John West
@jwestjourno.bsky.social
M&A, macro and politics. Global Commentary Editor, Mergermarket. Any views expressed are regrettably my own.
One half of @illexplainlater.bsky.social - a Doctor Who podcast.
One half of @illexplainlater.bsky.social - a Doctor Who podcast.
Private equity is weighing the UK Budget’s reach for stability against its strategic emptiness. In this week’s episode of Dealcast for Mergermarket, I sit down with BCLP’s Perry Yam to discuss how sponsors should align now the fiscal dust is settling. on.iongroup.com/m/mergermark...
November 28, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Private equity is weighing the UK Budget’s reach for stability against its strategic emptiness. In this week’s episode of Dealcast for Mergermarket, I sit down with BCLP’s Perry Yam to discuss how sponsors should align now the fiscal dust is settling. on.iongroup.com/m/mergermark...
I mean *you decided* to score this as the 2p/2p wheeze, rather than just straight up hiking. You could have made it worth it. You could have not dicked around with pension savings incentives and god knows what else.
November 23, 2025 at 12:25 PM
I mean *you decided* to score this as the 2p/2p wheeze, rather than just straight up hiking. You could have made it worth it. You could have not dicked around with pension savings incentives and god knows what else.
Starmer penned that himself by grabbing the top job with no coherent vision for what he wants to do with the country. There’s no coming back from this - the public have made their mind up.
November 19, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Starmer penned that himself by grabbing the top job with no coherent vision for what he wants to do with the country. There’s no coming back from this - the public have made their mind up.
A reminder this morning of how much I wince at Politico’s arch, clever-clever Playbook stylings. A few headlines in papers that’ll never back Labour don’t make up for: 1) Mahmood torching her leadership ambitions; 2) the govt providing cover for Farage to push further right (rinse and repeat…)
November 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM
A reminder this morning of how much I wince at Politico’s arch, clever-clever Playbook stylings. A few headlines in papers that’ll never back Labour don’t make up for: 1) Mahmood torching her leadership ambitions; 2) the govt providing cover for Farage to push further right (rinse and repeat…)
Amid the chaos, a reassuring reminder the Lib Dems can absolutely do one.
November 14, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Amid the chaos, a reassuring reminder the Lib Dems can absolutely do one.
Following the FT’s “no income tax hike scoop”, feels like we’ve come a long way to get nowhere. This was my take for Mergermarket on 19 Sep. As you were. This Budget was always going to be impossible - the best they could do was have it make sense. They’re flubbing it.
November 13, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Following the FT’s “no income tax hike scoop”, feels like we’ve come a long way to get nowhere. This was my take for Mergermarket on 19 Sep. As you were. This Budget was always going to be impossible - the best they could do was have it make sense. They’re flubbing it.
Why is lager served so poorly in the UK? I get some are just put off by foam on eye-rolly price grounds - but is it knackered glassware (as per @totalcurtis.bsky.social)? Difference in pressure set-up vs the continent? It’s baffling. Check out these beauts from Luxembourg earlier this week. 🇱🇺
October 31, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Why is lager served so poorly in the UK? I get some are just put off by foam on eye-rolly price grounds - but is it knackered glassware (as per @totalcurtis.bsky.social)? Difference in pressure set-up vs the continent? It’s baffling. Check out these beauts from Luxembourg earlier this week. 🇱🇺
I mean, we all know the reason.
September 27, 2025 at 9:39 AM
I mean, we all know the reason.
(Though member states do need to work on Capital Markets Union to really seal the deal here. VDL this month hailed Swedish vibes-coding app Lovable getting to a EUR 4bn valuation. Where is it incorporated? Delaware.)
September 27, 2025 at 9:32 AM
(Though member states do need to work on Capital Markets Union to really seal the deal here. VDL this month hailed Swedish vibes-coding app Lovable getting to a EUR 4bn valuation. Where is it incorporated? Delaware.)
Starmer’s right that the battle with Reform is existential for the UK. It’s just not clear whose side the PM’s on when he loads the dice in Farage’s favour.
September 27, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Starmer’s right that the battle with Reform is existential for the UK. It’s just not clear whose side the PM’s on when he loads the dice in Farage’s favour.
