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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 20h

Share of wealth owned by the top decile?

Reposted by John Springford

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 21h

Conservative tech lord Thiel said tighter financial regulations “were a sign that a singular world government has begun to emerge that could be taken over by an Antichrist figure who could then use it to exert control over people.” Via WashPost

Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction

In leaked recordings of private lectures by tech billionaire Peter Thiel he argued that “the Antichrist” is likely to take the form of a critic of technology.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by John Springford

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 22h

All my comics have happy endings!

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Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 1d

By me this week - the happiest thing I've got to report of late, with a glorious trip over the summer to Montreal

"Forget EVs. Cycling is revolutionising transport."

www.economist.com/internationa...

Forget EVs. Cycling is revolutionising transport

Pedal power is booming, spinning up a new culture war

www.economist.com

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 1d

I saw a video that made me laugh once.

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 1d

How would a Reform or Conservative government use its powers if Britain withdrew from the ECHR? How would the EU, Ireland, Sinn Fein and so on react? Lawyers have their views, I have mine, I don't think theirs are more informed.

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 1d

Again, the risks here are political, both domestically and internationally. Lawyers - especially politically motivated ones - aren't fonts of authority on that.

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 2d

A pure example of BBC balance. On the one side, on the other, all the way through. This leaves a really superficial account of what's at issue with leaving the ECHR and accepts, doe-eyed, that Policy Exchange had a "really detailed proposal" on the GFA, not a hot mess:

share.google/qGXg9rHZYfPL...

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Dan Davies @dsquareddigest.bsky.social · 2d

Perhaps not the main point but I always hate it when people view it as a sign of failure when poorer countries grow faster. There is absolutely no intrinsic reason why Poland should have lower income than the UK or any other EU country forever, and that means it will have to grow faster sometimes

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d

"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.

Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?

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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 3d

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d

She's right about Pratchett's brilliance (if patchy, and she hasn't absorbed much of his humane worldview). Start with Guards! Guards! or Witches Abroad

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Reposted by John Springford

Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 3d

I've responded to Robert Jenrick's vile comments in @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...

I sang Jerusalem with Robert Jenrick at school — he’s wrong about race

The Conservative MP has complained that, visiting Handsworth in Birmingham, he didn’t see ‘another white face’. You can’t judge whether someone is integrated by skin colour, argues fellow Wulfrunian S...

www.thetimes.com

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Dom White @domw.bsky.social · 3d

"We want people to be living in mixed communities, don't we?"

Robert Jenrick's home is in Eye, Herefordshire, where 165 out of 166 residents were white at the time of the last census.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 3d

Wow. Robert Jenrick doubles down by branding a black journalist's questions "ridiculous" and saying that the problem is not his comments, but "journalists like you who pop up and try to knock me down", adding that "this is the reason why terrorist attacks happen". ~AA

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d

The obvious point here, which doesn't seem to have occurred to Jenrick, is that there has been a long history of white people moving out of ethnically mixed neighbourhoods. Refusing to integrate, if you will.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 3d

Wow. Robert Jenrick doubles down by branding a black journalist's questions "ridiculous" and saying that the problem is not his comments, but "journalists like you who pop up and try to knock me down", adding that "this is the reason why terrorist attacks happen". ~AA

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you sir.

John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d

But your scepticism on consumption not being influenced by the long end is to do with wealth effects? Ending QT reduces supply of gilts, raising prices?

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d

Could you spell that out for the slow-witted among us?

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

Yes I note in your excellent chart on occupations that visas for business people has held up better than other roles, bar doctors. Macroeconomically, this policy is stagflationary of course. How much so is depends on the numbers.

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

I'm doubtful it would be a big rise because people few young graduates earn £40k. You really want to attract people in their 20s. Maybe the threshold can be kept and the problem can be eroded away by drag. But then you've got all the visa costs, NHS charge etc.

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

Well, we can push the state pension age into the 70s.

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 4d

Badenoch now responding to Jenrick's comments on skin colour. It's clear there is no level of comment on race which would make her take action, no matter how plainly discriminatory.

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

It's incredibly difficult to forecast migration, as it's determined by recessions abroad, recessions at home, supply shocks, wars and policy at home and abroad. James might be wrong! That's why over-reacting to shocks with policy changes is bad for labour supply and tax revenues, public services etc

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

Great thread. Over-correction has been likely, as many of us have been warning.

James Bowes @jamesbowes01.bsky.social · 6d

With the government bringing in new restrictions against immigration, many people assume net immigration will nevertheless remain high. However, the evidence actually suggests that immigration will fall dramatically over the coming years and reach lows not seen for decades (pandemic aside). (1/x)

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Reposted by John Springford

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 4d

The International Energy Agency slashed in half its forecast of US renewable energy growth by 2030, even as the rest of the world races to double its green power capacity over the same period

IEA Cuts US Renewable Growth Forecast in Half on Trump Policies

The International Energy Agency slashed in half its forecast of US renewable energy growth by 2030, even as the rest of the world races to double its green power capacity over the same period.

bloom.bg

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 5d

And if that forecast is right, it means that the UK will become a net electricity exporter. If so, will that reduce national income in the 2030s or raise it?

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John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 5d

The consensus forecast says (broadly): the North Sea basin is declining, irrespective of new licenses; North Sea wind will generate about a twentieth of Europe's electricity demand; gas will set the price of electricity less of the time as it increasingly drops out of the merit order. You disagree?

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