Alan Beattie
@alanbeattie.bsky.social
Opiner for Financial Times in London. Globalisation, econ, snark. RT≠👍. Views own. [email protected]. Sign up to my FT Trade Secrets newsletter https://subs.ft.com/spa3_tradesecrets?segmentId=357afa03-959c-93ed-0842-58e2115025d4.
Pinned
Alan Beattie
@alanbeattie.bsky.social
· Jan 7
OK, it's well past time to start a thread.
Welcome to Donald Trump's trade policy. Nobody. Knows. Anything.
1/n
Welcome to Donald Trump's trade policy. Nobody. Knows. Anything.
1/n
Reposted by Alan Beattie
You'll be telling me next that private schools have survived VAT?
Don't worry, every day brings new stories of how proposed taxes / regulations / whatever will destroy the entirety of life as we know it...
Don't worry, every day brings new stories of how proposed taxes / regulations / whatever will destroy the entirety of life as we know it...
Apparently dire predictions of how the Online Safety Act would impact the UK have proven totally overblown. Who could possibly have...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
From The Economist
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
From The Economist
Britain’s controversial experiment in regulating the internet
The effects of a new law have been less dramatic than critics warned
www.economist.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:26 AM
You'll be telling me next that private schools have survived VAT?
Don't worry, every day brings new stories of how proposed taxes / regulations / whatever will destroy the entirety of life as we know it...
Don't worry, every day brings new stories of how proposed taxes / regulations / whatever will destroy the entirety of life as we know it...
Reposted by Alan Beattie
As we all crawl through the Cloudflare slowdown, it is a powerful reminder that the international economy is not flat but built around key chokepoints. And those chokepoints are sites of vulnerability as well as opportunity.
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy [Farrell, Henry, Newman, Abraham] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
www.amazon.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:43 PM
As we all crawl through the Cloudflare slowdown, it is a powerful reminder that the international economy is not flat but built around key chokepoints. And those chokepoints are sites of vulnerability as well as opportunity.
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Today’s edition of wealthy criminals let out of prison by Trump only to commit more felonies and hurt more people. archive.ph/2025.11.14-1...
November 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Today’s edition of wealthy criminals let out of prison by Trump only to commit more felonies and hurt more people. archive.ph/2025.11.14-1...
Reposted by Alan Beattie
"inflation is a concept from the 50s [...] soooo dumb"
November 14, 2025 at 4:23 AM
"inflation is a concept from the 50s [...] soooo dumb"
“Look like you mean it. Look down at the ground and say sorry.”
November 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
“Look like you mean it. Look down at the ground and say sorry.”
My Trade Secrets column today. How’s the EU’s big push for geoeconomic clout going? Not well. It’s used to dictating terms through its global role in consumer demand, but these are days when the control of supply (chips, rare earths) often matters more. 1/2
Europe is falling short in its quest for global economic clout
[FREE TO READ] Brussels is struggling to adapt to a conflict-ridden world trading system
on.ft.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:20 PM
My Trade Secrets column today. How’s the EU’s big push for geoeconomic clout going? Not well. It’s used to dictating terms through its global role in consumer demand, but these are days when the control of supply (chips, rare earths) often matters more. 1/2
Reposted by Alan Beattie
This is what it looks like when the firewall is torn down for good. EPP, under the leadership of Manfred Weber, using the entire extreme and far right (including German AFD, French RN) for trashing sustainability and due diligence requirements for big business. The masks are off for good.
November 13, 2025 at 11:42 AM
This is what it looks like when the firewall is torn down for good. EPP, under the leadership of Manfred Weber, using the entire extreme and far right (including German AFD, French RN) for trashing sustainability and due diligence requirements for big business. The masks are off for good.
Reposted by Alan Beattie
and they want you to think that Epstein and Mandelson weren’t close friends for aeons
![From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Peter Mandelson
11/6/2016 8:36:05 PM
jeffrey E. [jeevacation@gmail.com]
Re:
Importance:
High
Of course, donald in WH. Will he get there?
Yes, without Andrew it would not have gone nuclear. Did you advise me to stay with R? Such a handful but loyal and never embarrassing.
From: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, 6 November 2016 at 20:32
To: Peter Mandelson 4
Subject: Re:
trump/ and having agreat deal of fun. in hindsight. you were right about staying away from andrew. I was right in your staying with rinaldo
On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 9:30 PM, Peter Mandelson 4
What's the donald white house? And how are you ?
wrote:
From: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, 6 November 2016 at 19:42
To: Peter Mandelson <
Subject: Re:](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vqka4tmwebdtqdtt63jbnx4v/bafkreihjywcfad6ek7u45x2g7n4wmi7ktodtorp4omnedm4zzzeaqoisbi@jpeg)
November 12, 2025 at 11:05 PM
and they want you to think that Epstein and Mandelson weren’t close friends for aeons
Reposted by Alan Beattie
I am on record as being a big Bluesky/AT Protocol supporter, and have even written short policy pieces talking up decentralized social networks, but if I can give them one piece of friendly advice it would be this: Hire some more people so you can do a better job with content moderation.
November 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I am on record as being a big Bluesky/AT Protocol supporter, and have even written short policy pieces talking up decentralized social networks, but if I can give them one piece of friendly advice it would be this: Hire some more people so you can do a better job with content moderation.
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Yeah whoever jacked up tariffs on coffee from Brazil earlier this year must be a real bonehead
November 12, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Yeah whoever jacked up tariffs on coffee from Brazil earlier this year must be a real bonehead
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Trump just claimed his tariffs have pulled in $2 trillion. Then literally hours later, he inflated that to $3 trillion. With this absurdity, he undermined his case for tariffs, revealing that he's just pulling numbers out of his ass.
