ThinkGov
@thinkgov.bsky.social
IT specialist, uk government insider, golfer (player and level 3 rules official) and recently retired NHS Community First Responder.
Reposted by ThinkGov
I challenge you to listen to Tim
Montgomerie’s defence of Nigel Farage on Radio 4 with a straight face
Montgomerie’s defence of Nigel Farage on Radio 4 with a straight face
November 25, 2025 at 1:21 PM
I challenge you to listen to Tim
Montgomerie’s defence of Nigel Farage on Radio 4 with a straight face
Montgomerie’s defence of Nigel Farage on Radio 4 with a straight face
Reposted by ThinkGov
I have some slight sympathy with the MPs but the hack of JLR and others is a board governance failure.
Page 1 of Samuelson, "Business is the management of risk."
Page 1 of Samuelson, "Business is the management of risk."
Software companies must be held liable for British economic security, say MPs | The Record
https://alecmuffett.com/article/127856
#BrokenRecord #liability #software
https://alecmuffett.com/article/127856
#BrokenRecord #liability #software
Software companies must be held liable for British economic security, say MPs | The Record
Well this is misconceived and is going to end badly, if it goes anywhere at all. Perhaps the British people ought to be able to sue members of parliament for losses caused by legislation?
alecmuffett.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I have some slight sympathy with the MPs but the hack of JLR and others is a board governance failure.
Page 1 of Samuelson, "Business is the management of risk."
Page 1 of Samuelson, "Business is the management of risk."
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I haven't read it but I just know this is absolutely biased garbage.
Get a better accountant you fucking clowns.
Get a better accountant you fucking clowns.
A 90-year-old construction business is “looking over the cliff edge” due to planned changes to inheritance tax ahead of this week’s budget ⬇️
Inheritance tax leaves family construction group ‘on a cliff edge’
www.thetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
I haven't read it but I just know this is absolutely biased garbage.
Get a better accountant you fucking clowns.
Get a better accountant you fucking clowns.
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A lovely, insightful interview of Ken Clarke by @lewisgoodall.com here, covering Attlee to Starmer and many things in between.
Working (briefly, very unimportantly) as an adviser to Ken was one of the most enjoyable parts of my career to date. A true original, and a thoroughly decent man
Working (briefly, very unimportantly) as an adviser to Ken was one of the most enjoyable parts of my career to date. A true original, and a thoroughly decent man
Was a true pleasure to go to Nottingham to interview Ken Clarke, truly the archetypal big political beast.
In an extended conversation, we talk about Reeves nightmare Budget, his long political journey and his fears for where politics might go next.
Listen 👇
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
In an extended conversation, we talk about Reeves nightmare Budget, his long political journey and his fears for where politics might go next.
Listen 👇
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 AM
A lovely, insightful interview of Ken Clarke by @lewisgoodall.com here, covering Attlee to Starmer and many things in between.
Working (briefly, very unimportantly) as an adviser to Ken was one of the most enjoyable parts of my career to date. A true original, and a thoroughly decent man
Working (briefly, very unimportantly) as an adviser to Ken was one of the most enjoyable parts of my career to date. A true original, and a thoroughly decent man
Saw farmers driving across many of the bridges over the A30 this evening. All lights flashing. A real Christmas decoration vibe, just hope it didn’t confuse the drivers below.
NB - I don’t see why farmers that own land should be given preference over tenant farmers and other businesses.
NB - I don’t see why farmers that own land should be given preference over tenant farmers and other businesses.
November 24, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Saw farmers driving across many of the bridges over the A30 this evening. All lights flashing. A real Christmas decoration vibe, just hope it didn’t confuse the drivers below.
NB - I don’t see why farmers that own land should be given preference over tenant farmers and other businesses.
NB - I don’t see why farmers that own land should be given preference over tenant farmers and other businesses.
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“Musk won’t stop. It’s time the British government got off X’
The platform has become a swamp of disinformation. Politicians should lead the way out of it”
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
The platform has become a swamp of disinformation. Politicians should lead the way out of it”
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
‘Elon Musk won’t stop. It’s time the British government got off X’ | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
“Musk won’t stop. It’s time the British government got off X’
The platform has become a swamp of disinformation. Politicians should lead the way out of it”
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
The platform has become a swamp of disinformation. Politicians should lead the way out of it”
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
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It’s becoming clear that the BBC Board and SLT were not even chocolate teapot level.
Any decent manager would never have hired Prescott in the first place and ripped his credibility to shreds after the leak.
Any decent manager would never have hired Prescott in the first place and ripped his credibility to shreds after the leak.
Prescott comes across as out of his depth even under the intensely mild and ineffectual questioning of DCMS committee.
