Nostr notes by Emeritus Prof. Christopher May

exactly - stoke 'effective demand'

2026-08-22T08:45:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…2v45
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exactly - stoke 'effective demand'

The triple-lock on UK state-pensions was always intended to be a ...

2026-08-22T07:13:59Z

The triple-lock on UK state-pensions was always intended to be a response to international comparisons of pensioner poverty... and so, that is how it should be judges as a policy.

A comparison of UK pensioner poverty (still standing at 15% of all state pensioners) with other OECD countries suggests not only should the triple-lock stay, but that especially against European comparators it's yet to achieve a comparable level of financial security for the post-67s.

#pensions #politics #inequality

I think there can be free will but within social constraints ...

2026-08-21T09:52:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…lyqg
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I think there can be free will but within social constraints & structures, so its a classic structure/agency reaction (sadly I read quite a lot of Anthony Giddens when I was PostGrad)

Its an interesting political economic issue; the extension of ...

2026-08-21T09:24:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…nqnt
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Its an interesting political economic issue; the extension of (global) supply chains essentially expanded the labor force for western capitalism, both via immigration & containerisation but also there has been a (cultural) 'conservatism' in skills training & education that has been far too slow to respond to the shifts & changes driven by global corporations seeking cost reduction(s) in labour. Overall, its a case of politicians fighting the last battle, as it were

Absolutely fair comment & to be clear that's missing from ...

2026-08-21T05:54:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…437p
_________________________

Absolutely fair comment & to be clear that's missing from my summary of his column, not from his analysis (character limit forced a too tight a focus I'm afraid); indeed, one might more accurate to say that a lot of the jobs-by-hand have been exported to developing countries by the development of more length (global) supply chains - which doesn't make the problem any less notable in the UK, just not universal

Young men are undoubtedly experiencing a more difficult ...

2026-08-21T05:38:19Z

Young men are undoubtedly experiencing a more difficult employment market than previous generations, and as John Burn-Murdoch (FT) puts it this is due to the decline of 'hand' related jobs & the rise of knowledge & 'heart' related occupations, partly caused by automaton & partly by the rise of the information or knowledge economy.

While society *will* adapt, the rise of the 'manosphere' & other indicators of male frustration are a clear transitory effects of these changes.

#workers #economics

Its often remarked that perceptions of crime are significantly ...

2026-08-17T05:49:00Z

Its often remarked that perceptions of crime are significantly different (and worse) than the actual incidence of crimes; its now also clear that this is skewed by perceptions of the ethnicity of perpetrators;

so not only do people across England & Wales think there is more crime that there is, they think those committing the crimes are much more likely to be from non-white communities than they actually are.

The media have a lot to answer for!

#politics #racism
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/17/public-in-england-and-wales-wrongly-think-most-killers-are-minority-ethnic

Climate Change 2: People treating this summer's heatwaves as ...

2026-08-17T05:19:37Z

Climate Change 2:

People treating this summer's heatwaves as anomalous have their heads buried in (hot) sand;

Those declaring there is nothing we can now do to change course, having previously denied climate change at all, must be ignored

With political will we *can* engineer a Green Transition; we have the technologies, we can find the money, but what we lack is a political class who will show sustained climate leadership!

#ClimateChange #politics

h/t Khory Hancock (LinkedIn) for chart

Climate Change 1: We're going to be seeing more & more ...

2026-08-17T05:12:57Z

Climate Change 1:

We're going to be seeing more & more evidence of 'climateflation' across the food system, but the Central Banks will likely continue to struggle to escape a mind-set that wants to blame wage demands for inflation.

Only when Govt.s grasp the nettle to shift decisively towards the Green Transition will we see the policy environment properly reflect the difficulties which we are (and will be) having across agriculture & society.

#ClimateChange #food
https://www.forbes.com/sites/we-dont-have-time/2026/08/01/why-climateflation-will-drive-food-prices-more-than-war/

On 2024 Andy Burnham said: 'If you read Nye Bevan’s ...

2026-08-16T21:22:52Z

On 2024 Andy Burnham said:

'If you read Nye Bevan’s speeches, as I do, if you read his speech that was the postwar Housing Act, second reading, he talked about how housing needs to be thought of as a service, not a commodity to be traded and sold, a wealth creator. Everybody needs it, it’s an essential service. And it was interesting how he positioned it like the NHS. And so that’s the philosophy that we need'!

Social housing as public service; YES!

#housing #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/16/the-guardian-view-on-londons-social-housing-pumping-billions-into-the-economy-every-year

So now OFWAT is now looking at allowing stare companies to impose ...

2026-08-16T17:22:42Z

So now OFWAT is now looking at allowing stare companies to impose surge pricing as a way of trying to reduce use during droughts.... I mean there is regulatory capture & then there its *regulatory-capture*.

Forget all the bogus narrative about rationing water usage, this is yet one more way of profiting from their own failure while draining cash from the system to pay their (inflated) executive wages & dividends.

OFWAT is not fit for purpose!

#water #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/16/water-companies-england-and-wales-explore-surge-pricing-bills-drought

The (new?) ideas around social rehabilitation in prison - now ...

2026-08-16T08:26:22Z

The (new?) ideas around social rehabilitation in prison - now referred to as the Scandi model - look like just one more case of us forgetting (or our political class wilfully ignoring) social innovations of our past....

As Anne Owers points out English prison governor, Ian Dunbar was a innovator on rehabilitation, acknowledged by the Norwegian Prison Authorities, but whose work has been buried by the subsequent agenda of prison solely as punishment.

#prisons #politics
h/t Observer letters

At the heart of the tragic case of Jason Arday is the veracity of ...

2026-08-16T07:25:51Z

At the heart of the tragic case of Jason Arday is the veracity of CVs.

As an academic for 25 years, who sat on plenty of appointments panels, as well as being a dept. & then faculty 'manager' for nearly a decade, let me tell you this:

I know of no academic (and I'd include myself) whose CV was/is not padded & exaggerated in some way, that would not survive (sometimes even the most cursory) scrutiny.

