tonybarrett
@tonybarrett.bsky.social
Ex-Bloomberg editor, Pontypridd Observer reporter and NCP carpark ramp sweeper.
He’s been doing this for a while. He’d talk about degrowthers or some other hate figures and randomly add “British” to it
November 10, 2025 at 4:35 PM
He’s been doing this for a while. He’d talk about degrowthers or some other hate figures and randomly add “British” to it
So then there's not much correlation between being engaged and being informed, it seems.
November 9, 2025 at 12:20 PM
So then there's not much correlation between being engaged and being informed, it seems.
You know who's really, really "informed" about 9/11? Like down to fracture points of steel rebar, informed?
November 9, 2025 at 11:35 AM
You know who's really, really "informed" about 9/11? Like down to fracture points of steel rebar, informed?
Maybe it's a Selfish Gene thing
November 6, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Maybe it's a Selfish Gene thing
Congrats. Here’s your $250 million
November 5, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Congrats. Here’s your $250 million
It takes wilfull blindness to that fact for a journo/ed not to include it. Just a big vacuum in the shape of ‘why?’
November 5, 2025 at 8:35 AM
It takes wilfull blindness to that fact for a journo/ed not to include it. Just a big vacuum in the shape of ‘why?’
At no point in that enormously long story does it consider that if the system stops people working and doesn’t give them enough money to live off, the system is the thing feeding the black economy, not the asylum seekers or even the “gangs”
November 5, 2025 at 8:21 AM
At no point in that enormously long story does it consider that if the system stops people working and doesn’t give them enough money to live off, the system is the thing feeding the black economy, not the asylum seekers or even the “gangs”
Thanks. Interesting
November 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Thanks. Interesting
Dumb paranoid lib Q. Given Reform polling suggests voting for it in a GE is less likely to be a de facto spoilt ballot, and it's an anti-system party, and PM Farage looks like major shift from control by the "they're all the same" parties, is it possible more non-voters would come out, as w/t Brexit
November 4, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Dumb paranoid lib Q. Given Reform polling suggests voting for it in a GE is less likely to be a de facto spoilt ballot, and it's an anti-system party, and PM Farage looks like major shift from control by the "they're all the same" parties, is it possible more non-voters would come out, as w/t Brexit
I don't *think* the plan got very far, tbf
November 3, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I don't *think* the plan got very far, tbf
November 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I think the uber rich can obv do a lot. As far as I understand, even people with very high incomes can’t just escape income tax without substantial legal risk. But no expert. There will always be chancers and their enablers but I don’t *think* they’re that significant in big picture
November 1, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I think the uber rich can obv do a lot. As far as I understand, even people with very high incomes can’t just escape income tax without substantial legal risk. But no expert. There will always be chancers and their enablers but I don’t *think* they’re that significant in big picture
Hi. Just that after-tax income of lowest paid people has risen faster than that of highest paid over past 25 years. Figures aren’t adjusted for inflation so though wages have risen across board, so have prices as well. (Wealth is different to income and is probably source of greatest inequality) Tnx
November 1, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Hi. Just that after-tax income of lowest paid people has risen faster than that of highest paid over past 25 years. Figures aren’t adjusted for inflation so though wages have risen across board, so have prices as well. (Wealth is different to income and is probably source of greatest inequality) Tnx
Not mutually exclusive, tbf
November 1, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Not mutually exclusive, tbf
Yes. Doesn’t include wealth, ofc. I presume wealth inequalities have grown, mainly as low interest rates push up asset prices, and lack of housing supply in right places? Govts have been taxing wealth more and probably will do again. But John’s post was more about high-skill immigration effects
November 1, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Yes. Doesn’t include wealth, ofc. I presume wealth inequalities have grown, mainly as low interest rates push up asset prices, and lack of housing supply in right places? Govts have been taxing wealth more and probably will do again. But John’s post was more about high-skill immigration effects
Also realise I misread your post. So double bad…
November 1, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Also realise I misread your post. So double bad…
Sorry. Expressed myself very badly. Please accept my apologies for that and have a better morning
November 1, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Sorry. Expressed myself very badly. Please accept my apologies for that and have a better morning
Bonuses are salary. Do you think they don’t get taxed?
November 1, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Bonuses are salary. Do you think they don’t get taxed?
Bonuses are salary
November 1, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Bonuses are salary
Not only dumb policy disincentives but people in comments brushing off evidence in John’s thread (and in freely available government data) that income tax has become MORE progressive in past 25 years.
November 1, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Not only dumb policy disincentives but people in comments brushing off evidence in John’s thread (and in freely available government data) that income tax has become MORE progressive in past 25 years.
1% income has grown LESS than percentiles below them as tax, against general assumption, is now MORE progressive.
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Table 3.1a Percentile points from 1 to 99 for total income before and after tax
This table shows the percentile points of the income distribution, estimated from the Survey of Personal Incomes each year.
www.gov.uk
November 1, 2025 at 8:57 AM
1% income has grown LESS than percentiles below them as tax, against general assumption, is now MORE progressive.
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Table 3.1a Percentile points from 1 to 99 for total income before and after tax
This table shows the percentile points of the income distribution, estimated from the Survey of Personal Incomes each year.
www.gov.uk
November 1, 2025 at 8:55 AM
1% income has grown LESS than percentiles below them as tax, against general assumption, is now MORE progressive.
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Top 1% - up 1.95x (incl inflation)
Bottom 1% - up 2.8x
Mid - up 2.04x
Lower mid - up 2.34x
The data is here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
They actively helped a friend from overseas who worked there through an impossibly tough situation about a decade ago, which was quite the cognitive dissonance for me given what even then they were publishing
October 30, 2025 at 3:24 PM
They actively helped a friend from overseas who worked there through an impossibly tough situation about a decade ago, which was quite the cognitive dissonance for me given what even then they were publishing
Almost funny that elite discourse was so economics/finance pilled when Musk bought it, that the reaction was, “oh, silly man, he’ll never make money from that”.
October 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM