The Top 50 Most Followed UK Political Journalists and Commentators on Bluesky
The leading political commentators and journalists who are testing out the growing alternative to Elon Musk's toxic social media platform
The descent of what used to be known as Twitter has been so rapid under its current owner Elon Musk, that many high profile users are increasingly looking elsewhere.
So far, the most viable of those alternative platforms for news and politics looks to be Bluesky.
Bluesky was set up by former Twitter staff and therefore has a very familiar feel to it, minus the millions of bots, far-right trolls and vile moderation-free content that now so dominates Musk’s site.
Among those currently dipping their toes in these waters are a growing number of political reporters and commentators.
Here are the top 50 most followed UK political journalists and commentators currently on Bluesky.
I’ve included links to their respective pages, but they can all be found in my much larger “starter pack” of Bluesky politicos here.
Please let me know if I’ve missed anyone who should be included in this list.
1. James O’Brien
LBC host, author and commentator
Followers: 112,000
Bluesky handle: @mrjamesob.bsky.social
2. Carol Vorderman
Broadcaster, campaigner, author and commentator
Followers: 94,000
Bluesky handle: @carolvorderman.bsky.social
3. George Monbiot
Guardian environmental journalist, commentator and author
Followers: 93,000
Bluesky handle: @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
4. Ian Dunt
Columnist, author and commentator
Followers: 80,000
Bluesky handle: @iandunt.bsky.social
5. Lewis Goodall
Broadcaster, author and commentator
Followers: 78,000
Bluesky handle: @lewisgoodall.bsky.social
6. Peter Stefanovic
Commentator and campaigner
Followers: 73,000
Bluesky handle: @peterstefanovic.bsky.social
7. Alastair Campbell
Broadcaster and author
Followers: 72,000
Bluesky handle: @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social
8. John Burn-Murdoch
FT Data journalist and commentator
Followers: 64,000
Bluesky handle: @jburnmurdoch.bsky.social
9. Mike Galsworthy
Commentator and campaigner
Followers: 58,000
Bluesky handle: @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social
10. Pippa Crerar
Guardian Political Editor and commentator
Followers: 58,000
Bluesky handle: @pippacrerar.bsky.social
11. Carole Cadwalladr
Investigative journalist for the Observer and The Citizens
Followers: 57,000
Bluesky handle: @carolecadwalla.bsky.social
12. Adam Bienkov
Editor and commentator
Followers: 53,000
Bluesky handle: @adambienkov.bsky.social
13. Sam Freedman
Commentator and author
Followers: 51,000
Bluesky handle: @samfr.bsky.social
14. Owen Jones
Columnist, broadcaster, author and commentator
Followers: 50,000
Bluesky handle: @owenjones.bsky.social
15. Otto English
Author and commentator
Followers: 50,000
Bluesky handle: @ottoenglish.bsky.social
16. Peter Jukes
Executive editor of Byline Media and Byline Times
Followers: 49,000
Bluesky handle: @peterjukes.bsky.social
17. Marina Purkiss
Commentator and host of the Trawl podcast
Followers: 47,000
Bluesky handle: @marina-purkiss.bsky.social
18. Emily Maitlis
Broadcaster and commentator
Followers: 44,000
Bluesky handle: @maitlis.bsky.social
19. Annette Dittert
Senior Correspondent for ARD German TV London
Followers: 44,000
Bluesky handle: @annettedittert.bsky.social
20. Sophy Ridge
Sky News presenter
Followers: 43,000
Bluesky handle: @sophyridge.bsky.social
21. Marie Le Conte
Journalist, author and commentator
Followers: 43,000
Bluesky handle: @youngvulgarian.bsky.social
22. Rafael Behr
Guardian columnist and author
Followers: 42,000
Bluesky handle: @rafaelbehr.bsky.social
23. Stephen Bush
FT journalist and commentator
Followers: 41,000
Bluesky handle: @stephenkb.bsky.social
24. Alex Andreou
Commentator and broadcaster
Followers: 41,000
Bluesky handle: @sturdyalex.bsky.social
25. Jim Pickard
FT Deputy Political Editor
Followers: 39,000
Bluesky handle: @pickardje.bsky.social
26. Gaby Hinsliff
Guardian columnist and broadcaster
Followers: 38,000
