Richard Dubourg
@richarddubourg.bsky.social
Economist. Academic, then consultant, then UK government, then EU regulator, now consultant again. Environment, health, crime. Mostly chemicals these days.
Woke. Remain. Proportional representation.
Woke. Remain. Proportional representation.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
It was in 2017 that I first became convinced Brexit was won as part of a Russian strategy to totally destabilise Europe and everything that has happened since has reinforced that.
December 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
It was in 2017 that I first became convinced Brexit was won as part of a Russian strategy to totally destabilise Europe and everything that has happened since has reinforced that.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
Number crunching: Individuals arrested within five days for suspected manslaughter after fire apparently related to building materials ripped through seven Hong Kong apartment blocks v individuals arrested over Grenfell
From the new Private Eye, out now.
From the new Private Eye, out now.
December 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Number crunching: Individuals arrested within five days for suspected manslaughter after fire apparently related to building materials ripped through seven Hong Kong apartment blocks v individuals arrested over Grenfell
From the new Private Eye, out now.
From the new Private Eye, out now.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
🚨🚨This is worse than we could have imagined: Full version of #Trump's national #securitystrategy reportedly calls for “pulling Poland away from #EU”. 🧵 notesfrompoland.com/2025/12/10/f...
Fuller version of Trump security strategy reportedly calls for "pulling Poland away from EU"
notesfrompoland.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:04 AM
🚨🚨This is worse than we could have imagined: Full version of #Trump's national #securitystrategy reportedly calls for “pulling Poland away from #EU”. 🧵 notesfrompoland.com/2025/12/10/f...
Important point, and not the impression you get from the BBC...
This does actually change the entire story. Assuming it's correct, it was an entirely lawful seizure.
December 11, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Important point, and not the impression you get from the BBC...
"Will do anything for money."
anyway, leaving you with the news that Bonnie Blue has come out for Reform, unclear if before/after getting arrested in Bali (if you don't know who Bonnie Blue is i do not recommend googling) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
How Bonnie Blue made her political bed with Nigel Farage
Plus: resignations from Boris Johnson’s cabinet; Starmer’s Christmas parties; a mistaken political identity; and when Rick Astley didn’t let down his audience
www.thetimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:58 AM
"Will do anything for money."
Can confirm.
I grew up in the 70s and 80s.
If you weren't there, just a little clarification on that Spectator piece.
Literally, NOBODY admired Hitler. Apart from nazis.
Hope that helps.
If you weren't there, just a little clarification on that Spectator piece.
Literally, NOBODY admired Hitler. Apart from nazis.
Hope that helps.
December 10, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Can confirm.
Just coming back to this.
Zipcar apparently has about 500k members in London, and revenues of £50m.
That's £100 each per year.
Sounds like a distinct lack of demand to me.
I wonder how many regular users there are?
Zipcar apparently has about 500k members in London, and revenues of £50m.
That's £100 each per year.
Sounds like a distinct lack of demand to me.
I wonder how many regular users there are?
This sounds like a better explanation to me. The fact is, if people do buy their own cars because they can't use Zipcar, it must be cheaper than Zipcar - otherwise, Zipcar wouldn't lose all that money. All that talk about expensive parking will still apply to private owners.
December 7, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Just coming back to this.
Zipcar apparently has about 500k members in London, and revenues of £50m.
That's £100 each per year.
Sounds like a distinct lack of demand to me.
I wonder how many regular users there are?
Zipcar apparently has about 500k members in London, and revenues of £50m.
That's £100 each per year.
Sounds like a distinct lack of demand to me.
I wonder how many regular users there are?
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
I really think voters must take responsibility for what and who they choose to vote for. You can’t be getting all outraged at the accusation of racism if you choose to vote for someone who says and does overtly racist things and whose biggest policy pitches are mass deportations and EU-phobia.
December 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I really think voters must take responsibility for what and who they choose to vote for. You can’t be getting all outraged at the accusation of racism if you choose to vote for someone who says and does overtly racist things and whose biggest policy pitches are mass deportations and EU-phobia.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
I live in Wales and today received my Join Us letter from Reform UK, complete with SAE which I posted back to them, immediately, empty. If every other person in Wales did this, Reform would spend over £1.5 million on postage. Not sorry. Join me Cymru.
December 6, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I live in Wales and today received my Join Us letter from Reform UK, complete with SAE which I posted back to them, immediately, empty. If every other person in Wales did this, Reform would spend over £1.5 million on postage. Not sorry. Join me Cymru.
Looking forward to all those Reform- and Tommy Robinson-supporting England fans at the World Cup complaining the UK is fucked.
The FIFA dynamic ticket pricing model = most expensive World Cup ticket prices in WC history
3 group games will cost at best $4K on tickets / $15K (including flights & accomodation)
All games through to the Final will cost at best $16K on tickets / $41K (including flights & accomodation)
2/10
3 group games will cost at best $4K on tickets / $15K (including flights & accomodation)
All games through to the Final will cost at best $16K on tickets / $41K (including flights & accomodation)
2/10
December 7, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Looking forward to all those Reform- and Tommy Robinson-supporting England fans at the World Cup complaining the UK is fucked.