He has repeatedly returned to one of the most bizarre lines in his report, that Panorama should have matched its Jan 6th episode with an "equally aggressive" one into Kamala.
He has repeatedly returned to one of the most bizarre lines in his report, that Panorama should have matched its Jan 6th episode with an "equally aggressive" one into Kamala.
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It’s becoming clear that the BBC Board and SLT were not even chocolate teapot level.
Any decent manager would never have hired Prescott in the first place and ripped his credibility to shreds after the leak.
Any decent manager would never have hired Prescott in the first place and ripped his credibility to shreds after the leak.
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Prescott says the Panorama programme was aggressively anti-Trump. Neutral and experienced journalists who have seen the programme found it admirably balanced
November 24, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Prescott says the Panorama programme was aggressively anti-Trump. Neutral and experienced journalists who have seen the programme found it admirably balanced
I’m now subscribing to the FT.
High quality journalism as Janine says.
High quality journalism as Janine says.
Good morning and welcome to your short thread of FT Weekend highlight giftlinks for this very cold morning. Why not stay in bed and enjoy some high quality journalism. Links are free 300x that's all I have and the actual paper with all the weekend journalism you need is in the shops now!
November 22, 2025 at 8:40 AM
I’m now subscribing to the FT.
High quality journalism as Janine says.
High quality journalism as Janine says.
Reposted by ThinkGov
Reposted by ThinkGov
Having Johnson & Cummings in Downing Street when Covid struck was, just like Brexit, an entirely avoidable disaster caused largely by utterly appalling journalism. And now exactly the same clowns, arses & bigots with bylines are rolling out the red carpet for Farage.
www.thetimes.com/article/1b15...
www.thetimes.com/article/1b15...
Covid inquiry live: ‘Inexcusable’ delays under Johnson led to 23,000 deaths
Lockdowns may have been avoided if Boris Johnson’s government had acted faster, damning report finds
www.thetimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Having Johnson & Cummings in Downing Street when Covid struck was, just like Brexit, an entirely avoidable disaster caused largely by utterly appalling journalism. And now exactly the same clowns, arses & bigots with bylines are rolling out the red carpet for Farage.
www.thetimes.com/article/1b15...
www.thetimes.com/article/1b15...
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The UK isn't in crisis and I'm not convinced using language like this helps the Left. A lot of things are crap and broken but I believe it's still within the range of the standard policy toolkit to fix a huge amount of stuff.
Our country is in crisis. Bills are too high. People are being forced to live in mouldy, unaffordable homes. One in three kids is living in poverty.
The budget is this government's chance to turn things around: it's time to cut bills and tax billionaires.
The budget is this government's chance to turn things around: it's time to cut bills and tax billionaires.
At the Budget, the Green Party's message is clear: Cut Bills. Tax Billionaires.
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
The UK isn't in crisis and I'm not convinced using language like this helps the Left. A lot of things are crap and broken but I believe it's still within the range of the standard policy toolkit to fix a huge amount of stuff.
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Fundamentally, the UK is a massive success story on integration and most of the anxiety around it from the right should be treated as in insincere concern trolling it actually is.
Remember integration? That thing voters "really, really" care about? Where's that in the latest plans?
My column:
My column:
Labour has given up on integration
Shabana Mahmood's latest asylum plans prioritise return at the expense of integrating newcomers
www.newstatesman.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Fundamentally, the UK is a massive success story on integration and most of the anxiety around it from the right should be treated as in insincere concern trolling it actually is.
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Not surprised given the constant negativity from the media.
Do the people polled even know all the policies Labour have introduced?
Do the people polled even know all the policies Labour have introduced?
November 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Not surprised given the constant negativity from the media.
Do the people polled even know all the policies Labour have introduced?
Do the people polled even know all the policies Labour have introduced?
I’ve been listening to the Origin Story podcast about the Labour Party. It’s a history of a party that achieves a lot but gets tied up in internal warfare.
It’s amazing that Starmer is pushing policies that alienate Labour’s supporters.
Problem - who will do better?
It’s amazing that Starmer is pushing policies that alienate Labour’s supporters.
Problem - who will do better?
I've been out canvassing quite a lot in London lately. Labour's vote has absolutely evaporated.... it is quite extraordinary to go to places where Labour were on 50-60% of the vote at the last locals and find nobody, or virtually nobody, supporting them.
The phrase 'I voted Labour last time, but...
The phrase 'I voted Labour last time, but...
November 18, 2025 at 1:05 PM
I’ve been listening to the Origin Story podcast about the Labour Party. It’s a history of a party that achieves a lot but gets tied up in internal warfare.
It’s amazing that Starmer is pushing policies that alienate Labour’s supporters.
Problem - who will do better?
