The Backseat Policy Critic
@backseatpolicy.bsky.social
Various policy musings from someone with far too little experience to justify their confidence, with an emphasis on systems and culture. All views represent opinions rather than advice.
Seems slightly questionable for the UK and others to be proposing themselves as peacekeepers, given that A: this defeats the point of neutral peacekeeping, and B: Ukraine can already do a pretty good job of defending itself
on.ft.com/4meAlkZ
on.ft.com/4meAlkZ
UK ready to put ‘boots on ground’ in Ukraine if ceasefire reached, says minister
John Healey says Britain is committed to helping secure peace ahead of Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage
on.ft.com
August 16, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Seems slightly questionable for the UK and others to be proposing themselves as peacekeepers, given that A: this defeats the point of neutral peacekeeping, and B: Ukraine can already do a pretty good job of defending itself
on.ft.com/4meAlkZ
on.ft.com/4meAlkZ
Been rereading A Field Guide to Earthlings, and the more of it I read, the more I am increasingly reminded of @dsquareddigest.bsky.social arguments around informational filtering and ‘mental prisons’.
June 1, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Been rereading A Field Guide to Earthlings, and the more of it I read, the more I am increasingly reminded of @dsquareddigest.bsky.social arguments around informational filtering and ‘mental prisons’.
@dsquareddigest.bsky.social Just been enjoying your two-parter on regulatory culture. I wonder however if there is an alternative to what you describe - some of what you have been talking about brings to mind some thoughts I’ve had on what I’d call the UK’s “secret superpower”.
February 9, 2025 at 10:41 AM
@dsquareddigest.bsky.social Just been enjoying your two-parter on regulatory culture. I wonder however if there is an alternative to what you describe - some of what you have been talking about brings to mind some thoughts I’ve had on what I’d call the UK’s “secret superpower”.
Calling it now, there is something hidden in the #Chagos Islands deal that means the whole thing is in fact an absolute bargain for Britain and that when revealed, the same people currently criticising Starmer will instead be praising his ‘geopolitical masterstroke’.
February 8, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Calling it now, there is something hidden in the #Chagos Islands deal that means the whole thing is in fact an absolute bargain for Britain and that when revealed, the same people currently criticising Starmer will instead be praising his ‘geopolitical masterstroke’.
For those who want to understand the backlash behind the #Jaguar rebrand: backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/batman-ver...
Why true representation means Batman should always beat Captain Marvel in a fight
How social justice ate the nerd movement
backseatpolicycritic.substack.com
December 3, 2024 at 12:02 PM
For those who want to understand the backlash behind the #Jaguar rebrand: backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/batman-ver...
“EU torpedoes own attempts at youth mobility deal with unbelievably stupid requests on tuition fees”. Have they genuinely gone mental?
Latest: still big gaps between EU and UK on youth mobility. Details here via @financialtimes.com with @andybounds.bsky.social
EU digs in on student fees as UK youth mobility talks near on.ft.com/3Zfj7JZ
EU digs in on student fees as UK youth mobility talks near on.ft.com/3Zfj7JZ
EU digs in on student fees as UK youth mobility talks near
Brussels is willing to make small concessions over naming of scheme and length of stay
on.ft.com
December 2, 2024 at 4:14 PM
“EU torpedoes own attempts at youth mobility deal with unbelievably stupid requests on tuition fees”. Have they genuinely gone mental?
The real reason here is that France and other continental European countries systematically underreport hours worked, both as a combination of less proficient statistics services and regulations designed to disincentivise reporting (eg overtime restrictions).
December 2, 2024 at 4:10 PM
The real reason here is that France and other continental European countries systematically underreport hours worked, both as a combination of less proficient statistics services and regulations designed to disincentivise reporting (eg overtime restrictions).
My own take on the suggestions by @pmdfoster.bsky.social and @thomsampson.bsky.social that the UK should rejoin the Customs Union. backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/uk-customs...
Rejoining the Customs Union is a really bad idea
The worst of all Brexit worlds...
backseatpolicycritic.substack.com
November 16, 2024 at 9:35 PM
My own take on the suggestions by @pmdfoster.bsky.social and @thomsampson.bsky.social that the UK should rejoin the Customs Union. backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/uk-customs...
Reposted by The Backseat Policy Critic
A thing I worry about a lot is that the UK has, by any standard, a really good and successful model for integration, that I fear is going to come under threat from, on the one hand, Labour feeling it needs to 'Do Something for the stakeholders' versus Kemi Badenoch's experiences of another country!
Rishi Sunak is right: multiculturalism works
British politicians would do well to reflect on the country’s relative success in integrating minorities
www.ft.com
November 11, 2024 at 3:09 PM
A thing I worry about a lot is that the UK has, by any standard, a really good and successful model for integration, that I fear is going to come under threat from, on the one hand, Labour feeling it needs to 'Do Something for the stakeholders' versus Kemi Badenoch's experiences of another country!
How not to make a shadow cabinet
People, ideas, machines, in that order
backseatpolicycritic.substack.com
November 9, 2024 at 5:08 PM
@stephenkb.bsky.social Yeah, turns out the headline NIESR numbers are incredibly misleading
November 7, 2024 at 11:07 PM
@stephenkb.bsky.social Yeah, turns out the headline NIESR numbers are incredibly misleading
@stephenkb.bsky.social - think I may have found your new favourite show. Tear Along the Dotted Line on Netflix - essentially Bojack Horseman for 30 year olds (but actually funny). Probably one of the best things I’ve seen this year.
September 17, 2024 at 10:57 AM
@stephenkb.bsky.social - think I may have found your new favourite show. Tear Along the Dotted Line on Netflix - essentially Bojack Horseman for 30 year olds (but actually funny). Probably one of the best things I’ve seen this year.
On why Brexit may not be such a bad thing after all… backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/uk-compara...
UK Comparative Advantage (or how I learned to stop worrying and love Brexit)
The EU is not the friend you think it is
backseatpolicycritic.substack.com
September 16, 2024 at 4:06 PM
On why Brexit may not be such a bad thing after all… backseatpolicycritic.substack.com/p/uk-compara...