Time to be playing the best Christmas album of them all.
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Low - Christmas (Studio album, 1999) - YouTube
youtube.com
December 6, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Time to be playing the best Christmas album of them all.
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
Studying lynchings of Black Americans in the South between 1880 and 1940 finds that children of individuals who were exposed (as children) to lynchings see a reduction in their income relative to counterfactual individuals, from Condra, Jones, and Walsh www.nber.org/papers/w34523
December 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Studying lynchings of Black Americans in the South between 1880 and 1940 finds that children of individuals who were exposed (as children) to lynchings see a reduction in their income relative to counterfactual individuals, from Condra, Jones, and Walsh www.nber.org/papers/w34523
So what are Ireland going to do if they qualify for the World Cup?
December 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
So what are Ireland going to do if they qualify for the World Cup?
Great thread.
Right - so as the relatively rare Irishman who is also a Russia/FSU geek I guess I have to have Thoughts and Opinions after yesterday's revelations. First off - I don't think that this was an attempted assassination or other "kinetic" mission. The goal here seems to have been purely psychological /1
December 5, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Great thread.
They've been testing the waters for weeks now. This is what for.
Christ on a cracker — these seemingly hostile drones only missed Zelensky’s plane because he was unexpectedly early www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
They've been testing the waters for weeks now. This is what for.
You can lie to some of the people all of the time.
The super-rich rightwing are pouring money into Reform. Do ordinary voters really think their aim is to even out social inequality and make their lives better? Do they think they’re doing it so Farage invests in infrastructure and public services? Ffs. Democracy being beaten to death in plain sight.
December 4, 2025 at 10:29 AM
You can lie to some of the people all of the time.
I started following Polanski because he's a great communicator with interesting ideas.
I stopped when I realised his economics is just as you would expect if he listens to people like this.
I stopped when I realised his economics is just as you would expect if he listens to people like this.
Pinched this video from @cjsnowdon.bsky.social on Twitter because Bluesky has to see it.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
December 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I started following Polanski because he's a great communicator with interesting ideas.
I stopped when I realised his economics is just as you would expect if he listens to people like this.
I stopped when I realised his economics is just as you would expect if he listens to people like this.
Anticipating a block
Is there? Who has made it?
December 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Anticipating a block
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
Is there? Who has made it?
December 1, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Is there? Who has made it?
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
🧵 A bot network tried to help the GOP retain power in Virginia by influencing the Attorney General election.
It failed: Democrats won a triplex in the state govt: Gov, LtGov, AG seats.
This outcome could affect the 2026 midterms and subsequent presidential elections.
It failed: Democrats won a triplex in the state govt: Gov, LtGov, AG seats.
This outcome could affect the 2026 midterms and subsequent presidential elections.
November 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
🧵 A bot network tried to help the GOP retain power in Virginia by influencing the Attorney General election.
It failed: Democrats won a triplex in the state govt: Gov, LtGov, AG seats.
This outcome could affect the 2026 midterms and subsequent presidential elections.
It failed: Democrats won a triplex in the state govt: Gov, LtGov, AG seats.
This outcome could affect the 2026 midterms and subsequent presidential elections.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
So take this in. Straight from the NATO meeting after Russia’s attack Britain’s primary military town, Salisbury, Boris Johnson flew unofficially to party in Umbria with a former KGB officer working for the Kremlin.
Can anyone tell me how this has been forgotten?
It is Profumo on stilts
Can anyone tell me how this has been forgotten?
It is Profumo on stilts
November 30, 2025 at 4:45 AM
So take this in. Straight from the NATO meeting after Russia’s attack Britain’s primary military town, Salisbury, Boris Johnson flew unofficially to party in Umbria with a former KGB officer working for the Kremlin.
Can anyone tell me how this has been forgotten?
It is Profumo on stilts
Can anyone tell me how this has been forgotten?
It is Profumo on stilts
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
I’m quite enjoying the 180 turn on a six pence from “you’ve wrecked the economy and created a black hole” to “there was no black hole and this is even worse”.
November 30, 2025 at 9:39 AM
I’m quite enjoying the 180 turn on a six pence from “you’ve wrecked the economy and created a black hole” to “there was no black hole and this is even worse”.
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
The term you use for this kind of pattern of behaviour is "death squads"
Exclusive: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order to “kill everybody” in the first strike on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. After two men survived, the mission commander ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions, according to two sources.
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:38 PM
The term you use for this kind of pattern of behaviour is "death squads"
Reposted by Richard Dubourg
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Almost 95,000 - last spurt to reach the 100,000 mark. Can it be done today?
Almost 95,000 - last spurt to reach the 100,000 mark. Can it be done today?
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 29, 2025 at 9:21 AM
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Almost 95,000 - last spurt to reach the 100,000 mark. Can it be done today?
Almost 95,000 - last spurt to reach the 100,000 mark. Can it be done today?