Ben A
@ukbababa.bsky.social
Finds things like yield curves interesting, needs to get out more
My head can’t get around the concept of ‘pro-Starmer ultra’
It’d be like getting obsessively passionate about beige
It’d be like getting obsessively passionate about beige
There is a small subset of pro-Starmer ultras on here who either genuinely don’t understand that budget stories *are directly briefed out by the Treasury, with permission* or pretend not to know that. And so they claim the plans never existed, haven’t changed, etc. It is maddening, and dumb as fuck.
November 14, 2025 at 8:52 AM
My head can’t get around the concept of ‘pro-Starmer ultra’
It’d be like getting obsessively passionate about beige
It’d be like getting obsessively passionate about beige
Still, at least a £30bn tax smorgasbord will draw a line under things
November 14, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Still, at least a £30bn tax smorgasbord will draw a line under things
Reposted by Ben A
“We don’t want to do things that antagonize Labour MPs and voters”.
Guys that ship sailed. That ship disappeared over the horizon. That ship is docking in New Zealand.
You have 400 seats. Just do the policy that makes sense. Stop running away from shadows.
Guys that ship sailed. That ship disappeared over the horizon. That ship is docking in New Zealand.
You have 400 seats. Just do the policy that makes sense. Stop running away from shadows.
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 PM
“We don’t want to do things that antagonize Labour MPs and voters”.
Guys that ship sailed. That ship disappeared over the horizon. That ship is docking in New Zealand.
You have 400 seats. Just do the policy that makes sense. Stop running away from shadows.
Guys that ship sailed. That ship disappeared over the horizon. That ship is docking in New Zealand.
You have 400 seats. Just do the policy that makes sense. Stop running away from shadows.
Absolute madness. The sums just don’t add up without the subsidy even if ‘middle class people could afford them anyway’.
Yours, somebody who’s started prepping for a heat pump and who’ll now be getting a gas boiler 😡
Yours, somebody who’s started prepping for a heat pump and who’ll now be getting a gas boiler 😡
November 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Absolute madness. The sums just don’t add up without the subsidy even if ‘middle class people could afford them anyway’.
Yours, somebody who’s started prepping for a heat pump and who’ll now be getting a gas boiler 😡
Yours, somebody who’s started prepping for a heat pump and who’ll now be getting a gas boiler 😡
Every complainant here is really arguing that they should have their driving licence revoked.
School Streets fines are ‘unfair’, say Medway motorists
A scheme to make streets around schools safer has attracted criticism from some fined motorists.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Every complainant here is really arguing that they should have their driving licence revoked.
A quick look at the neighbours’ properties, that are falling into disrepair because their owners didn’t want to pay SDLT and now can’t maintain them, tells me this is correct.
Think this is an under studied cost of stamp duty. At 65 you don’t know if you have 5 years and then are too frail for stairs or 20 years of good health and that really matters for these decisions imo.
November 12, 2025 at 3:10 PM
A quick look at the neighbours’ properties, that are falling into disrepair because their owners didn’t want to pay SDLT and now can’t maintain them, tells me this is correct.
Personally, I think the government should compensate the WASPI women but also introduce a WASPI compensation tax, set at 300%
November 11, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Personally, I think the government should compensate the WASPI women but also introduce a WASPI compensation tax, set at 300%
…and, given some of the (contradictory) pre-Budget briefings, it’s still not clear she’s learned many lessons
I really don't think people appreciate just how bad Reeves's first year as Chancellor actually was
A surprisingly bad set of labour market stats this morning. The story I was prepared for was "some weakening, but the shake out from the early part of the year is behind us". But it's worse than that - payroll jobs falling again, unemployment now up at 5%.
Here is our PN
Here is our PN
November 11, 2025 at 10:29 AM
…and, given some of the (contradictory) pre-Budget briefings, it’s still not clear she’s learned many lessons
BBC announces new Head of News is independent of all political parties, following appointment of Rupert Lowe.
November 9, 2025 at 10:23 PM
BBC announces new Head of News is independent of all political parties, following appointment of Rupert Lowe.
10% of this article is an actual scientist saying this is probably oversold snake oil. The rest of the article just runs with it.
Ever feel the need to switch off? Your vagus nerve might hold the key
You might not have heard of it, but can training your vagus nerve give you a moment or two of peace?
www.bbc.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 7:41 AM
10% of this article is an actual scientist saying this is probably oversold snake oil. The rest of the article just runs with it.
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
November 8, 2025 at 8:27 PM
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
Spending the afternoon ensuring I'm safe from any Council Tax revaluation by buying incredibly tacky Christmas decorations.
An LED lightup reindeer family should knock us down into Band E, right?
An LED lightup reindeer family should knock us down into Band E, right?
November 8, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Spending the afternoon ensuring I'm safe from any Council Tax revaluation by buying incredibly tacky Christmas decorations.
An LED lightup reindeer family should knock us down into Band E, right?
An LED lightup reindeer family should knock us down into Band E, right?
Reposted by Ben A
It’s all just so pathetic. We need to add 2p to the higher rate and 4p to the basic rate and then unpick a bunch of the tiny demented tax incentives that crap like this has created and instead they are gonna do more of the crap and still get hung for breaking their promises. Incredible scenes.
Reeves should be aiming to get off two cycles: “every budget is an ordeal, every minor fluctuation in the forecast is a nightmare“ and “we did some small tax tweaks to raise £2bn and whoopsydaisy, something has fallen over unexpectedly/inflation is higher”.
