Nostr notes by Emeritus Prof. Christopher May

The problem in economic policy making is the academic ...

2026-10-31T11:45:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…p2pf
_________________________

The problem in economic policy making *is* the academic 'consensus' among those whom politicians talk to.... the economics discipline has managed to exclude many viable alternatives while claiming to be open to them

No, in the end I didn't... perhaps I should have

2026-10-31T11:13:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…gv7a
_________________________

No, in the end I didn't... perhaps I should have

The politics of trying, cont'd. Andy Burnham would like to ...

2026-10-31T09:30:03Z

The politics of trying, cont'd.

Andy Burnham would like to have gone further with the Budget, but he (and John Healey?) felt that external pressures halted them from doing so; but they tried

The problem here is that there will *always* be issues that experts will tell a PM mean that cannot do what they 'wanted' to; political leadership is not about bowing to such expert opinion, its about pushing forward *despite* such (possible) constraints.

Burnham won't!

#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/30/andy-burnham-first-budget-labour-welfare

[@openDemocracy](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ ) has rounded up ...

2026-10-31T08:41:39Z

[@openDemocracy](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ ) has rounded up some commentators to offer over-views on John Healey's first budget; the overall assessment is disappointment at its lack of ambition or fulfilment of Andy Burnham' seeming promise of some sort of political shift from yer previous Labour Govt.

While these assessments are hardly surprising they *are* at least from a different set of voices....

#Budget #politics
https://www.opendemocracy.net/budget-burnham-john-healey-experts-verdict-big-talk-small-promises/

I refer to POTUS Trump as the Tangerine Tyrant..., Nigel Farage ...

2026-10-31T07:47:10Z

I refer to POTUS Trump as the Tangerine Tyrant..., Nigel Farage as the Fascist Frog... and now, perhaps, the time has come for a sobriquet for our PM, Andy Burnham.

Here's a poll of *some* possibilities but alternatives welcome:

#politics #AndyBurnham

My favourite paintings, No.89 John Byrne, Tilda Swinton (2001) ...

2026-10-30T07:46:10Z

My favourite paintings, No.89

John Byrne, Tilda Swinton (2001)

I'm about to head South so here is the last painting from my gallery crawl round Edinburgh. This portrait of Tlda Swinton by her (then) long term partner John Byrne captures some of her angularity & performance while also (as this was near the end of their relationship) some of the artist's growing doubt(s) about their relationship. Its a striking if not flattering painting & in the gallery towers over you.

#art #TodaysPainting

From today, new union-favouring measures in Labour’s Employment ...

2026-10-30T06:39:00Z

From today, new union-favouring measures in Labour’s Employment Rights Act allow workers more ability to seek to unionise.

The TUC are predicting a wave of recognition agreements, and if we think the divergence between workers' pay & executive pay has been driven by the decline in union representation, this may in the medium term be one of the most consequential things Labour has done this time around.

But there's many a slip twixt cup & lip

#workers #unions #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/30/tuc-leader-union-recognition-private-sector

As John Healey & Andy Burnham appear to differ on the ...

2026-10-30T06:21:54Z

As John Healey & Andy Burnham appear to differ on the timetables for potentially rejoining the EU (Healey has said 'not in my lifetime') and prospective welfare cuts (Healey sees them earlier than Burnham, who has claimed there is 'no timetable')... its pretty clear they are setting already into the, not unusual, roles of Good Cop/Bad Cop, with the latter role fulfilled by the Chancellor (driven by the influence of the Treasury).

So much for a new politics....

#politics #budget
h/t FT

I've said this before but its worth repeating: that MI5 have ...

2026-10-29T22:11:26Z

I've said this before but its worth repeating:

that MI5 have been caught repeatedly lying about the conduct of one of its 'assets', puts the whole notion of MI5's secret (judge only) evidence in legal cases into doubt;

if they cannot be relied on for candour & veracity in such submissions, defence council *must* be able to test testimony in open court.

This could be a major blow against security services' ability to hide behind anonymity in Court!

#politics #MI5
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dxwdwx8vxwo

James Wallace (River Action) sums up the results of water ...

2026-10-29T22:04:37Z

James Wallace (River Action) sums up the results of water provitsation succinctly:

'This is a system that rewards shareholders & creditors while our rivers, wildlife & bill payers lose out'....

However, Angles Eagle will need to change the culture at OFWAT if she's really going to force change... the water companies have been taking the piss, but only because the regulator has let them.

OFWAT need to stop accepting water firms' tired excuses!

#water #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/29/ministers-water-bosses-report-performance-worse

Rather, this represents the treatment of the wealthy more like ...

2026-10-29T07:38:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…5gr8
_________________________

Rather, this represents the treatment of the wealthy *more* like the HMRC's often more strident compliance efforts for the middle class... this is about levelling up the treatment of the wealthy, not picking on them

Meanwhile in its (welcome) shift to a more 'aggressive' ...

2026-10-29T06:16:59Z

Meanwhile in its (welcome) shift to a more 'aggressive' stance on the tax affairs of the ultra-wealthy, HMRC has established a list of 200 UK-based billionaires who will now be invited in for (formally) voluntary meetings (accompanied by their tax advisors) to discuss the shape of their tax submissions, ahead of filling.

Each will also be allocated a compliance officer who will focus on the 'complex' tax affairs & should develop deeper knowledge of their dealings.

#tax #politics
h/t FT

So buried in the budget was the (re) establishment of the Better ...

2026-10-28T17:49:32Z

So buried in the budget was the (re) establishment of the Better Regulation Executive (partly staffed by the Treasury) to help departments & regulators streamline regulations (and the FT suggests, experiment with modifying regulatory oversight out of the sight of Parliament).

Given the effective capture of many regulatory bodies by the sectors they supposedly regulate you don't have to be a cynic to see the direction of travel here.

I guess we know who John Healey is listening to.

#Budget

So, if you were following the money in the budget, you'll see ...

