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Chris Grey

@chrisgrey.bsky.social
36K followers 787 following 2.3K posts

Emeritus Prof of Organization Studies, Royal Holloway University of London, ex-Prof Warwick & Cambridge. FAcSS, FRHistS. Now mainly Brexit analysis including Brexit & Brexitism Blog. Author Brexit Unfolded (Biteback, 2021, 2023).

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Reposted by Chris Grey
Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 21h
The people who say that their main concern is integration of refugees and migrants should be particularly happy today at her success in integrating. But I suspect they are very angry instead. It's almost as if the integration arguments are often made in bad faith.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 21h
This is very sad news but also marks a huge achievement. Throughout the entire Brexit saga @ukandeu.bsky.social has been the single best source of evidence and academic analysis, and an exemplar of engaged, rigorous social science. Like many others, I'm extremely grateful for all its work.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Social science figures, in one way or another, in just about every public debate (prisons, immigration, housing etc. etc.) Notably, even those who insist it is nonsense, unscientific, woke or whatever invariably rely upon their own 'social science' claims, even if not expressed or examined as such.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
UK has c.30K SocSci academics, supported by taxpayers, c.900K SocSci students & many UK unis are highly globally ranked for SocSci. Surely it's not too much to expect the BBC to devote 30 minutes a week, for part of the year, to it? [Disclosure, FWIW: I've appeared on TA a couple of times]
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Coming on top of the axing of The World Tonight it really seems as if #BBC are determined to wreck R4. Especially depressing that Thinking Allowed will go - SFAIK it's the only programme in UK media dedicated to (mainly academic) social science research. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
BBC to cut raft of Radio 4 programmes including You and Yours
The corporation said it would be investing in a new consumer programme, while announcing more cuts.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Horrible stuff, but good reporting
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Arguably, they're two faces of the same thing, rather than a weird mix: an assertion of a certain state of affairs as "natural" and "commonsense".
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Good 🧵👇
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I've never been that impressed by the 'ruletaker' argument (though it would undoubtedly be made) as Brexit means GB (& ofc even more NI) is a ruletaker to quite a large extent anyway (Brussels Effect, generally; GDPR equivalence & bottle caps as different types of example) & with less input than EEA
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Latest forensic debunk from the indefatigable @monkemma.bsky.social
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
it transpires that billionaire David Reuben moved his tax residence to Monaco under the Tories www.theguardian.com/news/2026/oc...
theguardian.com
‘I reside in Monaco’: billionaire said to have quit UK over potential wealth tax had already left
TaxWatch contradicts claims about David Reuben’s departure and questions stories of super-rich exodus
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is brilliant! And so true! 😂 💀💀💀 A Norwegian consumer protection video about the inbuilt redundancy of so many modern products and apps.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I think it might have been coined by Brian Aldiss, who used it to describe (and disparage) John Wyndham's books
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
In the TV show, what was released was not plague - it was some (unspecified) sort of virus.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Excellent post. One aspect of the "democratic purism" discussed is that it's based on the dangerous misunderstanding that democracy is *entirely* defined by voting and neither requires nor is compatible with any other institutions.
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The counter argument is that this is a permanent negotiation so we go around it every day in various settings whatever happens. And more specifically that leaving the ECHR will reopen the Brexit debate straight to its most painful period. Not thought through.
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Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Good thread by Georgina, and an opportunity for me to reiterate what I told a senior civil servant over a year ago: any successful British strategy towards the EU must include staying up-to-date not just with developments within all member states, but with the relationship between those states.
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Sarah Owen MP @sarahowen.org.uk · 05/10/2026
It is deeply irresponsible for any politician, let alone a senior Conservative, to peddle the same far-right nonsense about Luton that we see from the likes of Yaxley Lennon and Reform.
theguardian.com
Tory shadow minister claims Luton has ‘no-go zones’ where ‘white people won’t go’
Blake Stephenson tells fringe meeting at Tory conference that the town is ‘a very dangerous place’ with ‘ghettoes’
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Not to be alarmist, but to those of us of a certain age reports of a test tube breaking at a Russian research lab immediately recall the opening sequence of the 1975 TV series 'Survivors': www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch7N...
youtube.com
Survivors title sequence
YouTube video by VHS Video vault
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Hugely dishonest to pass off a sentence for setting off a bomb as "destroying a camera"
Misleading statement by "journalist" Andrew Pierce
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Jonathan Jones @sirjjkc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I’ve lost track of the number of “red tape challenges” I’ve lived through - commitments to “slash regulations”, “roll back the frontiers of the state”, blah blah. Sure have a go. Repealing obscure, already obsolete rules doesn’t count
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Another political economy tour de force from @nixonsimon.bsky.social. Long read, but well worth taking the time.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Brexit revisited. Unscheduled post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog on why Burnham's conference speech was a significant development in the Brexit saga, the questions and concerns it raises, and why it might come to be seen as a historic moment: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/brex...
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Do we need Prevent for boomers?
bbc.co.uk
Man jailed for 15 years over Sidcup Ulez camera blast
Kevin Rees, 63, faces a tougher sentence because the offence had a "terrorism connection".
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Strong Terminator vibes there. "I'll be back (with my staircase)"
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Good read, if underplaying how we need to act, rather than just hope, when it comes to having an informed and engaged debate