It’s amazing that Starmer is pushing policies that alienate Labour’s supporters.
Problem - who will do better?
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Coverage of the refugee proposals demonstrates why we have such a broken political system. Endless focus on left-wing anger and right-wing support. Basically nothing on whether the reforms will work. They will not, which is why we'll still be here having the same debate in three years.
November 18, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Coverage of the refugee proposals demonstrates why we have such a broken political system. Endless focus on left-wing anger and right-wing support. Basically nothing on whether the reforms will work. They will not, which is why we'll still be here having the same debate in three years.
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This document is the product of a broken administration, motivated by cynicism, immune to human decency, with a weak-to-non-existent understanding of the policy area they wish to legislate in.
And that's it. Overall impressions are
- there's still a surprising lack of detail
- lots of new work for officials but unlikely to lead to much change on the ground
- refugees will still live here rest of their lives but will struggle even more than before to integrate
- there's still a surprising lack of detail
- lots of new work for officials but unlikely to lead to much change on the ground
- refugees will still live here rest of their lives but will struggle even more than before to integrate
November 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
This document is the product of a broken administration, motivated by cynicism, immune to human decency, with a weak-to-non-existent understanding of the policy area they wish to legislate in.
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If you want people to feel that their day to day lives are improving then make sure that local government is properly funded. You could call it “the pothole theory of everything”.
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social care
English councils are planning to sell social clubs, sports centres and shopping arcades as they bet on a fire sale of assets to balance the books, according to a survey of local authorities.
The key cities group of councils, which represents second-tier cities in England, said 60% of councils were planning to sell assets to meet the escalating costs of adult and children’s social care. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:14 PM
If you want people to feel that their day to day lives are improving then make sure that local government is properly funded. You could call it “the pothole theory of everything”.
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"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social care
English councils are planning to sell social clubs, sports centres and shopping arcades as they bet on a fire sale of assets to balance the books, according to a survey of local authorities.
The key cities group of councils, which represents second-tier cities in England, said 60% of councils were planning to sell assets to meet the escalating costs of adult and children’s social care. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM
"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.
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Okay, I can't let this one go. I live in Ireland, not the UK, but the use of this image by a supposedly socialist party is so stupid and offensive, I'm going to get stuck in.
Let me explain to you why any experienced illustrator/designer could have stopped you making so many miserable mistakes. 1/
Let me explain to you why any experienced illustrator/designer could have stopped you making so many miserable mistakes. 1/
November 15, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Okay, I can't let this one go. I live in Ireland, not the UK, but the use of this image by a supposedly socialist party is so stupid and offensive, I'm going to get stuck in.
Let me explain to you why any experienced illustrator/designer could have stopped you making so many miserable mistakes. 1/
Let me explain to you why any experienced illustrator/designer could have stopped you making so many miserable mistakes. 1/
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The United Kingdom really does have an unnecessarily complex tax system and adding c£20bn of fun little revenue raisers will not help. Today's newsletter:
Budget U-turn hammers UK competitiveness
Risky to raise revenue via tweaks and novel taxes, especially through rushed changes
www.ft.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The United Kingdom really does have an unnecessarily complex tax system and adding c£20bn of fun little revenue raisers will not help. Today's newsletter:
Reposted by ThinkGov
This may be Trump's perfect social media post. A true work of art. He confirms:
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
November 14, 2025 at 4:25 PM
This may be Trump's perfect social media post. A true work of art. He confirms:
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
Reposted by ThinkGov
Ah the 1970s.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
November 14, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Ah the 1970s.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
Stagflation, three day weeks, collapsing infrastructure. Civil War in Northern Ireland. In yer face racism and bigotry everywhere. Bin strikes. Strikes in general. Blackouts. Industrial decline. Wage inequality. Dog crap everywhere. And households spent 25% of their income on food.
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I despair of Labour. Can we not just have a sensible budget, delivered on the day, that apologises for hard choices and then just gets on with giving us something that will give us some hope? All this briefing and speculation makes them look like clowns.
November 14, 2025 at 8:17 AM
I despair of Labour. Can we not just have a sensible budget, delivered on the day, that apologises for hard choices and then just gets on with giving us something that will give us some hope? All this briefing and speculation makes them look like clowns.
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The cowardice is actually on the spending side, not the tax side. They are deciding not to make the case for fixing things properly and, in doing so, they can’t properly rationalise the tax changes required to do it. It’s a failure to set out the project. And it’s costing all of us.
November 13, 2025 at 11:40 PM
The cowardice is actually on the spending side, not the tax side. They are deciding not to make the case for fixing things properly and, in doing so, they can’t properly rationalise the tax changes required to do it. It’s a failure to set out the project. And it’s costing all of us.