So the real Q. is why did Arday find himself engulfed by criticism?

#racism #universities

David Rowland argues, in the face of claims of a 'death ...

2026-08-16T06:54:07Z

David Rowland argues, in the face of claims of a 'death tax' to fund social care, Andy Burnham needs to make it a fully public service.

'Making the state the sole payer for social care, would... radically reshape this highly dysfunctional market, remove providers who use financial engineering to divert scarce resources to offshore investors, raise standards across the board as well as rewarding care workers with decent pay, working conditions & training'!

#politics
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/to-solve-the-social-care-crisis-we-need-to-bust-the-death-tax-myth/

Mark Maslin's has 3 steps for Andy Burnham to start to ...

2026-08-15T20:37:22Z

Mark Maslin's has 3 steps for Andy Burnham to start to address the UK's heatwave crisis (and likely future summers):

1. The UK's water supplies must be secured (nationalisation);

2. cooling needs to be made mandatory for the most vulnerable people (via new legislation);

3. massively expand (diversify) the UK's electricity generation (renewables, especially solar).

Its a good agenda, but is only part of the necessary Green Transition.

#heatwaves #NetZero #politics
https://theconversation.com/to-tackle-extreme-heat-andy-burnham-needs-to-urgently-take-these-three-radical-steps-289669

Over my academic career (across two universities) I saw the ...

2026-08-15T09:13:19Z

Over my academic career (across two universities) I saw the number of students needing paid work during term time to make ends meet grow every year... while some often managed this quite well, as zero-hours contract work began to dominate student working, I also saw an increase in the difficulty that students had balancing the demands of their employers with the needs of university study, often to the detriment of their results.

This trend show no signs of easing!

#universities #workers

Fereshta Abbasi (Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch), ...

2026-08-15T08:46:40Z

Fereshta Abbasi (Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch), on the half decade since the Taliban returned to Afghanistan:

'Five years after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is experiencing the world’s worst women’s rights crisis, one of the worst human rights crises & one of the worst humanitarian crises'!

And yet, countries are starting to open diplomatic relations with the regime.... normalising the Taliban's rule.

#politics #Afghanistan

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/aug/15/five-years-taliban-rule-afghanistan-collapse-visualised

Here's a Q. to ponder; given our political class' ...

2026-08-15T08:38:31Z

Here's a Q. to ponder;

given our political class' obsession with the utility of AI & associated technologies & giving Big Tech what it wants... how long will in be before anti-data-centre groups find themselves proscribed as terrorists, once they move to forms of direct action?

The police in Scotland are already citing the issue of direct action & I'm sure Shabana Mahmood will not need that much encouragement to declare data centres vital security assets & damage, terrorism!??

#politics #AI

If you've ever wondered whether spoilt ballots really express ...

2026-08-14T17:27:16Z

If you've ever wondered whether spoilt ballots really express anything... in Clacton one voter was pretty clear, when they spoilt their ballot, why there were doing it

#politics #Clacton

h/t Guardian

More evidence that climate change is more about increasingly ...

2026-08-14T05:55:19Z

More evidence that climate change is more about increasingly erratic weather than just heatwaves; while the UK suffers heatwaves & drought, in Japan there are unprecedented levels of rain, causing flooding.

(again) mitigation is only part of the necessary response; across the world societies & politicians need to take the target of Net Zero seriously, if we are to maintain our ability to live on a planet we've abused for generations.

#NetZero #ClimateChange
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq561gpen8lo

The UK's heatwaves this summer are having uneven effects ...

2026-08-14T05:21:52Z

The UK's heatwaves this summer are having uneven effects across a range of known inequalities & differences; we need a society wide response rather than the usual focus on individual mitigation. Climate change is a social challenge that requires a well-developed state response.

But of course, mitigation (individual or social) is only part of any response; what we really need is more work to change our impact on the environment!

#NetZero #heatwave #politics
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/the-inequality-of-britains-heatwaves-and-the-case-for-public-adaptation/

So (sadly) the Fascist Frog has won the Clacton by election ...

2026-08-14T05:16:45Z

So (sadly) the Fascist Frog has won the Clacton by election polling 22,239 votes but Count Binface came a respectable second poling 9,455 votes.

The Frog did no attend the declaration in person citing police advice that its dangerous (advice the BBC says Essex police have given no candidate); good way to start his next period as an MP, with a lie.

The protest vote was split, but would not have been sufficient to unseat the Frog; turnout (44%) for a by-election.

#politics #Clacton #NigelFarage

And so the polls have closed in Clacton & tomorrow morning ...

2026-08-13T21:38:13Z

And so the polls have closed in Clacton & tomorrow morning we'll find out exactly how difficult the Fascist Frog found it to out-run a comedy bin.... if he has!

While I think the Frog will have won on a (very) low turnout, I so hope Count Binface has got a significant (protest) vote...

see you in the morning for news on Bib vs. Frog

#Clacton #politics

How does the 'most openly corrupt' POTUS, the Tangerine ...

2026-08-13T17:28:42Z

How does the 'most openly corrupt' POTUS, the Tangerine Tyrant make his money?

Here's a guide, and if your wondering how he can still enjoy support, I'd say that his followers just think he's doing what they'd do if they had the chance...

The best remark on Trump I ever heard was: He is a stupid person's idea of a clever person... which might also explain his continuing support?

#Trump #corruption #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/13/trump-presidency-revenue-wealth

Indeed, but its also not pretending to be comprehensive... so ...

2026-08-13T08:29:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…r2a2
_________________________

Indeed, but its also not pretending to be comprehensive... so other items, as you suggest, can be added

Here are the ten policies that the Guardian favours to respond to ...

2026-08-13T05:37:50Z

Here are the ten policies that the Guardian favours to respond to the climate crisis... its a good list:

Of course, some of these are easier than others, but that is politics... perhaps more importantly, vested interests will (do) resist each of these - its time for our political class to lead us towards a better prepared future not look to protect who has profited from the past....

