Charles W. Stewart

Charles Stewart

@charlescharles.bsky.social

110 followers 380 following 64 posts

Former research engineer, former corporate treasurer, recent MA Classics and Ancient History. I block for rudeness, idiocy and whataboutery, even if it's not directed at me.

South Oxfordshire, UK

Videos

Engineering 37%

Materials science 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 15d

Article doesn't refer to his thinking. Times just says desk "was later returned, as Bell received a refund and instead submitted an Ikea receipt for £1,056, including three desks at £150 each". DM (on which Times piece is based) says "days later". Here's DM. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Minister behind Labour's mansion tax spends £900 on a desk

Torsten Bell also charged taxpayers £600 for three chairs for his office and claimed more than £200 on his Parliamentary expenses for professional help to assemble the furniture.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 15d

The headline (accidentally, I'm sure) omits to say that he returned the £900 desk after a few days and bought three £150 desks from Ikea instead. But "Bell DIDN'T spend £900 on a desk" wouldn't be a story, would it.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

Agreed. I'm not saying that the bill is not mad in numerous respects (including Syrians issue), just that there may be wriggle room for Cons on the specific point of social protection without withdrawing or amending. And yes, it's reasonable to infer that everything is in until they say otherwise.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

I'm sorry to bang on about this, but they wouldn't striclty need to amend the bill. The FT summary is inaccurate. The full wording: "where “social protection” is defined according to the Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, *subject to any further definition by immigration rules*"

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

Agreed - accuracy is important, not least because inaccuracy can be attacked, but parsing the detail makes little difference to that central point.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

This is an eye-catching statistic. We need to move to PR in some form. (Confession - as a non-subscriber I haven't read the full piece. Not because I don't rate Sam's writing - I very much do - but I subscribe to too many things already).

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

Thanks, hadn't see that. In that case, isn't the position
-the drafting would permit, in theory, a carve-out for pensions
-in a March speech Lam indicated pensions would be included
- LOTO has just said they wouldn't.
Result: actual position unclear?

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 18d

Not to say the bill isn't mad - it is - but not strictly correct, I think, to say it's untrue of the bill as drafted. That clause specifically permits modification of the definition of 'social protection'. So in theory (and Cons could argue) state pension could be excluded under the bill as drafted.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · 25d

Iceland. Needless to say, it wasn't.

Reposted by Charles W. Stewart, David Johnson, David R. Miller , and 1 more Charles W. Stewart, David Johnson, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 28d

"We always think about America’s postwar role in Europe as an act of great generosity, the defense of allies from Soviet aggression. But by putting democracy at the center of our international identity, we also helped strengthen our own political system"
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

The Beacon of Democracy Goes Dark

For nearly 250 years, America promoted freedom and equality abroad, even when it failed to live up to those ideals itself. Not anymore.

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Tim Bale, Charles W. Stewart

Kristina Šekrst @epiphenomenal.bsky.social · Oct 11

Accurate.

#academia #academy #philsky #philosophysky #philosophy #science

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Oct 10

Ah yes, Goldman Sachs. Some of us are old enough to remember this fabulously reassuring report telling everyone to calm down

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Oct 3

Yarvin was extraordinary. And not in a good way. I had, (fortunately) never heard of him before. As one of the panel (McEvoy?) observed, his ideas were essentially a 'gameified discourse'. Not worthy of serious consideration in my view. And delivered in an irritatingly patronising way.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 21

That's bin night for me too. It's a bit annoying not to know the exact time the rapture gig is supposed to get going. I might leave it until say 10pm to put them out. Pretty much a win-win bet unless it turns out to be a late kick-off.

Reposted by Albert Weale, Charles W. Stewart

Alan Beattie @alanbeattie.bsky.social · Sep 19

Please consult your outrage calendars for the correct type of fury to display, everyone.

I want you all to be limbering up for poppy outrage, just a few weeks away now.

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 16

Reminds me of Lenny Henry's line: "Enoch Powell says he wants to give me £1,000 to go back to where I came from. Which is great, because it’s only 20 pence on the bus from here to Dudley."

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 15

Truth is irrelevant to those Down The Rabbithole. The only thing that matters is whether it supports the desired narrative. See also: posting/failing to delete posts shown irrefutably to be AI generated/images from a completely different time or place or conflict than the one claimed, etc

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 14

Yep, Valencia is another amazing Spanish city!

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 14

Contested, I'm sure, and complicated, but with a good deal of underlying truth, I think. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convive...

Convivencia - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convivencia#:~:text=Jerrilynn%20Dodds%20references%20this%20concept,or%20“attacked%20each%20other.”

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 14

True. There were large Jewish quarters in many Spanish cities including Cordoba and Seville until Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 by Catholic co-rulers Ferdinand and Isabella

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 14

Cordoba. Seville is amazing, Cordoba is even better, in my view,

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 11

And it still provides funding to support young people wanting to do a mini Grand Tour ... ics.sas.ac.uk/awards/award...

Society of Dilettanti (2025)

ics.sas.ac.uk

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Sep 7

Whether or not you agree with the suggested action (I'm inclined to) this is an excellent exposition of just how bad things have got www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...

Opinion | Stop Acting Like This Is Normal

www.nytimes.com

Charles Stewart @charlescharles.bsky.social · Aug 30

Curious lack of Random Capitalisations too.

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