Mike Green
@mikeboy7564.bsky.social
I hate politics it's an addiction.
Reposted by Mike Green
I think what this (widely shared among some people who follow me) attitude misses is that, of course, if you have a series of cowboy builders, you are going to be more and more irate as the process goes on.
The fact that every single PM this century has been more unpopular than the previous one shows that the electorate is impossible to please. We are simply predisposed to automatically hate every government no matter what. I don't know how that's sustainable long-term.
November 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I think what this (widely shared among some people who follow me) attitude misses is that, of course, if you have a series of cowboy builders, you are going to be more and more irate as the process goes on.
Advanced publication would aide Parliamentary scrutiny (which perhaps understandably no government would ever want), but also presumably if you published at midnight day-of it'd aide the smoothness with which the info enters the markets a little?
November 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Advanced publication would aide Parliamentary scrutiny (which perhaps understandably no government would ever want), but also presumably if you published at midnight day-of it'd aide the smoothness with which the info enters the markets a little?
Reposted by Mike Green
Proposed changes to spending controls are incredibly positive. As @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has previously noted, the cumulative complexity of controls muddies accountability, makes govt a worse customer, and wastes time and money. We asked govt to review and that's exactly what they've done
November 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Proposed changes to spending controls are incredibly positive. As @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has previously noted, the cumulative complexity of controls muddies accountability, makes govt a worse customer, and wastes time and money. We asked govt to review and that's exactly what they've done
It's such bollocks rhetoric to say it's fair to freeze SL repayment thresholds as graduates "generally benefit from higher earning" when you're also freezing the IC & NICs thresholds which actually applies to those who are higher earning.
November 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
It's such bollocks rhetoric to say it's fair to freeze SL repayment thresholds as graduates "generally benefit from higher earning" when you're also freezing the IC & NICs thresholds which actually applies to those who are higher earning.
Feel like you should have to include this caveat in all five times you wax lyrical about it and not just the last mention.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Feel like you should have to include this caveat in all five times you wax lyrical about it and not just the last mention.
On a day that the OBR is going to get a lot of criticism I will note its explanations of some of the more technical stuff (e.g. Box 6.1 on gilt maturity) is actually really good for the slightly-above-layperson. Reminds me of the UKSC.
November 26, 2025 at 1:30 PM
On a day that the OBR is going to get a lot of criticism I will note its explanations of some of the more technical stuff (e.g. Box 6.1 on gilt maturity) is actually really good for the slightly-above-layperson. Reminds me of the UKSC.
For reference, this is the loss of about two years worth of defence spending.
November 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
For reference, this is the loss of about two years worth of defence spending.
Don't think this gets any more credible so long as there's still a fiscal event between now and when the rise is supposedly going to take place.
💥 Govt says fuel duty to *go up* from next September.
In the past the OBR has assumed that fuel duty would start to rise after a one-year freeze.
This time, the govt has said explicitly that it will only be frozen for five months, and will start increasing it after that.
In the past the OBR has assumed that fuel duty would start to rise after a one-year freeze.
This time, the govt has said explicitly that it will only be frozen for five months, and will start increasing it after that.
November 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Don't think this gets any more credible so long as there's still a fiscal event between now and when the rise is supposedly going to take place.
On the whole I'd say this budget has done a lot of the stuff I think many of us were expecting to happen in last year's budget e.g. freezing tax thresholds, scrapping the two child limit.
November 26, 2025 at 12:49 PM
On the whole I'd say this budget has done a lot of the stuff I think many of us were expecting to happen in last year's budget e.g. freezing tax thresholds, scrapping the two child limit.
Just gonna be clear this is worse than anything Nick Clegg ever did.
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Just gonna be clear this is worse than anything Nick Clegg ever did.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
When can you declare an emergency over?
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
November 25, 2025 at 5:06 PM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Finding out in my mid 20s that aphantasia is an unusual thing and not just the way everyone's brain works was wild.
Ok query time. Biology is messy and full of exceptions. How does *your* body differ from the usual expected of you as the human you are? Anything big or small.
My mum has an extra vertebrae, a close friend multiple spleens. One sis is built like she works out but eats like a sparrow.
My mum has an extra vertebrae, a close friend multiple spleens. One sis is built like she works out but eats like a sparrow.
November 24, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Finding out in my mid 20s that aphantasia is an unusual thing and not just the way everyone's brain works was wild.
Feels bad when therapyspeaking why you're right not to listen to your partner is applicable to the relationship between a government and its backbenches.
She’s made a few comments like this in the run-up to the Budget, and I don’t know, I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be Chancellor and not hear lots of people telling you what you should do.
November 21, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Feels bad when therapyspeaking why you're right not to listen to your partner is applicable to the relationship between a government and its backbenches.