#NetZero #ClimateCrisis #GreenTransition #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/12/urgent-climate-policies-uk-should-implement-now

As Suzi Shingler (on LinkedIn) points out, really Andy Burnham ...

2026-08-13T05:08:39Z

As Suzi Shingler (on LinkedIn) points out, really Andy Burnham should be moving strongly to double down on the decline of fossil fuel extraction (and by extension, use) - he can & should force the pace on decarbonisation, towards Net Zero.... there is an opportunity to lead on the Green Transition, not follow.

Let's hope he can see this....

#FossilFuels #politics #GreenTransition

Well, we're certainly searching for new niches in global ...

2026-08-12T20:47:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…uqml
_________________________

Well, we're certainly searching for new niches in global markets....

As an anonymous teacher points out in a letter to the Guardian, ...

2026-08-12T20:41:21Z

As an anonymous teacher points out in a letter to the Guardian, how would those parents taking their children out of school for a (cheaper) term-time holiday feel if the teachers (who also have families) also decided to take a holiday during term-time...

the real problem, of course, is the manner in which travel companies take advantage of the concentration of demand in school holidays.

Another issue for Andy Burnham on his tour of the country (or maybe not)?

#schools #holidays #politics

Its almost like businesses want to hide something?

2026-08-12T20:24:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…hw39
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Its almost like businesses want to hide something?

Meanwhile in the USA, while Francesca Hong narrowly fails to win ...

2026-08-12T09:31:30Z

Meanwhile in the USA, while Francesca Hong narrowly fails to win the primary for Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Governor, David Axelrod (Barack Obama's campaign manger) calls her views 'zany liberal, faculty lounge exotica', to which Hong responded that *his* views were the

'perfect example of why the consultant class keeps losing elections... They’re totally clueless & they’re hell-bent on keeping working-class people out of politics'... a view many will have sympathy with.

#USPol
h/t FT

My favourite paintings, No.10 Catharina van Hemessen. Self ...

2026-08-12T06:13:25Z

My favourite paintings, No.10

Catharina van Hemessen. Self Portrait (1548)

This is the first (known) self portrait of an artist at an easel, and is likely a political statement by Catharina van Hemessen, asserting her right to be seen as an artist in C16th, when such employment was very much not regarded as suitable for a woman. Looking out at us across the centuries she requires our respect, not least for establshing the default artists' pose for a self-portrait.

#art #TodaysPainting

Its becoming clear (but was also pretty predictable) that early ...

2026-08-12T05:56:18Z

Its becoming clear (but was also pretty predictable) that early release of prisoners to reduce pressure in the prison system, merely transfers capacity pressures to the probation system;

of course, with still insufficient work on rehabilitation & education *within* prisons, and a probation system already failing to work properly, in the long-term such actions may well just increase recidivism & worsen the prison crisis...

We need a better strategy!

#prisons #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39e3y1y2zjo

As Steve Lindsay (DurhamU) points out the water companies were ...

2026-08-11T20:35:09Z

As Steve Lindsay (DurhamU) points out the water companies were warned by the Met Office nearly thirty years ago that droughts would become more likely & frequent...

but, of course in the intervening years, they were too busy draining the utilities of all their available cash to actually act on that knowledge... or even now recall what the were told.

#water #politics #heatwave #ClimateChange

h/t Guardian letters

The crisis in social care is really about individual carers ...

2026-08-11T05:38:25Z

The crisis in social care is really about individual carers struggling with the responsibilities of caring for a dependent loved one, the often cruel & callous systems meant to support them & the inability to escape.

While Matilda Davis's suicide is at the extreme end of the experience(s) of carers, be under no illusion, we all feel like this some days, and while not of all of succumb to these pressures, we all could.

Its just heartbreaking.

#SocialCare #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2026/aug/11/matilda-davis-mother-suicide-carer-broken-social-care-system-england

The Work Foundation has a new report out on Zero Hours contracts ...

2026-08-10T17:06:52Z

The Work Foundation has a new report out on Zero Hours contracts that concludes for those workers ZHCs cause:

Work-life chaos as working days become unpredictable;

Financial insecurity, as pay oscillates widely;

Power dynamics of 'employment' to move against them; and

them to end up living in limbo...

And this shapes the lief of nearly 1.25m workers.... This is why ZCS need to be constrained & workers' protected from abusive 'employers'.

#workers #ZeroHourContracts
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/work-foundation/WF_Inlimbo(August2026).pdf

My favourite paintings, No.9 Gabriele Münter. Portrait of ...

2026-08-10T06:11:17Z

My favourite paintings, No.9

Gabriele Münter. Portrait of Marianne von Werefkin (1909)

Gabriele Münter is a (sadly) lesser known German Expressionist, but a fabulous painter nonetheless. This portrait oscillates between representation & abstraction, offering both a depiction of a close friend & a pleasing abstract collision of colours. The vibrancy is typical of an expressionistic approach & what I like most is it resolves into a portrait through pattern.

#art #TodaysPainting #expressionism

I'm not really surprised that over half of the accounts ...

2026-08-10T05:59:21Z

I'm not really surprised that over half of the accounts posting on X about social disruption(s) in Southampton & Belfast were based outside the UK; after all we in the UK often post about what is happening in the USA or the Middle East.

The real issue is whether these accounts are individuals or actually organised Far Right accounts... and here the evidence is more mixed, but still enough to suggest interference in the UK's politics?

#SocialMedia #politics #ElonMusk
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/09/x-accounts-posts-belfast-southampton-riots-june-2026-analysis

Can you believe the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office is ...

2026-08-10T05:46:48Z

Can you believe the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office is complaining about a 'hardline' approach to post-Brexit residency rules by Sweden; have they no idea what the Home Office is doing with EU citizens?

Its a classic case of the UK's diplomatic problem; a skewed politics that looks like hypocrisy to anyone outside the UK's entitled political class who think the UK should just be allowed to act as it sees fit.

