Ewan McGaughey | Lightnews

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 4h

Hi Apache - on Mac it's impossible to open OpenOffice 4.1.16, because the security settings stop it.

""OpenOffice" was blocked to protect your Mac." - this is the message. And when you click "open anyway", nothing happens.

Can you fix this? Is it necessary to put it in the Apple App Store?

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 21h

Budget 2025.

The wealthy hardly hit.

Minor tweaks on dividend and mansion tax.
No wealth tax.
No alignment of taxes on dividends & capital gains tax with taxation of wages.
Partnerships won't pay NIC on partners' share of profits
No financial transactions tax.

Lobbying and political donations pay

Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 22h

With the six-year threshold freeze being extended by another three years, 78% of the 2010s’ real personal allowance increases will be reversed over the 2020s.

But it will still be £1,350 higher in real terms in 2030 than in 2010.

Tessa Khan @tessakhan.bsky.social · 22h

Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵

New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 22h

A decade of national renewal? Not exactly.

The chancellor's public investment plans don't come close to our historic investment levels.

Underinvestment has left us with sewage in our rivers, constant railway disruptions, crumbling schools and a shortage of hospital beds.

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 23h

It's what any democracy with a functioning judiciary would do.

Ben Chu @benchu.bsky.social · 1d

OBR: "We have not changed our assessment that Brexit will reduce the level of UK productivity by around 4 per cent after 15 years."

obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

obr.uk

Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 1d

Even after the mansion tax is applied, the owner of a £5m home in Westminster will pay proportionately less in property tax than the owner of a £210k Band B property in Sunderland.

Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 1d

In all the years I've been campaigning, this is the first where I've feared retaliation - but even X is not above the law. That's why we've referred X to Ofcom for horrific posts that, having taken legal advice, we believe are illegal under the Online Safety Act. goodlaw.social/wk2q

X is not above the law

goodlaw.social

Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 1d

Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...

www.bloomberg.com

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 1d

'If a Chancellor were to extend a freeze on tax thresholds, that would increase taxes on working people, wouldn't it?'
Susanna Reid @goodmorningbritain.bsky.social

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 2d

The most annoying aspect is the BBC defending itself with "legal advice". What is this nonsense legal advice that suggests @rutgerbregman.com doesn't have a right to freedom of expression - protected in common law and human rights alike - or that the BBC could in any way be violating the law?

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 2d

Here's a brief paper, first drafted in 2015, on the deeper issue, which is that Trump is merely a product of a US political system corrupted by money, and mandated by a packed, extremist US Supreme Court under the guise of "free speech". The irony couldn't be greater papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Fascism-Lite in America (or the Social Ideal of Donald Trump)

What explains the election for the 45th President of the United States? Many commentators have said that Trump is a fascist. This builds on grave concern, since

papers.ssrn.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 2d

This is worse than Panorama's drama because:

(1) Trump is “the most openly corrupt president in American history” - beyond Nixon or Harding

(2) Trump did incite the January 6th riot. Any country with a functioning legal system would've jailed him, like Bolsonaro
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Reith lecturer accuses BBC of censoring his remarks on Trump

Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed

www.theguardian.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'Kendall told a UKRI event on 24 November that nearly a fifth of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s budget will be earmarked for research aligned with Labour’s missions, with £8 billion of UKRI’s £38.6 billion budget over the next five years “targeted towards the UK’s national priorities”.' 1/3

Kendall: Haldane not breached by research spending direction

Science secretary defends decision to dedicate nearly a fifth of UKRI budget to policy priorities

www.timeshighereducation.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 8d

Lords say employment rights will create unemployment, but the actual evidence shows an absence of rights kills jobs.

If useless bosses can fire people without reason, that’s what damages the economy. It’s hereditary peers that need the boot.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘Out of touch’ hereditary peers criticised for voting against workers’ rights

Lords look ‘undemocratic and firmly against interest of working people’, say senior trade union and Labour figures

www.theguardian.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 9d

New rule: taxes should be fair, so the rich pay more than the poor, capital pays more than labour, and we tax unearned wealth more than jobs.

