iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Alex Paknadel from off of comics @alexpaknadel.bsky.social · 5m

Zombies playing five-letter word games in a postapocalyptic scalpscape.

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

New from me on Political Sandbox: The Bit Nobody Noticed Triple lock: 615 articles. The EU: 186. Changing how we elect every government from now on: 61. The commentariat missed the seismic bit of Burnham's speech. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/the…

A noir illustration of an empty House of Commons chamber in shadow. Between the long green benches a round table circled by a dozen mismatched empty chairs sits in a single spotlight, while a row of press cameras on tripods stands behind it facing a bright open doorway.

6235

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

UAE officials have warned the UK that a severe punishment for Man City could hurt future Emirati investment in Britain, Bloomberg reports. This is the perfect argument for keeping foreign money out of football.

2684082928

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I cannot wait until I never have to think about him every again

0100

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Agreed. My point is if this had been Miliband who'd not mentioned them as leader he'd have been crucified. But Burnham is so in control of the agenda that nobody has thought to mention what he didn't say. It would seem very churlish.

120

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Listening to @shippersunbound.bsky.social on Burnham speech he points out he didn't cover China, Russia etc. What's notable is because Burnham blew the doors off that doesn't even matter. Remember the hoo ha when Miliband didn't mention the deficit in 2014? Burnham is in a totally different class.

1181

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Remember when Joe Biden invented time travel?

Donald J. Trump

@realDonald Trump

GP

THE BIDEN FBI PLACED 274 AGENTS INTO THE CROWD ON JANUARY 6. If this is so, which it is, a lot of very good people will be owed big apologies. What a SCAM - DO SOMETHING!!! President DJT

8606

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Guy Roberts @bakeliteguy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I was born in London but both my parents were Welsh as were their ancestors of countless generations. Am I likely to be deported to a place called Llandysul under a future administration?

11362

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Listening to Suella in this #bbcqt clip she should just go the whole hog and insist on issuing Aryan Certificates for everyone. Here's a cut-out-and-keep example for her. (Read Alt Text for handy English translation but only if you're English so not Suella obvs) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_c...

An Adolf Hitler issued Aryan Certificate. The translated text on it says:

Ancestry Chart

for proof of Aryan ancestry for 5 generations

Donald Thomst-Heide Family History

Re: Proof of Aryan Descent

For officials, political friars, and members of the Ulm Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Aryan certificate is required by decree A 300 of September 23, 1934, up to and including January 1, 1800, for former SA men, labor service members, and the like, up to the end of their tenure, as well as for their spouses.

By order of the Ministry of Civil Affairs

236514

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yes. That piece was just stating the argument Burnham should use to sell it to his own party. It's not an argument I would use. Here is my conclusion from the piece.

What the commission should take from this

The tempting thing, for a Labour government with a Reform problem, would be to design a system around the opponent. Pick the district sizes, fiddle the thresholds, and hope. It would backfire at today's numbers, it would look like exactly the kind of stitch-up that feeds the people it was meant to stop, and most importantly it would be wrong in principle.

I think the right answer is to build a system that's fair to everyone, including the people I'd most like to see lose, and let the voters do the rest. They've shown in by-election after by-election that they know how to stop a party they don't want. Under PR they'd still be able to.

020

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Police Squad was made in 1982. I think you mean The Naked Gun.

160

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

That's never been my reason. I've got blog posts going back to 2009 that make this clear. I agree most people want change because they think it would favour their political persuasion. My motivation is the opposite way round. I chose the Lib Dems as my party (for many years) because they support pr.

110

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/09/2026

I for one think it’s bad that the president can just say crazy stuff all day every day and 99% of it doesn’t make the news because we’ve normalized having an insane president

893254166016

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I admire your optimism that "everyone has a favourite system". In my experience most people couldn't give a toss! Trying to engage people to even understand what we have currently got, how it works and how it could be changed is an uphill struggle.

120

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yes that's what I thought. It's picked the wrong party 3 times and that doesn't make any difference to your opinion. I'll reflect on your other points. You're right there is no perfect system. I guess it boils down to which imperfect one most satisfies your requirements. For me it's STV multi member

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

That's not true. In 1929 Labour got 287 seats on 37.1% of the vote and formed a minority government. The Tories got 38.1% of the vote and only 260 seats. In 1951 Tories got 48% and 321 seats while Labour got 48.8% and only 295 seats. In Feb 1974 FPTP also picked the "wrong" winner by a few seats.

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Just to test the limits of this then (and I think I know the answer given what you've already said) how far would you take this? What if 5 parties were all on 20% and one just happened to squeak a majority (due to the distribution of the vote nationally). Would that be ok with you?