On the pod we dig deep into this:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
On the pod we dig deep into this:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
Trump Wrecks His Own Case for Tariffs as Bizarre SCOTUS Rant Backfires
As Trump unleashes confused statements about the Supreme Court case on his tariffs, a trade expert explains how he accidentally undermined his argument for them—and why all this is trending toward a m...
newrepublic.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Trump just claimed his tariffs have pulled in $2 trillion. Then literally hours later, he inflated that to $3 trillion. With this absurdity, he undermined his case for tariffs, revealing that he's just pulling numbers out of his ass.
On the pod we dig deep into this:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
On the pod we dig deep into this:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
🎶🎶 Five Eyes, how did you close and fail?/How can the light that burned so brightly/Suddenly burn so pale?🎶🎶
"The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN." www.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
www.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
🎶🎶 Five Eyes, how did you close and fail?/How can the light that burned so brightly/Suddenly burn so pale?🎶🎶
Reposted by Alan Beattie
HELP ME settle a debate with @chadpbown.com
Which cover for “How to Win A Trade War” grabs you most? The blue one or the white one? And ARE YOU AMERICAN? (favourite the option that applies to you!)
Which cover for “How to Win A Trade War” grabs you most? The blue one or the white one? And ARE YOU AMERICAN? (favourite the option that applies to you!)
November 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM
HELP ME settle a debate with @chadpbown.com
Which cover for “How to Win A Trade War” grabs you most? The blue one or the white one? And ARE YOU AMERICAN? (favourite the option that applies to you!)
Which cover for “How to Win A Trade War” grabs you most? The blue one or the white one? And ARE YOU AMERICAN? (favourite the option that applies to you!)
Reposted by Alan Beattie
One amusing thing that just occurred to me in the whole Trump/BBC furore: because the Panorama documentary was first broadcast over a year ago, isn't he time-barred from bringing a defamation claim in English courts anyway?
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 PM
One amusing thing that just occurred to me in the whole Trump/BBC furore: because the Panorama documentary was first broadcast over a year ago, isn't he time-barred from bringing a defamation claim in English courts anyway?
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Trump: "Nobody knows what magnets are."
November 10, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Trump: "Nobody knows what magnets are."
“Unlikely”. Tremendous understatement, epic work.
November 10, 2025 at 8:38 PM
“Unlikely”. Tremendous understatement, epic work.
If I were an American I would save money by simply buying lottery tickets with winning numbers and not those with losing numbers.
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 PM
If I were an American I would save money by simply buying lottery tickets with winning numbers and not those with losing numbers.
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
Reposted by Alan Beattie
SOLICITOR GENERAL SAUER, last week: “.. They are not revenue-raising tariffs.” 🤡
November 10, 2025 at 3:51 PM
SOLICITOR GENERAL SAUER, last week: “.. They are not revenue-raising tariffs.” 🤡
Reposted by Alan Beattie
Michael Prescott's report makes vital points about the importance of being accurate, and also how difficult that is. For instance, he describes himself as having been Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years, which is not what the Guardian reported when he left the job.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Michael Prescott's report makes vital points about the importance of being accurate, and also how difficult that is. For instance, he describes himself as having been Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years, which is not what the Guardian reported when he left the job.
My Trade Secrets today. If the Supreme Court rules against Trump's emergency tariffs he can replace them. The real impact is political. Tariffs are already unpopular & blamed for high prices; being ruled illegal won't help.
But Trump needs them to raise revenue, so he's put himself in a corner.🍿🍿🍿
But Trump needs them to raise revenue, so he's put himself in a corner.🍿🍿🍿
The political risk to Donald Trump from the Supreme Court ruling
[FREE TO READ] The tariff case threatens his popularity far more than it does the US economy
on.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
My Trade Secrets today. If the Supreme Court rules against Trump's emergency tariffs he can replace them. The real impact is political. Tariffs are already unpopular & blamed for high prices; being ruled illegal won't help.
But Trump needs them to raise revenue, so he's put himself in a corner.🍿🍿🍿
But Trump needs them to raise revenue, so he's put himself in a corner.🍿🍿🍿
BRB, just going to source a deerstalker and a briar pipe and hang around in the background of Met police cordons.
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...
Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo
Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux has become an internet sensation after an Associated Press photo captured him outside the Louvre on the day of a crown jewels heist.
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
BRB, just going to source a deerstalker and a briar pipe and hang around in the background of Met police cordons.
1. Clampdown on benefit cheats!
2. Clampdown on benefit cheats doesn’t work.
3. Blitz on red tape!
4. Blitz on red tape doesn’t work.
5. Go to 1.
Currently we’re between 3 and 4. I’m confident we’ll be back at 1 by Christmas.
2. Clampdown on benefit cheats doesn’t work.
3. Blitz on red tape!
4. Blitz on red tape doesn’t work.
5. Go to 1.
Currently we’re between 3 and 4. I’m confident we’ll be back at 1 by Christmas.
November 9, 2025 at 12:24 PM
1. Clampdown on benefit cheats!
2. Clampdown on benefit cheats doesn’t work.
3. Blitz on red tape!
4. Blitz on red tape doesn’t work.
5. Go to 1.
Currently we’re between 3 and 4. I’m confident we’ll be back at 1 by Christmas.
2. Clampdown on benefit cheats doesn’t work.
3. Blitz on red tape!
4. Blitz on red tape doesn’t work.
5. Go to 1.
Currently we’re between 3 and 4. I’m confident we’ll be back at 1 by Christmas.