2026-10-28T16:45:27Z

So, if you were following the money in the budget, you'll see a lot of it went to the Ministry of Defence... and rather than equalise capital gains tax & income tax rates, John Healey has given an even steeper discount on CGT to 'founders' (for their lifetimes). One in the eye for workers who are being told in no uncertain terms they aren't as important as 'entrepreneurs'.

I'll need to digest more later, but mostly this initially looks like a 'holding pattern' budget...

#Budget #LINO

(Especially for my USA-based followers) One of the ways that the ...

2026-10-28T06:41:48Z

(Especially for my USA-based followers)

One of the ways that the Tangerine Tyrant may try to skew that mid-terms in favour of the Republicans (and indirectly himself) is through the claim of 'wide-spread' fraudulent voting.... so here's @BBC Verify setting out the claims and the *actual* evidence. Like so much else Trump is in no way a reliable witness on this.

#USPol #Trump #politics

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckeq3vezxlx1o

Good morning. Its budget day, and finally we'll find out what ...

2026-10-28T05:54:29Z

Good morning.

Its budget day, and finally we'll find out what John Healey & Andy Burnham's real priorities are.

But as I've said before, while we'll hear (as always) lots of pious words, this time focussing I expect on this being a 'no harm' budget, what you really will need to do is:

FOLLOW THE MONEY

That will tell you who has been successful at influencing the chancellor & the PM, whether Healey has already been 'captured' by the Treasury & who they want to please....

#Budget #politics

Masuma Ahuja on the political awakening of GenZ: 'Young ...

2026-10-27T19:02:41Z

Masuma Ahuja on the political awakening of GenZ:

'Young people have been filling the streets, and our headlines & feeds, with calls for change across the world, from Spain to Argentina, in Albania, Belgium, Morocco, India, Serbia, Brazil, Italy, Chile, Greece, Portugal, France.

[it cannot] be a coincidence [its] too diverse to suggest a single, localised cause: rather, it points to fractures in a broken system becoming visible & unbearable across the world'

#politics
https://www.thenerve.news/p/young-people-students-protest-serbia-brazil-election-uprising-france

Why won't politicians countenance major increase on taxes for ...

2026-10-27T18:32:06Z

Why won't politicians countenance major increase on taxes for the most wealthy?

Tax Justice UK interviewed a range of MPs & concluded that 'the barrier to taxing extreme wealth is a deeply entrenched pattern of political fear, economic uncertainty, institutional capture & parliamentary self-preservation'...

But, it may also be possible to shift the dial; we need to make it much more 'costly' for our political class *not* to raise the rich's taxes!

#politics #tax
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/27/mps-tax-super-rich-wealthy-voters-reform-budget-burnham

Anne-Marie Slaughter (doyen of liberal internationalists) argues ...

2026-10-27T18:22:27Z

Anne-Marie Slaughter (doyen of liberal internationalists) argues that Mark Carney (Canadian PM) is right to both offer & work for a return to morality in international affairs;

sceptics will argue that the liberal international order was always a myth more honoured in the breach than adhered to (especially as experienced by the disadvantaged), but equally we might wonder whether that myth & its (imperfect & porous) restraints are preferable to where we find ourselves now?

#politics
h/t FT

Each time someone claims the UK's fiscal problems are caused ...

2026-10-27T06:40:44Z

Each time someone claims the UK's fiscal problems are caused by the triple-lock on state pensions, or wealth hoarding baby-boomers' are behind UK inequalities,, I see a major programme of political distraction.

The UK's problems are not primarily linked to generational difference(s), they are the result of an ongoing programme of class warfare by the rich, which they are seeking to camouflage as a generational issue... it is not!

The wealthy are the only dangerous minority here!

#politics

After a failure to finalise its budget, the UN's ...

2026-10-26T19:30:50Z

After a failure to finalise its budget, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is now in limbo; the budget deal fell apart when a group of fossil fuel producing countries wanted to delay the next tranche of data (due to be delivered in time for next year's COP32).

So now the Fossil Fuel lobby behind these Govt. positions has found the perfect way to slow (even more) action on climate change; de-fang the credible global body producing the data on it.

#ClimateChange #politics
h/t FT

So it transpires that US voters have been paying attention to ...

2026-10-26T06:14:45Z

So it transpires that US voters *have* been paying attention to the antics in Washington, with a vast majority across a range of demographic groups concerned about 'corruption, self-dealing or conflicts of interest' in the Trump administration....

Given these sentiments, the Tangerine Tyrant looks ever more of a liability for the Republicans; the mid-terms are looking more likely to see defeats for the Republicans, but equally therefore more likely to be interfered with by Trump?

#USPol

More on taxation: sometimes the way to raise taxes is not to ...

2026-10-25T10:27:38Z

More on taxation:

sometimes the way to raise taxes is not to introduce new taxes or new elements to existing taxes, but to just properly enforce the collection of taxes we already have.

The HMRC calculate that each year the exchequer loses at least £10bn in lost VAT receipts, due to a range of issue from online sellers being based outside the UK to everyday fraud by businesses.

There would be a cost to better enforcement, but much less than the losses: £200bn over two decades.

#politics #tax

As we head towards the Budget next week, lets be clear about the ...

2026-10-25T10:16:42Z

As we head towards the Budget next week, lets be clear about the overall tax burden in the UK.... its only just above the OECD average, and in the bottom half of the ranking on tax budder across the OECD.

(Of course we rank *above* the USA which is the key comparator for our political class... mistakenly, as in the US, this excludes health care costs).

But, the UK has the *most* complex tax code in the world; if we wanted to do something about tax *that* is where we should start.

#politics

Bill Gates is warning (in the Observer) that AI will see mass job ...

2026-10-25T09:32:34Z

Bill Gates is warning (in the Observer) that AI will see mass job losses, but the need for a 'safety net' means that the wealthy (who reap much of the financial benefit ) will need to pay more tax.

Whatever the merits of the second aspect of his argument, (as always) this sort of technological determinism undermines responses;

AI & associated technologies are not natural forces we need to deal with, they are human constructs whose social impact can & *should* be fully regulated!

#AI #politics

Part of the underlying problem in the UK is this: workers are ...