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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Now that Andy Burnham has reopened the Europe question, free movement will be at the centre of debate. For @arguablymag.bsky.social I argue that it's a big benefit, not a price to be paid for a better trade relationship. www.arguably.uk/p/eu-free-mo...
arguably.uk
EU free movement is an opportunity, not a threat
Progressives need to rediscover the positive case for immigration
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Brexit revisited. Unscheduled post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog on why Burnham's conference speech was a significant development in the Brexit saga, the questions and concerns it raises, and why it might come to be seen as a historic moment: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/brex...
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Well, it's the argument made by Peter Kellner (see the PS to his recent substack: kellnerp.substack.com/p/how-tactic...). But I take your point.
kellnerp.substack.com
How tactical voting could destroy Reform…
…and left-of-centre voters help to revive the Tories
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Reposted by Chris Grey
Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Brexit revisited. New, unscheduled, post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog on why Burnham's conference speech was a significant development in the Brexit saga, the questions and concerns it raises, and why it might come to be seen as a historic moment: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/brex...
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Brexit revisited. New, unscheduled, post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog on why Burnham's conference speech was a significant development in the Brexit saga, the questions and concerns it raises, and why it might come to be seen as a historic moment: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/brex...
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This illustrates not just the hypocrisy but the self-defeating nature of Trump's policies. Under MAGA doctrine, he enacts protectionism, trashes the alliance with Europe, and demands Europe take more responsibility for its own defence, and then finds it has consequences the US dislikes.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Interesting in that respect that, so far, Farage (and so far as I've seen the same is true of other leading Brexiters) hasn't responded to what Burnham said about Brexit at all - all the focus is on the pension triple lock. That would have been/ was very different even a couple of years ago.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
And recall: “one piece of evidence of failure [of Brexit] would be if we are still debating this in five- or six-years’ time in the same way. I think [if] it is to succeed it needs to settle in the British polity.” David Frost (2022). Pretty clear we now have that evidence of failure.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Important development in clearly stating Brexit was harmful & reset isn't a solution. But (unlike ER commission) no obvious process for how "we can find consensus". And on what? The options (again)? Or which to pursue? Still, definitely pitchrolling for something beyond 'make Brexit work'.
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Sean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 29/09/2026
The rush to speculate that asylum seekers are responsible for every crime in the news is a sort of opportunistic informational terrorism. Until it’s disproved it stokes fear and hatred. When it is disproved there are no adverse consequences and they know that they only have to be lucky once.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It really is
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
That seems to be the implication, though it's not yet really clear exactly what has happened
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Yes, but it still does the rounds, even now. BTW you may recall that pre-Ref, when May came out against Brexit, she said that we should leave the ECHR instead: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...
bbc.co.uk
Theresa May: UK should quit European Convention on Human Rights
Home Secretary Theresa May has said the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights while remaining in the European Union.
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daughterofmrandmrss @nosregis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Oh go & daub some Disney you absolute parcel.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Yes, who used it to attack the ECHR, back in 2011 I think
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Meanwhile, the hare is up and running, in both the US & UK, that 'terrorists have been released on bail' (with a side order of 'two-tier justice, what about 'Tommo'?' nonsense) and will no doubt lodge in section of public memory (along with e.g. 'cat prevents deportation' that still does the rounds)
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
No, it's more like coke
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The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Well, well, well - if it isn’t the consequences of our own actions. It would appear that migrants are not, in fact, the fiscal drain we’ve been told they are by years if we go by the £4bn to £6.5bn shortfall that’s been caused by the precipitous drop in numbers under this government. Funny that.
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The online far right conspiracy theorists’ obsession with the Fabians - stoked massively by GB News, Talk TV et al - is one of the weirdest, most disturbing things in British politics right now (and that’s saying something) Like a mini British QAnon Must be awful working for Fabians rn
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Even worse, it's now being claimed that it's the hallmark of the superiority of "our race" to make such speculations. Beyond belief.
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The process of drawing up the next GE manifesto would be my guess
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Farage (et al) literally panting for Fairford to be linked to asylum seekers and, as usual, the ludicrous demand for immediate information with totally irresponsible implication that the absence of such information is suspect.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 27/09/2026
‘We’ve done everything by the book’: EU citizens left in limbo after UK government strips post-Brexit residency status
theguardian.com
‘We’ve done everything by the book’: EU citizens left in limbo after UK government strips post-Brexit residency status
Home Office faces legal action after 1,473 people living in UK before Brexit told settled status was granted in error The Home Office is facing legal action over a controversial policy to strip EU citizens who were in the UK before Brexit of their residency rights on the grounds that it gave them the status “in error”. It comes as a Home Office minister revealed that the government has contacted 1,473 citizens with post-Brexit residency rights to tell them the original decision to grant them residency was made in error. Continue reading...
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