Peter Holmes
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pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes
@pholmes8.bsky.social
4.5K followers 1.6K following 420 posts

Semi-retired trade economist, Emeritus @ UKTPO Sussex. Posts about Brexit, Freeports, WTO and anything else that catches my fancy. Migrating across from other place. Tweeted as @pholmes8. Blogs with others at https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/uktpo/blog/ .. more

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Economics 44%
Political science 25%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Peter Holmes

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Mary Corcoran, Christina Pagel

michaelsavage.bsky.social
Michael Savage @michaelsavage.bsky.social · 18h
NEW: BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith Lecture

BBC News article & Media Show prevented from repeating Rutger Bregman’s corruption allegation in its coverage… of whether the BBC censored his speech!

BBC/Trump fallout continues

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith Lecture
Journalists not allowed to repeat Rutger Bregman’s corruption claims against US president in coverage of edit
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Peter Holmes

lbc.co.uk
LBC @lbc.co.uk · 21h
- A 100,000 drop in net migration costs us £7bn
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn

What gets more attention?

James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 12 more

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 21h
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...

(from my presentation at the IMF last week)

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Laurent Pech

davekeating.substack.com
Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 21h
The EU's ethics watchdog just ruled that 🇪🇺President von der Leyen's use of 'omnibus' packages to implement 🇺🇸President Trump's EU policy wishlist violates fundamental principles of good administration, including transparent, inclusive, and evidence-based law making.
Ombudsman finds maladministration in how Commission prepared urgent legislative proposals
The proposals concerned corporate sustainability due diligence (Omnibus I), the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and countering migrant smuggling.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu

Reposted by Peter Holmes

ianfraser.bsky.social
Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 21h
In Profits of Doom, @rbrooks45.bsky.social says the £252m PPE contract the UK gov't awarded to Tim Horlick’s Ayanda Capital in Apr 2020 triggered “perhaps the most egregious taxpayer-funded windfalls for the men at the centre of it” @privateeyenews.bsky.social

www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/spe...

Reposted by Peter Holmes

ianfraser.bsky.social
Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 22h
Private Eye's Richard Brooks has revealed how financiers behind Ayanda Capital (which is owned by a Mauritius-based holding company)—Tim Horlick, Nathan Engelbrecht, and Liz Truss adviser Andrew Mills—amassed £64m from UK taxpayers despite supplying faulty PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Troughing. These are the sums that Ayanda Capital's Tim Horlick, Andrew Mills and Nathan Engelbrecht made from the taxpayer despite providing faulty PPE during the Covid-19 pandemoc.

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Christina Pagel

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 22h
One big risk to the OBR forecasts has already materialised -migration is falling more quickly than their projections and that will hit growth and tax revenue.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
UK net migration drops sharply to 204,000 in year to June - live updates
Net migration fell by around two-thirds - from 649,000 in the year to June 2024 to 204,000 in the year to June 2025.
www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Steve Peers, Lesley A. Hall, Peter Holmes , and 3 more

alanlester.bsky.social
Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 23h
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:

Reposted by Peter Holmes

resolutionfoundation.org
Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 1d
We have been calling for an end to the two-child limit since it was introduced in 2017.

Scrapping it is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty, and a welcome step from this Chancellor.

A few weeks ago, we outlined three key reasons why it had to go ⤵️

Reposted by Peter Holmes

jamesrball.com
James Ball @jamesrball.com · 1d
"Witkoff is telling his counterpart Ushakov how to do something he is surely very familiar with: he is telling him how to manage someone ruling like an autocrat."
inews.co.uk/news/world/l...
Leaked recordings prove Putin is making Trump his puppet
The Witkoff tape reveals how much the game has changed - US diplomacy now appears to centre around flattering and stroking the ego of Donald Trump
inews.co.uk

Reposted by Peter Holmes

europeanmovement.co.uk
European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 1d
The Chancellor wants to "boost trade, increase investment, and champion innovation", but is failing to fix one of the principal causes of the economic crisis: Brexit. The Government must urgently repair our relationship with Europe, or else forthcoming Budgets will continue to bear the brunt.

Reposted by Peter Holmes

implausibleblog.bsky.social
Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 1d
£26 billion tax rise announced today in Labour's budget

£90 billon, how much tax revenue is lost because of Brexit EVERY Year

The reason taxes are going up and spending is being cut is because we can't afford stuff because of Brexit!

Reposted by Peter Holmes

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 2d
How to get rid of Citizens United?

We can do away with it without a new Supreme Court. Nor do we need a constitutional amendment.

There’s a far simpler way. Let me explain: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/how-to-get-rid-of-citizens-united
How to Get Rid of "Citizens United"
We can do away with it without a new Supreme Court. Nor do we need a constitutional amendment. There’s a far simpler way
robertreich.substack.com

pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 2d
For sure he's not in Clacton!