2026-10-24T09:26:59Z

Part of the underlying problem in the UK is this:

workers are derided, treated as laggards who can never innovate or originate, and are badly managed by useless managers who are more interested in personal power than in the effective operation of organisations;

when workers *do* (often) innovate & develop tacit knowledge improvements the rewards are immediately snatched away by the wealthy/employers.

In the end the UK's economic problem (as I've said before) is rubbish management!

#politics

So, likely confirming many sceptics' view of the Online ...

2026-10-24T08:33:35Z

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

Many of us would like to see wholesale reform of the UK's ...

2026-10-24T07:32:49Z

Many of us would like to see wholesale reform of the UK's second chamber (the Lords)... but while its hereditary elementhas been the focus of attention, as Huw Macartney (BirminghamU) points out, the real problem is the role of the wealthy (with a concentration of wealth in property - landlords - and corporate shareholdings in the Lords).

Given its role in legislation, the domination by wealth, is a major problem for equitable governance & skews legislation.

#politics
https://theconversation.com/from-aristocracy-to-assetocracy-how-wealth-has-transformed-the-house-of-lords-293492

So even ReformUK Ltd insiders expect the Parliamentary ...

2026-10-23T17:16:53Z

So even ReformUK Ltd insiders expect the Parliamentary investigation into the Fascist Frog & the £5mn donation to find against the Frog... and are preparing to launch an appeal, not least to delay any further by-election in Clacton.

This will run & run, and ReformUK may be hoping that the media lose interest as the process pushes into the long grass?

#ReformUK #politics #NigelFarage

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/23/reform-braces-farage-standards-verdict-undeclared-5m-gift

I take some solace from the fact that IPSOS found that while only ...

2026-10-23T07:52:52Z

I take some solace from the fact that IPSOS found that while only 9% of the public trust politicians to tell the truth, over 80% trust Professors to....

I hope I'm keeping up my end of that; thanks, as always for following me here on Mastodon.

#politics #universities #trust

https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/ipsos-veracity-index-2025

Across the country people know the value of migrants who work ...

2026-10-23T05:47:15Z

Across the country people know the value of migrants who work across a range of sectors *and* contribute to the country's culture & economy, yet the Labour Govt. like its Tory predecessors continues to deny this value, seeking to denigrate migrants in an attempt to appeal to voters with 'legitimate concerns' about immigration.

As Gaby Hinsliff, argues this hasn't worked on its now terms, and has also undermined the value of migrants to the UK.

#immigration #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/23/labour-truth-immigration-economy-nhs-home-secretary

The latest opinion polls suggest that Andy Burnham (whatever we ...

2026-10-23T05:29:44Z

The latest opinion polls suggest that Andy Burnham (whatever we think of him here) has managed to repair the assessment of the Labour leadership as incoming PM.....

This data also suggest the relentless attacks on Zack Polanski of the Green Party of England & Wales have hit home with voters, with both Polanski & the Fascist Frog polling a negative rating of nearly 30%.

But this may all change once John Healey has delivered the budget next week....

#politics

Once again the political class is doing the bidding of he ...

2026-10-23T05:12:24Z

Once again the political class is doing the bidding of he financial sector; the Govt. is about to further relax the Senior Managers & Certification Regime, both narrowing the scope of staff included *and* removing the requirement to report/investigate 'minor' infractions.

This is all part of the continuing dis-assembly of banking regulations put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.

I've said it before, but: 'don't tear down fences until you recall why they were erected'!

#politics
h/t FT

This evening I read (in the FT) a claim that the UK's minimum ...

2026-10-22T21:37:16Z

This evening I read (in the FT) a claim that the UK's minimum wage was one of the highest in the world, and I was sceptical, but actually according to a research from Moorepay (which looks reliable), that claim actually does seem correct... the UK's is the fourth highest in the world (using purchasing power parity).

Which perhaps says more about the lack of decent minimum wage level in other countries than the generosity of the UK's policy?

#MinimumWage #politics
https://www.moorepay.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-global-minimum-wages/#The+real+value+of+the+minimum+wage+in+every+country

Hilarious.... focus group slop

2026-10-22T21:21:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…p7yz
_________________________

Hilarious.... focus group slop

This is not a new story, but nonetheless it remains both shocking ...

2026-10-22T17:40:54Z

This is not a new story, but nonetheless it remains both shocking & dismaying:

the Police are arresting women who are being domestically abused for 'crimes' that are linked to their responses *to* that abuse.... once again the police do not have a clear idea about domestic abuse & as such, its no wonder women do not trust them.

This is 2026 & it is not good enough (by a very long stretch); the police need to put their house(s) in order!

#VAWG #police
https://www.opendemocracy.net/domestic-abuse-victims-arrested-policing-prisons-injustice/

For those of you wondering about Olly Robbins' litigation ...

2026-10-22T12:12:14Z

For those of you wondering about Olly Robbins' litigation strategy over his exit from a senior civil service post, having been 'sacked' by Keir Starmer.... here's dag (npub1uqn…lhdy) setting out how Robbins actually manoeuvred the Govt. into a major out of court settlement.

Its a classic case of the civil servant knowing a lot better how things *can* work than the politicians... in other words, be careful, PM (and now that's you Mr Burnham), who you piss off!

#politics
https://theemptycity.com/blog/2026/10/the-curious-incident-of-the-settlement-of-the-robbins-claim/

After years of speculation & complaint, the Treasury has put ...

2026-10-22T05:45:59Z

After years of speculation & complaint, the Treasury has put a figure on the loss represents by the UK's failure to establish the sort of oil-revenue fed sovereign wealth fund the Norwegians have built.

The estimate is that that fund would likely be worth around a £1 trillion, but instead the funds from peak earning in the North Sea were deployed by Margaret Thatcher to fund tax cuts....

One more reason to see Margaret Thatcher as a wrecker of the UK!

#Oil #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4g1zrl2nrqo

I see the BigTech builders of UK data centres are sufficiently ...

2026-10-22T05:38:08Z

I see the BigTech builders of UK data centres are sufficiently concerned about the prospect of widening (local) political resistance & protests that they are seeking Govt. intervention to deliver a 'compact' to ease the local environment for construction...

