Nathan🌹
@nathanwylabour.bsky.social
24 | Labour member | ✝️ 🏳️🌈
Great thread, demonstrating that the housing shortage is not entirely the fault of the planning system after all (shock horror)
UK construction employment was 2.05 million in 2025 Q3; 1.3% lower than in Q2 & 4.1% lower than in Q1, before the house building slowdown & employers’ National Insurance Contributions rise, & lower thresholds, in April, according to the ONS. (1/n)
#ukhousing #ukconstruction
#ukhousing #ukconstruction
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Great thread, demonstrating that the housing shortage is not entirely the fault of the planning system after all (shock horror)
As I've argued before, I think it's possible to see the outlines of a strong Labour platform if you combine the liberalism of Carney's LPC, the developmentalism and commitment to growth and affordability of Sánchez's PSOE, and the broad-based egalitarianism of Nordic social democrats.
It's not an issue of left and right in the traditional sense.
One can imagine an alternative Labour platform: firmly in the centre ground economically, defiantly liberal, clear that our national geopolitical interest lies with Europe and not the US, proactive in its appointments to public bodies.
One can imagine an alternative Labour platform: firmly in the centre ground economically, defiantly liberal, clear that our national geopolitical interest lies with Europe and not the US, proactive in its appointments to public bodies.
November 11, 2025 at 10:02 AM
As I've argued before, I think it's possible to see the outlines of a strong Labour platform if you combine the liberalism of Carney's LPC, the developmentalism and commitment to growth and affordability of Sánchez's PSOE, and the broad-based egalitarianism of Nordic social democrats.
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
Remember, when journalists just let trans people live their lives in peace, it’s “ideological capture”, but when they use their own personal anti-trans beliefs to lead a campaign to close down the only place in the country trans youth received healthcare, it’s absolutely fine, nothing to see here.
Emily Maitlis admitting she worked at the bbc to try and get healthcare for trans people shut down
November 10, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Remember, when journalists just let trans people live their lives in peace, it’s “ideological capture”, but when they use their own personal anti-trans beliefs to lead a campaign to close down the only place in the country trans youth received healthcare, it’s absolutely fine, nothing to see here.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
Somehow, 30 years ago, Sparks predicted Lisa Nandy
open.spotify.com/track/74W6CA...
open.spotify.com/track/74W6CA...
Now That I Own the BBC - 2019 Remaster
open.spotify.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Somehow, 30 years ago, Sparks predicted Lisa Nandy
open.spotify.com/track/74W6CA...
open.spotify.com/track/74W6CA...
Reposted by Nathan🌹
I think it’s more complex than that, a lot of it comes from fear, uncertainty and sloppiness but it’s not a grand conspiracy across the org. Plus it’s well worth defending and fixing because if it dies, what replaces it will be far worse.
November 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
I think it’s more complex than that, a lot of it comes from fear, uncertainty and sloppiness but it’s not a grand conspiracy across the org. Plus it’s well worth defending and fixing because if it dies, what replaces it will be far worse.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
To fix the BBC, focus on competence and cash
Corporation fails to learn from criticism, while politicians have consciously reduced its scope for quality journalism
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
The US political system is just baffling viewed from abroad. Utterly baffling.
November 10, 2025 at 12:03 AM
The US political system is just baffling viewed from abroad. Utterly baffling.
This is *incredible*
youtu.be/fFYlbUSyivk?...
youtu.be/fFYlbUSyivk?...
Theater Adult ft. Alex Edelman | Gianmarco Soresi | Full Live Show
YouTube video by Gianmarco Soresi
youtu.be
November 9, 2025 at 11:03 PM
This is *incredible*
youtu.be/fFYlbUSyivk?...
youtu.be/fFYlbUSyivk?...
It is interesting that this is not the pattern we see in Leeds (and tbh there isn't really a pattern in Leeds?)
November 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
It is interesting that this is not the pattern we see in Leeds (and tbh there isn't really a pattern in Leeds?)
Just watched 49th Parallel for the first time – a powerful film if ever there was one
November 9, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Just watched 49th Parallel for the first time – a powerful film if ever there was one
Surely the main lesson here is not to try and appease people who hate the BBC because you'll never satisfy them?
November 9, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Surely the main lesson here is not to try and appease people who hate the BBC because you'll never satisfy them?
If you think this sounds far-fetched given current polling, remember that the Canadian Liberals were reduced to 11% of seats and then came back to win a majority.
In a fragmented, realigning FPTP system, there is a benefit to being the least 'disruptive' seeming party.
In a fragmented, realigning FPTP system, there is a benefit to being the least 'disruptive' seeming party.
Basically, the radicalisation and demographic narrowing of the British right means Labour is now closer to being the 'neutral' option under FPTP.
I think that means the future is probably Labour majorities when Labour has its shit together, and unstable minority governments the rest of the time.
I think that means the future is probably Labour majorities when Labour has its shit together, and unstable minority governments the rest of the time.
November 9, 2025 at 2:03 PM
If you think this sounds far-fetched given current polling, remember that the Canadian Liberals were reduced to 11% of seats and then came back to win a majority.
In a fragmented, realigning FPTP system, there is a benefit to being the least 'disruptive' seeming party.
In a fragmented, realigning FPTP system, there is a benefit to being the least 'disruptive' seeming party.
It is to my great frustration that Labour in 2024 had a great opportunity to institute itself as the new 'natural party of government' and almost immediately squandered it
the liberal party of canada is the most regime pilled institution known to man because it can move right or left based on the vibe shift
The Liberal shift right is a liberal tradition.