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 10d

‘It’s Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media’ Says Leader of the UK’s Trade Union Movement

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/14/i...

'It's Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media' Says Leader of the UK's Trade Union Movement

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC

bylinetimes.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12d

'After vigorous and partially successful attempts to save modern languages degrees at Cardiff...and the University of Aberdeen in the past two years, linguists are now called upon to point out the equally obvious folly of cutting modern languages at the universities of Nottingham and Leicester.' 1/3

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas

Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists

www.timeshighereducation.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 16d

🚨Fantastic news: the EU Adequate Wage Directive is (mostly) valid!

Every member state must have an action plan to get 80% + collective bargaining coverage. Plans expected by the end of 2025.

The UK has something like 25% to 40% cover (the official staticians don't know!). Britain needs a plan too.

The Fake History Hunter @fakehistoryhunter.net · 18d

Fascinating stuff.
A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire, this study claims to have identified thousands more miles of Roman roads than were previously known.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire - Scientific Data

Scientific Data - Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire

www.nature.com

Oli Frost @olifro.st · 20d

You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires?

This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.

Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.

They’re for everyone.

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 21d

Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative

electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...

Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity

Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.

electrek.co

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 22d

As Mamdani wins NYC by a landslide, we must ask, why is democratic socialism so successful - indeed across all wealthy democracies?

My talk unpacks the theories of capitalism's failures, and DS's 3 main goals: common ownership, economic democracy, and fair taxes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSZ9...

'Democratic socialism and the law', Inaugural Lecture by Prof Ewan McGaughey (15 October 2025)

YouTube video by Ewan McGaughey

www.youtube.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 22d

“That’s right - HS2 have been forced to build a two-lane, state-of-the-art, multi-million pound road bridge to join what is essentially an overgrown footpath to a sort of bridleway with delusions of grandeur.”

Wow: martinrobbins.substack.com/p/how-hs2-bu...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPF...

How HS2 built a bridge to nowhere

YouTube video by The Value of Nothing

m.youtube.com

Alysia Blackham @alysiablackham.bsky.social · 29d

This is great to see, but should apply to all grounds of discrimination - not just sexual harassment. Regulating just one area is going to create a mess.

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · Oct 28

Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria

Exclusive: If passed, laws would ban non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by an employee * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A long-awaited bill to curb the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases will be introduced to Victorian parliament, in an Australian-first move the government says will prevent victim-survivors from being silenced. The premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer and industrial relations minister, Jaclyn Symes, will announce the introduction of the bill to parliament on Wednesday, which if passed would ban NDAs in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by the employee. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · Oct 28

Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria

Exclusive: If passed, laws would ban non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by an employee * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A long-awaited bill to curb the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases will be introduced to Victorian parliament, in an Australian-first move the government says will prevent victim-survivors from being silenced. The premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer and industrial relations minister, Jaclyn Symes, will announce the introduction of the bill to parliament on Wednesday, which if passed would ban NDAs in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by the employee. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Oct 27

“Democratic socialism and the law” was my inaugural lecture - now on YouTube, with slides!👇🏽

Are democracy and socialism compatible? And what is its relation to the law? It runs through basic critiques of capitalism + sets out 3 main goals of democratic socialism today.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=WSZ9...

'Democratic socialism and the law', Inaugural Lecture by Prof Ewan McGaughey (15 October 2025)

YouTube video by Ewan McGaughey

m.youtube.com

Uta Staiger @ukstaiger.bsky.social · Oct 18

Kudos to the Guardian for reporting on research published in the European Journal of Political Research. Also: how many more studies on this do we need before centrist parties begin to rethink their strategies?

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas, study finds

Normalisation of far-right stances likely to affect success of such parties at ballot boxes across Europe, say researchers

www.theguardian.com

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