But the Guardian makes *this* link!

#politics #Brexit
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/10/british-widow-78-told-to-leave-sweden-under-brexit-rules-after-living-there-for-21-years

More evidence of the faulty thinking at the heart of the ...

2026-08-10T05:40:20Z

More evidence of the faulty thinking at the heart of the university funding crisis;

using the idea that most, if not all, benefits of university education are captured by students, the Govt. continues to load costs onto university students.

Until, the state (and our political class) accepts that university education is a social & public good, we will continue with this skewed & unsustainable financial model.

Its not just miss-selling its dysfunctional!

#universities
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/10/government-piling-debt-on-to-future-graduates-in-england-analysis-finds

Palantir are ripping off the NHS: Using revised estimates on the ...

2026-08-10T05:25:59Z

Palantir are ripping off the NHS:

Using revised estimates on the benefits to the NHS of Palantir's software (which you recall NHSE misrepresented) the benefits are lower than the (now revised & higher) costs of deploying the technology.

In other words the use of Palantir's software imposes a cost on the health service (costs are now projected at over £1bn, while projected benefits have fallen to less that £900m) leaving a clear logic for ending the contract!

#Palantir #NHS #politics
h/t FT

When the 'feelings' of financial insecurity of the ...

2026-08-09T09:18:19Z

When the 'feelings' of financial insecurity of the relatively well-off middle classes are seen as a more important shaper of economic policy than the actual financial insecurity of the poor.... then we know we are in a class-defined political environment.

#class #politics #economics

With Andy Burnham adopting a forthright domestic political focus ...

2026-08-09T08:35:24Z

With Andy Burnham adopting a forthright domestic political focus & the EU Commission both resigned to yet another change of direction in UK attitudes to the EU *and* having more pressing things to deal with than relations with its troublesome neighbour, those hoping for a further rapprochement with the EU will likely be disappointed.

Burnham's lack of explicit interest in the 'reset' may prove his undoing though; so many of the UK's economic problems are linked to Brexit!

#Brexit #politics

As you will know I seldom ever post of football (or sport more ...

2026-08-08T17:24:07Z

As you will know I seldom ever post of football (or sport more generally for that matter), but I know I'm not the only person who has wondered whether the similarity between Gianni Infantino of FIFA & the Hood from Thunderbirds might indicate something of consequence for world football?

#football #Thunderbirds # GianniInfantino #FIFA #politics

I'm with the Trade Union Congress, PM Andy Burnham & ...

2026-08-08T08:40:57Z

I'm with the Trade Union Congress, PM Andy Burnham & Chancellor John Healey need to examine & reform the role (and assumptions) of the Office of Budget Responsibility... it *does* have the logic of austerity 'baked in'.

As I've noted before one of the positive legacies of Rachel Reeves term as Chancellor was the reformation of the fiscal rules, allowing public investment to be traded not merely as an expense; Healey & Burnham need to build on that....

#politics

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/08/tuc-review-obr-investment-economy-business

BP's infamous focus on the 'carbon footprint' to ...

2026-08-08T07:04:21Z

BP's infamous focus on the 'carbon footprint' to switch focus on to individuals rather than the climate impact of fossil fuels, continues to shape climate politics:

'rather than asking whether climate change caused a heatwave, we should be explaining that greenhouse gases released by burning fossil fuels are accumulating in the atmosphere, trapping heat & amplifying extreme weather. This makes all heatwaves hotter, more likely & more dangerous'

#ClimateChange #politics
https://theconversation.com/was-this-heatwave-caused-by-climate-change-were-asking-the-wrong-question-288637

Yet more evidence that the Metropolitan Police cannot be relied ...

2026-08-07T17:08:56Z

Yet more evidence that the Metropolitan Police cannot be relied on to safeguard women from violent attacks.... a series of missed opportunities to take the offender off the streets were missed or fumbled...

And then the Police complain about victims' unwillingness to engage with the police.

Yet more evidence that the Met is unreformable & needs to be closed down, to be rebuilt from the ground up!

#police #SexualAssault #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/07/simon-levy-murder-trial-women-london-police-prosecution-errors

Everyday Racism no.43378 Solicitor Stephen Akinsanya told by a ...

2026-08-07T17:01:42Z

Everyday Racism no.43378

Solicitor Stephen Akinsanya told by a security guard that he could not park in the Court's car park because it was 'not for defendants'...

And that's not a story from the 70s or 80s... its from 2026!

#racism #RuleOfLaw #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/aug/07/black-barrister-london-court-racism

While the UK's Assisted Dying bill remains in a hiatus, ...

2026-08-07T07:30:16Z

While the UK's Assisted Dying bill remains in a hiatus, evidence from the Canadian experience suggests:

'Personal choice remains central to the case for assisted dying. [But] Parliament should also consider how care shortages, isolation & fear of dependence may shape that choice before changing the law'.

Which reflects what many of the Bill's critics have suggested; not just safeguards, but better health provision, first!

#AssistedDying #health #politics
https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-canada-on-assisted-dying-288456

Meanwhile in Norfolk.... Anti-immigrant violence continues, with ...

2026-08-07T06:04:40Z

Meanwhile in Norfolk....

Anti-immigrant violence continues, with mobs storming houses they believe house immigrants (and/or refugees).

This is the sort of behaviour that has been stoked by the Fascist Frog, ReformUK & their familiars.

The protestors are being goaded by those who claim to recognise their 'legitimate grievances'... the toxic politics of immigration are directly responsibility for this public violence.

#immigration #politics #Thetford
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74g1gxvwlvo

John Burn-Murdoch (FT) argues the problem(s) in the UK's ...

2026-08-07T05:42:28Z

John Burn-Murdoch (FT) argues the problem(s) in the UK's education sectors (from schools to universities) & specifically the premium more education achieves in the labour force (or reduction thereof) is not so much an indication of a failing education system (which is not to say its perfect) but more a problem of an under-performing economy, failing to offer good opportunities for educated workers.

