Kenneth MacArthur
@kennethmac2000.bsky.social
Scottish European 🏴🇪🇺 ❤️ ☕️, 🇪🇺, 💶, fair votes, free speech, podcasts, SI, ☀️, travel 😡 Brexit, elision of 🏴🇬🇧, imperial units
2) Own the fact that the piece is principally about England and just use the word England. A lot of what one might call English intellectuals seem uncomfortable using the word England and prefer to talk about the UK or Britain, but I don’t really understand why! /3
January 6, 2026 at 11:40 AM
2) Own the fact that the piece is principally about England and just use the word England. A lot of what one might call English intellectuals seem uncomfortable using the word England and prefer to talk about the UK or Britain, but I don’t really understand why! /3
1) Include commentary on policy in the devolved nations of the same quality and detail as is provided for England. I don’t actually think this is unreasonable for pieces purporting to be about the UK, and it also provides an opportunity to compare and contrast policy approaches. /2
January 6, 2026 at 11:39 AM
1) Include commentary on policy in the devolved nations of the same quality and detail as is provided for England. I don’t actually think this is unreasonable for pieces purporting to be about the UK, and it also provides an opportunity to compare and contrast policy approaches. /2
Thanks for your receptiveness.
You are ofc not the only ones who write pieces that do this. (The UK news media do it often!)
To me, there are two obvious solutions: /1
You are ofc not the only ones who write pieces that do this. (The UK news media do it often!)
To me, there are two obvious solutions: /1
January 6, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Thanks for your receptiveness.
You are ofc not the only ones who write pieces that do this. (The UK news media do it often!)
To me, there are two obvious solutions: /1
You are ofc not the only ones who write pieces that do this. (The UK news media do it often!)
To me, there are two obvious solutions: /1
The broader approach to local government - regional authorities, bus franchising, local taxation, etc - is also entirely devolved in all three devolved nations, and the conversation is different to in England.
Eg, Scotland is ahead of England on a visitor levy, but behind on bus franchising.
Eg, Scotland is ahead of England on a visitor levy, but behind on bus franchising.
January 6, 2026 at 10:01 AM
The broader approach to local government - regional authorities, bus franchising, local taxation, etc - is also entirely devolved in all three devolved nations, and the conversation is different to in England.
Eg, Scotland is ahead of England on a visitor levy, but behind on bus franchising.
Eg, Scotland is ahead of England on a visitor levy, but behind on bus franchising.
An interesting read.
Worth noting that much of the policy stuff only applies to England (or England+).
Eg, no council tax in Northern Ireland, council tax in Wales is not based on 1991 valuations, SDLT doesn’t exist in Scotland and Wales, etc.
Worth noting that much of the policy stuff only applies to England (or England+).
Eg, no council tax in Northern Ireland, council tax in Wales is not based on 1991 valuations, SDLT doesn’t exist in Scotland and Wales, etc.
January 6, 2026 at 9:58 AM
An interesting read.
Worth noting that much of the policy stuff only applies to England (or England+).
Eg, no council tax in Northern Ireland, council tax in Wales is not based on 1991 valuations, SDLT doesn’t exist in Scotland and Wales, etc.
Worth noting that much of the policy stuff only applies to England (or England+).
Eg, no council tax in Northern Ireland, council tax in Wales is not based on 1991 valuations, SDLT doesn’t exist in Scotland and Wales, etc.
The UK still has access to the single market, just as countries around the world have access to the UK market.
The point is whether the UK is inside the single market or outside it.
The point is whether the UK is inside the single market or outside it.
January 6, 2026 at 9:51 AM
The UK still has access to the single market, just as countries around the world have access to the UK market.
The point is whether the UK is inside the single market or outside it.
The point is whether the UK is inside the single market or outside it.
Isn’t what we need productivity that is on a par with the the best in Europe, not necessarily growth per se?
Interestingly, the highest productivity European countries also have the highest employer social charges. Maybe in the medium to long term such high costs are actually a good thing?
Interestingly, the highest productivity European countries also have the highest employer social charges. Maybe in the medium to long term such high costs are actually a good thing?
December 16, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Isn’t what we need productivity that is on a par with the the best in Europe, not necessarily growth per se?
Interestingly, the highest productivity European countries also have the highest employer social charges. Maybe in the medium to long term such high costs are actually a good thing?
Interestingly, the highest productivity European countries also have the highest employer social charges. Maybe in the medium to long term such high costs are actually a good thing?
And Wales could learn from Scotland that the name of a particular government takes a definite article in the English language - _the_ Welsh government, not Welsh government. ;)
December 11, 2025 at 8:08 PM
And Wales could learn from Scotland that the name of a particular government takes a definite article in the English language - _the_ Welsh government, not Welsh government. ;)
Was soooo good!
I do think that the media/political bubble in both countries should be more interested in the other.
Eg, in Scotland, more reference should be made to the fact that the Welsh government has had the political courage to legislate for automatic council tax revaluations.
