Budget continues with the freeze on tax personal allowance, £12570 since 2021. Fiscal drag increased tax on the less well-off. In 2026-27, a minimum wage earner would pay extra £980 in income tax & NIC. £1,137 in 2027-28. Cost of appeasing the rich. What chance reviving town centres?

Listening to Shadow Chancellor, Andrew Griffith, on #r4today being asked who would lose their benefits with his £30bn welfare cuts. It’s all simple he reckons - and no, he knew nothing about the Truss budget…

HSBC quarterly pre-tax profits surge 32% to $9.6bn (£7.14bn). Banks receive bailouts, subsidies, pay measly return to savers, hike charges, rely on the state as lender of the last resort but threaten retaliation if taxed. Must levy windfall tax.

Major lender HSBC's profits up 32% as higher bank tax expected in budget

HSBC has seen a boost to its profits as the gap has risen between the interest it took in from loans and mortgages and paid out on deposits.

news.sky.com

Bloody hell - I hope the regulator has a look at #r4today over the way they just responded to allegations made on air earlier by Farage. It was badly handled by Robinson and I think Today’s editor should be resigning. Allowing Farage to dictate the content of a live broadcast is a gross mistake.

This is Tommy. Tommy had a question about my allegiances. Listen to the end to hear about his.

As a Muslim who has been accused of dual loyalty and asked to denounce everything from ISIS to the Iranian state, I breathed a sigh of relief that I think I’d been holding in for like two decades watching this.

Abdul El-Sayed@abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 2w ago

This is Tommy. Tommy had a question about my allegiances. Listen to the end to hear about his.

Turns out ‘America First’ is actually ‘Putin First’. Trump is tearing up the US constitution like he’s a dictator. He knows all anyone will do about it is hand-wringing. Time someone with principles acted to end his tenure.

Anne Applebaum@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 2w ago

Trump tells Congress he doesn't care about what they think and lifts Russian energy sanctions www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/u...

Jail Deloittes staff and directors for perjury.

Ben Meiselas: Donald Trump promised he would end the war in 24 hours after the election in 2024. Of course, he didn't do that. So now he's blaming Zelenskyy for all of his own failures.

Under Trump, the USA is morally bankrupt. Under Trump, the world is less safe.

Prem Sikka@premnsikka.bsky.social · 3w ago

Trump announces deal to import Russian diesel. Yet he imposed tariffs on China and India for importing fuel from Russia. 3 weeks ago signed law threatening 500% tariffs on India and China. Now facing midterm election defeat ... and Utter bankruptcy of Trump foreign, economic and other policies.

Trump’s America failing to understand what it means to sanction the internationally recognised arbitrator of criminal actions…

Are We The Baddies Bad

ALT: Are We The Baddies Bad

static.klipy.com

MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com · 3w ago

NEWS: Eight major U.S. allies—including Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan—have issued a joint rebuke of the Trump regime’s sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court. They vow “unwavering support” for the ICC’s independence.

G7 countries could be dumping US treasuries right now instead of releasing oil reserves. Would be an effective way to destabilise Trump and save us from his disastrous interventions in Iran and elsewhere.

I would suggest that every G20 leader should call the Orange felon and tell him that a Diesel export ban will trigger an instant dumping of US treasuries sending US interest rates to the moon just in time for the midterms.

Trump comes up hard against facts again: Bloomberg analysis shows the Iran war has removed significantly more diesel supply from the market than Russia-Ukraine. Trump caused the global energy crisis all on his own - no wriggling out of that.

Iran War Drives Bigger Diesel Supply Loss Despite Trump’s Claims

Diesel prices have never been higher. US President Donald Trump contends that’s not because of the war he started nearly seven months ago.

bloomberg.com

I don’t understand how @premnsikka.bsky.social grasps these things, but the Government can’t (or won’t). Prem is the most under-utilised asset Labour has. Andy Burnham would do well to listen to him.

Prem Sikka@premnsikka.bsky.social · last mo.

