Ed Comber
@ejcomber.bsky.social
Is this therefore bait?
February 13, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Is this therefore bait?
Honestly, I'd just be grateful if people in general would accept that tax and spend policies should change with the economic cycle. Cameron cut spending at a time when that was a bad idea, meaning that the Corbynite elements were more correct at that time, but post-Truss and Covid the bill's due
February 10, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Honestly, I'd just be grateful if people in general would accept that tax and spend policies should change with the economic cycle. Cameron cut spending at a time when that was a bad idea, meaning that the Corbynite elements were more correct at that time, but post-Truss and Covid the bill's due
Yeah, it would for instance be odd to have French as the go-to second language in the US...
February 10, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Yeah, it would for instance be odd to have French as the go-to second language in the US...
IIRC, the historic definition of austerity included tax rises, it's just in the UK at least it became intrinsically associated with Cameron-era economics, which did the opposite (their narrowing of the tax base, along with everything else has a lot to answer for).
February 10, 2026 at 11:13 AM
IIRC, the historic definition of austerity included tax rises, it's just in the UK at least it became intrinsically associated with Cameron-era economics, which did the opposite (their narrowing of the tax base, along with everything else has a lot to answer for).
Much as I love Emily Haines and Metric, the Brie Larson version will always be definitive.
February 5, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Much as I love Emily Haines and Metric, the Brie Larson version will always be definitive.
'There's a good reason the tables are numbered, honey,you just haven't thought of it yet'
February 4, 2026 at 8:32 AM
'There's a good reason the tables are numbered, honey,you just haven't thought of it yet'
That'll teach me to not read.
February 2, 2026 at 10:08 PM
That'll teach me to not read.
Also hardly a shock that Flores doesn't work well with someone. Great as his scheming is, I'm starting to wonder if Flores might be a genuine problem within the organisation.
February 2, 2026 at 12:22 AM
Also hardly a shock that Flores doesn't work well with someone. Great as his scheming is, I'm starting to wonder if Flores might be a genuine problem within the organisation.
Yeah, apparently the QB decision is his fault, yet he gave the coaches too much say over personnel decisions, so KOC making the wrong choice is Kwesi's fault, so they're not getting in a new GM before the draft, so the coaches will probably end up leading the process. Jumbled mess of reasoning.
February 2, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Yeah, apparently the QB decision is his fault, yet he gave the coaches too much say over personnel decisions, so KOC making the wrong choice is Kwesi's fault, so they're not getting in a new GM before the draft, so the coaches will probably end up leading the process. Jumbled mess of reasoning.
All excellent advice, and I promise this isn't a snarky 'well not everyone' response, but much as I love them, children make this much harder to achieve.
February 1, 2026 at 12:02 AM
All excellent advice, and I promise this isn't a snarky 'well not everyone' response, but much as I love them, children make this much harder to achieve.
Tbf, it is now gradually being reversed through fiscal drag. Should probably be the lowest priority when (if) tax bands eventually start moving with inflation again.
January 30, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Tbf, it is now gradually being reversed through fiscal drag. Should probably be the lowest priority when (if) tax bands eventually start moving with inflation again.
I remember the analysis at the time by (I think) the IFS, where the conclusion was that the greatest beneficiaries of the policy overall were households where one partner was a high earner and the other worked part time. It was effectively a middle class handout for want of a better term.
January 30, 2026 at 10:48 AM
I remember the analysis at the time by (I think) the IFS, where the conclusion was that the greatest beneficiaries of the policy overall were households where one partner was a high earner and the other worked part time. It was effectively a middle class handout for want of a better term.
UK has a very high personal allowance (£12,750 I think, compared to median income of £25-27K IIRC), resulting in a very narrow tax base.
January 30, 2026 at 10:30 AM
UK has a very high personal allowance (£12,750 I think, compared to median income of £25-27K IIRC), resulting in a very narrow tax base.
Our tax system has situations that have an effective marginal tax rate over 100% (yes you actually end up worse off earning more). It is not functioning great at the moment.
January 30, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Our tax system has situations that have an effective marginal tax rate over 100% (yes you actually end up worse off earning more). It is not functioning great at the moment.
Almost like a graduate tax is worse than general taxation. A pseudo graduate tax in the form of the current tuition fees and student loans system is even worse. I still remember all the smug Lib Dems in the coalition years saying that this was good actually.
January 30, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Almost like a graduate tax is worse than general taxation. A pseudo graduate tax in the form of the current tuition fees and student loans system is even worse. I still remember all the smug Lib Dems in the coalition years saying that this was good actually.
particularly helping the many youngsters I led become better cricketers and hopefully grow as people too, was just so fundamentally joyous in a way no work I've ever done could be.
January 30, 2026 at 1:11 AM
particularly helping the many youngsters I led become better cricketers and hopefully grow as people too, was just so fundamentally joyous in a way no work I've ever done could be.
but it's not my passion, not by a long shot. It lets me do the things I love though, whether that's support my family, spend time with them, or whatever else. Other than my own kids, my greatest joy in life was the past three years I spent captaining a cricket team...
January 30, 2026 at 1:11 AM
but it's not my passion, not by a long shot. It lets me do the things I love though, whether that's support my family, spend time with them, or whatever else. Other than my own kids, my greatest joy in life was the past three years I spent captaining a cricket team...
Exactly, perhaps my sport part was too narrow, as it applies elsewhere. But these people, in nothing I've ever seen from them or about them, clearly show no love for what they're actually doing. I like my job, it treats me well (and probably more so on both fronts than applies to these people)...
January 30, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Exactly, perhaps my sport part was too narrow, as it applies elsewhere. But these people, in nothing I've ever seen from them or about them, clearly show no love for what they're actually doing. I like my job, it treats me well (and probably more so on both fronts than applies to these people)...
I may be biased by my love of sport, but that's the only time I get it, those individuals who are driven to succeed and sacrifice everything there for glory or love of the game. But to do that so Elon Musk can add an extra zero to the end of his net worth? Just depressing.
January 30, 2026 at 12:51 AM
I may be biased by my love of sport, but that's the only time I get it, those individuals who are driven to succeed and sacrifice everything there for glory or love of the game. But to do that so Elon Musk can add an extra zero to the end of his net worth? Just depressing.
Going to have at least one child in nursery for the next 4 and a half years. The effect of that is that the pay rise I'm due when we hit FY26/27 will be my last increase in take-home pay either nominal or real for the next 4 years, regardless of inflation.
January 26, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Going to have at least one child in nursery for the next 4 and a half years. The effect of that is that the pay rise I'm due when we hit FY26/27 will be my last increase in take-home pay either nominal or real for the next 4 years, regardless of inflation.
Of course politics and sport are completely unrelated at all times though...
January 25, 2026 at 10:48 PM
Of course politics and sport are completely unrelated at all times though...
TIL Luke Akehurst doesn't understand how polling works and the effect of don't knows/ will not votes. Or he's a disingenuous lying piece of shit, oh yeah, it's definitely that one, it is Luke Akehurst...
January 9, 2026 at 3:29 PM
TIL Luke Akehurst doesn't understand how polling works and the effect of don't knows/ will not votes. Or he's a disingenuous lying piece of shit, oh yeah, it's definitely that one, it is Luke Akehurst...