Danish immigration policy may become the latest in Westminster’s box of fads and fancies.
There are good reasons why it may not work in UK and already has ominous perverse FX in Denmark.
There are good reasons why it may not work in UK and already has ominous perverse FX in Denmark.
Reports suggest that the UK plans to emulate Denmark's migration system
@kristinabsimonsen.bsky.social argues that "research from the country suggests that drawing lessons from the Danish migration policy should be done with caution and involves pitfalls for British politicians."
🔗 bit.ly/3LA1UI4
@kristinabsimonsen.bsky.social argues that "research from the country suggests that drawing lessons from the Danish migration policy should be done with caution and involves pitfalls for British politicians."
🔗 bit.ly/3LA1UI4
Denmark’s migration policy – an example to follow? - UK in a changing Europe
Kristina Bakkær Simonsen explains why countries feel they have something to learn from Denmark's strict migration policy, but argues that there are many key pitfalls.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Danish immigration policy may become the latest in Westminster’s box of fads and fancies.
There are good reasons why it may not work in UK and already has ominous perverse FX in Denmark.
There are good reasons why it may not work in UK and already has ominous perverse FX in Denmark.
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
I had this by @chrisdillow.bsky.social open in a tab, after @pauliewaulie.bsky.social had mentioned it, and now I finally read it. It's from 2018, but as true now as when it was written:
chrisdillow.substack.com/p/against-de...
chrisdillow.substack.com/p/against-de...
Against debate
Debating our opponents is pointless, and often dangerous.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I had this by @chrisdillow.bsky.social open in a tab, after @pauliewaulie.bsky.social had mentioned it, and now I finally read it. It's from 2018, but as true now as when it was written:
chrisdillow.substack.com/p/against-de...
chrisdillow.substack.com/p/against-de...
To any GB citizens, this is a good petition. Just a few more signatures are needed to get it over the line for a govt response.
Nearly there!
We need around 50 signatures to push my petition calling for transparency and a review of deregulated free zones to 10,000.
Please sign and share across your social media platforms.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...
We need around 50 signatures to push my petition calling for transparency and a review of deregulated free zones to 10,000.
Please sign and share across your social media platforms.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...
November 7, 2025 at 10:37 AM
To any GB citizens, this is a good petition. Just a few more signatures are needed to get it over the line for a govt response.
A sad but engaging story of the French resistance.
November 7, 2025 at 10:20 AM
A sad but engaging story of the French resistance.
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
🚨🚨This is stellar investigative journalism by @kaitlintosh.bsky.social and @michelleinezsimon.bsky.social on how #elonmusk is boosting the #british right. 🧵 news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:51 AM
🚨🚨This is stellar investigative journalism by @kaitlintosh.bsky.social and @michelleinezsimon.bsky.social on how #elonmusk is boosting the #british right. 🧵 news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
Having a stressful Monday? Need to get that off your chest? Behold! The miraculous Lea Desandre….! 🙌🌻💐
youtu.be/U5yaQlkYw7M?...
youtu.be/U5yaQlkYw7M?...
Lea Desandre sings Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act 3: "No, No, I’ll Take No Less"
YouTube video by Warner Classics
youtu.be
November 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Having a stressful Monday? Need to get that off your chest? Behold! The miraculous Lea Desandre….! 🙌🌻💐
youtu.be/U5yaQlkYw7M?...
youtu.be/U5yaQlkYw7M?...
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
November 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
Some brainstorming around use cases would have avoided this, but I guess HMRC and Home Office don’t do exercises like that.
Ministers may have breached privacy laws when they suspended the child benefit of thousands of families on the basis of flawed Home Office information www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The Information Commissioner’s Office has contacted HMRC over the issues raised
The Information Commissioner’s Office has contacted HMRC over the issues raised
HMRC likely to have breached privacy laws in stopping child benefit – experts
Watchdog contacts tax authority after families’ payments stopped based on flawed travel data
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Some brainstorming around use cases would have avoided this, but I guess HMRC and Home Office don’t do exercises like that.
Slow progress but bubbling up! @danneidle.bsky.social
Britain has become a country of high taxes for the few and low taxes for the many and that settlement is now breaking down. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...
Is Britain a high-tax country?
Even as overall taxes have risen, most have been paying less
www.newstatesman.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Slow progress but bubbling up! @danneidle.bsky.social
Needed: ‘Process into code’ transition in the most countries’ public sectors.
October 28, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Needed: ‘Process into code’ transition in the most countries’ public sectors.
Résidence Sablon blocks of flats: very little progress over the past couple of years from building yard stage
October 26, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Résidence Sablon blocks of flats: very little progress over the past couple of years from building yard stage
@loreandordure.com The Punch jokes are slightly funnier than I remember from reading my school’s bound Punch volumes from that era.
