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.
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February 6, 2026 at 7:42 AM
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Reposted by Ben
Boris Johnson’s Deputy Chief of Staff here, worried that secretly-funded lobby groups masquerading as ‘think tanks’ might finally be held to account. Because of course she bloody is.
Baroness Finn, stating that this would "risk a disproportionate intrusion into civil society", asks minister to confirm that the "current arrangements" will not change, but gets a strong response from Anderson:
February 5, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Boris Johnson’s Deputy Chief of Staff here, worried that secretly-funded lobby groups masquerading as ‘think tanks’ might finally be held to account. Because of course she bloody is.
I see the great ponzi Bitcoin has almost halved in value since its peak
February 5, 2026 at 7:12 PM
I see the great ponzi Bitcoin has almost halved in value since its peak
Barest minimum from Starmer there. A hiatus will follow and so it’s all about the passing of time. Starmer’s greatest advantage is the lack of any obvious challenger - think about it and no name fills the breach. If he navigates to March, Starmer should cling on. Then it’ll be down to the May locals
February 5, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Barest minimum from Starmer there. A hiatus will follow and so it’s all about the passing of time. Starmer’s greatest advantage is the lack of any obvious challenger - think about it and no name fills the breach. If he navigates to March, Starmer should cling on. Then it’ll be down to the May locals
So what is the point of this ridiculous ‘ban’? Robbing cab companies of a source of income (in the rush to dump on asylum seekers they never think through who else gets clobbered).
Ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments comes into force www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments comes into force www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments comes into force
It comes after a BBC investigation which showed people travelling long distances at high cost.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 7:05 AM
So what is the point of this ridiculous ‘ban’? Robbing cab companies of a source of income (in the rush to dump on asylum seekers they never think through who else gets clobbered).
Ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments comes into force www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments comes into force www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
You know what?
If I’d been elected along with 400 plus like minded MPs and a 170 seat majority, do you know what I *wouldn’t* do?
The same things the party I just trounced were doing.
Why the hell then did Keir Starmer think that was a winning strategy?
If I’d been elected along with 400 plus like minded MPs and a 170 seat majority, do you know what I *wouldn’t* do?
The same things the party I just trounced were doing.
Why the hell then did Keir Starmer think that was a winning strategy?
February 4, 2026 at 10:15 PM
You know what?
If I’d been elected along with 400 plus like minded MPs and a 170 seat majority, do you know what I *wouldn’t* do?
The same things the party I just trounced were doing.
Why the hell then did Keir Starmer think that was a winning strategy?
If I’d been elected along with 400 plus like minded MPs and a 170 seat majority, do you know what I *wouldn’t* do?
The same things the party I just trounced were doing.
Why the hell then did Keir Starmer think that was a winning strategy?
It’s not just that Starmer is going to trudge away from a disastrous tenure as PM, smoke from a cratered leadsrship drifting all around him, it’s the 18 months he’s spent validating the far right that’s going to be what we all will have to grapple with for the next few years.
February 4, 2026 at 8:46 PM
It’s not just that Starmer is going to trudge away from a disastrous tenure as PM, smoke from a cratered leadsrship drifting all around him, it’s the 18 months he’s spent validating the far right that’s going to be what we all will have to grapple with for the next few years.
As Starmer begins a long defenestration I’m reminded of grubby Reform-lite anti immigration announcements in the week before Labour were smashed in May 2025 local elex - likely a McSweeney wheeze that did nothing for Labour’s election result but made the country that little bit worse to live in
February 4, 2026 at 6:34 PM
As Starmer begins a long defenestration I’m reminded of grubby Reform-lite anti immigration announcements in the week before Labour were smashed in May 2025 local elex - likely a McSweeney wheeze that did nothing for Labour’s election result but made the country that little bit worse to live in
Reposted by Ben
IMO this is indeed revealing about - JP Morgan (& maybe others) threatened to crash the gilts market in retaliation for the bank bonus tax.
What happened? As @faisalislam.bsky.social says not much.
