded in anyone's blood in the UK.
Our PFAS pollution story on the front page of the Times today
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Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Interesting. A potential return to a (IMHO) sensible two-tier system in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 - regions & councils - that we abandoned in 1996! NB despite headline of six, details says 6-10 regions. But "between 120 & 160 community authorities would also be created." which suggests that councils could be smaller...?
bbc.co.uk
Scotland's 32 councils could be cut to six under government plan
Reforms could involve the creation of six to 10 regional authorities, as well as more than 100 community bodies.
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Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Interesting. A potential return to a (IMHO) sensible two-tier system in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 - regions & councils - that we abandoned in 1996! NB despite headline of six, details says 6-10 regions. But "between 120 & 160 community authorities would also be created." which suggests that councils could be smaller...?
bbc.co.uk
Scotland's 32 councils could be cut to six under government plan
Reforms could involve the creation of six to 10 regional authorities, as well as more than 100 community bodies.
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Ramblers Scotland @ramblersscotland.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Congratulations to all involved with St Cuthbert's Way, which has just been named among "50 inspirational travel destinations" in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel guide. The book says the 62-mile route is "perhaps the closest thing modern Britain has to a Camino de Santiago". Have you walked it?
bbc.co.uk
St Cuthbert's Way gains global recognition as a travel experience
St Cuthbert's Way - from Melrose to Lindisfarne - rubs shoulders with the world's top travel experiences.
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Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Or in (west) Scotland*: “Mary hen and wean”. (*Obvs in eastern Scotland “Mary doll and bairn”.)
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
For those interested in how dictionaries are made, as well as the secret lives of the apparently ordinary words we use, may I recommend this podcast? It’s made by two colleagues at the Oxford English Dictionary who really know their stuff. rss.com/podcasts/lex...
rss.com
The OED’s September update enters the twerpy mountweazel timeline | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
Why do we love the mountweazel (and what is it)? Who was the original twerp? How did timeline constitute a two-for-one bargain? Join editors Fiona McPherson and Craig Leyland as they dive into some of...
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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
‘This is playing into his hands’/‘this will allow him to play the martyr card’/‘this will help with his fundraising’ are all really bad takes. Criminals should be arrested and charged with crimes.
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