"Absolute tosh" is the kind of British understatement I was looking for to describe this warped proposal of wanting to rejoin the EU, but not just the one that is there, and thinking an ex-member can dictate the terms of reforms... The more I think about it, the more absolute tosh it becomes.

Simon Usherwood@simonusherwood.bsky.social · 9h ago

But absolutely tosh to think negotiations as third country (even in an accession path) can shape the EU

I think this would be a real mistake. It’s essentially a hope that something will turn up and make things easier in the months ahead. And maybe it will. But there’s a larger chance it doesn’t and then we have months of confidence sapping speculation ahead of the Spring Statement.

Ian Smith@iankmsmith.ft.com · 6h ago

Today's UK front page is on the Q of the government's "headroom" against its borrowing limits. This has been eroded for reasons outside the chancellor's control, as the Iran war pushes up global yields. But he faces a question over whether or not to try and build it back close to Reeves' £23.6bn

Not to harp on this, but one man has now coordinated the disruption of a port, two separate attacks on the RNLI, and interference with the border force and the police have no further questions? And the Home Secretary has not noticed?

John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 23h ago

The man who filmed himself stabbing one, with a person on board, is still seemingly at large.

The complete and total collapse of state function in the face of far right extremists. It is frankly ludicrous that Daniel Thomas continues to be at large given the series of crimes committed which he has literally filmed.

Emma Yeomans@yeomans.bsky.social · 2d ago

Worrying scenes in the Channel today, for all interested in asylum policy and maritime tactics. A small boat from Normandy spent more than 30 hours at sea. Those on board now on their 2nd rescue vessel as Border Force forced to play cat and mouse with far-right activists who have their own boat.

I found the reporting of the BoE’s ‘AI behind recent economic progress’ stuff equally eyebrow-raising.

FinTwitter@fintwitter.bsky.social · 2d ago

Fed's Barkin: I don't think current productivity improvements mostly reflect AI.

I may get shouted out for this, but it's a real observation: Polanski has a pattern of behaviour of making trouble for himself by telling fibs when he absolutely doesn't need to do so. He lies reflexively and then creates several more news cycles as a result.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d ago

Find it both grating and frankly, deeply weird, that Zack Polanski’s leaflets are simply dishonest about where he lives. Literally nobody cares. It’s normal to move within London. “Hackney man seeks job in Camden” is not something you need to play word games around.

'New analysis on UK media: British media is not delivering the news to its readers. They are delivering an agenda. The seven days after Channel 4 filmed James Orr are a damning indictment of the British press. Orr is a Cambridge associate professor.' via @newscord.org

So much of the right these days have a massive patriotism problem. This guy: - is a tax exile (left long before this govt) - hates his own country while complaining he doesn’t get big enough subsidies from it - laments the manufacturing hit from a Brexit he supported www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK

Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.

bbc.co.uk

This is so insane I cannot believe this is real. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...

If wishing made it so.

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 5d ago

The Betfred co-founder argues that after all the tax and wage rises already imposed on the industry, a raid on slot machines would be a wrecking ball

Jim Ratcliffe says two big issues are spiralling benefits and immigration. Neither Times (Sunday Times) not many of the follow-up reports mention that immigration has fallen dramatically. Ratcliffe has toned down his language but doesn't seem to have noticed that www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

There is a failure in my profession here. Both the Jim Ratcliffe (BBC) and Fred Done (FT) interviews are devoid of any pushback on their subjects. Was ‘the bonus king’ pressed on whether 38% of GDP is an egregious tax take in a W. European context?

Anand Menon@anandmenon.bsky.social · 5d ago

God I hate this 'people who create wealth' nonsense. Let's see how much wealth we have in a society without teachers, nurses etc......

God I hate this 'people who create wealth' nonsense. Let's see how much wealth we have in a society without teachers, nurses etc......

“could pose another First Amendment test” says the arbitrarily banned news organization - incredible milquetoastmaxxing

MS NOW@ms.now · 6d ago

The move could pose another First Amendment test for the Trump administration, which has faced legal challenges over its efforts to restrict press access based on an outlet’s coverage. Read more from Ebony Davis:

Friday

And they’re coming in fast now.

John West@jwestjourno.bsky.social · last wk.

I mean, if there is a 25bps hike and he doesn’t soil himself during remarks, just you wait for the ‘Warsh - the adult in the room’ takes.

