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Chaminda Jayanetti

@cjayanetti.bsky.social

39K followers 1.6K following 12K posts

Freelance journalist covering British politics and public services - NHS, education, care, housing, disability, benefits. Not a tribalist. I like good things and I don't like bad things.

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 8d

Labour MPs who voted against welfare cuts this summer have warned that plans to change disability benefit assessments could trigger another mass rebellion

Others called for a vote to be delayed until a review into the assessments is complete

By me, for Big Issue: www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Labour faces another mass rebellion over reforms to universal credit

Welfare secretary Pat McFadden plans further reforms to the benefits system, expected to include abolishing the work capability assessment.

www.bigissue.com

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Reposted by Chaminda Jayanetti

Jo @pingiarcher.bsky.social · 2h

www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...

Diane Keaton, Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall and The Godfather, dies aged 79

The legendary actor best known for her many collaborations with Woody Allen, as well as films including Reds, The First Wives Club and Book Club, has died

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Chaminda Jayanetti

Mohamed A. El-Erian @elerianm.bsky.social · 2h

From the FT:
“UK consumers have curbed spending more than anywhere else in the G7 since the pandemic…
Since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020, UK household spending has risen just 1 per cent in real terms and fallen 3 per cent on a per capita basis.”
#economy #uk @financialtimes.com

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Reposted by Chaminda Jayanetti

Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 10h

something quite brain-melting about the hard right's position apparently now being "we hate all Muslims and distrust Muslim states, aside from that one Muslim place that still has slavery because that sounds fun"

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 6h

come on, it's *much* more convenient, which is why it's popular. the trouble is it offers convenience without having (or seemingly having) to pay much for that consumer benefit, with workers paying the price

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 6h

so both the editors and the contributors are all just thoroughly saturated in the radicalism and extremism on the right.

tldr: there's no such thing as the "centre right" in 2025

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 6h

I think back when Damian Thompson ran it they chased clicks from mad right-wingers - often Americans - under the veil of "debate", but though Damian was firmly right wing he wasn't actually batshit

Whereas their comment editors these days - Tom Welsh, Annabel Denham, Poppy Coburn etc - are deranged

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

speaking of cheaper places...

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

given Labour's likely reliance on tactical voting next time out, it's not what I'd call a thing of beauty

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 1d

Well, this is fun.

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

house prices aren't really benchmarked to rental value, whereas I think in non-prime areas commercial property is often priced around ten times annual gross rental value

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

yeah, rent yields are lower in London because house prices are so high and investment in housing is partly driven by hope of house price growth. I think 10% yields would be in cheaper places like Hartlepool.

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

oh I don't dispute that, it's why I think an LVT would be a disastrous idea for the foreseeable future

Reposted by Chaminda Jayanetti

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 1d

If we can’t even talk in general terms about MPs’ workload- which MPs of all parties agree is v casework- heavy and getting heavier- without a lot of responses being to assume that MPs are not telling the truth/just whinging/ working on the wrong things etc- then I think we’re in a bad place

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

it's also remarkable to me how people on here always talk like the government hasn't announced a major increase in funding for social housebuilding

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

obviously yes but that's going to take years and years and years

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

if landlords face £x more in tax and they raise rents by £x, it's not a mystery

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Reposted by Chaminda Jayanetti

Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · 1d

ICO orders DWP to

"disclose the list of all AI tools DWP plans to place on the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards Hub"

I.e. publish details of all the AI they are using unless there is a valid reason to keep it secret

h/t @rightsnet.org.uk

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

ico.org.uk

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

oh he wasn't saying anything to me, I waded in after he'd muted it

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

tbf a thousand pages long is staying true to Rowling's vision

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

like I get why people outside Westminster are confused by the green thing - I was when it first did the rounds on here - but to just brazenly double down to people who know what they're talking about is absolute white male boomer

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

the rinse-repeat combination of irrepressible arrogance and unerring error

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

easy game of "spot the boomer" here

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

bet good money they're not performing their NED roles properly

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

is that temporary accommodation?

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

but that's the thing - it's different if the new cost is affecting all landlords in a high-demand area (e.g. the whole of London), because they'll all (or nearly all) act by hiking rents

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 1d

correct