Mike Green
@mikeboy7564.bsky.social
I hate politics it's an addiction.
The British state really will take your citizenship more readily than it will take your driving licence huh.
BREAKING: Liverpool FC parade crash driver Paul Doyle is sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...
Paul Doyle sentenced for 21 years over LFC parade crash
Paul Doyle has been jailed for 21 years and six months after admitting a total of 31 charges, having driven his car into crowds of Liverpool FC fans during a victory parade
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
December 16, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The British state really will take your citizenship more readily than it will take your driving licence huh.
Good to see our media finally recognising the plight of @himclay.bsky.social
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... “The other kind of migrant.” Janan will soon be assailed by 10,000 Yorkshire media men
December 13, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Good to see our media finally recognising the plight of @himclay.bsky.social
This is also an underappreciated (for those who've never been through it) part of why factions emerge within parties - you can't know everything so you build a network of people you trust on general principles who do a lot of the detail for you.
Like imagine you're a normal person, i.e. yourself. (None of you here are normal, but imagine.) You probably have 3-4 political issues you have strong opinions on, 3-4 you have general inclinations on, and a ton you know nothing about. The whip's office /tells/ you what you should think on that ton.
December 9, 2025 at 9:06 PM
This is also an underappreciated (for those who've never been through it) part of why factions emerge within parties - you can't know everything so you build a network of people you trust on general principles who do a lot of the detail for you.
It would be a lot easier to understand the need to walk a tightrope if there had been any real effort over the past couple years to take steps towards the solid land at the other side.
Right - ultimately it is in fact the essence of democracy to ask 'ok, what are we actually *doing* that isn't just continuing the This Is A Wake Up Call For Europe doom lop?'
It’s all despite the clear evidence that it hasn’t yielded clear results and others who have actually been robust have done better.
Ultimately I could tolerate the public brown nosing if we were actually doing the hard work in the background to disentangle ourselves from America. But we aren’t!
Ultimately I could tolerate the public brown nosing if we were actually doing the hard work in the background to disentangle ourselves from America. But we aren’t!
December 9, 2025 at 5:40 PM
It would be a lot easier to understand the need to walk a tightrope if there had been any real effort over the past couple years to take steps towards the solid land at the other side.
As predicted, it looks like complete shite.
December 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
As predicted, it looks like complete shite.
They really captured the exact moment the monster of the week goes from talking to the Doctor to trying to hunt him down here.
Always important to remember that this is because these robots are "faking" being human
Theyre actually capable of way more and way weirder stuff
Theyre actually capable of way more and way weirder stuff
December 6, 2025 at 11:44 AM
They really captured the exact moment the monster of the week goes from talking to the Doctor to trying to hunt him down here.
Reposted by Mike Green
One of my favourite quotes in my book was from a SPAD who told me: "government doesn't really *do* anything - it's a procurement agency that's bad at procurement."
December 4, 2025 at 9:29 PM
One of my favourite quotes in my book was from a SPAD who told me: "government doesn't really *do* anything - it's a procurement agency that's bad at procurement."
Reposted by Mike Green
Reposted by Mike Green
Any takers for the Greens? We're one short of a full set
November 29, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Any takers for the Greens? We're one short of a full set
Reposted by Mike Green
I think what this (widely shared among some people who follow me) attitude misses is that, of course, if you have a series of cowboy builders, you are going to be more and more irate as the process goes on.
The fact that every single PM this century has been more unpopular than the previous one shows that the electorate is impossible to please. We are simply predisposed to automatically hate every government no matter what. I don't know how that's sustainable long-term.
November 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I think what this (widely shared among some people who follow me) attitude misses is that, of course, if you have a series of cowboy builders, you are going to be more and more irate as the process goes on.
Advanced publication would aide Parliamentary scrutiny (which perhaps understandably no government would ever want), but also presumably if you published at midnight day-of it'd aide the smoothness with which the info enters the markets a little?
November 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Advanced publication would aide Parliamentary scrutiny (which perhaps understandably no government would ever want), but also presumably if you published at midnight day-of it'd aide the smoothness with which the info enters the markets a little?
Reposted by Mike Green
Proposed changes to spending controls are incredibly positive. As @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has previously noted, the cumulative complexity of controls muddies accountability, makes govt a worse customer, and wastes time and money. We asked govt to review and that's exactly what they've done
November 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Proposed changes to spending controls are incredibly positive. As @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has previously noted, the cumulative complexity of controls muddies accountability, makes govt a worse customer, and wastes time and money. We asked govt to review and that's exactly what they've done
It's such bollocks rhetoric to say it's fair to freeze SL repayment thresholds as graduates "generally benefit from higher earning" when you're also freezing the IC & NICs thresholds which actually applies to those who are higher earning.