Of course, given our political class' disdain for protest and people's local interest(s), we're more likely to see proscription of protest groups & repression of campaigns against data centres.

#politics #AI

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/22/ai-firms-say-uk-has-a-year-to-head-off-datacentre-protests-before-construction-is-threatened

In the past corporations that sought to distribute more to ...

2026-10-22T05:17:43Z

In the past corporations that sought to distribute more to shareholders than they had earned (via loans or running down of reserves) still needed to demonstrate the maintained their capital level with such payments only paid out of 'accumulated profits'.

But, its seems the Govt. is considering weakening this requirement (in place in various forms since C19th); this will make it easier for insiders to gut firms' finances.

This sin't pro-business it pro-asset-stripper!

#politics #law
h/t FT

The mid-terms in the USA will be (another) testbed fro the ...

2026-10-22T05:07:20Z

The mid-terms in the USA will be (another) testbed fro the proposition that you can *just* buy the result of democracy... Republicans have built up a 'archest of nearly $1bn around double what the Democrats have available to spend.

However, currently polls are favouring the Democrats, so the Q. is whether the Republicans' spend can reverse that polling advantage.

And of course there's always the chance of *actual* electoral interference from the White House.

#USPol #Trump #midterms
h/t FT

As I said a couple of days ago after watching the Aberfan ...

2026-10-21T21:18:02Z

As I said a couple of days ago after watching the Aberfan documentary, what ties a range of scandals & disasters together in the UK is the common element of elite (political class) disdain for normal people, our wellbeing & our lives (generally). The COVID enquiry just adds more evidence to that conclusion...

The UK's problem is our political class just don't like us very much & as such whatever they may be required to say publicly, care little for our lives.

#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/21/families-care-home-residents-covid-inquiry-report-findings

John Ashby sums up the central hypocrisy of media coverage of the ...

2026-10-21T17:21:06Z

John Ashby sums up the central hypocrisy of media coverage of the Green Party of England & Wales....

#GPEW #Greens #politics

h/t Guardian Letters

As @npub1qeq…58yu argues, the problem with neoliberalism is not ...

2026-10-21T11:35:47Z

As Simon Wren-Lewis (npub1qeq…58yu) argues, the problem with neoliberalism is not the approach itself (whatever its shortcomings), but rather the evidence free, faith-based version (privileging corporate interest) that dominates the economic thinking of the UK's political class.

Shorn of evidence & knowledge, economic policy has become wholly ideological with no real interest in, or use for *actual* economic evidence. Until we change this, economic policy will remain misguided.

#economics
https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-decline-of-knowledge-based-policy.html

The spread of the world's fastest moving Ebola outbreak ...

2026-10-21T06:04:20Z

The spread of the world's fastest moving Ebola outbreak continues, with reports it has now reached the capital of Nigeria (with a patent only admitted to hospital four days after showing symptoms one can only speculate how many people she was in contact with).

This outbreak of a new strain of Ebola seems to be accelerating & widening, and at present (partly due to aid cuts) the work to contain the outbreak looks uneven at best.

#Africa #ebola #health #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/21/nigeria-first-ebola-case-africa-outbreak-latest

Rafael Behr is right; the Right are arsonists who present ...

2026-10-21T05:58:29Z

Rafael Behr is right; the Right are arsonists who present themselves as firefighters, prompting chaos while claiming they stand for order.... and of course they get away with this due to a giant & suppine media unwilling to offer proper scruitiny.

As the press blame protestors, or at times 'heavy handed' policing, as Behr puts it the 'arsonists affect dismay at the conflagrations they ignite. They cavort in firefighter costumes & hose the flames with petrol'!

#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/21/france-uk-rightwing-populists-marine-le-pen-donald-trump

We no longer have any hope of holding world temperatures to only ...

2026-10-21T05:51:41Z

We no longer have any hope of holding world temperatures to only 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial era levels according to the latest UN report, with emissions continuing almost unabated despite the widespread recognition of the climate crisis.

The Q. is now how widespread will the effects of climate change be, and that we can already start to see.

Likewise, its clear that the global political class is not really committed to NetZero (if it ever was).

#ClimateChange
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/21/world-cut-emissions-un-climate-crisis

The FT is editoralising that John Healey's budget should ...

2026-10-21T05:34:09Z

The FT is editoralising that John Healey's budget should build on the UK's economic 'resilience' noting that despite Brexit & the more recent Oil shock prompted by attacks on Iran, the UK's economy hasn't plunged into crisis.

As always such statements reflect where you're sitting; I'm sure in the City of London & in the citadel of elite journalism, all doesn't look too bad, but out in the real world of the UK's economy 'resilience' looks like a delusion & crisis is all too evident.

#politics

This week I've mainly be reading, no. 340. Mahmud El Sayed ...

2026-10-20T20:32:24Z

This week I've mainly be reading, no. 340.

Mahmud El Sayed self-identified Arabfurism novel, The Republic of Memory (2026) takes the standard SciFi trope of the generations star ship & gives it a multi-religious twists with a but of added detective noir. Th novel explores the political upheavals of governance in a must-genertaional voyage. Its also, pretty clearly set up as a the first of a series, but also remains sufficiently self-contained to be a compelling read.

#books Books & Literature Channel (npub1v0q…ayns) #SciFi

As our American friends head towards the mid-terms, US economic ...

2026-10-20T05:56:14Z

As our American friends head towards the mid-terms, US economic performance is predicted to play a major role in how things play out for the Republicans & the Tangerine Tyrant.... so here's @BBC Verify's overview of the evidence on the economy.

Likely the key issues for votes will be:
low/no household income growth;
slowing 'job creation';
borrowing costs have risen.

Despite GDP growth looking positive, little benefit is 'trickling down'

#USPol #Trump #economics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv98ze40jz18o

While I completely understand young people's reported desire ...

2026-10-20T05:49:35Z

While I completely understand young people's reported desire to get more preparation for work while at school (given the requirement to work is central to any capitalist society), its also a depressing indication of how influential the instrumental view of education has become (even among children).

