Marc Stears

Britain’s worst political scandal of this century The Mandelson affair threatens Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership

Had forgotten until reading @duncanrobinson.bsky.social’s peerless column that Peter Mandelson once publicly said Keir Starmer was too fat.

I helped bring Mandelson down before Peter Mandelson is brilliant, but slippery. Connected, but compromised. Why was Starmer too naive to recognise that?

Keir Starmer has told parliament today that, when vetting Peter Mandelson for US ambassador, his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came up. But as Alan Rusbridger wrote last year, even a cursory Google should have disqualified him

Labour owes debt to giant of politics in modern era Mandelson has been on the right side of every important argument in the politics of the left since the 1990s

This is a truly excruciating column. The definition of shameless.

www.thetimes.com/article/8429...

Don't think I've ever felt as sick reading a newspaper story as I have looking at this morning's Epstein coverage. Just the open amorality of all the powerful people involved for so long.

Increasingly obv that the govt wants to remodel a big chunk of the SEND system so that provision based on specific/individual needs & provision becomes one where support is delivered to groups.That will have the benefit of saving money & it suits some ideological prefs. It also defies what SEND is

Labour risks election wipeout unless it improves Britain’s high streets, study finds Decay of town centres a top issue among voters especially Reform UK supporters and is fuelling resentment against Westminster

Congrats to @drjennings.bsky.social on this really important work. Let’s hope the government listens. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

To be clear, this is not a point about Burnham or even Labour specifically.

But is it healthy for democracy to have an insider-outsider form of parliamentarism where even the mayor of a major city struggles to get "inside"?

It's difficult to look at today's Parliament and see "abundant leadership"

The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

The BBC coverage is absolutely terrible.

It leads on "sharply contested narratives"

It has a dramatic skew to the US government

It has posted the video but has failed to report on what it shows: it shows the US govt account is untrue

Manchesterism could revive Britain's fading grandeur The towns and cities of the north and the Midlands were key to Britain's global success

"Britain has only ever been able to stand tall in the world, alongside partners, when it’s allowed all parts of the country to succeed."

@mds49.bsky.social on @andyburnham.bsky.social speech at @uclpolicylab.bsky.social and @theifs.bsky.social.
www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

Manchesterism could revive Britain's fading grandeur The towns and cities of the north and the Midlands were key to Britain's global success

And @mds49.bsky.social has written on some of the thinking here for those interested.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

Manchesterism could revive Britain's fading grandeur The towns and cities of the north and the Midlands were key to Britain's global success

Good piece by @mds49.bsky.social tying this to our collective security, where all of the country can play its part. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

Why I oppose banning children from social media Sir Keir Starmer must target addictive tech design and promote online wellbeing rather than a popular but ineffective solution, writes the father of Molly Russell

‘Vulnerable children use social media for connection, peer support and trusted advice. Many of us have feared that a ban may solve one set of mental health risks but unleash new ones.’

The father of Molly Russell impressively thoughtful about policy on social media
www.thetimes.com/article/fc74...

What do people in England think about their local area? In this short report I take a look at surveys we conducted with @yougov.co.uk in 2022, 2024 and 2025 to gain some insights...

Some key findings...

Shared prosperity in a fractured world - a new economics for the middle class, the global poor, and our climate - Centre for Science and Policy The 2026 Dr S T Lee Public Policy Lecture A talk by Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Overview Fighting...

Delighted we’re welcoming @drodrik.bsky.social to Cambridge on Thursday to give the STLee public lecture - free but book here www.csap.cam.ac.uk/events/share...

Nobody believes what Starmer says about Trump. Some commentators think that’s fine - it is what realpolitik demands - but even then, it leaves the PM without the best defence for himself.

The relationship with Donald Trump has killed the Starmer brand. Starmer came to office promising to respect voters, tell hard truths and prioritise substance over slogans and soundbites. By refusing to step out of line from Trumpian fantasy, he undermines each of those commitments.

Trump now owns Venezuela The US president has a growing appetite for military adventure

Marvellous column by @edwardluce.bsky.social on Trump’s new world order: “no obvious rules, does not respect allies, celebrates the jungle and is almost always about money”:

If rumblings about Special Needs changes are true,they'll place huge pressures on schools, in the absence of the necessary resources.Also, taking rights away & putting schools in the driving seat would be a retrogressive move: the Labourism of institutions rather than the empowerment of families 1/2

Our best family tradition! The brilliant @hackneyempire.bsky.social panto on Christmas Eve. And this year’s was one of the best!

Image featuring the text 'Perspectives on Politics' over a background of a dandelion seed head, with the hashtag 'OpenAccess' at the bottom.

#OpenAccess from @poppublicsphere.bsky.social -

The Relational Method: How Community Organizing Can Reshape University Research - https://cup.org/4pIlRLX

- Amanda Tattersall & @mds49.bsky.social

#FirstView

NOW OUT ON FIRSTVIEW!!

The #Relational #Method: How #Community #Organizing Can Reshape #University #Research

By @amandatattersall.bsky.social & @mds49.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1017/S153...

That’s an old Maurice Glasman line. He’s been using it since 2010!

The Trump project is not hegemonic though. Successful midterms for the Democrats would change the calculations considerably.

Thank you for this year... and why 2026 will see huge battles about neurodiversity The Maybe I'm Amazed Substack will be returning regularly, and with good reason

New Substack post from me... it's free, so subscribe if you fancy it
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/thank-you-...

Veronika Fikfak: ECHR Reform: A Danger of Contagion in Relation to Article 3 On Wednesday 10 December, which is also Human Rights Day, Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe will meet in Strasbourg to discuss how the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) should …

ECHR Reform: A Danger of Contagion in Relation to Article 3

Veronika Fikfak from @uclspp.bsky.social on the propsed changes to the ECHR. ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/12/09/v...

The right’s callous overdiagnosis bandwagon is rolling. Wes Streeting should not be on it | John Harris Thankfully, we now know more about conditions such as autism and ADHD. The health secretary must not be part of this attempt to turn back the clock, says Guardian columnist John Harris

It's right to explore what's driving increased prevalence & what support people need. But as @johnharris1969.bsky.social says, in "a country in which questioning other people’s needs is almost becoming a national sport" the government risks stoking a toxic debate www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

Carol singers at Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

Mayor of London at Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

For generations, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has brought light to the heart of London.

Thank you, Norway, for this gift of friendship since 1947.

“Place is where trust is built or broken. So, place must be our orienting principle.”

It was a pleasure to welcome @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social to Britain Renewed 2026 with @futuregovforum.bsky.social to discuss how we can drive a new era in public service reform.

Fancy reading an unashamedly unfinished history of relational public services? @nick80.bsky.social asked his Linkedin network if such a thing existed. @simonparker.bsky.social, @antlerboy.com and I had a go, drawing on 200 comments on Nicks post. Its a fascinating story
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...