William Tilbrook
@wannowan58.bsky.social
Lib Dem 🔶 Campaign Organiser - Cambridge Lib Dems. 🏗 University of Kent. Economics and Politics Graduate. He/Him
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Doing a U-turn on a tax the market both wanted and expected on the day of the budget itself would have been absolute smackhead behaviour. From great piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Doing a U-turn on a tax the market both wanted and expected on the day of the budget itself would have been absolute smackhead behaviour. From great piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
Reposted by William Tilbrook
In the span of a hour, they stealth edited the article from trans woman to "biological male who identifies as a woman." The BBC isn't fit for purpose.
It looks like that BBC page has been updated in the last few minutes, so that's no longer the last sentence. I think part of it has been moved to this paragraph in the middle of the article, and the age is no longer mentioned:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM
In the span of a hour, they stealth edited the article from trans woman to "biological male who identifies as a woman." The BBC isn't fit for purpose.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
The UK is losing up to £250m a day in lost tax revenue due to the economic impact of Brexit, House of Commons Library analysis for the Lib Dems suggests.
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
November 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
The UK is losing up to £250m a day in lost tax revenue due to the economic impact of Brexit, House of Commons Library analysis for the Lib Dems suggests.
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Labour's governing ideology is convenientism: it would be convenient if, e.g. reducing legal immigration fixed their electoral problem with the boats. It would be convenient if you could reduce poverty only with popular measures like hiking the minimum wage, etc. etc. etc.
hmm, what exactly is her theory of the economy? i'm lost what a coherent if wrong viewpoint looks like here
November 24, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Labour's governing ideology is convenientism: it would be convenient if, e.g. reducing legal immigration fixed their electoral problem with the boats. It would be convenient if you could reduce poverty only with popular measures like hiking the minimum wage, etc. etc. etc.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
No-one would actually argue that the meteor was good, merely that it was 'cutting through' among undecided voters.
November 25, 2025 at 1:22 AM
No-one would actually argue that the meteor was good, merely that it was 'cutting through' among undecided voters.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
This will be a battle because there’s a lot of well meaning anthropologist types who really do believe it‘s racist to say that eg: traditional chinese medicine is mostly bullshit, but it’s a fight well worth having.
I'm all for woke 2 as long as we agree woo-woo is out, I want aggressively pro-science and medicine thanks
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
This will be a battle because there’s a lot of well meaning anthropologist types who really do believe it‘s racist to say that eg: traditional chinese medicine is mostly bullshit, but it’s a fight well worth having.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
This (from: www.ft.com/content/75ce...) is something you can *feel* if you are in the UK, especially if you've experienced living abroad. But infuriatingly successive governments and our entire media are somehow absolutely committed to suggesting anyone who wants to change this is the devil...
November 21, 2025 at 7:38 AM
This (from: www.ft.com/content/75ce...) is something you can *feel* if you are in the UK, especially if you've experienced living abroad. But infuriatingly successive governments and our entire media are somehow absolutely committed to suggesting anyone who wants to change this is the devil...
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Elected in 1972 as the first openly gay politician in the UK, Sam Green served his community with commitment and courage, and we’re proud that Ed Davey was there to unveil a plaque in his honour.
November 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Elected in 1972 as the first openly gay politician in the UK, Sam Green served his community with commitment and courage, and we’re proud that Ed Davey was there to unveil a plaque in his honour.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
FIlm adapting the weaker half of Wicked is weaker than film adapting the other half of Wicked, say critics. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Wicked: For Good leaves critics less spellbound than the first film
Several critics highlighted Ariana Grande's performance, but were cooler on the film overall.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
FIlm adapting the weaker half of Wicked is weaker than film adapting the other half of Wicked, say critics. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Once you've seen this you can't unsee it (ht @stephenkb.bsky.social). politicians trying to describe things as "is this Labour", "this is not Labour", "there is nothing Labour about this", "this has the mandate of Labour, it partakes of the Labour nature" as a substitute for good or bad.
November 18, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Once you've seen this you can't unsee it (ht @stephenkb.bsky.social). politicians trying to describe things as "is this Labour", "this is not Labour", "there is nothing Labour about this", "this has the mandate of Labour, it partakes of the Labour nature" as a substitute for good or bad.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
I am sure there will be no economic or structual consequences to this, in a country with a rapidly aging population and unsustainable population pyramid
Net migration now estimated to have fallen from 944,000 to 345,000 in Dec ‘24.