November 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
It's such bollocks rhetoric to say it's fair to freeze SL repayment thresholds as graduates "generally benefit from higher earning" when you're also freezing the IC & NICs thresholds which actually applies to those who are higher earning.
Feel like you should have to include this caveat in all five times you wax lyrical about it and not just the last mention.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Feel like you should have to include this caveat in all five times you wax lyrical about it and not just the last mention.
On a day that the OBR is going to get a lot of criticism I will note its explanations of some of the more technical stuff (e.g. Box 6.1 on gilt maturity) is actually really good for the slightly-above-layperson. Reminds me of the UKSC.
November 26, 2025 at 1:30 PM
On a day that the OBR is going to get a lot of criticism I will note its explanations of some of the more technical stuff (e.g. Box 6.1 on gilt maturity) is actually really good for the slightly-above-layperson. Reminds me of the UKSC.
For reference, this is the loss of about two years worth of defence spending.
November 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
For reference, this is the loss of about two years worth of defence spending.
Don't think this gets any more credible so long as there's still a fiscal event between now and when the rise is supposedly going to take place.
💥 Govt says fuel duty to *go up* from next September.
In the past the OBR has assumed that fuel duty would start to rise after a one-year freeze.
This time, the govt has said explicitly that it will only be frozen for five months, and will start increasing it after that.
In the past the OBR has assumed that fuel duty would start to rise after a one-year freeze.
This time, the govt has said explicitly that it will only be frozen for five months, and will start increasing it after that.
November 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Don't think this gets any more credible so long as there's still a fiscal event between now and when the rise is supposedly going to take place.
On the whole I'd say this budget has done a lot of the stuff I think many of us were expecting to happen in last year's budget e.g. freezing tax thresholds, scrapping the two child limit.
November 26, 2025 at 12:49 PM
On the whole I'd say this budget has done a lot of the stuff I think many of us were expecting to happen in last year's budget e.g. freezing tax thresholds, scrapping the two child limit.
Just gonna be clear this is worse than anything Nick Clegg ever did.
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Just gonna be clear this is worse than anything Nick Clegg ever did.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
When can you declare an emergency over?
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
November 25, 2025 at 5:06 PM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Finding out in my mid 20s that aphantasia is an unusual thing and not just the way everyone's brain works was wild.
Ok query time. Biology is messy and full of exceptions. How does *your* body differ from the usual expected of you as the human you are? Anything big or small.
My mum has an extra vertebrae, a close friend multiple spleens. One sis is built like she works out but eats like a sparrow.
My mum has an extra vertebrae, a close friend multiple spleens. One sis is built like she works out but eats like a sparrow.
November 24, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Finding out in my mid 20s that aphantasia is an unusual thing and not just the way everyone's brain works was wild.
Feels bad when therapyspeaking why you're right not to listen to your partner is applicable to the relationship between a government and its backbenches.
She’s made a few comments like this in the run-up to the Budget, and I don’t know, I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be Chancellor and not hear lots of people telling you what you should do.
November 21, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Feels bad when therapyspeaking why you're right not to listen to your partner is applicable to the relationship between a government and its backbenches.
Reposted by Mike Green
Latest piece for the @thehousemag.bsky.social, on the island of strangers speech and similar. Also ft Bob Hawke.
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
The Professor Will See You Now: Island of strangers
Lessons in political science. This week: island of strangers
www.politicshome.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Latest piece for the @thehousemag.bsky.social, on the island of strangers speech and similar. Also ft Bob Hawke.
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
Big part of the reason that GWML electrification was so expensive is the supply chain and management experience had to be rebuilt after doing barely any electrification for twenty years. Labour are determined that at some point in future that cost will have to be paid yet again.
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Big part of the reason that GWML electrification was so expensive is the supply chain and management experience had to be rebuilt after doing barely any electrification for twenty years. Labour are determined that at some point in future that cost will have to be paid yet again.
To be fair it is internally consistent; the multiple groups of friends results from the depicted asexual reproduction.
AI sitcom accidentally a Lynchian fever dream. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and insane lament.
October 30, 2025 at 8:35 AM
To be fair it is internally consistent; the multiple groups of friends results from the depicted asexual reproduction.