Reposted by Ross
Encapsulates this government perfectly in this one sentence. ‘Fascinating to hear that Starmer is extremely proud of doing something that he last year suspended seven of his MPs for voting for.’
Reeves and Starmer are a two-for-one deal - if she goes, he goes. What a cheering thought | Marina Hyde
Reeves and Starmer are a two-for-one deal - if she goes, he goes. What a cheering thought | Marina Hyde
It’s week two of budget black-hole gate. When will it all end? Probably after the May elections, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Encapsulates this government perfectly in this one sentence. ‘Fascinating to hear that Starmer is extremely proud of doing something that he last year suspended seven of his MPs for voting for.’
Reposted by Ross
If you believe a president who pardons drug dealers is fighting a war on drugs I don’t know how to help you…
December 2, 2025 at 3:11 PM
If you believe a president who pardons drug dealers is fighting a war on drugs I don’t know how to help you…
Reposted by Ross
So many policy debates would be better understood (I’m not saying they would necessarily have better outcomes) if we used percentage figures. Tesco’s pre-tax profit of 4.5 per cent, for example.
I think there might be a case for retiring millions and billions from our vocabulary entirely, and expressing public spending as multiples of a house price.
"The government today committed to spending three streets of terraced housing in Middlesbrough on the NHS to cut waiting lists."
"The government today committed to spending three streets of terraced housing in Middlesbrough on the NHS to cut waiting lists."
December 1, 2025 at 3:50 PM
So many policy debates would be better understood (I’m not saying they would necessarily have better outcomes) if we used percentage figures. Tesco’s pre-tax profit of 4.5 per cent, for example.
Reposted by Ross
Just to actually address some things that are driving me mad:
The government has pledged to bring down immigration and is relying on higher migration to make its budgets work.
They have reduced tax incentives for saving in pension schemes whilst perceiving those schemes as engines of investment.
The government has pledged to bring down immigration and is relying on higher migration to make its budgets work.
They have reduced tax incentives for saving in pension schemes whilst perceiving those schemes as engines of investment.
There is an actual interesting little deceit in the budget, namely ther have the OBR still forecasting based on increasing net immigration back to 300-350k whilst the Home Secretary is promising to bring it down from 200k, which does dissolve about half the headroom, but somehow we're doing vibes.
Think this is exactly right - political journalism that is completely abstracted from policy, which was not the norm before 2017, has become the default. Impossible to have a serious attempt to either shrink what the state does or widen the tax base (have to do at least one) on that basis.
December 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Just to actually address some things that are driving me mad:
The government has pledged to bring down immigration and is relying on higher migration to make its budgets work.
They have reduced tax incentives for saving in pension schemes whilst perceiving those schemes as engines of investment.
The government has pledged to bring down immigration and is relying on higher migration to make its budgets work.
They have reduced tax incentives for saving in pension schemes whilst perceiving those schemes as engines of investment.
Reposted by Ross
The UK, where the day after a decision to take half a million children out of poverty, the media & political world has been full of sneering at those same children & their families, labelling them as ‘Benefits Street’, while the same people are moaning about a tax on £2m mansions. Shameful stuff.
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
The UK, where the day after a decision to take half a million children out of poverty, the media & political world has been full of sneering at those same children & their families, labelling them as ‘Benefits Street’, while the same people are moaning about a tax on £2m mansions. Shameful stuff.
Reposted by Ross
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
November 27, 2025 at 9:40 AM
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
Reposted by Ross
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
Reposted by Ross
I’M SICK OF AMERICANS
SAYING UKRAINE HAS LOST
Nothing is further from the truth and there’s been a lot of American talk that the war is nearly four years old and the only thing that can happen is Ukraine loses. Where in the history books can you show me an example of a defending power who has
SAYING UKRAINE HAS LOST
Nothing is further from the truth and there’s been a lot of American talk that the war is nearly four years old and the only thing that can happen is Ukraine loses. Where in the history books can you show me an example of a defending power who has
November 25, 2025 at 2:19 PM
I’M SICK OF AMERICANS
SAYING UKRAINE HAS LOST
Nothing is further from the truth and there’s been a lot of American talk that the war is nearly four years old and the only thing that can happen is Ukraine loses. Where in the history books can you show me an example of a defending power who has
SAYING UKRAINE HAS LOST
Nothing is further from the truth and there’s been a lot of American talk that the war is nearly four years old and the only thing that can happen is Ukraine loses. Where in the history books can you show me an example of a defending power who has
Reposted by Ross
Imagine praising "Latino parents are now so afraid to be seen out and about that they have a rota to walk the Latino children" and not wondering where your humanity went?
Trevor Philips in the Times, calling for a Trump/Miller-style of random deportations based on skin colour.
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 24, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Imagine praising "Latino parents are now so afraid to be seen out and about that they have a rota to walk the Latino children" and not wondering where your humanity went?
Reposted by Ross
Just a jaw-dropping paragraph in Trevor Phillips's column for The Times.
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
November 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Just a jaw-dropping paragraph in Trevor Phillips's column for The Times.
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Reposted by Ross
The House passed a resolution condemning socialism. Okay.
When are they going to pass a resolution condemning fascism?
When are they going to pass a resolution condemning fascism?
November 25, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The House passed a resolution condemning socialism. Okay.
When are they going to pass a resolution condemning fascism?
When are they going to pass a resolution condemning fascism?
Reposted by Ross
WHY NATO DOESN’T NEED AMERICA
I worked for years inside the command structure and it’s barely changed in principle. The only reason there is a SACEUR who is American is because the US supplied the majority of the air and land power and it had nuclear weapons.
