Will Cooling
@willcooling.bsky.social
Writes & Hosts the It Could Be Said substack & podcast; https://itcouldbesaid.substack.com/
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Ah yes, all those conservative governments that borrowed money to increase infrastructure spending, public sector wages and benefit spending 🤦♂️
The last budget was conservative in the traditional sense. Taxes were raised chiefly to maintain fiscal headroom and the main goal was (again) avoiding raising taxes than can actually raise significant amounts of money (because they'd be unpopular)
February 11, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Ah yes, all those conservative governments that borrowed money to increase infrastructure spending, public sector wages and benefit spending 🤦♂️
This might be as stupid as the Democrats taking the political hit to push electric cars but managing to make Elon Musk a mortal enemy AND letting him take over Twitter
An equalisation of the minimum wage that will hit youth employment while at the same time sneering about how Gen Z's 'anxiety' is why Neets are going up - probably the ur-example of how this government is too rightwing, too leftwing, and at its core, just not serious enough about policy.
February 11, 2026 at 12:42 PM
This might be as stupid as the Democrats taking the political hit to push electric cars but managing to make Elon Musk a mortal enemy AND letting him take over Twitter
Reposted by Will Cooling
This is exactly it. On essentially every issue, this Labour government is either too leftwing - a bunch of anti-business measures that nobody cares about, an infrastructure binge at a time when it should want downward pressure on rates, etc. etc. - or too rightwing (as set out below).
This convo has been had so many times but it’s worth repeating - most left wing people in 2026 are progressives who aren’t keen on things like Reformy style immigration policies or cuts to welfare for disabled ppl.
They aren’t checking state spending rates in their analysis of left vs right
They aren’t checking state spending rates in their analysis of left vs right
If Starmer changes tack or is replaced by someone to his “left”, the main shift will be tonal because the government has just been quite left wing. It put up taxes, spent more on public services and gave unions a load more powers
February 11, 2026 at 12:33 PM
This is exactly it. On essentially every issue, this Labour government is either too leftwing - a bunch of anti-business measures that nobody cares about, an infrastructure binge at a time when it should want downward pressure on rates, etc. etc. - or too rightwing (as set out below).
Latent? We used to be a proper country.....
At policy and politics events in London too often a latent francophobia shines through that British political and intellectual elites no longer have the luxury to afford
February 11, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Latent? We used to be a proper country.....
Reposted by Will Cooling
Military leadership (which I'm assuming Carns excelled at) is about doing what you are told - you are expected to be highly competent/ organised/ disciplined, but absolutely *not* set the direction or even really think very much at all about the bigger picture.
Remind you of anyone?
Remind you of anyone?
February 11, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Military leadership (which I'm assuming Carns excelled at) is about doing what you are told - you are expected to be highly competent/ organised/ disciplined, but absolutely *not* set the direction or even really think very much at all about the bigger picture.
Remind you of anyone?
Remind you of anyone?
People do realise that the only professional soldiers to lead British political parties led the Tories to epoch-defining defeats in 1831 and 1945, right?
Alistair Carns: Labour’s ex-marine who ‘would be a nightmare’ for the Tories
Alistair Carns: Labour’s ex-marine who ‘would be a nightmare’ for the Tories
Amid leadership speculation, former commando has been quietly talked about as a possible future contender
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:39 AM
People do realise that the only professional soldiers to lead British political parties led the Tories to epoch-defining defeats in 1831 and 1945, right?
I'm sorry, if you're cheating on someone within three months of meeting them then you're clearly incapable of monogamy or just not that into them.
Also using a Olympic win to try and bully them to take you back is just gross
Also using a Olympic win to try and bully them to take you back is just gross
Norwegian biathlete wins Olympic bronze, then confesses to cheating on girlfriend
Norwegian biathlete wins Olympic bronze, then confesses to cheating on girlfriend
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid won bronze at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, then used his post-race interview to admit he cheated on his girlfriend.
www.latimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:32 AM
I'm sorry, if you're cheating on someone within three months of meeting them then you're clearly incapable of monogamy or just not that into them.
Also using a Olympic win to try and bully them to take you back is just gross
Also using a Olympic win to try and bully them to take you back is just gross
For the love of god, just charge people to read you. Anything must be better than churning out nonsense like this every day.
