Nathan🌹
@nathanwylabour.bsky.social
24 | Labour member | ✝️ 🏳️🌈
Much of what the media will present as certain parts of the country abandoning one party for another is just demographic change plus differential turnout.
The number of people who have gone from being core Labour voters to Boris/Farage voters is pretty small.
The number of people who have gone from being core Labour voters to Boris/Farage voters is pretty small.
What you quickly learn canvassing in Red Wall type areas (and I guess I sort of knew it instinctively having grown up in a Red Wall adjacent area) is that Labour voters in those areas are really not that different to Labour voters elsewhere
November 14, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Much of what the media will present as certain parts of the country abandoning one party for another is just demographic change plus differential turnout.
The number of people who have gone from being core Labour voters to Boris/Farage voters is pretty small.
The number of people who have gone from being core Labour voters to Boris/Farage voters is pretty small.
Loved this so much. I have such vivid memories of listening to Life in Cartoon Motion as a kid and the sheer joy it brought me.
youtu.be/vIedyQUmm1I?...
youtu.be/vIedyQUmm1I?...
'Grace Kelly' with Mika | Queer the Music with Jake Shears
YouTube video by Mercury Studios
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Loved this so much. I have such vivid memories of listening to Life in Cartoon Motion as a kid and the sheer joy it brought me.
youtu.be/vIedyQUmm1I?...
youtu.be/vIedyQUmm1I?...
There's a lot that it is obviously not biblical, but the thing that immediately lept out at me was the mismatch of tenses
AI slop now making up saccharine Bible verses that do not exist
November 14, 2025 at 10:34 PM
There's a lot that it is obviously not biblical, but the thing that immediately lept out at me was the mismatch of tenses
I found this very interesting
open.spotify.com/episode/0BlZ...
open.spotify.com/episode/0BlZ...
Inside No. 10: The creaky house that runs Britain
open.spotify.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I found this very interesting
open.spotify.com/episode/0BlZ...
open.spotify.com/episode/0BlZ...
Was speaking to a Labour friend last night about next year's locals, and we agreed that we think they'll be worse for us in London than in the other major cities, for a number of reasons:
November 14, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Was speaking to a Labour friend last night about next year's locals, and we agreed that we think they'll be worse for us in London than in the other major cities, for a number of reasons:
Reading this, for a split second I thought 'wait, are bin collections are not weekly in some areas?'
Then I remembered. But it does make me realise how fortunate I am to have a well-run council.
Then I remembered. But it does make me realise how fortunate I am to have a well-run council.
Everything they do should be about what best sets up whichever fresh-faced MP becomes the leader in January 2029 to go 'I'm new! Inflation is down, interest rates are down, bin collections are weekly, GP appointments are up and the police catch criminals again!'
November 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reading this, for a split second I thought 'wait, are bin collections are not weekly in some areas?'
Then I remembered. But it does make me realise how fortunate I am to have a well-run council.
Then I remembered. But it does make me realise how fortunate I am to have a well-run council.
Can someone help me out, I genuinely have no idea what this person is on about
November 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Can someone help me out, I genuinely have no idea what this person is on about
It's the 'be social democratic, not labourist' thing that needs stating again and again.
Trying to be a hyper-class-conscious stakeholder party never was a particularly successful electoral strategy, but attempting it *in 2025* is absolute madness.
Trying to be a hyper-class-conscious stakeholder party never was a particularly successful electoral strategy, but attempting it *in 2025* is absolute madness.
And then New Labour were able to come in, hold thresholds down below wage growth, then use tax credits to effect redistribution to low income families.
Which was a partial step towards becoming a proper social democratic party rather than a working class labourist party.
Which was a partial step towards becoming a proper social democratic party rather than a working class labourist party.
November 14, 2025 at 12:11 PM
It's the 'be social democratic, not labourist' thing that needs stating again and again.
Trying to be a hyper-class-conscious stakeholder party never was a particularly successful electoral strategy, but attempting it *in 2025* is absolute madness.
Trying to be a hyper-class-conscious stakeholder party never was a particularly successful electoral strategy, but attempting it *in 2025* is absolute madness.
