Mark Robinson
@mr.place
Aspiring urban fixer - was UK High Street Czar -think tank wonk - ABI survivor - OSP student @lse - Making Hartlepool Great Again
Writing about later life learning and being a padawan "pracademic" https://markisalwayslearning.substack.com
Writing about later life learning and being a padawan "pracademic" https://markisalwayslearning.substack.com
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Most of the print media is owned billionaires, who have used their papers to distract people from the real causes of social problems by instead focusing public anger towards immigrants and minorities.
Now the billionaire owners of social media giants are doing a similar thing with their algorithms.
Now the billionaire owners of social media giants are doing a similar thing with their algorithms.
November 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Most of the print media is owned billionaires, who have used their papers to distract people from the real causes of social problems by instead focusing public anger towards immigrants and minorities.
Now the billionaire owners of social media giants are doing a similar thing with their algorithms.
Now the billionaire owners of social media giants are doing a similar thing with their algorithms.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
Less about politics than it would appear, more about people. Whole people. Whatever that means.
open.substack.com/pub/markisal...
open.substack.com/pub/markisal...
Like a stuck clock, Nick Clegg is occasionally right about something, it would appear…
What happens when you cross streams between academia and what your contemporaries in the workplace think in practice. Plus a pre-goth Roberts Smith singing about urbanism.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Less about politics than it would appear, more about people. Whole people. Whatever that means.
open.substack.com/pub/markisal...
open.substack.com/pub/markisal...
Reposted by Mark Robinson
This might be the first spy who appears to be literally wearing one of those 'spy disguises' you could pick up in a joke shop in Newquay in 1993.
Russian activist held in Poland admits he worked as FSB agent, court papers say
Igor Rogov, who left Russia in 2021, due to go on trial accused of informing on other Russian opposition activists
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
This might be the first spy who appears to be literally wearing one of those 'spy disguises' you could pick up in a joke shop in Newquay in 1993.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
The resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness must be an opportunity for the BBC to turn a new leaf, rebuild trust and resist those like Nigel Farage who want to destroy it
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
November 9, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness must be an opportunity for the BBC to turn a new leaf, rebuild trust and resist those like Nigel Farage who want to destroy it
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
We must stand up for a strong, independent BBC, to stop Trump’s America becoming Farage's Britain.
If you don't believe that the current Trump administration is a racist project, then read this fantastic, but heartbreaking thread
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 1:03 PM
If you don't believe that the current Trump administration is a racist project, then read this fantastic, but heartbreaking thread
"Seasoned professional" - is it my salt and pepper beard?
Either way, it's probably an improvement on "veteran" or simply "old".
Nice of the the @lsepbs.bsky.social department to pick up on my Substack, cheers!
markisalwayslearning.substack.com
Either way, it's probably an improvement on "veteran" or simply "old".
Nice of the the @lsepbs.bsky.social department to pick up on my Substack, cheers!
markisalwayslearning.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:57 PM
"Seasoned professional" - is it my salt and pepper beard?
Either way, it's probably an improvement on "veteran" or simply "old".
Nice of the the @lsepbs.bsky.social department to pick up on my Substack, cheers!
markisalwayslearning.substack.com
Either way, it's probably an improvement on "veteran" or simply "old".
Nice of the the @lsepbs.bsky.social department to pick up on my Substack, cheers!
markisalwayslearning.substack.com
Reposted by Mark Robinson
JUST RAISE TAXES. MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR SOLIDARITY AND SHARED SACRIFICE FOR ONCE
I’m with Vince.
And 2p on income tax plus 2p off NICS to raise £6bn feels like being hung for half a lamb.
www.ft.com/content/9e56...
And 2p on income tax plus 2p off NICS to raise £6bn feels like being hung for half a lamb.
www.ft.com/content/9e56...
November 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM
JUST RAISE TAXES. MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR SOLIDARITY AND SHARED SACRIFICE FOR ONCE
Reposted by Mark Robinson
This is quite the graph and reinforces my view that Bluesky is actually quite revolutionary.
November 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This is quite the graph and reinforces my view that Bluesky is actually quite revolutionary.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
New York millionaires: threatening to flee the city since 2009
November 7, 2025 at 9:36 PM
New York millionaires: threatening to flee the city since 2009
Reposted by Mark Robinson
The right's arguments against the clean energy transition make no sense in this context.
China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels.
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels.
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
China’s clean-energy revolution will reshape markets and politics
The world’s biggest manufacturer now has an interest in the world decarbonising
www.economist.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The right's arguments against the clean energy transition make no sense in this context.
China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels.
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels.
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Reposted by Mark Robinson
13 East Anglian neighbourhoods are among England’s most deprived 1%. Every one lies on the coast. The poorest voted Reform. A warning about what happens when seaside towns are left behind.
East Anglia: home to the richest and poorest
The Office for National Statistics has just published a report on deprivation in communities across England. What does it tell us about our deeply divided region?
eastangliabylines.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 9:29 AM
13 East Anglian neighbourhoods are among England’s most deprived 1%. Every one lies on the coast. The poorest voted Reform. A warning about what happens when seaside towns are left behind.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
This video is brilliant: buff.ly/1zyTWmM
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Private jets don't pay fuel tax. Now I don't either.