Nearly 60 years on.
Nearly 60 years on.
October 25, 2025 at 8:50 AM
@loreandordure.com The Punch jokes are slightly funnier than I remember from reading my school’s bound Punch volumes from that era.
Nearly 60 years on.
Nearly 60 years on.
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
Too much snap by-election analysis "Labour needs to start delivering"... no.
Governments are always "delivering". The problem is how they choose what to deliver, and what stories they tell around those priorities. And that's simply a mess right now.
Governments are always "delivering". The problem is how they choose what to deliver, and what stories they tell around those priorities. And that's simply a mess right now.
October 24, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Too much snap by-election analysis "Labour needs to start delivering"... no.
Governments are always "delivering". The problem is how they choose what to deliver, and what stories they tell around those priorities. And that's simply a mess right now.
Governments are always "delivering". The problem is how they choose what to deliver, and what stories they tell around those priorities. And that's simply a mess right now.
An advert on X, propaganda against DSA. Good reach but no engagement.
October 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
An advert on X, propaganda against DSA. Good reach but no engagement.
Love this!
Via Press Gazette: "The Daily Star’s livestream of the Liz Truss lettuce has been acquired by the British Film Institute’s National Archive for a collection of significant pieces of online video. The BFI’s curator said it was “a seminal moment in British political history”"
October 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Love this!
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
The bit about the rules based international order is the most wrong-headed.
We tried nationalism and it almost destroyed European civilisation - twice in 30 years.
A system where a government gets to do anything a majority of its citizens vote for doesn’t work.
We tried nationalism and it almost destroyed European civilisation - twice in 30 years.
A system where a government gets to do anything a majority of its citizens vote for doesn’t work.
Katie Lam tries to explain to the Sunday Times how her grandparents experience under Nazism informs her view that the postwar institutions forged after the horrors of war, dictatorship & the holicaust won't now work in our times - because "they assume everyone would want to be nice to each other"
October 19, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The bit about the rules based international order is the most wrong-headed.
We tried nationalism and it almost destroyed European civilisation - twice in 30 years.
A system where a government gets to do anything a majority of its citizens vote for doesn’t work.
We tried nationalism and it almost destroyed European civilisation - twice in 30 years.
A system where a government gets to do anything a majority of its citizens vote for doesn’t work.
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
Congratulations to Philippe Aghion on receiving the Nobel Prize in economics.
A proud moment for Europe and a strong reminder that innovation and openness are the foundations of our shared prosperity.
Philippe’s contributions helped shape Mario Draghi’s vision for European competitiveness.
A proud moment for Europe and a strong reminder that innovation and openness are the foundations of our shared prosperity.
Philippe’s contributions helped shape Mario Draghi’s vision for European competitiveness.
October 13, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Congratulations to Philippe Aghion on receiving the Nobel Prize in economics.
A proud moment for Europe and a strong reminder that innovation and openness are the foundations of our shared prosperity.
Philippe’s contributions helped shape Mario Draghi’s vision for European competitiveness.
A proud moment for Europe and a strong reminder that innovation and openness are the foundations of our shared prosperity.
Philippe’s contributions helped shape Mario Draghi’s vision for European competitiveness.
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
I'm looking forward for the exceptionalists telling us the UK should be exempt from steel tariffs because:
- It used to be a member
- their steel standards are the highest in the world
- We need British steel
- They're part-time residents (unregistered) in Spain
- It used to be a member
- their steel standards are the highest in the world
- We need British steel
- They're part-time residents (unregistered) in Spain
1. This does not target the UK
2. This is clear evidence of being inside a customs union rather than floating alone
3. It was inevitable that Trump's actions at the head of such a large economy would result in dumping elsewhere.. Europe has to be able to take action to counter that.
2. This is clear evidence of being inside a customs union rather than floating alone
3. It was inevitable that Trump's actions at the head of such a large economy would result in dumping elsewhere.. Europe has to be able to take action to counter that.
October 9, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I'm looking forward for the exceptionalists telling us the UK should be exempt from steel tariffs because:
- It used to be a member
- their steel standards are the highest in the world
- We need British steel
- They're part-time residents (unregistered) in Spain
- It used to be a member
- their steel standards are the highest in the world
- We need British steel
- They're part-time residents (unregistered) in Spain
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
Wow. Whereas Orbán treats Hungarian critical journalists and human rights organisations as ‘foreign agents’, he is now accused of Russian-style espionage within the EU.
Under the leadership of Commissioner @OliverVarhelyi.
If true, heavy measures must follow.
www.dw.com/en/hungary-f...
Under the leadership of Commissioner @OliverVarhelyi.
If true, heavy measures must follow.
www.dw.com/en/hungary-f...
