Ben Williams
@bpwilliams72.bsky.social
Liberal sort. Rambler. Singer. Gamer. Occasional writer. Recovering politico. Former lots of things (inc. Lib Dem Leader's Chief of Staff, Cabinet Office SpAd, Head of Whips' Office). Yorkshire via Essex. Posting in a strictly personal capacity.
Reposted by Ben Williams
A totally preposterous person.
November 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM
A totally preposterous person.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Today we’ll get latest net immigration figures - They’ll show immigration for work is plummeting.
Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth?
For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today
Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth?
For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today
November 27, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Today we’ll get latest net immigration figures - They’ll show immigration for work is plummeting.
Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth?
For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today
Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth?
For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today
Reposted by Ben Williams
Looking forward to the 2029 general election campaign, when the incumbent government will run on "Public services haven't improved, those tax rises we announced years ago just kicked in, and now we have to increase immigration because it went too low and we are skint again."
The government figuring this out slowly over the coming two years is going to be quite something to behold.
I think the government meant to cut net migration but have accidentally overshot the target by a lot. They haven’t realised this yet.
November 27, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Looking forward to the 2029 general election campaign, when the incumbent government will run on "Public services haven't improved, those tax rises we announced years ago just kicked in, and now we have to increase immigration because it went too low and we are skint again."
Reposted by Ben Williams
Funny to think a year ago, most Tory MPs thought Starmer had a clever but cynical plan to bank the changes Sunak made on immigration and declare victory, rather than to keep holing himself under the waterline.
PM describes net migration of 205k as "a step in the right direction". His govt has no public position on a sustainable level of immigration is, nor any known process to decide what, why & how. Starmer is now implying he wants it significantly lower
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
Net migration drop ‘step in the right direction’ – Starmer
Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 but has fallen sharply since then.
www.standard.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Funny to think a year ago, most Tory MPs thought Starmer had a clever but cynical plan to bank the changes Sunak made on immigration and declare victory, rather than to keep holing himself under the waterline.
Reposted by Ben Williams
😡🧑🧑🧒🧒 Russia plans to move 400 Ukrainian children from Zaporizhzhia to the Yaroslavl region under the guise of “rest”, — Center of National Resistance
This conceals a systematic removal of children. Parents have no influence over the process, and international organizations have no access to it.
This conceals a systematic removal of children. Parents have no influence over the process, and international organizations have no access to it.
November 27, 2025 at 10:05 PM
😡🧑🧑🧒🧒 Russia plans to move 400 Ukrainian children from Zaporizhzhia to the Yaroslavl region under the guise of “rest”, — Center of National Resistance
This conceals a systematic removal of children. Parents have no influence over the process, and international organizations have no access to it.
This conceals a systematic removal of children. Parents have no influence over the process, and international organizations have no access to it.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Reposted by Ben Williams
❗️ As long as Zelenskyy is President, no one should count on us giving up territory – The Atlantic citing the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Yermak.
November 27, 2025 at 9:57 PM
❗️ As long as Zelenskyy is President, no one should count on us giving up territory – The Atlantic citing the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Yermak.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Fascinating that the cash ISA limit is the most unpopular item in the budget. I would have thought it would be unpopular but not more so than e.g. freezing tax thresholds.
November 27, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Fascinating that the cash ISA limit is the most unpopular item in the budget. I would have thought it would be unpopular but not more so than e.g. freezing tax thresholds.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Abysmal, mindless, utterly zombified. You can't even call it policymaking because that implies a degree of thought which simply isn't present. Pretty soon they might actually hit Cameron's 'tens of thousands' target and then they'll shit themselves with horror at the consequences.
PM describes net migration of 205k as "a step in the right direction". His govt has no public position on a sustainable level of immigration is, nor any known process to decide what, why & how. Starmer is now implying he wants it significantly lower
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
Net migration drop ‘step in the right direction’ – Starmer
Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 but has fallen sharply since then.
www.standard.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Abysmal, mindless, utterly zombified. You can't even call it policymaking because that implies a degree of thought which simply isn't present. Pretty soon they might actually hit Cameron's 'tens of thousands' target and then they'll shit themselves with horror at the consequences.
