Neil Stockley
@neilstockley.bsky.social
Reposted by Neil Stockley
It's part of the electionification of everything, which is why we as a country are failing to have a proper conversation about our actual problems. It's bad for the left *and* the right.
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
Headline on The World at One just now:
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
November 27, 2025 at 10:17 PM
It's part of the electionification of everything, which is why we as a country are failing to have a proper conversation about our actual problems. It's bad for the left *and* the right.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
We have got to make politics intellectual again. It is the only way that societies thrive is when politicians have the capability to actually think and reflect deeply:
![I confess that I always had difficulty with interpreting the Biblical precept to love our neighbours “as ourselves” until I read some of the words of C.S. Lewis. He pointed out that we don't exactly love ourselves when we fall below the standards and beliefs we have accepted. Indeed we might even hate ourselves for some unworthy deed.
None of this, of course, tells us exactly what kind of political and social institutions we should have. On this point, Christians will very often genuinely disagree, though it is a mark of Christian manners that they will do so with courtesy and mutual respect. [Applause] What is certain, however, is that any set of social and economic arrangements which is not founded on the acceptance of individual responsibility will do nothing but harm.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xbnsfdtxoothg654ujxe3p25/bafkreicrdgbtvm54qnmttwe6crhxwt4be5v3izjmqtnvlxmaljwg5wolai@jpeg)
November 28, 2025 at 12:15 PM
We have got to make politics intellectual again. It is the only way that societies thrive is when politicians have the capability to actually think and reflect deeply:
Reposted by Neil Stockley
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), an insulation scheme funded through energy bills, has been scrapped.
The latest version faced structural issues and needed an overhaul, but ECO has run for over a decade, supporting a steady supply chain for retrofit businesses.
So, what does this mean?
🧵1/4
The latest version faced structural issues and needed an overhaul, but ECO has run for over a decade, supporting a steady supply chain for retrofit businesses.
So, what does this mean?
🧵1/4
November 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), an insulation scheme funded through energy bills, has been scrapped.
The latest version faced structural issues and needed an overhaul, but ECO has run for over a decade, supporting a steady supply chain for retrofit businesses.
So, what does this mean?
🧵1/4
The latest version faced structural issues and needed an overhaul, but ECO has run for over a decade, supporting a steady supply chain for retrofit businesses.
So, what does this mean?
🧵1/4
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Cannot wait for GBNEWS and Nigel Farage to join the barricades about an arch Trump critic having his words censored by the BBC - they must be absolutely furious about this 🤔
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Cannot wait for GBNEWS and Nigel Farage to join the barricades about an arch Trump critic having his words censored by the BBC - they must be absolutely furious about this 🤔
Reposted by Neil Stockley
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Reposted by Neil Stockley
This would be the right decision, as there are better ways to cut energy bills that do not incentivise burning more gas. But after briefing a VAT cut on energy bills for so long, you have to ask what the hell is going on in there? www.ft.com/content/82f0...
Rachel Reeves decides against cutting VAT on energy bills in Budget
Chancellor expected to continue with support package for households, including easing of electricity costs
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This would be the right decision, as there are better ways to cut energy bills that do not incentivise burning more gas. But after briefing a VAT cut on energy bills for so long, you have to ask what the hell is going on in there? www.ft.com/content/82f0...
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Brilliant thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
November 24, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Brilliant thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
Reposted by Neil Stockley
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Boris Johnson didn't apologise to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, even when she told him in person the lasting impact his comments about her had on her detention in Iran, her husband tells the BBC
November 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Boris Johnson didn't apologise to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, even when she told him in person the lasting impact his comments about her had on her detention in Iran, her husband tells the BBC
Reposted by Neil Stockley
iirc, the broadcast coverage of the last election campaign mainly involved yelling at any passing politician, "Please make another promise about tax that you, me and lots of voters know is untenable!" before minutely reporting an inaccurate poll, interrupted to break some news about a gaffe.
To add to this - it's not like the public is being well served by broadcast news moving at the pace of 24 hour scrolling and the politically obsessed - it just means every election large numbers of people end up googling 'what is austerity?' 'What is brownfield?' etc. etc.
This is bizarre. Like the editor of the guardian or mail or any other paper complaining repeatedly about the front page lead they decided to run with.
Very good example of what's wrong with broadcast news - they've given up deciding for themselves what is or isn't news and what the priorities are
Very good example of what's wrong with broadcast news - they've given up deciding for themselves what is or isn't news and what the priorities are
November 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
iirc, the broadcast coverage of the last election campaign mainly involved yelling at any passing politician, "Please make another promise about tax that you, me and lots of voters know is untenable!" before minutely reporting an inaccurate poll, interrupted to break some news about a gaffe.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
I found 2024 incredibly frustrating. Because I (and lots of other people) kept explaining that the fiscal position of all parties was literally impossible but broadcast (in particular) was never willing to go that far.
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
November 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I found 2024 incredibly frustrating. Because I (and lots of other people) kept explaining that the fiscal position of all parties was literally impossible but broadcast (in particular) was never willing to go that far.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Unnerving how much this government just convinces itself of things where you go “well, it would be lovely if that were true”.