Coming round to the view (which IIRC @willcooling.bsky.social has posted about before?) that it would be useful if we reintroduced the 10p income tax rate
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Coming round to the view (which IIRC @willcooling.bsky.social has posted about before?) that it would be useful if we reintroduced the 10p income tax rate
I don't disagree with the broader point here, but it's important to note that the personal allowance under New Labour, adjusted for inflation, was roughly *a third* lower than it is today
November 14, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I don't disagree with the broader point here, but it's important to note that the personal allowance under New Labour, adjusted for inflation, was roughly *a third* lower than it is today
And this is eventually what's going to deflate the housing market for young families looking to buy.
Because pensioners will be poor again, like they always used to be.
Because pensioners will be poor again, like they always used to be.
Indeed, and a lot of people aged c43 are going to retire without secure housing, higher levels of renting retirees are baked in at this point.
November 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
And this is eventually what's going to deflate the housing market for young families looking to buy.
Because pensioners will be poor again, like they always used to be.
Because pensioners will be poor again, like they always used to be.
As a northerner I'm understandably bitter about HS2 stopping at Birmingham – but at the same time Birmingham's economy really does *need* it in a way that Leeds and Manchester don't
Birmingham has already begun touting itself as "effectively in zone 7" once HS2 opens, because on a time basis you could plausibly rent (for much cheaper) in central Birmingham, WFH and pop to the central London office 1-2 days a week a lot quicker than *actually* trying to rent in London zones 1-4
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
As a northerner I'm understandably bitter about HS2 stopping at Birmingham – but at the same time Birmingham's economy really does *need* it in a way that Leeds and Manchester don't
Reposted by Nathan🌹
“Cycle to Work should be about helping ordinary commuters switch to greener travel, not giving tax breaks to high earners... for weekend rides in the Surrey Hills,” said one government figure.
why does 'government figure' always sound like the most miserable, jealous person on the planet
why does 'government figure' always sound like the most miserable, jealous person on the planet
November 13, 2025 at 3:48 PM
“Cycle to Work should be about helping ordinary commuters switch to greener travel, not giving tax breaks to high earners... for weekend rides in the Surrey Hills,” said one government figure.
why does 'government figure' always sound like the most miserable, jealous person on the planet
why does 'government figure' always sound like the most miserable, jealous person on the planet
Whisper it, but this is also why I think we need to explore elements of the Australian healthcare model.
As our society ages, there's a risk that the national budget becomes dominated by healthcare costs, just as council budgets are dominated by social care costs now.
As our society ages, there's a risk that the national budget becomes dominated by healthcare costs, just as council budgets are dominated by social care costs now.
You really do need to socialise the risk, but you also need to treat it like an element of a pension rather than general government spending IMO.
The problem with 'just nationalise it' is you end up with the same scarcity-driven provision but at central rather than local government level.
The problem with 'just nationalise it' is you end up with the same scarcity-driven provision but at central rather than local government level.
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Whisper it, but this is also why I think we need to explore elements of the Australian healthcare model.
As our society ages, there's a risk that the national budget becomes dominated by healthcare costs, just as council budgets are dominated by social care costs now.
As our society ages, there's a risk that the national budget becomes dominated by healthcare costs, just as council budgets are dominated by social care costs now.
The correlation between successful chancellorships and formal economics training is actually pretty weak – I suspect because effective political economic governance is a rather different (and more ideological) challenge, to economics scholarship
Who in labour actually has an econ degree? Not PPE, not history, not a 1yr masters, a full degree. Any idea?
November 12, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The correlation between successful chancellorships and formal economics training is actually pretty weak – I suspect because effective political economic governance is a rather different (and more ideological) challenge, to economics scholarship
They are both incredibly smart policy people, but if I'm being totally honest I'm not sure they have much of an overarching economic ideology
I think youll find people with broader theories lower down the ministerial ranks - Miatta, Torsten etc
November 12, 2025 at 6:37 PM
They are both incredibly smart policy people, but if I'm being totally honest I'm not sure they have much of an overarching economic ideology
Reposted by Nathan🌹
technocrats appointed, chancellor from the old right struggling to manage the economy with the red line (no devaluation/no red line) a cabinet in the wrong jobs, social change the party doesn’t understand, a chronically weak economy and a belief ‘Labour planning’ fixes all.
