Reposted by TACJ
This is such a great example of the clash between actual sustainable transport projects and tree-Tory cosplayer aesthetics www.bbc.com/news/article...
Roseburn Path: What is the row over a new Edinburgh tram line about?
A public consultation on plans to build a new tram line along a popular cycle route closes on Monday.
www.bbc.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:51 AM
This is such a great example of the clash between actual sustainable transport projects and tree-Tory cosplayer aesthetics www.bbc.com/news/article...
Two round systems are good actually, because they clarify the fact that democracy is about legitimacy, rather than creating an outcome that makes large numbers of people happy.
The Chilean presidential election is yet another example of the Perils of Presidentialism and the problems of the Two-Round system.
November 17, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Two round systems are good actually, because they clarify the fact that democracy is about legitimacy, rather than creating an outcome that makes large numbers of people happy.
Gung-ho Keynesianism in 2010 was "everyone else is choosing to waste resources by not having full employment". Gung-ho Keynesianism in 2025 is "everyone else is choosing to waste resources by allowing middle class boomers to have too much disposable income".
November 17, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Gung-ho Keynesianism in 2010 was "everyone else is choosing to waste resources by not having full employment". Gung-ho Keynesianism in 2025 is "everyone else is choosing to waste resources by allowing middle class boomers to have too much disposable income".
Reposted by TACJ
Borders are bad, humanity is one, I fundamentally have more in common with a Somali doctor than an English peasant, and the people who pretend otherwise are the ones who want their birthplace to count for more than their achievements because they have none of the latter
November 16, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Borders are bad, humanity is one, I fundamentally have more in common with a Somali doctor than an English peasant, and the people who pretend otherwise are the ones who want their birthplace to count for more than their achievements because they have none of the latter
Reposted by TACJ
As we saw with the late stage Conservative governments, voters develop a sense of immovable contempt for parties in power who exude an open sense of loser anxiety. Projecting winner self-confidence is a core part of being good at politics. Which arcs back to that Chris Dillow post you shared
November 15, 2025 at 3:45 PM
As we saw with the late stage Conservative governments, voters develop a sense of immovable contempt for parties in power who exude an open sense of loser anxiety. Projecting winner self-confidence is a core part of being good at politics. Which arcs back to that Chris Dillow post you shared
Reposted by TACJ
I keep meaning to write something in this vein - I absolutely think that the most underrated part of 'being a good prime minister' is 'first, have a responsible predecessor'. It's why good prime ministers tend to go in sequences!
November 15, 2025 at 11:10 AM
I keep meaning to write something in this vein - I absolutely think that the most underrated part of 'being a good prime minister' is 'first, have a responsible predecessor'. It's why good prime ministers tend to go in sequences!
Reposted by TACJ
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 10:20 AM
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.
Reposted by TACJ
need to kill the recurring thought of "no I can't replay/reread that, I have other stuff to check out"
no. I am a poor little peasant living just after the advent of the printing press. I have five books at most and I will reread them so much they will know the death of the author was caused by me
no. I am a poor little peasant living just after the advent of the printing press. I have five books at most and I will reread them so much they will know the death of the author was caused by me
November 14, 2025 at 2:56 AM
need to kill the recurring thought of "no I can't replay/reread that, I have other stuff to check out"
no. I am a poor little peasant living just after the advent of the printing press. I have five books at most and I will reread them so much they will know the death of the author was caused by me
no. I am a poor little peasant living just after the advent of the printing press. I have five books at most and I will reread them so much they will know the death of the author was caused by me
Reposted by TACJ
everyone gets so mad at the mods here for doing basic mod shit. sometimes you gotta make a little murder joke and eat a three day ban for it. that’s life baby, there’s beauty in that.
November 14, 2025 at 5:13 PM
everyone gets so mad at the mods here for doing basic mod shit. sometimes you gotta make a little murder joke and eat a three day ban for it. that’s life baby, there’s beauty in that.
Reposted by TACJ
Some people trade in stocks and shares, and some people trade in shocks and stares.
November 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Some people trade in stocks and shares, and some people trade in shocks and stares.
Reposted by TACJ
The Uk has million and millions of workers in low pay jobs who could switch to a much higher paying construction job if there was an expansion in the construction industry.
November 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The Uk has million and millions of workers in low pay jobs who could switch to a much higher paying construction job if there was an expansion in the construction industry.
I always think about how Osborne’s attempt at tax simplification was branded the “pasty tax” but barely anyone remembers him increasing VAT by 2.5%
I'd love to see some research on whether any of this has a political dividend. Suspect it just makes everything more complex *and* fails to improve the long term fiscal situation.
November 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
I always think about how Osborne’s attempt at tax simplification was branded the “pasty tax” but barely anyone remembers him increasing VAT by 2.5%
Reposted by TACJ
My mother put it more politely and less combatively than this, but as she rightly observed, it is a really striking bit of 'the UK housing shortage' that essentially I live in *the same flat* that I was born in. She was an arts administrator raising a child alone!