A better functioning economy would result in better outcomes for workers.

#education #workers

In case you'd forgotten, next Thursday sees the Fascist ...

2026-08-07T05:26:13Z

In case you'd forgotten, next Thursday sees the Fascist Frog's own private by-election in Clacton; which despite a boycott by the main parties has attracted so many fringe candidates that the ballot paper is the longest in the UK's electoral history.

Bookies are claiming it will be an easy win for the Frog, but perhaps it will be more interesting to see how big the 'anyone but Farage' vote is.

If we've passed peak-ReformUK, then that anti-Farage vote may be significant!

#politics
h/t FT

Stuart Neilson (LinkedIn) points out the social hypocrisy that ...

2026-08-07T05:06:19Z

Stuart Neilson (LinkedIn) points out the social hypocrisy that confronts people in their 50s & 60s:

Their state pension age is receding into the late 60s, while employers seem to regard them, too often, as too old to work.

Either we reverse the moves in pension age (lowering back towards the early 60s) or we move much more significantly to combat ageism in the labour market.

But we cannot in good faith as a society combine a high pension age & ageism!

#workers #employment #ageism

What's behind the accelerating trend for older technologies; ...

2026-08-06T21:18:16Z

What's behind the accelerating trend for older technologies; from the revival of vinyl to the spread of smartphone refuseniks (with a dumbphone; confession, I have one)?

Chine Mcdonald (FT) thinks its partly a nostalgia for a quieter, slower time (of analogue technologies), but also it is a rejection of the increasingly dominant narrates of a future shaped by AI & its associated technologies - that is the future any of us just don't want.

Its a revolt into analogue.

#AI #politics #analogue

If the Tangerine Tyrant does removes the financial damages aspect ...

2026-08-06T17:27:15Z

If the Tangerine Tyrant does removes the financial damages aspect of his defamation claims against the BBC (currently paused while his lawyers try to find a way to avoid the requirement to reveal his financial records, hence the likely re-focus on reputation only).... I wonder if the BBC's lawyers next line of defence would be that whatever damage to his reputation might have been caused by their documentary, it is dwarfed by the damage he has done to his own reputation?

#USPol

There's regular discussion in my timeline about the utility ...

2026-08-06T05:45:35Z

There's regular discussion in my timeline about the utility or otherwise of using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of economic 'success'... as Ehsan Masood (an editor at Nature) argues we essentially have two choices:

either we revise GDP to include aspects of the social economy we value but are excluded from the data; or

we diminish the centrality of GDP & use a dashboard of data points to measure economic 'success'

Either/both would improve our politics!

#economics #politics

One would think that given the UK's high levels of ...

2026-08-06T05:34:41Z

One would think that given the UK's high levels of recidivism, reducing the prison population would focus on repeat offenders, specifically:

youth work to try & reduce the number of young people embarking on a 'life of crime' (from which few escape);

rehabilitation & education in prison to help the convicted change their post-release opportunities.

But, the political 'logic' remains build more prisons, underfund youth work & cut prison education staff.

#crime #prisons #politics

No-one will be surprised Zack Polanski (Green Party of England ...

2026-08-06T05:27:04Z

No-one will be surprised Zack Polanski (Green Party of England & Wales) is arguing that the record profits 'earned' by the oil companies in the wake of price hikes caused by the US attacks on Iran, should be taxed heavily & funds used to mitigate the consequences of this year's (and future) heatwaves.

Will Labour mimic this stance or will recovery in the polls encourage Andy Burnham to dismiss the Green challenge, again taking green voters for granted?

#FossilFuels #heatwaves #politics
h/t FT

Its a popular rhetoric of business representatives that extending ...

2026-08-06T05:13:37Z

Its a popular rhetoric of business representatives that extending better conditions to workers reduces economic activity (increases unemployment); our political class often repeat this argument;

But, 35 years (up to 2018) of labour market research across Europe offers no support for this conclusion; revealing it to be once more about managers seeking maintain their power dynamic over workers.

Andy Burnham should (must) resist such rhetoric.

#workers #politics
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/andy-burnham-should-make-the-case-for-good-work/

The Democratic Party's establishment is going to need to ...

2026-08-05T20:18:48Z

The Democratic Party's establishment is going to need to decide (quite quickly) who they hate more.... the Republicans & the Tangerine Tyrant or the (emerging) new Left of the party (i.e. NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani & new contender Abdul El-Sayed who has won the Michigan primary) & are proving quite popular?

Anyone thinking the answer must be they hate Trump more, may well be disappointed (if the experience of the UK Labour Party is anything to go by).

#USPol #politics #DemocraticSocialists

Well, well, well, who'd have thought. Palantir is avoiding UK ...

2026-08-05T05:45:53Z

Well, well, well, who'd have thought.

Palantir is avoiding UK taxes by accounting for its profits in the US (using transfer pricing & exploiting its US tex shelter) despite making significant profits in the UK, not least from its highly contentious public sector contracts.

This is likely to (rightly) further increase pressure on Andy Burnham's Govt. to at the very least use the break clauses in Palantir's contract(s) to end them.

#palantir #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/05/palantir-corporation-tax-uk-2024-accounting-practices

The Scottish Green are demanding the Burnham administration halt ...

2026-08-04T20:49:37Z

The Scottish Green are demanding the Burnham administration halt the prosecution of peacefully protesting Palestine Action supporters:

Burnham's 'government should end the prosecutions of peaceful protesters & undertake an urgent review of how counter-terrorism and public-order laws are being used against political dissent'!

The proscription of PA has been a clear continuity with Starmer's Govt. & Shabana Mahmood is unlikely to be an agent of change.

#politics #protest
https://greens.scot/news/burnham-must-end-starmer-s-criminalisation-of-peaceful-protest

The BBC's defence of the case against it brought by the ...

2026-08-04T20:28:29Z

The BBC's defence of the case against it brought by the Tangerine Tyrant is a great example of how a bully's bluster and hyperbolic threats can unwind rather seriously once exposed to the legal process... in this case the BBC's discovery process for defending their claim has backed Trump & his lawyers into a corner.