Learning *could* be about so much more than work, but the focus of education has narrowed to see it merely as a preparation for employment...

#workers #education #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6m2dmdxgz2xo

Should we focus on the drop in support for the NHS' ...

2026-10-20T05:42:00Z

Should we focus on the drop in support for the NHS' 'founding principles' reported by the Kings Fund, or should we celebrate that despite the continuing engineered crisis, around three quarters of the UK population *still* support the idea the health service should be 'free to use, available to everyone & tax-funded'?

Support for the NHS actually remains pretty high in comparison with other aspects of UK society.

Glass half full or half empty?

#health #NHS #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/20/public-support-founding-principles-nhs-falling-across-uk-population

While the Govt. seeks to halt leaks of the budget, its not averse ...

2026-10-20T05:15:07Z

While the Govt. seeks to halt leaks of the budget, its not averse to pre-announcing aspects itself.

John Healey having 'listened' to business, says he will not be raising Capital Gains Tax at all, having already ruled out equalising CGT with income tax.

Given this was seen on the Left as a key indicator of intent over fiscal management & taxation, many may well see this as an early indication of what 'following the money' indicates about budget priorities!

#Budget #Labour #politics
h/t FT

One of the striking differences between UK employers & the ...

2026-10-20T05:10:02Z

One of the striking differences between UK employers & the Dutch is the issue of responsibility;

Dutch employers see themselves with responsibility for the well-being of young workers; in the UK many employers see labour as a cost that needs to be reduced, training as a luxury & young workers only being employable if they *already* have work experience.

To replicate the Dutch model of partnership will require significant cultural change!

#workers #NEETS #politics
https://feweek.co.uk/what-alan-milburn-and-i-learned-from-the-dutch/

Adversity in childhood casts a dark shadow over people's ...

2026-10-19T21:02:52Z

Adversity in childhood casts a dark shadow over people's subsequent life, health & well-being... as always prevention is better than treatment (which is not to downplay treatment & other support).

We need to be better ar protecting children.... as it is they as they grow up who continue to pay the social & personal price for what the adversity they confront.

#Children #trauma #politics
https://theconversation.com/childhood-adversity-linked-to-billions-in-health-and-economic-costs-new-research-293876

Watching this evening's documentary on the Aberfan disaster, ...

2026-10-19T20:34:44Z

Watching this evening's documentary on the Aberfan disaster, its already clear (half way through) that like later scandals (right up to recent years) a consistent theme is the absolute disdain the political class have for normal people.... from lies to condescension and inhumanity, the political class just see normal people as a nuisance.

What is also notable is that the media seem(ed) a lot more sceptical of the political class that they do now!

#Aberfan #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m003375t

And so The Canary goes dark, among recriminations & ...

2026-10-19T17:29:45Z

And so The Canary goes dark, among recriminations & conspiracy theories about attacks and partial 'de-banking' from Lloyds.... The Canary claims it will offer its side of the story of its closure imminently, but given how the political class treats anything that looks left-ish, it doesn't take too big a leap to see something political behind the closure of a leading outlet for left-opinion & analysis.

They'll be more on this soon, I'm sure....

#media #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/19/the-canary-leftwing-news-website-closure

If data centres are becoming military targets (as they have both ...

2026-10-19T17:23:56Z

If data centres are becoming military targets (as they have both in the Ukraine/Russia war, and in the Middle East, recently), then the expense of fortifying them (blast/missile proof exteriors, anti-drone measures etc.) is merely going to add the their expense; making the 'investments' even more expensive.

If, as a result the move to localised running of AI & associated technologies continues to accelerate, the data centre investment crash may be much nearer than we thought?

#AI #technology

I've made this point before, but thought I'd make it ...

2026-10-19T14:39:02Z

I've made this point before, but thought I'd make it again, today:

One of the most serious problems that undermines the UK's public sector is a logic that sees cuts in funding for everyday normal activities as 'efficiencies', but then produces increased failures in the everyday provisions of services that need to be addressed (or rectified) by much more expensive emergency/reactive actions & services.

Everyday service cuts are a false economy seen in education, health, welfare...

#politics

The World Health Organisation warns bed occupancy rates above 85% ...

2026-10-19T07:27:30Z

The World Health Organisation warns bed occupancy rates above 85% signals congestion & difficulty absorbing additional demand.

Nuffield reported overnight general & acute NHS bed occupancy of 92.5% in the final quarter of 2025–26.

In September, England recorded 99,290 instances of 'corridor care'.

So, the NHS is not 'running hot', its in continual crisis; slow discharge to social care is one issue, but a 'just-in-time'/'lean' management logic is another!

#NHS #politics
h/t NHSManagers.net

A new campaign to collect media stories that prejudice & ...

2026-10-19T05:57:49Z

A new campaign to collect media stories that prejudice & abuse disabled people in one place - the Disability Media Action campaign - is looking for people to submit examples from the news media of such stories.

As always, campaigning on an issue is helped by having a single detailed record, allowing trends to be identified alongside the serial offenders.

If you have examples please contact them.

#disability #media #politics

h/t Disability News Service

https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/crime-and-disabled-people/disability-media-action/

And so, in a political environment where benefits' recipients ...

2026-10-19T05:48:24Z

And so, in a political environment where benefits' recipients are seen as scroungers what is actually happening is that companies are using them to farm benefits & transfer the payments into their now profits....

The Q. is will the Right, so keen to demonise 'scroungers' now turn on these companies, remain strangely quiet, or seek to claim its just 'a few bad apples' to downplay the extent of the problem. I think we know the answer.

#housing #corruption #politics

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm62y80yxw9vo

The decoupling of housing economics from many people's ...

2026-10-19T05:41:59Z

The decoupling of housing economics from many people's working lives leads Leilani Farha (former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing) to typify the housing political interest as Housing Inc.. She asks:

'Can it be a democracy when a place to live is governed not by human beings & their needs but by financial firms & profit, pricing people out of their homes & onto the streets? Around the world, people are forcing that question into the open'.

#housing #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/19/housing-crisis-global-democracy-nations-financial-sector

The argument about the negative economic impact of Brexit is well ...

