Alastair Meeks
@alastairmeeks.bsky.social
Lawyer, writer, Zedra
It rather suggests that the winner is going to stroll into the castle like Fortinbras, as all the others have been slain as a result of their too-obvious flaws.
November 11, 2025 at 11:41 AM
It rather suggests that the winner is going to stroll into the castle like Fortinbras, as all the others have been slain as a result of their too-obvious flaws.
See also X Files, The Blacklist, Star Trek, Doctor Who etc etc etc
Just give us a great self-contained story and we'll forgive any and every discontinuity from previous episodes. And unless your story arc is stunning, focusing on that is only going to produce mediocre programming.
Just give us a great self-contained story and we'll forgive any and every discontinuity from previous episodes. And unless your story arc is stunning, focusing on that is only going to produce mediocre programming.
November 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
See also X Files, The Blacklist, Star Trek, Doctor Who etc etc etc
Just give us a great self-contained story and we'll forgive any and every discontinuity from previous episodes. And unless your story arc is stunning, focusing on that is only going to produce mediocre programming.
Just give us a great self-contained story and we'll forgive any and every discontinuity from previous episodes. And unless your story arc is stunning, focusing on that is only going to produce mediocre programming.
Quite - who is the audience for this? NB most remaining Conservatives are very aged indeed and adore the BBC - and very much don't adore Donald Trump.
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Has Trump been a good president?
So far, do you think Donald Trump has been...
yougov.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Quite - who is the audience for this? NB most remaining Conservatives are very aged indeed and adore the BBC - and very much don't adore Donald Trump.
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Two good questions. I don't have a strong view on them.
The original thought was prompted in part by seeing the suggestion that fuel duty will continue to be frozen. It would be quite a budget choice to leave petrol vehicles unscathed while making electric vehicles less attractive.
The original thought was prompted in part by seeing the suggestion that fuel duty will continue to be frozen. It would be quite a budget choice to leave petrol vehicles unscathed while making electric vehicles less attractive.
November 11, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Two good questions. I don't have a strong view on them.
The original thought was prompted in part by seeing the suggestion that fuel duty will continue to be frozen. It would be quite a budget choice to leave petrol vehicles unscathed while making electric vehicles less attractive.
The original thought was prompted in part by seeing the suggestion that fuel duty will continue to be frozen. It would be quite a budget choice to leave petrol vehicles unscathed while making electric vehicles less attractive.
But I agree with you that it would be simpler just to raise income tax.
2/2
2/2
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
But I agree with you that it would be simpler just to raise income tax.
2/2
2/2
TBH I see electric vehicles in a slightly different category from the rest. Incentivising electric vehicles is creating a market with substantial beneficial spillover effects.
The others are subsidising (good) things where the benefit is felt mainly by those who take advantage of them.
1/2
The others are subsidising (good) things where the benefit is felt mainly by those who take advantage of them.
1/2
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
TBH I see electric vehicles in a slightly different category from the rest. Incentivising electric vehicles is creating a market with substantial beneficial spillover effects.
The others are subsidising (good) things where the benefit is felt mainly by those who take advantage of them.
1/2
The others are subsidising (good) things where the benefit is felt mainly by those who take advantage of them.
1/2
I eagerly await the Times commissioning an opinion piece on how the BBC's commitment to impartiality is in rude health and/or the BBC is neglecting its left flank in its desire to appease its bad-faith critics on the right.
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I eagerly await the Times commissioning an opinion piece on how the BBC's commitment to impartiality is in rude health and/or the BBC is neglecting its left flank in its desire to appease its bad-faith critics on the right.
I've found that absolutely *everyone* gets annoyed when I mention this in the context of conversations about "how children can't play in the street any more".
And yes, I can immediately think of two people I knew who died in road accidents, one at 13, one at 18.
And yes, I can immediately think of two people I knew who died in road accidents, one at 13, one at 18.
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
I've found that absolutely *everyone* gets annoyed when I mention this in the context of conversations about "how children can't play in the street any more".
And yes, I can immediately think of two people I knew who died in road accidents, one at 13, one at 18.
And yes, I can immediately think of two people I knew who died in road accidents, one at 13, one at 18.
At Christmas 2022, after Liz Truss, your roundtable predicted a Conservative majority at the next election. In that context, "almost certainly" needs some tempering with humility.
November 9, 2025 at 11:16 AM
At Christmas 2022, after Liz Truss, your roundtable predicted a Conservative majority at the next election. In that context, "almost certainly" needs some tempering with humility.
I wouldn't like to predict the long term effects. They're an obvious group to fleece, being both high income and in large part unable to leave the UK.
November 9, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I wouldn't like to predict the long term effects. They're an obvious group to fleece, being both high income and in large part unable to leave the UK.
(Some of the Green-curious voters may actually approve.)
Facing an opponent with a low ceiling, Labour don’t need the adoration of two thirds of the electorate. The grudging acquiescence of a third would probably do them nicely.
Facing an opponent with a low ceiling, Labour don’t need the adoration of two thirds of the electorate. The grudging acquiescence of a third would probably do them nicely.
November 9, 2025 at 9:46 AM
(Some of the Green-curious voters may actually approve.)
Facing an opponent with a low ceiling, Labour don’t need the adoration of two thirds of the electorate. The grudging acquiescence of a third would probably do them nicely.
Facing an opponent with a low ceiling, Labour don’t need the adoration of two thirds of the electorate. The grudging acquiescence of a third would probably do them nicely.