November 11, 2025 at 11:30 PM
technocrats appointed, chancellor from the old right struggling to manage the economy with the red line (no devaluation/no red line) a cabinet in the wrong jobs, social change the party doesn’t understand, a chronically weak economy and a belief ‘Labour planning’ fixes all.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
The weird thing is reading Pimlotts book on Wilson made me hate Wilson which weirdly has made me dislike Keir even more. It’s literally a play by play of the Wilson first term!
November 11, 2025 at 11:28 PM
The weird thing is reading Pimlotts book on Wilson made me hate Wilson which weirdly has made me dislike Keir even more. It’s literally a play by play of the Wilson first term!
Hmm, there are structural elements to the UK's political problems, for sure – but I think the bigger factor in this instance is the suitability of the current occupant of No. 10 for the leadership of his party and the country
And the story behind that story is majority size isn’t a stable indicator of power in the U.K. any more. It’s no longer a PM or party specific issue at this point. It’s structural.
The important story behind this story is that someone in Downing Street is having a breakdown:
November 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Hmm, there are structural elements to the UK's political problems, for sure – but I think the bigger factor in this instance is the suitability of the current occupant of No. 10 for the leadership of his party and the country
And yet they do belong to different traditions (or rather in Starmer's case his team - McSweeney et al - do), in a way that makes the latter very insecure
The attack on Wes is also hilarious as again it’s very much crossing the room to slap someone who is one of the PMs allies!
November 11, 2025 at 11:25 PM
And yet they do belong to different traditions (or rather in Starmer's case his team - McSweeney et al - do), in a way that makes the latter very insecure
Torn between:
a) being a postgrad research student is good for me because it can accommodate my tendency to cycle between procrastination and hyperfocus
b) being a postgrad research student is bad for me because it doesn't provide me with any structure at all
a) being a postgrad research student is good for me because it can accommodate my tendency to cycle between procrastination and hyperfocus
b) being a postgrad research student is bad for me because it doesn't provide me with any structure at all
November 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Torn between:
a) being a postgrad research student is good for me because it can accommodate my tendency to cycle between procrastination and hyperfocus
b) being a postgrad research student is bad for me because it doesn't provide me with any structure at all
a) being a postgrad research student is good for me because it can accommodate my tendency to cycle between procrastination and hyperfocus
b) being a postgrad research student is bad for me because it doesn't provide me with any structure at all
Great thread, demonstrating that the housing shortage is not entirely the fault of the planning system after all (shock horror)
UK construction employment was 2.05 million in 2025 Q3; 1.3% lower than in Q2 & 4.1% lower than in Q1, before the house building slowdown & employers’ National Insurance Contributions rise, & lower thresholds, in April, according to the ONS. (1/n)
#ukhousing #ukconstruction
#ukhousing #ukconstruction
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Great thread, demonstrating that the housing shortage is not entirely the fault of the planning system after all (shock horror)
As I've argued before, I think it's possible to see the outlines of a strong Labour platform if you combine the liberalism of Carney's LPC, the developmentalism and commitment to growth and affordability of Sánchez's PSOE, and the broad-based egalitarianism of Nordic social democrats.
It's not an issue of left and right in the traditional sense.
One can imagine an alternative Labour platform: firmly in the centre ground economically, defiantly liberal, clear that our national geopolitical interest lies with Europe and not the US, proactive in its appointments to public bodies.
One can imagine an alternative Labour platform: firmly in the centre ground economically, defiantly liberal, clear that our national geopolitical interest lies with Europe and not the US, proactive in its appointments to public bodies.
November 11, 2025 at 10:02 AM
As I've argued before, I think it's possible to see the outlines of a strong Labour platform if you combine the liberalism of Carney's LPC, the developmentalism and commitment to growth and affordability of Sánchez's PSOE, and the broad-based egalitarianism of Nordic social democrats.
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
Remember, when journalists just let trans people live their lives in peace, it’s “ideological capture”, but when they use their own personal anti-trans beliefs to lead a campaign to close down the only place in the country trans youth received healthcare, it’s absolutely fine, nothing to see here.
Emily Maitlis admitting she worked at the bbc to try and get healthcare for trans people shut down
November 10, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Remember, when journalists just let trans people live their lives in peace, it’s “ideological capture”, but when they use their own personal anti-trans beliefs to lead a campaign to close down the only place in the country trans youth received healthcare, it’s absolutely fine, nothing to see here.