Bluesky handle: @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social
27. Zoe Gardner
Commentator on migration and asylum
Followers 37,000
Bluesky handle: @zoejardiniere.bsky.social
26. Jonathan Portes
Economist and commentator
Followers: 36,000
Bluesky handle: @jdportes.bsky.social
27. Paul Brand
ITV journalist and broadcaster
Followers: 36,000
Bluesky handle: @paulbrand.bsky.social
28. Jim Waterson
Reporter and editor
Followers: 35,000
Bluesky handle: @jimwaterson.bsky.social
29. Alan Rusbridger
Editor of Prospect
Followers: 34,000
Bluesky handle: @arusbridger.bsky.social
30. Jonn Elledge
Journalist and author
Followers: 32,000
Bluesky handle: @jonnelledge.bsky.social
31. Jessica Elgot
Guardian Deputy Political Editor
Followers: 32000
Bluesky handle: @jessicaelgot.bsky.social
32. Henry Mance
FT features writer
Followers: 31,000
Bluesky handle: @henrymance.bsky.social
33. Hugo Rifkind
Times columnist and broadcaster
Followers: 31,000
Bluesky handle: @hugorifkind.bsky.social
34. John Crace
Guardian sketch writer
Followers: 30,000
Bluesky handle: @mrjohncrace.bsky.social
35. Peter Geoghegan
Investigative reporter and editor
Followers: 29,000
Bluesky handle: @petergeoghegan.bsky.social
36. Tim Shipman
Sunday Times journalist and author
Followers: 29,000
Bluesky handle: @shippersunbound.bsky.social
37. David Allen Green
Lawyer and legal and political commentator
Followers: 28,000
Bluesky handle: @davidallengreen.bsky.social
38. David Aaronovitch
Broadcaster, author and journalist
Followers: 28,000
Bluesky handle: @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social
39. Jemma Forte
Broadcaster and host of the Trawl Podcast
Followers: 27,000
Bluesky handle: @jemmaforte.bsky.social
40. Peter Foster
FT Public Policy Editor
Followers: 26,000
Bluesky handle: @pmdfoster.bsky.social
41. Liam Thorp
Liverpool Echo Political Editor
Followers: 27,000
Bluesky handle: @liamthorp.bsky.social
42. Rachel Cunliffe
New Statesman Associate Political Editor
Followers: 26,000
Bluesky handle: @rmcunliffe.bsky.social
43. Henry Zeffman
BBC Chief Political Correspondent
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @hzeffman.bsky.social
44. Robert Hutton
Sketch writer and author
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @roberthutton.co.uk
45. Faisal Islam
BBC economics editor
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @faisalislam.bsky.social
46. Zoe Williams
Guardian columnist and journalist
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @zoesqwilliams.bsky.social
47. Naomi Smith
Podcaster and CEO of Best for Britain
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @pimlicat.bsky.social
48. James Ball
New European Political editor and author
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @jamesrball.com
49. Alex Hall Hall
Byline Times columnist and former diplomat
Followers: 25,000
Bluesky handle: @alexhh.bsky.social
50. Josiah Mortimer
Byline Times Chief Reporter
Followers: 23,000
Bluesky handle: @josiahjourno.bsky.social
It is bemusing to be on this list, not least because I have not really taken to BlueSky and I don’t anything substantial there. I prefer Mastodon and Substack.
And so the inclusion of my account (and of a few others) in the lower part of this chart is like an index of the strength of once-big-on-Twitter legacy accounts.
Accordingly, it is heartening and refreshing to see how many accounts are soaring above these legacy accounts, meaning that new voices are getting wider audiences. The structural advantages of once-big-on-Twitter legacy accounts have gone.
Let’s hope on the next edition of this chart there are fewer once-big-on-Twitter legacy accounts. Survival of the fittest.
Thank you Adam. I am pleased to already be following most of these good people and will update any I missed. I left Twitter when Musk bought the platform and ruined it for so many 'woke' people. For the record, I am proud to be called woke because it means that I am aware to injustice, which, in my opinion is a good thing. I can be found on Bluesky as Victoria1921. I am obviously following you. 🙂