So much for "bond vigilantes"
(1/2)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What happened? As @faisalislam.bsky.social says not much.
So much for "bond vigilantes"
(1/2)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
February 2, 2026 at 4:26 PM
IMO this is indeed revealing about - JP Morgan (& maybe others) threatened to crash the gilts market in retaliation for the bank bonus tax.
What happened? As @faisalislam.bsky.social says not much.
So much for "bond vigilantes"
(1/2)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What happened? As @faisalislam.bsky.social says not much.
So much for "bond vigilantes"
(1/2)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Ben
Can't believe we were out of power for 14 years and in less than 2 years we have descended into this. It's unforgivable and Starmer should pay with his job. The stakes are too high for sentiment.
February 4, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Can't believe we were out of power for 14 years and in less than 2 years we have descended into this. It's unforgivable and Starmer should pay with his job. The stakes are too high for sentiment.
Sounds from #pmqs like this isn’t going to happen. It’s a PM who is in a tailspin that he is admitting is terminal
Ridding himself of the discredited, useless Morgan McSweeney is the bare minimum Starmer is going to need to do to level the plummeting airliner. Should never have taken McSweeney on, based on the thinnest of CVs. And Starmer should have sacked him for the dismal polling long before now
February 4, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Sounds from #pmqs like this isn’t going to happen. It’s a PM who is in a tailspin that he is admitting is terminal
Ridding himself of the discredited, useless Morgan McSweeney is the bare minimum Starmer is going to need to do to level the plummeting airliner. Should never have taken McSweeney on, based on the thinnest of CVs. And Starmer should have sacked him for the dismal polling long before now
February 4, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Ridding himself of the discredited, useless Morgan McSweeney is the bare minimum Starmer is going to need to do to level the plummeting airliner. Should never have taken McSweeney on, based on the thinnest of CVs. And Starmer should have sacked him for the dismal polling long before now
A study needs to be made on how easily the media narrative switched when Trump was re-elected in Nov 2024. They didn’t think: here comes a corrupt, fraudulent danger to democracy again, they instead treated his election like some radical new paradigm to be accommodated.
February 2, 2026 at 9:45 AM
A study needs to be made on how easily the media narrative switched when Trump was re-elected in Nov 2024. They didn’t think: here comes a corrupt, fraudulent danger to democracy again, they instead treated his election like some radical new paradigm to be accommodated.
The fall and fall of the disgraced Peter Mandelson is running parallel to the reputational collapse, shame and indignity of Andrew Windsor.
February 1, 2026 at 8:01 PM
The fall and fall of the disgraced Peter Mandelson is running parallel to the reputational collapse, shame and indignity of Andrew Windsor.
Reposted by Ben
Wowsers look at what happened to posts on Twitter/X about London crime after monetisation of posts was introduced…
economist.com/britain/2026...
economist.com/britain/2026...
January 31, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Wowsers look at what happened to posts on Twitter/X about London crime after monetisation of posts was introduced…
economist.com/britain/2026...
economist.com/britain/2026...
The photo of Andrew Windsor on all fours above that girl is utterly sickening
January 31, 2026 at 1:42 PM
The photo of Andrew Windsor on all fours above that girl is utterly sickening
Lots of the British Right use posts on X to suck up to Elon Musk… and now it is confirmed Musk is in the Epstein files. Almost as if those grifters have zero judgement
January 31, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Lots of the British Right use posts on X to suck up to Elon Musk… and now it is confirmed Musk is in the Epstein files. Almost as if those grifters have zero judgement
The world’s biggest prat, Elon Musk, is getting slaughtered on his platform of racist, pornographic filth
January 31, 2026 at 8:05 AM
The world’s biggest prat, Elon Musk, is getting slaughtered on his platform of racist, pornographic filth
Economists make very good political analysts. Paul Krugman is excellent over there, and Simon is his equal here.
This weeks post: How Liberal Democratic Countries will cooperate without the US mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/how-...
