Akshay Bilolikar
@akshayb.bsky.social
YIMBY urbanist, regulatory lawyer
Agreed. This is a principles point imo.
It goes further, really, to British values imo -- c.f. community policing, as opposed to more continental approaches like a gendarmerie
It goes further, really, to British values imo -- c.f. community policing, as opposed to more continental approaches like a gendarmerie
A cornerstone of so many offences is behaviour that falls below that expected of an ordinary person. Dishonesty is a classic example of this. Reasonable is another.
Ordinary people should therefore be the ultimate decision makers as to whether the behaviour has fallen below such a standard. /1
Ordinary people should therefore be the ultimate decision makers as to whether the behaviour has fallen below such a standard. /1
Imagine coming up with a proposal so stupid, so unworkable, so thoughtless, that it makes Robert Jenrick look sane by comparison.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Agreed. This is a principles point imo.
It goes further, really, to British values imo -- c.f. community policing, as opposed to more continental approaches like a gendarmerie
It goes further, really, to British values imo -- c.f. community policing, as opposed to more continental approaches like a gendarmerie
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
To clarify what I am saying: price per dwelling being inelastic does not imply that price per square meter is inelastic. The latter can be highly elastic to supply even when the former is highly inelastic.
November 22, 2025 at 10:54 AM
To clarify what I am saying: price per dwelling being inelastic does not imply that price per square meter is inelastic. The latter can be highly elastic to supply even when the former is highly inelastic.
Would the Labour NEC *really* block a Burnham candidacy for a by-election? tribunemag.co.uk/2025/11/recl...
Reclaiming Labour
While many socialists are rightly repulsed by the misdeeds of the Starmer government, its tenure will come to an end soon enough. When it does, we must be ready to renew the Labour Party’s radical mis...
tribunemag.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Would the Labour NEC *really* block a Burnham candidacy for a by-election? tribunemag.co.uk/2025/11/recl...
Completely agree. Have been saying it for once. Need a better way of saying it, but 21st century communication speeds require a "blitzkrieg" approach to policymaking imo
Reeves should risk it all on one last roll of the dice.
Raise income tax, break the triple lock, slay the deficit, spend the money on the things she believes in.
It may not work - but better than waiting for doom to overtake her.
open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...
Raise income tax, break the triple lock, slay the deficit, spend the money on the things she believes in.
It may not work - but better than waiting for doom to overtake her.
open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...
Reeves in Zugzwang
Incremental politics no longer works
open.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Completely agree. Have been saying it for once. Need a better way of saying it, but 21st century communication speeds require a "blitzkrieg" approach to policymaking imo
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
BlueSky: tax rises would be unpopular but they’re needed, so it’s better to do them now than kick the can down the road
YouGov: tax rises would be unpopular
Some guy, smugly: oh ho ho ho, looks like Blue Sky is in a bit of a bubble
YouGov: tax rises would be unpopular
Some guy, smugly: oh ho ho ho, looks like Blue Sky is in a bit of a bubble
November 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
BlueSky: tax rises would be unpopular but they’re needed, so it’s better to do them now than kick the can down the road
YouGov: tax rises would be unpopular
Some guy, smugly: oh ho ho ho, looks like Blue Sky is in a bit of a bubble
YouGov: tax rises would be unpopular
Some guy, smugly: oh ho ho ho, looks like Blue Sky is in a bit of a bubble
If they cut the income tax thresholds, and therefore people pay more income tax, there will be an even worse loss of public trust
Too much analysis was still treating breaking the tax pledge as “just another unpopular decision” rather than recognising consequence of breaking a promise which defined an election for the public. If is correct the govt won’t now break it they may have avoided a deeply scarring loss of public trust
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 AM
If they cut the income tax thresholds, and therefore people pay more income tax, there will be an even worse loss of public trust
Desperate and, imo, bollocks. They really think we're all morons
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Desperate and, imo, bollocks. They really think we're all morons
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
We could do with a government prepared to do some governing. We've not had that for a long time.
Admittedly the last bout of governing, under the Tories, around 6 or 7 years ago, didn't go very well, but I thought the previous Labour governing, 20 years ago now, was rather good.
Admittedly the last bout of governing, under the Tories, around 6 or 7 years ago, didn't go very well, but I thought the previous Labour governing, 20 years ago now, was rather good.
November 13, 2025 at 11:21 PM
We could do with a government prepared to do some governing. We've not had that for a long time.
Admittedly the last bout of governing, under the Tories, around 6 or 7 years ago, didn't go very well, but I thought the previous Labour governing, 20 years ago now, was rather good.
Admittedly the last bout of governing, under the Tories, around 6 or 7 years ago, didn't go very well, but I thought the previous Labour governing, 20 years ago now, was rather good.
