John West
@jwestjourno.bsky.social
M&A, macro and politics. Global Commentary Editor, Mergermarket. Any views expressed are regrettably my own.
One half of @illexplainlater.bsky.social - a Doctor Who podcast.
One half of @illexplainlater.bsky.social - a Doctor Who podcast.
Pinned
Private equity is weighing the UK Budget’s reach for stability against its strategic emptiness. In this week’s episode of Dealcast for Mergermarket, I sit down with BCLP’s Perry Yam to discuss how sponsors should align now the fiscal dust is settling. on.iongroup.com/m/mergermark...
Reposted by John West
We've always had these dead-eyed socipaths around. It's just a few years ago they were ignored and now they're "senior fellow" at places funded by evil millionaires + going on podcasts with a brain-rotted ex-PM.
Harrison Pitt accuses the King of treachery. Pitt is a Senior Policy Fellow for Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain, who also regularly co-hosts podcasts with his ally Tomlinson (who advocates banning all ethnic and faith minorities from public office). Like Lowe, Pitt is keen to dissolve boundaries/norms
December 26, 2025 at 9:08 AM
We've always had these dead-eyed socipaths around. It's just a few years ago they were ignored and now they're "senior fellow" at places funded by evil millionaires + going on podcasts with a brain-rotted ex-PM.
These shopkeepers can all go to hell and wtf is the Graun doing writing about it?! Even the Somerset Bugle would have struggled to keep a straight face. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
‘We’ve seen it decimate areas’: Somerset town’s traders oppose parking charges
Traders on Clevedon’s Hill Road say they fear the proposals could hasten the decline of independent retail as councils across Britain look to raise income by forcing shoppers to pay to park
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:33 AM
These shopkeepers can all go to hell and wtf is the Graun doing writing about it?! Even the Somerset Bugle would have struggled to keep a straight face. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by John West
The UK will celebrate net emigration and depopulation come 2027.
And by 2028 it will start to realise, with an ageing society and low growth, what a really silly thing it has done.
The right will go "pro-natalist", the centre-left will be completely stuck.
And by 2028 it will start to realise, with an ageing society and low growth, what a really silly thing it has done.
The right will go "pro-natalist", the centre-left will be completely stuck.
December 22, 2025 at 7:28 AM
The UK will celebrate net emigration and depopulation come 2027.
And by 2028 it will start to realise, with an ageing society and low growth, what a really silly thing it has done.
The right will go "pro-natalist", the centre-left will be completely stuck.
And by 2028 it will start to realise, with an ageing society and low growth, what a really silly thing it has done.
The right will go "pro-natalist", the centre-left will be completely stuck.
Reposted by John West
This is remarkably similar to the story in the UK for Labour. Taking younger social-liberal voters for granted is a recipe for electoral disaster.
The ANES and long-term registration data on this is absolutely terrifying. I know Dems are facing a lot of 5-alarm fires, but the lack of focus on this one is the most baffling. People on the other site were just telling me how we Dems need to cater to the over 65s who want moderation. 😵💫
MAGA understands the importance of chasing young voters. Whereas Democrats continue to bizarrely just take them for granted, making the same mistake they did with a lot of other voters in 2024. Older Dems will keep voting for the party no matter what, so the Dem focus does need to be on the young.
December 21, 2025 at 9:47 PM
This is remarkably similar to the story in the UK for Labour. Taking younger social-liberal voters for granted is a recipe for electoral disaster.
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Any potential Labour leader who says UK taxes are too high will just repeat the mistakes of the current leadership.
Tell me you’re positioning for a leadership bid without telling me :….Taxes too high as opposed to poorly structured?
December 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Any potential Labour leader who says UK taxes are too high will just repeat the mistakes of the current leadership.
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As a former editor of Popbitch – and the proud owner of a legal letter sent by HarperCollins, accusing me of being "highly likely to cause serious harm to [their former star client]’s reputation both as an individual and author” – may I just say: GET IT RIGHT UP YE
December 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
As a former editor of Popbitch – and the proud owner of a legal letter sent by HarperCollins, accusing me of being "highly likely to cause serious harm to [their former star client]’s reputation both as an individual and author” – may I just say: GET IT RIGHT UP YE
Reposted by John West
Jo Cox was murdered before the vote by a far-right terrorist & this is the language this complete disgrace chooses to use
December 20, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Jo Cox was murdered before the vote by a far-right terrorist & this is the language this complete disgrace chooses to use
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"what is not clear is whether the issue is Brexit itself or the way it has been implemented"
as.ft.com/r/42719529-f...
as.ft.com/r/42719529-f...
a man with a beard is sitting at a table with his hand on his chin and the words `` sure '' written on his face .