Thanks for taking one for the team there.
September 5, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Thanks for taking one for the team there.
I always come back to this Rawnsley para on this.
May 20, 2025 at 12:10 PM
I always come back to this Rawnsley para on this.
Sure, Gary. I live in Hackney. I massively support LTNs in general and the schemes our council has implemented in particular. We need more. The framing here is reasonable, but elides the “this will make driving certain routes an absolute faff - it’s meant to coerce you into modal shift” part.
May 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Sure, Gary. I live in Hackney. I massively support LTNs in general and the schemes our council has implemented in particular. We need more. The framing here is reasonable, but elides the “this will make driving certain routes an absolute faff - it’s meant to coerce you into modal shift” part.
At least Scholz could point to the FDP, look to the camera and shrug (I am not excusing his own faults). Labour have only themselves to blame for their mess. I can at least dine out on my ‘called it’ perspicacity as I weep into my tea.
May 14, 2025 at 2:44 PM
At least Scholz could point to the FDP, look to the camera and shrug (I am not excusing his own faults). Labour have only themselves to blame for their mess. I can at least dine out on my ‘called it’ perspicacity as I weep into my tea.
Great @financialtimes.com read here (no snark) on how Donald Trump wrongfooted Wall Street’s brightest and best by - checks notes - doing batshit crazy stuff he absolutely said he would do (yeah, quite a bit of snark there). www.ft.com/content/e0b2...
April 15, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Great @financialtimes.com read here (no snark) on how Donald Trump wrongfooted Wall Street’s brightest and best by - checks notes - doing batshit crazy stuff he absolutely said he would do (yeah, quite a bit of snark there). www.ft.com/content/e0b2...
We promise noone at @illexplainlater.bsky.social was involved in the Hayes fire and Heathrow outage just to publicise our Doctor Who review of Gridlock, which has - completely coincidentally - dropped this morning, your honour. Listen now via podcatchers or our site! illexplainlater.com
March 21, 2025 at 7:45 AM
We promise noone at @illexplainlater.bsky.social was involved in the Hayes fire and Heathrow outage just to publicise our Doctor Who review of Gridlock, which has - completely coincidentally - dropped this morning, your honour. Listen now via podcatchers or our site! illexplainlater.com
My considered response to the McSweeney faction.
March 15, 2025 at 4:06 PM
My considered response to the McSweeney faction.
I’m inherently sceptical about grand reorgs that start from “how can we get a fat layoffs headline?”, rather than considering how a system might be improved. In any case, this kind of rhetoric is revolting. Labour Together seem determined to rule over the ashes. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
March 12, 2025 at 7:31 AM
I’m inherently sceptical about grand reorgs that start from “how can we get a fat layoffs headline?”, rather than considering how a system might be improved. In any case, this kind of rhetoric is revolting. Labour Together seem determined to rule over the ashes. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
🚨 🚨 NEW EPISODE!! Check out this astonishing fresco as @illexplainlater.bsky.social runs from THE FIRES OF POMPEII! Along the way: bingo cards, rewrites and Mariah Carey’s range. Listen now! illexplainlater.com
February 7, 2025 at 7:17 AM
🚨 🚨 NEW EPISODE!! Check out this astonishing fresco as @illexplainlater.bsky.social runs from THE FIRES OF POMPEII! Along the way: bingo cards, rewrites and Mariah Carey’s range. Listen now! illexplainlater.com
There is a precedent. And, again, while Ben’s right about genuine opportunities, we have Blair pushing the kool-aid hardest here via TBI. Have they all learned their lessons?
January 13, 2025 at 10:06 AM
There is a precedent. And, again, while Ben’s right about genuine opportunities, we have Blair pushing the kool-aid hardest here via TBI. Have they all learned their lessons?
There is a running thread between this “kids are not prepared for the world of work”/misunderstanding of what education’s aims are and the kind of “price of everything, value of nothing” approach @dsquareddigest.bsky.social explores here in ‘The Unaccountability Machine’.
January 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
There is a running thread between this “kids are not prepared for the world of work”/misunderstanding of what education’s aims are and the kind of “price of everything, value of nothing” approach @dsquareddigest.bsky.social explores here in ‘The Unaccountability Machine’.
