Sign in

Kenneth MacArthur

@kennethmac2000.bsky.social
109 followers 275 following 193 posts

Scottish European 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺 ❤️ ☕️, 🇪🇺, 💶, fair votes, free speech, podcasts, SI, ☀️, travel 😡 Brexit, elision of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧, imperial units

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Adam Ramsay @adamramsay.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
With membership surging and polls pointing to success in the coming Senedd elections, Wales Greens are planning an amicable declaration of independence, which would leave @zackpolanski.bsky.social leading the first major specifically English party: open.substack.com/pub/abolishw...
open.substack.com
Independence for Welsh Green Party a matter of “when, not if,” says top official
Meaning Zack Polanski is set to lead the first major "English" party
23311
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 04/04/2026
Voters in Wales failed by inaccurate UK media reports on devolved issues, study finds
theguardian.com
Voters in Wales failed by inaccurate UK media reports on devolved issues, study finds
Reports on English policies seen in Wales as relating to whole of UK contribute to widespread confusion, researchers say UK media is failing to report properly on devolved issues in Wales, leaving voters ill-informed about May’s Senedd elections, a report has found. A Cardiff University study of more than 3,000 news items found repeated patterns in coverage across different broadcasters and platforms, including not signposting whether an issue was relevant to England or England and Wales only, widespread references to “the government” rather than “the UK government”, and the use of “you” and “your” in contexts that apply only to people living in England. Continue reading...
147531
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 25/03/2026
YouGov's first MRP of the 2026 Senedd election shows Plaid Cymru on course to be the largest party PC: 43 (+19 from 2021*) Ref: 30 (+30) Lab: 12 (-32) Grn: 10 (+10) Con: 1 (-25) LD: 0 (-2) *notional results had the last election been conducted on the new system based on data from Dr Jac Larner
88837
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
andyburnham.bsky.social @andyburnham.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
I have today written to the Chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee seeking permission to enter the selection process for a candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. Read my letter here.👇🏻
130676149
Kenneth MacArthur @kennethmac2000.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Yum.
theguardian.com
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
000
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
We had the First Minister of Scotland John Swinney on the pod this week. Was a fascinating chat including the question of why Scotland gets a much better deal out of the union than Wales. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tWh...
13010
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 17/10/2025
This was fun. Friday News Agents with @zackpolanski.bsky.social Extended conversation on his political journey, his politics, and where it might yet take him. Out at 5pm.
1716433
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 27/09/2025
NEW: Weekend @TheNewsAgents Extended conversation with former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar Fascinating reflections on his political life, working with Trump, May, Johnson- advice for Keir Starmer and why liberalism is losing the battle of ideas. Listen now podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
Leo Varadkar on Trump, Starmer and the death of liberalism
Podcast Episode · The News Agents · 26/09/2025 · 51m
8509
Kenneth MacArthur @kennethmac2000.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
@lewisgoodall.com is one of a generation of journalists who ‘gets’ devolution to the UK’s nations, and who has a respect for the offices of first minister - while still robustly holding the holders of those offices to account. Delicious.
010
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
"The UK government’s failure to consult fully with those [devolved] nations prior to signing the summit deal with the EU have caused further damage to relations." Elin Royles, Carolyn Rowe & Rachel Minto on the UK's EU policy in relation to the devolved governments ukandeu.ac.uk/intergovernm...
ukandeu.ac.uk
Intergovernmental relations and UK-EU policy - UK in a changing Europe
Elin Royles, Carolyn Rowe and Rachel Minto explore the need to take account of the different positions of the devolved governments in order to realise the aims of the May 2025 UK-EU summit.
174
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Sam Wakeling @samwake.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Will Hayward describes our ludicrous electoral system in one glorious paragraph. ☕️ 🍻 💥 @willhaycardiff.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Imagine you and 12 mates are going out.
Three of you want to go have a cappuccino, three want lattes and three want flat whites.
You all want coffee but can't quite agree on which specific one, but broadly you are in agreement on what you want to do. But imagine that the remaining four want to go out to get out and get battered on Special Brew and smash up a bar. Under first-past-the-post, because there are more people wanting Special Brew than cappuccino, lattes or flat whites respectively, you are all condemned to go out on the piss.
Under the Welsh setup, and frankly those of most healthy democratic systems (like
78533
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Around 3/4 of people don’t want Reform in power. But the narrative is that they are unstoppable. First-past-the-post has warped British politics for far too long. Now it risks letting the extreme right win a majority. It needs to go. My latest guardian column: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Here is the single thing Labour can do to see off Reform and make British politics work | Will Hayward
Farage’s party could win 42% of Commons seats with only 26% of the vote. That’s not the way civilised countries do democracy, says Guardian columnist Will Hayward
2224794
Kenneth MacArthur @kennethmac2000.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
@lewisgoodall.com How about a Friday special report on the West of England mayoral election? Would be awesome! marriott-stats.com/nigels-blog/...
marriott-stats.com
Who will win the West England Metro Mayor Election in 2025?
This is the closest election I've ever forecast. We have a potential 5-way marginal and my 4 models give 3 different winners! Someone needs to carry out a WECA poll soon.
100
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Liberal Party • Parti libéral @liberalca.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Introducing our new Liberal Leader, Mark Carney!
53874188
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Donald Tusk @donald-tusk.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.
435229875723
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Lee Waters @waterslee.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
26719
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
You don’t see a 0% very often in polling - Brexit’s appeal, always narrow, has not expanded an inch (or a centimetre). And people who supported it at the time are mostly of the view that it made no difference. Few major political projects have failed so abjectly to become a settled consensus…
27477187
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
1 YEAR OF 20MPH There were around 100 fewer people killed / seriously injured on 20/30mph roads. Casualties from July-Sept was the lowest Q3 figures in Wales since records began. Over the year the number of casualties on 20/30mph roads is 28% lower than the year before. Good policy making.
15459180
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 31/01/2025
Today we've published a devolution special Ministers Reflect featuring candid interviews with former ministers from Scotland and Wales. Interviews include former first ministers @nicolasturgeon.bsky.social @humzayousaf.bsky.social, Mark Drakeford www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-re...
 “Firstly, remember that you're the decision maker, so listen, take advice, but don't outsource your decisions to officials or political advisers. […] You're accountable, you're elected, you're the one that has to stand or fall on your decisions.”

Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister of Scotland."Brexit undoubtedly is the most chaotic thing I've ever been involved in in government."

Mark Drakeford, former first minister of Wales"Then, of course, the UK government looked at us with extreme suspicion – even more so than they normally would – given that they were wanting to plough ahead with Brexit and we were seen as a destabilising force."

Humza Yousaf, first minister of Scotland
056
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
The latest For Wales, See Wales is out and we welcome Wales' former First Minister Mark Drakeford. He tells us that he believes Wales needs to have fewer hospitals and beds to put more money into primary care. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2p...
youtube.com
Ep16: Mark Drakeford, Cheese and Politics
YouTube video by For Wales See Wales
7207
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Mark McGeoghegan @markmcgeoghegan.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
And here's the Holyrood poll: Constituency: SNP: 35% (+3) Lab: 22% (-4) Con: 14% (nc) RefUK: 13% (+3) LD: 8% (-1) Grn: 6% (nc) Alba: 1% (-) List: SNP: 31% (+4) Lab: 21% (-4) Con: 14% (-1) RefUK: 13% (+2) LD: 10% (+1) Grn: 9% (-1) Alba: 2% (-1)
21618
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Mark McGeoghegan @markmcgeoghegan.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿📊 New @survation.bsky.social Scotland-only Westminster poll out for @holyroodsources.bsky.social & True North (+/- 1-15 Nov 2024): SNP: 33% (+2) Lab: 24% (-4) RefUK: 15% (+2) Con: 13% (-2) LD: 9% (+3) Others: 5% (-3) First Reform lead over the Tories in a Survation Scotland poll.
23319
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Holyrood Sources @holyroodsources.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
🆕We're joined in conversation by John Swinney and Kate Forbes. Up for discussion: the budget, meeting Donald Trump, welcoming Elon Musk, independence, energy policy, the SNP's Governmental record... Streaming now on your podcast app. @akmaciver.bsky.social @calumam.bsky.social
165
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Alastair Campbell @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social · 30/12/2024
Final LEADING interview of 2024 with the new First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan … Rory is impressed !!https://alastaircampbell.org/2024/12/114-the-future-of-wales-eluned-morgan/
alastaircampbell.org
114. The future of Wales (Eluned Morgan)
How did Morgan’s upbringing as the daughter of a priest set her off on a path to become Welsh First Minister? What does a former member of the European Parliament think happened with Brexit? How has t...
814116
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
Eurovision Song Contest @eurovision.tv · 16/12/2024
#Eurovision2025…. Theme ✅ Stage ✅ Tickets ✅ Here’s everything you need to know about Basel 2025 🇨🇭 eurovision.tv/story/eurovi...
eurovision.tv
Eurovision 2025: Visuals, stage and ticketing info revealed
Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR has released details about tickets for Basel 2025, as well as revealing the stage design and the visual and audio identity of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.
1414732
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
APPG on Europe @appgeurope.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Last night in Westminster, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Europe was launched. We were joined at the opening reception by Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty MP and the EU's Ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano.
29599171
Reposted by Kenneth MacArthur
CITP @thecitp.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
91% of trade agreements concluded by the UK since 2017 intersect with devolved matters and interests. The overlaps vary significantly and most do not require specific legislative changes in devolved law. This begs questions about the regulatory effect of FTA provisions. citp.ac.uk/publications...
New Briefing Paper, 'Trade and Devolution' by Lisa Claire Whitten. (Headshot of Lisa).
022