William Wright
@williamw1.bsky.social
Founder of think tank New Financial. Bigger & better capital markets in Europe. ‘Top City wonk’ - CityAM. Expert on the decline of ties - Daily Mail
Really interesting article but it's important to note that the 'cost' of these schemes is more than just the cash cost. Moving to a funded model would make them more sustainable, reduce the cost of funding them, boost investment + improve the UK's net investment position www.ft.com/content/afa6...
Are the UK’s public sector pensions unaffordable?
The Reform party has set its sights on unfunded schemes — but not everyone agrees they are a ‘major problem’
www.ft.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Really interesting article but it's important to note that the 'cost' of these schemes is more than just the cash cost. Moving to a funded model would make them more sustainable, reduce the cost of funding them, boost investment + improve the UK's net investment position www.ft.com/content/afa6...
This is going to hammer sales of Cadillac and Chevrolet in the UK
this is very bad but I’m curious what effect it’s going to have in practice - if American car manufacturers move back towards extremely emissions-heavy cars they are basically surrendering the global market and are extremely vulnerable to domestic politics shifting back
it’s bad business
it’s bad business
“The U.S. no longer has emission standards of any meaning,” said Margo T. Oge, who served as the E.P.A.’s top vehicle emissions regulator under three presidents and has since advised both automakers and environmental groups…
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
February 16, 2026 at 10:06 PM
This is going to hammer sales of Cadillac and Chevrolet in the UK
Reposted by William Wright
In the Navy, NASA, and the Senate, I’ve served under many presidents whose integrity and dedication to upholding our Constitution made our country stronger. On Presidents’ Day, I’m especially grateful for the leaders throughout our history who’ve embodied those principles.
February 16, 2026 at 7:34 PM
In the Navy, NASA, and the Senate, I’ve served under many presidents whose integrity and dedication to upholding our Constitution made our country stronger. On Presidents’ Day, I’m especially grateful for the leaders throughout our history who’ve embodied those principles.
This looks more like a small number of member states trying to get ahead of what they fear may be coming down the pipeline from the EU (like the 'Finance Europe' initiative last year...) than a serious attempt to create a 'unified capital market' between them ... 1/2 www.ceps.eu/finance-euro...
EU finance ministers from the bloc’s six biggest economies are meeting this morning in a bid to put a two-speed Europe into action — starting with a unified capital market.
Brussels Playbook has more 👇
Brussels Playbook has more 👇
Big six plot to crash through on CMU
Presented by Neste By NICHOLAS VINOCUR PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur @GabrielGavin | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser On today’s Brussels…
www.politico.eu
February 16, 2026 at 2:48 PM
This looks more like a small number of member states trying to get ahead of what they fear may be coming down the pipeline from the EU (like the 'Finance Europe' initiative last year...) than a serious attempt to create a 'unified capital market' between them ... 1/2 www.ceps.eu/finance-euro...
This is a great example of challenging the prevailing approach to reform of "let's take a really complicated and dysfunctional system that we inherited and try to make it a little less complicated and dysfunctional" with a "maybe we could just stop doing it that way and start again?" approach.
New post out:
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
Build the Rail! Save the Snails!
How to speed up the planning system without trashing the environment
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:37 PM
This is a great example of challenging the prevailing approach to reform of "let's take a really complicated and dysfunctional system that we inherited and try to make it a little less complicated and dysfunctional" with a "maybe we could just stop doing it that way and start again?" approach.
Reposted by William Wright
New post out:
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
Build the Rail! Save the Snails!
How to speed up the planning system without trashing the environment
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:32 AM
New post out:
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
We have a guest post today from the excellent @dsquareddigest.bsky.social.
"Build the Rail! Save the snails!"
Or how we don't need to sacrifice the environment to speed up our mad planning processes.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
'I'm sorry that my choice of alternative facts has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern' says the man who owns 100% of Manchester United, is worth £75bn, and who only paid £12 in UK tax last year.
February 12, 2026 at 6:37 PM
'I'm sorry that my choice of alternative facts has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern' says the man who owns 100% of Manchester United, is worth £75bn, and who only paid £12 in UK tax last year.
Reposted by William Wright
btw, Man Utd’s last starting 11 had the following nationalities:
Belgium, England, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, England, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Cameroon, Brazil
Belgium, England, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, England, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Cameroon, Brazil
February 12, 2026 at 8:32 AM
btw, Man Utd’s last starting 11 had the following nationalities:
Belgium, England, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, England, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Cameroon, Brazil
Belgium, England, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, England, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Cameroon, Brazil
‘Jesus, look at his butt muscles’ - my wife watching the French pair in the Olympics ice dance final
February 11, 2026 at 9:58 PM
‘Jesus, look at his butt muscles’ - my wife watching the French pair in the Olympics ice dance final
Reposted by William Wright
‘If Labour, with a massive majority, 18 months in office, & no immediate economic or security crisis like the 2008 financial crash or COVID to deal with, can't govern effectively, what does that say about British democracy?’
Good read from a former Tory spad
www.linkedin.com/pulse/watchi...
Good read from a former Tory spad
www.linkedin.com/pulse/watchi...
