Alex
@optimised.bsky.social
Old. cranky. Takes the odd snap, then mutilates them. Interested politics, economics, literature, poetry, history. Spain, Istanbul.
Reposted by Alex
Totally untrue garbage from @thetimes.com & @dailymail.co.uk today - smear dressed up as journalism. Some facts:
- There is no “£900 desk”
- my constituency office has Ikea desks/chairs
- we significantly underspent the new MPs allowance to set up an office
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
- There is no “£900 desk”
- my constituency office has Ikea desks/chairs
- we significantly underspent the new MPs allowance to set up an office
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Treasury minister leading budget plans spent £900 on desk
Torsten Bell, who is working with Rachel Reeves to fill a £30 billion hole in finances, also used his parliamentary expenses to claim £600 for three chairs
www.thetimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Totally untrue garbage from @thetimes.com & @dailymail.co.uk today - smear dressed up as journalism. Some facts:
- There is no “£900 desk”
- my constituency office has Ikea desks/chairs
- we significantly underspent the new MPs allowance to set up an office
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
- There is no “£900 desk”
- my constituency office has Ikea desks/chairs
- we significantly underspent the new MPs allowance to set up an office
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted by Alex
I hear from informed sources that these #NoKings rallies are more than twice as big as last time, making them easily the largest protests in US history. Thanks to everyone and especially organizers.
October 18, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I hear from informed sources that these #NoKings rallies are more than twice as big as last time, making them easily the largest protests in US history. Thanks to everyone and especially organizers.
Reposted by Alex
Henry Farrell on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities, arguing that the rollout signals weakness, and that academics need to band together to reject this authoritarian attack on university independence and academic freedom.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
October 8, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Henry Farrell on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities, arguing that the rollout signals weakness, and that academics need to band together to reject this authoritarian attack on university independence and academic freedom.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Reposted by Alex
Henceforth the red robes will only be worn as an away kit when the Canadian Supreme Court is playing the US one.
October 7, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Henceforth the red robes will only be worn as an away kit when the Canadian Supreme Court is playing the US one.
Reposted by Alex
Thanks, New Yorker
October 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Thanks, New Yorker
Reposted by Alex
Buckle up
Preparing for politicised dollar liquidity - on.ft.com/4pPdCOz via @FT
Preparing for politicised dollar liquidity
The time to act is now
on.ft.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Buckle up
Reposted by Alex
My gods, not an Economist novelty Christmas single.
September 19, 2025 at 2:45 PM
My gods, not an Economist novelty Christmas single.
Reposted by Alex
Reposted by Alex
Don’t you start by ghost-writing the glowing review and work backwards from that?
September 8, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Don’t you start by ghost-writing the glowing review and work backwards from that?
Reposted by Alex
It is not only Israel’s enemies who are demanding sanctions: it’s their friends. It's the moderates who have turned—and all the signs are that they, too, will be ignored, writes @arusbridger.bsky.social.
It’s time to start treating Israel like apartheid-era South Africa
Its government has shown that international condemnation of the horrors in Gaza carries no weight. It is time for action.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
September 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
It is not only Israel’s enemies who are demanding sanctions: it’s their friends. It's the moderates who have turned—and all the signs are that they, too, will be ignored, writes @arusbridger.bsky.social.
Reposted by Alex
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely
September 3, 2025 at 10:33 PM
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely
Reposted by Alex
Next week, Boris Johnson with advice on monogamy. ~AA
September 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Next week, Boris Johnson with advice on monogamy. ~AA
Reposted by Alex
"Morgan this wasn't on the grid"
"well it is now"
"well it is now"
September 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"Morgan this wasn't on the grid"
"well it is now"
"well it is now"
Reposted by Alex
Something so disheartening about watching the breakdown of public trust.
Have we really reached a point where people are even questioning the truthfulness of a convicted child sex trafficker about the man who could commute and pardon her at the stroke of a pen?
Have we really reached a point where people are even questioning the truthfulness of a convicted child sex trafficker about the man who could commute and pardon her at the stroke of a pen?
August 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Something so disheartening about watching the breakdown of public trust.
Have we really reached a point where people are even questioning the truthfulness of a convicted child sex trafficker about the man who could commute and pardon her at the stroke of a pen?
Have we really reached a point where people are even questioning the truthfulness of a convicted child sex trafficker about the man who could commute and pardon her at the stroke of a pen?
Reposted by Alex
August 18, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Alex
we need this on uk tv asap
Watching German Shopping cart archery can be very satisfying.
August 15, 2025 at 3:27 PM
we need this on uk tv asap
Reposted by Alex
It's a tax "raid". When you or I pay our income tax it's just a tax. But when a fabulously wealthy millionaire who refuses to contribute to the country whose public services they use (and yes, they use roads, defence, police etc) it's a "raid".
www.ft.com/content/8882...
www.ft.com/content/8882...
Meet the non-doms fighting Rachel Reeves’s tax raid
With chancellor planning tax shake-up in this month’s Budget, Foreign Investors for Britain is trying to affect debate
www.ft.com
August 14, 2025 at 8:34 AM
It's a tax "raid". When you or I pay our income tax it's just a tax. But when a fabulously wealthy millionaire who refuses to contribute to the country whose public services they use (and yes, they use roads, defence, police etc) it's a "raid".
www.ft.com/content/8882...
www.ft.com/content/8882...
Reposted by Alex
Reposted by Alex
Reposting this from LinkedIn news.sky.com/story/if-the...
August 7, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposting this from LinkedIn news.sky.com/story/if-the...
Reposted by Alex
Ok, for each retweet I’ll provide one insight, fact, or opinion on unconventional naval warfare, like submarines, explosive boats, special forces or crazy ideas
0/n 🧵
0/n 🧵
August 7, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Ok, for each retweet I’ll provide one insight, fact, or opinion on unconventional naval warfare, like submarines, explosive boats, special forces or crazy ideas
0/n 🧵
0/n 🧵
Reposted by Alex
"When historians look back, they may very well pinpoint the early months of President Trump’s second term as the watershed moment when China pulled away and left the United States behind." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...
Opinion | In the Future, China Will Be Dominant. The U.S. Will Be Irrelevant.
www.nytimes.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:31 PM
"When historians look back, they may very well pinpoint the early months of President Trump’s second term as the watershed moment when China pulled away and left the United States behind." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...
Reposted by Alex
Breaking: BLS updates employment data to add one addition unemployed person.
#Satire
www.nbcnews.com/business/eco...
#Satire
www.nbcnews.com/business/eco...
Trump fires labor statistics boss hours after weak jobs report
The president implied that the BLS commissioner, longtime federal employee Erika McEntarfer, manipulated the data "for political purposes."
www.nbcnews.com
August 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Breaking: BLS updates employment data to add one addition unemployed person.
#Satire
www.nbcnews.com/business/eco...
#Satire
www.nbcnews.com/business/eco...
Reposted by Alex
Nearly two years into this war, Israeli government propaganda is only just being exposed as baseless
No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/w...
No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/w...
July 26, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Nearly two years into this war, Israeli government propaganda is only just being exposed as baseless
No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/w...
No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/w...
Reposted by Alex
Note this well.
I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
July 3, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Note this well.