TJM
@tjmarsden.bsky.social
Long term lurker, might actually post the odd thing here...
But then, nobody liked the railways working like that, so politically? Tough sell.
November 12, 2025 at 12:39 PM
But then, nobody liked the railways working like that, so politically? Tough sell.
The logic applies in all sorts of things... I figure the way to go is operate a public sector contractor of last resort for this kind of thing. Presumption would be the outside contractor will do the job, if not there's always the state corporation but they're never permanent so don't entrench.
November 12, 2025 at 12:39 PM
The logic applies in all sorts of things... I figure the way to go is operate a public sector contractor of last resort for this kind of thing. Presumption would be the outside contractor will do the job, if not there's always the state corporation but they're never permanent so don't entrench.
Enquiring minds want to know!
November 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Enquiring minds want to know!
It's been observed before, but there's an audience in Britain for an 'Australian-style' anything...
November 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
It's been observed before, but there's an audience in Britain for an 'Australian-style' anything...
It does seem that people growing up at any point 1980-2015 did just get a very atypical experience of politics. They don't normally last a decade... Not really a guarantee to last a term. Normal parliamentary system service resumed?
November 11, 2025 at 11:55 PM
It does seem that people growing up at any point 1980-2015 did just get a very atypical experience of politics. They don't normally last a decade... Not really a guarantee to last a term. Normal parliamentary system service resumed?
I don't rule out this president trying to become a kind of dictator, or even a Troubles trending to Warlords period in the most extreme scenarios, but it's not happened yet and while I'm 100% on board with ditching the unconditional alliance with the US, siding with China isn't a good idea either.
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 PM
I don't rule out this president trying to become a kind of dictator, or even a Troubles trending to Warlords period in the most extreme scenarios, but it's not happened yet and while I'm 100% on board with ditching the unconditional alliance with the US, siding with China isn't a good idea either.
Understandable to feel this way, but China last held free-ish, more or less fair elections in, what, 1913? Before the president then tried to seize the defunct throne, triggering the Warlord era etc etc... While the US last held similarly more or less normal elections in 2024.
November 11, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Understandable to feel this way, but China last held free-ish, more or less fair elections in, what, 1913? Before the president then tried to seize the defunct throne, triggering the Warlord era etc etc... While the US last held similarly more or less normal elections in 2024.
Well, I'm sure if they were somehow put out by such a thing, a bit of personnel rearrangement would help. Is there anything to be said for bringing Mandelson back again?
November 11, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Well, I'm sure if they were somehow put out by such a thing, a bit of personnel rearrangement would help. Is there anything to be said for bringing Mandelson back again?
Makes you wonder what it'll be like in thirty or forty years...
November 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Makes you wonder what it'll be like in thirty or forty years...
Makes me wonder just what utter nonsense you could make me believe if you read it out to me calmly while shuffling papers and playing the Channel 4 news theme...
November 11, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Makes me wonder just what utter nonsense you could make me believe if you read it out to me calmly while shuffling papers and playing the Channel 4 news theme...
One day america will need help again. And the answer will be that we accept payment up front, no credit, and hard currency only.
November 10, 2025 at 11:22 PM
One day america will need help again. And the answer will be that we accept payment up front, no credit, and hard currency only.
Would it be good enough to get around it by just letting the youth wings do more or less what they want on policy, but within the limit of passing non-binding resolutions calling on the main party they're linked with to adopt the policy?
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Would it be good enough to get around it by just letting the youth wings do more or less what they want on policy, but within the limit of passing non-binding resolutions calling on the main party they're linked with to adopt the policy?
That's just being insulting now.
Britain won't break up this side of 2030. You might well be right about the direction of travel, but your timetable is decades out and its because you're getting there by mixing useful analysis with what's essentially wishcasting.
Britain won't break up this side of 2030. You might well be right about the direction of travel, but your timetable is decades out and its because you're getting there by mixing useful analysis with what's essentially wishcasting.
November 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
That's just being insulting now.
Britain won't break up this side of 2030. You might well be right about the direction of travel, but your timetable is decades out and its because you're getting there by mixing useful analysis with what's essentially wishcasting.
Britain won't break up this side of 2030. You might well be right about the direction of travel, but your timetable is decades out and its because you're getting there by mixing useful analysis with what's essentially wishcasting.
I don't know about blood and soil, I do think he's letting things he wants to happen merge unhelpfully with things that are likely to happen.
For clarity my view is all is not well with the UK and while it could carry on like this for decades, another shock unpopular outside England could break it.
For clarity my view is all is not well with the UK and while it could carry on like this for decades, another shock unpopular outside England could break it.
November 8, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I don't know about blood and soil, I do think he's letting things he wants to happen merge unhelpfully with things that are likely to happen.
For clarity my view is all is not well with the UK and while it could carry on like this for decades, another shock unpopular outside England could break it.
For clarity my view is all is not well with the UK and while it could carry on like this for decades, another shock unpopular outside England could break it.
But they're not saying that. The UK hiking its tax rate to still less than Germany's does not constitute collapse.
That we'll probably have to keep raising it over the years to keep covering for long term disadvantage is true, but that's the thing. It's long term.
That we'll probably have to keep raising it over the years to keep covering for long term disadvantage is true, but that's the thing. It's long term.
November 8, 2025 at 5:03 PM
But they're not saying that. The UK hiking its tax rate to still less than Germany's does not constitute collapse.
