One can only hope that he will have the same effect on this company as he had on the UK while he was the Chancellor.
December 23, 2025 at 1:11 PM
One can only hope that he will have the same effect on this company as he had on the UK while he was the Chancellor.
If there is a Tory/Reform deal at the next election, it will have been all for nothing.
December 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
If there is a Tory/Reform deal at the next election, it will have been all for nothing.
I agree - i am just saying that they are selective with what they consider, to arrive at 'positive' conclusion, and caveat accordingly.
December 9, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I agree - i am just saying that they are selective with what they consider, to arrive at 'positive' conclusion, and caveat accordingly.
They are saying that _if_ second order effects like these happen, _then_ it is positive. Pure speculation at this point.
On the other hand, they don't consider second order effects of the estimated loss of GDP on households at all.
Certainly world class massaging the messaging.
On the other hand, they don't consider second order effects of the estimated loss of GDP on households at all.
Certainly world class massaging the messaging.
December 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
They are saying that _if_ second order effects like these happen, _then_ it is positive. Pure speculation at this point.
On the other hand, they don't consider second order effects of the estimated loss of GDP on households at all.
Certainly world class massaging the messaging.
On the other hand, they don't consider second order effects of the estimated loss of GDP on households at all.
Certainly world class massaging the messaging.
Example number 21394721 that right wing press will right wing press regardless of what the govt does. The implication being it is better to do the right thing regardless, as the govt has done on this matter.
December 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Example number 21394721 that right wing press will right wing press regardless of what the govt does. The implication being it is better to do the right thing regardless, as the govt has done on this matter.
But purely in terms of outcomes - fair enough. They are getting worse.
You get what you pay for, and the state is and has been fairly aggressively gutting all the 'non-essential' state services.
You get what you pay for, and the state is and has been fairly aggressively gutting all the 'non-essential' state services.
November 26, 2025 at 12:16 PM
But purely in terms of outcomes - fair enough. They are getting worse.
You get what you pay for, and the state is and has been fairly aggressively gutting all the 'non-essential' state services.
You get what you pay for, and the state is and has been fairly aggressively gutting all the 'non-essential' state services.
So in your evaluation of a stats agency, what they actually do with the data they have plays no role whatsoever.
November 26, 2025 at 11:58 AM
So in your evaluation of a stats agency, what they actually do with the data they have plays no role whatsoever.
I disagree. To their credit, ONS actually recognised that the underlying data they can get is unreliable, and acted on this. Compare this with almost any private outfit.
One of the main reasons for data being unreliable is that people and companies stopped responding to surveys.
One of the main reasons for data being unreliable is that people and companies stopped responding to surveys.
November 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
I disagree. To their credit, ONS actually recognised that the underlying data they can get is unreliable, and acted on this. Compare this with almost any private outfit.
One of the main reasons for data being unreliable is that people and companies stopped responding to surveys.
One of the main reasons for data being unreliable is that people and companies stopped responding to surveys.
And not just home student numbers - the service to _all_ students is being degraded, across the board.
November 25, 2025 at 11:41 AM
And not just home student numbers - the service to _all_ students is being degraded, across the board.
At one of the unis on the list of top 20 for paying the new levy.... voluntary severance scheme opened last Thursday.
November 24, 2025 at 10:22 AM
At one of the unis on the list of top 20 for paying the new levy.... voluntary severance scheme opened last Thursday.
You are rather optimistic if you think that the next policy from Farage won't be stripping dual citizens of UK citizenship.
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
You are rather optimistic if you think that the next policy from Farage won't be stripping dual citizens of UK citizenship.
having some experience with running a web service, it is getting increasingly difficult to filter AI crawlers and general 'hacking' attempts - it ramped up a lot since the beginning of 2025, and we do have to pay for the wasted bandwidth.
understandable that people outsource this to cloudflare.
understandable that people outsource this to cloudflare.
November 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
having some experience with running a web service, it is getting increasingly difficult to filter AI crawlers and general 'hacking' attempts - it ramped up a lot since the beginning of 2025, and we do have to pay for the wasted bandwidth.
understandable that people outsource this to cloudflare.
understandable that people outsource this to cloudflare.
Written tests and/or essays evaluate a different, but also rather narrow, set of skills one can demonstrate in that setting. (More cheaply than face to face.) It's just that in British education this has been the norm for so long than anything else feels foreign.
November 14, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Written tests and/or essays evaluate a different, but also rather narrow, set of skills one can demonstrate in that setting. (More cheaply than face to face.) It's just that in British education this has been the norm for so long than anything else feels foreign.
