Seb Tallents
@sebtallents.bsky.social
Former physicist, relapsed public servant, recovering management consultant. Currently working in NHS England on digital & technology standards.
The baseline rules are no more than 35% from non-members. Canada can now provide up to 50%, having paid 10m. EU wanted 2bn from the UK for the same.
December 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The baseline rules are no more than 35% from non-members. Canada can now provide up to 50%, having paid 10m. EU wanted 2bn from the UK for the same.
Yeah it looks like the only way it could have got there is if it belly flopped out of the sky!
December 3, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Yeah it looks like the only way it could have got there is if it belly flopped out of the sky!
Looks more like a storm shadow belly up. Jet intake is the wrong shape for MALD.
December 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Looks more like a storm shadow belly up. Jet intake is the wrong shape for MALD.
A Labour Strategist of the McSweeny type would see this as evidence that "all is going to plan, keep on going".
Unfortunately I think it creates a normalisation pipeline where Reform competes with Tommy Robinson, the Tories compete with Reform, and Labour tries to occupy space in the centre right.
Unfortunately I think it creates a normalisation pipeline where Reform competes with Tommy Robinson, the Tories compete with Reform, and Labour tries to occupy space in the centre right.
December 3, 2025 at 8:28 AM
A Labour Strategist of the McSweeny type would see this as evidence that "all is going to plan, keep on going".
Unfortunately I think it creates a normalisation pipeline where Reform competes with Tommy Robinson, the Tories compete with Reform, and Labour tries to occupy space in the centre right.
Unfortunately I think it creates a normalisation pipeline where Reform competes with Tommy Robinson, the Tories compete with Reform, and Labour tries to occupy space in the centre right.
Doesn't make him wrong, but I suspect he reckons the Tories would do better if Labour was campaigning for rejoin so Conservatives could then adopt more moderate policies under "make Brexit work" rather than competing with Farrage for right wing purity, and sell it as the centre of two extremes.
December 3, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Doesn't make him wrong, but I suspect he reckons the Tories would do better if Labour was campaigning for rejoin so Conservatives could then adopt more moderate policies under "make Brexit work" rather than competing with Farrage for right wing purity, and sell it as the centre of two extremes.
He often writes these kinds of articles though, and I tend to see a pattern whereby he is actually recommending Labour or Lib Dem adopt a position that helps create space for the centre right. I suspect the key line was the bit about the conservatives being able to run as make Brexit work.
December 3, 2025 at 8:19 AM
He often writes these kinds of articles though, and I tend to see a pattern whereby he is actually recommending Labour or Lib Dem adopt a position that helps create space for the centre right. I suspect the key line was the bit about the conservatives being able to run as make Brexit work.
Seriously, why is the UK taxpayer going to *pay* UK firms to give weapons to EU MS? That's crazy.
December 2, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Seriously, why is the UK taxpayer going to *pay* UK firms to give weapons to EU MS? That's crazy.
Genuinely baffled why people think the UK govt would pay 6bn to the EU so EU MS can spend money buying kit from the UK, when it would take 30% of all the contracts having the maximum 50% allowed spend in the UK to have 6bn of economic benefit to the UK (let alone tax income).
December 2, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Genuinely baffled why people think the UK govt would pay 6bn to the EU so EU MS can spend money buying kit from the UK, when it would take 30% of all the contracts having the maximum 50% allowed spend in the UK to have 6bn of economic benefit to the UK (let alone tax income).
How much does the Spanish govt pay as a "financial contribution" for benefiting from UK taxpayer paying Navantia building ships for the royal navy?
December 2, 2025 at 7:55 PM
How much does the Spanish govt pay as a "financial contribution" for benefiting from UK taxpayer paying Navantia building ships for the royal navy?
Not the campaigners, those responding to them.
December 2, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Not the campaigners, those responding to them.
Next to the ominously named "Master room" which seems to be a corridor looking into, but not connecting, to the main bedroom.
December 2, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Next to the ominously named "Master room" which seems to be a corridor looking into, but not connecting, to the main bedroom.
I was trying to work out what that was. It's like it started drawing a conservatory and got confused half way through.
