Callum Collins
@callumcollins.bsky.social
Now retired from politics and PR, and a bit restless. Trying to be the UK’s fastest pensioner over 400m, and now finally running it in fewer seconds than years of age.
Reposted by Callum Collins
🚨 "By the start of 2025, the UK economy was approximately 8% smaller than it would have been without Brexit."
"The UK’s performance began to slip against its international peers - growth lagged and living standards stagnated."
https://bit.ly/4pnS5Ms
"The UK’s performance began to slip against its international peers - growth lagged and living standards stagnated."
https://bit.ly/4pnS5Ms
A decade of Brexit: Britain falls behind peers in trade and growth
Economic analysis shows UK GDP per capita grew up to 10% less than similar nations as firms froze spending and productivity slipped.
www.euronews.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
🚨 "By the start of 2025, the UK economy was approximately 8% smaller than it would have been without Brexit."
"The UK’s performance began to slip against its international peers - growth lagged and living standards stagnated."
https://bit.ly/4pnS5Ms
"The UK’s performance began to slip against its international peers - growth lagged and living standards stagnated."
https://bit.ly/4pnS5Ms
Reposted by Callum Collins
Reeves promised £150 a year off energy bills from April by moving some green costs from bills to tax which is fairer. Now Miliband has asked/told energy suppliers to ensure it is given to all customers including those with fixed rates. See paras 3/4 of published letter
December 2, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Reeves promised £150 a year off energy bills from April by moving some green costs from bills to tax which is fairer. Now Miliband has asked/told energy suppliers to ensure it is given to all customers including those with fixed rates. See paras 3/4 of published letter
Alternative headline: The UK expected to be the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 this year www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK faces 'headwind' from tax and spending moves, OECD says
Growth in the UK economy is expected to slow next year, an influential global policy group predicts.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Alternative headline: The UK expected to be the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 this year www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Utter nonsense of a headline in the Telegraph, regurgitated several times by other news media.
November 28, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Utter nonsense of a headline in the Telegraph, regurgitated several times by other news media.
Reposted by Callum Collins
🚨🚨 New report!
Brexit has cost our economy 6 to 8% of GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
Brexit has cost our economy 6 to 8% of GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
In Budget week, I am afraid we have to talk about Brexit.
A new report from economists at the BoE, Kings College and others puts the hit to our economy at 6 to 8% of of UK GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
That's why we have to go further and faster on the UK/EU reset.
A new report from economists at the BoE, Kings College and others puts the hit to our economy at 6 to 8% of of UK GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
That's why we have to go further and faster on the UK/EU reset.
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM
🚨🚨 New report!
Brexit has cost our economy 6 to 8% of GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
Brexit has cost our economy 6 to 8% of GDP.
That equates to circa £66billion in lost tax revenue.
Oh god. Imagine sitting in a police interview squeaking ‘No comment’ as if you’re in a clichéd TV drama. #NathanGill.
November 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Oh god. Imagine sitting in a police interview squeaking ‘No comment’ as if you’re in a clichéd TV drama. #NathanGill.
This made me laugh. Partly because of the awful AI images; but mainly because, yep, we did all this. youtu.be/KPpV1SXxVFw?...
10 Things 70s British Kids Do That Wouldn't Be Allowed Today"
YouTube video by 1900s UK
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 1:23 PM
This made me laugh. Partly because of the awful AI images; but mainly because, yep, we did all this. youtu.be/KPpV1SXxVFw?...
And more, on the evening news. ‘Appears’, ‘apparently’ and ‘it seems’ doing a lot of heavy lifting in the first story.
According to #bbcnews, the government has made a ‘U-turn’ on a decision they…er…never made in the first place.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
November 14, 2025 at 6:05 PM
And more, on the evening news. ‘Appears’, ‘apparently’ and ‘it seems’ doing a lot of heavy lifting in the first story.
According to #bbcnews, the government has made a ‘U-turn’ on a decision they…er…never made in the first place.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
November 14, 2025 at 1:01 PM
According to #bbcnews, the government has made a ‘U-turn’ on a decision they…er…never made in the first place.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
I’ve never known such relentless nonsense, for weeks now, ahead of any budget. Ever. Or at least in my living memory - since the 1970s.
Reposted by Callum Collins
NEW - we've data showing huge numbers of people reducing their income to avoid high marginal income tax rates. Not just at the £100k point (as previously reported). But at the £50k point:
November 14, 2025 at 12:47 PM
NEW - we've data showing huge numbers of people reducing their income to avoid high marginal income tax rates. Not just at the £100k point (as previously reported). But at the £50k point:
The 2025 Norwegian black comedy/horror film The Ugly Stepsister (on Shudder) is so much better than I expected. One moment I was marvelling at the cinematography; the next I was hiding my eyes behind a cushion.
November 13, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The 2025 Norwegian black comedy/horror film The Ugly Stepsister (on Shudder) is so much better than I expected. One moment I was marvelling at the cinematography; the next I was hiding my eyes behind a cushion.
