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Reposted by Heather Stewart

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 2h

We now go live to the Labour Party's opposition research unit.

Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 6h

Morning: to any fans of ONS shenanigans, a new “Notice” informs us that an error in VAT data from HMRC means public sector net borrowing is £2bn lower so far this fiscal year than previously thought. This will not have gone down at all badly in HMT. www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gove...

Public sector finances, UK - Office for National Statistics

How the relationship between UK public sector monthly income and expenditure leads to changes in deficit and debt.

www.ons.gov.uk

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Peter Foster @pmdfoster.bsky.social · 22h

AI pushers talk about it "augmenting" capacity, but that ignores human nature. Why walk or bike, when you can drive? It's easier, so most of us do, but you get fat & lazy. AI will do the same to a lot of people's brains, I fear. Via @financialtimes.com piece on AI habits
ig.ft.com/ai-personal-...

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 1d

JFC the man has not one ounce of shame in him.

He went to private school and Cambridge. He owns three homes and rents a fourth!

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 1d

I know plenty of politicians 'working classify' their backgrounds, but this from Jenrick is taking the piss.

His father's linked in is here: uk.linkedin.com/in/bill-jenr...

He was a managing accountant who ended up as the Managing Director of Cannon Industries

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Paula Surridge @psurridge.bsky.social · 1d

Fitting that the first Yougov Con/LibDem tie should appear during a conference where the Conservatives seem to have again forgotten the LibDems exist.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 1d

Latest YouGov Westminster voting intention (5-6 October 2025)

Reform UK: 27% (-2 from 28-29 Sept)
Labour: 20% (-2)
Conservatives: 17% (+1)
Lib Dems: 17% (+2)
Greens: 12% (+1)
SNP: 4% (+1)

yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 1d

Somebody help me, my electoral system, he is very sick

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 1d

New YouGov Westminster poll:

RFM: 27% (-2)
LAB: 20% (-2)
CON: 17% (+1)
LDM: 17% (+2)
GRN: 12% (+1)
SNP: 4% (+1)

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General Boles @generalboles.bsky.social · 1d

Should'a fixed a few more church rooves eh Kemi?

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

Quite the story, this - “a nun who was one of Quispe’s lovers was jealous of a lawyer the bishop was also seeing and sent information about his affairs to a third lover who got into a fight with the lawyer..."

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 1d

Peruvian bishop accused of having 17 lovers exposed by cleaning lady

www.thetimes.com

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Jo Michell @jomichell.bsky.social · 1d

More details are needed on this proposal. A permanent end to QT means a large chunk of the outstanding gilt stock permanently on the Bank’s balance sheet. We currently pay Bank rate on this. How will it be managed in future? This is at best an incomplete proposal.

One could follow Donald Trump in demanding interest rate cuts. The Bank could shadow the ECB in its
commitment to capping Eurozone yields. But the top priority should be to lay the ghost of September 2022. The Bank's slowing of QT last month was a
concession. An immediate and complete end would send the right signal.

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

Yep, agree it’s not fully worked out!

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

Thought provoking from Adam
Tooze (whose excellent Crashed I happen to be reading) - is it time for the govt to rewrite its relationship with the Bank to support investment/growth - starting with calling a halt to QT
on.ft.com/4gTTw1C Britain needs a ‘whatever it takes’ moment

Britain needs a ‘whatever it takes’ moment

The Bank of England must acknowledge the priority of reviving investment-led growth and stop quantitative tightening

on.ft.com

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 1d

Useful thread from James about the ongoing decline in immigration numbers in the UK which *could* make politics around it quite different by 2029.

James Bowes @jamesbowes01.bsky.social · 4d

With the government bringing in new restrictions against immigration, many people assume net immigration will nevertheless remain high. However, the evidence actually suggests that immigration will fall dramatically over the coming years and reach lows not seen for decades (pandemic aside). (1/x)

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 1d

And we have even less protection here. Trump can't fire judges who have constitutional protection. A government here could pass a law allowing them to do so with a majority of one in the Commons.

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 1d

If you can't see how this will end, then you're not paying attention (not least to what's going on on the other side of the Atlantic).

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

This is the kind of thing Kemi Badenoch apparently wants to emulate in the UK...

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 1d

Thread that went a bit insane now has a link to my publish story at the end of it (and here: www.economist.com/united-state...)

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Conor Sen @conorsen.bsky.social · 1d

The 2005-07 analogies don’t work because particularly in 2006-07 housing was in recession whereas the rest of the economy was seemingly fine, whereas now the non-AI economy is in a malaise if not the R-word whereas AI is clearly in a mega-boom.

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

That really brings back memories of dusty demijohns (had forgotten that word even existed) lurking in my parents' garage long after any wine was being made.

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Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 1d

Mariam Cares welcomes Andy Burnham to Tory party conference saying it's "your native city, if not your native conference".

Burnham jokes that he will get "a better reception here"

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Fairness Foundation @fairness.bsky.social · 1d

We have set out a series of tax reforms that do just this with @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social, @patmillsuk.bsky.social, @neweconomics.bsky.social and @tap-uk.bsky.social👇

files.fairnessfoundation.com

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Fairness Foundation @fairness.bsky.social · 1d

Spot on from @guardianheather.bsky.social in @theguardian.com, quoting @centaxuk.bsky.social, @demos-uk.bsky.social, @resfoundation.bsky.social and @theifs.bsky.social. The right tax reforms, well designed and communicated, can raise revenue, reduce wealth inequality, boost fairness AND drive growth

Rachel Reeves’s second budget needs a narrative of fairness to justify tax rises | Heather Stewart

The chancellor should reach for the language of solidarity and social justice that this government tends to recoil from

www.theguardian.com

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Jo Kibble (Political Animal) @politicanimal.bsky.social · 1d

I say this with great love and affection for many members of the French left, but it would be awfully helpful if the French left could sometimes stop behaving like a barely-believable parody of the French left.

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Karthik Sankaran @rajakorman.bsky.social · 23d

The entire US economy is going to become more data dependent than the Fed will be!

Dom White @domw.bsky.social · 24d

The latest in a series of crazy charts.

A group of six US companies are expected to increase capital expenditures by 16% over the coming year. All other listed non-financial companies are expected to raise capex by less than 1%. Those six companies already account for a 25% of total capex outlays

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 1d

It helps to be able to spell the country you say only you are competent enough to run.

Goody-bag merch from Tory Conference branded "When Labour negotiates Britian loses" and signed "Kemi Badenoch".

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, now confirmed: apart from pensions, if you are a (non-EU) non-UK citizen you would be barred from receiving any benefits of any kind, irrespective of how long you have been in the country and/or how much tax you have paid.

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Michael @michaeljsc.bsky.social · 2d

perfect detail

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Sophie E. Hill @sophieehill.bsky.social · 2d

A thread of inspirational quotes from two of my idols: Kemi Badenoch and Ange Postecoglou

(uh-oh, I may have gotten some mixed up... or have I??)

🧵

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