Alex
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alexholt.uk
Alex
@alexholt.uk
Just a left-wing Brit talking politics
Reposted by Alex
The OBR is run independently from Government. It literally was somebody else's fault.

You'd think Kemi Badenoch would know that given her own party created it in Government, but apparently not
December 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
There seems to be a lot of Americans on here, anyone good to follow for discussion on UK politics?
October 18, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Love seeing all the new features Bluesky keeps adding!
v1.108 is rolling out today 🚚

Now live, at long last: Bookmarks, aka Saved Posts. For all those posts you'll definitely plan to come back to!

Update the app and give it a try. The button is right down there 👇
September 9, 2025 at 6:25 AM
This is odd because the data supports Farage’s point, but he still made up his data.

He claimed that “an Afghan male has a 22 times more likely chance of being convicted of rape than somebody born in this country”.

Sky News thinks it’s more like 4x, with that probably still being an overestimate.
Fact-checking Farage: Are foreigners more likely than Britons to commit sexual offences?
Nigel Farage says "an Afghan male has a 22 times more likely chance of being convicted of rape than somebody born in this country". Sky News's data and forensics unit has looked at the data.
news.sky.com
August 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Very happy to hear that the government will be lowering the voting age to 16.

Also good that bank cards are to be accepted as voter ID - this should mean less people can’t vote due to forgetting ID, as they may still have their wallet on them.

Also makes it easier for people who don’t drive.
July 17, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by Alex
Labour MPs call on Starmer to focus on radical ideas to lower cost of living

Warnings from group of 104 MPs come amid fears party could lose next election if voters do not feel better off

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Labour MPs call on Starmer to focus on radical ideas to lower cost of living
Exclusive: Warnings from group of 104 MPs come amid fears party could lose next election if voters do not feel better off
www.theguardian.com
July 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reform has already lost some council seats after its councillors resigned.

The election was in May. It’s now only July.

Clearly the Reform candidates didn’t expect to win, so they’ve already gone - and been replaced by other parties.
July 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
MPs just voted in favour of Labour’s welfare reforms.

The vote was 335-260 (75 majority)

Pretty close, and the bill now goes to the next stage.

This is after the government made some last minute changes meaning that the bill will not take effect until a welfare review can be considered.
July 1, 2025 at 6:36 PM
It’s not looking too good for Starmer’s welfare reforms.

Despite the PM’s ‘concessions’, many backbenchers don’t seem convinced.

Even Mayors Khan & Burnham have encouraged backbenchers to vote against it.

This will certainly be interesting.
July 1, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Despite The Telegraph clearly disliking it, this is a good (and necessary) policy.

Climate change is happening, and we need to do something to prevent, or at least slow, it.
June 29, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Farage has come up with another... interesting policy.

The 'Britannica Card'.

It costs £250,000 and cuts your tax bill, but Farage claims it'll help the poor.

I would like to stress the word 'claims', as that is very much disputed.
Farage’s Plan to Let People Pay to Avoid Tax
The Britannia Card: A £250,000 card that gets you out of paying tax
open.substack.com
June 27, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Alex
Keir Starmer faces a major rebellion from his own MPs over his Government's reforms to the benefits system. Some of the party's most senior backbench politicians want to stop the Welfare Reform Bill becoming law because it would force a quarter of a million people into poverty
June 24, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Rupert Lowe got his gamekeeper to shoot his Labrador.

His dog was unwell, so he thought taking it to the vet would be “cruel”.

So he had it shot.

He had his own dog shot.

Appalling.
June 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
This headline is a tad ridiculous.

The article then says that “Were these figures to be replicated across the country at a general election, with every constituency behaving the same way”

But when does every constituency behave the same?

It’s a big assumption to make, just for a better headline.
June 22, 2025 at 7:43 PM
This week saw two historical votes in the Commons.

On Monday, MPs voted to decriminalise abortions.

On Friday, MPs voted in favour of assisted dying.
Parliament Just Made Two Historic Decisions
This week, MPs voted in favour of both assisted dying and decriminalising abortion.
open.substack.com
June 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This was not the news I expected to see when I woke up today…

America has bombed Iran.

This really is not a good thing to happen. It is not going to be good for any country involved.

Oh, and just a reminder, Trump ran on a promise to end existing wars - he’s just started another.
June 22, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Expanding the Warm Home Discount is an interesting (but good) move from the government.

It feels much more like Labour than previous decisions, helping people pay fuel bills.

But Starmer still insists on benefits cuts.

There’s no coherent policy here - what is his goal?
June 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Assisted dying bill passed the vote in the Commons.

It had a majority of just 23 MPs, with 314 votes in favour and 291 against.

This does not mean it has become law - it will now move to the Lords.
June 20, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Looks like it’s going well then.

The good news is that this demonstrates many people do not trust Reform - which might slow their growth.

Of course, these people might just be the ones who voted against Reform, the Reform voters may think it’s going great.
June 19, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Starmer is still insisting that Labour’s benefits reforms must pass.

This is despite many Labour MPs threatening to vote against them.

Labour won a big majority - people don’t vote Labour because they want benefits to be cut.

The PM needs to understand that these reforms are not wanted.
June 19, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The idea here is to fix some problems the right have with the ECHR, to help avoid pressure to leave it completely.

I’m just not convinced that these ‘problems’ can be fixed, without weakening rights for everyone.

You can’t just pick and choose with rights.
🚨🚨 ‘Lefty lawyer’ Keir Starmer to push for #ECHR reform:
The UK PM— a former human rights lawyer — wants to shake up Strasbourg amid pressure over migration rulings and that inaction will stoke “the next #Brexit.” 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/left...
‘Lefty lawyer’ Keir Starmer to push for ECHR reform
The U.K. prime minister — a former human rights lawyer — wants to shake up Strasbourg amid pressure over migration rulings. Some fear inaction will stoke “the next Brexit.”
www.politico.eu
June 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
MPs voted in favour of a big change yesterday - to decriminalise abortion.

This means that women who have an abortion outside of the set rules will no longer risk being investigated by police.

Anyone helping an abortion outside of the rules, including medical professionals, could still be charged.
June 18, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Over in America, a federal judge just ruled that Trump’s cuts to National Institutes of Health grant are illegal.

The judge accused the government of discriminating against minority groups (not that they were trying to hide it).

Grants are being reinstated.
June 16, 2025 at 7:22 PM
These changes that Starmer wants to make will not be good.

Although the election is years away, this is the sort of thing people would remember - and not in a good way.
Disability benefit cuts will harm hundreds of thousands, MPs warn: 'A disaster on every front'

'it's very clear that if this goes ahead, the wider cost to society will be bigger than any money they save'

www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
Labour's disability benefit cuts set to be a 'disaster on all fronts'
Disability benefits cuts will harm hundreds of thousands of people and cost some individuals almost £900 a month, MPs have warned.
www.bigissue.com
June 16, 2025 at 10:50 AM