Ben Worthy

This discussion with @profafinlayson.bsky.social clarifies many things I'd only ever half understood. The concept (and fluidity) of Reactionary Digital Politics is very important.

This is excellent...as are all of these

Watch: What Is Trump Doing to Democracy? In conversation with Professor Christina Pagel, creator of the Trump Action Tracker Recorded 30th October 2025

Watch @chrischirp.bsky.social discussing her Trump Action Tracker in our event, and reflect on what it tells us about democracy in Trump's America
bbkbritpol.substack.com/p/watch-what...

Our politics is increasingly normalised to racism – because politicians are addicted to X The platform has quietly dragged British politics into a dark place

I've written a couple of things over the last days about how the government and much of Westminster remaining on X as the platform becomes increasingly toxic is having consequences for our politics...

A huge thank you to @chrischirp.bsky.social for speaking to us about her Trump Action Tracker www.trumpactiontracker.info

Yet center-right seems incapable of learning the lesson…

“The far right can only govern if the centre right cooperates”, @carolinedegruyter.bsky.social says. “Everyone claims the voters shift to the far right but it is a rightward shift of the political parties.”

If you want evidence that Reform thought they were going to win in Caerphilly then look no further than the fact the had arranged a "countdown to victory" event in the area for the day after the result.

Full analysis in my newsletter:
willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/wales-watc...

A true "instant classic"

Easy mode | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine “I’m thrilled that we’re talking about this,” Kemi Badenoch told Robert Peston, a look of pure horror on her face. The subject was the Conservative Party’s immigration policy, which she may or may not…

Easy Mode: my SKETCH of politicians struggling even when the difficulty is turned all the way down.

Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 24/10/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers Complain to the ICO about your overdue Freedom of Information request! Because it actually works. A man who waited four years to get an answer to a Freedom of Information request from his local council described the delay as a "lack of accountability". Kevin Robinson-Hale asked what he said was a "simple" set of questions

Reform's claims about the terrible state of Derbyshire's roads may have overstated the pothole problem.

And an #FOI response misunderstanding seems to be to blame:

One top official told his staff explicitly not to write down too much, and to destroy handwritten notes after. But no public administration can function without records of important meetings. I suspect the Commission has simply created a new type of doc it pretends does not fall under FOI.

This has become a major problem. The Commission's genius move was to pretend to be more transparent - proactively publishing minutes of meetings with lobbyists since January - but in reality most of these minutes are meaningless. One I found literally says "discussion about general topics".

Thanks Tim! It will be recorded, so you can listen as you recover from your celebrations!

(PDF) Presidentialism, Parliamentarism and Beyond Towards a Democratic Theory of the Democratic Separation of Powers PDF | This chapter discusses the distinction between presidential, parliamentary and hybrid forms of government. The term “separation of powers” is... | Find, read and cite all the research you need o...

New (sort of) paper on the "Democratic" Separation of Powers for the forthcoming Cambridge Handbook on the Separation of Powers
www.researchgate.net/publication/...

After a huge post-election flip in economic perceptions, I thought Democrats and Republicans might be lying to pollsters to send a partisan message — but I was wrong!

New in the Journal of Experimental Political Science (open access): doi.org/10.1017/XPS....

1. London-Style Buses The boringly-named Bus Services (No. 2) Bill became law on Monday night (27th October), enabling local transport authorities to implement franchising schemes for bus services in England – potentially reversing the decades-old deregulation of buses which opponents say has contributed to spiralling prices and worsening, reduced services while transport firms pay millions to shareholders. But it will also end the (surprisingly recent) Conservative ban on councils setting up their own bus companies to directly compete with private firms. Buses are the most frequently used form of public transport and are relied on by millions of people – disproportionately lower-income workers, young people, retirees and more. Greater Manchester took up the opportunity of regulating buses by setting up the ‘Bee Network’, but the legal framework mayor Andy Burnham had to use to do it took years to utilise, and faced relentless challenge from transport firms. The new process is set to massively streamline it. This bill won’t make the front pages, but if councils take up the opportunity, it could revolutionise this vital form of transport in England. Cat Hobbs, director of pro-public ownership campaign We Own It, told Byline Times: “After 40 years of bus deregulation and privatisation, it’s fantastic that this government is making it easier to take back control of our buses,” though she also called for the ambition to be matched with extra funding to help make this a success. Hobbs added: “It’s excellent news that the absurd ideological ban on new publicly owned bus companies, introduced under the last government, has now been reversed. Publicly owned bus companies like Lothian Buses and Reading Buses consistently win awards for their brilliant services.” Transport for London-style transport in Cornwall, Leeds, and Newcastle, here we come?

This one is a big deal, in my view. Potentially marks an end to Thatcher-era deregulation of the buses across England. And it's the law as of last night: bylinetimes.com/2025/10/28/a...

The 2026 Senedd election will be the most competitive yet | Laura McAllister The Caerphilly by-election was 'catastrophic' for Labour, 'convincing' for Plaid and signals 'a problem' for Reform. So what does this all mean ahead of next year's May polling day?

My take on the Caerffili by-election and the political state of play six months from the Senedd election: www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news-op...

Interesting read from @walesgovernance.bsky.social’s @lauramcallister30.bsky.social on the Caerphilly by-election, the intergovernmental & intra-party fault lines and pressures within Labour, and the road to next Spring’s Senedd election

#senedd #devolution

Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 24/10/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers Complain to the ICO about your overdue Freedom of Information request! Because it actually works. A man who waited four years to get an answer to a Freedom of Information request from his local council described the delay as a "lack of accountability". Kevin Robinson-Hale asked what he said was a "simple" set of questions

The Government's push to bring more train companies into public ownership means more train companies that have to answer #FOI requests.

So how much money is lost to fare dodgers:

dear US friends, when a sitting president (re)builds the seat of government, it almost always means the president has no intention of leaving at the end of term. your African friends with decades of experience

Thanks for all the kind messages 👍

@josephineharmon.bsky.social have sent you a blog draft!

Looking forward to this 👇

This is a great collection. Myself and Mark Bennister wrote the chapter on Liz Truss.

Few things from this release

CLP - Bureaucracy and Distrust: The Civil Service in the Constitution YouTube video by UCL Laws

Excellent and thought-provoking lecture from @bymyong.bsky.social on the civil service and whether — and how — it could or should resist democratic backsliding if a Trumpist government were elected in Britain. Much of it relevant to NZ too.

#nzpol

www.youtube.com/live/-zuXVCh...

The territorial constitution: what is it and why does it matter? The UK’s territorial constitution seeks to accommodate various nations, regions and identities in a single state, and to devolve power closer to those being governed. But it also operates within the country’s system of parliamentary sovereignty, which can lead to practical tensions. Lisa James, Meg Russell and Alan Renwick explain the Union’s underpinning principles, and the key debates about its workings and future. This post is part of our series of new and updated briefings on key constitutional topics.

NEW BLOG: The territorial constitution: what is it and why does it matter?

@lisajames.bsky.social, Meg Russell and @alanrenwick.bsky.social explain the relationship between the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the key tensions that can arise and debates about the Union's future.

My latest article, published in the latest edition of @publiclaw.bsky.social, looks at the proposals to establish a 'recall' system for Members of the Senedd, how they compare to recall mechanisms elsewhere & what they tell us about Senedd reform

uk.westlaw.com/Document/I1F...
#Senedd #devolution

A fascinating topic and a truly brilliant title