‘Boy kibble’: why are young men turning to dog food for meal inspiration?
‘Boy kibble’: why are young men turning to dog food for meal inspiration?
The dried food, traditionally for pets, has become an unlikely influence for meal preppers. Some commenters have even claimed the trend could be an antidote to toxic masculinity
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:08 PM
For the love of god, just charge people to read you. Anything must be better than churning out nonsense like this every day.
Because it stands for Make Artists Grating Again
From Melania to Kid Rock’s halftime show: why is Maga art so dreadful?
From Melania to Kid Rock’s halftime show: why is Maga art so dreadful?
As the right stokes culture wars, their alternatives to ‘woke’ Hollywood prove to be shoddily made and uninspired
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Because it stands for Make Artists Grating Again
Look...this is the man who discovered that people will like it if you promise more money for the NHS and less money for foreigners or regional politicians.
Who are we mere NPCs to doubt the originality of his thoughts?
Who are we mere NPCs to doubt the originality of his thoughts?
Right, but if you strip out the hyperbole it's just "the public are angry about the cost of living, immigration and the NHS and don't particularly understand any of them" which, sure, but what do I do with that?
You may not like it, but strip out the hyperbole and abuse and it's quite hard to argue with this Cummings asssessment of the public mood
February 10, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Look...this is the man who discovered that people will like it if you promise more money for the NHS and less money for foreigners or regional politicians.
Who are we mere NPCs to doubt the originality of his thoughts?
Who are we mere NPCs to doubt the originality of his thoughts?
Poland getting the bomb at some point in the next fifty years has to be a live possibility
Poles no longer trusting the US for protection is a really big story. 27% of respondents see EU states as main source of assistance in emergency vs 15% the Americans. That said nearly 25% say Poland cannot on either US or EU states.
h/t @euractiv.com
h/t @euractiv.com
UE czy USA?
Według badania przeprowadzonego przez Opinia24 na zlecenie RMF FM w obliczu potencjalnego zagrożenia Polacy częściej liczą na wsparcie europejskich sąsiadów niż na pomoc zza oceanu. Najnowszy sondaż u...
www.rmf24.pl
February 10, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Poland getting the bomb at some point in the next fifty years has to be a live possibility
Choosing to believe this is like President Snow in The Hunger Games visiting his garden before launching a fresh offensive
February 10, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Choosing to believe this is like President Snow in The Hunger Games visiting his garden before launching a fresh offensive
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... I breakdown the troubles that The RTD2 Era of Doctor Who had before offering my own suggestion for a new format for the show - serialised stories that are delivered across a week on TV and can then live on in streaming as a de facto movie
It Could Be Said #85 We Need To Have A Conversation About Who
Will looks at where Doctor Who has gone wrong and how to put it right
itcouldbesaid.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:58 AM
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... I breakdown the troubles that The RTD2 Era of Doctor Who had before offering my own suggestion for a new format for the show - serialised stories that are delivered across a week on TV and can then live on in streaming as a de facto movie
So my last four substacks have been about how the budget stored up problems for the future, England throwing away the Ashes, pro-wrestling having a horrible 2025 & why Starmer must go. Time for a happier topic like...(checks notes)...the state of Doctor Who in 2026
open.substack.com/pub/itcouldb...
open.substack.com/pub/itcouldb...
It Could Be Said #85 We Need To Have A Conversation About Who
Will looks at where Doctor Who has gone wrong and how to put it right
open.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:49 AM
So my last four substacks have been about how the budget stored up problems for the future, England throwing away the Ashes, pro-wrestling having a horrible 2025 & why Starmer must go. Time for a happier topic like...(checks notes)...the state of Doctor Who in 2026
open.substack.com/pub/itcouldb...
open.substack.com/pub/itcouldb...
Broke: old Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism (www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...)
Woke: new Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism
Woke: new Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism
The way to frame the LDP’s core ideology is robust Japanese nationalism, a “superpower” that can impact the global world order. Everything else flows downstream of this (its progressive welfare policies, friendliness with former adversaries like Korea, welcoming immigrants under Abe)
i mean the funny thing is that the natsec wing of the LDP has basically decided that closer ties with Korea are worthwhile (and i think the lunatics who are against it have drifted off to CPJ or Sanseito)
February 10, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Broke: old Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism (www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...)