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires? This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for…
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:34 AM
This video is brilliant: buff.ly/1zyTWmM
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Angela Rayner's work is starting to pay off, after leaving office (as is often the way)
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Mayors to lead the charge for thousands of new social homes
Mayors outside of London to be given greater influence over the government's historic £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
www.gov.uk
November 7, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Angela Rayner's work is starting to pay off, after leaving office (as is often the way)
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Reposted by Mark Robinson
I joined HMPS in 1995 and retired in 2019. Underpinning every failing in HMPS is AUSTERITY. From Purging experienced staff, overloading operational managers with admin, privatizing works depts and trying to nail jelly to walls. Torys f'd the organisation irreparably. Kudos to those who had to stay.
November 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I joined HMPS in 1995 and retired in 2019. Underpinning every failing in HMPS is AUSTERITY. From Purging experienced staff, overloading operational managers with admin, privatizing works depts and trying to nail jelly to walls. Torys f'd the organisation irreparably. Kudos to those who had to stay.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Why not ease into the weekend with a 45 minute discussion of the UK's VAT system?
VAT is a good tax in principle, but our system is riddled with oddities and inconsistencies which reshape the prices we pay in the shops and the economy we get. We could do better.
VAT is a good tax in principle, but our system is riddled with oddities and inconsistencies which reshape the prices we pay in the shops and the economy we get. We could do better.
NEW PODCAST: How to fix VAT
Why is chocolate-covered shortbread taxed differently from plain? In the final episode of our tax mini-series, we unpack what makes the UK’s VAT system so complex, inefficient and unfair.
🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/how...
Why is chocolate-covered shortbread taxed differently from plain? In the final episode of our tax mini-series, we unpack what makes the UK’s VAT system so complex, inefficient and unfair.
🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/how...
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Why not ease into the weekend with a 45 minute discussion of the UK's VAT system?
VAT is a good tax in principle, but our system is riddled with oddities and inconsistencies which reshape the prices we pay in the shops and the economy we get. We could do better.
VAT is a good tax in principle, but our system is riddled with oddities and inconsistencies which reshape the prices we pay in the shops and the economy we get. We could do better.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
That this is populist guff shouldn't obscure the significance of Le Pen's RN shifting from total rejection of the EU and Euro to making policy demands within the EU system that accepts it is there to stay
Bardella wants the ECB (read: Banque de France and other Eurosystem banks) to buy an unlimited amount of French debt.
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Jordan Bardella starts to lay out his plans
The 30-year-old French populist who is preparing for power
www.economist.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 AM
That this is populist guff shouldn't obscure the significance of Le Pen's RN shifting from total rejection of the EU and Euro to making policy demands within the EU system that accepts it is there to stay
Reposted by Mark Robinson
The mask slips on all of brexits loudest cheerleaders.
For anyone still tempted to take Dominic Cummings at all seriously, he's now an advocate of Donald Trump-style open racism.
November 7, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The mask slips on all of brexits loudest cheerleaders.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
And for Lib Dem’s and all other parties to leave? Please.
November 6, 2025 at 12:39 PM
And for Lib Dem’s and all other parties to leave? Please.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
A new low, even by Goodwin's increasingly awful standards. Anxiety (no scare quotes are needed) takes many forms. And using his social media bully pulpit to punch down is despicable.
November 2, 2025 at 8:06 PM
A new low, even by Goodwin's increasingly awful standards. Anxiety (no scare quotes are needed) takes many forms. And using his social media bully pulpit to punch down is despicable.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Daniel Hannan was born in Peru.
November 2, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Daniel Hannan was born in Peru.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
🎬 Fans of Amandaland. Good news! A second season is being filmed. In my street again (with Islington, N5 standing in for ‘SoHa’ or South Harlesden NW10).
I can reveal that Joanna Lumley has a stunt driver for her Mini and…
I can reveal that Joanna Lumley has a stunt driver for her Mini and…
November 1, 2025 at 10:21 AM
🎬 Fans of Amandaland. Good news! A second season is being filmed. In my street again (with Islington, N5 standing in for ‘SoHa’ or South Harlesden NW10).
I can reveal that Joanna Lumley has a stunt driver for her Mini and…
I can reveal that Joanna Lumley has a stunt driver for her Mini and…
Reposted by Mark Robinson
Still worth doing... more so than ever. The balance is shifting.
Farage is flagging.
He’s losing councillors and by-elections, and his polling’s plateaued.
But we all need to fight him harder. A month ago I wrote this blog about 10 things you can do to help defeat Farage - keep doing them, it’s working! -
bsky.app/profile/guys...
He’s losing councillors and by-elections, and his polling’s plateaued.
But we all need to fight him harder. A month ago I wrote this blog about 10 things you can do to help defeat Farage - keep doing them, it’s working! -
bsky.app/profile/guys...
I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.
So I wrote a blog about ten things you can do *right now* to help defeat Farage, Musk, and rightwing populism.
From scrutinising Reform councillors to demanding the UK Govt leave X - get involved:
guyshrubsole.substack.com/p/ten-things...
So I wrote a blog about ten things you can do *right now* to help defeat Farage, Musk, and rightwing populism.
From scrutinising Reform councillors to demanding the UK Govt leave X - get involved:
guyshrubsole.substack.com/p/ten-things...
November 1, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Still worth doing... more so than ever. The balance is shifting.
Reposted by Mark Robinson
