Sign in

James Bloodworth

@jamesbloodworth.bsky.social
6K followers 614 following 1.1K posts

Author of Hired and Lost Boys (June 2025). Writing on Substack: www.forthedeskdrawer.com Book: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1786499797…

PostsRepliesMedia
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
081
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Disappointing from one of the few times columnists I actually quite like
320
Reposted by James Bloodworth
John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Conservatives double the cost of net zero with spreadsheet error. Spiky comment from the Climate Change Committee, whose estimates they messed up www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error
Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
119741
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Ben Gidley @bengidley.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Very good post by @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social on how the death of autonomous working class political institutions and have given rise to a hollow cultural populism that lets the real elites pose as anti-elitist open.substack.com/pub/jamesblo...
open.substack.com
England’s vanishing schools of democracy
How working-class political power gave way to populist performance
134
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Wrote about the class problem of the political class, and how it opens the way for demagogues
3126
Reposted by James Bloodworth
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The "Zionism is racism" motion, to be debated at the Green Party conference tomorrow, will not advance the Palestinian cause one inch. But, if adopted, it would marginalise and discredit the party. There are powerful ways to confront the genocide. Toxic gesture politics isn't one of them.
106828145
Reposted by James Bloodworth
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Fiction isn’t supposed to optimise your time. That should come as a relief, says @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social Episode 4 is out now. 🔗⬇️
153
Reposted by James Bloodworth
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
OUT THIS WEEK.... @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social and @jackaldane.bsky.social discuss what George Orwell got right about men, capitalism and love in 📚Keep the Aspidistra Flying📚, which was published 90 years ago this year.
024
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Mind-blowing story in Private Eye about how the Telegraph's chief reporter reached out to James Orr (or meant to) after the Channel 4 donation revelations


...within hours of journalists on either the *Guardian* or *Sunday Times* contacting Reform for comment on the same stories ahead of them publishing their own investigations. Reform deputy leader Richard Tice and his fiancée, supposed journalist Isabel Oakeshott, even crowed online about their spoiler tactics.