Woke: new Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism
Woke: new Japan as an inspiration for British patriotic centrism
You can take the province out of France, but you can't take the France out of the province
1. Encourage immigration from Francophone countries to maintain a linguistic majority
2. ???
3. Complain about immigrants
2. ???
3. Complain about immigrants
February 9, 2026 at 11:58 PM
You can take the province out of France, but you can't take the France out of the province
So the problem is that unless you drastically change how council housing work it *is* just for the neediest & unless you change society's attitude to housing wealth it *is* aspirational to move from any form of tenancy to home ownership.
Missed this at the time but very interesting and revealing bit on Steve Reed's philosophy re council housing in this interview by @danielhewittitv.bsky.social - thinks it isn't aspirational and just for the neediest (with no aim to change that). Opposite of Rayner's "social housing revolution":
Can Labour REALLY solve Britain’s housing crisis? | ITV News
YouTube video by ITV News
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:25 PM
So the problem is that unless you drastically change how council housing work it *is* just for the neediest & unless you change society's attitude to housing wealth it *is* aspirational to move from any form of tenancy to home ownership.
I just tell myself that I'm writing all the right letters but not necessarily in the right order
Okay but what about us ADHD impulsives who desperately need an edit button?
February 9, 2026 at 10:00 PM
I just tell myself that I'm writing all the right letters but not necessarily in the right order
Took me a second to realise this was a Canadian skeet and not someone finally taking the Tories to task for being #softonstuarts
In hindsight it's not that surprising that Tories, whose national identity was historically based on loyalty to a foreign monarch, wouldn't struggle too much with changing the monarch from one in London to one in Washington.
February 9, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Took me a second to realise this was a Canadian skeet and not someone finally taking the Tories to task for being #softonstuarts
Writing off of local government SEND debts and nationalising the whole program is genuinely a good thing Labour is doing. Should be doing the same thing with social care too.
Labour has announced the final Local Government Financial Settlement, ahead of debate in the Commons on Wednesday.
And there are some great headlines!
+ 90% of SEND debts to be written off
+ £272m more to support people at risk of homelessness - bringing the total to £2.7bn
1/2
And there are some great headlines!
+ 90% of SEND debts to be written off
+ £272m more to support people at risk of homelessness - bringing the total to £2.7bn
1/2
February 9, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Writing off of local government SEND debts and nationalising the whole program is genuinely a good thing Labour is doing. Should be doing the same thing with social care too.
A photo of the next Labour Prime Minister and to her right Wes Streeting
Ignore the smears: I was never a close friend of Peter Mandelson. And I fully understand the lessons we must learn | Wes Streeting
Ignore the smears: I was never a close friend of Peter Mandelson. And I fully understand the lessons we must learn | Wes Streeting
I knew him but not well, and worry now that he thrived in our political culture. There was a failure of moral seriousness, says health secretary Wes Streeting
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:06 PM
A photo of the next Labour Prime Minister and to her right Wes Streeting
It was always bullshit. Johnson should have resigned at least 6 months earlier. They were remarkably forebearing with Sunak & May even after both blew up their governments by rolling out mad policies that everyone hated. Even Truss was allowed to stay as Prime Minister longer than she should have
Gonna have to admit that maybe those of us saying “you’re all addicted to Brexit psychodrama, normal parties don’t just replace their leaders within two years of an election” called it wrong
February 9, 2026 at 5:15 PM
It was always bullshit. Johnson should have resigned at least 6 months earlier. They were remarkably forebearing with Sunak & May even after both blew up their governments by rolling out mad policies that everyone hated. Even Truss was allowed to stay as Prime Minister longer than she should have
This is all started to seem a bit, "A Labour Leader resigned this week but not necessarily the one you were expecting", isn't it?
February 9, 2026 at 3:28 PM
This is all started to seem a bit, "A Labour Leader resigned this week but not necessarily the one you were expecting", isn't it?
Reposted by Will Cooling
Starmer defining himself against corbyn and boris and becoming both corbyn and boris....absolute cinema. Wish it didn't affect me
February 9, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Starmer defining himself against corbyn and boris and becoming both corbyn and boris....absolute cinema. Wish it didn't affect me
Nothing Labour about not being rocked by a scandal involving Peter Mandelson
February 9, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Nothing Labour about not being rocked by a scandal involving Peter Mandelson