Benjamin Clark

“Why has Albanese stuck his neck out for the incumbent? Because Starmer has, in many ways, emulated Albanese. And if he loses, it will also be a defeat for their shared approach of dour, plodding centrism, and for the network of political operatives who are now spreading it — and profiting from it.”

Albanese’s speech to UK Labour wasn’t partisan — it was factional Why has Albanese stuck his neck out for the incumbent? Because Starmer has, in many, ways emulated Albanese.

In today’s @crikey.com.au, I wrote about the furore over Albanese’s appearance at the UK Labour conference.

The problem wasn’t that it was partisan, but that he intervened in the internal politics of UK Labour, backing Starmer against a rising chorus of critics.
www.crikey.com.au/2025/10/06/a...

Albanese’s speech to UK Labour wasn’t partisan — it was factional

The UK Labour Party could well have a new champion — one who is less sympathetic to "plodding centrism" than Albo's mate Sir Keir, @benjamin-clark.bsky.social writes.

I had a great chat with Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to AOC. He is running for Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco seat—and if she runs again, she could face a fierce challenge 👇🏼

Saikat Chakrabarti is coming for the Democratic establishment AOC’s former campaign manager is ready to take on Nancy Pelosi

AOC’s former campaign manager is ready to take on Nancy Pelosi. He speak to Prospect’s @benjamin-clark.bsky.social about how to change the Democrats’ toxic brand.

The left v the centre-left Factions within Labour and the Democrats are itching for a fight

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @tom-clark.bsky.social examines Rachel Reeve’s conference speech, @benjamin-clark.bsky.social speaks to Democratic challenger Saikat Chakrabarti, and we take a look back at MPs’ writing in our archive.

I agree that he benefited from the Libs being shit, but he genuinely increased Labor’s popular vote by presenting a (relatively) more positive alternative. Though I agree he is now taking it for granted, and if the sense of inertia sets in again, they may again lose popularity

The truth about Andy Burnham Plus: could Nigel Farage seriously be a future prime minister?

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @benjamin-clark.bsky.social covers the Labour party conference, Andy Burnham media storm, ITV’s The Hack, Nigel Farage’s antics and much more.

What can Keir Starmer learn from Anthony Albanese? After a listless first term, Australia’s prime minister has been re-elected with a landslide victory. Here’s how Starmer could do the same

After Anthony Albanese appeared alongside Keir Starmer in Liverpool yesterday, re-posting one of my @prospectmagazine.co.uk pieces comparing the two.

They’re remarkably similar—except that one regained electoral ground, while the other is still losing it.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/asia/a...

At Labour Party conference to record the @prospectmagazine.co.uk pod with special guests @stellacreasy.bsky.social and Lucy Powell. Join me, @ellenhalliday.bsky.social and @benjamin-clark.bsky.social here at the Tees room at the ACC from 10:30

Beyond recognition for Palestine For recognition to mean anything, the UK must push Israel to end the occupation

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @benjamin-clark.bsky.social asks what might come next after the UK’s recognition of Palestine, drawing inspiration from our archive. Plus: what bubble tea says about contemporary capitalism.

Australia has become a staffer state Dan Wang argues that America is a society of lawyers and China is an engineering state. What are we, and what does it mean for our policy?

Banger of a Substack article by Manning Clifford, editor at large of @inflectionpoints.work.

The US and UK political class is dominated by former lawyers. Beijing is full of trained engineers. Australian MPs, however, mostly used to work for other MPs, as advisers.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

The involvement of the Downing Street press operation in this is genuinely shameful. Someone present should use their question to grill the PM on this, on camera.

Reform UK’s party conference kicks off today, with Nigel Farage welcoming the party faithful. But he’ll also be welcoming a small group of very wealthy donors.

@petergeoghegan.bsky.social talks to Prospect’s @benjamin-clark.bsky.social about who funds Reform:

Our latest issue has just hit newsstands! Here’s a peek at what’s inside... 🧵

In our cover essay, @benansell.bsky.social surveys the resurgence of left populism, from Zohran Mamdani to Zarah Sultana. Should Keir Starmer take notes?
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/709...

Who funds Reform UK? And could these wealthy individuals influence the party’s platform—and, perhaps one day, the policies of a Farage-led government?