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
For a government committed to restoring trust in politics, this sort of thinking treats voters as fools. Too clever, not clever at all.
November 13, 2025 at 10:43 PM
For a government committed to restoring trust in politics, this sort of thinking treats voters as fools. Too clever, not clever at all.
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
What you have to understand is that Labour had to make the tax pledge so they would win a majority of 500 instead of 80, which was essential so they could…????
November 13, 2025 at 11:09 PM
What you have to understand is that Labour had to make the tax pledge so they would win a majority of 500 instead of 80, which was essential so they could…????
Overground driver gave a cute, quasi funny pep talk to the commuters. Made my day!
November 13, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Overground driver gave a cute, quasi funny pep talk to the commuters. Made my day!
don't forget: nothing ever happens
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 PM
don't forget: nothing ever happens
it's absolutely bonkers. do they seriously arguing that "public services should be paid for by the wealthy few, not the public at large who uses such services"?
It is curious how the Labour Party came to set its face so firmly against the principle of broad-based taxes. The idea that "working people" collectively shoulder the costs of the welfare state (or defence of the realm) seems like a good idea for progressives to defend
November 11, 2025 at 8:42 PM
it's absolutely bonkers. do they seriously arguing that "public services should be paid for by the wealthy few, not the public at large who uses such services"?
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
So easy to say for people in certain generations who've never known a 30k student debt balance or £1.5k rent just to live in a city which actually has jobs in your sector
Awful lot of people seem to think houses used to fall off trees, jobs were well paid and lovely, people were lovely to each other, and everyone could afford holidays every day.
Of course life isn't perfect now. But it never was. And in many ways it is much better.
Of course life isn't perfect now. But it never was. And in many ways it is much better.
November 8, 2025 at 11:54 AM
So easy to say for people in certain generations who've never known a 30k student debt balance or £1.5k rent just to live in a city which actually has jobs in your sector
November 6, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
Whatever else comes out once the attack on the ECML train last night, this alone is a credit to the train crew, driver, and signalling team.
Huntingdon was the first possible stop. In a highly stressful situation and improvising a plan the train lost just 3 minutes vs line speed to get there.
Huntingdon was the first possible stop. In a highly stressful situation and improvising a plan the train lost just 3 minutes vs line speed to get there.
November 2, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Whatever else comes out once the attack on the ECML train last night, this alone is a credit to the train crew, driver, and signalling team.
Huntingdon was the first possible stop. In a highly stressful situation and improvising a plan the train lost just 3 minutes vs line speed to get there.
Huntingdon was the first possible stop. In a highly stressful situation and improvising a plan the train lost just 3 minutes vs line speed to get there.
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
Convenience and urbanism is bad, “spirituality” and “the natural order” is good and oh my god my hippy/fascist senses are tingling so hard right now
I've read this story five times and I literally do not know what it is trying to say.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Britain one of least ‘nature-connected’ nations in world – with Nepal the most
Others languishing near bottom of 61-country study include Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and Spain
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Convenience and urbanism is bad, “spirituality” and “the natural order” is good and oh my god my hippy/fascist senses are tingling so hard right now
Sorry to say but the new Phillip Pullman book, and by extension the whole new trilogy, is just quite bad
October 31, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Sorry to say but the new Phillip Pullman book, and by extension the whole new trilogy, is just quite bad
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
I think this article is missing the point of planning reform and what it needs to achieve.
New homes: even if you build them, there’s no one to buy them
We’re often told housing demand exceeds supply — so why are new homes struggling to be built and bought?
www.ft.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:46 AM
I think this article is missing the point of planning reform and what it needs to achieve.
The author makes the point in the article, but there are small smartphones, just not made by Apple Inc
Bring back small phones! This is my iphone 13 mini. It is a perfectly-sized phone. But it's going to die - in a few years, Apple will stop supporting it w/updates. Yet there are now NO new smartphones to buy on the market that fit the human hand. www.ft.com/content/6332...
October 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The author makes the point in the article, but there are small smartphones, just not made by Apple Inc
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
Vibe shift in the culture towards earnestness
October 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Vibe shift in the culture towards earnestness
Reposted by Akshay Bilolikar
The fantasy here that it’s about the behaviour of Maccabi tel Aviv fans *at all*.
The local MP organised a 4000 signature petition to ban them! This is entirely about that.
The local MP organised a 4000 signature petition to ban them! This is entirely about that.
October 17, 2025 at 7:46 AM
The fantasy here that it’s about the behaviour of Maccabi tel Aviv fans *at all*.
The local MP organised a 4000 signature petition to ban them! This is entirely about that.
The local MP organised a 4000 signature petition to ban them! This is entirely about that.
Once again I have been Brexited at a European airport
October 15, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Once again I have been Brexited at a European airport