I’m with Vince.
And 2p on income tax plus 2p off NICS to raise £6bn feels like being hung for half a lamb.
www.ft.com/content/9e56...
And 2p on income tax plus 2p off NICS to raise £6bn feels like being hung for half a lamb.
www.ft.com/content/9e56...
November 8, 2025 at 12:58 PM
It’s all just so pathetic. We need to add 2p to the higher rate and 4p to the basic rate and then unpick a bunch of the tiny demented tax incentives that crap like this has created and instead they are gonna do more of the crap and still get hung for breaking their promises. Incredible scenes.
Still thinking about this as we’re in the process of looking at cars. The government has:
- tripled the BIKs on EV leasing
- floated EV per-mile taxes
- and, er, is spending £650m on discounting EVs by up to £3,750.
Whatever the merits of each, it’s strategically incoherent.
#joinedupgovernment
- tripled the BIKs on EV leasing
- floated EV per-mile taxes
- and, er, is spending £650m on discounting EVs by up to £3,750.
Whatever the merits of each, it’s strategically incoherent.
#joinedupgovernment
I can see the revenue point but do think it’s indicative of the strategic drift of this govt.
About the only* big theme this government can point to is Net Zero - a tax specifically targeted at EVs is just wildly contradictory messaging.
About the only* big theme this government can point to is Net Zero - a tax specifically targeted at EVs is just wildly contradictory messaging.
November 7, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Still thinking about this as we’re in the process of looking at cars. The government has:
- tripled the BIKs on EV leasing
- floated EV per-mile taxes
- and, er, is spending £650m on discounting EVs by up to £3,750.
Whatever the merits of each, it’s strategically incoherent.
#joinedupgovernment
- tripled the BIKs on EV leasing
- floated EV per-mile taxes
- and, er, is spending £650m on discounting EVs by up to £3,750.
Whatever the merits of each, it’s strategically incoherent.
#joinedupgovernment
I am prepared to consult on ‘why can’t we recruit enough new auditors’ for the low, low price of a grand an hour.
Cheaper than a KPMG partner (average income up 9% last year)
on.ft.com/4nFmO5Q
Cheaper than a KPMG partner (average income up 9% last year)
on.ft.com/4nFmO5Q
KPMG axes ‘busy season’ overtime pay for junior auditors
Big Four firm says move reflects better management of workloads
on.ft.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:01 AM
I am prepared to consult on ‘why can’t we recruit enough new auditors’ for the low, low price of a grand an hour.
Cheaper than a KPMG partner (average income up 9% last year)
on.ft.com/4nFmO5Q
Cheaper than a KPMG partner (average income up 9% last year)
on.ft.com/4nFmO5Q
Reposted by Ben A
lol
November 6, 2025 at 4:47 AM
lol
My suspicion is that this will cost £££ but for little political benefit as people will still see a massively high bill.
Reckon you’d get much bigger bang for buck giving several billion to local government with the condition it cannot go to SEND or social care but on public realm stuff.
Reckon you’d get much bigger bang for buck giving several billion to local government with the condition it cannot go to SEND or social care but on public realm stuff.
Exc - Reeves is finalising a multibillion pound energy support package that is likely to cut taxes and green levies from people’s bills as she looks to save as much as £170 from the average bill - @kiranstacey.bsky.social reports
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reeves considers cut to green levies in effort to reduce cost of energy bills
Exclusive: Chancellor hopes to save up to £170 from average bill but industry insiders say move would be ‘disastrous’
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:47 AM
My suspicion is that this will cost £££ but for little political benefit as people will still see a massively high bill.
Reckon you’d get much bigger bang for buck giving several billion to local government with the condition it cannot go to SEND or social care but on public realm stuff.
Reckon you’d get much bigger bang for buck giving several billion to local government with the condition it cannot go to SEND or social care but on public realm stuff.
Reposted by Ben A
35bps on the 10-year in a month is not trivial - and notable that the fiscal crisis talk has been meaningfully quietened
November 4, 2025 at 10:15 AM
35bps on the 10-year in a month is not trivial - and notable that the fiscal crisis talk has been meaningfully quietened
Reposted by Ben A
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
November 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
Amazing how many tax questions will now direct you to plausible looking websites that have clearly been AI written and contain basic (and major) errors
October 31, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Amazing how many tax questions will now direct you to plausible looking websites that have clearly been AI written and contain basic (and major) errors
I know ‘North London elite’ is a cliche, but I spent some of my time at the Emirates tonight listening in to two lawyers discuss their favourite cases in international trade law.
October 29, 2025 at 11:55 PM
I know ‘North London elite’ is a cliche, but I spent some of my time at the Emirates tonight listening in to two lawyers discuss their favourite cases in international trade law.
My bias is showing here, but I find it notable that AI replacing modellers is espoused by people like the author here who proudly 'have never built a model in my life'.
Revenge against the banking nerds is near
With progress in AI, the showhorses may yet eclipse the more technically skilled workhorses
www.ft.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:38 AM
My bias is showing here, but I find it notable that AI replacing modellers is espoused by people like the author here who proudly 'have never built a model in my life'.
I’m sure this reads better in the original Russian.
There is always money for war, never for the poor.
Every penny spent on bombs, tanks and missiles is stolen from our homes, schools and hospitals.
We are not going to take it anymore.
Every penny spent on bombs, tanks and missiles is stolen from our homes, schools and hospitals.
We are not going to take it anymore.
October 28, 2025 at 9:23 AM
I’m sure this reads better in the original Russian.