Reposted by Ben Williams
If as Home Secretary you are looking at the significant reduction in people choosing to live and work in the UK and deciding it's a good idea to "go further" you've conclusively shown you aren't basing your policies on anything resembling reality. The repercussions would be devastating for everyone.
Labour immigration policy explained:
✅ Net immigration rising: CRACKDOWN REQUIRED
✅ Net immigration plummeting: CRACKDOWN REQUIRED
✅ Net immigration rising: CRACKDOWN REQUIRED
✅ Net immigration plummeting: CRACKDOWN REQUIRED
November 27, 2025 at 8:47 PM
If as Home Secretary you are looking at the significant reduction in people choosing to live and work in the UK and deciding it's a good idea to "go further" you've conclusively shown you aren't basing your policies on anything resembling reality. The repercussions would be devastating for everyone.
Reposted by Ben Williams
This is the first Thanksgiving for Sophie & Colin Hortman without their parents, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman who were assassinated along with the family dog in an act of political murder. National guards troops were not deployed to the state in response.
November 27, 2025 at 5:24 PM
This is the first Thanksgiving for Sophie & Colin Hortman without their parents, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman who were assassinated along with the family dog in an act of political murder. National guards troops were not deployed to the state in response.
Reposted by Ben Williams
No, I love this, the mismatch between 'how the fuck up happened'* and 'the experience of the person they've got to investigate it', it's like if a secondary school hired Arsene Wenger to be a PE teacher.
*They hit 'upload' when they really shouldn't, 9/10.
*They hit 'upload' when they really shouldn't, 9/10.
OBR calls in cyber expert over botched release of Budget analysis
OBR calls in cyber expert over botched release of Budget analysis
Rachel Reeves's statement was thrown into chaos after journalists were able to access the document early.
www.bbc.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:46 AM
No, I love this, the mismatch between 'how the fuck up happened'* and 'the experience of the person they've got to investigate it', it's like if a secondary school hired Arsene Wenger to be a PE teacher.
*They hit 'upload' when they really shouldn't, 9/10.
*They hit 'upload' when they really shouldn't, 9/10.
Reposted by Ben Williams
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
- 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'.
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn
What gets more attention?
James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.
November 27, 2025 at 11:29 AM
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
Reposted by Ben Williams
The black hole in Durham County Council’s budget has grown by £11.1mn in the past two months under the control of Reform UK.
Its cabinet has been forced to approve a £10mn list of cuts.
Its cabinet has been forced to approve a £10mn list of cuts.
Reform cabinet backs £10mn cuts to start filling Durham’s growing black hole
Reform is now learning that running a big council is not as easy as it probably thought
northeastbylines.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:16 AM
The black hole in Durham County Council’s budget has grown by £11.1mn in the past two months under the control of Reform UK.
Its cabinet has been forced to approve a £10mn list of cuts.
Its cabinet has been forced to approve a £10mn list of cuts.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times's Katie Rogers ugly
November 26, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times's Katie Rogers ugly
Reposted by Ben Williams
Honestly, I am only surprised this hasn't happened sooner.
The one in one out scheme is a fundamentally inhumane policy which has already been seen to rely on disregarding even the most basic of safeguarding principles or recognition of people's asylum needs.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
The one in one out scheme is a fundamentally inhumane policy which has already been seen to rely on disregarding even the most basic of safeguarding principles or recognition of people's asylum needs.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
November 26, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Honestly, I am only surprised this hasn't happened sooner.
The one in one out scheme is a fundamentally inhumane policy which has already been seen to rely on disregarding even the most basic of safeguarding principles or recognition of people's asylum needs.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
The one in one out scheme is a fundamentally inhumane policy which has already been seen to rely on disregarding even the most basic of safeguarding principles or recognition of people's asylum needs.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Ben Williams
Change in Reform rating between latest and previous poll from each pollster in recent polls:
YouGov -2
Opinium -1
Find Out Now -1
Focaldata -2
More in Common -1
Lord Ashcroft -3
Freshwater -3
JL Partners -1
Ipsos -1
This is starting to look like a trend...
YouGov -2
Opinium -1
Find Out Now -1
Focaldata -2
More in Common -1
Lord Ashcroft -3
Freshwater -3
JL Partners -1
Ipsos -1
This is starting to look like a trend...