Reposted by Rebecca Solnit, Dorothy Bishop, Simon L. Lewis , and 13 more

carolecadwalla.bsky.social
Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 2d
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.

Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny
Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment
bylinetimes.com

pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 2d
You touched on this very briefly. I searched & found “Compromise” once in text “Pragmatism” twice - on immigration.
What if BBC had said to you:
“Trump is threatening us with lethal Lawfare. We think we could placate him by dropping that phrase. Would you agree?”
*Might* you have wavered?

pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 2d
Your lecture was brilliant (likewise “Humankind”).
BBC Censorship was deeply cowardly.
But I did think you made your point about Trump pretty forcefully.

Meanwhile BBC censorship raised a question in my mind: how far must liberals be willing to compromise today?

Reposted by Peter Holmes

philipstephens.bsky.social
Philip Stephens @philipstephens.bsky.social · 2d
So now we know. Nigel Farage says his youthful admiration for the Nazis and embrace of "Gas 'em all" anti-semitism was just a bit of "banter". Nothing there to apologise for.

Reposted by Peter Holmes

davidheniguk.bsky.social
David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 2d
A very detailed assessment of UK trade policy published today by @thecitp.bsky.social. Lack of coherence, scrutiny and reporting are prominent contributors to the absence of any suggestion of success. So, in line with other assessments.

citp.ac.uk/uktpr/uk-tra...
UK Trade Policy: An Independent Review | CITP
citp.ac.uk

Reposted by Peter Holmes

bestforbritain.org
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 2d
New analysis by the House of Commons library estimates that Brexit is costing the Treasury up to £90bn a year in lost tax revenue.

To fix our nations finances we must get closer to Europe and fix the problems caused by Brexit...

https://bit.ly/4pobLzs
Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows
Exclusive: Britons also up to £3,700 worse off, leading to calls for the Labour government to improve relations with the EU
www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Steve Peers, Peter Holmes

rutgerbregman.com
Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 2d
Here's the transcript. When I say ‘we had a convicted reality star’, you can add ‘who now rules as the most openly corrupt president in American history’ in your head.

downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith...

Reposted by Peter Holmes

stevepeers.bsky.social
Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 2d
Reform Party threatened legal action for critical news stories
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform’s ‘Trumpian’ legal threats hint at more aggressive approach to media
Ultimatums sent to publications appear to intensify as Nigel Farage’s party rises in polls
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Peter Holmes

secretman11.bsky.social
secretman11.bsky.social @secretman11.bsky.social · 3d
"Secretly financing Hamas" would probably be more of a scandal in the US political class if Netanyahu himself wasn't already on record openly financing Hamas

www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-ne...
For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces
The premier's policy of treating the terror group as a partner, at the expense of Abbas and Palestinian statehood, has resulted in wounds that will take Israel years to heal from
www.timesofisrael.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, David Dunning, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d
Mark Kelly: "My wife, Gabby Giffords, meeting with her constituents, shot in the head. Six people killed around her, a horrific thing. She spent six months in the hospital. We know what political violence is and we know what causes it too, The statements that Donald Trump made incites others."

Reposted by Steve Peers, Albert Weale, Peter Holmes , and 4 more

barackobama.bsky.social
Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 3d
As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.
Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Peter Holmes

jaimi.bsky.social
jaimi.bsky.social @jaimi.bsky.social · 3d
Here’s the plaque at West Point with the relevant text highlighted

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Peter Holmes, Jonathan Hopkin , and 2 more

yougov.co.uk
YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 3d
With Rachel Reeves reportedly set to apply a new tax on tuition fees paid by overseas students, most Britons support such a move at the previously mooted level of 6%

Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%

yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Peter Holmes

bennettschool.cam.ac.uk
Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk · 3d
🧰Two days ahead of the 2025 Autumn Budget, Dimitri Zenghelis calls for a credible, growth-focused strategy—centred on better investment & a coherent, less distortionary tax system—to restore confidence & reduce the premium the UK pays on its debt.

Read his blog: bit.ly/4ije1p7

pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 3d
P.Kyle on R4 Today this morning saying that the "Brexit Deal" had cost the UK massively. The Brexiteer fantasy that there was a magical Brexit deal if only they'd looked at the end of the Rainbow as he plans to do.
davidheniguk.bsky.social David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 4d
Trade folk (including myself) are unconvinced there is much of a growth dividend for Rachel Reeves from agreements with India, EU, and US. Just as there's no evidence of positive impact from independent UK trade policy since 2021. www.politico.eu/article/rach...
Rachel Reeves hopes trade deals can save Britain’s budget. Economists aren’t convinced.
With a difficult budget looming, the chancellor has increasingly turned her gaze overseas.
www.politico.eu