Tbh I find it really troubling how interviewers now have started doing the 'these people are not far-right, these people have real concerns' routine on celebrities and ordinary members of the public, not just politicians (and Victoria Derbyshire is far from the worst on this front)

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · last wk.

Very nice to hear a sane voice from Piddington. Serious respect to this woman, who is apparently already being othered by more bigoted villagers.

Terrific ‘The Onion or Futurism?’ effort here. Trebles all round, 10/10, no notes.

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C)@doctorow.pluralistic.net · last wk.

Which is to say, these companies are claiming that they are *so cool* that their profitability can only be measured using a novel, secret form of mathematics: futurism.com/future-socie...

There are, genuinely, a half dozen or more thinktanks which are govt aligned/very close (Fabians, IPPR, ThinkLabour, NEF, Resolution Foundation etc) to govt. The issue is not that there isnt space for this sort of thinking. Its that McSweeney didnt like the answers on tax/immigation etc

The mask-off racism we’ve seen under this Labour government - a Labour government! - should be an article of shame for the party. It certainly is for the UK.

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · last wk.

Very nice to hear a sane voice from Piddington. Serious respect to this woman, who is apparently already being othered by more bigoted villagers.

Playing 'dumb and polite' might get you out of an awkward social situation, but it doesn't work for a chancellor claiming surprise at fiscal problems the OBR has been flagging for years.

Dumb and polite

The chancellor is shocked (shocked!) to find Britain’s fiscal position so weak

linestotake.com

Wrote this back on 21 August. Ahead of a Fed decision conditioned by Bessent’s failures - and with hyperscalers leaning on safety to cool the jets - this one’s held up well.

John West@jwestjourno.bsky.social · last mo.

Scott Bessent's leaking credibility could be just the catalyst for momentum to drain from a bull run that many feel lacks conviction. AI could come to the rescue by limiting inflation...but more likely from pared-back capex than via productivity gains. More here! ionanalytics.com/insights/mer...

Let’s see if they do. When I started writing this Thursday morning, the market’s Fed hike probability was 62%. It spiked to 74% as we published and is now above 90%. ionanalytics.com/insights/mer...

Fed must raise rates amid Trump, Bessent theatrics – Continental Drift

With inflation remaining stubbornly high, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and the rest of the FOMC membership represent the last pillar of credibility left standing.

ionanalytics.com

buttondown.com/cooray_smith... I've had what might be a new, and possibly even significant, thought about Doctor Who's late 1980s cancellation. This is a free subscribers e-mail, and free to read on the site too, but if you agree, why not become a paid subscriber? Or indeed, even if you don't.

Let’s see if they do. When I started writing this Thursday morning, the market’s Fed hike probability was 62%. It spiked to 74% as we published and is now above 90%. ionanalytics.com/insights/mer...

Fed must raise rates amid Trump, Bessent theatrics – Continental Drift

With inflation remaining stubbornly high, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and the rest of the FOMC membership represent the last pillar of credibility left standing.

ionanalytics.com

One of the most egregious shortcomings of the von der Leyen Commission is certainly its failure to address this lawlessness in the #Schengen area.

Alberto Alemanno@alemanno.bsky.social · last wk.

While the EU spends this week's State of the Union talking about everything else, Italy has just reintroduced internal border controls with Spain for 3rd time without justification. The Commission is silent despite the manifest illegality of this, yet that’s @magnusbrunner.bsky.social job

Andy Haldane almost Truss like in his wrongness. Where's the evidence that 'doing something on one of the big spending departments' would 'almost pay for itself as a growth dividend'? This is just economics by a hunch.

Andy Bruce (Reuters)@bruceandy.bsky.social · last wk.

Andy Haldane - for it is he - calls for public spending to be slashed, as that would lower yields and thereby reap a “growth dividend”. From @lbc.co.uk

Hear me out: I have considerable faith we could target major efficiencies in public services. And that achieving them would cost tens of billions over 10 years.

Tony Yates@t0nyyates.bsky.social · last wk.

Also I love the call to do an 'across the piece productivity improvement in the public sector'. Great stuff! Yes, let's do that. Let's do one every year. Why not ask the private sector to do one also? Brilliant!

She really is such a vile bigot

Someone last year wrote a really amazing post about how the UK’s fiscal position really is so much worse than even gloomy observers think and how we need consolidation of tens of billions a year just to stand still. I thought it was @gilesyb.bsky.social but I can’t find it. Please help, anyone!