As is the liberal shift left.
As is the liberal shift left.
November 9, 2025 at 1:09 PM
It is to my great frustration that Labour in 2024 had a great opportunity to institute itself as the new 'natural party of government' and almost immediately squandered it
I think, if you took the Gove-ian focus on knowledge-dense curricula and recruiting and retaining strong executive leadership, then coupled it with New Labour levels of spending, with support for disadvantaged and disabled students in mainstream, England's schools would be the best in the world.
It's fascinating that these campaigns so rarely seem to acknowledge that the English education system actually performs fairly well by international standards
November 9, 2025 at 12:49 PM
I think, if you took the Gove-ian focus on knowledge-dense curricula and recruiting and retaining strong executive leadership, then coupled it with New Labour levels of spending, with support for disadvantaged and disabled students in mainstream, England's schools would be the best in the world.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
Obviously right to criticise it when it makes mistakes but the BBC is broadly very good and British people don’t realise how lucky they are to have it.
November 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Obviously right to criticise it when it makes mistakes but the BBC is broadly very good and British people don’t realise how lucky they are to have it.
Reposted by Nathan🌹
I criticize the bbc BECAUSE i think its a public good and it breaks my heart when its not
November 9, 2025 at 9:59 AM
I criticize the bbc BECAUSE i think its a public good and it breaks my heart when its not
Indeed this is the case against full rail nationalisation – that it's easier to channel funding (both through fares and private investment) into the network if the services are not under direct political control.
When we looked at attitudes to rail nationalisation, ticket prices and infrastructure investment were the two things the public most expected to improve.
Given that fare reform would also be costly (so won't happen), increasingly looking like nationalisation will be a failure in eyes of the public.
Given that fare reform would also be costly (so won't happen), increasingly looking like nationalisation will be a failure in eyes of the public.
November 9, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Indeed this is the case against full rail nationalisation – that it's easier to channel funding (both through fares and private investment) into the network if the services are not under direct political control.
Just been to the cinema to see Anemone.
It's a great showcase for Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, who are great on screen together, but the film is tonally unsure of itself and the ending is awkward and unsatisfying.
It's a great showcase for Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, who are great on screen together, but the film is tonally unsure of itself and the ending is awkward and unsatisfying.
November 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Just been to the cinema to see Anemone.
It's a great showcase for Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, who are great on screen together, but the film is tonally unsure of itself and the ending is awkward and unsatisfying.
It's a great showcase for Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, who are great on screen together, but the film is tonally unsure of itself and the ending is awkward and unsatisfying.
Possibly the British right's biggest long-term problem is that it is no longer a social movement, and has no youth movement to speak of anymore.
By contrast the American right, for all its awfulness, still has a big youth movement that's deeply integrated with religious movements.
By contrast the American right, for all its awfulness, still has a big youth movement that's deeply integrated with religious movements.
When I talk about how the history of progressive/radical movements is tied to a history of intimacy this is what I mean.
Socialism is always both a theory of economic redistribution and a chance to hang out!!
Socialism is always both a theory of economic redistribution and a chance to hang out!!
November 6, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Possibly the British right's biggest long-term problem is that it is no longer a social movement, and has no youth movement to speak of anymore.
By contrast the American right, for all its awfulness, still has a big youth movement that's deeply integrated with religious movements.
By contrast the American right, for all its awfulness, still has a big youth movement that's deeply integrated with religious movements.
Very good piece on the fiscal situation from Will Hutton in the Observer.
I think Reeves is absolutely right to prioritise fiscal consolidation in order to get interest rates under control – but my question is, why wasn't that her objective last year?
I think Reeves is absolutely right to prioritise fiscal consolidation in order to get interest rates under control – but my question is, why wasn't that her objective last year?
November 6, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Very good piece on the fiscal situation from Will Hutton in the Observer.
I think Reeves is absolutely right to prioritise fiscal consolidation in order to get interest rates under control – but my question is, why wasn't that her objective last year?
I think Reeves is absolutely right to prioritise fiscal consolidation in order to get interest rates under control – but my question is, why wasn't that her objective last year?
There's an article to be written about how this happened, and more broadly about how Leeds ended up with the most fragmented opposition of any major city council in the country
And their only political representation anywhere in the country is on Leeds City Council
November 5, 2025 at 10:03 PM
There's an article to be written about how this happened, and more broadly about how Leeds ended up with the most fragmented opposition of any major city council in the country
What he's actually proposing is something more akin to the Co-operative supermarkets in the UK
Do you have reason to believe that the services economy of the united states is structurally similar to the late soviets such that state operated grocers would result in shortages or are you just an economist making blithe and historically inaccurate comparisons for points online
This time will be different
November 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
What he's actually proposing is something more akin to the Co-operative supermarkets in the UK
The problem with so much of Labour's fiscal policy is that we've implemented lots of 'stealth' taxes on wealth that have managed to wind up lots of engaged voter groups – while failing to do what what a wealth tax should do i.e. loudly signal fairness and solidarity
The principle that we all contribute to high quality public services and a welfare safety net is a good one. Solidarity is a virtue. It’s not progressive nor left-wing to attack it as a principle. We all contribute, but those with the broadest shoulders contribute the most.
November 5, 2025 at 11:54 AM
The problem with so much of Labour's fiscal policy is that we've implemented lots of 'stealth' taxes on wealth that have managed to wind up lots of engaged voter groups – while failing to do what what a wealth tax should do i.e. loudly signal fairness and solidarity