Reposted by Callum Collins
As you might imagine, this is very good. It is also very funny.
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
emptycity.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:09 PM
As you might imagine, this is very good. It is also very funny.
Reposted by Callum Collins
Reposted by Callum Collins
A big win for people more outraged by a silly edit at the BBC than by a man impeached by Congress for literally inciting an insurrection being back in the White House. Pathetic.
🔴 Breaking I Davie faced mounting criticism that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by Donald Trump
➡️ Read more: trib.al/I0iw7aP
➡️ Read more: trib.al/I0iw7aP
November 9, 2025 at 7:39 PM
A big win for people more outraged by a silly edit at the BBC than by a man impeached by Congress for literally inciting an insurrection being back in the White House. Pathetic.
Reposted by Callum Collins
Just absolutely classic BBC. You've just broadcast the most successful programme of the year, uniting Gen Z kids online and Boomers on broadcast in a return to appointment television. And instead of celebrating, your DG reigns due to a made-up right-wing scandal.
November 9, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Just absolutely classic BBC. You've just broadcast the most successful programme of the year, uniting Gen Z kids online and Boomers on broadcast in a return to appointment television. And instead of celebrating, your DG reigns due to a made-up right-wing scandal.
Reposted by Callum Collins
No boat crossings at all in the last 7 days.
The BBC hasn’t sent this to our phones as breaking news.
The BBC hasn’t sent this to our phones as breaking news.
November 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
No boat crossings at all in the last 7 days.
The BBC hasn’t sent this to our phones as breaking news.
The BBC hasn’t sent this to our phones as breaking news.
Reposted by Callum Collins
A magnificent piece of work. Comprehesive, revelatory & shocking. Journalism this good is always rare & precious but never moreso than at times like this. Latter day Lord Haw Haws being plumped, preened & delivered to your doorstep in plain sight by a Nazi-saluting goon
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
A magnificent piece of work. Comprehesive, revelatory & shocking. Journalism this good is always rare & precious but never moreso than at times like this. Latter day Lord Haw Haws being plumped, preened & delivered to your doorstep in plain sight by a Nazi-saluting goon
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Callum Collins
Company linked to Michelle Mone owes £39m in unpaid taxes
Company linked to Michelle Mone owes £39m in unpaid taxes
PPE Medpro breached 2020 contract to health department to supply sterile surgical gowns
The firm linked to former Conservative peer Michelle Mone, which was found last month to have supplied unusable personal protective equipment during the pandemic, owes £39m in unpaid taxes, according to company documents.
PPE Medpro – owned by Mone’s husband, the Isle of Man-based businessman Doug Barrowman – was put into administration on 30 September, the day before the high court judgment was made public. Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled that the company had breached its contract with the Department of Health and Social Care, awarded in June 2020, to supply 25m sterile surgical gowns, and must repay the full £122m it received. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Company linked to Michelle Mone owes £39m in unpaid taxes
Reposted by Callum Collins
There were 115 prisoners mistakenly released in the final year of the last Conservative Government alone.
Interesting that it only becomes a major scandal under a Labour government.
Interesting that it only becomes a major scandal under a Labour government.
November 5, 2025 at 8:05 PM
There were 115 prisoners mistakenly released in the final year of the last Conservative Government alone.
Interesting that it only becomes a major scandal under a Labour government.
Interesting that it only becomes a major scandal under a Labour government.
Today I bought a big pineapple for 85p. That’s picked, processed, imported, transported and marked up - all for 85p.
And my local cafe is now charging £3.95 for a croissant.
It’s odd.
And my local cafe is now charging £3.95 for a croissant.
It’s odd.
November 5, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Today I bought a big pineapple for 85p. That’s picked, processed, imported, transported and marked up - all for 85p.
And my local cafe is now charging £3.95 for a croissant.
It’s odd.
And my local cafe is now charging £3.95 for a croissant.
It’s odd.
Reposted by Callum Collins
Yesterday in Blackpool I saw this sequence of images flash up on an advertising screen on the pier, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so depressed
November 1, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Yesterday in Blackpool I saw this sequence of images flash up on an advertising screen on the pier, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so depressed
Reposted by Callum Collins
Just a thought tonight.
Thousands of train services now run without guard.
The reason, money saved for privately run train companies.
Thousands of train services now run without guard.
The reason, money saved for privately run train companies.
November 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Just a thought tonight.
Thousands of train services now run without guard.
The reason, money saved for privately run train companies.
Thousands of train services now run without guard.
The reason, money saved for privately run train companies.
This review is hilarious.
Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter review – Tom Daley is a twinkling, passionate joy of a presenter
Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter review – Tom Daley is a twinkling, passionate joy of a presenter
The ex-diver is so fantastic that this needle-based Bake Off wannabe is 80% better every time he’s on screen. He absolutely makes this show
www.theguardian.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This review is hilarious.