ALT: a man with a beard is sitting at a table with his hand on his chin and the words `` sure '' written on his face .
media.tenor.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:33 AM
"what is not clear is whether the issue is Brexit itself or the way it has been implemented"
as.ft.com/r/42719529-f...
as.ft.com/r/42719529-f...
Reposted by John West
Auditors and new officials have been turning over stones at the body in charge of Teesworks. Turns out the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been lending hundreds of millions of £ to connected orgs, without loan agreements, and those orgs are now struggling to repay
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
Auditors raise red flags at public body run by Ben Houchen
[FREE TO READ] EY said errors included ‘material misstatements’ in latest setback for Conservative metro mayor Lord Houchen
as.ft.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Auditors and new officials have been turning over stones at the body in charge of Teesworks. Turns out the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been lending hundreds of millions of £ to connected orgs, without loan agreements, and those orgs are now struggling to repay
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
Reposted by John West
Unhedged is always a must-read, but this one on how to think about the possibly passing quality of being "asset-lite" in the big tech companies is educational, thought provoking, all round excellent and therefore worth a precious free link for the first few
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Two views of AI and Big Tech
How much has changed?
giftarticle.ft.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Unhedged is always a must-read, but this one on how to think about the possibly passing quality of being "asset-lite" in the big tech companies is educational, thought provoking, all round excellent and therefore worth a precious free link for the first few
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by John West
This is why I increasingly think that the insularity of a lot of US elites is a big problem for them - when your own elections are so close, you are better off looking outside your country to gauge 'what works'. Ultimately the Democrats in 2024 were far and away the best performing incumbent.
Nobody wants to admit it but Harris ran a pretty good campaign *from the position she started in*
It wasn't enough! Sometimes that happens
It wasn't enough! Sometimes that happens
As someone interested in Dem factional fights I talk about this all the time.
People sometimes note that Harris ran popularist-approved paid media and lost anyway, but the evidence suggests that the paid media was reasonably persuasive as far as these things go.
People sometimes note that Harris ran popularist-approved paid media and lost anyway, but the evidence suggests that the paid media was reasonably persuasive as far as these things go.
December 17, 2025 at 10:07 PM
This is why I increasingly think that the insularity of a lot of US elites is a big problem for them - when your own elections are so close, you are better off looking outside your country to gauge 'what works'. Ultimately the Democrats in 2024 were far and away the best performing incumbent.
Reposted by John West
Labor markets weakness is all about uncertainty, not AI.
www.richmondfed.org/research/nat...
www.richmondfed.org/research/nat...
December 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Labor markets weakness is all about uncertainty, not AI.
www.richmondfed.org/research/nat...
www.richmondfed.org/research/nat...
Reposted by John West
Government is pushing ahead with plans to permit new housing near 'well connected' stations, even in green belts. This could be quite significant - there's a lot of potential land near stations, especially in the London green belt.
Swathes of green belt land will be opened up to housing development if it is within a 15 minute walk from a ‘well-connected’ train station under the biggest planning reforms for years, ministers have announced trib.al/oBYUf0S
December 16, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Government is pushing ahead with plans to permit new housing near 'well connected' stations, even in green belts. This could be quite significant - there's a lot of potential land near stations, especially in the London green belt.
Reposted by John West
The BBC has travelled a long way since The Great Philosophers and the Ascent of Man.
December 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The BBC has travelled a long way since The Great Philosophers and the Ascent of Man.
Reposted by John West
British Member of Parliament and former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May there, circling around a mass casualty event like a vulture to exploit it in service of a rancid reactionary culture war, in case anybody is still wondering how we got here.
December 14, 2025 at 2:42 PM
British Member of Parliament and former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May there, circling around a mass casualty event like a vulture to exploit it in service of a rancid reactionary culture war, in case anybody is still wondering how we got here.
Reposted by John West
The simple fact is that domestic politics, security, geopolitics, and economics are all lining up for enormous institutional change at European level.
European values are in jeopardy and we can't just let them fade into the sunset. The UK needs to be at the heart of this change.