Reposted by Mike Green
Latest piece for the @thehousemag.bsky.social, on the island of strangers speech and similar. Also ft Bob Hawke.
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
The Professor Will See You Now: Island of strangers
Lessons in political science. This week: island of strangers
www.politicshome.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Latest piece for the @thehousemag.bsky.social, on the island of strangers speech and similar. Also ft Bob Hawke.
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
Big part of the reason that GWML electrification was so expensive is the supply chain and management experience had to be rebuilt after doing barely any electrification for twenty years. Labour are determined that at some point in future that cost will have to be paid yet again.
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Big part of the reason that GWML electrification was so expensive is the supply chain and management experience had to be rebuilt after doing barely any electrification for twenty years. Labour are determined that at some point in future that cost will have to be paid yet again.
To be fair it is internally consistent; the multiple groups of friends results from the depicted asexual reproduction.
AI sitcom accidentally a Lynchian fever dream. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and insane lament.
October 30, 2025 at 8:35 AM
To be fair it is internally consistent; the multiple groups of friends results from the depicted asexual reproduction.
Reposted by Mike Green
Crossrail's own project estimates were that £4 BILLION of its costs were directly related to building skills and industrial capacity back INTO the supply chain, so they could build it.
Because every time we finish a big infra project in the UK, we don't start
another. And bleed that capacity away
Because every time we finish a big infra project in the UK, we don't start
another. And bleed that capacity away
It should have rolled on straight from EL, as we had all the right expertise and so on in place and could have used that. Alas the only thing happening is passive provision for it in construction of the British Library extension which disingenuous journalists call 'the start of construction of C2'..
October 28, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Crossrail's own project estimates were that £4 BILLION of its costs were directly related to building skills and industrial capacity back INTO the supply chain, so they could build it.
Because every time we finish a big infra project in the UK, we don't start
another. And bleed that capacity away
Because every time we finish a big infra project in the UK, we don't start
another. And bleed that capacity away
The TPA and its consequences have been a disaster for the United Kingdom.
October 27, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The TPA and its consequences have been a disaster for the United Kingdom.
Reposted by Mike Green
I hear that the purity testers are trying to use this to damage the poor chap’s Maine senate candidacy.
UGA student dressed as a Nazi gets kicked out of the bar. Proceeds to hit a woman.
October 25, 2025 at 9:15 AM
I hear that the purity testers are trying to use this to damage the poor chap’s Maine senate candidacy.
It's weird how "military history buffs" always seem to get Nazi tattoos and not the "come ovt yov cvckold" flag.
October 21, 2025 at 6:59 PM
It's weird how "military history buffs" always seem to get Nazi tattoos and not the "come ovt yov cvckold" flag.
Reposted by Mike Green
Renowned cryptologist Robert Langdon waited by his phone. Surely, the French authorities would call him, a renowned cryptologist, to solve this mystery he thought in italics.
Louvre museum in Paris closed after robbery, French minister says - live updates
France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the incident happened as the museum opened this morning.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 19, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Renowned cryptologist Robert Langdon waited by his phone. Surely, the French authorities would call him, a renowned cryptologist, to solve this mystery he thought in italics.
Reposted by Mike Green
Gentlemen, you can’t fight over this. This is a Peace Prize.
October 10, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Gentlemen, you can’t fight over this. This is a Peace Prize.
Drinking out as much as I did as a student would probably bankrupt me now on a professional salary.
So much of the "OMG young uns don't party anymore" discourse never really grapples with how much more expensive it is for young uns to party than it was a decade ago
There are reasons to think the claims that Gen Z “doesn’t drink” or even drink less than millennials did at their age aren’t true – it seems to be partly a Covid effect and partly some dodgy stats.
But I could easily believe they drink earlier and go home earlier. Pubs look *quiet* after 9pm now…
But I could easily believe they drink earlier and go home earlier. Pubs look *quiet* after 9pm now…
October 9, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Drinking out as much as I did as a student would probably bankrupt me now on a professional salary.
It's weird how the people who cry about judicial activism never seem to take issue with that time the Supreme Court just decided to functionally rewrite two Acts of Parliament from the bench.
October 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
It's weird how the people who cry about judicial activism never seem to take issue with that time the Supreme Court just decided to functionally rewrite two Acts of Parliament from the bench.
See also: legislating in an area where there is already ample legislation.
Important point - announcements about "crackdowns" and "bans" are a way to try and convince people the state has power when it increasingly fails at basic tasks.
And the state is growing less and less effective at the same time. One relatively trivial example is fly-tipping. There are steep fines for it and rewards for those who turn in offenders. But the problem grows worse and worse in many places.
October 5, 2025 at 10:03 AM
See also: legislating in an area where there is already ample legislation.