November 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Unnerving how much this government just convinces itself of things where you go “well, it would be lovely if that were true”.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
The Labour right is composed of two tendencies that are really quite distinct – and the liberal tendency increasingly feels marginalised within this government (as @morganj0nes.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social have reported)
November 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The Labour right is composed of two tendencies that are really quite distinct – and the liberal tendency increasingly feels marginalised within this government (as @morganj0nes.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social have reported)
Reposted by Neil Stockley
The Covid inquiry’s findings are shocking but unsurprising now, so the main thing it left me thinking is that without a vaccine we wd’ve been utterly screwed. & if you worked round the clock to make a thing that saved millions of lives globally, to see that legacy trashed by anti-vaxxers…
November 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The Covid inquiry’s findings are shocking but unsurprising now, so the main thing it left me thinking is that without a vaccine we wd’ve been utterly screwed. & if you worked round the clock to make a thing that saved millions of lives globally, to see that legacy trashed by anti-vaxxers…
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Reposted by Neil Stockley
A plague on all your houses... but what happens next?
2) Labour are not seen as having the best policies on any of the key issues. But no one is! Add to that historic low satisfaction with the PM and Chancellor, scepticism that this gvt's policies will improve the economy or public services, and public anxiety over their finances and ...
November 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
A plague on all your houses... but what happens next?
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Everything in the end comes back to 'there is no vision for what they want to achieve', because when you have a vision, you can form tactical alliances with Chris Mullin or Dennis Skinner or Clare Short or Peter Kilfoyle or Kate Hoey. But when you don't, you can't.
November 16, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Everything in the end comes back to 'there is no vision for what they want to achieve', because when you have a vision, you can form tactical alliances with Chris Mullin or Dennis Skinner or Clare Short or Peter Kilfoyle or Kate Hoey. But when you don't, you can't.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Labour's fear of Reform, 'the election is tomorrow' attitude means that they are completely incapable of going 'okay, but what are *actually* the consequences of refugee and asylum policy that people don't like?'
This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform.
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Labour's fear of Reform, 'the election is tomorrow' attitude means that they are completely incapable of going 'okay, but what are *actually* the consequences of refugee and asylum policy that people don't like?'
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Interesting to see so many great British patriots right now begging an American president to bankrupt one of Britain’s last remaining truly national institutions.
November 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Interesting to see so many great British patriots right now begging an American president to bankrupt one of Britain’s last remaining truly national institutions.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
If one assumes Starmer will be gone after May, then the more they try to appeal to the right now, the more that leadership election is going to be about tacking back. (Especially if the Greens do well in London and other cities).
November 15, 2025 at 8:57 AM
If one assumes Starmer will be gone after May, then the more they try to appeal to the right now, the more that leadership election is going to be about tacking back. (Especially if the Greens do well in London and other cities).
Interesting 🧵
Hadn't clocked until this tweet that this is true of every defeated Labour government other than New Labour: more votes in defeat in 1951 than in victory in 1945, more in 1970 than in 1964. And frankly, whether they win or lose next time, would bet large amounts will get more votes than 2024.
Labour got more votes in 1979 then they did in Oct 1974.
November 15, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Interesting 🧵
This 👇. And note that word: sovereignty.
Buckle up - because this now amounts to a direct and deliberate attack on our country and its cultural sovereignty. Which side our politicians take - Trump's or the BBC's - over the coming days and weeks will speak volumes about their patriotism.
Trump says he will sue BBC for at least $1bn over Panorama edit
The US president confirmed he intends to sue the broadcaster for at least $1bn over the Panorama edit of a 2021 speech.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 10:55 AM
This 👇. And note that word: sovereignty.
Reposted by Neil Stockley
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!
Issue for Labour now isn't whether they break their manifesto pledge on tax. It is whether they do so in a way which is blatant, honest but sustainable - or whether they do so by a myriad of complex and likely insufficient means whilst arguing they are not.
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!
Reposted by Neil Stockley
There might be some truth in this, but I think it understates the government’s achievement, which is to have synthesised the worst aspects of all three of the Blairite, Old Right, and Soft Left traditions
I voted for Ed Miliband and I'd do it again, but I think it is important to be realistic and accept that this goverment's instincts are basically Milibandist. A particularly unserious version of Milibandism, but Milibandism nevertheless.
November 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
There might be some truth in this, but I think it understates the government’s achievement, which is to have synthesised the worst aspects of all three of the Blairite, Old Right, and Soft Left traditions
Reposted by Neil Stockley
The irony is that the Right used to cast the 1970s as the nadir of Britain's postwar decline, from which it had been "rescued" by Mrs Thatcher.
Labour was invariably said to want to "take us back to the 1970s".
But the 80s is less attractive to Reform's new voters, so the 70s are being repurposed.
Labour was invariably said to want to "take us back to the 1970s".
But the 80s is less attractive to Reform's new voters, so the 70s are being repurposed.
"What is certain, and felt instinctively by almost everybody, is that things cannot go on in their present way" – The Times, May 1975
“It is difficult to imagine a previous period when such an all-pervasive hopelessness was exhibited at all levels of British life” – Professor Stephen Haseler, 1975
“It is difficult to imagine a previous period when such an all-pervasive hopelessness was exhibited at all levels of British life” – Professor Stephen Haseler, 1975
November 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The irony is that the Right used to cast the 1970s as the nadir of Britain's postwar decline, from which it had been "rescued" by Mrs Thatcher.
Labour was invariably said to want to "take us back to the 1970s".
But the 80s is less attractive to Reform's new voters, so the 70s are being repurposed.
Labour was invariably said to want to "take us back to the 1970s".
But the 80s is less attractive to Reform's new voters, so the 70s are being repurposed.