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pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes
@pholmes8.bsky.social
4.4K followers 1.6K following 400 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

Videos
Economics 44%
Political science 25%
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

tomashirstecon.bsky.social
Tomas Hirst @tomashirstecon.bsky.social · 3d
Yes I wish I had started with than point! Thank you for trudging all the way down thread to find it.
1 1 3

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Peter Holmes

alexvont.bsky.social
Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 3d
When Yvette Cooper was Home Sec she hinted the govt had further material justifying a ban that they couldn’t reveal because of the legal process. If so, better to get that out in daylight ASAP. Because as things stand they have clearly not made the case for proscription to the public’s satisfaction.
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Reposted by Kimberly A. Prather, Rosemary A. Joyce, Evelyne Schmid , and 12 more

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d
SOUTH CAROLINA… “Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started. Her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren. The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony...” www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
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Reposted by Tim Bale, Peter Holmes

michaeljsc.bsky.social
Michael @michaeljsc.bsky.social · 7d
The not-quite-correction is really funny. “A lot” rather than “a majority”.
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

johnspringford.bsky.social
John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 7d
This is good news. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK and EU poised to strike deal sparing British business from carbon border tax
Exclusive: temporary deal to shield UK exporters from levy’s impact is now viewed by both sides as likely
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Steve Peers, Peter Holmes, Aoife O’Donoghue

profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 7d
Have taken the time to read this *extraordinary* 161p ruling by Federal Judge William Young. Absolute must-read to understand the full extent of Trump regime's depravity and lawlessness, the steep extent of 🇺🇸 descent into authoritarianism & the enabling role of integrity-free Roberts Court
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 7d
Judge William Young ruled on Tuesday that Marco Rubio and Kristi Noem’s student deportation effort violates the First Amendment, but he also had important messages for Donald Trump, John Roberts — and all Americans.

At Law Dork, I explain.
Judge William Young's ruling against Rubio and Noem is a lesson for all in the Trump era
Young lays bare the unconstitutionality of the Trump administration's student deportation efforts — and issues a challenge to America. Also: More court pushback.
www.lawdork.com
2 41 110

Reposted by Jan W. Mueller, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 18 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9d
Hegseth: "A few months ago I was at the White House when President Trump announced his liberation day for America's trade policy. It was a landmark day. Well, today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors ... you kill people and break things for a living."
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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Dorothy Bishop, Colin F. Camerer , and 14 more

jasonv.bsky.social
JVG 骨 @jasonv.bsky.social · 9d
Absolute all-timer sentence in today's @nytimes.com
"some legal experts have called it a crime to summarily execute civilians" says today's New York Times, continuing their long tradition of whitewashing fascism
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

ayoung.bsky.social
Amy Young @ayoung.bsky.social · 12d
This is Portland right now. We’re“under siege” by pollen and potholes, that’s about it. We have a ton of live webcams if you want to watch us go to the farmers markets or walking our dogs, we love dogs.
Release the Epstein files.
www.camscape.com/webcam/pione...
Pioneer Square Webcam in Portland
Pioneer Square Webcam in Portland
www.camscape.com
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

malcolmkenyatta.bsky.social
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta @malcolmkenyatta.bsky.social · 12d
On the first day in office, this President pardoned actual violent insurrectionists who stormed our Capitol.

Now he’s making up shit in Portland to justify using the military AGAINST the American people.

Real POS behavior from this TEMU dictator.
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

stellacreasy.bsky.social
Stella Creasy MP @stellacreasy.bsky.social · 13d
The Chancellor right - the road to uk economic growth goes firmly through Europe and addressing damage Brexit has done to business. The deal we have so far shows the door is open to us to do so- join us in @labour4europe.bsky.social campaigning to do just that www.thetimes.com/article/ea32...
UK needs ‘ambitious’ EU youth migration deal, says Rachel Reeves
The chancellor believes allowing young people to live and work in Britain would boost the economy and reduce the need for tax rises in the budget
www.thetimes.com
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Reposted by Peter Holmes, Peter Cook

richardcorbett.bsky.social
Richard Corbett @richardcorbett.bsky.social · 13d
Labour voters overwhelmingly cite Brexit as the number one cause of our current difficulties, with 69% naming the decision to leave the EU as the main reason behind the country’s problems.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Britain is going backwards under Starmer, Labour voters say
Disappointing figures come on the eve of a crucial Labour Party Conference
inews.co.uk
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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Juan Moreno, Albert Weale , and 6 more

sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 13d
Nathan Gill, Reform's leader in Wales at the last Welsh parliament election, has pled guilty to 8 bribery charges, taking Russian cash while he was one of Nigel Farage’s MEPs to speak in favour of Putin's Russia in that parliament
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles
www.theguardian.com
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pholmes8.bsky.social
Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 13d
"To be credible, Reeves’ fiscal rules must be judged economically and politically sustainable. As things stand they are not."
financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 13d
Labour needs economic growth before it can build fiscal trust on.ft.com/46Dq4rX | opinion
Labour needs economic growth before it can build fiscal trust
The fate of Starmer’s government rests on the economy — but an obsessive pursuit of financial prudence could undermine it
on.ft.com
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

nvondarza.bsky.social
Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 13d
This should also be an EU story - former Brexit Party MEP has pleaded guilty to bribary charges, including for making statements "which were “supportive of a particular narrative” that would “benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine” in 2018/19:
Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles
www.theguardian.com
4 17 48

