Charles Stewart
@charlescharles.bsky.social
Former research engineer, former corporate treasurer, recent MA Classics and Ancient History. I block for rudeness, idiocy and whataboutery, even if it's not directed at me.
South Oxfordshire, UK
South Oxfordshire, UK
Article doesn't refer to his thinking. Times just says desk "was later returned, as Bell received a refund and instead submitted an Ikea receipt for £1,056, including three desks at £150 each". DM (on which Times piece is based) says "days later". Here's DM. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
Minister behind Labour's mansion tax spends £900 on a desk
Torsten Bell also charged taxpayers £600 for three chairs for his office and claimed more than £200 on his Parliamentary expenses for professional help to assemble the furniture.
www.dailymail.co.uk
October 27, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Article doesn't refer to his thinking. Times just says desk "was later returned, as Bell received a refund and instead submitted an Ikea receipt for £1,056, including three desks at £150 each". DM (on which Times piece is based) says "days later". Here's DM. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
The headline (accidentally, I'm sure) omits to say that he returned the £900 desk after a few days and bought three £150 desks from Ikea instead. But "Bell DIDN'T spend £900 on a desk" wouldn't be a story, would it.
October 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM
The headline (accidentally, I'm sure) omits to say that he returned the £900 desk after a few days and bought three £150 desks from Ikea instead. But "Bell DIDN'T spend £900 on a desk" wouldn't be a story, would it.
Agreed. I'm not saying that the bill is not mad in numerous respects (including Syrians issue), just that there may be wriggle room for Cons on the specific point of social protection without withdrawing or amending. And yes, it's reasonable to infer that everything is in until they say otherwise.
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Agreed. I'm not saying that the bill is not mad in numerous respects (including Syrians issue), just that there may be wriggle room for Cons on the specific point of social protection without withdrawing or amending. And yes, it's reasonable to infer that everything is in until they say otherwise.
I'm sorry to bang on about this, but they wouldn't striclty need to amend the bill. The FT summary is inaccurate. The full wording: "where “social protection” is defined according to the Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, *subject to any further definition by immigration rules*"
October 24, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I'm sorry to bang on about this, but they wouldn't striclty need to amend the bill. The FT summary is inaccurate. The full wording: "where “social protection” is defined according to the Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, *subject to any further definition by immigration rules*"
Agreed - accuracy is important, not least because inaccuracy can be attacked, but parsing the detail makes little difference to that central point.
October 24, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Agreed - accuracy is important, not least because inaccuracy can be attacked, but parsing the detail makes little difference to that central point.
This is an eye-catching statistic. We need to move to PR in some form. (Confession - as a non-subscriber I haven't read the full piece. Not because I don't rate Sam's writing - I very much do - but I subscribe to too many things already).
October 24, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This is an eye-catching statistic. We need to move to PR in some form. (Confession - as a non-subscriber I haven't read the full piece. Not because I don't rate Sam's writing - I very much do - but I subscribe to too many things already).
Thanks, hadn't see that. In that case, isn't the position
-the drafting would permit, in theory, a carve-out for pensions
-in a March speech Lam indicated pensions would be included
- LOTO has just said they wouldn't.
Result: actual position unclear?
-the drafting would permit, in theory, a carve-out for pensions
-in a March speech Lam indicated pensions would be included
- LOTO has just said they wouldn't.
Result: actual position unclear?
October 23, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Thanks, hadn't see that. In that case, isn't the position
-the drafting would permit, in theory, a carve-out for pensions
-in a March speech Lam indicated pensions would be included
- LOTO has just said they wouldn't.
Result: actual position unclear?
-the drafting would permit, in theory, a carve-out for pensions
-in a March speech Lam indicated pensions would be included
- LOTO has just said they wouldn't.
Result: actual position unclear?