Not that the *Telegraph* doesn't do its own leg work when reporting on Reform. After James Orr, the party's head of policy, had to resign after a sting by *Channel 4 News* (see "*Right Orr Wrong*, p14"), *Telegraph* chief reporter Rob Mendick texted Orr: "I was hoping to talk to you entirely on background," he schmoozed. "You must be feeling very bruised and I totally Appreciate [sic] the sensitivities. I suspect you deserve better and I wanted to see how I can put the record straight in some way." Alas, instead of the Reformer and Cambridge theologian, Mendick messaged someone else, who shared it with the *Eye*!
11566248
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🟡 Print Edition Who Owns Our Beautiful Game? Global capital is threatening a takeover of the essence of football – but it’s that essence that makes the sport such a commodity, writes @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social
subscribe.bylinetimes.com
Who Owns Our Beautiful Game?
Global capital is threatening a takeover of the essence of football – but it’s that essence that makes the sport such a commodity, writes @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social
0169
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The British right has now descended to the point where 'the England team are not English' is becoming the consensus position
4031413315
Reposted by James Bloodworth
BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
something has gone very, very wrong with the UK
1143332751
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The nationalist right, after Thomas Mann: I may have achieved nothing in particular, but at least my great-grandparents were born in the correct geographical area
060
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Strangers are less and less presumed to be fellow citizens with whom one has reciprocal obligations; they’re potential competitors or threats.
2292
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Jonathan Calder @lordbonkers.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Liberal England: Andrew Wakefield, autism and MMR: A forgotten aspect of the affair I've written this, not to heap blame on anyone, but to recapture a surprising and largely forgotten aspect of the affair.
liberalengland.blogspot.com
Andrew Wakefield, autism and MMR: A forgotten aspect of the affair
It's been called "perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". On 28 February 1998 a research paper primarily written by ...
1206
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
BBC balance
185
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Activists? Activists?
60941179
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Daniel Vulkan @danielvulkan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Whilst I have this audience - I can strongly recommend some of the recent reports by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research on the attitudes of British Jews to Israel etc (www.jpr.org.uk/reports). (No, I wasn't directly involved in any of them.)
jpr.org.uk
Reports
1184
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Oof
1944477
Reposted by James Bloodworth
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🗣️UP NEXT in 2026! Journalist and author @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social speaks to @jackaldane.bsky.social about class, male status anxiety, resentment, money, work, pride, romantic relationships and the terror of failure. 🔗 thelitpath.substack.com 🔗 youtube.com/@thelitpathpod
033
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Entertaining reading Politico’s Playbook this morning where despite yesterday evening’s coverage of the sanctions being ‘the sky is falling’, they have had to acknowledge that so far even the Trump administration doesn’t seem to care.
1273
Reposted by James Bloodworth
George E. Osborn @georgeosborn.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I think we're at the point where we can incredibly comfortably say that your attitude towards Reform, Restore, MAGA, the AfD etc is how you'd have responded to fascism in the 1930s
232743734
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
British governments of all stripes have come out against the illegal settlements in the West Bank, including Tory governments. Actually following through strikes me as the opposite of posturing
3126
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
This aged well
200
Reposted by James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I watched Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? and found myself agreeing with some of its questions and disagreeing quite strongly with the answer it had apparently decided on in advance. www.forthedeskdrawer.com/p/the-great-...
forthedeskdrawer.com
The Great ADHD Maybe
The problem with the ADHD debate is that everybody already knows the answer
294
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Institutional self-tweeification
081
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Yiannis @yiannisbab.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Good piece from James on that doc - I would add that contributors have since criticised the production for distorting their views to fit the central line.
051
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I watched Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? and found myself agreeing with some of its questions and disagreeing quite strongly with the answer it had apparently decided on in advance. www.forthedeskdrawer.com/p/the-great-...
forthedeskdrawer.com
The Great ADHD Maybe
The problem with the ADHD debate is that everybody already knows the answer
294
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Francis Sedgemore @hesgen.com · 26/08/2026
"The Great ADHD Maybe "The problem with the ADHD debate is that everybody already knows the answer" Read this non-expert but deeply considered comment from @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social.
forthedeskdrawer.com
The Great ADHD Maybe
The problem with the ADHD debate is that everybody already knows the answer
132
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
www.forthedeskdrawer.com/p/jason-arda...
forthedeskdrawer.com
Jason Arday, Kitsch Man
On fabulists, kitsch and the stories we want to believe
323
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Obvious straight away that it isn’t really the Express because there’s no mention of Diana
0153
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Some thoughts on the discourse (with nods to @stephenkb.bsky.social @provokedeconomy.bsky.social @annakornbluh.bsky.social and various others)https://substack.com/home/post/p-211963353
substack.com
On Left paranoia
sociology or barbarism
33920
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Simon Oldridge @sioldridge.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Fed up with people shirking responsibility by arguing that the UK causes just 1% of emissions? Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆 Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue
32777335
Reposted by James Bloodworth
👻 Jack Djinn Wail 🧞 @jacktindale.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
No he should...never be allowed to drive ever again?
53818128
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New editions to the family
050
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
again, at some point Zack is going to realise these people are massive anti-Semites, and at some point after that he is going to realise he'll need to get rid of them, and that is when they will absolutely turn on him and there'll be one big (but necessary) bloodbath
1720725
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Finn @thegoblinpoet.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
good law is when you act like a leftwing Carter-Ruck trying to "yikes, not a good look!" journalists, and the more you can stop solid reporting against your ideological allies the gooder the law is
06918
Reposted by James Bloodworth
George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Ulez has delivered remarkable public health gains in a short period. Sadiq deserves more credit than he’s had for defying Labour pressure to U-turn after Uxbridge. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds
Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone
382209606
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
A rightwing witch-hunt focused on Jason Arday – but so did legitimate journalism: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
A rightwing witch-hunt focused on Jason Arday – but so did legitimate journalism | Hugh Muir
Amid the grief and rage at a tragic loss, it’s right to differentiate between those who fought a culture war and others who just sought the truth, says Hugh Muir, executive editor, Opinion
141
Reposted by James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I’ve written for The Times about the rise of loneliness among young men and why the problem may be less about men failing to “open up” than the disappearance of the places and institutions where friendships once formed almost by accident. www.thetimes.com/life-style/h...
thetimes.com
There’s an epidemic of loneliness among young men. Here’s why
Men aged 18 to 29 spend more than two-fifths of their waking hours alone — and it’s bad for them
0247
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I’ve written for The Times about the rise of loneliness among young men and why the problem may be less about men failing to “open up” than the disappearance of the places and institutions where friendships once formed almost by accident. www.thetimes.com/life-style/h...
thetimes.com
There’s an epidemic of loneliness among young men. Here’s why
Men aged 18 to 29 spend more than two-fifths of their waking hours alone — and it’s bad for them
0247
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
20 million sperm and he was the quickest. Incredible.
3130
Reposted by James Bloodworth
BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I think it's key to understanding their worldview that they imagine a world not *without* immigrants, but one in which immigrants' inferiority is permanently asserted and they become a subservient caste. All these people worship the Gulf States.
1014489974
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Embarrassed to say I only recently learned that 30 under 30 was a paid placement. I’d simply assumed the adjudicators were LinkedIn cretins too easily impressed by self-promotion
150
Reposted by James Bloodworth
James Ball @jamesrball.com · 14/08/2026
No one wants this! Westminster has redicalosed itself against net zero targets. The public has not! These policies are popular, not least because the public only has to look out the window to see the need for climate action.
34464114
Reposted by James Bloodworth
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Indeed. SS embodies the whole sorry mess, in that hardly anyone in it ever saw Arday as a person. For Cambridge he was a way to buff their credentials, to be discarded when he became embarrassing. For Sodha he was a prop to air grievances about “gender ideology”.
261723201
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Oh fuck off already www.nytimes.com/athletic/751...
nytimes.com
Liverpool owners sell minority stake to Jeff Bezos: Who’s involved and what it means (Gift Article)
FSG will continue to retain majority ownership and operational control of the club, a release confirming the sale on Friday said.
092
Reposted by James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
I’m looking to speak briefly today to men aged 18–29 about loneliness and social isolation for a piece in *The Times*. Particularly interested in how work/WFH, friendships and online life affect how much time you spend alone. If you’d be happy to chat, please DM me.
019