Reposted by Peter Holmes

financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 13d
Labour needs economic growth before it can build fiscal trust on.ft.com/46Dq4rX | opinion
Labour needs economic growth before it can build fiscal trust
The fate of Starmer’s government rests on the economy — but an obsessive pursuit of financial prudence could undermine it
on.ft.com
4 2 10

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Will Jennings, Peter Holmes

seancasten.bsky.social
Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 13d
The United States Secretary of Defense (aka, Major Pete) is either (a) openly celebrating Nazis and planning to destroy the US government from within or (b) a punk-assed internet troll trying to look tough to offset his gross deficiencies. Neither is good.
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

jemima.bsky.social
Jemima Kelly @jemima.bsky.social · 13d
Lord Glasman, who Curtis Yarvin told me was a "charming fellow", is now calling Yarvin a "wanker" in the Byline Times and disputing Yarvin's claim that they hung out the night before I met him in June bylinetimes.com/2025/09/25/b...
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 13d
“Labour must grab the microphone from Reform UK and stand up for true British values”
@lucympowell.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Labour must grab the microphone from Reform UK and stand up for true British values | Lucy Powell
If elected deputy Labour leader, I would take the fight to Nigel Farage and show him for what he really is, says Labour MP Lucy Powell
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

jacquep.bsky.social
Pascal Jacquemain @jacquep.bsky.social · 14d
Tory candidates must pledge support for leaving ECHR or stand down, says Jenrick

Something that's not Tory policy (yet)

Jenrick says support for leaving ECHR is fundamental to Conservative values.

Maggie relève-toi
Ils sont devenus fous

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Tory candidates must pledge support for leaving ECHR or stand down, says Jenrick
Shadow justice secretary demands prospective MPs sign contract saying they stand for ‘Conservative values’ UK politics – latest updates
www.theguardian.com
5 7 15

Reposted by Peter Holmes

opinion.bloomberg.com
Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · 16d
Trump uses both top-down and bottom-up pressure to consolidate power. But as Kimmel’s uncancellation shows, it doesn’t always work
The Kimmel Saga Reveals a MAGA Strategy — and Its Defense
Pressure from above and below convinced Disney to suspend the TV host, and only concerted public pressure restored him.
bloom.bg
3 5

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Colin Murray , and 9 more

henrymance.ft.com
Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16d
What on Earth is this? An "in depth" BBC article about free speech in the UK that only cites examples of right-wing/ 'anti-woke' speech being suppressed. How can you mention Lucy Connolly but completely ignore Palestine Action / Just Stop Oil? Gob-smacking. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How the simmering UK freedom of speech row reached boiling point
How did we reach a point where the UK is being compared to a 'tin pot Third World dictatorship'?
www.bbc.co.uk
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

profjacob.bsky.social
Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 17d
🚨🚨 "Surprise, surprise": #Moscow has devised a plan to interfere in the #Moldovan parliamentary elections and disrupt the country's path toward EU membership, @bloomberg.com reported on Sept. 22, citing documents it had seen. 🧵
kyivindependent.com/media-reveal...
Media reveal alleged Russian plot to influence Moldovan parliamentary elections
The documents seen by Bloomberg outline a multi-layered strategy reportedly coordinated directly by the Kremlin.
kyivindependent.com
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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Peter Beresford, Steve Peers , and 13 more

bestforbritain.org
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 17d
For 56 minutes Sky News and BBC News interrupted everything else and carried a Reform UK feed live, uninterrupted, unchallenged. The stream spluttered, froze, pixelated - dozens of times - still they stuck with it. FOR ONE HOUR.

This is an editorial choice. No other party gets this coverage. ~AA
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Reposted by Andrew Scott, Peter Holmes, John Foot

pickardje.bsky.social
Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 17d
comment masquerading as a news headline
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

privateeyenews.bsky.social
Private Eye Magazine @privateeyenews.bsky.social · 18d
Catch Eye hack Richard Brooks tonight on ITV1 in The Covid Contracts: Follow the Money.

The documentary tells the story of how some companies with little or no track record in supplying PPE or medical tests were given massive contracts - and made a killing from Covid.

🕙 10:15pm on ITV1 / ITVX
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

jeremycliffe.bsky.social
Jeremy Cliffe @jeremycliffe.bsky.social · 18d
Strongly recommend this rich and nuanced survey of Spain, 50 years after Franco's death, by William Chislett of @rielcano.bsky.social. At once a story of remarkable progress, unfinished business, and new challenges. ⬇️

www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/work-docu...
Fifty years after Franco: Spain’s profound transformation, 1975-2025
General Franco died 50 years ago, but Spain bore no resemblance to the country he took over after winning the 1936-39 Civil War.
www.realinstitutoelcano.org
3 23 39

Reposted by Peter Holmes

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 19d
🇺🇸 Our health care system is expensive and broken. #MedicareForAll
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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Richard S.J. Tol, Colin F. Camerer , and 39 more

justinwolfers.bsky.social
Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 19d
Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion.

Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.
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Reposted by Peter Holmes

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 20d
Higher investment, sustainable public finances, and a greater contribution from better off old people (like me and most other signatories) -very please to sign this open letter to the Chancellor.
investinbritain.bsky.social
Invest In Britain @investinbritain.bsky.social · 20d
Some of the UK’s most distinguished economists have written to the Chancellor warning that fiscal sustainability will not be achieved “without a significant further increase in public investment” to drive economic growth: www.thetimes.com/article/5acc...
Policymakers urge Rachel Reeves to tax ‘better-off older people’
Economists and academics tell the chancellor to stabilise the public finances by boosting investment with levies on wealth and stamp duty reform
www.thetimes.com
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