Not to say the bill isn't mad - it is - but not strictly correct, I think, to say it's untrue of the bill as drafted. That clause specifically permits modification of the definition of 'social protection'. So in theory (and Cons could argue) state pension could be excluded under the bill as drafted.
October 23, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Not to say the bill isn't mad - it is - but not strictly correct, I think, to say it's untrue of the bill as drafted. That clause specifically permits modification of the definition of 'social protection'. So in theory (and Cons could argue) state pension could be excluded under the bill as drafted.
Iceland. Needless to say, it wasn't.
October 17, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Iceland. Needless to say, it wasn't.
Ah yes, Goldman Sachs. Some of us are old enough to remember this fabulously reassuring report telling everyone to calm down
October 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Ah yes, Goldman Sachs. Some of us are old enough to remember this fabulously reassuring report telling everyone to calm down
Yarvin was extraordinary. And not in a good way. I had, (fortunately) never heard of him before. As one of the panel (McEvoy?) observed, his ideas were essentially a 'gameified discourse'. Not worthy of serious consideration in my view. And delivered in an irritatingly patronising way.
October 3, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Yarvin was extraordinary. And not in a good way. I had, (fortunately) never heard of him before. As one of the panel (McEvoy?) observed, his ideas were essentially a 'gameified discourse'. Not worthy of serious consideration in my view. And delivered in an irritatingly patronising way.
That's bin night for me too. It's a bit annoying not to know the exact time the rapture gig is supposed to get going. I might leave it until say 10pm to put them out. Pretty much a win-win bet unless it turns out to be a late kick-off.
September 21, 2025 at 6:40 PM
That's bin night for me too. It's a bit annoying not to know the exact time the rapture gig is supposed to get going. I might leave it until say 10pm to put them out. Pretty much a win-win bet unless it turns out to be a late kick-off.
Reminds me of Lenny Henry's line: "Enoch Powell says he wants to give me £1,000 to go back to where I came from. Which is great, because it’s only 20 pence on the bus from here to Dudley."
September 16, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Reminds me of Lenny Henry's line: "Enoch Powell says he wants to give me £1,000 to go back to where I came from. Which is great, because it’s only 20 pence on the bus from here to Dudley."
Truth is irrelevant to those Down The Rabbithole. The only thing that matters is whether it supports the desired narrative. See also: posting/failing to delete posts shown irrefutably to be AI generated/images from a completely different time or place or conflict than the one claimed, etc
September 15, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Truth is irrelevant to those Down The Rabbithole. The only thing that matters is whether it supports the desired narrative. See also: posting/failing to delete posts shown irrefutably to be AI generated/images from a completely different time or place or conflict than the one claimed, etc
Yep, Valencia is another amazing Spanish city!
September 14, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Yep, Valencia is another amazing Spanish city!
Contested, I'm sure, and complicated, but with a good deal of underlying truth, I think. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convive...
Convivencia - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convivencia#:~:text=Jerrilynn%20Dodds%20references%20this%20concept,or%20“attacked%20each%20other.”
September 14, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Contested, I'm sure, and complicated, but with a good deal of underlying truth, I think. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convive...
True. There were large Jewish quarters in many Spanish cities including Cordoba and Seville until Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 by Catholic co-rulers Ferdinand and Isabella
September 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM
True. There were large Jewish quarters in many Spanish cities including Cordoba and Seville until Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 by Catholic co-rulers Ferdinand and Isabella
Cordoba. Seville is amazing, Cordoba is even better, in my view,
September 14, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Cordoba. Seville is amazing, Cordoba is even better, in my view,
And it still provides funding to support young people wanting to do a mini Grand Tour ... ics.sas.ac.uk/awards/award...
Society of Dilettanti (2025)
ics.sas.ac.uk
September 11, 2025 at 7:51 PM
And it still provides funding to support young people wanting to do a mini Grand Tour ... ics.sas.ac.uk/awards/award...
Curious lack of Random Capitalisations too.
August 30, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Curious lack of Random Capitalisations too.