James Barr's avatar

James Barr

@jamesbarr.bsky.social

926 followers 185 following 2535 posts

I write history. Last book: LORDS OF THE DESERT; before that: A LINE IN THE SAND. Next book: THE ARENA.

More at/contact me via www.historythatmatters.org
Signal @jamesbarr.62


Currently reading: Roger Deakin / Waterlog

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Taniel 's avatar Taniel @taniel.bsky.social
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Explosive reporting in Le Monde confirms what was apparent all week: Macron resisted the emergence of anti-far-right front after round 1. His PM, Attal, forced it as a fait accompli, & pressured for drop outs to block RN. Even then, Macron made some phone calls to undercut it.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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I think that happens fairly automatically. Most people stopped listening to them a while back and will ignore them until they grow tired of Labour - assuming at that point none of the other parties offer a more credible alternative.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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The King seems to have managed to find his bluest suit for the occasion.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Well he is, as he once memorably put it, “a fighter and not a quitter”.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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I am still amazed you are able to do this and not forced to listen to them.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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So in fact the visibility of those new pro-Palestinian MPs and their activism will help Farage a lot.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Making Reform and the left wing independents who have been elected two sides of the same coin.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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I thought he was a gonner after the fuel leak/water shut off in Bramley.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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We underestimate Jeremys at our peril.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Can I be the first to say THAT. IS. A. DISGRACE.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Celebrity reality TV show bookers are the big winners of last night.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Imagining the Sunak family breakfast this morning. Eventually Mrs S breaks the silence. “And. You. Didn’t. Even. Manage. To. Lose. Your. Own. Seat.”

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Naomi Alderman's avatar Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social
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Through my childhood, on election nights, my dad was the man under Peter Snow’s desk putting interesting facts on notecards into his socks. That’s how it was done before Google, kids. You got a very clever ASD man with some Oxford degrees to just remember interesting constituency histories.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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There'll be an oddly prominent picture of a grinning Nigel Farage across all newspapers tomorrow

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Radio is good - am just about managing to read an article and listen to R4 at the same time

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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I sometimes recall “Tories for Corbyn” (set up, I think, by Toby Young) and wonder whether their entryism had a material effect.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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As you’ll easily be able to count the remaining Tory MPs I believe “fewer” is correct.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Echinops sphaerocephalus I think: a globe thistle.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Vote ✖️the man who thinks I’m a fool ✖️the man who worries that I might not vote for him if I actually knew his views (assuming he has some) ✖️the man who oh look a photogenic stunt

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Well, a lot of it depends on the EU of course, which will have its own interests in mind.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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Haven’t read the article but “Cannot foresee” is the same as “no plans”: famously Labour pre 1997 said it had “no plans to raise tax at all” but it went on to do so anyway.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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This provides an interesting insight

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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This is going to be awkward for the party functionary who is currently in Majestic selecting a nice bottle of single malt to accompany the pearl-handled revolver.

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James Barr's avatar James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social
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In Conservative Central Office in 2001 the two shifts were: 0600-2100 (the “early shift”) and 0900-0100 (the “late shift”)

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