Ben
@murfbenj.bsky.social
Pinned
Ben
@murfbenj.bsky.social
· Sep 10
Lurching Right, Right and even more to the Right at the whim of a wealthy, well connected Tory establishment, is the story of UK politics for the last 40 years that’s destroying the country. It’s accelerated since the ludicrous Brexit spasm, demolishing the characters of otherwise reasonable people.
Unemployment rises again, to 5.1%, with Reeves’s Employers NIC rise a key culprit. That policy has caused me no end of problems this year - we’re gapping posts to alleviate its impact.
December 16, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Unemployment rises again, to 5.1%, with Reeves’s Employers NIC rise a key culprit. That policy has caused me no end of problems this year - we’re gapping posts to alleviate its impact.
Don’t forget that the clear Starmer /McSweeney / Glssman utter uselessness is not just a boon for Farage, it’s now legitimising and boosting Kemi Badenoch’s dire leadership.
December 15, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Don’t forget that the clear Starmer /McSweeney / Glssman utter uselessness is not just a boon for Farage, it’s now legitimising and boosting Kemi Badenoch’s dire leadership.
Cannot express enough horror at the anti Jewish terrorist atrocity at Bondi Beach.
December 14, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Cannot express enough horror at the anti Jewish terrorist atrocity at Bondi Beach.
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December 13, 2025 at 9:19 PM
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My prediction for post 2029 election at this point is a Reform/Tory coalition. It will be a shitshow but don’t forget we have 3 years foreshadowing that far-right hellscape as Labour carries on its current strategic trajectory. A rightist skewed policy slant the majority didn’t vote for.
December 13, 2025 at 9:13 AM
My prediction for post 2029 election at this point is a Reform/Tory coalition. It will be a shitshow but don’t forget we have 3 years foreshadowing that far-right hellscape as Labour carries on its current strategic trajectory. A rightist skewed policy slant the majority didn’t vote for.
Jessop is ex IEA but he does post clear charts. This 👇 is what happens when you fuss about government debt and don’t pump enough spending into the economy. This small decline was inevitable based on Labour’s ‘costed’ manifesto (highlighted by those tiny IFS charts). That’s what ‘costing’ does.
December 13, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Jessop is ex IEA but he does post clear charts. This 👇 is what happens when you fuss about government debt and don’t pump enough spending into the economy. This small decline was inevitable based on Labour’s ‘costed’ manifesto (highlighted by those tiny IFS charts). That’s what ‘costing’ does.
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December 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
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One of the best accounts out there because of stuff like this.
I dislike this. It is a reply to pieces by Policy Exchange and Jonathan Sumption arguing for withdrawal from the ECHR.
As a reply by a think tank, or an individual, it would be fine. But it is an advocacy piece, it shouldn't be going out as academic research from a University.
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As a reply by a think tank, or an individual, it would be fine. But it is an advocacy piece, it shouldn't be going out as academic research from a University.
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NEW: A report from Oxford's @bonavero.bsky.social identifies, examines, and addresses the counter-arguments for ten key reasons for the UK to remain in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Find out more ⬇️
#HumanRightsDay
Find out more ⬇️
#HumanRightsDay
December 11, 2025 at 7:05 AM
One of the best accounts out there because of stuff like this.
December 10, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Depressing. We’re going to lose easy access to defend our Human Rights from the awful Uk state when the UK leaves the ECHR. The hysteria is at pre Brexit levels - and there’s not any opposition to it really. So despite being yet another atrocious ‘leave everything’ idea, it is going to happen.
December 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Depressing. We’re going to lose easy access to defend our Human Rights from the awful Uk state when the UK leaves the ECHR. The hysteria is at pre Brexit levels - and there’s not any opposition to it really. So despite being yet another atrocious ‘leave everything’ idea, it is going to happen.
Only tagging you @mrjamesob.bsky.social because this is important. This is the quiet bit about leaving the ECHR said out loud. They’re going to come after all of us.
THERE IT IS.. leaving the ECHR is not just about foreigners.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
December 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Only tagging you @mrjamesob.bsky.social because this is important. This is the quiet bit about leaving the ECHR said out loud. They’re going to come after all of us.
Reposted by Ben
This was very informative for me, if also rather worrying paulkrugman.substack.com/p/talking-wi...
Talking With Paul Kedrosky
So, about this AI thing ...
paulkrugman.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This was very informative for me, if also rather worrying paulkrugman.substack.com/p/talking-wi...
THERE IT IS.. leaving the ECHR is not just about foreigners.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
December 7, 2025 at 1:43 PM
THERE IT IS.. leaving the ECHR is not just about foreigners.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
It will be used by the radical right to go after groups they hate internally. Disabled people first in line according to clueless Kemi.
This is no surprise whatsoever.
Starmer and Reeves have been so poor the ever-wrong Daniel Hannan has been reactivated on X. In eclipse for a few years as all his ideological claptrap collapsed into the chaos of the last government, the clown is now confident enough to pop up in public again to spout off the same tedious guff.
December 7, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Starmer and Reeves have been so poor the ever-wrong Daniel Hannan has been reactivated on X. In eclipse for a few years as all his ideological claptrap collapsed into the chaos of the last government, the clown is now confident enough to pop up in public again to spout off the same tedious guff.
When Starmer and his advisors picked up and repeated the May sucking-up-to-Trump strategy, they clearly had spent zero time thinking through the consequences. They had no idea of the power they were trifling with. Like Cameron and his EU referendum.
A few thoughts on the new US national security strategy that was released today.
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www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
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www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
December 5, 2025 at 10:17 PM
When Starmer and his advisors picked up and repeated the May sucking-up-to-Trump strategy, they clearly had spent zero time thinking through the consequences. They had no idea of the power they were trifling with. Like Cameron and his EU referendum.
Reposted by Ben
Surely you’d type this number, this initial line, and you’d think “hang on a moment, what on earth am I claiming here?”
December 3, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Surely you’d type this number, this initial line, and you’d think “hang on a moment, what on earth am I claiming here?”
RIP Robin Smith. The pre-eminent wielder of the square cut shot
December 2, 2025 at 11:57 AM
RIP Robin Smith. The pre-eminent wielder of the square cut shot
Reposted by Ben
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
Starmer needs to go and Reeves should follow.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
November 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Starmer needs to go and Reeves should follow.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
This week, as immigration falls were confirmed, we saw xenophobes move seamlessly on to complaining about components of those reductions.
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
Budget 2025: This is how you lose the world iandunt.substack.com/p/budget-202...
November 29, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This week, as immigration falls were confirmed, we saw xenophobes move seamlessly on to complaining about components of those reductions.
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
She’s shoehorning Christianity in there because the online British racists, copying their US brethren, are now carrying crosses to their rallies.
There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?
November 28, 2025 at 12:12 PM
She’s shoehorning Christianity in there because the online British racists, copying their US brethren, are now carrying crosses to their rallies.
‘Benefits Street’ for Tories
November 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
‘Benefits Street’ for Tories
Reposted by Ben
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
My observation on the budget? An irrelevance except for one important respect: the lifting of the obnoxious 2 child benefit cap. A policy that will go directly to making people’s lives better. That factor alone is a marked change from the previous administration. The rest though is piddling. Wasted
November 27, 2025 at 8:33 PM
My observation on the budget? An irrelevance except for one important respect: the lifting of the obnoxious 2 child benefit cap. A policy that will go directly to making people’s lives better. That factor alone is a marked change from the previous administration. The rest though is piddling. Wasted