It’s land component is considerably
I worked for years inside the command structure and it’s barely changed in principle. The only reason there is a SACEUR who is American is because the US supplied the majority of the air and land power and it had nuclear weapons.
It’s land component is considerably
November 25, 2025 at 6:59 AM
WHY NATO DOESN’T NEED AMERICA
I worked for years inside the command structure and it’s barely changed in principle. The only reason there is a SACEUR who is American is because the US supplied the majority of the air and land power and it had nuclear weapons.
It’s land component is considerably
I worked for years inside the command structure and it’s barely changed in principle. The only reason there is a SACEUR who is American is because the US supplied the majority of the air and land power and it had nuclear weapons.
It’s land component is considerably
Reposted by Ross
Are a small number of legacy disciplines dragging the whole of government down? A provocation:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Government seems increasingly unable to cope with the pace and complexity of today's world. Why? 1/n
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Government seems increasingly unable to cope with the pace and complexity of today's world. Why? 1/n
The disciplines theory of government
Are legacy disciplines dragging the whole operation down?
medium.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Are a small number of legacy disciplines dragging the whole of government down? A provocation:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Government seems increasingly unable to cope with the pace and complexity of today's world. Why? 1/n
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Government seems increasingly unable to cope with the pace and complexity of today's world. Why? 1/n
Reposted by Ross
Men will spend billions on building their own AI rather than go to therapy.
November 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Men will spend billions on building their own AI rather than go to therapy.
Reposted by Ross
“We Should All Be Epstein Conspiracy Theorists Now”
My take on Trump and Epstein, and the pretty stunning email from Epstein suggesting he could bring down Trump.
From this morning’s Zeteo ‘First Draft’ morning newsletter.
Read/share/subscribe:
My take on Trump and Epstein, and the pretty stunning email from Epstein suggesting he could bring down Trump.
From this morning’s Zeteo ‘First Draft’ morning newsletter.
Read/share/subscribe:
We Should All Be Epstein Conspiracy Theorists Now
Mehdi on the creepy dead pedophile who was threatening a creepy president, the latest from Marjorie Taylor Greene's revolt, and Gavin Newsom's ambitious attempt to unite the Democratic Party.
zeteo.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:26 PM
“We Should All Be Epstein Conspiracy Theorists Now”
My take on Trump and Epstein, and the pretty stunning email from Epstein suggesting he could bring down Trump.
From this morning’s Zeteo ‘First Draft’ morning newsletter.
Read/share/subscribe:
My take on Trump and Epstein, and the pretty stunning email from Epstein suggesting he could bring down Trump.
From this morning’s Zeteo ‘First Draft’ morning newsletter.
Read/share/subscribe:
Reposted by Ross
One line stuck out for me in @stephenkb.bsky.social 's excellent morning email today - "No other government since 1970 would have suggested that such a direct linkage between “immigration policy” and “the safety of ethnic minorities in the UK” was something we should accept." Not so sure on this.1/?
November 18, 2025 at 10:23 AM
One line stuck out for me in @stephenkb.bsky.social 's excellent morning email today - "No other government since 1970 would have suggested that such a direct linkage between “immigration policy” and “the safety of ethnic minorities in the UK” was something we should accept." Not so sure on this.1/?
Reposted by Ross
It doesn't seem great that we have an MP - albeit one estranged from Reform - who is now promoting explicit Powellite racism and hanging out with white nationalist accounts on X.
This is Lowe's own description of his position on reversing immigration and rising diversity, shared by the account that he credits with helping him to do the Star Wars image
June 13, 2025 at 8:14 AM
It doesn't seem great that we have an MP - albeit one estranged from Reform - who is now promoting explicit Powellite racism and hanging out with white nationalist accounts on X.
Don Broco at Engine Rooms yesterday were incredible!
Although I sweat so much I got stuck in my T-shirt trying to take it off for T-Shirt Song
Although I sweat so much I got stuck in my T-shirt trying to take it off for T-Shirt Song
June 11, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Don Broco at Engine Rooms yesterday were incredible!
Although I sweat so much I got stuck in my T-shirt trying to take it off for T-Shirt Song
Although I sweat so much I got stuck in my T-shirt trying to take it off for T-Shirt Song
I am soooooo excited for this!! 📽️
New poster for ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS’
Tickets go on sale tomorrow.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow.
June 3, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I am soooooo excited for this!! 📽️
Reposted by Ross
Starmer is correct. We can't tax our way to growth.
But we can *tax reform* our way to growth. Some ideas:
But we can *tax reform* our way to growth. Some ideas:
June 2, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Starmer is correct. We can't tax our way to growth.
But we can *tax reform* our way to growth. Some ideas:
But we can *tax reform* our way to growth. Some ideas:
Credit cards are for gig tickets right?
May 30, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Credit cards are for gig tickets right?
Why isn't the Labour government focusing on building more social housing?
Wouldn't that be an investment that pays for itself in the long run?
Wouldn't that be an investment that pays for itself in the long run?
May 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Why isn't the Labour government focusing on building more social housing?
Wouldn't that be an investment that pays for itself in the long run?
Wouldn't that be an investment that pays for itself in the long run?
May 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM
I've always hated that the camera at Wembley is on the side of the stadium it is. The view of the dugout area always looks so bare compared to the rest of the stands. It's especially noticeable at England games
#PlayOffFinal
#PlayOffFinal
May 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I've always hated that the camera at Wembley is on the side of the stadium it is. The view of the dugout area always looks so bare compared to the rest of the stands. It's especially noticeable at England games
#PlayOffFinal
#PlayOffFinal
Why doesn't Goodreads let you rate books in 0.5 star intervals?
May 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Why doesn't Goodreads let you rate books in 0.5 star intervals?