November 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
My mother put it more politely and less combatively than this, but as she rightly observed, it is a really striking bit of 'the UK housing shortage' that essentially I live in *the same flat* that I was born in. She was an arts administrator raising a child alone!
Reposted by TACJ
We have chaos and Ed Miliband, they're just not evenly distributed.
November 13, 2025 at 1:15 PM
We have chaos and Ed Miliband, they're just not evenly distributed.
Reposted by TACJ
Basically he didn't realise that he wasn't in a Yank airport, and so went landside instead of following the purple airside Connections sign. Once you've done that then pretty much everything else that happened follows (except that Central to T5 trains should be at a 15-min interval).
November 12, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Basically he didn't realise that he wasn't in a Yank airport, and so went landside instead of following the purple airside Connections sign. Once you've done that then pretty much everything else that happened follows (except that Central to T5 trains should be at a 15-min interval).
The internet is full of tax calculators. They're boring.
Tomorrow we're launching our Budget tax calculator. Prettier and nerdier than all the rest put together.
Tomorrow we're launching our Budget tax calculator. Prettier and nerdier than all the rest put together.
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
So Noah Smith somehow got lost travelling from Dublin to Paris and almost lost his connection. I’m trying to work out what went wrong here.
November 11, 2025 at 1:28 PM
So Noah Smith somehow got lost travelling from Dublin to Paris and almost lost his connection. I’m trying to work out what went wrong here.
This is true, but only STEM people are allowed to say it and be taken seriously.
the amount of people who will say something like "they went to tech so you know they're smart"
YALL
math science engineering is a certain kind of skill that some ppl study but lolll plz do not defer to stem folks on all the things, just on stem things
YALL
math science engineering is a certain kind of skill that some ppl study but lolll plz do not defer to stem folks on all the things, just on stem things
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
This is true, but only STEM people are allowed to say it and be taken seriously.
@johnb78.bsky.social Any idea what went wrong for Noah Smith in his recent journey from Dublin to Paris via Heathrow?
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
@johnb78.bsky.social Any idea what went wrong for Noah Smith in his recent journey from Dublin to Paris via Heathrow?
Reposted by TACJ
OK, this is a HILARIOUSLY poor photo as I don't have a proper tripod, let alone actual astrophotography equipment, but we just saw something quite odd in the sky. Sort of multicoloured and bobbing around. Any ideas? I think rocket launch maybe?
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
OK, this is a HILARIOUSLY poor photo as I don't have a proper tripod, let alone actual astrophotography equipment, but we just saw something quite odd in the sky. Sort of multicoloured and bobbing around. Any ideas? I think rocket launch maybe?
Why do people think calling nuclear a 1950s technology is a clever talking point? What is it even supposed to imply?
November 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Why do people think calling nuclear a 1950s technology is a clever talking point? What is it even supposed to imply?
Reposted by TACJ
I don't quite agree on the Renters' Rights Act: I think it is helping to create the conditions for amateur landlords to be replaced by build-to-rent, and e.g. Lloyds. This is good for *most* tenants. But Labour seem in denial about its very real costs for tenants right at the bottom:
Lloyds quietly builds £2bn rental portfolio to become major UK landlord
UK bank has acquired 7,500 homes for rent since 2021 as it seeks to diversify income
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I don't quite agree on the Renters' Rights Act: I think it is helping to create the conditions for amateur landlords to be replaced by build-to-rent, and e.g. Lloyds. This is good for *most* tenants. But Labour seem in denial about its very real costs for tenants right at the bottom:
Reposted by TACJ
“Nobody thought a Labour government would have to raise taxes by more than £70bn,” claims one insider in this excellent piece. Shows the problem of the climate of fear in meetings created by some of Starmer’s aides, in that plenty of Labour insiders, did, in fact, think this!
The politics of breaking manifesto promises
The history of politicians who go back on their words has lessons for Rachel Reeves as she mulls raising taxes
www.ft.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM
“Nobody thought a Labour government would have to raise taxes by more than £70bn,” claims one insider in this excellent piece. Shows the problem of the climate of fear in meetings created by some of Starmer’s aides, in that plenty of Labour insiders, did, in fact, think this!
Reposted by TACJ
The resolution foundation is completely right about this. We should retire NI - both parts of it over time and raise income taxes. For one thing it’s silly to have two different kinds of income tax!
Why should we switch 2p of tax from National Insurance to Income Tax? ⤵️
Income Tax raises more money and spreads the burden more fairly. The switch would raise £6 billion, and leave the vast majority of payslips unaffected.
Income Tax raises more money and spreads the burden more fairly. The switch would raise £6 billion, and leave the vast majority of payslips unaffected.
November 7, 2025 at 9:53 PM
The resolution foundation is completely right about this. We should retire NI - both parts of it over time and raise income taxes. For one thing it’s silly to have two different kinds of income tax!