2026-10-19T05:32:29Z

The argument about the negative economic impact of Brexit is well known, but damage to the UK's geopolitical position has been less commented on; not least as the UK political class still think the UK is a major power (due to having some nukes & a seat on the UNSC).

Now the IPPR have concluded:
'Sovereignty without the ability to act on it is not autonomy; hedging between larger powers is, at best, a strategy for survival rather than for success'

#Brexit #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/19/britain-geopolitical-crises-rejoin-eu-thinktank

There's a lot of anger behind the demonstrations in France ...

2026-10-19T05:01:38Z

There's a lot of anger behind the demonstrations in France before & over this weekend, compounded by the heavy handed policing of student demonstrations.

But, of course, this is being framed by France's political class as a failure of policing - no, its a long-term failure of government.

Like other countries the management (governance) of the economic system has failed to deliver beneficial results for a large (now angry) group of the population... *that* is the problem!

#France #politics

As I have pointed out before interest is the price of risk.... ...

2026-10-18T21:16:41Z

As I have pointed out before interest is the price of risk....

thus, when Anthropic is looking to cut a deal on loans (with a yield of 10%) secured on the lease income from the chips purchased through a $60bn 'debt package' with Blackstone, one might wonder what Anthropic think Blackstone know about the future?

As this is approaching junk bond returns, we can only conclude the risks around AI & associated technologies are not merely being recognised by the sceptical!

#AI #politics
h/t FT

We might compare the treatment of Sarah Helm's post of X (see ...

2026-10-18T08:38:14Z

We might compare the treatment of Sarah Helm's post of X (see earlier post here) and Sally Ronney's statement about support for Palestine Action... and suggest some (shall we say) inconsistency.

But more generally as Kenan Malik concludes the problem lies with a definition of terrorism that *can* include peaceful demonstrators with banners.

You cannot really have free speech for some; well you can but its a political hypocrisy!

#PalestineAction #protest #politics

https://observer.co.uk/news/columnists/article/fabers-withdrawal-of-sally-rooneys-novels-exposes-the-idiocy-of-uk-terrorism-legislation

As the stream of revelations about the conduct of people ...

2026-10-18T08:01:59Z

As the stream of revelations about the conduct of people associated with ReformUK Ltd continues, commentators who are conducting a pantomime of outrage are likely more upset that what they always knew to be true but concealed by treating ReformUK as the articulator of 'legitimate concerns', has now become to public to ignore...

ReformUK supporters won't care, those who already hate ReformUK won't change their views either.... but what will the Reform-curious make of it?

#ReformUK #politics

The Metropolitan Police have concluded the threshold for arrest ...

2026-10-17T20:46:23Z

The Metropolitan Police have concluded the threshold for arrest hasn't been reached by Sarah Helm's post on X:

'God help us authors who support Palestine & Palestine Action'

The police seem to think the word 'us' is not inclusive of the person expressing the view, and so not subject to PA's proscription.

But hold on, she's the wife of Jonathan Powell (the PM's National Security advisor Jonathan Powell).

One law for us & another for them?

#PalestineAction #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/17/sarah-helm-jonathan-powell-palestine-action

No, not so in the UK; while employee pay is automatically ...

2026-10-17T20:16:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…8zu5
_________________________

No, not so in the UK; while employee pay is automatically reported, but may other transactions need to be declared, and not just by the rich

You've seen a lot of bleating against the equalisation of ...

2026-10-17T09:26:50Z

You've seen a lot of bleating against the equalisation of income tax & capital gains tax, but meanwhile the HMRC has been busy clawing back unpaid CGT, recovering nearly £500m in 2025/26; its renewed vigour on business taxation rained the haul by 82% up on the previous year.

As this suggests, when the HMRC deploys more staff & resources to business taxation, strangely the tax-take rises pretty significantly... its almost like business people were lying about their gains?

#tax #politics
h/t FT

Oh dear, more trouble for Palantir's attempts to capture ...

2026-10-17T09:04:49Z

Oh dear, more trouble for Palantir's attempts to capture patient data via the NHS... more NHS Trusts are rejecting the software & the claims made for it... all as ex-Labour MP Tom Watson goes into bat for them (claiming if other technologies were available they'd be competing with Palantir's... err, that exactly what NHS Trusts are saying!).

The thing Palantir really seem to dislike is scrutiny & scepticism about their performance claims!

#Palantir #NHS #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/17/palantir-patient-data-tech-rejected-by-many-nhs-trusts-in-england

You'll be unsurprised Amazon is using an AI-related tool to ...

2026-10-17T07:34:53Z

You'll be unsurprised Amazon is using an AI-related tool to assess its distribution sites for signs of nascent union activity...

Of course, Amazon denies the tool (Atlas) is being used to head-off unionisation efforts at specific warehouses, but then again they would say that, wouldn't they?

Their problem is the information has arisen during 'discovery' during a Court battle between Amazon & Canadian union; and as such, the source is the firm itself.

#unions #Amazon
https://www.opendemocracy.net/amazon-ai-surveillance-monitor-union-activity-uk-warehouses-birmingham-coventry-atlas-sutton-coldfield/?ref=weekly-newsletter

There is a lot of confusion about the UK's 'flexible' ...

2026-10-16T18:05:53Z

There is a lot of confusion about the UK's 'flexible' constitution, not least as it is not differentiated from everyday law; here's Prof. Mark Elliott setting out some of the key issues in an accessible way.

As he concludes: 'the UK constitution’s flexibility could turn out to be not a strength, but its greatest weakness'... which as an erstwhile member & employee of Charter 88 is *exactly* why we campaigned for a (separate) written constitution!

#RuleOfLaw #politics
https://publiclawforeveryone.com/2026/10/16/constitutional-law-101-does-the-uk-have-a-constitution/

As Frances Ryan argues, Andy Burnham needs to resist the ...

2026-10-16T05:45:16Z

As Frances Ryan argues, Andy Burnham needs to resist the anti-benefits rhetoric of the Right, which presents those receiving benefits as 'grifters' or 'scroungers' living it up at tax-payers expense... and replace this with a rhetoric of compassion & understanding.