Watching Starmer's Government Collapse From the Other Side
I've seen this film before. Multiple times, actually.
www.linkedin.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:12 PM
‘If Labour, with a massive majority, 18 months in office, & no immediate economic or security crisis like the 2008 financial crash or COVID to deal with, can't govern effectively, what does that say about British democracy?’
Good read from a former Tory spad
www.linkedin.com/pulse/watchi...
Good read from a former Tory spad
www.linkedin.com/pulse/watchi...
A welcome vote of confidence in the U.K. that Alphabet thinks sterling will still be around in 100 years
(Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc. plans to sell a very rare 100-year bond as part of its mega debt issue, in the first sale of such long-dated debt by a technology firm since the late 1990s. The 100-year bond will be denominated in sterling, .. according to a person familiar with the matter.
#$GOOGL
#$GOOGL
February 9, 2026 at 11:29 PM
A welcome vote of confidence in the U.K. that Alphabet thinks sterling will still be around in 100 years
Reposted by William Wright
Reposted by William Wright
The good news about the latest spasm in U.K. politics is that one way or another we’re finally going to have a grown up debate about trade-offs, winners and losers, the role of the state, long-term policy, and what of sort of levels of tax everyone needs to pay if we want European style services…
February 9, 2026 at 3:50 PM
The good news about the latest spasm in U.K. politics is that one way or another we’re finally going to have a grown up debate about trade-offs, winners and losers, the role of the state, long-term policy, and what of sort of levels of tax everyone needs to pay if we want European style services…
Reposted by William Wright
Just caught up with the News. Not to sound selfish but I literally filed my final book corrections ONE HOUR AGO and I simply cannot cope with another British Prime Minister before it comes out in June. I already went mad writing in 2025 because EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
February 9, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Just caught up with the News. Not to sound selfish but I literally filed my final book corrections ONE HOUR AGO and I simply cannot cope with another British Prime Minister before it comes out in June. I already went mad writing in 2025 because EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
Reposted by William Wright
Oren Cass uses serious economics to trash finance in the NYT cepr.net/publications... Why don't all economists?
Oren Cass Uses Good Economics in Attacking Finance in NYT
Oren Cass is right to criticize a bloated financial sector that drains the economy through excessive trading, private equity abuse, and financial waste.
cepr.net
February 7, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Oren Cass uses serious economics to trash finance in the NYT cepr.net/publications... Why don't all economists?
Ireland have 20 minutes to do the funniest thing
February 5, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Ireland have 20 minutes to do the funniest thing
Capping the cash ISA allowance should be in the top right of this chart if it had been asked: lots of people aware of it and lots of people in favour. But it would probably be in the bottom left...
February 5, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Capping the cash ISA allowance should be in the top right of this chart if it had been asked: lots of people aware of it and lots of people in favour. But it would probably be in the bottom left...
Reposted by William Wright
Mad chart from NYT which might be of interest to folks comparing marginal tax rates across countries (yes, I know it's not a tax)
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...
February 5, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Mad chart from NYT which might be of interest to folks comparing marginal tax rates across countries (yes, I know it's not a tax)
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...
A fascinating and very topical deep dive on the UK's largest pension fund:
USS has had some high-profile investment failures in recent years and its returns have lagged other open DB schemes. But its funding position has improved dramatically and a higher hedge ratio now makes the fund look more resilient. Has its investment strategy worked? www.ft.com/content/f0e9...
The questions over strategy at the UK’s largest private pension fund
High-profile losses put spotlight on the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s push into private markets
www.ft.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:18 PM
A fascinating and very topical deep dive on the UK's largest pension fund:
Reposted by William Wright
USS has had some high-profile investment failures in recent years and its returns have lagged other open DB schemes. But its funding position has improved dramatically and a higher hedge ratio now makes the fund look more resilient. Has its investment strategy worked? www.ft.com/content/f0e9...
The questions over strategy at the UK’s largest private pension fund
High-profile losses put spotlight on the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s push into private markets
www.ft.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:33 AM
USS has had some high-profile investment failures in recent years and its returns have lagged other open DB schemes. But its funding position has improved dramatically and a higher hedge ratio now makes the fund look more resilient. Has its investment strategy worked? www.ft.com/content/f0e9...
Reposted by William Wright
Peter Mandelson is telling the truth on one thing: the idea he was bought for a $4k “bursary” or a $75k gift is ridiculous
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
February 4, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Peter Mandelson is telling the truth on one thing: the idea he was bought for a $4k “bursary” or a $75k gift is ridiculous
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
This case may turn out to be like the Staley appeal last year where you have to keep reminding yourself that they actually chose to bring it to court
Odey firm’s internal probe unearthed 46 allegations against founder www.ft.com/content/73b1...
Odey firm’s internal probe unearthed 46 allegations against founder
Crispin Odey has brought legal challenge against FCA decision to ban and fine him
www.ft.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:30 PM
This case may turn out to be like the Staley appeal last year where you have to keep reminding yourself that they actually chose to bring it to court
Reposted by William Wright
Imagine Mandelson is under a lot of stress right now so just as well his husband is a trained osteopath.
February 3, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Imagine Mandelson is under a lot of stress right now so just as well his husband is a trained osteopath.