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

New from me on Political Sandbox: The Category Error Trump isn't a politician with a philosophy. He says whatever serves him in the next ten seconds. Once you see that, everything makes more sense. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/the…

A noir illustration of an empty wooden lectern under a hard spotlight on a stage, facing a dark crowd in silhouette. A spinning weather vane hangs on a string above it, blurred, its compass letters jumbled so it points nowhere.

49614

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

What about the 68% who get their vote not represented in government? At least under PR more than half of the people have some level of representation in government.

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yes. The problem is the electorate rejected AV by more than 2:1 in 2011.

000

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Saw Thugwash turned on the waterworks when he was denied bail yesterday. Womp womp.

4772

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Jason Good 🌻 🇺🇦 @jasongood.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The role of story telling is much underrated.

1101

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We've not had a "political story teller" like this since Blair

2391

Reposted by Mark Thompson

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 30/09/2026

Here's footage of Jack Smith at the Iowa vs. Maryland game on February 3rd, 2024 btw

536139883595

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In none of those countries are a far right party in a position to get a country wide majority though

100

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

STV advocates usually land on between 4 and 6 per constituency although I'm not sure exactly why that's considered the sweet spot. I bet @markpackuk.bsky.social knows.

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New from me on Political Sandbox: The Insurance Policy Under first past the post, Reform on 20% gets 49 seats. On 30% it gets a majority. Under PR it never gets near one. That's the insurance policy. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/the…

A noir illustration of a tightrope stretched across a deep dark chasm under a single spotlight, with a wide rope safety net slung beneath it, catching the light.

64211

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And of course that Blair one was valedictory rather than forward looking so Burnham 2026 would trump it anyway even if it edged it on technique.

180

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Blair 2006 was possibly better but this was the best I have seen in 20 years for sure.

1291

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If Burnham is actually able to carry through everything he promised today and is allowed to build on them (eg eventually nationalise water completely, actually increase the housing stock significantly etc) he could end up being the most consequential PM since Thatcher.

131087

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Peter Kellner has run YouGov's MRP against its tactical voting data and gets Reform down to 11 seats. I did the same exercise last week and was more cautious: I reckoned around 40. Either way, Labour and the Lib Dems are comfortably past a majority. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/2029-is-li...

thenewworld.co.uk

Sorry Nigel, but the polls show you’ve had it

The numbers now show Reform are on the slide and the party is going to get stuffed by tactical voting

3529

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

😂 I'd love it if it was deliberate

010

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The UK should just make some shit up about arresting a few suspects with full evidence of how they invented it all sitting there waiting so that when Trump takes the bait and pretends he knew all about it they can release the evidence to prove definitively that he's a fucking liar.

1111211

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

New from me on Political Sandbox: He's Been Here Before Death tax. Dementia tax. Every leader who has told us how to pay for social care has been buried by it. Burnham knows. One of them was him. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/hes…

A noir illustration of an empty wheelchair and a wooden walking stick left beside a cracked gravestone in a misty graveyard at dusk, with rows of older headstones fading into the fog and one orange-lit window in the distance.

5215

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Dr Mark Dunford @drmarkd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I really hoped this stupidity would stop when Labour changed leaders. And, you’re absolutely right the contrast with the balaclava black sorts is there for all to see.

1294

Reposted by Mark Thompson

stklav.bsky.social @stklav.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

2 tier policing!

171

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Look at the contrast here with what happened with the masked jackbooted thugs who descended on Dover the other day.

716064

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I'm on the radio in a few minutes and if I get the chance I might mention my latest piece but if I do I'll have to be *very* careful about saying that title!

0323

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

New from me on Political Sandbox: The Cult Are Not The Country Every time Farage or Trump is caught out, the cameras find the true believers and tell us nobody minds. We do. We're just never asked. politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/the…

A noir illustration of a battered megaphone lying on the floor of a vast arena under a single spotlight, orange sound waves spilling from it, while tiers of faceless figures fill the stands and a crowd in silhouette watches from the front.

2419

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This was great fun and a privilege to have been on one of the earliest of this wonderful long running show. I still have nightmares about The Blunders Public Information Films even now!

2141

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Why is this seen as such a pivotal moment in history by some? Becoming deputy leader of a party in opposition would have had almost no impact.

4130

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Remember this? Who’s the stupid one now?

36028771361

Reposted by Mark Thompson

Andrew @andrewgowen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Remember when Hitler excused his early invasions as ‘freeing the German speaking population’? This is Putin setting the groundwork for a wider European invasion. We either defeat him now in Ukraine, or tomorrow in Lithuania.

73217

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

And I agree about Special Conference next time. It won't be the North Korea style walkover it was last time. And Linda Jack won't even need her fluffy handcuffs this time.

110

Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I think there is more going on with Burnham on this than you credit. He has been in favour of this on the record for decades. His father was passionately in favour of it as well. This is not something he's just alighted on. But we'll see. I get your scepticism. We've been burned many times.

130