The Q. is can the anti-benefits mood music be turned down or will we see those in need scarified on the rock of fiscal probity?

Sadly the latter looks more likely.

#disability #poverty #benefits #politics

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/16/right-scrounger-rhetoric-benefits-labour-compassion-welfare

If you've not heard of Isabella Weber, you might want to read ...

2026-10-16T05:38:39Z

If you've not heard of Isabella Weber, you might want to read this profile, as she is looking like becoming the next political economist (my designation, not hers) to join the slowly growing group of analysts arguing we need to rethink the global economic settlement in various ways.... she joins Kate Raworth, Marianne Mazzacuto and others who are setting out a new approach to our global political economy.

#economics #politics #inequality

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/16/isabella-weber-anti-fascist-economics

I'd take commentators claiming the Green Party of England ...

2026-10-16T05:27:15Z

I'd take commentators claiming the Green Party of England & Wales has been beset by Left entryism more seriously if they hadn't dismissed the party in the past as a marginal force in British politics.

The worry that the GPEW has widened its focus & encompassed views popular on the Left is not so much a worry about the policies the party espouses, as a concern they might actually gain more votes thereby disrupting the political class' domination of the political agenda!

#politics

The broad shape of the Alan Milburn review of social mobility ...

2026-10-16T05:21:09Z

The broad shape of the Alan Milburn review of social mobility & youth unemployment will likely involve a shift from cash benefits to support into work (and other measures).

This is may also to be seen in other areas of welfare reform undertaken by the administration of Andy Burnham.

This is intended to reduce the welfare budget, but a cynic might also see it as the transfer of cash from benefits' recipients to professional advisors & civil servants?

#welfare #politics #benefits
h/t FT

So, the Tangerine Tyrant has cancelled the live streaming of the ...

2026-10-15T17:29:09Z

So, the Tangerine Tyrant has cancelled the live streaming of the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan (killer of unarmed military personal in 2009).

The families of the victims still have the option to watch, should they wish, but it will not be live-steamed, as Trump responded to almost universal condemnation by changing his mind.

The right decision, but too late & should never of been planned in the first place...

#politics #Trump

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crx23qlnj27qo

Global poverty is on the rise, after a long period of progressive ...

2026-10-15T05:14:48Z

Global poverty is on the rise, after a long period of progressive decline; Philip Schellekens offers ten charts to help make sense of what is going on & makes the points that:

Poverty reduction is about more than growth; some growth is 'jobless'!;

We need to focus not so much on proportions as absolute numbers; and

Our data on global poverty is uneven & so we may be missing both large pockets of poverty, but also some improvements...

#inequality #poverty #politics

https://movingfrontiers.substack.com/p/global-poverty-is-rising-again

Hmmm.... not so sure about the Lib Dems as moderators, but can ...

2026-10-14T17:30:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…8u5w
_________________________

Hmmm.... not so sure about the Lib Dems as moderators, but can see what you're getting at

As Fernando Quintana (Guardian letters) says: 'A country that ...

2026-10-14T17:24:45Z

As Fernando Quintana (Guardian letters) says:

'A country that cannot afford to lose its billionaires should ask itself why it can apparently afford to impoverish everyone else'!

#politics #inequality #tax

A new report on the UK's relationship with China concludes ...

2026-10-14T17:21:56Z

A new report on the UK's relationship with China concludes the UK's approach is 'inconsistent' & beset by misunderstanding:

'Successful UK engagement with China must always be framed by an understanding that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is an inherently hostile authoritarian state that does not share our values'.

It suggests our politicians have been too easily hoodwinked into seeing potential benefits & missing the costs of the relationship.

#China #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/14/uks-incoherent-approach-to-china-plagued-by-a-lack-of-expertise-report-says

So Andy Burnham has 'ruled out' a coalition with the ...

2026-10-14T17:17:00Z

So Andy Burnham has 'ruled out' a coalition with the Green Party of England & Wales unless it reverses the conference resolution on 'Zionism is Racism'.

Well, if they don't (which may happen?), and despite the political classes hyperbole it doesn't dent their vote too much *and* they end up being a significant party after the next election, the Q. is would Burnham therefore *really* work with ReformUK.... because if he would, then no-one even vaguely Left should be voting Labour!

#politics

Did you know there is an UK Office for Responsible Business ...

2026-10-13T20:48:02Z

Did you know there is an UK Office for Responsible Business Conduct?

Nope neither did I... which might be why even though complaints to the ORBC have risen seven-fold in the last five years, that still only makes a total of 36 complaints in the eight months 'til August this year.

I wonder what the result would be if the office's profile was as high as Which?

But then again the Govt. wouldn't be able to celebrate the low level of complaints, now would it?

#business #politics
h/t FT

The debate on ownership of the UK's rail system is often ...

2026-10-13T06:07:51Z

The debate on ownership of the UK's rail system is often focussed on the failures of privatised rail companies (rightly), but the rolling programme of gradual 'nationalisation' is also not quite all that it seems.

Here's a helpful (quite long) piece from BBC In Depth on the issue of rail service & ownership, which is both helpfully detailed & nuanced in its conclusions.

(I'm posting this also to show there remains some good journalism at the BBC).

#railways #politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck5yn0n14r8do

In the next 12 months, four of the five most populous EU member ...

2026-10-13T05:37:48Z

In the next 12 months, four of the five most populous EU member states & four smaller countries are having elections (France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Greece & Slovakia);

if, as some predict, most, if not all of these elections see the further advance of the Right, then the politics of the EU itself may also be shifted by a change in members attitudes.

How this plays out may also have a big impact on the UK's chances of 'reseting' relations with the EU.

#EU #politics
h/t FT

Elon Musk is now the US Republican Party's biggest donor (he ...

2026-10-13T05:19:50Z

Elon Musk is now the US Republican Party's biggest donor (he has donated around $275mn for these mid-term elections, nearly equaling $300mn he spent on the Tangerine Tyrant's second Presidential campaign), dwarfing all other donors;

The results of the mid-terms will therefore offer (a contemporary) answer to the Q.: is there a direct link between money spent & election results?