HMRC is an unsecured creditor for corporation and capital gains tax. It recovers little from bankrupt businesses. Phoenixing also robs the public purse. HMRC wrote-off £12.8bn in 2025-26. Changes to law and HMRC creditor status can raise billions for the public purse.

Billionaire Brexiteeer and Man United owner says he has lost confidence in the UK. Lives in Monaco to avoid UK taxes, owns several luxury properties. Demands state subsidies, including for building a Man U stadium. Why do billionaires resent people getting decent NHS, social care, public services?

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

Well fuck off back to Monaco then 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

He doesn’t have control over his bowels. Denmark did not give the U.S. total control over Greenland.

In light of the ‘deal’ #Trump has struck with #Denmark over #Greenland, is anyone else now thinking the Whitehouse remodelling likely started out with a stranger knocking his door to point out “a couple of loose roof tiles”?

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last mo.

Trump: "We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many"

#Nvidia stock drops 3.5% as the world starts questioning the safety of unchecked #AI. Obviously #JensenHuang can’t abide new laws, so he proposes ‘self regulation’ instead. The fox is not a suitable guard for the henhouse.

Politico@politico.com · 2mo ago

Jensen Huang on AI safety: ‘We don't need any new laws’

Wages taxed at rates of 20%-45%. Earners also pay national insurance. Capital gains taxed at rates of 18% to 24%. By taxing capital gains at the same rates as wages £12bn to £14bn could be raised. More, if NI charged. Why are workers taxed at higher rates than return on wealth Will the govt act?

Here’s how the chancellor can raise the billions needed to improve the quality of life of millions

Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Mi...

leftfootforward.org

Ed Sheeran is a coward.

JP Morgan billionaire CEO with $43m pay meets Burnham and Healey to oppose UK bank tax rise. Banks making record profits from high charges, measly payment to savers, speculation, wars. What chance of the poor meeting PM/Chancellor to make their case?

JP Morgan boss meets Burnham and Healey to warn against bank tax rise

Jamie Dimon tells UK politicians before October budget that investment could be at risk, it is understood

theguardian.com

#Reform donor Ben Delo is a convicted crook: In 2022 he pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act ("willfully failing to establish, implement, and maintain an anti-money laundering program at BitMEX"). He was pardoned by #Trump *not* found innocent. UK democracy is for sale under Reform.

Reform donor Ben Delo, who has given £4 million to the party, is making legal threats to those who reference his 2022 US conviction for failing to implement anti-money laundering laws, prior to a pardon by President Trump. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

British crypto billionaire Ben Delo says he has given £4m to Reform UK

Delo, pardoned by Trump after violating US banking law, describes himself as champion of free speech

theguardian.com

'£30 billion lost’: Six major studies confirm Brexit’s HUGE toll on UK economy. "Both exports and imports will be around 15 per cent lower in the long run than if the UK had remained in the EU". Self-inflicted harm that needs to be reversed.

'£30 billion lost': Six major studies confirm Brexit's HUGE toll on UK economy

In 10 days' time, MPs will be summoned to debate the economic impact of Brexit. Let's hope they all have a good read of this...

thelondoneconomic.com

Jolene at 33 and 1/3rpm

Dolly Parton Sings and Plays Guitar

ALT: Dolly Parton Sings and Plays Guitar

static.klipy.com

In July 2026, median pay of a UK employee was £31,704, take home £26,346. Single person needs to earn £30,500 a year to reach a minimum standard of living. A couple with 2 children needs £74,000. 25.3m Britons live below minimum standard. 1% have more wealth than 70% of the population combined.

Billionaire Google Co-Founder Pumps $102m To Oppose California Wealth Tax, 5% On Assets Above $1bn. Imagine if they did the same to fight poverty. All over the world, Super-rich buy politicians, collect subsidies, lax laws, dodge taxes, cause most pollution. It is People v the Super-Rich.

Billionaire Google Co-Founder Pumps $102 Million Into Fighting California Wealth Tax | Common Dreams

"Sergey Brin would rather spend $100 million to fund a shady opposition campaign than simply pay his fair share in taxes so millions of Californians don’t lose their healthcare."

commondreams.org