Here's dag (npub1uqn…lhdy) clearly setting out the details. It's giving to make you smile....

#Trump #RuleOfLaw #politics

https://theemptycity.com/blog/2026/08/why-trumps-lawsuit-against-the-bbc-is-not-going-well-for-him/

Not any more, perhaps a couple of decades ago - but China is ...

2026-08-04T20:23:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…h3xy
_________________________

Not any more, perhaps a couple of decades ago - but China is making a big play on becoming a reserve currency - they're nowhere near yet, but it requires yuan flowing around to make it work

Alan Walker (USheffield/Guardian letters) pinpoints two ...

2026-08-04T17:28:57Z

Alan Walker (USheffield/Guardian letters) pinpoints two significant reasons that the UK's social care criss remains unresolved:

patriarchy - care is seen as women's work & as a 'domestic responsibility';

ageism - the old & infirm (and others needing care) are routinely 'othered'

There may be more to it than this, but he's right to highlight these two social structural issues.

#care #politics #feminism

Indeed, open economies have always found the global finance ...

2026-08-04T17:07:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…pq95
_________________________

Indeed, open economies have always found the global finance sector have been a 'problem'... only a closed & fully autarchic economy can totally ignore them (and really on North Korea has nearly managed that)

One (and it is only one) measure of political economic power is ...

2026-08-04T17:03:03Z

One (and it *is* only one) measure of political economic power is the share of global GDP for each major political bloc (country, or empire).

This chart from Visual Capitalist (npub17gd…5mr0) charts 200 years of such shares (and their changes)...

You can be sure this raises just as many Q.s as it answers but it remains instructive of shifts & changes in the make-up of the global political economy.

(yes, GDP is a problematic metric in itself, even when used on a PPP basis, as here.)

#politics #history

Yes, one of the great inequalities is how our political class ...

2026-08-04T15:10:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…w0sr
_________________________

Yes, one of the great inequalities is how our political class wants freedom of movement for capital, and when it is used for the carry trade, sees this as completely legitimate arbitrage of market differences, also argues strongly against full & free mobility f labour because it doesn't want workers moving to high-wage companies where their bargaining power might be greater, and prefers the global 'reserve army' of labour to remain in the periphery

My favourite paintings, No.3 Artemisia Gentileschi. Judith ...

2026-08-04T06:17:50Z

My favourite paintings, No.3

Artemisia Gentileschi. Judith Beheading Holofenes (1620)

Artemisia Gentileschi painted two similar versions of this subject (this one's in the Uffizi). I used to use this in lectures, contrasting it with Carravagio's more static composition, to argue a women painting this subject came to it with a different view of female agency (feminist standpoint).

Its shockingly visceral painting, but actually that's what the subject demands!

#art #TodaysPainting #feminism

While we might think that anti-vaxxers on social media are behind ...

2026-08-04T06:04:06Z

While we might think that anti-vaxxers on social media are behind falls in vaccine take-up for small children, medical experts think the bigger issue is a decline in regular interactions between parents & medical staff & the issue of convenience for two-earner, time-poor parenting households.

So rather than blame social media we should look at the changes wrought by shifts in the UK's political economy driven by (continuing) austerity.

#politics #health #SocialMedia
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qvlw2dd0no

Here's Christian Wolmar extolling the virtues of high speed ...

2026-08-04T05:54:52Z

Here's Christian Wolmar extolling the virtues of high speed rail & rightly suggesting the UK has just got its ideas wrong; HSR is not a specialised & focussed service but rather the next stage in making rail work well for a country.

While China's scale emphasises the manner in which HSR can bring a country together, actually this would also be the case with better (more accessible) rail in the UK too.

Rail is (also) central to the Green Transition!

#railways #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/03/high-speed-rail-trains-britain-europe-japan

As Diane Coyle (writing in the FT) implies, Andy Burnham & ...

2026-08-04T05:35:23Z

As Diane Coyle (writing in the FT) implies, Andy Burnham & John Healey need to take full advantage of the shift in the way public investment can be reported through (Rachel Reeves' revised) fiscal rules, to allow an easing of the burden of Treasury short-termism.

She argues such short-termism is driven by the Treasury's lack of control over day-to-day expenditure locally prompting a hard grip on initial policy decisions, forcing a focus only on immediate gains....

#politics #FiscalRules

Errr.... haven't they already tried that & didn't it ...

2026-08-04T05:12:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…8ymx
_________________________

Errr.... haven't they already tried that & didn't it really fail to get them out of the long deflationary period, or am I misremembering Japan's fiscal history?

RE: https://mastodon.energy/@Sustainable2050/117033128339794681 ...

2026-08-03T21:39:31Z

RE: https://mastodon.energy/@Sustainable2050/117033128339794681

Many in the UK will find a striking similarity with the conduct of the UK police.... although (in addition to XR protests) here we might want to contrast peaceful protestors supporting Palestine Action, with Farmers disrupting the road in London

#politics #protest

quoting
note1gkg…275j

Angry farmers block Dutch highway but don't get fined. Because... they had covered their licence plates 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️🤦
The police: that's illegal, but there was little we could do about it "given the situation" 🤡

The difference with the treatment of XR climate activists doing the same on foot is striking.
https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/binnenland/artikel/5634951/boeren-blokkeren-snelweg-met-tachtig-tractoren-maar-krijgen-geen

Watching the Fascist Frog tie himself in knots as he shifts & ...

2026-08-03T21:33:07Z

Watching the Fascist Frog tie himself in knots as he shifts & changes his story about circumstances around the £5m donation from Christopher Harborne, and other financial irregularities around ReformUK Ltd, one cannot but hope that we are seeing the beginning of the end of his corrosive influence over UK politics (not that there aren't other equally loathsome people waiting to step into his shoes, though thankfully, foe now, they're a lot less media savvy).