I do think that the media/political bubble in both countries should be more interested in the other.
Eg, in Scotland, more reference should be made to the fact that the Welsh government has had the political courage to legislate for automatic council tax revaluations.
December 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Was soooo good!
I do think that the media/political bubble in both countries should be more interested in the other.
Eg, in Scotland, more reference should be made to the fact that the Welsh government has had the political courage to legislate for automatic council tax revaluations.
I do think that the media/political bubble in both countries should be more interested in the other.
Eg, in Scotland, more reference should be made to the fact that the Welsh government has had the political courage to legislate for automatic council tax revaluations.
In Sweden, you can log in to your online banking without even having to sign up for it, or remember usernames, passwords, extra codes, etc, as you log in with your electronic ID linked to your state personal identity number.
December 4, 2025 at 8:58 AM
In Sweden, you can log in to your online banking without even having to sign up for it, or remember usernames, passwords, extra codes, etc, as you log in with your electronic ID linked to your state personal identity number.
December 3, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Great to see prominent reference to England and Wales both in this post and in the accompanying article, as well as comparison with the situation in Scotland - something that could be done far, far more often when discussing UK government policy for England or England and Wales.
December 3, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Great to see prominent reference to England and Wales both in this post and in the accompanying article, as well as comparison with the situation in Scotland - something that could be done far, far more often when discussing UK government policy for England or England and Wales.
*Plans for judge-only trials in England and Wales.
December 3, 2025 at 4:34 PM
*Plans for judge-only trials in England and Wales.
Not really. Ask anyone who's from or has lived in another European country with similar universal ID schemes (and associated personal identity numbers) - they are super useful and make things far simpler than the typical British 'make do and mend' approach to this.
December 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Not really. Ask anyone who's from or has lived in another European country with similar universal ID schemes (and associated personal identity numbers) - they are super useful and make things far simpler than the typical British 'make do and mend' approach to this.
It was a great event. Curious tho - why do you cover devolved HoGs almost as if they’re foreign leaders, while discussing UKG policy for England(/E&W/E&NI) as if it’s the default? (Eg, Inside Briefing.)
Why can’t you talk fluently about the policies of all 4 governments, and compare/contrast them?
Why can’t you talk fluently about the policies of all 4 governments, and compare/contrast them?
November 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
It was a great event. Curious tho - why do you cover devolved HoGs almost as if they’re foreign leaders, while discussing UKG policy for England(/E&W/E&NI) as if it’s the default? (Eg, Inside Briefing.)
Why can’t you talk fluently about the policies of all 4 governments, and compare/contrast them?
Why can’t you talk fluently about the policies of all 4 governments, and compare/contrast them?
It’s great that you mention England here, but why isn’t it mentioned in the title of the report, or indeed anywhere in the report other than oblique references in the small print?
Why do so many seem to feel uncomfortable explicitly name-checking England?
Why do so many seem to feel uncomfortable explicitly name-checking England?
November 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
It’s great that you mention England here, but why isn’t it mentioned in the title of the report, or indeed anywhere in the report other than oblique references in the small print?
Why do so many seem to feel uncomfortable explicitly name-checking England?
Why do so many seem to feel uncomfortable explicitly name-checking England?
Great, but why didn’t you title the report “The opportunity gap facing boys from low-income families in England”, as you would have done had you written a similar report about boys from low-income families in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales?
November 21, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Great, but why didn’t you title the report “The opportunity gap facing boys from low-income families in England”, as you would have done had you written a similar report about boys from low-income families in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales?
*In England.
November 21, 2025 at 6:02 PM
*In England.
Didn’t it say that the Scottish government was the only government that did learn lessons?
November 21, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Didn’t it say that the Scottish government was the only government that did learn lessons?
This report is about boys from low-income families in England, but you don’t say that once. Why?
November 21, 2025 at 5:53 PM
This report is about boys from low-income families in England, but you don’t say that once. Why?
"Deprivation is measured differently in Wales, so Welsh forces have been excluded."
Deprivation is measured differently from England, but that doesn't mean it's not measured.
Why couldn't you simply have provided separate calculations for Wales?
Deprivation is measured differently from England, but that doesn't mean it's not measured.
Why couldn't you simply have provided separate calculations for Wales?
October 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
"Deprivation is measured differently in Wales, so Welsh forces have been excluded."
Deprivation is measured differently from England, but that doesn't mean it's not measured.
Why couldn't you simply have provided separate calculations for Wales?
Deprivation is measured differently from England, but that doesn't mean it's not measured.
Why couldn't you simply have provided separate calculations for Wales?
It's not only the posts on here that don't mention England and Wales, but unbelievably the entire linked web page doesn't mention England and Wales anywhere.
October 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
It's not only the posts on here that don't mention England and Wales, but unbelievably the entire linked web page doesn't mention England and Wales anywhere.