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Jonathan Potts

@uccellolirico

I post mainly about politics, especially immigration and asylum, and the arts, especially music and sometimes poetry. Ex-civil service and volsec. HO Asylum Director 1996-2000, plus ça change.

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Latest posts by Jonathan Potts @uccellolirico

ok it was a single clause in a pretty uncontentious Bill 😀

11.03.2026 18:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

One of my proudest achievements as a civil servant was to see through legislation increasing the protection of badgers. I'm very happy if these big guys are going to take a turn crowning our banknotes. Churchill was great at some things, but he never did his own housework now, did he?

11.03.2026 18:51 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Exit pursued by a badger

11.03.2026 18:41 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

"I misunderstood your question" says Darren graciously. Darren, you weren't alone. "Maybe I was unclear" says Emma. Yes, Emma, that's one of your problems certainly.

11.03.2026 08:31 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Now Emma is interviewing Darren and I can't follow her line of questioning at all

11.03.2026 08:28 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

otoh thank goodness for Jeremy Bowen being allowed a sustained slot to give the longer view on Iran

11.03.2026 08:28 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

"our man in Washington" felt a bit off given "our man" was chosen to replace a woman, who was doing the job rather well by all accounts

11.03.2026 08:27 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0

As a young civil servant I was sent on a course "the social role of government". It was a good course. One of the ideas earnestly studied was the effect of automation - how would people spend their endless leisure time? This was in 1982. Well now ...

10.03.2026 19:47 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
E.P. Thompson · Subduing the jury

E P Thompson on jury trial, in 1986

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v0...

10.03.2026 19:41 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

It was a privilege to be in the chamber earlier to witness this incredibly powerful and effective speech from Charlotte Nichols.

10.03.2026 18:36 👍 265 🔁 76 💬 8 📌 0

Rrassuringly true to type 😀

10.03.2026 19:27 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I like Merlin but it does guess a bit wildly sometimes. I doubt there was a Canada Goose in Norwood Grove the other day, though I could be wrong.

10.03.2026 11:44 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Sir Duck 🎵

10.03.2026 11:41 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Myopic, destructive and frankly pointless decision by Mahmood.

10.03.2026 11:39 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Or indeed bring new insight and leadership to their own countries. So infuriating.

10.03.2026 11:36 👍 8 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

You, in another decade. Palma, Mallorca, January 1987

08.03.2026 22:06 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I confess to being mildly disoriented by the notion of Ayatollahs having kids (presumably only male kids). I had thought of them being more like, you know, Popes (but without the liberal inflections).

08.03.2026 13:33 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

This is funny bc every time I pass through Oval, which is often, I reaxt to that announcement in exactly this way!

08.03.2026 13:24 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Go cultivate your garden or something. Or turn yourself in.

08.03.2026 13:20 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Shut up Blair

08.03.2026 13:19 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
Sinfonietta, JW VI/18: II. The Castle, Brno. Andante - Allegretto

TIL this year marks the centenary of this miraculous creation ❤️

open.spotify.com/track/3Usjy9...

07.03.2026 17:57 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Sinfonietta, JW VI/18: II. The Castle, Brno. Andante - Allegretto

TIL this year marks the centenary of this miraculous creation ❤️

open.spotify.com/track/3Usjy9...

07.03.2026 17:15 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Yes! Which is apparently so hard. Maybe it is

07.03.2026 09:16 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

A breath of fresh air, always, full of insight plainly but elegantly expressed

07.03.2026 09:01 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

This strange line on #Today and elsewhere that Statmer bc he is a lawyer is being guided politically by attachment to law and rules based order. How long is it since he burbled and prevaricated over war crimes in Gaza?

07.03.2026 08:59 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

As if one wasn't gloomy enough already about the state of the world

07.03.2026 08:55 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Lulu
Bluebeard
Death In Venice
Turandot
The Midsummer Marriage
The Bassarids
Threepenny Opera (?!)
Klinghoffer
Cunning Little Vixen
La Dueña

05.03.2026 22:01 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

A randomised control "style" approach is that like when I get "Greek style" yoghurt from Lidl

05.03.2026 20:24 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Yes I rather fear so

05.03.2026 13:55 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

> they didn't notice, which someone should have done, or they believe it themselves which is ... well ...

05.03.2026 13:50 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0