Arguably any outlet whose directors' mission is to shut it down.
November 11, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Arguably any outlet whose directors' mission is to shut it down.
Oh, I think some people have learned. Which is _why_ BBC publishes things like this.
October 28, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Oh, I think some people have learned. Which is _why_ BBC publishes things like this.
Also ... child benefit must be claimed by the British spouse, and the non-British can not ever claim state pension. (Both of these also remove ILR according to the draft.)
October 21, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Also ... child benefit must be claimed by the British spouse, and the non-British can not ever claim state pension. (Both of these also remove ILR according to the draft.)
The Treasury definition of 'social protection' - which also removes ILR acc to the draft - includes pension, child benefit, etc.
(It also includes compensation e.g. for Postmasters for the Horizon affair, by Infected Blood Comp Authority, etc)
That is ... a very wide reach.
(It also includes compensation e.g. for Postmasters for the Horizon affair, by Infected Blood Comp Authority, etc)
That is ... a very wide reach.
October 21, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The Treasury definition of 'social protection' - which also removes ILR acc to the draft - includes pension, child benefit, etc.
(It also includes compensation e.g. for Postmasters for the Horizon affair, by Infected Blood Comp Authority, etc)
That is ... a very wide reach.
(It also includes compensation e.g. for Postmasters for the Horizon affair, by Infected Blood Comp Authority, etc)
That is ... a very wide reach.
These days there are completely local (ie no internet) solutions for pretty much everything. The trouble is finding someone to set it all up and do maintenance - afaik companies don't do this, because it's more profitable to lock in and monetise.
October 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
These days there are completely local (ie no internet) solutions for pretty much everything. The trouble is finding someone to set it all up and do maintenance - afaik companies don't do this, because it's more profitable to lock in and monetise.
The analogy is pretty good I would say - the digital literacy barriers/risks/requirements will also inevitably result in some people effectively becoming 'illegal' even if they are not.
The settled status for EU citz is a good case study for this.
The settled status for EU citz is a good case study for this.
September 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
The analogy is pretty good I would say - the digital literacy barriers/risks/requirements will also inevitably result in some people effectively becoming 'illegal' even if they are not.
The settled status for EU citz is a good case study for this.
The settled status for EU citz is a good case study for this.
That ship has sailed I am afraid (it will run on phones, etc).
IMO the best case scenario is that the govts will make this sort of thing illegal; which of course won't prevent the malicious misuse.
I guess it's time to invest in a wearable (a scarf or a hat) with LEDs to blind cameras.
IMO the best case scenario is that the govts will make this sort of thing illegal; which of course won't prevent the malicious misuse.
I guess it's time to invest in a wearable (a scarf or a hat) with LEDs to blind cameras.
September 18, 2025 at 8:59 AM
That ship has sailed I am afraid (it will run on phones, etc).
IMO the best case scenario is that the govts will make this sort of thing illegal; which of course won't prevent the malicious misuse.
I guess it's time to invest in a wearable (a scarf or a hat) with LEDs to blind cameras.
IMO the best case scenario is that the govts will make this sort of thing illegal; which of course won't prevent the malicious misuse.
I guess it's time to invest in a wearable (a scarf or a hat) with LEDs to blind cameras.
A logical continuation to "it's not true unless Kremlin denies it" is "there may be consequences unless Kremlin threatens first".
September 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM
A logical continuation to "it's not true unless Kremlin denies it" is "there may be consequences unless Kremlin threatens first".
I suspect for them it's just another argument in favour of "the support will come back in 2029 when people see the alternative" and continue the current strategy, somewhere between being inept and openly supporting Farage's agenda.
September 12, 2025 at 8:33 AM
I suspect for them it's just another argument in favour of "the support will come back in 2029 when people see the alternative" and continue the current strategy, somewhere between being inept and openly supporting Farage's agenda.
Looking forward to them blocking legislation.gov.uk and National Archives on that basis...
September 8, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Looking forward to them blocking legislation.gov.uk and National Archives on that basis...
I don't think people realise _how much_ they need to be saving into a private pension fund to get a decent income at retirement. Just looked, getting £11k-ish RPI income from an annuity takes £200k (now). 15 years is rather short to save that much for a lot of people.
September 8, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I don't think people realise _how much_ they need to be saving into a private pension fund to get a decent income at retirement. Just looked, getting £11k-ish RPI income from an annuity takes £200k (now). 15 years is rather short to save that much for a lot of people.