#ReformUK #NigelFarage #politics

In an implicit acceptance that it has been (shall we say) ...

2026-08-03T21:28:27Z

In an implicit acceptance that it has been (shall we say) misleading in its presentation of data on the 'success' of the roll-out of Palantir's technology to speed up NHS patent discharges, NHSEngland is now 'revising' the manner in which such data is both reported and collected.

To be blunter: NHSE were lying about Palantir's success for corrupt reasons & have now been required to publish unbiased data on the technology's capacity to aid NHS Trusts.

#Palantir #NHS
h/t FT

Yes, this just turned up in my inbox - as always Pettifor is ...

2026-08-03T21:22:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…0mr4
_________________________

Yes, this just turned up in my inbox - as always Pettifor is interesting

Meanwhile in Clacton, in the face of seeming lack of interest by ...

2026-08-03T17:23:16Z

Meanwhile in Clacton, in the face of seeming lack of interest by the very person who called the by-election - the Facist Frog - we can expect a low turnout; moreover, while currently the Frog is seen as likely to win, we shouldn't forget if there is a (very) low turnout, then even small numbers voting for Count Binface might upset the predicted result.

And even if the Frog wins this does not stop either investigation into his finances.

#NigelFarage #Clacton #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/03/clacton-byelection-independent-candidates-nigel-farage-count-binface

How serious is the drought that is currently being experienced ...

2026-08-03T11:50:07Z

How serious is the drought that is currently being experienced across Britain (for the most part)?

well, here is a Met Office map that pretty graphically shows the problem.

If this is the future we will be needing to be thinking a lot more carefully about water management & (likely) nationalise the industry as the private utilities have demonstrated a lack of serious intent to actually manage the water courses, being only interested in *draining* the system of cash

#water #drought #politics

More cuts to NHS staff & services, this time around mental ...

2026-08-03T05:27:42Z

More cuts to NHS staff & services, this time around mental health provision in East London... this is what happens when austerity meet budgeting requirements to 'balance the books'.

Its just one more example of the tendency posted about over the weekend to see the health services as a cost to be controlled, rather than to see good health contributing to the value of the UK economy.

#NHS #MentalHealth #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/03/nhs-mental-health-trust-plans-25m-in-cuts-to-jobs-and-services

As the UK continues to talk about an EU 'reset' (although ...

2026-08-02T18:01:15Z

As the UK continues to talk about an EU 'reset' (although that's been less the case since the coronation of Andy Burnham), the Home Office has decided a number (currently in the hundreds) of EU citizens living in the UK & expecting to have their right to remain confirmed, are actually here (as the Home Office has concluded) illegally.

How this is going to play with those counties who's citizens now look to have their lives torn apart is unclear (as yet)

#Brexit #EU
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/02/eu-citizens-uk-letters-post-brexit-residency-rights-given-in-error

My favourite paintings, No.1 Suzanne Valadon. The Blue Room ...

2026-08-02T09:02:09Z

My favourite paintings, No.1

Suzanne Valadon. The Blue Room (1923)

Suzanne Valadon fought to become an artist, having honed her skills as a painter watching the Parisian artists she modelled for. This signature painting is a fabulous critique of the genre of the reeling nude favoured by male artists across the centuries.

The model is dressed causally, smokes & refuses to engage with the viewer. While not strictly s self portrait the sentiment is all Valdon's!

#art #feminism #TodaysPainting

In Aberdeen (and elsewhere) workers are yelling 'how many ...

2026-08-02T08:42:59Z

In Aberdeen (and elsewhere) workers are yelling 'how many more jobs must be lost' before the UK Govt. acts (although its not like the oil sector has been out of favour for long).

But what of academic staff shouting the same about universities?

Our political class gives a lot more weight to workers in industry (who claim the Govt. can help) than those in universities (whose plight is directly related to Govt. funding decisions).

The value of universities is still obscured!

#politics #workers

The Australian social media ban for under-16s, three months in: a ...

2026-08-02T07:51:45Z

The Australian social media ban for under-16s, three months in:

a study suggests around 80% remain on social media, concluding that of those who were on social media prior to the ban most 'were able to either retain or create new' accounts, suggesting (perhaps) both that the under-16s are more technically savvy than the Govt, appreciated, and assurances by Big Tech they'd implement measure to action the ban, have been either slow or ineffective.

Many are watching!

#SocialMedia
h/t Observer

A new report from the Health Foundation makes the crucial point: ...

2026-08-02T06:33:45Z

A new report from the Health Foundation makes the crucial point: we need to stop seeing ill-health as a cost & start understanding good health as an economic asset...

It concludes that 'improving health would strengthen growth, expand the tax base, reduce fiscal pressures & raise living standards'!

If our political class cannot understand the humanistic arguments around public health we need to emphasise the economic value of a healthy population!

#health #politics
https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/upload/publications/2026/Health_Foundation_Health%20as%20an%20economic%20asset_2026.pdf

The thing that helps make a TV programme great is when its not ...

2026-08-01T21:28:04Z

The thing that helps make a TV programme great is when its not quite like anything you've seen before.... and having now watched the whole series of Ann Dorid, it is that thing.

It balances both humour & compassion about loneliness in old age, and the fickleness of families; Its a comedy tour-de-force with a real understanding of the plight of those in their latter years.

I cannot recommend it highly enough - just brilliant!

#AnnDroid #humour #TV #technology

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002xhy2/ann-droid

For those wondering where the trigger for the much anticipated ...

2026-08-01T09:41:01Z

For those wondering where the trigger for the much anticipated AI-related crash might come from, US regulators are concerned about insurers investments in Private Equity groups were seemingly 'safe' assets, are actually structured around what they have refereed to as 'circular ownership'.

Assets that seem independent & revenue generating are actually caught up in dense networks of cross investment between PE groups & banks, leaving them less secure & stable than appears.

#investment
h/t FT

What's wrong with the snippet below from the Guardian's ...

2026-08-01T08:53:48Z

What's wrong with the snippet below from the Guardian's Business section?

