Associate editor and columnist @financialtimes.com. Post too often about culture, public policy, management, politics, nerd stuff, Arsenal the champions, wosoc. Wow! (center) Try my UK politics newsletter for free here: www.ft.com/tryinsidepoliticshttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrhurpfrds23Wrote an obituary for Guy Scott, the first and thus far only white man to run a democratic government in postcolonial Africa: https://www.ft.com/content/0ccf0809-9f8a-4771-876e-772972cb7ce6?syn-25a6b1a6=125 Jul 2026 12:32 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrhurpfrds23https://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrhs6eqch223Indeed. I’m dubious that Starmer ever had a PM inside him, give how flat his 2024-6 learning curve was. But his *whole political career thus far* is shorter than “Tony Blair, doomed by-election candidate” than “Tony Blair giving the causes of crime soundbite”. [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jul 2026 11:46 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrhs6eqch223https://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrhrgnbg2s23👇 And this is why when three wonks gather together to discuss Burnham’s first week, the words “early election” are never far away. [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jul 2026 11:32 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrhrgnbg2s23https://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrhrajzdlk23Re-reading the Thursday Next books. The second set, which on a first read I thought weren’t quite as good as the first quartet, have grown on me immeasurably this time around.25 Jul 2026 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrhrajzdlk23https://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrhhz5lcpk2aEverything about this looks like a 30 Rock joke, right down to it looking as if it has cost only about as much as a 30 Rock joke to put on screen. [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jul 2026 08:44 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrhhz5lcpk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrgaoxpmd22yThe massacre of the Streetingites is in my view massively undercovered. Unlike “the essentially random group of people who were still in the Starmer bunker” it a) is an ideologically coherent group and b) has a record of actually plotting against the leader. [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Jul 2026 21:00 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrgaoxpmd22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrfqwiha4s2lThis is an absolutely brilliant Lunch with the FT - she comes across as delightful company as well: https://www.ft.com/content/bde8be11-c1de-4167-b2e2-7fee98469b79?syn-25a6b1a6=124 Jul 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfqwiha4s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrfpaivbo22nTerrific final column by @simonkuper.bsky.social, a terrific columnist (don't worry, he's staying at the FT but moving to features!): https://www.ft.com/content/542aad76-b334-4812-8731-67afcadd13b2?syn-25a6b1a6=124 Jul 2026 15:48 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfpaivbo22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrfccuiv4k2eSurprised (and, I have to be honest, quite amused) at how angry the headline of this Lex note has made people on here. [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Jul 2026 11:56 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfccuiv4k2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrdt4443422nThis guy is fascinating to me. Absolutely obsessed with trans issues. Has created dozens of accounts to berate people about trans issues. Has yet to manage to reply to a conversation about trans issues (which, on Bluesky, you’d think he’d have managed by accident by now). [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Jul 2026 21:52 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrdt4443422nhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenkb.bsky.social/post/3mrdkijxuis2uThe number of films these days that feel like they should be a joke in the set dressing of another movie. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Jul 2026 19:17 +0000at://did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrdkijxuis2u