Will King
@willkingexe.bsky.social
(Personal account) Teacher/professional staff at Exeter University. Sometime radio and newspaper contributor on UK and US elections. Retweets!= Endorsement. He/Him.
https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/37984?show=full
Reposted by Will King
Rightly lots of debates about growth this weekend - rightly because it was low productivity growth that saw wages entirely flatline during the 2010s.
November 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Rightly lots of debates about growth this weekend - rightly because it was low productivity growth that saw wages entirely flatline during the 2010s.
Reposted by Will King
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
Reposted by Will King
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Reposted by Will King
Sorry, no, Motability was not about 'helping the most vulnerable' - it was about providing people who need modified vehicles modified vehicles!
November 26, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Sorry, no, Motability was not about 'helping the most vulnerable' - it was about providing people who need modified vehicles modified vehicles!
Reposted by Will King
The UK isn’t a “soft touch” on asylum.
UK asylum seeker benefits are similar to European neighbours
No right to work before 12 months (it’s 6 months in France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands)
UK settlement after 5 years (it’s 3 or 4 in Germany)
Let’s cut out the alarmist rhetoric.
UK asylum seeker benefits are similar to European neighbours
No right to work before 12 months (it’s 6 months in France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands)
UK settlement after 5 years (it’s 3 or 4 in Germany)
Let’s cut out the alarmist rhetoric.
November 19, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The UK isn’t a “soft touch” on asylum.
UK asylum seeker benefits are similar to European neighbours
No right to work before 12 months (it’s 6 months in France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands)
UK settlement after 5 years (it’s 3 or 4 in Germany)
Let’s cut out the alarmist rhetoric.
UK asylum seeker benefits are similar to European neighbours
No right to work before 12 months (it’s 6 months in France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands)
UK settlement after 5 years (it’s 3 or 4 in Germany)
Let’s cut out the alarmist rhetoric.
Reposted by Will King
No it isn’t
People forget that Great Britain is basically Alabama outside of London only poorer people with weaker constitutions and worse food.
November 18, 2025 at 8:38 AM
No it isn’t
Reposted by Will King
Reposted by Will King
The comments here that are questioning the history curriculum: WE LEARN THIS IN SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE MISS THIS.
holy shit: “Among the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, 85% were unaware that Britain forcibly transported more than 3 million Africans to the Caribbean, 89% did not know that Britain enslaved people in the Caribbean for more than 300 years” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Caribbean reparations leaders in ‘historic’ first UK visit to press for justice
CRC mission will seek to deepen public understanding of Britain’s colonial legacy and its lasting impact
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:42 AM
The comments here that are questioning the history curriculum: WE LEARN THIS IN SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE MISS THIS.
Odd that people are saying that the slave trade isn’t taught in UK schools, as it definitely is and definitely was. It makes up a large part of the history curriculum in primary and secondary school!
November 17, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Odd that people are saying that the slave trade isn’t taught in UK schools, as it definitely is and definitely was. It makes up a large part of the history curriculum in primary and secondary school!
Reposted by Will King
The murder rate in London is now the lowest in decades, perhaps centuries. (The Times)
November 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM
The murder rate in London is now the lowest in decades, perhaps centuries. (The Times)
Reposted by Will King
Should David and Ed Miliband retrospectively be denied citizenship because Ralph should have been sent “back” (to Belgium? to Poland?)
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
This contribution to the volume of human misery is yet another policy from Labour based on a false premise, in this case that refugees are overly attracted to Britain. It will increase bureaucratic limbo, thus making worse the problem of "cohesion" it purports to solve.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 15, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Should David and Ed Miliband retrospectively be denied citizenship because Ralph should have been sent “back” (to Belgium? to Poland?)
Reposted by Will King
Quite likely the greatest character entrance in cinema history, and Jason Isaacs - a total mensch IRL, BTW - proceeds to steal every subsequent scene he's in, as well. He probably doesn't have more than fifteen minutes' screen time in the whole movie, but still manages to dominate proceedings. Epic.