Some projections even suggest David Cameron’s old target of “tens of thousands” could be met. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
Some projections even suggest David Cameron’s old target of “tens of thousands” could be met. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
The coming collapse in immigration to the United Kingdom - UK in a changing Europe
James Bowes analyses the fall in net migration to the UK as a result of government policies and explores some of the political and economic consequences.
ukandeu.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I am sure there will be no economic or structual consequences to this, in a country with a rapidly aging population and unsustainable population pyramid
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there are loads of votes in “the Ed Miliband agenda, but we tell anyone who liked Ed Miliband they are dirty liberals who should be ashamed”.
i: Reeves privately tells Labour MPs: I’ll hit wealthy with a mansion tax in Budget #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 18, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there are loads of votes in “the Ed Miliband agenda, but we tell anyone who liked Ed Miliband they are dirty liberals who should be ashamed”.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Labour’s core voter is a Londoner. While they fret about imagined Reform defecting voters in the “red wall” they’re at risk of losing their 21st century heartland entirely.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-l...
www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-l...
November 18, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Labour’s core voter is a Londoner. While they fret about imagined Reform defecting voters in the “red wall” they’re at risk of losing their 21st century heartland entirely.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-l...
www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-l...
Reposted by William Tilbrook
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Putting aside the moral issues with the arguement... it's notable the govt isn't really arguing for the policy in a evidence or policy based way.
It's purely about politics and political impacts. Both electorally and 'Reform would do worse'
It's purely about politics and political impacts. Both electorally and 'Reform would do worse'
Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...
Defence of Labour asylum policy reveals backsliding on racism
Home secretary’s framing of failures is partly low politics, but also a result of ministers’ poor approach to race relations
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Putting aside the moral issues with the arguement... it's notable the govt isn't really arguing for the policy in a evidence or policy based way.
It's purely about politics and political impacts. Both electorally and 'Reform would do worse'
It's purely about politics and political impacts. Both electorally and 'Reform would do worse'
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...
Defence of Labour asylum policy reveals backsliding on racism
Home secretary’s framing of failures is partly low politics, but also a result of ministers’ poor approach to race relations
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...
Reposted by William Tilbrook
State-endorsed robbery is no way to fix the asylum system.
November 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
State-endorsed robbery is no way to fix the asylum system.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
“So, we didn’t implement the thing that anti-immigration voters actually want, nor did we explain why we weren’t. But we did go on and on about how bad immigration was” - what happened next will shock you!
November 17, 2025 at 5:10 PM
“So, we didn’t implement the thing that anti-immigration voters actually want, nor did we explain why we weren’t. But we did go on and on about how bad immigration was” - what happened next will shock you!
Reposted by William Tilbrook
That the tax pledge has already been broken - in both spirit and letter, given how it was drafted! - is weirdly overlooked
also it's too clever (or stupid) by half - hardly anyone thinks Labour has stuck to its promises *because it hasn't*. Raising employers NI broke a manifesto promise! Scrapping Dilnot, while barely noticed, also broke a manifesto promise. And winter fuel was seen that way too
bsky.app/profile/cjte...
bsky.app/profile/cjte...
I like the briefing that "Morgan thinks that you shouldn't break promises to recapture trust", because the public didn't think you were promising to improve public services?
November 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
That the tax pledge has already been broken - in both spirit and letter, given how it was drafted! - is weirdly overlooked
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Music trivia nerd 2065 “Rogers and Hammerstein actually originated many of the songs later more successfully covered by Sir Ed Davey.”
A sign that I don’t have a big enough hinterland is that I saw this and went “oh, THAT’s where the Lib Dem Glee Club song comes from!”
November 16, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Music trivia nerd 2065 “Rogers and Hammerstein actually originated many of the songs later more successfully covered by Sir Ed Davey.”
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Even if such an organised campaign existed, which it doesn’t, it would be pretty easy to counter if the government didn’t keep coming out with shit like “confiscate jewellery from asylum seekers”
November 17, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Even if such an organised campaign existed, which it doesn’t, it would be pretty easy to counter if the government didn’t keep coming out with shit like “confiscate jewellery from asylum seekers”
Reposted by William Tilbrook
People say Cancel Culture is real and then you see Lydia Tár being invited to meet the Pope. 🙄
November 15, 2025 at 4:29 PM
People say Cancel Culture is real and then you see Lydia Tár being invited to meet the Pope. 🙄
Reposted by William Tilbrook
'Four cones wins, but in order to get a cone you have to build a civilization. Which is where the spirit cards come in'
November 15, 2025 at 11:25 PM
'Four cones wins, but in order to get a cone you have to build a civilization. Which is where the spirit cards come in'
Reposted by William Tilbrook
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
November 14, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
Reposted by William Tilbrook
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!
Issue for Labour now isn't whether they break their manifesto pledge on tax. It is whether they do so in a way which is blatant, honest but sustainable - or whether they do so by a myriad of complex and likely insufficient means whilst arguing they are not.
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!