Rising house prices are not 'growth' it is asset price inflation... to be fair the Guardian is certainly not the only media organisation miss-representing inflation in house prices, but I've not mentioned it for a while...

House price inflation should be presented as a problem (given the housing crisis) not as 'growth', as if it was a good thing.

RISING HOUSING PRICES ARE INFLATION!

#housing #politics #media

In a coupe of weeks that have seen both continuity & change ...

2026-08-01T08:24:39Z

In a coupe of weeks that have seen both continuity & change from Andy Burnham (and his new administration), the news that he seems unlikely to continue the move(s) by David Lammy & Keir Starmer to reduce jury trials to those who might be jailed for over three years (and of course who have pleaded no guilty), would be very welcome to many, as it was widely seen as ineffective against its supposed reasoning (reducing court backlogs) & generally anti-democratic!

#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jul/31/andy-burnham-signals-scrap-plans-curb-jury-trials

Rachel Powild (Guardian letters) makes the point that we do have ...

2026-08-01T07:55:40Z

Rachel Powild (Guardian letters) makes the point that we do have a wealth tax to fund social care, its just levied on those in need, not on the general population.... or more importantly, the wealthy!

#SocialCare #politics

As more people in financial services (which remains politically ...

2026-08-01T07:28:06Z

As more people in financial services (which remains politically influential, even though many of us wish it wasn't) warn of the economic damage wrought by climate change, will we see an increasingly positive fiscal environment for (long-tern) investments in the Green Transition?

As John Healey already has a fiscal rule in place (thanks to Rachel Reeves) that can encompass such investment(s), will the Govt. now explicity orient towards a GT?

#politics #GreenTransition
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/01/ecb-climate-wildfires-global-economy-stability

First things first today: Manchester's new Mayor is Bev Craig ...

2026-08-01T07:07:55Z

First things first today:

Manchester's new Mayor is Bev Craig who won the second round run-off with second preference votes topping up her already strong lead over ReformUK & leaving the Green Party of England & Wales with a (perhaps) disappointingly low share of the vote (just over 12%).

However, this was on a pretty low turnout, with only one in four actually voting at all; wasn't that important for many, then, but better than many by-elections

#Manchester #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy74n1n1lnxo

Yes, I saw a post this mooring suggesting actually its a ...

2026-07-31T09:21:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…ls0u
_________________________

Yes, I saw a post this mooring suggesting actually its a marketing stunt.

Unsurprisingly, an ex-Mayor rising to Prime Minster has made one ...

2026-07-31T06:01:50Z

Unsurprisingly, an ex-Mayor rising to Prime Minster has made one of his early priorities giving more power (and funds) to mayors; like his early statements on social care, it demonstrates that politicians who have experienced political realities tend to act on them.

Andy Burnham (ex-mayor, user of social care) is making very different statements & priorities than a new PM steeped in financial services.

Whether words become actions is another issue!

#politics #mayors
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/30/burnham-mayors-income-tax-business-rates-devolution

With the exception of self-identified ReformUK supporters the ...

2026-07-31T05:51:55Z

With the exception of self-identified ReformUK supporters the majority of people in the UK believe that the recent heatwaves across the country are caused by climate change....

This suggests, that there is potential majority to organise behind a more forthright strategy for a Green Transition; a Green Keynesianism which would see investment(s) to both help ameliorate the effects of climate change & build British 'leadership' in Green Tech.

I'm hoping, but not expecting it.

#GreenTransition

Two different stories this week about AI-models hacking other ...

2026-07-31T05:41:39Z

Two different stories this week about AI-models hacking other firms software, without direction to do so (indeed despite some indication such action was intended to be constrained), hint at the growth of AI & related technologies' potential autonomy, the very issue those most worried about AI have been raising for some time.

Of course, many will argue these are anomalies, but the danger may be what if this is a sign that should be prompting swift response action(s)?

#AI #technology
h/t FT

And so the proscription of Palestine Action reaches the UK's ...

2026-07-30T21:31:10Z

And so the proscription of Palestine Action reaches the UK's Supreme Court, where its co-founder, Huda Ammori, has been given permission to launch a challenge to the Appeal Court judgment in favour of the previous Labour administration's proscription of the organisation.

The key thing will be how Andy Burnham briefs the Govt.'s legal team to respond... or whether he clams to have taken a hands off position on the issue....

It will be an interesting sign.

#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/30/supreme-court-says-palestine-action-co-founder-can-challenge-ban-on-group

A key divide in UK politics is the perception of Margaret ...

2026-07-30T17:21:30Z

A key divide in UK politics is the perception of Margaret Thatcher's Govt.

a. Did she help galvanise the UK's economy after the prior political consensus had produced an unwieldy & expensive state crowding out private enterprise, or;

b. did her Govt. lay the foundations for a wide range of problems that now contribute to the social political & economic dysfunction of the UK in the 2020s?

You'll be unsurprised I subscribe to b. but those who think a. are not as rare as you'd hope!

#politics

Today we find out how the by-election of the Manchester Mayoralty ...

2026-07-30T06:10:00Z

Today we find out how the by-election of the Manchester Mayoralty plays out, in the wake of Andy Burnham's quick departure and ascendance to Prime Minister....

The Q. for many of us, is how well can the Green Party of England & Wales candidate, Geraldine Coggins do during the 'honeymoon' period Labour are enjoying under Burnham.

We'll know by this time tomorrow I expect.

#politics #Manchester

Yup Military Keynesianism is going to be at the centre of Andy ...

2026-07-30T05:55:51Z

Yup Military Keynesianism is going to be at the centre of Andy Burnham's defence policy, and he rocking up in Barrow-in-Furness to make that clear....

Its yet one more continuity with the previous Govt. which was also very keen to claim investment in defence had a major positive impact on the UK's economy (through employment & local procurement), but which failed to convince on contact with the reality of imported arms & military technology.

#defence #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/29/trident-renewal-central-defence-reindustrialised-britain-andy-burnham