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Richard Barfield

@richardbarfield.bsky.social

4.2K followers 1.9K following 1.6K posts

Management consultant. Adviser on governance, risk and regulation in financial services. Developing skills in semi-retired activities and caretaker of https://BrexitFactBase.com London-based.

BrexitFactBase.com

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · Mar 3

bylinetimes.com/2025/03/03/u...

‘Trump’s Embrace of Putin Should Push the UK Back Towards the EU’

In this article, I argue that the UK must accept that its economic and political interests now lean heavily towards Europe.

'Trump's Embrace of Putin Should Push the UK Back Towards the EU'

The UK must accept that its economic and political interests now lean heavily towards Europe, argues Richard Barfield

bylinetimes.com

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 54m

It may be my lack of imagination, but I can’t get my head around the scale of these personal wealth numbers (and Musk’s $0.5 trillion).
Perhaps that’s why billionaires fly beneath the radar of most voters.

Forbes @forbes.com · 1d

The stock surge also pushes LVMH’s market cap to €304.89—making it Europe’s second most valuable company by market cap.

Bernard Arnault’s Fortune Rises By $19 Billion As LVMH Stock Surges After Positive Earnings

The stock surge also pushes LVMH’s market cap to €304.89—making it Europe’s second most valuable company by market cap.

www.forbes.com

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1h

Another very helpful and informative post on the China case.
Required reading for journalists, commentators and 24-hour news presenters.

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 1h

NEW

What the Chinese spying case witness statements reveal

The Crown Prosecution Service appears to have made at least one serious error, while the government's position now makes sense

By me

emptycity.substack.com/p/what-the-c...

Yesterday this blog sought to make sense of the decision to drop the Chinese Spying prosecutions on the information then available, and averred that both the positions of the government and the Crown Prosecution Service did not make sense.

Now the government has published three witness statements, the picture now changes. The government’s position now makes sense, and the CPS looks as if it made at least one serious mistake and possibly another.

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Reposted by Richard Barfield

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 1h

tldr - the third witness statement shows the government was providing relevant evidence and was not seeking to spike the prosecution.

The CPS decision to drop the prosecution seems perverse.

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 15h

Asked Perplexity - it shows bigger numbers in the UK than I expected

www.perplexity.ai/search/488f2...

Perplexity

Perplexity is a free AI-powered answer engine that provides accurate, trusted, and real-time answers to any question.

www.perplexity.ai

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 16h

"Even more worrying, Labour’s proposed Elections Bill will do little to close the loopholes. As Democracy for Sale revealed earlier this year, foreign donors will still be able to use UK-registered companies to pour millions into British politics."
@petergeoghegan.bsky.social

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 17h

When we talk about freedom of movement, we should never forget that it’s not just about immigration - one small part of the whole.
It’s about free movement to the EU, from the EU, and within the EU of:
- people
- goods
- services
- capital (investment).
No surprise that Brexit is a horror story.

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Sue Wilson MBE @suewilson91.bsky.social · May 16

"Labour’s reset with the EU will fail to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. A fundamental refashioning of the EU-UK relationship would require Labour to think again about freedom of movement."

www.cer.eu/insights/eur...

On Europe, Labour should reconsider its 'red chains'

Labour’s reset with the EU will fail to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. A fundamental refashioning of the EU-UK relationship would require Labour to think again about freedom of moveme...

www.cer.eu

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 17h

….. of people, goods, services and capital

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 18h

In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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Greenpeace UK @greenpeaceuk.bsky.social · 20h

BREAKING: Equinor has admitted that the massive Rosebank oil and gas field in the UK would cause vast climate damage.

*Pretends to be shocked* 😲

The UK government must STOP Rosebank, and instead focus on creating jobs in North Sea renewables!

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

I liked your point about the switch from first to third person - a good general rule.

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 1d

NEW

Trying to make sense of the nonsensical decision to drop the Chinese spying prosecutions

How the positions of neither the CPS nor the government stand up to scrutiny

By me

emptycity.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

The more one knows about this case, the more confusing it becomes.

The CPS insists on further evidence it does not require, and the government insists it could not give that evidence, even though it could.

Neither side makes sense, and together they make no sense absolutely.

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 1d

MPs will discuss the new digital ID proposal for the first time on Tuesday whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal53213

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

In the Lords there have been several successful business people who have made a meaningful contribution to politics
There are also successful politicians who started out in business and switched to politics relatively early eg Michael Heseltine.
However it’s hard to find Labour politicians w biz exp

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Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 1d

Just noticed I hit 60k followers here 😱

Thanks to all who find the posts helpful 🙏

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Congratulations!

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 1d

#r4today

Michael P. Breen @mpbreen21.bsky.social · 1d

The Onion

NRA Accidentally Forgets To Rise Up Against
Tyrannical Government
An embarrassed National Rifle Association says it totally forgot to do the one thing it has been saying for years it is solely there to do.

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

⚠️ Lord Turner: "We are in an environment where we are more exposed than most other countries"

"To be in a world of protectionist activity, when you've not got a continental scale economy in yourself or not part of a continental scale economy is a disadvantage."

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Hard truth, simply put.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 1d

Good idea!

Reposted by Richard Barfield

Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 2d

Case studies in projection #2:

Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy.

FT headline: Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy

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Dawn B @dawnbritten.bsky.social · 2d

Morning all xx

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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 2d

As so often, @laylamoran.bsky.social finds gracious, unifying words.

"I choose to believe that peace is possible. Everyone who went on a protest, wrote to their MP, cares about it, shouted at their TV - from whatever point of view - what were those deaths for, if not for a sustainable peace?" ~AA

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Richard Barfield @richardbarfield.bsky.social · 2d

Case studies in projection #2:

Scott Bessent (US Treasury Secretary) accuses China of trying to damage global economy.

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d

That New York Times story lots of people are sharing today about Farage's ties to US anti-abortion groups was first reported by @mc00.bsky.social on Byline Times a year ago bylinetimes.com/2024/11/29/n...

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