@petergeoghegan.bsky.social joins Prospect’s @benjamin-clark.bsky.social to discuss: prospectmagazine.sub...

While Prospect’s podcasts are on summer break, we’re re-posting our fav eps of the year so far. Here’s @mehdirhasan.bsky.social talking independent media, censorship and Trumpism with @benjamin-clark.bsky.social:
prospectmagazine.sub...

Until a few years ago, British political scientist Matthew Goodwin presented himself as an intellectual foe of the authoritarian right. But gradually he began to metamorphose. Today, he often adopts rhetoric similar to the right-wing parties he once studied as an academic. He co-presents a show on How Matthew Goodwin became a populist firebrand | James Bloodworth on the Prospect Podcast

🎥: Matthew Goodwin presented himself as an intellectual foe of the authoritarian right. But gradually he began to sound more and more like them...

@jamesbloodworth.bsky.social discusses his latest Prospect profile with @benjamin-clark.bsky.social:

Totally agree.

Link unrelated: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/info/69966/s...

🎥: How did Matthew Goodwin go from intellectual foe of the far right to a spokesperson for conservative populism? @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social talks to @benjamin-clark.bsky.social about his recent profile for Prospect:
prospectmagazine.sub...

Until a few years ago, British political scientist Matthew Goodwin presented himself as an intellectual foe of the authoritarian right. But gradually he began to metamorphose. Today, he often adopts rhetoric similar to the right-wing parties he once studied as an academic. He co-presents a show on How Matthew Goodwin became a populist firebrand | James Bloodworth on the Prospect Podcast

🎥: Matthew Goodwin presented himself as an intellectual foe of the authoritarian right. But gradually he began to sound more and more like them...

@jamesbloodworth.bsky.social discusses his latest Prospect profile with @benjamin-clark.bsky.social:

If you like this, follow @prospectmagazine.co.uk where I’m soon publishing a chat with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social about who funds Reform (Aussies and non-Aussies).

Meet the Australians behind Nigel Farage's Reform UK From right-wing activist Holly Valance to the guy who imported the flat white to London, some Australians are getting caught up in the great Conservative-Reform migration.

Many Tory donors are switching to Reform UK—including some Aussies, because it’s London and we’re everywhere here.

Meet Peter Hall (the guy who brought the flat white to London) and former Neighbours star Holly Valance.

My latest in @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/08/20/h...

🎥: How did Matthew Goodwin go from intellectual foe of the far right to a spokesperson for conservative populism? @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social talks to @benjamin-clark.bsky.social about his recent profile for Prospect:
prospectmagazine.sub...

While Prospect’s podcasts are on summer break, we’re re-posting our fav eps of the year so far. Here’s @mehdirhasan.bsky.social talking independent media, censorship and Trumpism with @benjamin-clark.bsky.social:
prospectmagazine.sub...

This is very good.

LinkedIn is Schrödinger as social media. If no one can tell your perky gushing from AI slop...do you really exist?

LinkedIn is the fakest platform of them all It was meant for professionals—but it is filled with chatbots

LinkedIn, which has embraced AI with ferocious zeal, is being gradually “enshittified”, to borrow tech writer Cory Doctorow’s phrase. (@pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy)

✍🏼 @benjamin-clark.bsky.social

Penny Wong warns that there may be no Palestine left to recognise.

How easily the press ignored Palestinians, including myself, who made this exact point for years. Israel didn’t kill the two-state solution alone; journalists helped them along by providing cover.

One painting at a time: ‘Yam awely’ by Emily Kam Kngwarray At the Tate’s first ever exhibition by this renowned indigenous artist, we’re given a chance to broaden our understanding of art history

Emily Kam Kngwarray “was not painting in the tradition of modernist abstraction. Rather, she was adding flourishes and innovations to the centuries-old traditions of Aboriginal art,” writes @benjamin-clark.bsky.social.
www.prospectmagazine...

LinkedIn is the fakest platform of them all It was meant for professionals—but it is filled with chatbots

"AI seems to...have helped foster a genre of LinkedIn-speak which bears all the hallmarks of the worst AI writing on the internet"

Do read @benjamin-clark.bsky.social's excellent portrait of LinkedIn, the social media equivalent of a dull networking event www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...