December 2, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I was trying to work out what that was. It's like it started drawing a conservatory and got confused half way through.
I love that it doesn't even have a door to get in.
December 2, 2025 at 8:22 AM
I love that it doesn't even have a door to get in.
The coat bath is amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 8:21 AM
The coat bath is amazing.
...even though that involves hallucinating things that certainly would be the case if we were dealing with the latter scenario, but which are *not* the case because we are not actually in that scenario at all.
December 2, 2025 at 7:58 AM
...even though that involves hallucinating things that certainly would be the case if we were dealing with the latter scenario, but which are *not* the case because we are not actually in that scenario at all.
It seems to me what's actually going on here is you are treating one thing (Andrew and others campaign for better access to their homes) like an entirely different thing (the UK campaigning for exceptional status on visas) and reacting to the former as though it were the latter...
December 2, 2025 at 7:55 AM
It seems to me what's actually going on here is you are treating one thing (Andrew and others campaign for better access to their homes) like an entirely different thing (the UK campaigning for exceptional status on visas) and reacting to the former as though it were the latter...
But the UK isn't expecting the EU to fix this particular problem. The UK doesn't even think it *is* a problem, or at least one worth troubling itself over, and hasn't raised it in talks, nor is it likely to.
Given that is the case, how can the EU be finding it tiresome?
Given that is the case, how can the EU be finding it tiresome?
December 2, 2025 at 7:55 AM
But the UK isn't expecting the EU to fix this particular problem. The UK doesn't even think it *is* a problem, or at least one worth troubling itself over, and hasn't raised it in talks, nor is it likely to.
Given that is the case, how can the EU be finding it tiresome?
Given that is the case, how can the EU be finding it tiresome?
It might have been a good counter offer to guarantees a certain level of UK spend on EU firms rather than a financial contribution to the EU budget as the condition for SAFE.
December 1, 2025 at 11:43 PM
It might have been a good counter offer to guarantees a certain level of UK spend on EU firms rather than a financial contribution to the EU budget as the condition for SAFE.
There has to be no doubt that everyone jumps, and we are all in it together. Importing petty BS about market share and terms of trade is corrosive.
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 PM
There has to be no doubt that everyone jumps, and we are all in it together. Importing petty BS about market share and terms of trade is corrosive.
And it is these cracks in NATO Russia exploits to obtain escalation dominance. Will you go to War for Ukraine? No. Will you really go to war for the Baltics? Yes? Ok but maybe not for a little slice of Riga, not if it's Russian speaking nationals declaring independence. Etc etc.
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 PM
And it is these cracks in NATO Russia exploits to obtain escalation dominance. Will you go to War for Ukraine? No. Will you really go to war for the Baltics? Yes? Ok but maybe not for a little slice of Riga, not if it's Russian speaking nationals declaring independence. Etc etc.
So then the question is, do we build a British offering? Well that's likely more expensive, so less bang for buck. Do we buy American? Well that comes with strings. Do we rely more on air patrols, so in a conflict do we pull Typhoons back to protect the UK?
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 PM
So then the question is, do we build a British offering? Well that's likely more expensive, so less bang for buck. Do we buy American? Well that comes with strings. Do we rely more on air patrols, so in a conflict do we pull Typhoons back to protect the UK?
The quickest way to address this would be to buy the German and Franco-Italian offerings. But can you do that in an environment where EU supply chains are focused on "EU sovereign capability" that treats UK suppliers as a risk, that sounds like the EU thinks if missiles run low, it's EU first...
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 PM
The quickest way to address this would be to buy the German and Franco-Italian offerings. But can you do that in an environment where EU supply chains are focused on "EU sovereign capability" that treats UK suppliers as a risk, that sounds like the EU thinks if missiles run low, it's EU first...
So has the UK. We're critically weak in air and missile defense, which look's a huge mistake given the limits of nuclear deterrence against conventional strikes we've seen between Russia and Ukraine.
December 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
So has the UK. We're critically weak in air and missile defense, which look's a huge mistake given the limits of nuclear deterrence against conventional strikes we've seen between Russia and Ukraine.