David O'Connell

Pura Vida 🇨🇷

"And do you think that unto such as you: A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew
God gave a secret, and denied it me?
Well, well, what matters it? Believe that, too"

Omar Khayyâm

I once met the great grandson of Nestor Makhno's personal driver. He told me Makhno "drunkenly beat his great grandpa quite a lot", but that he'd remained a loyal Anarchist until the day he died, saying he'd "frankly probably deserved it".

Cologne's 'Kiosk Kultur' is unrivaled.

I mean, you gotta take the bad with the good bro

I have a crippling fear of spiders. I once almost jumped out of a moving car because of one, and suffer terror-attacks or blackouts if they get too close.

I'm going to Costa Rica and need your thoughts and prayers.

They're getting nervous 😏

Republic We want to see the monarchy abolished and the King replaced with an elected, democratic head of state. In place of the King we want someone chosen by the people, not running the government but represe...

Let's get real, it's time to abolish the monarchy.

www.republic.org.uk

Very welcome. Signed versions cost more though.

Proud to have a chapter published (in German) alongside so many incredible people - looking at the successful role of employee buyouts in building union power. Yes, this is an attempt to push German unions in that direction.

Happy to give 30% discounts for those interested in a copy. ✊🏻

Starmer facing Labour MPs after cabinet ministers back PM to stay in office Support from Starmer's team came as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the PM to resign, saying

So basically, throwing McSweeny under the bus didn't work.

www.bbc.com/news/live/c7...

Front page of the report, available here: https://reportondemocracyatwork.org/en/the-report/

Picture of Yolanda Diaz and the expert committee members at the report's launch in Madrid, 2 Feb 2026.

Spain's constitution promises democracy at work. Last year, @yolandadiaz.bsky.social convened an expert group to study how to make good on that promise.

Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2

Throughout the 80s, the United Steelworkers negotiated "rights of first refusal" into CBAs with companies. This meant that if it was sold off or closed, the workers got to make the first bid to buy it out - making it employee owned.

Imagine doing this at scale in the public sector

"The goal is nothing, the movement everything"

Eduard Bernstein, 1899

Never thought I'd live to see Neil Kinnock accurately explain Syndicalism and Proudhon to Rory Stuart and Alistair Campbell.

I found some old Libertarian Socialist pamphlets, circa 1960s. Not entirely sure where I got them, but they're a real gem.

Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK The MP was unveiled as Reform's latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally, bringing the number of the party's sitting MPs to eight.

What a true party of the people Reform is shaping out to be.

Who knew so many Tory MPs had secretly always wanted to stand up to the Westminster elites on behalf of the working class.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things,
The fate of Empires and the fall of Kings;
While quacks of State must each produce his plan,
And even children lisp the Rights of Man;
Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention,
That the Rights of Woman merit some attention

Robert Burns, 1792

Solidarity is strength.

Haha I was also going to follow up by saying that all of this is thanks to labour. But that's actually great to know too. Thanks 😊

Capitalism has its moments 😅

Let's build terrifying union power.

The UKs National Health Service is the largest socialist institution in the west. A non-profit, decomodified universal healthcare system won by the labour movement.

I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.

"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the pub, the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure, which neither moth nor rust will corrupt. The less you are, the more you have"

Marx

What's the UN up to these days?

Everything can change, on a new years day.

"If ever I get all the money I earn, my boss will be broke and to work he must turn."

- Bruce Duncan Phillips

Socialism is workers’ control over production. That’s it.

Come do a Masters Course in Germany, for trade unionists!

Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026

Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help)

More info here:
global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...

And the average age of a constitutional monarchy is around 177 years. For those who argue, monarchies are more stable than republics.