It is unlikely that new institutions emerge involving liberal democracies. Instead we are likely to see more ad hoc groupings of middle powers aimed at tackling specific issues
It is unlikely that new institutions emerge involving liberal democracies. Instead we are likely to see more ad hoc groupings of middle powers aimed at tackling specific issues
How Liberal Democratic Countries will cooperate without the US
I sometimes get things right and sometimes wrong, but I cannot remember one of my posts being proved right within two days of publication....
mainlymacro.blogspot.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:04 AM
Economists make very good political analysts. Paul Krugman is excellent over there, and Simon is his equal here.
Reposted by Ben
Konstantin Kisin straight up lying on #bbcqt
Douglas Alexander: “When Fraser Nelson put it to you that Rishi Sunak is absolutely english… you said “he’s a brown Hindu, how is he english?”
Kisin: “No, that’s not what I said...”
Douglas Alexander: “When Fraser Nelson put it to you that Rishi Sunak is absolutely english… you said “he’s a brown Hindu, how is he english?”
Kisin: “No, that’s not what I said...”
January 29, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Konstantin Kisin straight up lying on #bbcqt
Douglas Alexander: “When Fraser Nelson put it to you that Rishi Sunak is absolutely english… you said “he’s a brown Hindu, how is he english?”
Kisin: “No, that’s not what I said...”
Douglas Alexander: “When Fraser Nelson put it to you that Rishi Sunak is absolutely english… you said “he’s a brown Hindu, how is he english?”
Kisin: “No, that’s not what I said...”
It’s morning, wife has #GMB on, there’s Kwasi Kwarteng on, providing commentary on issues of the day. A bloke who literally crashed the economy! Allowed to pontificate on issues - with a tediously reactionary bent - on the problems the country faces. Problems caused by him. Establishment indulgence
January 30, 2026 at 6:38 AM
It’s morning, wife has #GMB on, there’s Kwasi Kwarteng on, providing commentary on issues of the day. A bloke who literally crashed the economy! Allowed to pontificate on issues - with a tediously reactionary bent - on the problems the country faces. Problems caused by him. Establishment indulgence
This is the face of a terrorist.
Tories and their foul newspapers bear some responsibility for his radicalisation given how they drove the anti ULEZ hysteria
Tories and their foul newspapers bear some responsibility for his radicalisation given how they drove the anti ULEZ hysteria
This was a minor story on London news this morning - but suspect is a real cautionary (and alarming) tale of an older man getting radicalised online.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Sidcup man convicted aover explosive attack on Ulez camera
Kevin Rees's homemade bomb caused damage to vehicles and property including a child's bedroom.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 29, 2026 at 9:51 AM
This is the face of a terrorist.
Tories and their foul newspapers bear some responsibility for his radicalisation given how they drove the anti ULEZ hysteria
Tories and their foul newspapers bear some responsibility for his radicalisation given how they drove the anti ULEZ hysteria
One of the worst ever MPs slithers into the Reform branded dustbin for ex Tories. #Braverman
January 26, 2026 at 7:45 PM
One of the worst ever MPs slithers into the Reform branded dustbin for ex Tories. #Braverman
Exactly. In fact it turns out the preservation of ‘access’, ‘contacts’ and ‘sources’ are more important that holding power to account and telling the goddamn truth
HOW IT WORKS IN MOVIES:
1. Government lies
2. Brave heroes release video showing the truth
3. Press says “the government is lying!”
HOW IT APPARENTLY WORKS IN REAL LIFE
1. Brave heroes release video showing the truth
2. Government lies
3. Press says “Oh no, what now? So confusing! So hard!”
1. Government lies
2. Brave heroes release video showing the truth
3. Press says “the government is lying!”
HOW IT APPARENTLY WORKS IN REAL LIFE
1. Brave heroes release video showing the truth
2. Government lies
3. Press says “Oh no, what now? So confusing! So hard!”
A battle over the truth erupts after deadly Minneapolis shooting
January 26, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Exactly. In fact it turns out the preservation of ‘access’, ‘contacts’ and ‘sources’ are more important that holding power to account and telling the goddamn truth