November 25, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Change in Reform rating between latest and previous poll from each pollster in recent polls:
YouGov -2
Opinium -1
Find Out Now -1
Focaldata -2
More in Common -1
Lord Ashcroft -3
Freshwater -3
JL Partners -1
Ipsos -1
This is starting to look like a trend...
YouGov -2
Opinium -1
Find Out Now -1
Focaldata -2
More in Common -1
Lord Ashcroft -3
Freshwater -3
JL Partners -1
Ipsos -1
This is starting to look like a trend...
Reposted by Ben Williams
In other news, the Pope is in fact Catholic.
OBR says lower net migration will hurt overall productivity
November 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
In other news, the Pope is in fact Catholic.
Reposted by Ben Williams
Also who cares why they did it? What matters is it's done. (In any case reducing poverty is one reason people vote for Labour MPs so mollifying is kind of the point of elected them).
I'm hearing criticisms of the end to the two child limit, because it was done just to mollify Labour backbenchers, at a cost of £billions.
I remember another govt delivering a referendum on EU membership, just to mollify restive backbenchers. That's costing way, way more... A little perspective?
I remember another govt delivering a referendum on EU membership, just to mollify restive backbenchers. That's costing way, way more... A little perspective?
November 26, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Also who cares why they did it? What matters is it's done. (In any case reducing poverty is one reason people vote for Labour MPs so mollifying is kind of the point of elected them).
Reposted by Ben Williams
The founder of an investment company who bought an £8.5 million London flat after supplying 50 million faulty PPE masks during the pandemic has had a criminal restraint order imposed on the property.
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
Financier’s £8.5m flat frozen amid tax investigation over PPE deal
Tim Horlick bought the Pimlico property shortly after his company was awarded the now-contentious £255m contract by the government
www.thetimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The founder of an investment company who bought an £8.5 million London flat after supplying 50 million faulty PPE masks during the pandemic has had a criminal restraint order imposed on the property.
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
Reposted by Ben Williams
Yes, playgrounds are good. But "up to 200 playgrounds" across a country of 60 million? That's a grain of salt in the Pacific Ocean. And presumably there will be some joyous 200 page application for every council who want to compete in the Playground Hunger Games to fill in...
Playgrounds are good, small things that matter for children and their families. Cross-generational 'social' infrastructure.
November 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Yes, playgrounds are good. But "up to 200 playgrounds" across a country of 60 million? That's a grain of salt in the Pacific Ocean. And presumably there will be some joyous 200 page application for every council who want to compete in the Playground Hunger Games to fill in...
Reposted by Ben Williams
"This was a relatively modest and uneventful budget, and yet it’s dominated the headlines for three months … In policy terms, and on the substance, Labour has just about got itself a passing grade with this budget. The way it’s been sold to the public is a catastrophic failure."
The Budget: Rachel Reeves’s missed opportunity
A government doesn’t get many chances to make real change. Today was one of those opportunities - the chancellor missed it
www.thenewworld.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
"This was a relatively modest and uneventful budget, and yet it’s dominated the headlines for three months … In policy terms, and on the substance, Labour has just about got itself a passing grade with this budget. The way it’s been sold to the public is a catastrophic failure."
Reposted by Ben Williams
‘In policy terms, and on the substance, Labour has just about got itself a passing grade with this budget. The way it’s been sold to the public is a catastrophic failure.’
This feels like a very apt description of the entire Labour government since July 2024
This feels like a very apt description of the entire Labour government since July 2024
"This was a relatively modest and uneventful budget, and yet it’s dominated the headlines for three months … In policy terms, and on the substance, Labour has just about got itself a passing grade with this budget. The way it’s been sold to the public is a catastrophic failure."
The Budget: Rachel Reeves’s missed opportunity
A government doesn’t get many chances to make real change. Today was one of those opportunities - the chancellor missed it
www.thenewworld.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
‘In policy terms, and on the substance, Labour has just about got itself a passing grade with this budget. The way it’s been sold to the public is a catastrophic failure.’
This feels like a very apt description of the entire Labour government since July 2024
This feels like a very apt description of the entire Labour government since July 2024
Reposted by Ben Williams
Reposted by Ben Williams
Russians are literally writing US foreign policy, they have more power projection in DC than in Kyiv LMAO
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Russians are literally writing US foreign policy, they have more power projection in DC than in Kyiv LMAO