Hungary found to have sent agents to spy on EU — report – DW – 10/09/2025
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban secretly sent agents to spy on European Union institutions in Brussels for years, according to a report published by a Belgian newspaper.
www.dw.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Wow. Whereas Orbán treats Hungarian critical journalists and human rights organisations as ‘foreign agents’, he is now accused of Russian-style espionage within the EU.
Under the leadership of Commissioner @OliverVarhelyi.
If true, heavy measures must follow.
www.dw.com/en/hungary-f...
Under the leadership of Commissioner @OliverVarhelyi.
If true, heavy measures must follow.
www.dw.com/en/hungary-f...
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
I renovated my home in Brussels last year. I was let down by every single actor involved in the process, public and private, administration and contractors. Incompetence and idiotic bureaucracy. They cost me weeks and a lot of money. Now this. I would never do it again.
www.rtbf.be/article/des-...
www.rtbf.be/article/des-...
Des primes de travaux 'Rénolution' menacées, près de 2500 dossiers vont-ils pouvoir être payés ? - RTBF Actus
Rénolution, c’est aujourd’hui un système de 45 primes, que la Région bruxelloise avait lancé en 2022 pour pousser...
www.rtbf.be
October 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I renovated my home in Brussels last year. I was let down by every single actor involved in the process, public and private, administration and contractors. Incompetence and idiotic bureaucracy. They cost me weeks and a lot of money. Now this. I would never do it again.
www.rtbf.be/article/des-...
www.rtbf.be/article/des-...
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
Perhaps not the main point but I always hate it when people view it as a sign of failure when poorer countries grow faster. There is absolutely no intrinsic reason why Poland should have lower income than the UK or any other EU country forever, and that means it will have to grow faster sometimes
"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.
Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?
Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?
October 8, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Perhaps not the main point but I always hate it when people view it as a sign of failure when poorer countries grow faster. There is absolutely no intrinsic reason why Poland should have lower income than the UK or any other EU country forever, and that means it will have to grow faster sometimes
Reposted by Adam Watson Brown
This is darkly funny
SNCF has such a thicket of confusing websites that crooks were able to create a fake one to dupe customers
Link via @pglux.bsky.social
www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers...
SNCF has such a thicket of confusing websites that crooks were able to create a fake one to dupe customers
Link via @pglux.bsky.social
www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers...
SNCF : gare aux escroqueries en ligne
Grâce à un faux site presque identique à celui de la SNCF, des escrocs proposent un dédommagement suite aux récentes perturbations, dans le but de soutirer de l'argent à leurs victimes. Une méthode ég...
www.franceinfo.fr
October 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM
This is darkly funny
SNCF has such a thicket of confusing websites that crooks were able to create a fake one to dupe customers
Link via @pglux.bsky.social
www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers...
SNCF has such a thicket of confusing websites that crooks were able to create a fake one to dupe customers
Link via @pglux.bsky.social
www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers...
‘Rather than facing up to the [IT] problem, SNCF resorts to finger pointing – at Deutsche Bahn, Europe, and international agreements. None of which are the reason.’
@sncf-voyageurs.bsky.social
@sncf-voyageurs.bsky.social
Also - quite fairly! - I’m asked how can it be that Deutsche Bahn is improving its international rail ticket sales, while SNCF can’t even sell tickets for the Nightjet it co-operates
The answer?
A combination of stupidity and malevolence in SNCF, now ongoing 16 months jonworth.eu/sncf-is-stop...
The answer?
A combination of stupidity and malevolence in SNCF, now ongoing 16 months jonworth.eu/sncf-is-stop...
SNCF is stopping sales of most international tickets - a decision rooted in incompetence, and communicated with malevolence - Jon Worth
If you want to travel on 22nd May 2024 from Paris to Berlin (Germany), Verviers (Belgium) or Luzern (Switzerland), the app and website for SNCF ticketing, SNCF Connect, will show you prices and sell y...
jonworth.eu
September 26, 2025 at 10:52 PM
‘Rather than facing up to the [IT] problem, SNCF resorts to finger pointing – at Deutsche Bahn, Europe, and international agreements. None of which are the reason.’
@sncf-voyageurs.bsky.social
@sncf-voyageurs.bsky.social
I hate the sugary pop sold as tonic water. My research into recipes has started. Here is some history. www.paticheri.com/2021/12/26/c...
A dose of cinchona history in homemade Indian tonic water
It’s a fairly commonly known fact that the classic Gin and Tonic is an Indian drink–in the sense that the idea for this drink, all the ingredients for it and the rationale for it all co…
www.paticheri.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I hate the sugary pop sold as tonic water. My research into recipes has started. Here is some history. www.paticheri.com/2021/12/26/c...