Currently the polling suggest that link may be weaker than Musk is hoping for?

#USPol #politics #ElonMusk
h/t FT

And so this year's (so-called) Nobel Prize for Economics, as ...

2026-10-12T11:04:20Z

And so this year's (so-called) Nobel Prize for Economics, as usual goes to.... two white men.

Well, how about that? once again the Award-giving committee has been unable to find any outstanding women or people from other backgrounds who might be worthy of an award for excellence in economics. Yeah, right!

If you wanted a reason to wonder why economics is always partial (both in the sense of incomplete, and in favouring one group), then this might be a pretty big hint for you....

#economics

As the Tangerine Tyrant threatens to halt support for the Ukraine ...

2026-10-12T05:11:26Z

As the Tangerine Tyrant threatens to halt support for the Ukraine if they continue to attack Russian fuel depots, while at the same time the US is intending to buy Russian diesel due to supply constraints driven by the attack(s) on Iran and claims to have brokered a deal on a Ukraine/Russia ceasefire that Volodymyr Zelenskyy denies any knowledge of.... the conclusion that even if Trump isn't an explicit Russian asset, he's working in their interest, are again strengthened!

#Trump #politics,

While its not always clear that The Guardian has the best ...

2026-10-11T17:14:09Z

While its not always clear that The Guardian has the best interests of the Left at heart (often undermining the Left & favouring a centrist 'left' position), they have at least given Zack Polanski of the Green Party of England & Wales a platform to speak to their readers, unencumbered (we must hope) by editorial intervention.

So here is Zack 'unfiltered' on *that* conference resolution, his defeat in the by-election & the GPEW more generally.

#politics #greens
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/11/zack-polanski-green-party-british-politics-government-unity-democracy

The toll on first time buyers getting on the UK's ...

2026-10-11T08:15:27Z

The toll on first time buyers getting on the UK's 'housing ladder' has risen to the point where nearly a quarter of their monthly salary is spent on mortgage repayments, reflecting both interest rate rises & the ever rising income multiples 'allowed' on first time buyers' mortgages (now at 3.6x household income).

In both cases these are averages, and so may be much higher for those trying to buy in the most expensive regions of the UK.

It doesn't look sustainable does it?

#housing #politics

Following the successful use of 'virtual courts' for ...

2026-10-11T08:07:13Z

Following the successful use of 'virtual courts' for civil & procedural cases in Scotland, the Ministry of Justice is piloting the use of online court access as a way of dealing with the backlog of court proceedings, not least as the backlog is not evenly spread across the country (being focussed on London & the SE).

If successful, the use of online courts will likely be the core strategy for reducing waits for cases to be heard, which is good for justice.

#RuleOfLaw #politics
h/t Observer

John Naughton (Observer) suggests (pragmatically) universities ...

2026-10-11T07:42:24Z

John Naughton (Observer) suggests (pragmatically) universities resisting the rise in the use of AI & associated technologies by students (and staff) is a hopeless (and, sadly, I would say a Quixotic task), which leaves the Q: what are universities for in the age of AI?

Drawing on recent work from MIT, he suggests universities should be figuring out how & where AI use is socially beneficial & where it should be limited, and then educate/empower students to make & operate that distinction.

#AI

The debates on the impact on employment & wages of UK ...

2026-10-11T07:17:37Z

The debates on the impact on employment & wages of UK 'natives' from the arrival of migrate workers is often conducted in environment of conjectures & anecdotes, so here is a fuller analysis of data that makes two central points;

Yes, migrants do have *some* impact on 'natives' wages & employment, but 'mostly migrants did not take native jobs'...

And, what effects there are impact the lowest paid most, although the minimum wage helps alleviate that.

#workers #migrants
https://www.cambridgecircusresearch.com/publications/wages-after-the-wave

So, of course, as more people use AI & associated ...

2026-10-11T07:06:02Z

So, of course, as more people use AI & associated technologies to make job applications, so employers deluged with applications are using AI to sort, long list candidates.

But, as we might expect, it transpires that AI prefers applications written with the aid of AI, being 'impressed' by the forms of claim an AI-aided CV includes.

Its classic 'enshittification', making the process less efficient, as humans need to intervene, and more, not less time consuming.

#workers #AI Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs)
h/t FT

We're often told by economic commentators that we need to ...

2026-10-10T10:53:57Z

We're often told by economic commentators that we need to look at US competitiveness & productivity and rework our political economy to chase that 'standard'.

But, the European political economy represents a different (aggregated) choice about inequality, health provision & social structures.

In my view there is little in the US model worth sacrificing the European political economic choice(s) for... so I wish the Atlanticist cheerleaders for US rapacious economics would shut up.

#politics

Yes, that would be right; and if I implied differently I ...

2026-10-10T10:50:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…zhse
_________________________

Yes, that would be right; and if I implied differently I apologise - I'd agree, consumers are essentially led by the choice on offer & if subscriptions are where the firms are going, that is where consumers are forced to follow - see internet banking for another example (often posted about here).

As the Tangerine Tyrant increases US sanctions on the ...

2026-10-10T10:41:47Z

As the Tangerine Tyrant increases US sanctions on the International Criminal Court & its staff, and the ICC itself, seeks to inoculate itself from such pressure by shifting its procurement practice(s), we might ask whether the ICC's slow & often partial focus (driven by the 'international community') has robbed it of a the ability to appeal to a stronger global protest movement on its behalf.

The ICC, however imperfect, remains a crucial element of the global Rule of Law.

#RuleOfLaw
h/t FT

Consumer spending on subscription services has been growing at ...

2026-10-10T10:22:39Z

Consumer spending on subscription services has been growing at over five times the rate of consumer sending in general; and while some of this is trading up (to more expensive, premium) services, it does indicate a pivot away from one-off spending, onto repeat purchases (with all the advantages of inertia marketing for firms - once subscribed people often fail to cancel, as gym owner have exploited for years).

How this might change UK's market society remains to be seen.

#economics
h/t FT