That we'll probably have to keep raising it over the years to keep covering for long term disadvantage is true, but that's the thing. It's long term.
That we'll probably have to keep raising it over the years to keep covering for long term disadvantage is true, but that's the thing. It's long term.
Farage becoming PM is obviously the sort of event that would trigger a move in the polling that would lead to all that happening.
Equally Farage falling short in '29 would leave it far more likely for the UK to muddle through to the mid 2030s at least, than to collapse next Tuesday or whatever.
Equally Farage falling short in '29 would leave it far more likely for the UK to muddle through to the mid 2030s at least, than to collapse next Tuesday or whatever.
November 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Farage becoming PM is obviously the sort of event that would trigger a move in the polling that would lead to all that happening.
Equally Farage falling short in '29 would leave it far more likely for the UK to muddle through to the mid 2030s at least, than to collapse next Tuesday or whatever.
Equally Farage falling short in '29 would leave it far more likely for the UK to muddle through to the mid 2030s at least, than to collapse next Tuesday or whatever.
But you still, despite everything, cannot take parties that do not have a manifesto commitment to a border poll and add them to parties that do, and pretend that's a majority for a border poll. The Secretary of State won't do that, so there won't be a poll, so it doesn't matter what it adds up to.
November 8, 2025 at 12:31 PM
But you still, despite everything, cannot take parties that do not have a manifesto commitment to a border poll and add them to parties that do, and pretend that's a majority for a border poll. The Secretary of State won't do that, so there won't be a poll, so it doesn't matter what it adds up to.
That'd do it, if the unaligned parties did that, then adding their tally to the pro-unification bloc would be valid and the arguments being put forward here would hold a lot more water.
I don't know if they're likely to do it in time for 2027, but I could see it happening sometime in the 30s.
I don't know if they're likely to do it in time for 2027, but I could see it happening sometime in the 30s.
November 8, 2025 at 12:25 PM
That'd do it, if the unaligned parties did that, then adding their tally to the pro-unification bloc would be valid and the arguments being put forward here would hold a lot more water.
I don't know if they're likely to do it in time for 2027, but I could see it happening sometime in the 30s.
I don't know if they're likely to do it in time for 2027, but I could see it happening sometime in the 30s.
Exactly, the only way to do it is to maintain a lead for some months, maybe a year or two, on specifically that question itself and in isolation, that there's a majority.
I hope it happens, I think it'd be good for all Ireland and for England too. But one must stay grounded.
I hope it happens, I think it'd be good for all Ireland and for England too. But one must stay grounded.
November 8, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Exactly, the only way to do it is to maintain a lead for some months, maybe a year or two, on specifically that question itself and in isolation, that there's a majority.
I hope it happens, I think it'd be good for all Ireland and for England too. But one must stay grounded.
I hope it happens, I think it'd be good for all Ireland and for England too. But one must stay grounded.
He did say *good* affordable housing though, and candidly, the story of my family 1946-2000 is that, while the housing was affordable, it was far from guaranteed that it would be good.
Of course it's not guaranteed now and political choices to improve it can be made. But the past was bad, actually.
Of course it's not guaranteed now and political choices to improve it can be made. But the past was bad, actually.
November 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
He did say *good* affordable housing though, and candidly, the story of my family 1946-2000 is that, while the housing was affordable, it was far from guaranteed that it would be good.
Of course it's not guaranteed now and political choices to improve it can be made. But the past was bad, actually.
Of course it's not guaranteed now and political choices to improve it can be made. But the past was bad, actually.
Some things were cheaper. But if you were to ask me would I rather live in 1969 on an average income (apparently, about £1300 a year) with the amenities available on that income then, or now with my apparently very average for the present day income? Today wins, hands down, and it's not even close.
November 8, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Some things were cheaper. But if you were to ask me would I rather live in 1969 on an average income (apparently, about £1300 a year) with the amenities available on that income then, or now with my apparently very average for the present day income? Today wins, hands down, and it's not even close.
No need for thread necromancy, I told you why I think you're barking up the wrong tree adding unaligned voters to the unification bloc, you think something will come along before 2030 and I don't, we'll see who's right in due course.
November 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM
No need for thread necromancy, I told you why I think you're barking up the wrong tree adding unaligned voters to the unification bloc, you think something will come along before 2030 and I don't, we'll see who's right in due course.
It's easy for me to say, but I can't see any way for them other than just doing it and resigning three months later to knock the wind out of the sails of the inevitable protests against it.
Too flat-footed to have done it and blamed Trump, tariffs, etc, but there's always doing it and resigning.
Too flat-footed to have done it and blamed Trump, tariffs, etc, but there's always doing it and resigning.
November 8, 2025 at 11:40 AM
It's easy for me to say, but I can't see any way for them other than just doing it and resigning three months later to knock the wind out of the sails of the inevitable protests against it.
Too flat-footed to have done it and blamed Trump, tariffs, etc, but there's always doing it and resigning.
Too flat-footed to have done it and blamed Trump, tariffs, etc, but there's always doing it and resigning.
Insert Under New Management meme here
November 7, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Insert Under New Management meme here
It was not a good thing. On reflection its best good fortune at least for its historical reputation was that its final great adversary was Adolf Hitler. I do think that a firm Neither in response to that poll is fine, though.
November 7, 2025 at 2:05 PM
It was not a good thing. On reflection its best good fortune at least for its historical reputation was that its final great adversary was Adolf Hitler. I do think that a firm Neither in response to that poll is fine, though.