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Quite likely the greatest character entrance in cinema history, and Jason Isaacs - a total mensch IRL, BTW - proceeds to steal every subsequent scene he's in, as well. He probably doesn't have more than fifteen minutes' screen time in the whole movie, but still manages to dominate proceedings. Epic.
Reposted by Will King
"Far from draining our welfare system, migrants are supporting the British state’s solvency."
New analysis by @lgilbert.co
ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
New analysis by @lgilbert.co
ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
November 7, 2025 at 8:17 AM
"Far from draining our welfare system, migrants are supporting the British state’s solvency."
New analysis by @lgilbert.co
ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
New analysis by @lgilbert.co
ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
Another day of British food discourse. It will never end.
October 27, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Another day of British food discourse. It will never end.
Reposted by Will King
A much needed corrective by @chrisgiles.ft.com to the "welfare is out of control" narrative, drawing on research by my colleague @benbgeiger.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
No need for a moral panic about the welfare system
It’s far from perfect, but the UK’s spending is broadly controlled and employment is high
www.ft.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:17 PM
A much needed corrective by @chrisgiles.ft.com to the "welfare is out of control" narrative, drawing on research by my colleague @benbgeiger.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
Reposted by Will King
What HE managers fail to understand is that in the context of the Humanities, ‘employability’ isn’t teaching coding or carpentry, but skills around writing, presenting, reasoning, evaluation, analysis, research etc. In an 80% service economy, these are the skills that fundamentally matter.
October 15, 2025 at 6:40 AM
What HE managers fail to understand is that in the context of the Humanities, ‘employability’ isn’t teaching coding or carpentry, but skills around writing, presenting, reasoning, evaluation, analysis, research etc. In an 80% service economy, these are the skills that fundamentally matter.
Reposted by Will King
the hustle pages are posting theresa may inspo content now
October 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
the hustle pages are posting theresa may inspo content now
Reposted by Will King
Da Pope
Pope to Chicago Labor Leaders: “Please know of my appreciation for your welcome of immigrants and refugees, especially your support of food pantries and shelters….I encourage you to continue to advocate for society to respect the human dignity of the most vulnerable.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
October 11, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Da Pope
The Russian version of Masterchef off to a flying start
😵💫 The Kremlin showed Putin's celebratory lunch with the generals yesterday.
It doesn't feel festive at all. Everyone's expressions are gloomy…
It doesn't feel festive at all. Everyone's expressions are gloomy…
October 9, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The Russian version of Masterchef off to a flying start
Reposted by Will King
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
October 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Reposted by Will King
Really important analysis by @benbgeiger.bsky.social - the claim that record numbers of people are on out-of-work benefits is false.
inequalities.substack.com/p/real-out-o...
inequalities.substack.com/p/real-out-o...
Are out-of-work benefit claims at a record high?
The official statistics are wildly misleading - I've now made some new estimates that show just how wrong they are
inequalities.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Really important analysis by @benbgeiger.bsky.social - the claim that record numbers of people are on out-of-work benefits is false.
inequalities.substack.com/p/real-out-o...
inequalities.substack.com/p/real-out-o...
Reposted by Will King
America must be stopped.
September 14, 2025 at 12:03 PM
America must be stopped.
Reposted by Will King
Reposted by Will King
"You can say what you like, I don’t care, because that’s what free speech is," Nigel Farage has just told the House Judiciary Committee, about three hours after his party banned me from covering its conference this weekend.
Nigel Farage is about to give evidence to the US Congress on threats to free speech in the UK.
So here's one for him: Reform UK has just banned me (and @thenewworldmag.bsky.social) from attending its party conference this weekend. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-w...
So here's one for him: Reform UK has just banned me (and @thenewworldmag.bsky.social) from attending its party conference this weekend. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-w...
Chicken Farage bans The New World
It claims to be the party of free speech, but this last-minute decision to stop me attending tells a very different story
www.thenewworld.co.uk
September 3, 2025 at 2:44 PM
"You can say what you like, I don’t care, because that’s what free speech is," Nigel Farage has just told the House Judiciary Committee, about three hours after his party banned me from covering its conference this weekend.