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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 18h

Hollow laughter

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Reposted by Rachel Cunliffe

Rhianna Pratchett @rhi.bsky.social · 1d

A great article from Rachel, who really understands the heart and soul of Dad’s work.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 20h

This means the world to hear, thank you! x

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

…Or possibly I’d like to buy a particular kind of house but can’t, because the current owners won’t move due to stamp duty incentives?

As in happens, I’m not moving again for at least two decades. But I am capable of thinking of things beyond my personal circumstances. It’s an amazing trick

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

To tackle the housing crisis we need to build lots and lots more houses. End of. But SDLT does gum up the housing market and prevent people from moving (and thus freeing up their houses for other people).

As for revenue: reform (raise) council tax so more expensive properties pay more

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Not the biggest reason. We also need to build lots and lots more houses. But it does gum up the housing market and prevent people from moving (and thus freeing up their houses for other people)

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Argh she has announced something I agree with! "Stamp duty is a bad tax" - she is right!

"The next Conservative government would abolish stamp duty"

(Pity it definitely won't)

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Reposted by Rachel Cunliffe

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 1d

Good to see the Conservative Party committed to keeping the deficit down by *checks notes* spending £2 billion giving tax breaks for private education, creating a massive new deportation force and pledging to maintain pensioner benefits.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but accusing Labour of "stealing from our children and grandchildren" because of the deficit and then a second later committing to the winter fuel allowance - a universal benefit that went to some of the wealthiest people in society - is a little grating

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

"If you're name's Rachel, you can be an economist instead of working in customer complaints"

Feeling unfairly victimised

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Ooooh interesting! Badenoch is listing things the Tories did which were bold.

"We were courageous enough to introduce same-sex marriage," she says. There's a puzzled pause in the hall, then a smattering of lukewarm applause.

Then she mentions Brexit and the relieved audience goes wild

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Ohhh that's very good

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

"While Britain was redefining what a woman is, China was building five nuclear reactors," says Kemi Badenoch.

I cannot be the only person curious about how these two things are related

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Anyway, in case you missed it, some wondering from me about whether Kemi Badenoch has ever actually read Terry Pratchett

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Has Kemi Badenoch actually read Terry Pratchett?

She claims he’s her favourite author, but his books have a few lessons for her

www.newstatesman.com

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Pre-Kemi speech, the Conservative Party Conference livestream just played a video which said Angela Rayner had "evaded tax". Think they might want to be a bit careful throwing that term (with it's very specific criminal meaning) around...

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

What’s happening in Gaza is horrific - as I write in the piece.

But it’s interesting that that’s the immediate response when a Jewish person discusses what it’s like to be Jewish.

It’s interesting which minority groups are encouraged to discuss their lived experiences, and which are not…

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote a personal piece last week about anti-semitism in Britain in the last two years and how it felt to be Jewish. It was repromoted today, on the anniversary of October 7, five days after an attack on a British synagogue in which two Jews were killed.

This is the immediate reply.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote a personal piece last week about anti-semitism in Britain in the last two years and how it felt to be Jewish. It was repromoted today, on the anniversary of October 7, five days after an attack on a British subogohir where two Jews were killed.

This is the immediate reply.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

Kemi Badenoch says her favourite author is Terry Pratchett. One wonders what draws her to the Discworld. The Vimes Boots theory of inequality? The celebration of diversity in Ankh Morpork? The lesson that those who claim to have the answers are not to be trusted?
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

Also, shout-out to the man next to me in the auditorium getting maximum efficiency out of the Jenrick speech by eating a quinoa salad throughout. Top marks, no notes

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 2d

Robert Jenrick is now doing his own version of the Hugh Grant Love Actually monologue if everything that’s great about Britain. To add to those performed earlier this conference season by Ed Davey and Keir Starmer.

Richard Curtis has a lot to answer for

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 3d

Dispatch from Manchester: cargo cults and effigies of Margaret Thatcher

www.newstatesman.com/uncategorize...

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 3d

Spotted: Robert Jenrick being trailed by a herd of paparazzi-like camera crews out his event, down a flight of stairs, through a corridor and across a courtyard while deflecting questions on whether he wants to be the next Tory leader

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Reposted by Rachel Cunliffe

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 6d

I wrote a short piece for the Observer on the attacks in Manchester.

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

My son recently found a swastika drawn on the pavement at...

The Manchester attack didn't come as a shock. The only surprise is it hasn’t happened sooner

observer.co.uk

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 6d

Finding today harder than yesterday. As so many British Jews have said, the attack wasn't a surprise.

But the instant protests, plus the stream of "takes" explaining why Israel is actually to blame and it's fine to target a Synagogue if it has "Zionist" ties... That's harder.

Maybe time to log off

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