European values are in jeopardy and we can't just let them fade into the sunset. The UK needs to be at the heart of this change.
December 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM
The simple fact is that domestic politics, security, geopolitics, and economics are all lining up for enormous institutional change at European level.
European values are in jeopardy and we can't just let them fade into the sunset. The UK needs to be at the heart of this change.
European values are in jeopardy and we can't just let them fade into the sunset. The UK needs to be at the heart of this change.
Reposted by John West
Slides from a Home Office presentation for employers on “earned settlement” — note the case studies: they explicitly play the “good migrant” versus “bad migrant” narrative. Guess which category Sarah, the American, is placed in?
December 12, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Slides from a Home Office presentation for employers on “earned settlement” — note the case studies: they explicitly play the “good migrant” versus “bad migrant” narrative. Guess which category Sarah, the American, is placed in?
Reposted by John West
Meta has removed or restricted dozens of accounts belonging to abortion access providers, queer groups and reproductive health organizations in the past weeks in what campaigners call one of the “biggest waves of censorship” on its platforms in years.
December 11, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Meta has removed or restricted dozens of accounts belonging to abortion access providers, queer groups and reproductive health organizations in the past weeks in what campaigners call one of the “biggest waves of censorship” on its platforms in years.
Reposted by John West
This year’s top podcasts, according to my app which is where I listen to most podcasts… @illexplainlater.bsky.social @bigblueboxpodcast.bsky.social and @toohot4tv.bsky.social feature!
December 12, 2025 at 4:48 AM
This year’s top podcasts, according to my app which is where I listen to most podcasts… @illexplainlater.bsky.social @bigblueboxpodcast.bsky.social and @toohot4tv.bsky.social feature!
Reposted by John West
If you can remember, or even know where to find, all this information then there’s definitely something deeply suspicious about you.
This is the full list of info the US is proposing to require from applicants for an ESTA (electronic travel authorisation) to secure visa-free travel to America. This would apply to every UK holidaymaker, conference attendee or businessperson. public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-22461.pdf
December 11, 2025 at 8:29 PM
If you can remember, or even know where to find, all this information then there’s definitely something deeply suspicious about you.
Reposted by John West
For me, one of the strongest arguments for the ECHR is the international/regional aspect. All national legal systems, no matter how well intentioned or designed, can have rights blindspots (could be cultural, could be an oversight). Sometimes it takes outsiders to highlight this fully.
December 10, 2025 at 7:41 PM
For me, one of the strongest arguments for the ECHR is the international/regional aspect. All national legal systems, no matter how well intentioned or designed, can have rights blindspots (could be cultural, could be an oversight). Sometimes it takes outsiders to highlight this fully.
Reposted by John West
Powell notes that the FOMC believes the Fed Funds rate "is now within a broad range of estimates of its neutral value." It's no longer got a foot on the brake or accelerator.
And that means it's likely comfortable sticking where it is until the economy screams for change.
And that means it's likely comfortable sticking where it is until the economy screams for change.
December 10, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Powell notes that the FOMC believes the Fed Funds rate "is now within a broad range of estimates of its neutral value." It's no longer got a foot on the brake or accelerator.
And that means it's likely comfortable sticking where it is until the economy screams for change.
And that means it's likely comfortable sticking where it is until the economy screams for change.
Reposted by John West
Has he considered leaving well alone and telling the far right to do one?
December 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Has he considered leaving well alone and telling the far right to do one?
Reposted by John West
Ofcom is reviewing how one major platform is dealing with hate crime - including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice. It does not want to publicly say which platform. It is opaque as to whether all forms of racism have similar or assymetric levels of priority
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Ofcom Launches Investigation Into Social Media Major Platforms Over Illegal Hate Content
Internet regulator Ofcom has launched a new investigation into whether social media platforms are doing enough to identify and take down illegal te...
www.politicshome.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Ofcom is reviewing how one major platform is dealing with hate crime - including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice. It does not want to publicly say which platform. It is opaque as to whether all forms of racism have similar or assymetric levels of priority
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Reposted by John West
The dedication of some on this island to pretending that it is not in fact alright to sell drugs fascinates me. A voluntary choice to remain locked several decades in the past on drug policy.
December 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The dedication of some on this island to pretending that it is not in fact alright to sell drugs fascinates me. A voluntary choice to remain locked several decades in the past on drug policy.