Emeritus Prof. Christopher May

Retired Professor of Political Economy; now enjoying the fediverse.

Previous Lives: Record industry; bookseller; Charter 88
Interests: politics & economics, music, art
Previous Mastodon: This account was previously @ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us has moved (npub12pw…zvxn) but moved after that instance became compromised

Last Notes

2026-10-24 08:33:35 UTC

So, likely confirming many sceptics' view of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has concluded that in its first nine months it has had no discernible positive impact on the flow of inappropriate & dangerous material reaching children via social media.
As many argued at the time (and as I became convinced of after discussions in my timeline) this was the wrong way to address what remains a serious social problem.
We need a much bigger stick to deal with BigTech!
#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/23/uk-children-just-as-likely-to-have-suffered-harm-on-social-media-despite-crackdown-ofcom-online-safety-act

2026-10-10 09:52:16 UTC

Its a great business model; set up an ADHD assessment & diagnostic service, because demand is growing faster than the NHS can deliver diagnosis; then poach staff *from* the NHS, thereby reducing capacity in public health, further stoking demand, and pushing further recourse to private providers.
Whether more stringent regulation of the private sector's ADHD activities will alleviate the problem seem doubtful without major investment in NHS services!
#ADHD #MentalHealth
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/09/nhs-exodus-adhd-autism-services-staff-private-clinics

2026-10-07 17:35:15 UTC

Oh dear, the wealth advisors claiming that David Reuben (billionaire) had 'left' the UK due to Labour's tax changes, have been caught out... he's been domiciled in Monaco for tax purposes by his own admission for over a decade.
And given other evidence of a lack of 'exodus' by the super-rich, it would be nice if the media started reporting real news not making up things that are convenient to their owners....
Not holding my breath, though
#tax #politics #inequality
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/oct/07/billionaire-quit-uk-wealth-tax-resident-monaco-super-rich-exodus

2026-10-02 05:43:36 UTC

On Thursday Zack Polanski hopes to win the Holborn & St Pancras by-election, where currently the betting is he will fail to dislodge Labour.
The key Q. will be whether the Green Party of England & Wales annual conference in the days before the vote will aid or hinder his local campaign.
The next seven days may well be pivotal for the GPEW & its leader.
We can expect a lot of far from disinterested political commentary & political spin, so be prepared for a fog of invective.
#Greens #politics

2026-09-28 05:48:08 UTC

The impact on free speech & the right to protest of the proscription of Palestine Action seems to be growing as voters report growing concerns about Labour's policy.
While hardly likely to encourage voters to shift rightwards, it could easily contribute to voters 'sitting on their hands' or shifting votes to the Green Party of England & Wales or others.
One more own goal by Blue Labour.
#politics #protest #democracy #PalestineAction
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/28/protect-free-speech-labour-liberty-poll

2026-09-26 21:17:27 UTC

Business groups are warning John Healey against raising the minimum wage too far; but we've heard such warnings so often & the disaster they proclaim doesn't come to pass
Better if business leaders showed some *actual* leadership & limited top managers' pay too (or better, commit to a lower multiple between staff & managers' pay).
There may be a point where the minimum wage does have the effects warned of, but right now its the manager who cried wolf!
#workers #inequality #politics
h/t FT

2026-09-21 05:54:59 UTC

The Govt. is to expand support for victims of rape & sexual assault, while also allocating courts (and court time) to cases.... the continuing crisis in the prosecution of sexual assault has been a major issue for some time, and its good to see acton, rather than just another 'review' of the problem.
Lets hope these measure prove equal to the task of starting to move away from a culture of effective impunity for attackers.
#SexualAssault #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/sep/20/specialist-courtrooms-to-prioritise-cases-in-england-and-wales

2026-09-14 17:06:36 UTC

I know I've said it before but it really is time for the Bank of England stop trying to control inflation using the single tool of interest rates;
they may not put up rates quite yet, but the surge of inflation (due to oil price rises) is signalling to the BoE rates will 'need' to rise by the end of this year.
This would be a pro-cyclic intervention, doubling down on recessionary forces & once again punishing people for inflation which they are not causing.
Its madness!
#inflation #politics